@sandradavies
Active 2 days ago-
Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 1 month ago
Thank you for the prompt, Terrie, which served to oil those mental cogs I was beginning to think had seized.
@Ath and Sandra – both great stories 🙂 and I hope you’ll be equally inspired by April’s comp.
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Terrie replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 1 month ago
Thank you Sandra, Ath, and Sea for such excellent entries.
1. Sandra, what a ‘jump right in’ really thought-provoking opening statement then backtracking to give a well-crafted back story to the piece before we actually meet Vic Duncan. I especially liked the small almost throw away sentences that gives good insight into the main cha…[Read more]
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Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 1 month ago
As I drove home on Wednesday morning after a nightshift, I had the most amazing idea for the monthly comp. A sort of fantasy, supernatural, sci-fi thing that I was excited to start working on. I got home, made myself a cup of tea and promptly fell asleep on the sofa. By the time I woke, the idea was long gone, picked up and carried away – like s…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 1 month ago
The Leap
Before I knew what The Leap was, I thought it was magic. Like I thought magic was a real thing. Me and Cob and Dez and Piggy were all under ten years old. I mean, I didn’t know what a year was. That was an earth thing. Piggy was nine, and he said that a year was like four and a bit turns of the stars. Turns were an asteroid thing, a K…[Read more]
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Janette posted an update 2 years, 1 month ago
Apologies for the big absences. I have had a lot to get my head around and the battle is not yet over, but I am starting to ease myself back into addressing an unfinished WIP. I have found a brilliant library: The Bradford Mechanics Institute Library, who serve teas to your table while you write. I love that you have to be a member (for the small…[Read more]
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Hi @janette, I grew up close to Manchester in the 1970s. I don’t know a great deal though can remember the atmosphere and what it looked like. There was a sense of desolation despite the moneyed suburbs. I don’t know anything about the theatres – a memory of the Library Theatre but that’s all. But if you think I can help, send me a private message…[Read more]
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Thank you, Libby, I’ll bear that in mind. It’s mostly theatre life I’m interested in, but I may want to pick your brain some time when I come to refining descriptives.
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Hi @janette, feel free 🙂
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I know nothing about Manchester in the mid 70s. I did do a few trips by coach from Newbury to Wigan in the early 70s (to the Casino) fuelled by optimism and fabulous blues music, Not so many that I was a regular. Happy to discuss.
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Thanks, Ath
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I was born in Manchester, but no help, as I left in 1965, aged 10! The Mechanics Institute Library sounds amazing. Dad was a member of one in Hull when he was teenager before the war, and made a point of joining one in Cardiff when we moved there in 1965. All part of the workers’ education movement – he was a big supporter.
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I’m also looking at how backstage works in theatres, particularly the wardrobe part, meanwhile I aim to generalise and hope it suffices.
Yes, the Mechanics Institute Library is amazing. I only wish I’d more time to explore it. Ours at least, had the education part of it taken over by the council, but it is interesting to see how many groups…[Read more]-
Mandy’s son Sam has done backstage work, but I think that was more technical – lighting etc.
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Terrie started the topic Monthly competition March 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 2 months ago
Thanks for choosing my entry as winner for the February competition i enjoyed writing it and also reading everyone else’s offerings.
As this year is a leap year I decided a good title for this months competition would be ‘The Leap’.
The only limit is your imagination so interpret it as you like, prose or poem if that takes your fancy but…[Read more] -
Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Competition – February 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 2 months ago
Well done, @purplewitch. That was an excellent return to the monthly competition 🙂
Liked that prompt @pinkbelt. Super bunch of entries this month.
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Pinkbelt replied to the topic Monthly Competition – February 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 2 months ago
First of all, thanks for allowing me to come back into the fold and do this. I’d forgotten how much fun these are, and I can’t believe just how much people can express in so few words. I loved all of them in different ways.
Sandra, I found your piece thoughtful and intriguing. I love the part of writing when you revisit a character to find out a…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Competition – February 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 2 months ago
The Return
Brenda’s dad died in 1983, so when he returned forty years later, it was a bit of a nuisance. Brenda woke up and went down to make a cup of tea. She was rather surprised to see him sitting in the kitchen looking out of the window.
‘You’ve let the garden go,’ he said without looking round. Then he did look round, and he added, ‘Bloody…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Reorganization And Declutteration (have I created a new word) in the forum Blogs 2 years, 3 months ago
Every year I aim to be organised (see Terrie above) and pick presents well in advance. The practice is different. I may not be quite as bad as the proverbial desparate man, the evening before, in the petrol station shop, but I’m cutting it close.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Reorganization And Declutteration (have I created a new word) in the forum Blogs 2 years, 3 months ago
By the way, ” I’ve even written my gift list for next year”. I believe this is actually against the law.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Reorganization And Declutteration (have I created a new word) in the forum Blogs 2 years, 3 months ago
Oh yes, prevaricating about the bush as Wallace refers to it. I do a great deal of that. Top tip. Every so often, copy the contents of that 1TB hard drive somewhere else as well. Whether that’s the Cloud (Dropbox, One Drive, Google Drive, Apple iCloud and so on) or another sleek 1TB hard drive. The day may come when your adorable cat decides the…[Read more]
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Squidge posted an update 2 years, 3 months ago
I always seem to come on here to apologize for not being here… Suffice to say that Life is a bit complicated and sad at the mo, and I’m not at my best. When I have the head space, I’ll be back.
Power to all of your pens in the meantime though 😉
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Terrie started the topic Reorganization And Declutteration (have I created a new word) in the forum Blogs 2 years, 3 months ago
Barely six weeks in to another year and I am wondering what task should I tackle next?
The Christmas tree is gone the limited decorations I possess and are packed away .The few yuletide cards received are now repurposed into gift tags for the next festive season and thank you messages are all written or texted. Holey moley I’ve even written m…[Read more] -
John T posted an update 2 years, 3 months ago
For those of you who are interested, Apples in the Dark is now available as an Ebook (paperback coming at the end of June). Almost ten years in the writing, tearing up, rewriting, rewriting again, etc – but it has finally got there. Links to books and to website in my Linktree. https://linktr.ee/wordswithjohn
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Terrie replied to the topic Monthly Competition – February 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 3 months ago
The Emporium.
I’d been watching the place for a while and now I was ready.
The tiny shop by the empty mill was cobwebbed in layers of age and the light inside flickered with a hospitable glow. The antique-looking sign over the bottle-glass door announced it was an “Emporium Of Returned Things”.
It was out of the way and the perfect place…[Read more]
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Pinkbelt started the topic Monthly Competition – February 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 3 months ago
It’s great to pop back in and see some familiar faces still hanging around.
Sticking with my own situation, I’m going to go with a one word theme – ‘Returned.’ You are open to interpret this anyway you like: a person returning, or an object being returned, or even something being turned and the turned again if you’re really into hyphens.
Less…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Competition – January 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 3 months ago
Well, what do you know? Three totally different old things.
Sandra, you brought a bit of Rembrandt’s brutal honesty in your piece. I’m not sure whether I was meant to but I chuckled along as I read this. It reminded me of the moment when I realised that my hands now resemble my own father’s as I remember them from years ago. It was an honest…[Read more]
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