u3a

Bishop`s Stortford

Creative Writing (S)

Status:Active, full but can join waiting list
Leader:
When: Monthly on Tuesday afternoons 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
Third Tuesday
Venue: Members Home

This is a house group and meets on the third Tuesday in the month at 2.00 pm in members' homes.

Group Activity

To develop our writing skills, the group follow the book "Back to Creative Writing School" by Bridget Whelan

Our writing includes all manner of topics, comic and serious, whimsical and alarming and some possibly prophetic.

We have produced two collections of our work and have a regular feature in the Culture section of the Bishop's Stortford Independent. Scroll down to find some examples of our writing.

A second Creative Writing Group had its inaugural meeting 22 November 2024. Eight members attended this meeting with four others interested but not yet formally joined. Should you be interested get in touch before membership is full.

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Notes of BSu3a CWG Meeting 21 October 2025.

Thanks to Anne for hosting the meeting.

Kathie and Peter apologised and seven members attended.

Members pieces were read which were, as usual, interesting and diverse.  Derek asked members to circulate their pieces to Peter and other members of the group.

Annes piece for the Indie in October was not in last week’s issue so  it should be in next week’s.  then:

Polly – end October

Steve - end November

Roz – end December

Homework: From next lesson: Back to Creative Writing School Term 2, Lesson 7 –Page 84 - Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.  Discussed briefly and likely to spark some novel contributions.  Or do we wish to write on another subject?

Next Meeting:  2-00pm Tuesday, 18 November at Derek’s. Then:

Roz – 16 December.

Additional note: Martin is collecting material for our next anthology.  So far we have submissions from Liz, Stuart, Steve, Martin and Peter.  Please send him any of your writing that you would like to be included.  We are looking for about three submissions from each member of the group.

Are members interested in AI?  It may seem scary but undoubtedly has beneficial uses.  Would members be interested in exploring a few easy and basic applications?  Have we members in the group who already are experimenting with AI?

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Examples of our work

Here is a whimsical poem

Half Price in Heaven.

"These are half price in Heaven," he said
As he folded his mighty wings,
He held a selection of wishes and prayers,
Requests for different things.

"What will you choose, I wonder?" he mused,
"Riches or prizes or fame?"
I looked through them all, so many to choose,
How should I play this game?

"I think I may choose this," I said,
And chose the gift of love,
"The gift of love," he said, "you know
Comes down from high above."

As I chose the gift of love
He watched and smiled at me,
"You've chosen well, there is no charge,
The gift of love is free."

Elizabeth Brown

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Misunderstanding your quarry

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE THIRD AGE

Being new to the area, Andy was keen to get involved with his favourite charity. He rang the local Chairperson who said he was welcome to attend a branch meeting the following week. He was also invited to go out with the committee for a meal afterwards. Such a good opportunity to get to know others.

At the meal he sat next to an amiable man, a widower, called Malcolm. Malcolm seemed please to talk about his active social life.

“As you’ve just moved to the area, you should join the University of the Third Age. You could come along with me if you want, it’s a great way to develop a good social life and meet likeminded people,” he said.

“Well actually I’m quite busy with my other commitments.” Andy replied.

“You don’t have to devote too much time. I go walking with them – on a fine day there’s nothing like a walk across the fields and through the woods.”

“Oh, I don’t know.”

“Think about it. Depending on your interests, some activities are even around member’s houses.”

“Thanks, but I just don’t think it’s for me.”

Having steered him off the subject, they spent the rest of the time talking about football.

Arriving home Andy’s wife said, “How was your meeting?”

“It went really well, and the meal afterwards, oh the food was lovely. Unfortunately I got stuck with this man who kept going on and on about this club he belongs to; he was making me very uncomfortable.”

“What club’s that?”

“It’s called the University of the New Age.”

“What’s that, I’ve not heard of it?”

“Well I remember seeing something on the telly about the New Age, from what I remember it’s all drugs and orgies. The man even told me that they meet in the woods, but if the weather’s bad they meet around each other’s houses. He seemed a pleasant enough chap, but I’m going to be keeping my distance in the future – that’s for sure.”

Alan Bastendorff

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Write something lyrical

IN A PLACE SUCH AS THIS

Such a lonely dwelling
White, against the sky

Even the tree is stark
Scrambling, it points half-heartedly to the heavens
As though to find something else
Other than this

There is a lot of space,
Empty air to fill with meaning
The cries of children, perhaps,
And the beating of hearts

Something to fill the meaning
And the purpose
Of a white house
In a place such as this

Or perhaps it is because the house is white
I notice the sky
And sentinel trees

And the leaves are falling
Very red
In a place such as this

Stuart Masters

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A story from childhood recollections

TO THE LIGHTHOUSE

I’ve always been fascinated by lighthouses. When I was little, Mum read me a story about a lighthouse keeper whose wife sent a packed lunch to him via a zip-wire and pesky seagulls tried to steal it.
Dad took me to see the light house at Beachy Head, a tall red & white tower, just like the one in my book. When I was bigger, he took me right up to the lantern room at Hartland Point and I imagined myself as a keeper.
Years later, aged 44, I was single again and ready for a new life. I’d been a volunteer for the RNLI and proved that I am unafraid of the sea and I applied to be an assistant keeper. There would be three of us working in rotation, 2 on I off at a time. My interview was to be in the lighthouse itself and alongside three other candidates we were to be taken by motorboat the three quarters of a mile out to sea.
The other guys were younger than me, one of them was a bit of a twit and kept waxing lyrical about lighthouses being a beacon of safety, a guiding light in the darkness.
So there we were, a clutch of candidates with life jackets on. It was certainly an unusual setting for an interview and I was pretty excited.
We were about half a mile out when the boat developed engine trouble and petered out. I suppose it was better than it hitting rocks and letting in water but still put us in a predicament.
After various calls, the crew arranged that we would be rescued by helicopter and returned to land. I’d never been in a helicopter before and found it quite exciting.
We found it hard to make small talk during the hour or so it took to arrive. The sea was pretty choppy but no-one was alarmed. Even so, it felt like an age before the helicopter arrived and hovered over the boat. One of the crew was lowered, gave brief safety instructions and secured a harness on one of the candidates. The guy was winched up and pulled into a door at the side of the helicopter. The winch was lowered again and we took our turn. The boat crew were to remain on board.
I will never forget the firm sensation of the harness round me, looking up and seeing the helicopter gently spinning above me. I know that it was me that was spinning but my senses were out of kilter. There were gulls and guillemots whirling around which heightened the sense of spinning.
A man grabbed me as I entered the helicopter and I landed in an ungainly heap. We were all a bit shell shocked and couldn’t speak over the noise of the helicopter as we were flown to the nearest helipad.
Having been health checked, the four of us were free to go. Our interviews were rescheduled for the following week but I began to think again. Did I really want to be cooped up with very limited company for weeks on end? I declined my second date.
Next week I’ve got an interview as a mechanic. What could possibly go wrong?

Kathy Sumpter

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The Italian Gardens are an integral part of The Gardens of Easton Lodge, Little Easton.

THE ITALIAN GARDENS

Yellow light filtered through the lime grove
Scattering amber light and wove

Patterns on the still blue lilypond waters
Where Daisy’s party had made its quarters

By the white steps fizzy champagne flowed
And the ragtime jazz music loudly blowed

Along the Italian gardens and beyond
Couples danced on flagstones beside the pond

And now the gardens restored to their glory
Tell of another different story

Where visitors and volunteers alike
Can share a tale of beauty and delight

Martin Swanzy

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