Issue 349 15th August 2014

Rising Brook/

Holmcroft/

Baswich/Gnosall

Libraries are

Please note the next library workshop will be

on Monday 1st September 1.30pm Will contributors please keep sending in

contributions for the bulletin. Thank you

2

Si hortum in bibliotheca habes, nihil deerit / He who has a garden

and a library wants for nothing -- Cicero

Have you taken part in the library

consultation yet?

SAVE RISING BROOK LIBRARY!

Is it ethical or responsible to expect Volunteers to take away jobs from

qualified librarians?

Random words : sculpture, facsimile, excelsior, joyful, garden, cheese Assignment : I don’t really need two/to

Robin Williams : “No matter what they tell you, words and ideas can change the world.”

R.I.P. 12.08.14

www.issuu.com/risingbrookwriters

NEW: 2015 poetry collection

“Defying Gravity” Submissions now open

RBW 2015 poetry

collection

“Defying Gravity”

Submissions now open.

DO NOT DELAY

Once we’re full, we’re full.

Assignment : The Sun Limerick x 3 The sun is a big yellow ball Which shines and gives light to us all. It also gives heat, Which is good for cold feet, But don‟t stare straight at this fireball! The Sun is a daily paper Which is known for its naughty page three. If you‟re partial to breast, Then please be my guest, But you won‟t find a photo of me! The Sun is a town pub in Stafford, Where we writers held our AGM. The food was quite nice, And we all liked the price, So I‟ll laud them with my little poem!

4

Brazil: Mechanic Alfredo Moser's invention is

lighting up the homes of the poor for free. In 2002, he came up with a way of illuminating his

house during the day using sunlight, plastic bot-tles filled with water and bleach.

This innovation of solar energy is spreading throughout the developing world. Bottle light is expected to be in another million homes within

a year, proving that necessity really is the mother of invention.

Read more on BBC World Service website: What a great bloke! It‟s people like him who ought to get the Nobel Prize. (SMS) Thinking tangentially this subject, which I found simply amazing, is my “The Sun” assignment ... I vaguely remember doing a Physics „O‟ level in the early 1960s and was amazed I could remember and understand the theory of light refraction involved in how the bottle lamps work. That a recycled bottle of water sticking through a shack roof could produce 40watts of light power is mind blowing. The invention is allowing people to produce goods for sale (e.g. weaving), carry out household tasks such as cooking and washing inside their homes, this is dramatically improving the lives of those using the new bottle lights by simply providing cost free day time illumination of previously dark interior spaces. The repercussions of this simple free light source will be enormously valuable to people‟s lives where the cost of providing energy is prohibitive. The roof bottles are sealed into place with mastic and work best with very clean water, hence the bleach and seem to operate more efficiently if a black cap is on the part protruding through the roof. There are photos of the roof bottles and the theory behind them on the BBC World Service site and many, many others as this wonderful invention is being flagged up on diverse internet sites. Once again the internet being used for good rather than bad things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refraction Refraction can be the change in direction of a light wave due to a change in its transmission medium e.g. air to water ... in other words, put simply, the light wave appears to bend when it enters the water. (Snell‟s Law applies)

6

The Gardening Tips series was produced by well known local gardening expert Mrs. FM Hartley as monthly gardening items which featured on an audio news-tape produced locally for partially sighted people. (Link To Stafford & Stone Talking Newspaper. Link To R.N.I.B.)

As such the articles are meant to be read individu-ally and not as chapters of a book. The articles were written over a period of some 7 years. RBW is absolutely delighted that Mrs Hartley has agreed to some of her words of gardening wisdom gathered over nine decades being reproduced for our benefit by son Alan.

Gardening Tips August 5th 2012

Hello Folks

The fruit is ripening now and so far I have frozen some Rhubarb and 2 ½ lb

of Black currants, but there will soon be some more Black and Red Currants, as

well as Apples that are all useful to make “Crumbles,” in the Winter. While talking

about fruit I must remind you to put a handful of Potash round each fruit tree and

bush, twice a year, to feed them and help them to produce flowers and fruit. We

have also picked our first Cherries and that reminds me that “Stoned,” fruit which

include Plums, Peaches and Apricots as well, also want a bit of Lime around them

to help them form the “Stones.” Our Peach and Fig trees are covered in fruits this

year that are swelling nicely and our first Apricots are almost ready for eating, so I

won‟t have to eat anymore dried Apricots for breakfast for a while. When cooking

Red Cabbage, I normally like to add a few Sultanas, but one-day, I hadn‟t got any,

so instead I chopped up 3 or 4 dried Apricots and put those in which was quite tasty

The Tomatoes in the greenhouse seem very late fruiting this year and will need

feeding regularly as soon as the tomatoes are as big as marbles. Most people don‟t

bother feeding outdoor Tomatoes, but they will benefit from a feed as well. Toma-

toes must have air round them to prevent Botrytis which will cause the plants to

start to wilt and gradually die, so leave the top window of the greenhouse open a bit

at night to let the damp air escape on our hot Summer nights! If you leave the door

open instead, you may get cats, foxes and even hedgehogs rooting around in your

greenhouse upsetting pots and damaging plants.

Sweet Peas don‟t seem to last long in the house, but they do smell lovely as

they are one of the few flowers that haven‟t had their smell bred out of them. I took

a bunch up to our local luncheon club and put them in a little pot in some water on

the table and every time some one went past they would stop for a sniff. Don‟t for-

get you must keep cutting the flowers, even if you don‟t want them! If you don‟t

they will quickly go to seed and stop flowering altogether.

If you hoe round the plants in your borders when the weather is dry it is a lot

easier on your back than digging weeds out. You can leave the weeds on the ground

in the sun and they will quickly shrivel up and die. Deeper rooted weeds such as

Dandelions, Docks or Nettles do need to be dug out though.

All the rain, earlier in the Summer dashed down many of the flowers, but the Geraniums are

still really lovely in spite of it all. If you have any special ones, but are not good with cuttings,

look out for seedpods when they have flowered. They are very thin, funny looking things, about

half an inch long and cigar shaped. Carefully pick them off and dry them to get the seeds out. I

find the best place is on a saucer on a window ledge. I will explain about growing them next time.

Gardening Tips For Week Ending August 5th 2011

Summer time is quickly going and my how the years seem to fly by. Some garden centres are now

selling this seasons stocks of seeds off cheaply. As most vegetable and flower seeds will keep quite

well from one year to the next, it is a cheap way to stock up on seeds early for next year. Tomato

seeds, which can be expensive, give a good germination after 5 or 6 years if the packets are re-

sealed after taking some out, but I have found Lobelia and Nemesia don‟t germinate so well the

next year. All seeds should be stored in a dry and cool, but frost free place. I use an old biscuit tin

with a tight fitting lid kept in the garage. Next year‟s bulbs will soon be on sale and if there are any

special ones that I want, I like to get them early and put them in nets that I have saved off packs of

fruit or onions, or sometimes I even use old stockings and then hang them in the garage out of the

way of the mice. If I want any of the more common, ordinary bulbs to fill up borders, I usually

wait until the end of the season when they are clearing them out and they have been reduced.

The “Winter,” or “Universal Pansies,” will soon be on sale again, but mine from last year

were planted in tubs on a very sunny patio and they are still flowering. However I expect they will

soon exhaust themselves and need replacing. If you like Wallflowers there are several different

coloured perennial ones which can be cut down fairly low after flowering and then left in ready for

the next year like any other herbaceous plant.

When Buddleias have finished flowering they can be cut back to stop the plants from rocking

and loosening their roots in high winds and then a proper pruning can be done at the end of Febru-

ary next year when they should be cut down quite hard.

Allium seed heads can be cut down and kept to dry for Winter decorations as can many other

seed heads from things like Teasels. I shall try spraying some with gold and silver paint for Xmas

this year.

Herbs that are going to be saved for Winter use should be cut and hung up to dry now. We

have planted a lot of herbs round our new currant bed this year and one unusual one that I found

recently, is a Ginger Mint that has bright yellow foliage. I don‟t know if it is hardy or not, so by

taking some cuttings now I can put one in the greenhouse to make sure a bit of it will survive next

Winter. I have only found it at one small garden centre so I want to make absolutely sure I don‟t

lose it. Being a different flavour I chopped 2 or 3 leaves and put them in some Ratatouille instead

of Garlic and it was quite a change. I did get another plant for someone else and they put some

leaves on a stew which they said was good. Speaking about Garlic, when the tops start to go pale

or wilt, lift the bulbs and dry them off in the sun before hanging them in nets, or tights the same as

you would onions. Then they can be used later, when needed. I like to split a

few cloves of Garlic off the main bulb, put them round a roast in the oven for

about 15 minutes and eat them as they are. There is a particular type of garlic

called Elephant Garlic that is much milder and even better for eating whole.

Well that‟s all for now. Cheerio. Frances Hartley

8

Depression

Alone and the darkness surrounds me

All hope that I had slips away

Nobody here, to wrap their arms around me

I‟m fighting the night for one more day

The days turn into months, it becomes harder

Much harder to face up to the days

To face the people, the world we all share

Which mask shall I wear today?

Happy, where my smiles hide it all

I can laugh, I can joke, this could be real

Nobody needs to see inside of me

Or feel the depths of pain that I feel

I‟m up and down, round and round, forever

Desperate to win this battle for life

I‟ll be okay, never break down

Hold close to me despair and the strife

I‟m hurt, in pain, taunting game runs around my head

The voices inside try to maul me

Beautiful soul, beautiful spirit

I‟m still alive but I‟m falling

Behind my eyes, sadness hides, sinks deeper

The light is so far away I can‟t see

I can‟t fight the dark by myself

I‟d do anything to set myself free

r.i.p Robin Williams

NOBODY EVER SAID BEING DISABLED WAS EASY ...

Writes ACW

Never got any disability benefit and joined the 530,000 women so far who lost state pension payout at 60 from 2013. My

mobility is lessening and so needed to get a mobility scooter. Got a light one that comes apart, but even so my arthritis

added to by chronic illness means my little bit of 'strength' is fading fast.

Mobility ramps and hoists are far behind my ability to afford, when factor in lack of disability benefit. I got the mobility

scooter only because of the payment insurance mis-selling by banks. But now I have to live off the rest for 6 years (can't see

it myself, and not being on benefits not eligible for food bank vouchers).

When I get my state pension after 2016 it will have shrunk to nothing, if it exists at all:

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/state-pension-at-60-now

So I have to look for a cheap way to get the mobility scooter in and out of my old rust bucket estate car without giving my-

self a heart attack (and causing alarm to those who watch me in the car parks around Stafford). Not to mention running over

my own foot, trying to drop a heavy battery on said foot and scraping and bruising up and down my arms in the process. All

using in the midst of a rainstorm only the moment I have stepped out me car. My estate's boot is not a flat back. It has a bit

of a lip. Can I find a ramp through the construction trade that can get over and give a decline to put the mobility scooter into

said car without breaking up the fibreglass body? Not so far.

So great - The Ramp - problem one.

Problem two is „The Winch‟ as catalogues give no advice. You need to know what you are buying, as can get no refund if

you buy the wrong thing.

So, does anyone know if a Superwinch LT2000 12v DC Electric Winch (I have no idea what I‟ve just said?) can pull along a

mobility scooter, without having the mangle like mounting, or do I need the Superwinch UT3000 12 Volt Winch with the

mangle?

Can anyone translate the catalogue description of same for me?

Rated Line Pull (Bottom Layer) - 3000lb (1361kg)

Motor - 1.2 hp (0.9kW) PM Motor, 12V DC

Wire Rope - 3/16” (4.8mm) x 40‟ (12.0m)

Waterproof, handheld remote with 3.6m wander lead.

Full metal, Differential Planetary Gear train

4-way Roller Fairlead. Removable, Clevis Pinned, Latched Hook with Rope Thimble

Dimensions (LxDxH) 305x191x178mm. Weight 8.84kg

Er, my remote Chinese dialect backwards is a bit rusty (sic). Now an American with a flat back pick-up, apparently ran this

Superwinch from a Jump Starting AGM battery and not the electric mains. What does that mean?

Obviously, I need to use a winch to get my mobility scooter in and out of the car boot in a car park. The American said he

had a remote control with a 12 foot cord to work the winch. Said he drove the scooter up about a foot onto the ramps se-

curely placed against his van, turned on the power supply, engaged the free wheel device on his mobility scooter and pushed

the 'in' switch on the winch. OK I understood most of that, save about the 'in' switch on the winch, having never used one.

Because the American had a flat back pick-up, his relative could build him a bolted down wooden shelf in the van, to secure

the winch.

My old rust bucket's boot, has the whole floor as cover for the spare wheel underneath. My only solution to secure bolting

down the winch, bearing in mind my lack of any practical engineering knowledge, is to put the winch in the back seat and

feed the wire rope between two seats and put the 'mangle' with the hook on the other side in the estate's boot, and use that as

a secure (?) mounting for the winch.

What do you think? So far emailing construction warehouses has given me not one reply. Maybe because I don't know what

I'm asking, probably.

Any engineering buffs got any ideas?

(PS Might be checking out hoist systems as well ... )

RBW FICTION PROJECT FOR 2014/15 NOTES: ( CHANGES )

Story so far. There isn't one! Not yet, just a few plot strands ...

We have a place, a few names, some with a few character traits. What we need is more input into the plot lines, a few sub-plots would help as well.

This is a listing of what we have so far as a thinking aid. Place: Sometime in the 1890s The Grand Cosmopolitan Shipping Line Chain: The Nasturtium Hotel (GNH) in Trentby-on-Sea

a place that has a similarity to Southampton, this fair city is twinned with Murmansk and has a decided international flavour about it. Despite recent squabbles with Russia, France and certain other countries all rich spending foreigners are welcomed – particularly those with £££$$$ and other currency in their purses/pockets/reticules/wallets.

Time Span: Between the arrival and departure of the clipper ship The Star of Coldwynd Bay. About 3 weeks.

Hotel: The GNH is owned by The Cosmopolitan Shipping Line and is the usual Victorian Hotel. It has three classes of accommoda-

tion, that are roughly: Suites [1st floor] for those with money and the POSH nobs. Rooms [2nd and 3rd floors] for the not so well off.

Accommodation [tiny attic rooms, top floor back] for anyone else Staff:

Basil Bluddschott (70's) – Manager Mrs. Cynthia Bluddschott (20's) - 2nd (trophy) wife of Basil

Daniel Bluddschott (40) – Son of Basil by 1st wife Miss Marian Bluddschott (35) – Daughter of Basil by 1st wife Mrs. Natasha Bluddschott (34) – wife of Daniel

Roberto Manchini - Italian chef; has the hots for Natasha who returns the compliment. Mrs. Bertha Buckett – Laundress Peter, the porter ... provider of discreet personal services and fence of stolen goods There will also be a gaggle of sundry maids, porters etc.

Guests: Vera and Gloria – a couple of old biddies with a chequered past who are enjoying themselves [basically comic relief charac-

ters] Ward Dorothy Major Martin – May be the ADC to the Prince of ?? The Russian Prince of ?? Referred to as Mr. Smith; even tho' everybody know who he is.

Daphne Du Worrier - Writer Capt. Fowlnett – Recently appointed skipper of the clipper ship The Star of Coldwynd Bay. He may be a little short on experi-ence as his last job was skipper of the IOW ferry. [Hey! How difficult can it be to find India or China?]

St. John Smythe – Tea planter with holdings in Assam. The Maharajah of Loovinda.

The Sheik of the province of Kebab. Walter Wales – Travel writer for Thos. Cooke.

Music Hall turns playing at 'The Winter Gardens', Also staying the GNH some in suites some in the Accommodation class. Miranda Barkley – maybe mistress of the Prince of ??

Dario Stanza – singer Vesta Currie – hot stuff on the stage Cystic Peg – Medium / Seances

Dan Fatso – Charlie Chaplin type ALSO listed:

Opium – not then illegal Ivory Jade - A rare Jade Buddha with spiritual & heritage significance is specifically noted by its absence..

NOTES: CHECK THE DATE! Q. Victoria is Empress. Osborne House IoW is her fav. des. res.

1. Gas lighting or oil lamps – no public electricity supply about for another couple of decades; unless the hotel has its own generator, electrical lighting is out.

2. Horses and carriages in the streets, steam trains for long distances and on the dockside. Trams may be available in some areas. 3. Limited number of phones, usually locally between ministries or business offices. Messengers or Royal Mail normally used.

Telegrams are available.

Thoughts ...

It‟s a Cosmopolitan Hotel at the time of Empire.

We need to get diverse folks from absolutely everywhere into the storyline.

We need to reflect the times ... not our times ... their times. Money talks ... Same as ever ... It don‟t

matter where you‟re from if you‟ve got pockets full of dosh and you‟re a big tipper!

RBW Library Workshop group are working on a script for the next book. Anyone registered with RBW wanting to join in please come to group or let us know by email asap. The ideas so far include a hotel in the 1890s with as diverse a mix of travellers about to depart by clip-per for the far east as it is possi-ble to squeeze into the plot. Obviously the action will take place in Trentby-on-Sea, twinned with Murmansk, and the establish-ment will be managed by Basil Bluddschott and his new wife Cynthia. If you‟ve ever watched a Carry On film you will have had all the training you‟d need to join in.

The annual joint project ...

Why do we do it? I hear you ask and I‟ve often wondered myself ... But seriously the joint comedy is good practice in group co-operation,

character building, plotting, dialogue, storyline arc etc and besides it‟s hilarious to write.

What is more people actually read our free e-books ...

Some brave souls even give us LIKES on Facebook How unexpected was that ...

Once you‟ve written in one of our comedies you should be able to write

anything equally as challenging on your own.

The heavy oak doors to the Grand Cosmopolitan Nasturtium Hotel swung open, and Peter, the young porter, staggered in, carrying a commodious, over-stuffed tapestry holdall, various items of outdoor apparel and a black, rolled-up gentleman‟s umbrella. Behind him sailed majestically a lady of indeterminate years; a slim figure, pink com-plexion, made all the pinker with a touch of rouge, and hair which had once been a beautiful chestnut, but which now was tinged with grey, and wisps of which escaped from the neat, low bun. She still cut an attractive figure.

Basil Bluddschott looked up from the reception desk and greeted her warmly. “Ah, Miss DuWorrier ! What a pleasure to have you grace our humble abode! I am

such a fan of your work”. “Really?” the famous authoress looked unconvinced. “Oh yes indeed! I loved „Jamaica Out‟. Soooooo atmospheric. Maybe you‟d sign my

copy for me? Tell me, are you planning on writing during your stay here” “Well, I‟ll have to see. Writing‟s an unpredictable art, you know, Bluddschott.” “Of course. You need the inspiration”. “I like to call it rather, my muse.” She smiled enigmatically. Basil looked puzzled, as

he didn‟t know what or who on earth was a muse, but he didn‟t want to reveal his igno-rance, so he replied “Hm quite. Well you will have two weeks until the Star of Coldwynd sails, and I hope you will be very comfortable. I‟ll have Peter show you to your room. It‟s one of our nicest. Lovely view over the sidings. Oh, by the way. I almost forgot. We have another literary figure staying with us this week. Yes indeed! We are twice blessed”.

“Oh? And who might she be?” Daphne DuWorrier enquired, trying hard not to sound too interested, though she was mighty interested.

“Not she, but he” Basil told her, conspiratorially.. “Why Sir Walter Wales, no less! Only my favourite author! And him a „sir‟ too! Er…your good self excepting, of course.” Basil went red. “Naturally,” Daphne looked unconvinced. “I hear he has a new job.” By the use of the word „job‟, in one short sentence, she managed to reduce him from world fa-mous, best-selling novelist to jobbing labourer or common tradesman. The put-down

was, however lost on Basil. “Yes indeed. And to think his book „Ivanrake‟ sold practically all round the empire and

made him a pretty penny too, I hear. Personally, I preferred „The Liver of Midlothian”. That was why Basil had earmarked the best suite of rooms for him on the ground floor, at the front of the hotel with sea views. “That up-and-coming Thomas Cook holiday company snaffled him up to be their travel writer, and now he goes all over the place at someone else‟s expense, making a few jottings on a piece of paper. Would I like a job like that! Nothing to it!”

Daphne was in a dilemma. She was unsure how to respond. She liked the fact that Basil dismissed Wales‟s craft as mere pettifoggery. After all, she had always thought his work pretentious and over-rated. Yet he was, after all, a fellow writer, and she knew just how much sweat and hard work went into producing even the most modest of

tomes. So she just responded with “If you could show me to my room now, I would be grateful, Bluddschott. I‟ve had a tiring day and I‟d like to get freshened up and changed for dinner”.

“Oh yes, of course. Forgive me. I got so excited at the thought of two…..” “My room?” (PMW)

TIME: During the first few days at the beginning of the 1st week. This is intended to give us an opening for introducing the NEW [and totally clueless]

skipper of the Star, Capt. Fowlnett . He may be a little short on experience as his last job was skipper of the IOW ferry. [Hey! How difficult can it be to find India or China? Straight on through the Suez canal and you bump into one or other of them.]

With apologies, to Mr. R. Kipling [and if you've never kipled missus, you've never

lived.] There's a yellow-green Jade idol near to Trentby Quay, In a rather spiffy teashop in the town. Run by a rotund lady by the name of Mad(ge) Carew, And there a lot of little idles gaze on down. All of which gives us another character with a decided kink for Jade, or maybe idles,

and another 'Venue for Clandestine meetings'. [I don't know where the Destine Clan originated but they may be Welsh or Scots or,

for that matter, from some long forgotten corner of the Potteries or the Black Country]. --------------------- Standing on the gangplank, and looking up at his final command with a slight tinge

of regret, the white bearded man wearing an ancient style Merchant Marine uniform handed a large canvas satchel to the portly man wearing a top hat and smart gentle-man's clothes standing on the dockside, he said, „There you are, Mr. Secretary, log book and accounts all up to date. Everybody's been paid off, the First Mate's probably sober enough to hand the Star of Coldwynd over to the dockies and once that's done he'll be free to take a run ashore.‟ He waved a hand at the ship behind him. „If he takes my ad-

vice that run will be as far from this cranky witch as possible. If you can find anyone to sign on as the new skipper; and I wouldn't recommend it anybody, it'll have to be some desperate half wit that your people at head office have dragged in on the cheap.‟

He smiled, a rather pleased smile. „Now I've officially retired, I'm going to meet the wife at the hotel, catch the cross channel packet steamer and head for the bright lights of Paris.‟

They shook hands and, possibly hypocritically, wished each other good luck as they parted.

The Grand Nasturtium Hotel, flagship hotel for 'The Cosmopolitan Shipping

Line' was - to be nice about it - somewhat … unfortunately ... located. The Main Dock road ran across the front, the newly expanded railway sidings at the rear of the un-

kempt garden, and the railway cattle yard was to the left. The right hand side was oc-cupied by a block of buildings used variously as Shipping Company offices, gin palaces masquerading as Music Halls or Theatres, and a sprinkling of old fashioned houses.

Peter the Porter, as he was currently known, looked down the road and saw an old man in an ancient uniform heading into the hotel. Being the Porter was a responsible

job, he was responsible for opening the door, carrying in guests luggage, taking such tips as came his way, providing 'discreet services' that the management turned a blind eye too, and generally ensuring that the front of the hotel was free from 'horses nui-sances' as Mrs. Bluddschott, the manager's wife, called it, urchins, and others of a dis-reputable character. He was quite good at some of these; particularly those involving fi-

nancial transactions or the relocation of coin of realm; he wasn't too bothered which realm either.

The local policemen knew 'Peter' by a different name, called him Reg or Reggie, kept as close an eye on him as was possible, and often 'consulted' him as to the whereabouts of items that had; usually when their previous, and quite possibly legal, owner was on foreign soil, been found to have 'evaporated' at some recent time.

Deciding that this old sailor was good for a tip, Peter got rid of the provider of 'discreet services' he was currently negotiating with on behalf of a client; accidentally paying her two shillings more than he normally would have, and turned to the old gee-zer mounting the steps.

„Good Morning Captain!‟ he said with a salute that had been drilled into him at school. „May I help you, sir?‟

„Possibly, possibly, young man. Whereabouts are the bar and the lunchrooms in this establishment? Have to meet the wife in the lunchroom and she'll have a ghastly gaggle of relatives in tow I don't doubt. Need a stiff bracer before being submerged in relatives. Sooner sail through a typhoon myself but she's the one with the steamer tickets so I have to. You have much relative trouble?‟

Peter shook his head, „Not married, sir. Being single's a way of life on this job. Follow me and I'll show you to the bar, sir. The discreet one of course. The dining rooms open off the main bar and I suppose that a married gentleman, such as yourself sir, would need to see that his nearest and dearest doesn't know everything a man does. Am I cor-rect sir?‟

The ancient nodded and pressed a silver coin in his hand, „Lead on, young fellow, lead on! The good book says that you must thirst after righteousness, but I intend to settle

the thirst first. I can be righteous afterwards.‟

National Poetry Competition 2014 - Now Open! The competition is for previously unpublished poems, has a first prize of £5,000 and the closing date is 31 Oc-

tober 2014.

You can enter online, or download a postal entry form here. Please read the rules before entering.

Prizes : First Prize: £5000

Second Prize: £2000

Third Prize: £1000

Seven Commendations: £100

The top-three winning poems are published in the Spring issue of The Poetry Review. The winners will be in-

vited to appear at various events and festivals around the country, including Ledbury Poetry Festival. Up to

150 longlisted entrants are also offered a discount on selected activities from the Poetry School. Winning and

commended poems are published on the Poetry Society website.

Judges The judges of the 2014 National Poetry Competition are: Roddy Lumsden, Glyn Maxwell and

Zoë Skoulding. The National Poetry Competition is an award for individual poems that are previously unpub-

lished. Each entry remains anonymous throughout the judging process. Find out more about the judges.

Entry Fees £6 for your first poem £3.50 for each subsequent entry in the same submission.

FREE second entry for Poetry Society members (including those joining now).

Competition Resources Download some discussion points on the 2013 winning poems, created by the Poetry

School Read what past judges think will make a poem fire a judge's imagination Listen to last year's winner,

Linda France, talk about her entry - and offer some advice...

About the National Poetry Competition Established in 1978, the Poetry Society‟s National Poetry Com-

petition is one of the world‟s most prestigious poetry contests. Winners include both established and emerging

poets, and for many the prize has proved an important career milestone. Winners roll-call includes the current

UK Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Tony Harrison, Ruth Padel, Philip Gross and Jo Shapcott. Read poems by

previous winners of the National Poetry Competition.

http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/competitions/npc/

Random words:- facsimile sculpture excelsior joyful garden cheese

The new proprietor of The Excelsior Hotel had grandiose ideas. “We have to ensure that our establishment stands out amongst its rivals. It’s a very competi-tive market out there”, he told his staff. “I want our guests to have a joyful experience; - one that they will always remember. We must be ready for the new season. There’s much work to be done! Now this is my proposition….” A few weeks later, and things had started to happen. Staff were diverted from their nor-mal tasks to outdoor duties, and talk in the kitchens and corridors was rife. “What’s he up to?” they asked. “It’s a hotel, not an art gallery!” A sculpture garden was created in the grounds, featuring local artists’ work. Contrary to the staff’s predictions, it proved popular with visitors, and brought welcome publicity to the place. But oddly, the most popular installation was not the classical stone figures, mobiles hanging from trees, or delicate birds, forged from metal, amongst the greenery, but the fac-simile of the giant cheese, with holes that children could crawl in and out of. (PMW)

Going Loopy “You are profoundly deaf,” the audiologist said. “In fact your hearing is so bad I‟m

not sure that a hearing aid will be of any use to you.” As you can imagine a pronouncement like THAT was not exactly what I wanted to

hear. Of course I knew that I couldn‟t hear the morning chorus of the birds, crows, peacocks, and pigeons were okay but the rest had left home I thought. Still, you have

to play the hand you‟ve been dealt so I got myself a hearing aid and a „Listener‟ , or „Personal Loop‟, to go with it. As a second string to my bow I also started going to „Lip Reading‟ classes – great fun, hard work but not all that rumour has it.

Most folks are, at least marginally, aware of fact that loop systems exist and are happy with the idea that they can be useful to folks who use hearing aids. However,

most of them have no clue as to what they are and how they do it; if asked they'd say something like “Well; it's a sort of a radio, isn't it?”

So I'll start with a little exploration of the idea. The idea is that the Hearing Aid User has a receiver in their aid that will pick up a signal from some electronic equipment. Without getting too technical, this is not, as

you may expect, a radio signal; it seems to be but it doesn't work the same way, it's an electro-magnetic induced signal from a wire loop around the room, your neck, or in

that black TV screen-like thing on the shop counter. In effect the hearing aid becomes part of a transformer that is, in many respects, similar to those that take power from the grid and change it to 240V for your house, but not as efficient.

Normally you won't see the individual elements of a loop set because two or more of them are housed together, but when you look at the hardware this breaks down into

four parts: A microphone,

An amplifier,

The loop itself - which can take more than one form - and

You and your hearing aid The idea is a good one, unfortunately it's how it's used that tends to degrade the

idea. Possibly the commonest type in use outside the home is the black plastic TV screen

-like unit on a shop counter; this contains the microphone, amplifier and loop in one housing. On the side nearest the customer (YOU!) is a notice that says words to the

effect 'Switch your hearing aid to 'T' and stand within 1 metre'. Therein lies the problems: 1. Is it correctly sited? Can you get to within 1 metre of the unit?

2. Is it turned on, or do you have to ask for it to be turned on? 3. Does the shop assistant know how to use it?

4. Are you aware of the limitations? 5. Is the background noisy?

You may say that these are really stupid questions, but please bear with me as I ex-plore them.

[1] Think of how many times you've seen the black plastic TV screen-like unit stuck in corner at the back of the counter half hidden by a till or something.

Getting to within a metre has now become 'Get to within half a metre' or less. If whatever is in the way is made of metal then you may be effectively screened from us-

ing it. Wheelchair users have a distinct problem with this aspect. [2] Can you see the light on the bottom of the unit that says power on?

Can you be SURE that it's working? [3] Does the shop assistant speak towards the unit or treat you as a normally hear-

ing person and chats away looking away from it?

[4] Have you attempted to correct things by getting close to the unit and saying something like; 'I'm Hard of Hearing you will need to make sure that I can see your lips when you speak to me.'

[5] Is the background noisy? The microphone WILL pick up any sound, it cannot differentiate be-tween speech directed at you and the unwanted background noise and will send the lot through the loop.

Depending upon where the microphone is mounted on the unit it is possible that the unwanted sounds will be greater than the speech sounds and all you'll get in your hearing aid is noise.

*** That's quite enough of the not very technical stuff, the real question is how useful are they in real life to

the majority of folks who could benefit from them. Possibly the second most common loop system is 'The Personal Listener' that you carry with you, usu-ally draped around your neck; of which there are a wide variety of these on the open market. The loop

and amplifier are usually plug-in elements, often with the option of using either one or two of the inbuilt microphones or a separate microphone.

All the controls are housed in the amplifier case allowing the wearer to adjust volume, to some de-gree pitch and which input is required for the circumstances.

This is where I have personal problems in getting people to understand that I'm not stupid and that volume itself is not the answer. You don't need to bawl your head off at someone who's partially deaf, you do need to speak clearly, and telling me to turn up the sound isn't any kind of answer. I have

enough problems in communication without being harassed by, doubtless, well-meaning folks who don't understand the problem.

You see the 'LOOP SYSTEM FITTED' sign in various theatres and other places of entertainment. The loop is often limited to a few rows of seats, and you need to know where it is before you book your seat.

If all you can get is a seat in 'The Gods' not only is the loop useless to you, you also need binoculars to see the action. Even when you get a seat in 'The Loop Area' you may find that the installation has been retrofitted or

insufficiently thought out. Most theatres have metal frames on the seats which, for safety reasons, will have been well earthed and therefore may form an electro-magnetic screen. My favourite theatre is

plagued with this problem, however, I have found that by sitting in certain, often uncomfortable, posi-tions the loop works quite well. What the people sitting behind me think of my contortions is known only to whatever deity they may believe in.

Supermarkets may have several types fitted to their check-outs and advice desks. It is regrettable that the preponderance of the assistants seem to have little clue as to their use.

At the check-out there is the well-know 'Switch to T...' sign but no sign of a microphone. I would as-sume that this is housed within the till console, however, if it is then it will tend to suffer from the all the

usual problems of an enclosed microphone, plus a few more related to the position in the shop. The sound has to reach the diaphragm via a series of holes in the metalwork which will muffle it and may add resonances.

Loops are becoming more common in public places, yet, despite there being places where they would be the most beneficial, I have yet to find them in my local Hospital or Doctors Surgery. 'Medical Confiden-

tially' you may say, but I say 'Nonsense', I may even go so far as to reply that is a case of over-reaction to a perceived but non-existent problem.

Sometimes I indulge myself in a subtle amusement of plotting a 5x5 pace grid of the usefulness of loops in public places. Regrettably they all tend to cluster around the Zero, but maybe my standards are too high(?)

A lot of the poor, in or out of work and pensioners short of a pension, will not vote in 2015. Young people who have never voted and may never vote or be bothered to be signed on the electoral roll, in huge numbers will not join in the next general election, writes ACW Socialism is on a roll, growing faster than any other parties in membership. Yet, I see no point in voting, as no party offers me anything and I have the same fear of famine by the austerity policies all main parties follow, as I am 60, unable to work as chronic sick and disabled, pushed out of the welfare state in any benefits to replace lost state pension payout since January 2014 (joining the 530,000 women so far who lost pension payout since 2013). The Greens give me hope with their Citizen Income, but The Greens are unlikely to get enough votes to form a government, from the results of past general elections.

If only I could vote The Greens and Socialists together? But I can. Because the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition is a party that seemingly comes together only just before elections, made up of campaigners both socialists and green, ex party members or campaigners against bedroom tax and fracking and are anti-austerity in policies. But TUSC seems to go unnoticed til immediately before elections, and few know of their existence. I tried asking around my own street the day after the May 22 elections - none knew of TUSC existence.

In 1997 a socialist party put forward a manifesto pledge of: - state pension payout at 55 at an amount within the EU's idea of basic needs of a pensioners. - 50 per cent increase for current pensioners of state pensions and pensioner benefits As Gandhi observed “People's Politics Are Their Daily Bread”, then it is the millions of poor, 97 per cent being in work or pensioners or pensioners short of a state pension (Source: Dame Anne Begg, Chairwoman of Commons Se-lection Committee on Work and Pensions), that could bring about the change of political landscape that would save my life, and those far worse off than me, by the millions. Anybody?

Staffordshire is not the only

county whose libraries have

been threatened with closure.

(Volunteer led is closure by stealth,

isn‟t it?)

Lincolnshire campaigners

Have just won an historic victory in the High Court.

They had to have a massive cam-paign similar to “Save Stafford

Hospital” to raise funds for a

legal challenge.

Here is one of their posters.

The question

remains: Will Staffordshire have to go as far

to save our libraries from

what are seen by many and the

judge as “politically

motivated” cuts?

Is there any need to make cuts

when there are HUGE financial

reserves?

PLEASE help to save Staffordshire Libraries by taking

part in the consultation. Thank you.

The smile. (A short story of our times by PMW)

I was waiting in town for a bus home. I was the only person at the bus stop, apart from a little old lady with a shopping bag. We nodded acknowledgement to one

another. A young couple sidled up, and hovered for a few minutes, presumably weighing up whether it was worth waiting around. Suddenly, the relative quiet of a summer‟s day in town was broken by yelling. And not only yelling, but swearing too. Loud swearing. Profanities by the dozen; an angry, violent outburst. The old lady and I looked round, to where it appeared to originate. The youngsters muttered to each other. A man in his forties, casual but clean was calling out to someone unseen at the back of The Casa, a local bar and nightclub. We could detect no sort of re-sponse from the recipient of the abuse, yet the man grew ever more worked up and annoyed, and his voice more insistent and louder. The teenagers took a look, but being careful to keep a safe distance and wandered off, leaving the elderly shopper and me. We shook our heads sadly, at the spectacle.

“Drink,” she said. “It does terrible things to people. They don‟t know what they are doing when they are drunk.” “They know what they are doing when they first pour it down their throats though,” I added. “Yes,” she agreed. While we were having this short conversation, the man in question had aban-doned his invisible quarry, and started down the street towards us, still hurling abuse at the top of his lungs. Oh no, I thought. There could be a confrontation. Yet something in me told me I couldn‟t let his behaviour in the middle of the town, in the middle of the day, when both old and very young folk were around to witness it, go unchallenged. I knew I was going to have to tell him so.

Images of knives flashed through my mind. That‟s what you get for taking people on. Remember all those have-a-go heroes you hear about in the press and on „Crimewatch‟, who confront bad behaviour and pay with their lives. Is it worth the risk? But if no-one challenges, such behaviour becomes acceptable by default. And it isn‟t. Before I could stop myself, I beckoned him with my finger. He came over and stood in front of me. “Ssssh!” I said, quietly, putting my finger to my lips. “We don‟t want to hear all that stuff.” “I‟m sorry, but it‟s that f………” “No.” I insisted gently. “We don‟t want it.” “I love you all dearly….” He muttered “but….f…….hell.” “No „buts‟, sssh!” “The b……” “No. no.” I was firm but softly spoken. “Stop.” Suddenly, he looked at me… and a wonderful smile erupted on his face. What had been anger and frustration gave way to a mischievous, delightful, disarming grin. What a transformation! And I could see that underneath all the hatred and hostility was a really nice, attractive human being. Somehow, we had connected.

Then I realised how this incident, insignificant as it might seem to anyone else, had challenged my prejudices. I had thought this man nothing more than a drunken slob, antisocial, an embarrassment. I hadn‟t seen the person within. Until the smile. That had melted my cold heart. He shuffled off down the street, quietly and smiling cheerily. The old lady and I looked at each other. I caught my bus home.

Behold A Festival of plays inspired by the Staffordshire Hoard

PLAYWRITING COMPETITION

A chance to have a five-minute play produced as part of the New Vic’s Behold Festival in Summer

2015. Beholdis a major festival of plays developed by the New Vic Theatre in partnership with the National

Theatre Studio, inspired by the Staffordshire Hoard and made possible by an Arts Council England Excep-

tional Award.

Historian Michael Wood is Patron of the festival which will include plays on our main stage, a new theatre

-documentary, a studio season, digital pieces played Front-of-house and in our gardens, community par-

ticipation, and a series of 12, five-minute „Plays at Your Table‟ – one of which will be the winning entry

in our playwriting competition.

The Staffordshire Hoard The largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found, anywhere in the world, it

was discovered in a field near Lichfield, in Staffordshire, England on 5 July 2009. It consists of more than

3,500 items that are nearly all martial or warlike in character.

The artefacts date to the time of the Kingdom of Mercia. Since the find, a research and conservation pro-

gramme, headed up by leading and notable experts in the field, has been launched and will be underway

for many years.

The competition brief We are inviting writers to submit plays written from the point of view of someone associated with an item

or items from the Staffordshire Hoard – the craft worker who made it, the person who owned it, the one

who buried it…

The play should be five minutes long and written to be performed by one actor.

Entries should be submitted with an entry form. Your submission will be judged anonymously.

Judging The competition will be judged by New Vic Artistic Director, Theresa Heskins, and the Associate Director

of Behold

Deadline for entries All entries should be submitted to the New Vic no later than 28 November 2014.

http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/behold for entry form

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