There were thirteen of on 05 February 2025 for a lively session. We started by considering a discussion about writing a short comic play or panto that could appear at the next Winter Social.

To follow the same theme, one of our members had written a short piece, in the style of a tabloid newspaper, reporting on our Creative Writing Group meeting to discuss writing a panto! There were plenty of puns as well as the usual “Oh! No it isn’t”.

Another member shared the second part of a story entitled “13th January”, about a girl in the depths of winter leaving a scary park in a hurry, then discovering what she thought was snow on the ground was in fact snow covering an icy lake, ending with her demise. Next was a macabre tale about a Russian spy who has re-invented and secreted herself in the USA, where she bumps into someone who trained with her in Moscow. This also had a gruesome ending.

We then had a poem called “Time”, with thoughts about a funeral and the running out of time. Another member has been experimenting with a tale dictated to an app, and read out what had been interpreted by the app. The tale described our member as being a famous author of a book entitled “Peace and War”, which had just been published!

We had a story about a friend arriving from India unexpectedly who stays in their home whilst the friend tries to find a job and a place of their own to live in the UK. We finished with the story of a Lottery Winner who travels to Australia to see family that has emigrated, and then has to face life again when they return home via a short break in Singapore.

Our next session will be on 19 February and will look to “A Dramatic Change”, or “Walk” or “Back to Reality”. And there may be a chance to work again on the panto (“Oh yes there will!!).