SYLVIA KENT'S READING & WRITING FORUM

CAN IT BE SIXTEEN YEARS SINCE HILARY MANTEL PAID US A VISIT IN BILLERICAY

Tonight on our regular BBC 4 radio programme Front Row and mention, yet again, of books, films and authors. The work of Hilary Mantel was discussed, particularly her best-selling book Wolf Hall which our Billericay BookTalk group also coincidentally discussed today. Here is Hilary in 2009 at Billericay where we shared a lovely evening talking books, reading and writing, and of course, the Essex Book Festival. Looking forward to this year's events during the summer. Will keep you posted.

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE REMEMBERS OUR WONDERFUL POET FLEUR ADCOCK

The Royal Society of Literature members will remember our British poet Fleur Adcock on Wednesday 19 February at the London Library. Sadly she died in November 2024, but her poetry lives on.

Wonderful to meet her and other respected poets at an ALCS evening gathering a few years ago. Here she is with Sir Derek Alcott and Wendy Cope at the House of Lords. We enjoyed a super evening.

In remembrance of Fleur, the RSL is hosting a discussion of her writing and legacy with a panel of speakers including Neil Astley, Wendy Cope and Lorraine Mariner, chaired by Rachel Long, and interspersed with recordings of the poet reading her own work. This event, developed in partnership with the London Library, will mark Adcock’s 91st birthday.

LATEST INFORMATION ON OUR FUN WALK TRUST EVENT DESTINED FOR THIS SEPTEMBER

FUN WALK PRESS RELEASE

February 4th 2024

Registration Opens for 2025 Fun Walk

The Trustees of The Fun Walk Trust are inviting local charities and community groups to register for this year’s Fun Walk which will take place through September. Supporters can do their walk individually or organisations can host an event on any day during the month, to raise money for their project or good cause. The event is free to enter, and support is provided including posters, finisher’s certificates and sponsorship forms so participants can focus on fund raising.

The Fun Walk’s BONUS POT is supported by donations from local businesses and individuals, and last year provided a 30% bonus to each participating charity/community group in addition to the monies they raised in sponsorship. Last year’s donors included Brown & Carroll (London), Sanctuary Housing, Greater Anglia, Tunnelcraft, Butyl Products Group, IFE Global Logistics, Mr Barrie Stone and others.

John Baron, Chair of Trustees, said:

“With the generous help of our Bonus Pot donors, The Fun Walk Trust raised over £100,000 last year for local charities and good causes, bringing the total raised to over £1,635,000 since 2002. Participating in the Fun Walk is a wonderful way to boost unrestricted funding and support their initiatives. Any non-profit organisation which benefits the community may apply to take part. We encourage all to spread the word.”

Organisations are encouraged to register at https://thefunwalktrust.co.uk/

OUR SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS AND JOURNALISTS MOURN THE LOSS OF NOREEN RIOLS

We are so very proud of our friend and overseas member, Noreen Riols who died on 2 January in her Paris home. Noreen was one of the last-surviving veterans of the World War Two Special Operations Executive (SOE) has been remembered following her death at the age of 98.

Noreen was posted to the SOE's school at Beaulieu in the New Forest, where agents were trained to carry out espionage missions behind enemy lines.

One of her roles was to act as a so-called honey trap in Bournemouth hotels to see whether the trainee spies would spill their secrets.

In 1944, at the age of eighteen, Ms Riols applied to join the Women's Royal Naval Service, which she said appealed to her "because the hat looked most seductive". However, she was sent to the SOE's secret headquarters in Baker Street, London, because of her proficiency in French.

Noreen worked "passing on messages", before being posted to the Beaulieu Estate where the SOE conducted final training. Future agents were schooled in one of 11 buildings, each for a different country, and taught to carry out sabotage, assassinations and other missions. She also worked with the famous Colonel Maurice Buckmaster.

WISHING OUR VERY GOOD FRIEND MIKE EDMONDS A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Friends and family around the world joining in to wish Mike a lovely birthday.

A happy Mike in Southend at the start of his own filmed life story

NEW YEAR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS FOR WRITERS

Happy New Year to all my regular viewers and warmest wishes to readers of my features in Essex press. It's lovely to have contact with you. This is my nineteenth blogging year and very soon my two-thousandth feature will be appearing on this particular weblog. More than three/four thousand articles/essays have been published in print magazines and newspapers.

New Year is traditionally the time for resolutions and for many older people to think about the topic of writing one's life story. Of course, many people in the world of entertainment have been using 'ghost writers' - using professionals to carry out the task, but there is nothing so good as reading true personal thoughts about notable personalities and not-so-famous people's life and times, particularly if you have had a connection with the writer or the area in which they lived.

I know I have already mentioned some of the folk whom you have already met within my weblog posts over such a long time. Recently, one such is the super Olympic champion athlete Fatima Whitbread, whose memoir My Bright Shining Star is currently a best-seller. Signed copies can be found in numerous Essex-based Waterstones and WH Smith.

Fatima is included within my current project of meeting some of the world's most illustrious folk. More will be included as 2025 proceeds. Here we are in the late 1990s.