Archive for 2013

Yes, wgwg has found a new home... 

For the foreseeable future we can be found at:-
The Brent Artist Resource Gallery
Units 4 - 5 Queens Parade
London
NW2 5HT

We will be meeting as usual on the first and third Thursday of the month from 7.30 - 9.30pm.
No need to book, just turn up - only £3 per session attended.

16th January Free Launch Event:
We would love everyone to come along to BAR on the 16th January at 7.30pm when we will be celebrating finding a new home with a bit of a get together.  There will be a few short readings from members of the group, wine, nibbles, books for sale and information about the group - not to mention a huge collective sigh of relief!

23rd January:
We will be beginning the normal Willesden Green Writers' Group in our new home on January 23rd (not our usual 3rd Thursday, but we couldn't wait!)  So, if you have any writing that you would like honest feedback on, please bring it along on the night (if you are shy or just curious that's not a problem, please feel free to come along and just sit in).

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Ahem, as you may have noticed, wgwg is in the throes of change and adjustment and to be honest, we are not finding it easy.

We met for over twenty years at Willesden Green library and we did meet - we very rarely cancelled a meeting.  However, since the library closed we have been homeless and searching for new premises and finding it very hard going.

We have therefore decided to stop wgwg meetings temporarily, mainly  because we don't want new people who are interested in joining to be put off by our all too frequent cancellations. We are going to be looking for new premises and once we have them we will advertise the fact near and wide.

We hope to see you there, wherever 'there' is...

Not gonna happen tonight folks, sorry.
Next one is October 17th - watch this space...

Yes!  We are meeting tonight in The Rising Sun pub which is on Harlesden Road - which is just behind the gaping hole that was once Willesden Green Library...

7.30 sharp or SJ will be annoyed.

See you there!

It's been cancelled - too many people away enjoying themselves or off sick and definitely not enjoying themselves.  We will try again on the 19th..

It looks like we are having an unofficial summer holiday - or rather most of our members are off having official summer holidays...
So, we are not on tonight - but will be back 5th September bright eyed and bushy tailed.
Promise.

Tonight (18th July) we are de-camping to the garden of The Rising Sun public house in Willesden, it's in Harlesden Road, just behind the now closed and boarded up Willesden Green Library.

We will be hearing works read out and giving great feedback whilst imbibing lots of fluids and moaning abut how hot it is.

Hope to see you there!

Don't turn up at wgwg tonight because it's been cancelled.

Maybe it's due to 4th July celebrations, then there are those members off roaming around the globe, there are work do's and Private Lives and life getting in the way of art and stuff.  Sorry.

Maybe see you at the Special Relationship on Tuesday 9th?

Otherwise our next regular session at Kensal Green is on July 18th
 xxx

We had our first meeting in the garden of our new home last night.  Yes, summer has come to wgwg (and possibly gone, judging from the skies this morning) We sat out on (artificial) grass, shaded by leafy trees and eating cornbread (thank you Naa) and listened to two stories. We only needed some wine to make it perfect (though one of us might just have had enough alcohol  before we began - I'm naming no names, you know who you are...) And our numbers were briefly swollen by the appearance of a cat and then a squirrel and then a parakeet flew by. All in all, a delightful evening.  Oh, yes, the creative writing...

Clare read from the beginning of her new book, which seems to be leading to something fantastic, I can't wait to see what she does with those eccentric characters.  Then Mary read her new piece featuring a Korean tiger mum - or is she?  Different viewpoints, different cultures, again I'm left wanting to know where this one is going to go...

And then, after a brief scrummage through a skip, we repaired to the pub.  Perfect.

So, that's it then.  After twenty years, last night saw the final meeting of wgwg at Willesden Green Library which is shutting for good in May.  So, thanks to Mary, Jarred and Lily who all read out high quality work as usual and to SJ for her high quality feedback. You should have been there, there was wine, bakewell tarts and acai juice, we know how to party at wgwg.  And I guess that's all folks...

 Except it's not, of course. On May 2nd at 7pm the new phase Willesden Green Writers' Workshop will open for business at its new address:-

130 Mortimer Road,
Kensal Rise,
NW10 5SN

Our new home is one minute from Kensal Green tube (Bakerloo line)  in a terraced house which is next door but one to St Martin's Church (you can't miss it unless you try really, really hard.)  It's a nursery during the day and we are looking forward to sitting in teeny weeny little chairs (well, some of us are, others are opting for the normal size ones)

 We are eternally grateful to Margaret Bailey of the 'Save Kensal Rise Library' campaign for basically saving wgwg as well - what a woman!

So, with a new Chair (Naa) a new Secretary (SJ)  the same old treasurer (sorry) and a new home, wgwg is new in all sorts of ways, so hold on to your hats I think it's going to get exciting...

See you on May 2nd  just ring the bell on number 130 - and don't be late.

Naa ran the session and was quite brilliant. The way in which she teased out of the participants all the feedback that they were hesitant to give. The authority and benevolence with which she ran the session. I hope the others that chair the group drop dead so that we can always have Naa. She's fab. I love her. Naa. What a melifluous sound…

Started at 8.20. When I say 'started',  I mean that one person turned up.

SJ hadn't bought anything to read, but she sported a top hat, so she is forgiven ( I have the photo should anyone want to see it ) Naa read a story straight out of her school exercise book, which she wrote when she was fifteen, that crazy mixed up kid. Clare bought along a hot water bottle and the wrong story, so didn't read ( but has been shortlisted for the Pan Macmillan 'Write Now' competition, so a little excited confusion is understandable).  Lynsey read a great little short story that used to be a poem - fabulous twist at the end.  Watch out for her new book, 'First Aid Kit Girl ' out on Amazon any time now ( and many thanks for the wine! ) Steve didn't read, then he did, then he didn't, then he did - and it was worth the wait.  Dan turned up after a hiatus of around five years and didn't read, but he looks like Roddy Doyle so that was ok.  Then it was all down the pub for hand clicking, witty banter, heckling from the next table, and much consumption of tea and alcoholic beverages.  Nice.

The Continuity WGwg met last night at the house of a sympathiser.

Details of what ensued are secret.

I could post about it, but then I'd have to kill everyone on the internet.