Intriguing Tales - creative writing groups

Maria Stephenson with Osmondthorpe Hub performers         Photo Richard Wilcocks

Sally Bavage writes:

A Sting in the Tale

Intriguing Tales with the Headingley and Osmondthorpe writers' groups

The audience comments really have said most of it – the descriptions of writing that was fabulous, excellent, amazing, wonderful, humorous, rich, inventive give you the general idea. What mere words alone can't give you is the palpable sense of anticipation as reader after reader exposed their work to the keenly-listening ears of friends, family, colleagues and other audience members. We would have whooped and hollered with glee if sometimes the work had not been a bit dark for an explosion of joy - but we did practically clap the skin from our palms.

Group and single – and singular – poems. Flash fiction. Mini novellas. Pleas and polemic. Life histories and lies. Hopes and heartache. Travel and tragedy. Pets and places. Nature and nurse. Our writers took the LitFest theme of 'Intrigues' and simply ran with it. Well, not simply: much of the writing had a complex sting in the tale.

Sex and relationships, legends and love, murder and madness, distopia and paradise, yearning and youth, psychological torture and a hitman's reminiscences, unfaithful spouses .. all human life was here. Breathtaking.

Thanks are due to our star bakers Rachel Harkess (one of the founders, along with Biddy Coghill) of this now-annual event and Mary Frances, who treated the 50-strong crowd to a cornucopia of feasting on a splendid range of home-made cakes that had absolutely no calories in them at all!

Thanks too to the WEA for supporting many of the costs for the hire of equipment and the venue.

This event wouldn't happen without the dedication of the staff who take up so much of their time to support the nervous performers and the reluctant debutantes and turn them into swans. Alison Taft tutors the Headingley writers' group and Maria Stephenson tutors the Osmondthorpe Hub writers. Not least, thanks to the fantastic team of carers from the Hub – Anita and Claire – who worked so hard alongside technicians David and Gavin to give these writers back their voices.

Headingley Writers: Lynn Alexander, Howard Benn, Karen Byrne, Liam Fitzsimons, Michael Freeman, Malcolm Henshall, Simon Hunt, Hazel Kilner, Dru Long, Jim Mallin, Alice O'Donnell, Jackie Offord and Val Wright.

Osmondthorpe Writers: Malcolm Banks, Paul Bugler, Gaynor Chilvers, Julie Conroy, Lisa Daniels, Jackie Fisher, Carl Flynn, Sue Heath, Mandy Hudson, Paul Jeffrey, Lee Rowley, Jenny Ruddock, Robert Thorpe and Winston Whiteley,  

 

Audience Comments

I really enjoyed the event, and found it inspiring to listen to everyone's poems and stories. The event was well organised and professional and hopefully will continue for many years to come.

Full of interest and variety in the interpretation of the theme

An excellent performance by both groups. The Osmondthorpe group were exceptional. Well organised and professional; hope the event will continue for years to come.

A fantastic morning! Well done to everyone who took part – the hard work that has gone into this was very obvious.

Fantastic event - good to give an opportunity to aspiring writers. And wonderful to have the Osmondthorpe group here. Superb writing from both groups. Thanks to all involved in the organisation.

Some very talented writing both humorous and moving. Osmondthorpe Hub were again very moving and talented.

An excellent event which gave a great opportunity to hear different voices. Thanks.

Some very good and serious poetry from both of the Headingley and Osmondthorpe Hub groups. I particularly liked both of the (illegible) from the Headingley group and thought that is was good that the poetry from the Osmondthorpe group was projected on the big screen

I'm a Yorkshire born person visiting from New Zealand. A fabulous event. The quality of the works was amazing. I might come back next year!!

Very thoughtful rendering of different situations. Very skilful – amazing stories and poems – what a feast! The poetry from Osmondthorpe students was very thought-provoking. A GREAT MIX!

Another excellent two hours. The talent and breadth of writing is amazing.

Amazing talent. Amazing tutors – let's have more.

Excellent!

Outstanding!

Absolutely brilliant – so moving.

An EXCELLENT show! One of the highlights of the Festival

An interesting mix of writings. Thank you.

As always, enjoyed listening to the writing group from Osmondthorpe. Thank you for the invite.

Very enjoyable and impressive range of material

Fantastic to listen to such wonderful poems and meet fab people.

Poetry in school - two LitFest events

Two events in local secondary schools are about to take place, and you are invited. It does not matter at all that you may not be a school student or a parent - just come to hear some of the terrific poetry that has been created by young people, helped along by John Siddique (Poems From A Northern Soul, Crocus Books) and Matthew Hedley Stoppard (A Family Behind Glass, Valley Press) who have been leading workshops for weeks.  Wonders have been worked.

On Thursday 17 March from 6pm at Ralph Thoresby School the Own Your Words group, which meets every week to devise, revise and present its work, will perform alongside student musicians, dancers - and Matthew Hedley Stoppard.

On Tuesday 22 March from 6pm at Lawnswood School a group encouraged and mentored by the English department and by John Siddique will perform in a 'Poetry Gala' - along with the visiting poet himself.

The Worst of Times - with Professor Paul Wignall

Mass Extinctions on a Global Scale

Brian Miller writes:

Paul Wignall    Photo by Sally Bavage

"The 'whodunit' of a satisfyingly oblique murder mystery, that central and dangerous unknown, has whet the popular appetite for crime fiction since Wilkie Collins and Arthur Conan Doyle gave a gritty skin to the genre almost two centuries ago. Few literary sleuths would guess, however, that the printed page they hold in their hand, to make no mention of those hands themselves, are the denouement of a much greater and much more intricate murder mystery than any woman in white or Baskervilles hound. Paul Wignall digs for a solution to that very mystery in his book The Worst of Times: How Life on Earth Survived Eighty Million Years of Extinctions, tracing the smoking gun of some of the most climactic extinctions in history to an unfortunate confluence of conditions on a still (relatively) young earth. The culprit? One that, for being identified, still roams free today: carbon dioxide. "

Sally Bavage adds:

Paul's new and somewhat controversial theory fingers Pangea, the giant supercontinent that 260 million years ago had huge lava flows of basalt, causing a massive rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide. If you think the two degrees Celsius rise that scientists now believe is a red line not to cross, imagine seas of 40 degrees Celsius, fatal to almost all life forms on earth, even the plants and the normally robust insects. The equatorial region was completely barren; life moved to the relatively temperate polar regions where his research in places such as the Arctic, Svalbard and Antarctica has uncovered the evidence.

Forget the cataclysm that wiped out the dinosaurs 60 million years ago; this really was the Big One. And are we on the brink of another mass extinction, the Age of Mankind? Could be, he said. But with a short timescale of perhaps ten thousand years, so not one to worry about just yet.

Audience Comments

Very informative!

Quite interesting, especially at short notice. Not very literary

Wonderful event, widely informative

Very interesting, and not very encouraging for our future. Good discussion

Interesting topic. Would have liked to see the book/cost

Interesting topic but it really only came alive during the questions. The link to LitFest was a bit weak

Sadly, this was not the advertised event (due to illness) and I came especially for it. However, I got to learn something very new to me.

Very interesting talk on Mass Extinction Events before the dinosaurs where the world overheated. Poor CO2 management. Thanks to Paul Wignall for standing in. Well presented and fascinating talk.

A very well explained and fascinating talk. Well worth attending.

Very interesting and entertaining. Groundbreaking information well presented – fascinating new info to me.

Interesting.

Enjoyed it. Very interesting, learnt a lot of new stuff. Yes, I would have been interested in buying the book.

Enclosed! John Clare, Poet - Trio Literati

Harriet Beach writes:

I didn’t know a lot about John Clare before Trio Literati’s Enclosed! John Clare, Poet. While scanning through the LitFest 2016 programme I noticed the event, and was intrigued by how Maggie Mash, Jane Oakshott and Richard Rastall would incorporate poetry, storytelling and music into a homogenous performance. I can’t have been the only one to ask myself that question, as audience members were arriving before the doors had even opened. Just 10 minutes before the performance began the dedicated LitFest team found themselves setting out additional rows of chairs!

Opening scene                         Photos Richard Wilcocks

Richard Rastall

Jane Oakshott

Jonathan Drummond, Eleanor Rastall

Trio Literati, plus musical counterparts, sang their way on to the stage. Their arrival was so animated that I was surprised when they brandished what looked to be scripts. Initially I wasn’t sure what to think but, reminding myself that poetry reading was a key part of the evening, put the thought aside. As the words of Clare’s poetry crept in, however, the books became props rather than prompts to my eyes. Leafing through pages gave the air of storytelling, and this, combined with the intimate venue, took me back to the comforting feeling of being read to as a child.

And like a child with a good book, I became engrossed in the life of our protagonist. Trio Literati used the tale of John Clare’s life as a framework for his poetry, providing plenty of information but without ever growing didactic. On the contrary, humorous elements kept the audience on side throughout. Particularly well-received were an anecdote about Clare’s mother, who was called upon to recover the original copies of Clare’s manuscripts from would-be-exploitative publishers via no less than a fist to the face, and references to Clare’s appreciation of the “intellectual challenge” offered by the bars and brothels of 19^th century London.

Music, too, contributed to a varied pace. I glimpsed some audience comments, and soprano Eleanor Rastall, accompanied by Jonathan Drummond, delighted watchers with characterised performances of contemporary music. Her final piece, ‘Here we meet, too soon to part’ (with words by Clare and music by Rossini) was particularly evocative, and moved the audience in showing the anguish Clare faced at the end of his life.

John Clare’s voice came alive not just through his poetry, but via readings from a journal he wrote upon his trek home to Northamptonshire, post-escape from High Beach Asylum (Essex), where he had been taken into care. Following the performance, Maggie Mash commented that the journal had been a fantastic source to work with. Using Clare’s own words, the Trio described the exhaustion he felt whilst walking, but his reluctance to go into an inn because he had no money, or even to sleep in the barn nearby because revellers were still awake and might notice him. Such an image felt painfully close to the reality of many who live without shelter today.

Later, in the same journal, he added that he continued walking despite his pain, for “being ashamed to sit down in the street”. Again, careful selection of excerpts humanised Clare and showed how such terrible circumstances can swallow up even those we now consider great. Similarly, a turbulent rendition of ‘The Flood’ at the end of the first half reminded the audience that we share some of Clare’s own experiences. “On roars the flood - all restless to be free / Like trouble wandering to eternity” evoked unbridled floodwaters, a poignant reminder of last December’s events.

The performance gathered emotional pace throughout, climaxing with John Clare’s distress as he suffered in the grip of mental illness. Audience members wondered aloud whether he might not have lived a happier life had he been born today. That, we will never know. What is certain, though, is that many people, myself included, will have left wanting to know even more about the Northamptonshire Peasant Poet and his work.

Mouse's Nest by John Clare

I found a ball of grass among the hay
And progged it as I passed and went away;
And when I looked I fancied something stirred,
And turned again and hoped to catch the bird —
When out an old mouse bolted in the wheats
With all her young ones hanging at her teats;
She looked so odd and so grotesque to me,
I ran and wondered what the thing could be,
And pushed the knapweed bunches where I stood;
Then the mouse hurried from the craking brood.
The young ones squeaked, and as I went away
She found her nest again among the hay.
The water o'er the pebbles scarce could run
And broad old cesspools glittered in the sun. 

Audience Comments

A delight to see a performance of such professionalism - the poems came alive, every word lingered over. Such beautiful words and images. The voices, spoken and sung, worked together so harmoniously, and really evoked the life and times of Clare. It was so energetic too in terms of performance, the poems acted out.

I very much enjoyed the performance. It was a great insight into the life of John Clare and his poetry, and I also enjoyed the poetry - I also enjoyed the singing and the music -the show was entertaining and engaging.

Unfamiliar with the poetry of John Clare though visited his cottage in Helpston. Will certainly read more of his work after this very entertaining event.

I loved hearing the poems read so well. I enjoyed the lovely singing and playing. A pleasant and informative evening. I learnt a lot and had lots of responses to the poetry.

A lovely evening's entertainment. I enjoyed the readings and particularly the singing. My admiration to the singer's fast changes!

Such a lovely evening I really enjoyed the variety - the singing, music and poetry. The stories of the countryside reminded me of my childhood in Berkshire - picking berries and leaves from hedgerows

Lovely! Such a mixture of poems, Songs and narrative - never boring, often moving

Love the combination of poetry and biography. Very dynamic, full of energy. Fantastic performers, they clearly love the material. Lovely flowing style. Quite funny as well.

Educational and entertaining, it introduced me to Clare's poetry in a dramatic and fun way. Enjoyed the songs and the snippets about John Clare's life.

A delightful evening. A great introduction and celebration of John Clare's life and work. It has inspired me to re-read his poems.

Delightful. Thoughtful. Well put together and high standard. A thoroughly enjoyable event.

A very thought-provoking insight into a poet I was not very familiar with but now am enthused to research. Expressive and emotive readings of his work and interesting musical contributions.

Very well researched. The selected verse was poignant and well read. Emphasises what extraordinary genius Clare 'the peasant poet' possessed. The music worked well to illustrate Clare's extraordinary journey.

A welcome glimpse into a relatively unknown yet original figure whose writings are vividly informed by first hand and, at times, loving observation. Presented with great sympathy, immediacy and humour.

A very lively and accomplished performance. The singing and piano accompaniment enhanced the evening too.

Taught me a huge amount about John Clare. The poems were well read and presented. Bravo!

Enjoyable evening of Clare's poetry, beautifully narrated by Trio Literati tracing John Clare's life, ably supported by charming folk songs, sung by Eleanor Rastall.

Splendid evening. Trio Literati brought John Clare's poetry to life and the musical interludes enhanced the rustic nature of the poetry. An exhilarating experience.

Entertaining, informative and engaging - well chosen material delivered with poise and enthusiasm. Each performer brought his/her own distinctive style to a cohesive whole - masterly performance.

Extraordinarily good. Trio Lit has caught the very essence of John Clare.

An entertaining and moving experience. The actors and musicians wove together a lovely evening. Thank you.

The production was very professional and well rehearsed. Articulate and animated speakers. Vocalist (soprano) enjoyable. Content of production thought-provoking, moving ???? describe Clare's life in detail.

A very pleasant evening, enjoyed the music in particular.

Excellent music and poems - I will start to read his stuff now. Thanks.

Hadn't seen Trio Literati before - but was interested in the subject. An enjoyable event.

A revelation! Thank you.

Excellent! Very informative!

The King's Bed - Don Jordan

Megan Amelia Smith writes:

Don Jordan’s intriguing talk on Charles II’s private life (if it can be called private given that Charles’s conquests were the celebrity gossip of the day) was filled with plenty of scandalous detail to keep the audience hooked. From his youth spent in exile as a king without a kingdom, to his eventual death probably from a stroke, Don explained how many of Charles actions throughout his life were driven by his voracious sexual appetite.

He connected the amount of influence Charles’s many mistresses had over him with England’s economic problems. The financial struggles faced by the country as a result of the King giving them so much money eventually lead to covert deals with the King of France, who gave money to Charles in exchange for military aid and on the condition that he become a Catholic.

The enormity of power and influence that the Merry Monarch’s mistresses had over him show indeed that the women who had power over the King in bed also had power to impact the public and political affairs of the country.

Don decided that the King redeemed himself towards the end of his life, through refusing to divorce his wife despite her inability to bear him children, meaning that he died without a legitimate heir. But does this truly redeem his actions throughout his hedonistic reign? Don left it to the audience to make up our own minds.

It was fascinating to find that many of today’s royals descend from Charles’s many illegitimate children, so that when William ascends to the throne after his father he will become the first King to have blood from Charles II, through his mother Diana. As Don said, without the King’s sexually driven actions English public life would not be the same, which shows that Charles, and indeed his many mistresses, have influence on the country even today.

Sally Bavage writes:

The King's Bed was a hotbed of intrigues, quite literally, according to Don Jordan in his highly entertaining talk over the tea and homemade cakes in the New Headingley Club. Charles II he would become, but as a fatherless youth who was exiled in France and lived with his mother, he became rather directionless and dissolute.

His first sexual experiences as a boy were with his .. wetnurse. And it didn't really get any less salacious after that. His time as a 'king over the water' did not turn his mind to statecraft or politics, more to a playboy's life, a love of roistering with friends and satisfying the more earthly pursuits, including sailing and gambling. He was eventually invited back to England to become king after the failure of the Cromwellian regimes, and spent two decades steadily asset-stripping the Treasury, the Navy and Louis XIV of France to supply his many, many mistresses with jewels. And titles. And palaces. £150,000 in one year went to the first major mistress Barbara Palmer – today's equivalent is many millions.

As our jaws dropped, Don treated us to not just the (lengthy) list of his conquests – Nell Gwynn was just one of so many, though he did seem to have a great affection for her erotic skills – but also to the disastrous results of his inattention to the affairs of state and his close attention to his affairs. Poor Queen Catherine, his Portuguese bride brought in to secure the succession, was unable to deliver a full-term baby and it may well be that the special treatment of royal pregnancies with quinine was to blame as it is now known as an abortifacient.

When he finally died, probably of a stroke – with his lifestyle, no surprise; he was with two of his mistresses the night before - he asked for the last rites as a Catholic, left the throne to his avowedly Catholic brother James and left more problems than solutions.

His many illegitimate children – most of whom he happily acknowledged – are now represented in today's high-born notables. When Charles III finally accedes to the throne, he will find his wife Camilla has a far more direct link, coming as she does from the line descended from Charles II's French mistress Louise. Ironic. It is when William finally gets to sit on the royal seat, he does have royal blood from Charles II through his mother Diana Spencer (descended from both the French mistress Louise and the first mistress Barbara whose families have intermarried). As Don said, “The King is dead, long live his genes.”

Don was talking about the book he co-authored, The King's Bed: Sex, Power and the Court of Charles II

Audience Comments

Very fascinating, make me want to know more and more. “I like a bit of gossip.”

Great talk, very entertaining and highly informative. Made history accessibe and fun! Wel done to all especially Don!

Excellent. Witty and informative. Riveting narrative history.

Very entertaining

Very interesting. Learned lots of new things. Thank you for an engaging talk.

Excellent talk!

A very successful resume of the times

Very interesting

Very enjoyable and informative.

Excellent lecture

Some delay owing to techno probems. A fascinating talk on Charles II by the co-author of an amazing account of royal depravity and quite loathsome behaviour towards women and the welfare of the English nation