SILVER LININGS
Three things led to the formation of Grantham Writers in 1991; charity events organised by a quartet of local men. a meeting of two of them in the White Swan at Barrowby, and the_opening of the SKDC’s Guildhall Arts Centre.
The four scribes were: Eric Chappell, creator of Rising Damp, Duty Free and a whole host of others; Paul Groves, originator of successful children’s shows Egbert Nosh and Bangers and Mash, schoolteacher and poet Bob Tristram and journalist, author and poet Peter Clawson.
Two of them, Paul Groves and Peter Clawson used to meet in the village pub for a weekly casual drink and talk about writing and the concept of a writers group for the town came to them both simultaneously after hearing of the council’s plans for a brand new arts centre.
Discussions with the new manager at the Guildhall led to an inaugural meeting attended by 35 writers, where interests and professions included novels, theatre and television, poetry, and ‘general’ non-fiction.
It was agreed that regular meetings should be held on the third Monday of each month, with informal gatherings in the bar on Wednesdays.
Even from that early get-together the group, called Grantham writers was lucky to have a number of professionals, some more famous than others, but all willing to help members improve their standards and achieve their aims of getting published.
The established writers included Eric Chappell, creator of such highly successful sitcoms as Rising Damp, Duty Free, Only When I Laugh, The Bounder and many others; also the late Howard Imber Two Ronnies and other TV shows fame; John Pye, writer of many of Ken Dodd’s jokes; author Margaret Bingley and Mollie Burket and Peter Eldin, who dreamed up The Wizz Kid’s Handbook for children’s TV.
The official launch of the group was timed to coincide with the Guildhall Arts Centre’s official opening on October 1st 1991.
A number of charity events helped local voluntary organisations and in the first year Grantham Writers made a profit of £296 for its own funds, St Wulfram’s 2000 AD, Gifts Hospice and Amnesty International were among those early years when the membership rose to an encouraging 38, many of whom were grateful for the help they received from the professionals in the group.
Another development which grew to even larger proportions as the group became more confident was the introduction of shows staged at the Guildhall Theatre.
Grantham Writers Entertain was the first and was adjudged a great success by all who performed and attended.
As the group progressed, it continued to thrive and participate in activities throughout the community.
A play written by Paul Groves and entitled Slip-tease had a public reading and his first class comedy Postman’s Knock Was presented on a World Premiere at the Guildhall Arts Centre by Grantham Dramatic Society as part of their 50th Anniversary Year celebrations in 1995.
Also during that period Liz Brailsford became Farming Correspondent for the Grantham Journal and the group enjoyed an appearance by top poet Alison Chisholm.
Two anthologies of Grantham Writers members’ work were published in the early years, Apple Pie II in 1996 showing just how well the group was progressing and promising much for the future.
There was another Grantham Writers Entertain sponsored by SKDC at the Guildhall, the group now had a new newsletter, Post Script edited by Andrea McHugh and Evelyn Collins, summer socials and Christmas parties became popular items on the annual programme and John Pye gave an insight into his work writing jokes for Ken Dodd. There also continued to be an interesting variety of other guest speakers.
Peter Clawson, in conjunction with his sister-in-law Jean Hill, created a line of Gingerbread Men cuddly toys to help Grantham Town FC raise some much needed cash.
Novelist Margaret Bingley widened her genres to include women’s erotica as well as her successful horror books.
With Eric Chappell at the height of his fame producing sitcoms for TV and plays for the stage, there was always someone Grantham Writers could turn to for evenings of comedy, which they did on several occasions.
A true craftsman, Eric was eventually made a life member of the group, which he still is in this 25th anniversary year.
And so to 1998 and the rapidly approaching Millennium. This was when poetic member Bob Tristram suggested producing a book celebrating the last hundred years of Grantham.
Contributions were invited from just about everyone ever connected with the town, but even Bob could not have envisaged what an unbelievable response there would be.
The historic project almost became a life’s work for him and other members of the group. Three huge copies were produced and presented to the library, museum and SKDC.
A joint exhibition of paintings together with Grantham Art Club and poems was held at the George Shopping Centre, another example of Grantham Writers’ involvements with other groups in the town.
The Project was thanks to chairman Glynn Marshall, a capable member of both groups.
More links materialised under his chairmainship including Gravity FM local radio station and the local version of a service for the blind.
One of the highlights of 1999 was a spectacular visible spectrum of entertainment at Woolsthorpe Manor, birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton, Grantham’s greatest son.
The same year members were delighted to see a display by short story expert and journalist Alma Harris of her other accomplishment – belly dancing.
As expected, the year 2000 was momentous in many ways for Grantham Writers, none more so than what turned out to be a 1,000 page epic Millennium Book of Grantham.
The year also saw Margaret Bingley become a columnist for the Journal with The Way I See It.
The group had a great start to the new Millennium with a £2,476 grant though the Millennium Festival Awards for All scheme. It was also decided to produce a new anthology. What a decision that proved to be!
In addition some members were subsidised to attend a residential writing course at Swanswick in Derbyshire.
The year 2000 also provided a move of venue to the Shirleycroft Hotel for a show in and of Grantham Talking Newspaper for the Blind.
In October 2000 Peter Clawson took over as editor of Postscript, with the aim of including more members’ work and other content.
January 2001 saw Peter Clawson lake over the editor-ship of the group’s third anthology, Chapter and Verse in an effort to revise it and reduce costs.
The long awaited Grantham Writers Millennium book finally contained 1,800 pages bound into 20 volumes.
Bob Tristram, a marathon runner in his own right, said it seemed like he had covered the equivalent of 2,000 miles in completing the project when it was finally handed over.
A competition organised in conjunction with County Life Ltd., publishers of Lincolnshire Life, resulted in victory for Mary Hubble’s poem The Francis Trigge Chained Library. Close second was Peter Clawson’s Heron Herald with Rose Bakker’s An Outcomer Poaching third.
Editor Judy Theobald was so impressed with all the entries that she published a small anthology entitled Lincolnshire Lines containing them all.
October 4th saw Grantham Writers celebrate National Poetry Day at the library conducting a workshop and reading poetry to anyone who would listen.
President Paul Groves took the opportunity of our tenth anniversary to look back as a kind of father figure.
“When Peter and I began this group we had no idea it would grow into anything as vibrant and creative.’ he said.
February 2002 revealed a scathing criticism of Lincolnshire Literature Development Officer by Postscript editor Peter Clawson.
The good news was, however, that it produced the required response – an advert in his Literature News Sheet for top poet Wendy Cope’s appearance for Grantham Writers at the Guildhall Centre.
And so 10 the build up to (he greatest moment in the group’s history; news that Chapter and Verse had reached the last four of the David Thomas Charitable Trust’s National writing competitions Anthology Award 2002.
This meant that Grantham Writers representatives were invited to the grand final in the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate where the other three finalists – Nottingham Poetry Society, Ripon Writers Circle and the previous year’s winners, Winchester Writing Group, were waiting to battle it out.
To cut a dramatic story short, Trust Head, David St. John Thomas explained all the reasons why Chapter and Verse had won the title and presented the trophy to Paul Groves as Grantham Writers President.
Dumbfounded watchers on stage from Grantham were secretary Mary Hubble, committee member Evelyn Collins and anthology editor Peter Clawson.
In all Grantham’s Chapter and Verse had beaten off more than eighty other entries nationwide.
Throughout the next decade Grantham Writers continued to help and inspire local writers, performing its own Showcase material on stage at the Guildhall Centre as well as charity readings at other venues.
East Midlands literature officers were understood to have recognised Grantham Writers as the number one group of its kind in the region.
Best selling poet Wendy Cope made a second highly successful appearance on the Guildhall stage with Peter Clawson in attendance.
Unfortunately Grantham’s first ever literary festival wasn’t the success that was hoped, leading Peter Clawson to question the literacy of the townspeople, much to the indignation of some correspondents in the Grantham Journal. Peter’s defence was just as robust as the original attacks on him,
Back on the positive side of writing, one of Grantham Writers’ bards invited members to attend regular poetry workshops at her home and some extremely lively discussions ensued on a monthly basis.
The year turned again and Grantham Writers fortunes continued to prosper. Treasurer Lynda Mitchell was not only praised for her service as treasurer, but did the really hard work of physically compiling the next anthology which again reached the final four of the David St. John Charitable Trust Writers Circle competition (In Our Own Words). A remarkable achievement even though the overall prize went to the Stratford-upon-Avon group. Sadly there was no Showcase at the Guildhall in 2005. Members confined their efforts to the local Comedy Festival instead.
During the next few years Grantham Writers continued its various associations within the local community, including Amnesty International and Grantham Talking Newspaper. Liz Weston took over as chair after a temporary start by Paul Groves, while the venue for meetings moved to Riverside Community Room in Welham Street, courtesy of the resident warden Kath Gadd.
This period also featured the formation of a script and play writing section based at Paul Groves’ house and a novelists group at June Proctor’s home. Both proved to be successful.
Some members regularly attended Literature at Lunchtime Sessions at the Guildhall with Dr Jane Mackay.
The venue for main Monday meetings returned to the Guildhall, although it was much more expensive than Riverside.
By then a number of long-standing members of Grantham Writers had succumbed to the ravages of time in one way or another and membership fell to an all time low in 2012. However, a brighter future began to emerge again when the next chair, Peter Clawson, managed to negotiate a favourable deal with the newly volunteer-style town museum and Grantham Writers whole mood seemed to change overnight.
Peter’s stand-in stint after Margaret Bingley made her mark and the whole atmosphere at the museum produced a spectacular Halloween event orchestrated by Ian Maber.
This not only revealed once again the value of groups like Grantham Writers to a locale as well as the value of the internet. Ian set up a comprehensive system of facilities online which have now been revised and ably taken over by Chrissy Edwards for the benefit of the group.
Since Lynda Mitchell took over as chair, due to Peter Clawson’s ill health, and Liz Lockhart as Secretary, the resurgence of Grantham Writers has continued with new members, whose enthusiasm it is hoped will launch the group into a new year of success using the 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee as a springboard.
Regular meetings will continue on the third Monday of each month hopefully featuring new expert speakers and members’ manuscript meetings and proving ever more popular and in addition to a Jubilee anthology it is hoped to re-introduce the Showcase as an annual event at the museum.
If ever an organisation epitomised the old adage ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’, it must be Grantham Writers.
by Peter Clawson in Silver Linings (2016)