Admin: Marion Mc Dowell
marion-14@gmail.com
3rd Tuesday at Old Court House 12noon - 1.45 p.m.
This group began with just four members but has grown to eight enthusiasts who come together once a month to read their own work to the group and get feedback from each other. Most have been accustomed to a different kind of writing in their working lives – Reports, Business Letters, Lesson Plans, Magazine Contributions and more factual types of compositions. In the group there is a chance to write memoir, fiction, poetry, sketches and historical articles. The format of each meeting is flexible to accommodate the members in that one meeting might consist entirely of listening to each other’s writing and another session might be spent doing creative exercises inspired by prompts such as the first line of a story or an incomplete line like ‘I have often thought….’
The aim is to give scope to members to record their own experiences, to create interesting characters, to write from memory, to develop their imaginations, to share their creativity with others and get some satisfaction from this.
This is not a highly structured, academic activity but is designed to provide enjoyment in creating a piece of writing and sharing it with like minded souls who are good listeners and supportive critics.
If you feel that you have a story to tell, do come along and share it with us.
marion-14@gmail.com
3rd Tuesday at Old Court House 12noon - 1.45 p.m.
This group began with just four members but has grown to eight enthusiasts who come together once a month to read their own work to the group and get feedback from each other. Most have been accustomed to a different kind of writing in their working lives – Reports, Business Letters, Lesson Plans, Magazine Contributions and more factual types of compositions. In the group there is a chance to write memoir, fiction, poetry, sketches and historical articles. The format of each meeting is flexible to accommodate the members in that one meeting might consist entirely of listening to each other’s writing and another session might be spent doing creative exercises inspired by prompts such as the first line of a story or an incomplete line like ‘I have often thought….’
The aim is to give scope to members to record their own experiences, to create interesting characters, to write from memory, to develop their imaginations, to share their creativity with others and get some satisfaction from this.
This is not a highly structured, academic activity but is designed to provide enjoyment in creating a piece of writing and sharing it with like minded souls who are good listeners and supportive critics.
If you feel that you have a story to tell, do come along and share it with us.
OOR TONGUE by Marion Mc Dowell
Ye can whammel yer buckets an cowp the stanes,
Ye can feed panada tae the weans,
But always min the tak and rhymes
An keep oor words frae bygone times.
Ye can clart the moul an scale the dung,
Ye can milk yer key an fire yer lum,
But niver forget the wae we spoke,
Our tongue is guid for a oor folk.
Ye can hoak for spuds an ginnel for troot,
Ye can bake yer fadge or a sode farl,
Always in min o times we knowed
To take us forit wae iz alang life’s road.
A cup o tae, a piece an jam,
A bit o kitchen, maybe ham,
We knowed hard times sae lang ago,
Its nae lake noo sae much to show.
So tell the weans aboot aul times,
O peat fires and brochen an stane an lime.
Keep it in min for aul times sake
So into the moro we can tak.
Our tongue in pride and honour baul,
Our past to keep for aye an aul,
Sa think lang for the guid aul ways
Tae keep them in min for aye yer days.
Ye can feed panada tae the weans,
But always min the tak and rhymes
An keep oor words frae bygone times.
Ye can clart the moul an scale the dung,
Ye can milk yer key an fire yer lum,
But niver forget the wae we spoke,
Our tongue is guid for a oor folk.
Ye can hoak for spuds an ginnel for troot,
Ye can bake yer fadge or a sode farl,
Always in min o times we knowed
To take us forit wae iz alang life’s road.
A cup o tae, a piece an jam,
A bit o kitchen, maybe ham,
We knowed hard times sae lang ago,
Its nae lake noo sae much to show.
So tell the weans aboot aul times,
O peat fires and brochen an stane an lime.
Keep it in min for aul times sake
So into the moro we can tak.
Our tongue in pride and honour baul,
Our past to keep for aye an aul,
Sa think lang for the guid aul ways
Tae keep them in min for aye yer days.
THE GOOD ROOM by Brendan Gillan
Only used for special occasions,
The family gathers in the good room.
Songs and stories by the old piano,
Keys polished for the night but sadly out of tune,
Drinks sipped, smoke rising to the damp corners of the ceiling.
Glasses clinking, laughter and chattering voices.
All quiet for the singer.
'Jonny Mac Eldoo and Magee and Me',
Eyes closed and throat warbling Into the almost silence,
Uncle Tanic sang,
With his one foot tapping rhythm
And then the cheer, the claps and calls for the next performer.
Sandwiches and pastries were passed around
Plates of crumbs returned to the dark pantry.
Many gone now,
Uncles, aunts, cousins,
Just faces in photos of family albums.
An old song heard perchance on the radio,
flashes my memory
Back to the good room,
in the old farmhouse
at Enach Cross.
The family gathers in the good room.
Songs and stories by the old piano,
Keys polished for the night but sadly out of tune,
Drinks sipped, smoke rising to the damp corners of the ceiling.
Glasses clinking, laughter and chattering voices.
All quiet for the singer.
'Jonny Mac Eldoo and Magee and Me',
Eyes closed and throat warbling Into the almost silence,
Uncle Tanic sang,
With his one foot tapping rhythm
And then the cheer, the claps and calls for the next performer.
Sandwiches and pastries were passed around
Plates of crumbs returned to the dark pantry.
Many gone now,
Uncles, aunts, cousins,
Just faces in photos of family albums.
An old song heard perchance on the radio,
flashes my memory
Back to the good room,
in the old farmhouse
at Enach Cross.
