The Thames Valley Writers Circle recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, which followed a writing evening class at Theale School.
Members decided they would like to keep meeting together and so the Circle was born.
By coincidence, its latest short story competition was won by a founding member.
Two short story competitions are held each year, and this one is judged by members rather than an outside judge.
Although members can read all the entries, their authors are hidden from them.
It is therefore purely coincidental that Park Life received the highest marks – it was written by Joyce Robinson who was one of those Theale School evening class members who decided to stick together 30 years ago.
For many years, she was the Circle’s secretary.
Park Life is a gentle, beautifully written story of a widowed pensioner who included in his morning constitutional, taking a seat on the bench in the local park, watching and occasionally talking to others who frequented the park, and remembering the days he and his wife would sit there, drinking their coffee from the adjacent coffee kiosk.
Dick Sawdon-Smith
