A turn up for the books!

My Writers' Group had a lunch date yesterday at Warsop, where a ladies group, associated with the Church, provide meals in an ancient Tythe Barn, close by the Church. Actually, Peter, our Treasurer, his wife is chief cook and bottle washer there. Since midday is not a good time for me (my witching hour) I had to decline.

One of my neices contacted us to ask a family favour, one of those that are difficult to refuse. She was away and would not be back in time to take her son to hospital for treatment, so could we oblige? Of course, we said yes.

The only snags were that a) it was at my witching hour and b) it was Mexborough's Montagu Hospital, a place I had never been to in my life. Oh, I knew roughly where it was as it showed up on the signposts at Braithwell and Maltby where I have family, but I had no real concept of where and how far.

As it turned out, it was fairly simple - Carlton, Langold, Maltby, Braithwell, Conisbrough, Mexborough. Tell you what, it'll be an absolute pig for anyone to get to if they don't have their own transport!!!! It's part of our local hospital group, you see, and people from here get sent there for reference and treatment.

We returned home with a slight diversion as I missed a turning, and came back via Stainton and Tickhill. Stainton brought back memories as it was there, at the Three Tuns, where Billy Green had taken me for a pint when I was under age all those years ago! It was strange, seeing all those names where I knew that collieries and steelworks had been prior, to the closures. Ghosts aplenty!

By the time we reached home, there was time only for a quick meal before it was time to go out to the Writers' Group meeting at the Library, and I had nothing prepared for presentation. I had not worked on the 'Gino' story, as I had been giving that one much thought and had decided to rip it apart and rewrite it from a slightly different angle.

On searching the computer, however, I found a little treasure. I have been promising myself that, given the right time and conditions, I would write the full story of my 'accident', the one that screwed up and changed my life. I had been putting that one off until such time as I felt strong enough to face it and I found a document of several thousand words, dated 2005, where I had made a start!

I had already set out the framework, ready for filling out, embroidering, colouring, detailing, and had forgotten it! Or, maybe I hadn't, maybe I felt then that I couldn't continue - I don't remember. I printed it out and presented it last night and it went down very well indeed, so much so that, although it brought back floods of unpleasant memories, it's given me heart to continue with it. But then again, maybe not, as I had a nightmare last night, the first for such a long time!

All in all though, I reckon that, as soon as I get "Will Tomorrow" out of the way (soon folks, soon) I shall be working on two of the blighters - the follow up to 'Tomorrow and the Chicken'
and 'the accident that blighted my life', with all the gruesome details.

Oh yes, at the meeting, I was told by those who had attended, that the meal was superb! I really think that they could have kept that little bit of information to themselves, don't you?