Photo by Angela LansburyThe writers' Summer school takes place every August in Swanwick, Derbyshire, at the Hayes conference centre. It lasts a week. What should you pack?
First of all, if you are a writer, your own books to sell. If you drive up, you can take a stack of books. If you travel by train, you may have to take one copy of each book and a series of bookmarks or address cards or fliers.
Books
Books you would like to sell.
You have to write inside the book on a card with your name, book title, and book price.
I used to find this difficult. It sounds easy. But I might discount a book below the price on the cover, especially if it was an old book and dog-eared.
In previous years, they had second hand books for sale. Also the Hayes had a fund raising bookcase of donated books and an honesty box.
Poems
Your best poem.
A humorous poem.
A topical poem eg on Covid -19. Or an event.
Poems about a cause.
Stationery
Notebooks small enough to carry. A computer light enough to carry up and down stairs. Protective cover for the rain.
Printer.
If Driving
Food For The Drive there
1 Sandwich and drink for the journey.
2 Something extra in case there's a traffic jam or accident which causes delay and you miss tea.
3 Rubbish bag (paper?) for throwing away apple cores and sticky sandwich wrappers.
4 A bowl or potty or bottle or proper toilet.
5 A coffee maker and capsules for the destination.
A vacuum bag in which to store a piece of fruit in case you wake too late for breakfast.
Drink
Drink for holding a party. Drink for taking on the last night to the dregs party. Drink for sharing at the dinner table at the last evening.
What if you invite somebody to your room for a drink, or are drinking and you feel obliged to share, or you pass an open door and they beckon you in but don't have clean drinking glasses?
Drinking glasses. Or paper cups. A corkscrew.
If Travelling by Train
Having a booked seat and carriage and train time can be a nuisance if your friends on the way there or back are booked on a different train time or in another carriage. You might want to tell the group your train time and carriage and hope they will come looking for you. Alternatively, if you know the crowd well, when you get up to go to the toilet, you might race along the seated passengers looking for friends or hoping somebody will hail you.
I pack in such a way that my laptop and phone are always near me. If there's a choice of seating, I move to be near my luggage, or to be able to watch it. At busy stations, be near enough to jump up if somebody moves your luggage to reach theirs, and you worry that somebody will accidentally or deliberately take yours.
Even without any malice, in fact the reverse, if an old frail lady moves your bag to reach hers underneath, a helpful bystander could easily think your bag belonged to her. A young man, a station helper assigned to her, or simply a strong man standing alongside, might move both bags onto the platform.
This happened to me, once. By lucky chance, I was seated by the exit. I had left my laptop in the nearby trolley bag. I was watching anxiously to be sure it was not dropped nor kicked nor broken.
Clothes
Day dress and evening dress. A green dress or jeans or an old dress for sitting on the grass. Smart evening dress. Another smart dress for the last night. A couple of hats or props in case you are cast in one of the plays or wish to perform a poem in character. Suggestions" a hat for a doctor, nurse, black, white, bright colour, teddy bear, doll for a baby, cat, toy dog, spider, bell.
Something suitable for walking around the lakes. Cover up for the evening against insect bites.rs.
Lanyard for keys.
Spare badge with https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6531280/joseph-grimaldiaintsyour name on it.
Pens for yourself. Pens you can afford to lose and to lend.
Drawing book and paints.
Names of friends as reminders.
Entertainments
A guitar or ukelele. Music sheet with the tune. The words. Learn Auld Lang syne for the last night.
Cards for playing bridge.
Fancy Dress
2021 the theme is the Twenties. You don't have to wear fancy dress but you might win a prize. It makes a good photo. Look for headbands, fringes,
Shoes
Mary Janes.
Bar shoes
Ankle straps.
T bars.
Ankle straps with a line down the middle to secure shoes when dancing.
Clock alarmPractise using your phone's alarm clock.
Pack a poem to read out.
Books you would like to sell.
In the car, a map of the exit and number of the exit - and how to get back if you miss the exit.
Useful Websites
swanwick
https://www.swanwickwritersschool.org.uk/
AA
About the Author
Angela Lansbury, is a semi-retired travel writer still researching bucket list countries and seeking out the special, unusual, people, places, landmarks, hotels, museums and trails, fabulous foods, recipes, clothes and online souvenir shopping.
Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.
About the Author Angela Lansbury
The Author - Quick Quotations
Angela Lansbury B A Hons is the author of ten books by regular publishers plus another ten self-published books.
About Angela The Speaker & Trainer
Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President Public Relations, Immediate Past President. VPPR
Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.
Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK
BHA
Past meetings have included Garen Tee on using story telling in business, on
bha.learncool.sg/meet/bha .
Recent meetings of BHA included an educational session on using Powerpoint for posters.
Next BHA meetings, always first Wednesday evening, 7 pm Singapore time. Next meeting is the third Saturday afternoon, June 19th 2pm Singapore time. Inauguration of the new committee was by the incoming Director of S, plus a lively speech on teamwork.
Next meetings will be on these dates (unless a national holiday in Singapore or worldwide)
Themes and word of the day are tentative
2021
JULY - JUBILANT JULY
Theme/WOD Jubilant
WORKSHOPS & EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS (based on level one of Pathways)
1 Your first speech or role EASY ENGLISH LANGUAGE (Articles A and The, Plurals, Tenses, Pronunciation, Singlish)
2 CHOOSE YOUR PATH
Wed July 7th
Saturday 17th
July 4rh American Independence Day.
2021 AUGUST - AWESOME AUGUST
1 Pathway Level 1 Introductory Speeches
2 Evaluations
Wed 4th
Sat 21
2021 SEPT - SUPER SEPTEMBER
Wed 1st
Sat 18th SPEECH CONTESTS
Humorous Speech Contest
Table Topics Contest
2021 OCT - ODD OCTOBER
Wed 6th
Sat 16th
2021 NOV - NOVELTY NOVEMBER
Wed 3rd
Sat 20th Wed
Diwali Hindu Festival of lights Nov 4th.
Nov 25th American Thanksgiving.
Hanukah starts 28 Dec 8 days until Dec 6. Jewish Festival of lights, celebrated by Jesus.
2021 DEC - DARLING DECEMBER
Wed 1st (Hanukah if not previous month. Festival foods.)
Sat 18th
Speech on
JAN 2022 - JOYFUL JANUARY
Wed Jan 5th New beginning - forget the past
Sat 15 Long-term plans = for the future/Chinese New Year (CNY for short)
2022 FEB FUN FEBRUARY
Theme Love and romance - Chinese New Year
Feb 1st and 2nd are holidays - do we move this Feb 2nd meeting date?)
Wed 2nd (Valentine's Day Mon Feb 14)
Sat 19th
2022 MAR - MARVELLOUS MARCH
Theme
Wed 2nd
Sat 19
March 1st is Christian Pancake day.
2022 APR - APRIL'S AIMS
Wed 6th
Sat 16th
Muslim Ramadan 1-30 April.
Jewish Passover (Seder meal=Last supper) April
16
2022 MAY - MODERNISING MAY
2022 JUN - JUBILANT JUNE
Jul 6, Jul 16, Aug 3, Aug 20, Sept 7, Sept 17, Oct 5, Oct 15, Nov 2, Nov 19, Dec 7, Dec 17.
Angela The Blogger
Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:
See many varied posts such as the post on sculptor Tom Harvey.
Please share links to your favourite posts.
