MEETING REPORT AND NEWSHEET
http://felixstowescribblers.com
http://nar8or.blogspot.com
http://onlinescribblers.com
For all your research and information for writers
visit your local Felixstowe Library
and the Suffolk Record Office .
FELIXSTOWE SCRIBBLERS NEWSHEET
Incorporating
the
REPORT OF THE MEETING HELD 6th NOVEMBER 2007
In the Chair: Morag
Apologies for absence were received from Ken who is under orders decorating. A late call from husband Andrew stranded at work meant that Ruth was unable to attend.
In attendance were Tony, Dick, Rosie, Jane, Pat, Trish, Alex, Liliane, Ally, Judy, Peter, Morag, Barry and Stephen.
Our friend Allen Williams.
Morag attended Allen’s wake at the Bull in Woodbridge and was made very welcome by Allen’s family. She said “It was lovely to meet Allen’s daughters, and Ron, his son in law, was delighted that I had managed to attend. The funeral service was held at a green cemetery near Harwich, with views to the Orwell on one side, and the railway line on the other, so just what Allen would have wanted. He left a message saying he wanted no sadness, only fun and laughter, and it was a jolly occasion. All the cards were on show, including the one from Scribblers. Allen’s daughter said how much her Dad had enjoyed going, and her husband said he would look out for his ‘chair’ in Felixstowe library.
I also met Nigel, Allen’s brother, who was so like Allen it was uncanny. He even spoke in the same voice – all in all, a touching occasion.”
Judy also explained how she had got to know Allen so much more than most when she was able to bring him along to the Scribblers. A really great character who will be missed by all those who knew him.
Scribblers News:
Due to some rather annoying upgrades being made by my ISP, over the last two weeks I suffered the loss of television and broadband services which, in consequence, meant that all my email accounts, including the scribblers addresses, were severed. It took but a moment to disconnect my services but fifteen days to reconnect everything. During this time many emails were either returned to sender as undelivered or completely lost in the great void. Hardly a good advert for my ISP and certainly frustrating for me. Apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
We have been informed that Les had another seizure last week, and although he has recovered, he is finding it impossible to write anything at all, even reading a book is difficult for him. Joan, his wife, says:
“The GP has explained that parts of his memory are failing, and there isn't a lot that can be done. He is very jolly about it, but I know it upsets him. I thought I would let you know the situation.
Perhaps one day he will be able to visit the Scribblers again.
Best wishes to you all, Joan.”
Morag reports that she had a fantastic night at the ‘frite night’ and thought the organizers should be congratulated on a really fun and entertaining night even though she spent most of the night screaming as the ghosts and ghouls kept leaping out from every dark corner! It was great!
Scott, in a role of reporter, sends this to us:
Fright at the fort
I had never been inside the fort, so it was a new experience, and here I was standing inside the courtyard at night; not just any night, Halloween.
It was dark, cold and very eerie; a large crowd filled the yard. We were all in high spirits, possibly due to the free drink on arrival. The only one who was not in a good mood was a witch, slowly burning at the stake. Nothing seemed to be happening while we all chatted and then screams could be heard and the bells started to ring. Then suddenly, we were thrown into darkness as the lights went out. Michael Jackson’s Thriller started to play and people started to scream in the dark.
Flashes went off and it became clear we were not alone as ghosts and ghouls appeared around us. The lights returned and we were then invited on a ghost walk.
It was a thrilling trek through the dark and misty corridors with spiders, bats and frights round every corner. Then we met a ghostly nurse who told us a tale of a soldier’s tragic death in a bathtub in the very room we were in. I was then met by Death, that was on his fag break, and coughing (of should that be coffin) which seemed ironic and rather surreal.
Then there was a rather rounded Henry the VIII and his executioner proving why he was head and shoulders above his wives. The witches of Landguard cackled at us next and asked for men, young men, then any men just as long as they were fresh, as they were brewing in the cauldron something rather nasty. At this stage we looked around some of the less lit areas, but not for long, it was a little too creepy.
As we ventured back to the bar we found a nice little cake and tea shop. Next we listened as the exorcist with blues brother shades told us another tale of woe. Then a ghostly woman appeared moaning in Portuguese at the loss of her husband.
At this point, we were having a fantastic time and so was everyone else. We then met a rather excited Jack the Ripper, complete with liver and heart. He also gave us his card, promising a carvery and a ripping time. Then came Sweeney Todd offering a quick shave while his lovely wife dished out tasty pies. Mine had a rather large finger hanging out of it.
There were a couple of tarot card readers and a medium offering their physic powers to those wishing to cross their palms with silver with a little wait due to the queues. Our journey was coming to an end and we had had a great time. On our way out we visited the Apothecary shop where I was offered a cure for baldness and bowel problems. I wonder how they knew? We received some rosemary to ward off evil spirits before being released into the night.
Overall, it was a really enjoyable night and we can’t wait for next year. The only tip would be to use plastic cups as we had to keep returning to the bar to drop glasses off and I bet they will be finding glasses in strange places for the next century. All I can say to end this is, if you missed it, get in early next year and for those doing it, more of the same, possibly a few tales around a fire first to warm up then let us loose. Once again, a frightful night filled with terror and fun.
Dick, as one of the Landguard Fort personnel, talked of the spirits past, pronounced that it had been a huge success.
A message from John in St Albans following his recent visit to Scribblers with Ruth and receiving a copy of our anthology of 2004. John writes:
“Thankyou and the happy band of Scribblers for the delightful anthology of 2004. Also for your kind invitation to your meetings which I have already found informative and a pleasure to attend. It makes me wish we had moved to and lived in Felixstowe, I will have to be content with looking forward to next year. Wishing you all happy and successful scribbling. Yours sincerely, John.”
It was nice to see Judy back at Scribblers again. She informed us that she has had her draft copy of her first book back and edited it for any errors prior to publication. It looks as if the book will now be released possibly next month or the beginning of next year. We all wish her success with the end result which will, we all believe, be a great work.
WRITERS’ CAFÉ
Here is something that may interest several of our members. It’s an event that will take place at Starbucks in Ipswich. If you are interested in attending the event then please remember to book your place at the address shown below and also let me know at scribblers.1@ntlworld.com.
WRITERS’ CAFÉ
@ STARBUCKS, BUTTERMARKET, IPSWICH
TUESDAY 27 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM
Read your own work, in public in a café atmosphere
Join like-minded people and share two hours of creativity and inspiration
Listen to, and participate in an eclectic and fascinating evening of local literature
Reading places at this free event will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. But it is essential to book so call or email now to ensure you are part of this exciting evening – please remember to say whether you wish to read.
Booking Tel: 01473 432869 or email: info.ip-art@ipswich.gov.uk
THE CHRISTMAS SOCIAL: will be held on Tuesday 29th January 2008 at the Grosvenor in Ranelagh Road Felixstowe. Menu and bookings will be available for our first meeting. It will be a good idea to order your meals in advance so that the chef knows what to expect! More details nearer the time.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Our official website at http://felixstowescribblers.com is now up and running again thanks to Alex. We hope to make some additions to the site soon so please have a look from time to time.
Most up to date information is shown on our weblog at the usual address - http://nar8or.blogspot.com Don’t forget that if you have any news of our old friends, or if you have some news you would like to share, then let us know and we will include it on our weblog.
A new Online Scribblers completion has begun and runs to the end of the month. Dedicated to Jack Wilkinson who loved nature and wildlife, this competition revolves round a picture that is posted in the competition forum at http://onlinescribblers.com If you are not already a member then you can either follow the instructions on their home page to register or email the organiser@onlinescribblers.com
The 1,500 word open themed homework assignments.
Trish: Jaca; The name means Jewel of God. Kingfishers view of a proposed building project in an area of designated beauty which was scuppered by heavy rain and floods.
Judy: Burma - Keng Tong Shan State. A trip to a village where men smoked opium and had black teeth. Lethargic life so different from other nearby villages.
The 500 word homework assignment on ‘Water‘.
Dave: Salty Water: A disastrous day at the beach - even worse at home.
Tony: The Things We Do for Timothy White-Boots: Another fantastic Perry Trachett tale of mayhem - this time a boat trip.
Dick: The Golden Venture: A cantata about Thomas Cavendish from which the poem “Mother Ocean Rocks us Gently” was taken.
Rosie: Mercury: Poetic and visual work about a trip to London, a stolen briefcase which was tossed into the Thames.
Jane: Broken Waters: Laura’s waters break in Tesco’s resulting in naming the baby Tess.
Pat: The Vital Ingredient: In Kenya an Austrian water diviner looking for bore holes on the African plains when water is so important during the drought.
Alex: The Dip: Cycle ride to the sea for a swim got into trouble. Panic. Manages to swim back and crawl out.
Liliane: A Walk Down to the Bay: A family trip to the bay at Ku-ring-gai National Park in Sydney, Australia in a 34° C temperature.
Ally: Silver Sixpence: Coral found her husband in bed with her sister. Tossed coin into the sea and made a wish. Turned into a mermaid and slid into the water from the end of the pier. Searches the seabed for the coin to cancel her wish.
Peter: Washing to Excess: Boy complaining about his mother’s obsession with making him wash relentlessly.
Morag: Generation Gap: Grand-daughter comes to stay.
Barry: Trespass: Three girls swimming in precious water in lake. Says he’ll wait until they are finished before he feeds the alligators.
Thanks to Liliane for collecting the key once again, to Morag for chairing the meeting and taking the notes and yet another terrific set of stories that made certain the evening was another enjoyable Felixstowe Scribblers experience.
Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 20th November in the Café Libra at Felixstowe Library. Start time 7.30 pm.
The 500 word homework theme is ‘BIRTHDAY‘. which should remind us to check our calendars for those forgotten dates…
The open themed 1,500 word homework assignment will be undertaken by Peter and Dick.
So until next time….
Keep Scribbling!
*****
Write a poem about Felixstowe.
United Press runs the biggest free-to-enter annual poetry contest in the UK and gives £1000 to each annual winner.
We also run other big-prize poetry competitions. All are free to enter, and open to both new and established poets, young and old.
On this website you can read about our free service to young poets, our charity work, and you can submit a poem of your own.
Visit www.unitedpress.co.uk for details of this national competition
http://nar8or.blogspot.com
http://onlinescribblers.com
For all your research and information for writers
visit your local Felixstowe Library
and the Suffolk Record Office .
FELIXSTOWE SCRIBBLERS NEWSHEET
Incorporating
the
REPORT OF THE MEETING HELD 6th NOVEMBER 2007
In the Chair: Morag
Apologies for absence were received from Ken who is under orders decorating. A late call from husband Andrew stranded at work meant that Ruth was unable to attend.
In attendance were Tony, Dick, Rosie, Jane, Pat, Trish, Alex, Liliane, Ally, Judy, Peter, Morag, Barry and Stephen.
Our friend Allen Williams.
Morag attended Allen’s wake at the Bull in Woodbridge and was made very welcome by Allen’s family. She said “It was lovely to meet Allen’s daughters, and Ron, his son in law, was delighted that I had managed to attend. The funeral service was held at a green cemetery near Harwich, with views to the Orwell on one side, and the railway line on the other, so just what Allen would have wanted. He left a message saying he wanted no sadness, only fun and laughter, and it was a jolly occasion. All the cards were on show, including the one from Scribblers. Allen’s daughter said how much her Dad had enjoyed going, and her husband said he would look out for his ‘chair’ in Felixstowe library.
I also met Nigel, Allen’s brother, who was so like Allen it was uncanny. He even spoke in the same voice – all in all, a touching occasion.”
Judy also explained how she had got to know Allen so much more than most when she was able to bring him along to the Scribblers. A really great character who will be missed by all those who knew him.
Scribblers News:
Due to some rather annoying upgrades being made by my ISP, over the last two weeks I suffered the loss of television and broadband services which, in consequence, meant that all my email accounts, including the scribblers addresses, were severed. It took but a moment to disconnect my services but fifteen days to reconnect everything. During this time many emails were either returned to sender as undelivered or completely lost in the great void. Hardly a good advert for my ISP and certainly frustrating for me. Apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
We have been informed that Les had another seizure last week, and although he has recovered, he is finding it impossible to write anything at all, even reading a book is difficult for him. Joan, his wife, says:
“The GP has explained that parts of his memory are failing, and there isn't a lot that can be done. He is very jolly about it, but I know it upsets him. I thought I would let you know the situation.
Perhaps one day he will be able to visit the Scribblers again.
Best wishes to you all, Joan.”
Morag reports that she had a fantastic night at the ‘frite night’ and thought the organizers should be congratulated on a really fun and entertaining night even though she spent most of the night screaming as the ghosts and ghouls kept leaping out from every dark corner! It was great!
Scott, in a role of reporter, sends this to us:
Fright at the fort
I had never been inside the fort, so it was a new experience, and here I was standing inside the courtyard at night; not just any night, Halloween.
It was dark, cold and very eerie; a large crowd filled the yard. We were all in high spirits, possibly due to the free drink on arrival. The only one who was not in a good mood was a witch, slowly burning at the stake. Nothing seemed to be happening while we all chatted and then screams could be heard and the bells started to ring. Then suddenly, we were thrown into darkness as the lights went out. Michael Jackson’s Thriller started to play and people started to scream in the dark.
Flashes went off and it became clear we were not alone as ghosts and ghouls appeared around us. The lights returned and we were then invited on a ghost walk.
It was a thrilling trek through the dark and misty corridors with spiders, bats and frights round every corner. Then we met a ghostly nurse who told us a tale of a soldier’s tragic death in a bathtub in the very room we were in. I was then met by Death, that was on his fag break, and coughing (of should that be coffin) which seemed ironic and rather surreal.
Then there was a rather rounded Henry the VIII and his executioner proving why he was head and shoulders above his wives. The witches of Landguard cackled at us next and asked for men, young men, then any men just as long as they were fresh, as they were brewing in the cauldron something rather nasty. At this stage we looked around some of the less lit areas, but not for long, it was a little too creepy.
As we ventured back to the bar we found a nice little cake and tea shop. Next we listened as the exorcist with blues brother shades told us another tale of woe. Then a ghostly woman appeared moaning in Portuguese at the loss of her husband.
At this point, we were having a fantastic time and so was everyone else. We then met a rather excited Jack the Ripper, complete with liver and heart. He also gave us his card, promising a carvery and a ripping time. Then came Sweeney Todd offering a quick shave while his lovely wife dished out tasty pies. Mine had a rather large finger hanging out of it.
There were a couple of tarot card readers and a medium offering their physic powers to those wishing to cross their palms with silver with a little wait due to the queues. Our journey was coming to an end and we had had a great time. On our way out we visited the Apothecary shop where I was offered a cure for baldness and bowel problems. I wonder how they knew? We received some rosemary to ward off evil spirits before being released into the night.
Overall, it was a really enjoyable night and we can’t wait for next year. The only tip would be to use plastic cups as we had to keep returning to the bar to drop glasses off and I bet they will be finding glasses in strange places for the next century. All I can say to end this is, if you missed it, get in early next year and for those doing it, more of the same, possibly a few tales around a fire first to warm up then let us loose. Once again, a frightful night filled with terror and fun.
Dick, as one of the Landguard Fort personnel, talked of the spirits past, pronounced that it had been a huge success.
A message from John in St Albans following his recent visit to Scribblers with Ruth and receiving a copy of our anthology of 2004. John writes:
“Thankyou and the happy band of Scribblers for the delightful anthology of 2004. Also for your kind invitation to your meetings which I have already found informative and a pleasure to attend. It makes me wish we had moved to and lived in Felixstowe, I will have to be content with looking forward to next year. Wishing you all happy and successful scribbling. Yours sincerely, John.”
It was nice to see Judy back at Scribblers again. She informed us that she has had her draft copy of her first book back and edited it for any errors prior to publication. It looks as if the book will now be released possibly next month or the beginning of next year. We all wish her success with the end result which will, we all believe, be a great work.
WRITERS’ CAFÉ
Here is something that may interest several of our members. It’s an event that will take place at Starbucks in Ipswich. If you are interested in attending the event then please remember to book your place at the address shown below and also let me know at scribblers.1@ntlworld.com.
WRITERS’ CAFÉ
@ STARBUCKS, BUTTERMARKET, IPSWICH
TUESDAY 27 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM
Read your own work, in public in a café atmosphere
Join like-minded people and share two hours of creativity and inspiration
Listen to, and participate in an eclectic and fascinating evening of local literature
Reading places at this free event will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. But it is essential to book so call or email now to ensure you are part of this exciting evening – please remember to say whether you wish to read.
Booking Tel: 01473 432869 or email: info.ip-art@ipswich.gov.uk
THE CHRISTMAS SOCIAL: will be held on Tuesday 29th January 2008 at the Grosvenor in Ranelagh Road Felixstowe. Menu and bookings will be available for our first meeting. It will be a good idea to order your meals in advance so that the chef knows what to expect! More details nearer the time.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Our official website at http://felixstowescribblers.com is now up and running again thanks to Alex. We hope to make some additions to the site soon so please have a look from time to time.
Most up to date information is shown on our weblog at the usual address - http://nar8or.blogspot.com Don’t forget that if you have any news of our old friends, or if you have some news you would like to share, then let us know and we will include it on our weblog.
A new Online Scribblers completion has begun and runs to the end of the month. Dedicated to Jack Wilkinson who loved nature and wildlife, this competition revolves round a picture that is posted in the competition forum at http://onlinescribblers.com If you are not already a member then you can either follow the instructions on their home page to register or email the organiser@onlinescribblers.com
The 1,500 word open themed homework assignments.
Trish: Jaca; The name means Jewel of God. Kingfishers view of a proposed building project in an area of designated beauty which was scuppered by heavy rain and floods.
Judy: Burma - Keng Tong Shan State. A trip to a village where men smoked opium and had black teeth. Lethargic life so different from other nearby villages.
The 500 word homework assignment on ‘Water‘.
Dave: Salty Water: A disastrous day at the beach - even worse at home.
Tony: The Things We Do for Timothy White-Boots: Another fantastic Perry Trachett tale of mayhem - this time a boat trip.
Dick: The Golden Venture: A cantata about Thomas Cavendish from which the poem “Mother Ocean Rocks us Gently” was taken.
Rosie: Mercury: Poetic and visual work about a trip to London, a stolen briefcase which was tossed into the Thames.
Jane: Broken Waters: Laura’s waters break in Tesco’s resulting in naming the baby Tess.
Pat: The Vital Ingredient: In Kenya an Austrian water diviner looking for bore holes on the African plains when water is so important during the drought.
Alex: The Dip: Cycle ride to the sea for a swim got into trouble. Panic. Manages to swim back and crawl out.
Liliane: A Walk Down to the Bay: A family trip to the bay at Ku-ring-gai National Park in Sydney, Australia in a 34° C temperature.
Ally: Silver Sixpence: Coral found her husband in bed with her sister. Tossed coin into the sea and made a wish. Turned into a mermaid and slid into the water from the end of the pier. Searches the seabed for the coin to cancel her wish.
Peter: Washing to Excess: Boy complaining about his mother’s obsession with making him wash relentlessly.
Morag: Generation Gap: Grand-daughter comes to stay.
Barry: Trespass: Three girls swimming in precious water in lake. Says he’ll wait until they are finished before he feeds the alligators.
Thanks to Liliane for collecting the key once again, to Morag for chairing the meeting and taking the notes and yet another terrific set of stories that made certain the evening was another enjoyable Felixstowe Scribblers experience.
Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 20th November in the Café Libra at Felixstowe Library. Start time 7.30 pm.
The 500 word homework theme is ‘BIRTHDAY‘. which should remind us to check our calendars for those forgotten dates…
The open themed 1,500 word homework assignment will be undertaken by Peter and Dick.
So until next time….
Keep Scribbling!
*****
Write a poem about Felixstowe.
United Press runs the biggest free-to-enter annual poetry contest in the UK and gives £1000 to each annual winner.
We also run other big-prize poetry competitions. All are free to enter, and open to both new and established poets, young and old.
On this website you can read about our free service to young poets, our charity work, and you can submit a poem of your own.
Visit www.unitedpress.co.uk for details of this national competition
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