The air practically crackled with anticipation as members – auld, familiar faces and new enthusiastic ones too – arrived for the opening night of our 2026/2027 season. Programme cards were studied with interest, helpful name badges were pinned on, and what-we-did-on-our-holiday stories were happily exchanged.
Once we were settled in our seats, President Susan McVey brought the gavel down to start the meeting, presenting a slideshow packed with information to introduce us to ‘The Year Ahead’.
Susan highlighted the club’s impressive 56-year history and namedropped some of our successful published former members – what marvellous inspiration for us all. Then she introduced each of our committee with tongue-in-cheek caricature images – we all flashed ‘Turkey Teeth’, and Greta looked superstar glam in oversized sunglasses – depicting each member seated at
their new ‘AWC Oval Office’ desk. This was followed by an overview of the programme with the spotlight focused on a stellar line-up of guest speakers and adjudicators. With talks and workshops on stage drama, sci-fi, cosy crime and manuscript dissection (to name but a few), there are plenty of unmissable dates to note in our diaries – and we’d plenty to blether about at tea and coffee break.
Then it was back to writing business for the second part of the evening.
Susan had devised an exercise to get us thinking about using the five senses in our writing, inviting us to craft a paragraph describing four objects without naming them — classic show, don’t tell. We were shown visuals of each item.
So, what does a lemon look like, and what sound does it make? What would a seashell taste like? Does ice have smell? Or a taste? And how would you describe the feel of popcorn?
We had seven minutes to write on each one – harder than you would think. Bows furrowed in concentration; our pens scribbled furiously in the silence.
Three brave volunteers offered to share their work with the room –
Maggie M – ‘my teeth screamed at the extreme temperature’ – Ice
Fiona J on the beach – ‘a perfect art form, swirls and bumps, turning into itself.’ – Seashell
And I sat in the cinema ‘biting into puffs of buttery, salty loveliness.’ – Popcorn
Susan closed the evening after sharing her own dystopian-flavoured paragraphs – ‘its fierce, sour taste attacks my tongue, making my mouth tingle.’ A lemon, of course.
We all left for home buzzing with ideas. What a cracking start to our new season.
By Linda Brown