It was game, set and match last night at the readaround at Chris and Pat’s house. The sun shone, the company was wonderful and the stories flowed as easily as the conversation.
First to take to the court was Steven, who read an extract from his novel due to be published next year. The piece centred on a family whose patience was being tested by their daughter’s antics. On the strength of what we heard, I am sure there will be plenty of readers looking forward to the publication date, so no spoiler alerts from me. 
Damaris was next with an extract from her memoir about her time living in Italy. We were introduced to Galileo, their fourth rescue dog, who arrived carrying some emotional baggage of his own. A timid soul, perhaps shaped by past trauma, Galileo was never far from mischief, although Carlo the vet always seemed able to come to the rescue.
Carolyn then shared the introduction to a piece about her great-grandfather, who wrote a weekly column for the Ayrshire Post in 1918 under the pseudonym Oculeus. It was a fascinating glimpse into family history, The Great war and a remarkable period of our past.
Next up was Fiona Johnson, who continued the historical theme with a piece of creative non-fiction based on her ancestors Robert and Ann Govans. Fiona’s research is based on more than 160 years of family life in Crookedholm. We look forward to hearing more.
At that point we paused between sets for coffee and cake. Many thanks to Chris and Pat for a wonderful spread. I can personally say that both the homemade chocolate cake and the cheesecake were delicious. The short break allowed everyone to catch their breath before returning for the second half.
Linda opened proceedings after the interval with another family history piece. Her article challenged the veracity of a family story passed down through generations. Her research uncovered evidence that the truth may have been rather different.
Gail then decided, in her own words, to bring a little silliness to the evening with a flash fiction piece. Beneath the humour, however, lay a much deeper story. The ending packed a real punch and sparked plenty of discussion. We all agreed that this had the potential to be a really strong flash fiction story.
I followed with a short chapter from my speculative novel, Empire of Ashes, in which Germany successfully drops an atomic bomb on London and, eighty-five years later, celebrations take place to mark the continued reign of the Reich.
Greta brought the evening to a close with a beautifully crafted poem following a homeless man as he relived moments from his traumatic past through memory. The ending was both moving and powerful, leaving us with plenty to think about long after the final lines had been read.
As the sun began to set on another beautiful summer evening, it was clear that the real winners were all of us who had spent a few hours in such good company. We had travelled from wartime journalism to the hills of Italy, from family secrets and historical mysteries to speculative scenarios and poignant poetry, all without leaving our seats – and with a little silliness added in.
The final score? Great stories, great company, glorious sunshine and a lovely spread. I’d call that game, set and match.