Ripon Writers' Group

Everyone is invited to an afternoon/evening of celebration at Maggie’s house on Saturday, 22nd August. From five o’clock onwards, there will be food, drink, music and – inevitably – the odd reading from Shadows of the Past. Based partly on the bizarre events of a summer in France during Maggie’s teens, this novel has had a long gestation period but is (Maggie hopes) all the better for that.

Please go along if you can, even if only for half an hour or so. If you really can’t, there will be a repeat (but smaller) event in York on Saturday, 29th August, so please ask Maggie for details.

The novel is available both as a paperback and as a download and Maggie is proud to announce that The Little Ripon Bookshop has copies.

Susan organised a very successful outing for us on Friday, 31st July and we even stayed dry this year!

The main focus of the afternoon and evening was Richmond’s Georgian Theatre, where we enjoyed a fascinating guided tour of the entire building and then an evening performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor, performed by members of Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society. Comfortable seats in the boxes added to our enjoyment of this adaptation of the play, set in the 1920s.

Susan had also arranged for us to have a meal at the nearby Cross View Cafe & Restaurant. As we’d made our menu choices in advance, the service was swift and efficient. The fact that the management had arranged one huge table for us was a bonus, with everyone able to join in the conversation. WELL DONE, SUSAN!

For information about the Georgian Theatre and upcoming events, go to http://www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk/

This year’s event was held once again courtesy of the Golden Lion in Allhallowgate and attracted around 20 writers, including a contingent from Harrogate Writers’ Circle.

There was a fine variety of poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction. At the end of the evening, RWG President Joe Peters thanked everyone who had taken part and the Committee for organising the evening.

The ballroom of Ripon Spa Hotel was packed for the launch of long term RWG member David’s newly published book of poems, Gestures from Fragments. Introduced by Ken Ridley, who adjudicated our Hint of History competition a few years ago, David gave thanks for all the help and support that he’d received along the way, especially from the ‘eagle eyes’ of RWG’s very own Elizabeth.

Supported by fellow poet and former colleague Paul Mills, who read some of his own poems, and a couple of highly talented guitarists, David gave everyone an evening to remember. It was particularly moving that his sons also read from the new book, which contained a moving tribute to their late mother.

There’s a great deal more to Mancunian writer Steve Hartley than his big knickers, but I suspect that the memory of those will remain in the minds of RWG members for a very long time. They were his pièce de résistance at the end of a very interesting and amusing talk about his struggles and successes. Best known perhaps for his ‘Danny Baker’ and ‘Oliver Fibbs’ series, Steve works tirelessly to promote children’s literature.

Unfortunately, there was a technical hitch and the photographs of RWG members joining Steve inside the knickers – which are relevant to his writing – failed to materialise. However, much more information about them and other aspects of Steve’s highly original output can be found at www.stevehartley.net.

Members and guests sat down to a three course meal in The Old Deanery, with plenty of fun and games to occupy us in between courses.

Joe presented the President’s Cup to Susan Perkins and said that the result had been a close one this year with Cathy and Caroline not far behind.

We scratched our heads over the Chair’s Christmas Challenge.

Members had been asked to compose Christmas limericks or other poems to suit the occasion.

A ‘Who Am I’ game caused considerable hilarity. The ‘volunteers’ in the masks did eventually work out who they were supposed to be – Charlie Chaplin, Carmen Miranda, David Bowie, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Clint Eastwood …

The proceedings ended with a rousing chorus of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ and everyone having a dip into Santa’s sack.

For more photographs, see below. Apologies for the quality, but lighting conditions weren’t ideal for Admin’s camera phone!

Our annual ‘open mic’ event was once again held at the Golden Lion, Allhallowgate and we were happy to welcome guests from Harrogate, Nidderdale and York. Between them, they treated the audience to poetry, prose, fiction and non-fiction, story telling and ‘performance’ pieces. Some read from their own published work and others from ‘work in progress’, including a blood curdling story written as late as that afternoon!

The readers, in the order in which they signed in at the start of the evening, were Peter Page, Richard Cobbett, Daphne Peters, Joe Peters, Nick David, Cathy Grimmer, Alan Gillott, Carol Mayer, Sheila Whitfield, Sue Hardy-Dawson, Jan Maltby, Paul Zealand, Claire Cox, Maggie Cobbett, Caroline Slator, Anna Greenwood and Kathleen Atkinson.

Earnest discussions took place during the interval and then time permitted more readings and a second slot from a few of the above.

Unfortunately lighting problems led to some photographs not turning out well and we do apologise to anyone who appears to have been left out. Their contributions to the evening were, of course, just as highly valued as the rest.