Surveying the scene

Out with the dog on a local hill this afternoon we followed a slightly different track from that which we normally take and stumbled on a lovely walk, quite new to us despite having lived very close to it for 22 years. What really struck me as we explored the path in some welcome February sunshine was the different slant we then had on a very familiar view out over the Severn valley - and that started me thinking about revising manuscripts, about looking at a familiar piece of work from a different standpoint, getting another perspective on it.

Because revising is what I am now into, having at last finished the first draft of the family chronicles! I actually finished ten days ago but put it aside to have a bit of breathing space before launching into the next phase. Several of the early chapters were written some eighteen months ago and, in the light of how later ones have developed, need some reworking. I can't remember who it was who said "Life can only be understood backwards - the problem is that it has to be lived forwards." For me, though, the same often holds true for a concerted piece of writing - it's only on its completion that the overall picture comes into perspective, that the shape and feel of it become apparent and I can get a proper grip on it! So I'm striking out along that different path now ...

Telling stories

A few years ago I spent many months working with older people in nursing homes and community settings to help them put together their life stories; some chose to do it pictorially, others in written form. It was a fascinating and a humbling experience, to be taken into the confidence of people as they re-lived their lives, the good and the bad days, the happy and far from it.

Sandra and Tony Jeans from the Charlton Kings Community Players have used similar material collected from older people living in Cheltenham to put together a play currently running at St. Edwards School Performance Hall and for which I'm doing Front of House. "Some Sunny Day" is based on the lived and recounted experience of many people from the years around the Second World War, and covers both the everyday occurrences and the outstanding moments. With songs from the war years to join in with and an extensive exhibition of memorabilia to browse, audiences have thoroughly enjoyed the production, the proceeds from which are all going towards two local charities, the Great Western Air Ambulance and Severn Freewheelers.

How important it is that people have the opportunity to tell their stories - and how important it is that these are recorded. There is so much that is extraordinary in ordinary lives - and what a tragedy if that is lost to future generations. I'm hoping to resume work with older people in care settings later this year - and I know that I'll get as much from hearing and writing their stories as they will from telling them.

Moving on

Tuesday was a brilliant, blue-sky day; I walked the dog in warm sunshine on Crickley Hill almost deafened by birdsong, with the Romantic poets reeling through my mind. But that hint of spring seems to have been more than a little premature and this morning's walk was back in more usual garb - thermals, scarf and fleece! At least it's lighter in the mornings and for longer in the afternoons, though, and the snowdrops and crocuses are much in evidence, so it can't be that much longer ...

And there have been some stimulating events this week to move the mind on too. Under the auspices of Cheltenham Poetry Society, Sharon Larkin is running a twelve month "Kickstart" poetry course, based on Jo Bell's book "52. Write A Poem A Week. Start Now. Keep Going" (Nine Arches Press). Tuesday evening saw thirteen of us at this month's workshop, reading a wide variety of work based on the prompts from the early chapters - an interesting session. Then last night Smokey Joes coffee bar hosted "Flashers Club", the quarterly event recently begun by Alex Clark for writers of flash fiction. Headlined by Tyler Keevil who runs the undergraduate creative writing programme at the University of Gloucestershire, eight other contributions came from debut as well as seasoned "flashers". Photos and brief biographies of the participants will be on the club blog if you're interested - www.flashersclub.wordpress.com

An advance invitation - if you're free at 7.30pm on Friday February 24th, do join us at New Bohemians at deepspace arts centre, Hamilton Street, Charlton Kings. A few days before St. David's Day, the evening will celebrate "Voices From Wales" with Sharon Larkin, Vicki Hampton, Adam Magee and Aled Thomas. I shall be opening the second half of the evening for the open mic session. Tickets are £6.50 on the door and include interval refreshments (Welsh themed of course!). Do hope to see you there.

Back in harness

A dull and damp end to January but I'm on cloud nine here - my fracture is healing well, I've started physiotherapy and I've now got two free hands to do things with! I shall be very careful on that step in future ....

Whilst the practicalities such as housework and cooking have got more than a little out of hand over recent weeks, I've rejoiced in the opportunity to catch up on a lot of reading - some for research purposes but a lot simply for enjoyment. I've been trying some new authors (new to me, that is) as well as going back to old favourites. "Cousins" by Sally Vickers I really enjoyed but the one that kept me reading well into the night was "The Improbability Of Love" by Hannah Rothschild. Multi-layered, with a huge cast of characters - each beautifully drawn - it's exuberant, witty and says a lot that is deeply meaningful but with the lightest of touches. Following the life story of a great work of art through four hundred years of  romance, intrigue, plunder, underhand dealing, you-name-it-the-painting-has-been-subjected-to-it, you can't fail to realise the depth of the author's knowledge as well as her skill in writing about it. If you haven't read it, do try to do so - it was shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction and would certainly have been my winning choice.

The Year Of Legend

My daughter and I have just booked to go to the Celtic Folk Festival being held in March in Porthcawl and I was very interested to see that 2017 has been designated the "Year of Legend" in Wales. No doubt a carefully thought-out marketing ploy on the part of the Welsh Tourist Board, but a highly appropriate one nonetheless. I can't think of anywhere else with so many, or such fascinating, myths and legends, from many of the Arthurian tales to the magical stories in the Mabinogion. One of my favourites is about Idris, the giant warrior poet who sits on his chair - the mountain Cadair Idris - to contemplate the heavens. Any mortal spending the night on his mountain needs to be brave or foolhardy - they will wake from sleep either a lunatic or a poet too!

Last spring I began a series of poems based on Celtic legends but other work got the better of me and the poems went on hold. They've come to the top of the to-do list again though, as soon as my big project is finished, and I'm really looking forward to revisiting all the stories - and hopefully their settings too, as I want to illustrate the poems with relevant photos. Roll on the spring, when I shall hopefully have the time, and some better weather, in which to do so!

Lake above Llandecwyn -
Excalibur's final resting place?

Steaming ahead

Well, take myself in hand I did, and last week was a highly productive one on the writing front. It could have been even more so if I was adept at typing left handed, but in the current situation I'm not complaining! I'm well on the way now to completing the first draft of the family chronicles and hopeful that my newly-set target (mid March) will be achievable. Whilst I need to maintain a definite focus to make sure of that, at the back of my mind and on the pages of my notebook a couple of other potential projects are taking form, spin-offs from the main thrust of the family story.  I'm certainly not the type who can write two or more works simultaneously, but it's good to have some tentative follow-up plans.

One highlight of last week was an evening spent at Buzzwords listening to R. V. Bailey and June Hall reading their poetry. I wrote about the two of them a year or so ago now after hearing them read in Swindon from "The Book Of Love And Loss" which they had edited. Again I really enjoyed hearing them both, but I was especially struck this time by June's work; she writes so movingly about the triumphs and tragedies of life, about such intimate events as stillbirth and sickness, so amusingly about birthdays, growing up, growing old, even the frustrations of using disability aids. If you're not familiar with her work, do look it up, it's well worth the effort.

Positive thinking!

Was it only a couple of weeks ago I was writing about hopefulness and the power of positive thinking?! I certainly need to take myself in hand here - I've been thoroughly fed up and achieving very little over the past week as it's become obvious that it's going to be a protracted business recovering from this shoulder injury. But looking through the diary this morning there seems to be so much to look forward to on the poetry and writing scene and tomorrow at Catchword we'll be discussing the objectives we've set ourselves for the coming three months - a definite motivator! I can't turn up empty handed ... so it's upwards and onwards.

And even this miserable winter weather lets up occasionally; I've always loved winter evening skies and there have been some stunningly inspirational ones recently ....