18th November

There were apologies from Joan, Linda, Jacky and Joyce.

We began by updating the tea rota which is as follows:

25th Nov        Irene

2nd Dec         Lorna

9th Dec        Sandra M

6th Jan        Sandra M

13th Jan        Sandra R

20th Jan        John McD

27th Jan        Morag

3rd Feb        Brian

10th Feb        Hilary

17th Feb        Marilyn

24th Feb        John H

3rd March    Rob

17th Match    Lorna

24th March    Irene

31st March    Hilary

We then settled down to John H’s  ‘Wordle’/Flash Fiction exercise - each member was given nine random words which had to be used in order to provide an example of flash fiction. It is not only a fun challenge but also very demanding and writers have to be fully disciplined in order to complete the task. Initially, the lists were, by and large, individual and the results were as folllows

Brian. ‘Meal Time’

John MacD     ‘Sushi at 38,000 feet’

Irene   ‘Guava Gunge’

Morag ‘Donald Speaking’

Marilyn ‘ Supporting Children in Need’

Rob ‘The Prize’

Lorna ‘Gardening Woes’

John H ‘The Spasm’

Sandra R    ‘On the Way to Gretna’

Sandar M    ’Wacky Tam’

Hilary ‘The Scarecrows Revenge’

We were then challenged with an identical list where a wild variety of interpretations were offered based around drape, shalt, slimy, abyss, rumba. Decal, wright, exert and drier. Make of that what you will.

We then decamped to ‘The Vanishing Willows’ where we were joined by Joan and Joyce and enjoyed our annual afternoon team get-together. Next week, a workshop on humorous writing so that should be a laugh!

 11th November

Apologies were received from Joan, Lorna, Irene and Linda and there were ten members in attendance.

The meeting opened with a message from postal member Vikki Gemmell who is currently judging our ‘teen fiction’ entries. She has kindly waived her fee and suggested that we put it towards a trophy awarded in memory of Donnie. This received a warm response and, on Sandra’s suggestion, it was decided it would be put towards a prize, awarded annually, for a ‘humorous article’ which was one of Donnie’s fortes. It would add to the competitions and will be competed for in the next session. Research was instigated to find a suitable trophy.

With early entries for the SAW competitions due at the end of the month, members brought in works which they felt could be considered. They were critiqued by the members who offered suggestions, improvements and the meeting proved very useful indeed.

John Mac began with a poem, ‘A Splash of Light’. Admitting he was outside his comfort zone, it was exactly what this particular meeting was designed for. Slight improvements were suggested and John will take them on board prior to entering his verse.

Rob followed with a piece entitled ‘Double Decker Gossip’ and again suggestions were made although it was difficult to ascertain into which genre or competition kit could be entered. However, with some ‘tweaks’ it will find a home.

Hilary’s extremely moving and topical poem ‘Tommy’s Secret Hell’ , a Great War memory, was very well received and, apart from a possible change in its title, was considered good to go. 

Morag’s short sketch ‘Conversations on a Bus’ dramatised an actual encounter she had experienced when a student in Glasgow and had sat next to a lady on the said bus who had insisted that Morag was a medical student. Very funny.

Jacky’s offering in the article competition was based on her great uncle’s award of  ‘The Daphne Clock’ and again members found it fascinating and suggested small changes to the piece before it is formally entered prior to her heading off to Australia. Bon voyage, Jacky!

Marilyn gave us another article ‘The Power of Thyme and Time’ , a clever title for a piece which highlighted the role played by both in physical and mental healing.

The afternoon ended with Brian giving us a short story entitled ‘For Better or Worse’, a powerful tale ranging from Donegal to New England and ending with a somewhat brutal twist.

This was a very useful afternoon and one which should be repeated in our ‘Open Manuscripts’ slots where previous offerings can be burnished with the help of fellow members. We ended with everyone being encouraged to attend the SAW Conference in March 2026.

 Tuesday 4th November

Apologies were received from Joyce, Linda, Lorna, Hilary and Joan

Sandra began proceedings by reflecting on Donnie’s funeral and thanking all members for their friendship and support. It was a wonderful service and a fitting farewell and tribute to, not only her loving husband, but also an active and popular member of Erskine Writers.

John Mac gave us news that the fourth book in his Moretti ‘seasonal’ quartet had now been published and was available. He warned prospective readers to buckle up as ‘Get Me Moretti!’ was a bumpy ride.

John H brought in a copy of his son, Martin’s, children’s book ‘Kindness’ which he had written and illustrated himself. It was more than well received and members could see the potential which the book promised.

The afternoon was given over to the results of our first competition, the Betty Munnoch Memorial Award for Poetry which was won by Brian with his offering of  ‘So said the Wind’, a clever compilation of sixties  performers and their songs, all of which contained the word wind and influenced a generation. Sandra M came in second with a wonderful poem entitled ‘Second Resurrection’ concerning the felling of a favoured maple tree and how shoots slowly emanated from the resulting stump. It stirred up feelings of grief, acceptance and new hope. Sandra R’s poem ‘Auntie Nellie’ relating a visit to an adored aunt suffering from dementia was awarded third while Jacky’s ‘Bubbly Waters’ was a highly commended portrait of the over sixties swimming club. Joan’s poem was also commended and will be read when she returns to the club.

Other offerings were Irene’s ‘Relief’, an observant work detailing a visit to the seashore and John H’s poem ‘A little Bit of Brit Abroad’ which was a humorous recollection of a family holiday to Benidorm. Morag’s piece ‘I am Noorullah’ was a contemporary, sobering yet ultimately optimistic account of an asylum seeker whom she had met whilst helping refugees master the English language and Rob offered us ‘Millie’.

Other poems were also read by members - Jacky’s ‘There Is Something Wrong With Mother’, John H’s ‘Friend I or Foe, Sandra R’s ‘Elf Lock’, Sandra M’s “Paradox of Love’, Rob’s ‘Bampi’s Saturday Morning’ and Marilyn’s ‘Nothing Lasts for Ever’.

A discussion was held regarding the SAW Conference and, with that in mind and the competitions within its brief, members are encouraged to bring with them next week a piece which particularly pleases them, on which they have worked and could be a potential entry. Any length, any genre , it can be read to the club and advice and help offered. This may well carry on to a further meeting but it is intended to encourage members to both enter SAW competitions and attend the conference.

Finally, will members let John H know if they intend attending high tea at ‘The Vanishing Willows’ on 18th November so that numbers can be confirmed.

 Tuesday 28th October

Our first  major workshop of the session attracted fourteen members. We were also joined by a new, perspective member Linda Marquis and we would be delighted if she made her membership permanent. Welcome, Linda.

Delivering our workshop entitled ‘Memoir and Biography’ was the celebrated author Roger Glass, currently Reader in Creative Writing at the University of Strathclyde. His biography which champions the work of Glaswegian writer and artist Alasdair Gray (for whom he worked as a personal assistant) was awarded winning and he has contributed to many worthy publications. Currently working on a biography of ‘a major British rock band’, he tantalised the club by refusing to name them or any of their albums!

Roger opened up by addressing some of the major questions which club members had posed prior to the workshop. He gave us a short summary of his career - the influences of Alasdair Gray, Michel Faber and his nephew Joshua had on his work and insisted on the importance of ‘compassionate writing’. The afternoon was very cerebral - it made us think and appreciate the concept of memoir in a much deeper manner than the mere recording of anecdote and incident. He answered our questions with honesty and humour and with a depth which caused us to reflect and approach the challenge which he set with a much deeper understanding. A yardstick of his success in delivering the workshop was that time flew by and we were left wanting more. 

The challenge which Roge set, allowing us to hesitantly begin, during our meeting was to write about a significant moment either of self or with others. This will form the basis for entries in our next competition, 1500 words (although he is happy to accept 10% either way - very refreshing!) to be with Morag by midnight on 25th November.

Thank you, Roge for a fascinating and insightful afternoon. We look forward to your critiques of our work in the fullness of time.

 Tuesday 21st October

In many ways this was a momentous meeting not least of which was that the group had the opportunity to welcome Sandra back to a session. Going through such a difficult and trying time, it would be difficult to underestimate the courage she showed as she re-took her chair as President and led the meeting in her indomitable way. Welcome home Sandra; we are here for you.

Also, the group took up residence at its new and, hopefully, permanent home. With all the required paperwork now in place, we met in the very comfortable surroundings of Inchinnan Parish Church and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.

Apologies were received from Morag, Joan and Joyce and there were twelve members present. Numerous things were discussed prior to the airing of the latest offerings. We are due to play our part as adjudicators for the SAW flash fiction competition and it was decided that, when entries are received, they would be divided amongst us prior to having a group session where we can discuss our deliberations and come up with the correct decisions. Also, given the hospitality we are receiving from the church, a ‘tea rota’ was put in place, the initial participants as follows:

28th October    Hilary

4th November    John H

11th November     Rob

25th November    Irene

2nd December     Lorna

9th December    Sandra M

The topic for the day was a short story based on the sentence ‘I picked it up to have a closer look’. Rob opened proceedings with a tale entitled ‘Cwpan Sanctaidd Cymraig’, a story of the discovery of the broken half of the famed Nanteos Cup, the Welsh Holy Grail. This was followed by ‘Find of the Day’, Jackie’s  account of a family holiday where an afternoon’s rock pooling ended with the discovery of a set of lost or discarded dentures - a a tale she really got her teeth into. Lorna’s piece ‘Sparky or Not’ related Emily’s story of discovering an abandoned kitten, hidden in a handbag whilst out jogging. Marilyn, orally, told us of a family heirloom which she passed on to her grandson, a watch which had been one of her husband’s treasures. Speaking of treasures, Sandra R gave us ‘Millie’ how an antique figurine bought at a fair for £15 turned out to be a piece of Coulport valued at £150! However this had no bearing on her  love for her ornament but we were all left wanting to accompany her at future ‘bargain hunt’ trips. 

John Mac gave us a chilling tale entitled ‘The Curse’ where the intermittent light and dark caused by a lighthouse gave the gradual creep of a troll across a bedroom floor an uncomfortable atmospheric feel. This was followed by John H and his piece called ‘The Legacy’ where time travel in a well appointed workshop gave the hero a better understanding of a beloved grandfather and Hilary ended proceedings with ‘Nothing isWhat It Seems’,  a sobering tale of transporting water to needy places in the world which had a flavour of  Verne’s ‘Journey To The Centre Of The Earth’.

Next week, we have our first workshop of the season when Roger Glass leads us on writing memoirs and biography. This is being eagerly awaited so get your personal anecdotes ready.

 It was with a sombre numbness that the club met on Tuesday 14th October, the passing of Donnie coming as a devastating shock. Not only had Donnie been our loyal and efficient treasurer, he was also a gifted story teller and we shall miss his anecdotes about life as a liquidation accountant littered, as they were, with many unforgettable west of Scotland characters along with his legendary motoring mishaps. He was also a talented genealogist. A kind and gentle friend, we send our deepest sympathies to Sandra, our President, and his family.

Hilary chaired what was a difficult meeting with a masterly calm. We continue our somewhat nomadic existence being lodged in Erskine Parish Church. This gave rise to a discussion regarding our next move to Inchinnan Parish Church which has been investigated by Jackie and, once the required paperwork is in order, this should become our permanent residence.

Our theme for the week was ‘Open Manuscripts’ and John McD began with a ‘Dear John’ letter written from the viewpoint of a slighted and vengeful wife and one felt that Donnie would have relished the humour on display. This was followed by John H with two short offerings based on his ‘Wordle’ challenges and how anyone could get the words ‘quill’ and ‘udders’ in the same sentence beggars belief. Curiously Rob’s children’s story was also based around quills as he told the story of how his granddaughters sharpened the blunted quills of the king of the porcupines with the help of plastic pencil sharpeners. Hilary then gave us another chapter from her ongoing novel based on a “Murder in Millport” and this gained a very positive response.

Hilary then gave us a character building exercise based on a set of coasters which bore the paintings of Czech Art Nouveau artist  Alphonse Mucha. A wide variety of ideas were explored and the exercise was enjoyed by all.

There were ten attendees in all and we were glad to welcome Joyce back to the fold but the over-riding feeling of shock and loss was evident throughout the afternoon.

At the time of writing, next week’s meeting (21st October) will be held at Bishopton Library between 2.00 and 4.00 but this is subject to change. If this is the case, then I’ll text everybody.

God bless, Donnie

 Tuesday 7th October

This particular meeting was held at our, possibly temporary, venue at Bishopton Library. There were a handful of apologies - Donnie, John Mac, John H, Joan, Morag, Lorna and Joyce meaning our turnout was eight. However, we were pleased that President Sandra was able to join us given what she and her family is undergoing at the present and, subsequently, even more delighted on hearing that Donnie had got home from hospital. Another point of ‘celebration’ was the fact that Irene has agreed to become our new Treasurer and that the paperwork has now been completed in order for her to take up her duties.

The subject for the day was a piece of writing which had been inspired by our recent field visit to the Burrell Collection. Sandra M opened proceedings with a charming poem entitled ‘AParadox of Love” in which she detailed her response to a panel of medieval stained glass which illustrated the story of Abraham and his near sacrifice of his son Isaac. A very thoughtful and concise piece of work. Rob also highlighted his reaction to the collection of stained glass, in particular the scenes of everyday medieval life. 

Jackie was moved by a Renaissance  bust of Mary Magdalene, and what her expression told us of her emotions. This led her to investigate the subject of facial expression along with body language ending with the comment that one ‘cannot tell a book by its cover’. Irene posed a quandary ‘What is my inspiration?’ , the eventual answer being a picture painted by Joseph Creswell of Sir William’s sister on a bicycle - a safety bicycle rather than, as she put it ‘the obscene penny farthing’! This was followed by Sandra R’s reaction to a painting highlighting the story of Judithand how she helped raise the siege if Bethulia. It was done in 1530 and showed the young lady sitting with an amused look on her face with the head of the Assyrian general Holoferne at her feet. This led to a wide ranging discussion amongst the group about a little known Biblical heroine.

Hilary followed with a treatise on boots and shoes entitled ‘Boots and Shoes Go Walking in Your Heart’ inspired by a pair of embroidered shoes from the late 15th and led her to look at shoes styles - and names - more generally which went down very well indeed. Brian was moved by a 16thc oaken English bed which may have been slept in by Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. (Haven’t they all!!) and this led him to discuss the importance of the bed in history and, indeed, in modern life. 

Finally, Jackie read out two pieces submitted by Morag. One was a wonderful poem entitled ‘Persian Paradise Carpet’ and the detail she managed to glean from the carpet was very comprehensive and the other was an extremely clever pice of work in which she composed a sketch, a dialogue between Mary Burrell, Sir William’s sister and a rehearsing ballerina from a painting by Degas completed in 1874. In it they compared their lives and it does give rise to an excellent topic for next year’s syllabus.

Next week we are in Erskine Parish Church on Rashielee Drive. The post code is PA8 6HS. The actual timing needs to be confirmed and I will text everyone once I have the details.