Have you ever thought how it was celebrated in earlier years?
Pre: WWI, WWII, before the Korean conflict? Before covid...
The Indian Summer
By Sis Unsworth
We
had an Indian summer, that took us by surprise.
The
colours of this autumn, are enhanced before our eyes.
Lovely
dry warm afternoons, the sun in all its glory.
The
nights beginning to draw in, but that’s another story.
People
in their summer clothes, adorn the parks and streets,
packed
tables outside restaurants, and queues waiting for seats.
Nature
looked quite puzzled, not sure of anything,
The
sky so blue, the earth so warm, it surely can’t be spring?
the
Indian summer now is gone, seems it just moved on,
Nature
now is less confused, awaiting winter's song.
Then
on the weather forecast, someone mentioned snow,
so treasure all your memories, of that lovely autumn glow.
Copyright Sis Unsworth
Riddles 05
By the Riddler
The Riddler has two
puzzles for us today:
No 1. A Plane crashes off the coast of
No 2. What 5-letter word becomes shorter when two letters are added? What is that word?
Keep em
coming Riddler
Halloween Fantasy
By Jane Goodhew
Was it really that time again, it was so hard to believe that it was a
year ago that it all happened, it seemed like only yesterday. Everyone was getting ready to go to the
Halloween Ball and had worked hard to make sure it would be perfect. The rose petals had been stored since summer
but still looked as fresh as the day they had been picked. So many colours, some pastel others more
vivid and vibrant for those who wanted to be noticed and there would be plenty that
did as this ball was special as the prince himself would be there. The future king of
Annabella had looked forward to the evening all her life, she dreamt
of growing up and meeting her Prince and then as in the story books living
happy and content for the rest of her life with the man she loved and the
children they had together. Life was
going to be bliss. She had been to the dressmaker that very afternoon to pick up her ball-gown made of the most delicate rose petals that he had to offer in
soft shades of pink and lavender that would glisten in the moonlight as if
they were covered in a thousand diamonds that sparkled and lit up the room but
were the dew that had remained upon them and would until the dress was packed
away to be made into potpourri as a memento of the evening. She was so excited she could hardly wait, and
she was determined to look her best and not be outshone by any of the other
fairies especially as she knew they had come from far and wide in the hope that
the prince would notice them. Annabella had been told from an early age that
she was the prettiest girl for miles around and although she was not vain she
knew this to be true because her Mother had a mirror just as in the old folk
tales that would say who was the most beautiful fairy in the area and it always
said ‘Annabella is the most lovely and exquisite in the whole of fairyland,
there is no one more attractive than she’.
Annabella thought of the previous year and a dark sadness overcame her
as in her mind she went back there and recalled every hideous moment which she
had been watching through her globe and wished she could find a way to make up
for all the hurt that had been caused that night even though she was not to
blame but her evil twin Pandora. Pandora
had always been jealous of her sister and had teased her ever since she was
able to talk and would play unpleasant jokes on her or blame her for things
that she herself had done. She was
popular amongst the locals because they feared her and preferred to remain on
her good side if there was one. Just
like today, everybody had been working hard to make the evening a great success
and it would have been if Pandora could have just left her black magic at home.
The hall was full to bursting and everyone was so happy, laughter
filled the air and smiles lit up the room as did the light from the full moon. The pixies had just finished clearing away
the last of the dinner plates and the goblets were being filled with pink champagne
so they could all raise their glasses and give thanks to another successful
year. That was the last time that anyone
who had been there that night knew what it was to smile or to be happy or to
give thanks because since then all their lives had been plunged into blackness
and an overwhelming sadness that they could not find a way out from. A wind had come out of nowhere and started
to get stronger and stronger until the guests were being lifted off the ground
and thrown into the air then as suddenly as it had come, it ended and they came
down to earth with a bump. Stunned into
silence they looked at one another as the thunder crashed and the lightening
zapped through the hall setting light to the leaves that were tinder dry, the
fire quickly spread and panic overcame each and every one of them as the smoke
became so thick that they could not see the exit. They cried out to each other, they tried to
fly but something kept their wings from working so they huddled together that
was the end, the last anyone remembers because the next day there was nothing
to show of the disaster that had just occurred.
When I say nothing that is not quite true because the difference was
that everyone who had been there that night had changed, they were no longer
young and beautiful and fit and healthy but old, craggy, bent over and their
memory was failing, some days they could not even remember their own
names. Annabella and all her friends had
been spared because they were too young to attend, this year would be their
first ball and they were hoping that a miracle could be performed and that the
spell that had been cast a year ago could be lifted, that love would succeed
and hate would fail, that Pandora would see the error of her ways and find
forgiveness in her heart. It had not
been meant that she would not receive an invite to the ball, it was a genuine
mistake, the elf who had neatly hand-written out every letter had not known
that Pandora had been born at 11.59pm and Annabella 12.09am so Pandora had been
old enough to attend and had felt slighted at being missed out. She had worked herself up into such a state she could not
think straight and instead of going to the Mayor and explaining the error which
would have been easy to rectify she instead reeked misery on all those who did
go which also meant that all their relatives suffered too when they saw how
their children had become. Since that
night no-one had heard or seen Pandora, she had vanished into thin air which is
why the curse could not be lifted because only the fairy who placed it could
remove it, that or a new love that would last a lifetime and it was that love
that Annabella dreamed of.
Copyright Jane Goodhew
Coming Future Events:
We have events booked for 2024 as follows:
1. Mill Hall ~ Trinity Fair Sunday 9th June 2024 11am to 4pm. Volunteers will be required as it's an 'all day' event. You need only turn up for an hour to allow others to take a hospitality break.
2. INGATESTONE SUMMER SHOW ~ Saturday, 20th July 2024. 12.30 to 5pm. Venue: the Seymour Field, Ingatestone.
Peter Woodgate & Rob Kingston sold 72 books; well done guys, an excellent effort!
3.
Timings, directions to venues, and if volunteers will be required ~ (to be added when available)...
4.
The
idea to start a writers’ group in Rayleigh came about as a result of a
questionnaire circulated to residents asking for ideas to improve their local
library. Our first meeting was held in 2001, and we have continued to meet at
the Library ever since. From the start, it became clear that our writers were a
lively, friendly bunch who enjoyed each other’s company, so much so that our
regular gatherings were soon augmented by additional activities that have
recently included a writing workshop and summer social.
An early initiative was the decision in
2003 to publish an anthology of short stories and poems under the title
‘Writers Reign’. The following year, hot off the press, it won a First Prize
Certificate in a national competition organised by the David St John Thomas
Trust and Writing Magazine. Astonished
rather than surprised we sold the book in support of a local hospital charity,
and having done so promptly began a second book. The publication and sale of
anthologies has since been a core activity of the Group.
We not only write and produce our
anthologies but sell them at craft fairs and other events throughout the
county. In 2010 the Writers took to the stage for an evening of readings and
recitations as part of the Essex Book Festival, an activity that later featured
in some of our launch evenings for published books.
Three years later, we were awarded a
‘Special Certificate of Recognition for Services in Rayleigh’ by Rayleigh Town
Council and, at the request of the Council, adjudicated a children’s
illustrated poem competition, funding one of the prizes.
During the first Covid lockdown, the
Group banished social isolation among its membership by setting up a blog on
which members were able to communicate with each other and showcase their work.
In the three years it has been running hundreds of stories and poems have been
posted and viewed by many people in the
http://RLWG2020.blogspot.com
Recently, in June 2023, the Group
presented the Air Ambulance with a cheque for £1,200 bringing its charitable
giving to £9,700. And we’re not through yet! Another anthology, our seventh, has
recently been published and is presently on sale at various events and venues,
including
Apart from its charitable endeavours
the Group exists to encourage a regular writing habit among its members, a
number of whom have pushed ahead with their own projects that have resulted in
the publication of novels, the winning of prizes in literary competitions and
the publication of poems and prose in national magazines.
New members, whether they be established or aspiring writers, are welcome to attend our monthly meetings at Rayleigh Library beginning at 2.30pm on the second Thursday of each month. Membership costs the exorbitant sum of £1 per meeting attended. We look forward to seeing you.
November 2023
* FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE GROUP IS TO BE FOUND ON THE GROUP’S NOTICE BOARD AT THE LIBRARY.
A monoku
