Page 42 - Phonebox Magazine April 2011

The Bookshelf Club
Aren’t we getting excited.
at this time a year ago the Bookshelf club was just an idea with no people attached. But now a goodly number of new found friends have pulled together for common purpose and the photo finds some of these enjoying sight of first proofs.
New to writing? Don’t be fearful, it may not make you rich as to money though we surely have our dreams. The newcomer will certainly widen your circle of friends – sensible people who all live with decent english. You will be given plenty of help and encouragement. new members join us almost every month and maybe you’ll be the next. We have no awkward rules and command no fees. no one is after your money - apart from the bar. We are quite simply a group of friends who cultivate the pleasant habit of getting together on the second Saturday each month to share our hopes and encourage one another.
Some people think to write full length novels and others may settle for short stories. one member is developing a damned interesting essay in family tree research... it is amazing what we stand to find when we plough back a few generations even if we don’t find famous roots. our secretary freely admits to having a few ‘nasties’ in the chain. another member has some delightful tales for people of innocent early years. Many commentaries of the ‘how we were’ type are brief comparisons of home life now as compared to forty or fifty years ago; whole villages have been greatly altered and you may well have interesting things to say about those changes. Please let the secretary know of
this, if sufficient material is gathered together it may add up to a serious over-view and a good read besides.
Your short story may never grow long enough to justify publication by itself but it might find an excellent place within a compendium. our secretary is urgently looking for fairly short nonsense stories such as may provide light reading for half an hour or so; between seven and ten thousand words.
Whatever you may write don’t be shy about it, just get along to any meeting and feel your anxieties evaporate. Bookshelf club meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month; thus april 9th, May 14th. our venue is the cabin bar at the rear of olney’s Two Brewers. 2 to 5 pm. Want to know more? contact the secretary.
Geoff.bacchus@btinternet.com
NEWPORT PAGNELL WOMEN’S INSTITUTE
In March, Yvonne Bell came to newport Pagnell Women’s Institute to give a talk entitled ‘Silk for Sunday’.
She first of all explained that some years ago she had attended a course for painting on silk and had then made cushions, waistcoats and other items, some of which she had brought with her.
Being involved with her church, Yvonne became interested in the decorated vestments worn by priests and bishops. She was taught by monks how to copy religious icons, and began to paint them on to garments. She also enrolled on a design course at art school and began making up her own patterns.
Word spread and Yvonne was much in demand to make church vestments for special occasions, often discussing the design of the decoration with the eventual wearer. nowadays it is her main occupation, one which she is very passionate about, and rightly so for the items she brought were beautiful and showed great attention to detail. a very highly skilled lady indeed.
Locally Produced Hereford Beef & Steaks
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www.happyherefords.co.uk
The raffle was won by Kathy alexander, 2nd Pat cutts.
The competition was won by angela hancox, 2nd Pat cutts, 3rd Dorrit Webb.
newport Pagnell Women’s Institute meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm in the royal British Legion club, and are always delighted to welcome new members. The next meeting will be on 12th april when the subject will be perfumes.

42 Phonebox Magazine