Minutes of the meeting at La Rosa Hotel on Thursday 15 November 2018.
Present: Adele, Jonathan, Mike, Jenny, Pip, Roy, Ian (chair).
Apologies: Louise
Topic: Members’ work-in-progress.
Matters Arising
Ian apologised for the confusion he’d caused by announcing Jenny‘s poetry reading at St Mary’s as taking place on Saturday 11 November when that should have been Saturday 10 November. Ian had imagined it would be part of the Remembrance Day service which takes place each year on 11 November, and would be a special one this year, being the 100th anniversary of the armistice which ended the First World War.
Jenny reported that her event raised over £200 in book-sales in aid of Help For Heroes, plus orders for a further three of the hardback edition which she hadn’t been able to fulfil from stock and had needed reordering from IngramSpark, the POD publisher. The meeting agreed that these were gratifying results, in view of all the effort Jenny had put in for her fundraiser.
Pip reported that Chris Berry from the Yorkshire Post had interviewed her regarding her cattle-breeding and show-judging activities, for publication (with photos) in the edition that comes out on Saturday 24 November. Ian respectfully disagreed with her surmise that it had nothing to do with her forthcoming book: in his experience once your face has appeared “in the news”, for whatever reason, a channel opens for the promotion of all manner of things.
Members’ Readings
Mike [“Aladdin”] — The first night of the provincial pantomime gets in its stride, with its backstage goings-on. The Spirit Of The Ring tilts her hat at the tap-dancing twins playing in the role of the comic policemen. She ponders which of the pair she should go to bed with. Then she conjectures that, since they are identical twins, would it matter?
Adele — read her poem: Journey to the Other Side. We meet the murky denizens of a city underpass, couched in classical references to the crossing of the River Styx. The meeting enthusiastically engaged with the concept, which they thought bold and imaginative, but recommended stronger hints to disambiguate the metaphors.
Jenny — presented a revision of a poem first read to the Poetry Group: Great-Uncle Eric, intended as part of a poem cycle concerning the interesting lives of her relatives. The protagonist, goaded by taunts of girlfriends, volunteers for front-line service in WW1 in spite of being in a reserved occupation. His body is never found.
Roy [Wesson’s Dilemma] — It is 1967 and Jack Wesson, newly retired from the police force and branching out as a private detective, is grateful for all the work he can get… with reservations. Accompanied by “Mr Brown” (an MI5 spook) he travels to London to interview Shadow Foreign Secretary Charlton, who is being blackmailed over the death in occupied France in 1944 of an explosives expert: Denton Reeth. The victim just so happens to be Wesson’s father.
Ian [Anitra’s Petition] — On board the Oberon, Anitra is recovering in the stateroom from the excitement of the day before. Her guardian Dolpou is off on some secret mission as usual. The steward brings her a parcel from an anonymous benefactor: a beautiful pair of skates which fit her perfectly. This fact, plus the bald message “Be Your Own Person” tells her that Commissioner Nilsson has arrived on board. To rescue her? Or in pursuit of Uncle Peter? If Peter learns of this, then Nilsson is as good as dead.
The meeting concluded at 12:55 PM.
(edited 20 Nov with new information re Pip‘s article in the Yorkshire Post.)
Whitby Writers Group 