A lot of babies are born comically plain with bulging cheeks, enormous eyes, prominent ears and bald everywhere, but they quickly metamorphose into things of beauty. Alice, unfortunately, didn’t. Her mother tried hard to love her but eventually handed over the care of the ugly bundle to a paid nurse, while her father, her wealthy [...]
“Let these events in Tiananmen Square be a lesson to you Karen. Student politics can be dangerous.” “But Dad, I only want to go to a concert.” “It might only be a concert now. But next it’ll be a rally, or a protest, then you’ll be fighting the police …..” “Dad, it’s just a concert. [...]
Given their love of long place names one ought to be grateful the capital of Greenland is called Nuuk (pronounced Nuke). Home to some 15,000 souls Nuuk lies at the mouth of the Gothabsfjord in the South West of Greenland and is built on a narrow stretch of bare rock. Quite why nobody really knows, [...]
I first heard of the author Philip Pullman when three years ago his book ‘The Amber Spyglass’, became the first children’s book to win the Whitbread Prize. The publicity surrounding this achievement brought Pullman’s fantasy story to an adult audience with much the same appeal as the ‘Harry Potter’ or ‘The Lord of The Rings’ [...]
On 18th March 1948, James Camb, a 31 year old ship’s steward, married with one daughter, stood trial for murder at Winchester Assizes. What made the case unusual was the absence of a corpse. What made the case unique was the allegation that Camb had disposed of the body through the ship’s porthole. It was [...]
(Jack, a 15 year old boy, is half-sitting, half laying at the side of an inlet that leads into a large pool. Both his legs are immersed in the water to just below his knees. It is pitch black. Jack reaches down and grasps hold of one of legs and pulls.) Aaarh!! Sod it, it’s [...]
Television these days seems dominated by ‘Best Ever’ programmes. Best Ever Situation Comedy, Best Ever Musical, shortly I expect to see Best Ever Cookery Programme. What a waste of time!. How can you determine who or what is best ever. Was Pele a better footballer than George Best for instance? What factors do you use [...]
Illustrious poet and former active member, Geoff Evans, lost touch with HWC some years ago, when first work and then relocating to France took him away. Recently contact was re-established and during a short visit to the UK he met up with members Jack Ackred, Yvonne Warwick, Joan Walters and Phil Hollis for a reunion drink. Geoff publishes [...]
On hot Saturday nights I would lie, wide-awake, in my bedroom. Through the open window I would hear indifferent cabaret singers warbling the latest hits from the stage of the Working Men’s Club, located at the end of our garden. With mock microphone in hand I would silently sing along with them, word-perfect in such [...]
Writers Circle assignment was to construct a poem or short story based on the following ingredients. The Leading Character to be an introverted murder. Main Setting to be a Zoo. The Key Object to be a Kettle. The story to involve A Chance Meeting At A Railway Station. The Second Character to be An Out [...]