Our Creative Writing Group met on Wednesday 03 June 2026 to hear another round of contributions, this time mystery and adventure came to the fore.
We started with a tale set at the end of 18th Century with a small locked trunk arriving at a coaching inn. A key is found for the lock in an unexpected place, and the contents are a series of documents and books. We are all waiting for the next instalment when we will find out the connection between the trunk and the American War of Independence. The 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence comes early next month!
We then resumed a story connected with The Great Train Robbery where a young man picks up a bag of bank notes that the train robbers could not fit into their lorry. On the horns of a dilemma, the young man has to decide whether to keep the untraceable bank notes (which were to be shredded), or return them to the authorities and claim a legitimate reward.
From crime we turned to copses of trees and a poem describing how the breeze through a group of trees can calm a troubled mind. Suitably calmed, we had a poem praising the benefits of lavender and its aroma through spring, summer and autumn.
It was then back to crime for a short story illustrating the pressure that a solitary life can bring on an individual who enjoys his own company rather than interacting with a neighbour. The story concluded with the neighbour missing, and the police flying by helicopter to where the individual is enjoying isolation in a cottage on an offshore island.
We then had an intriguing tale set in the partitioning of India when a family has to decide whether to cross the new border or stay where they are. They decide they must go and that involves a journey on a ship along with many other refugees. Life on the ship was hard but at the end of the journey, their lives started on a long road of improvement. The theme of travel by ship continued with the next story of a suitcase following a cruise ship but always arriving at a port one day after the ship had moved on to its next destination. The owner of the case had to improvise as all their clothes were in the case!
The theme of holidays continued with a short story about the complications of getting a troop of 9-11 year old scouts organised into erecting a tent in a field for their camping holiday whilst in the background the 1966 World Cup Final is playing on the radio.
We closed with a story about an Airedale dog who comes to the aid of its owner after he has fallen through the ice in a lake at the bottom of the garden. All the family express their gratitude for the bravery and tenacity of their dog.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 17 June 2026 at 10:00am when there will be another set of interesting stories and poems to enjoy.