Pauline shares what we’ve been reading and chatting about for the last few weeks…
Thursday 23 February
After welcoming us all Wendy told us today’s theme was friendship. She would be reading from Still Life by Sarah Winman, a novel about an unlikely and unusual friendship forged in the crucible of the Second World War.
1944 – Ulysses Temper is a young working-class soldier, driving his captain towards Florence as the allied army moves north through Italy. They give a lift to Evelyn Skinner, a 64 year old art historian and spend the evening in the ruined wine cellar of a Tuscan villa as bombs fall around them the two strangers meet and share an extraordinary evening sampling the wine and talking of art and beauty which will shape the trajectory of Ulysses life and those around him over the coming decades.
This is a fascinating novel about goodness and remarkable people with the themes of love, war, art and our response to it, grief, ageing and class.
In the break we talked of the importance of friendship in our lives and the love and support we share with them.
Wendy and I then read some poetry: In the Company of Women by January Gill O’Neil, Idea by Kate Baer, About Standing (in Kinship) by Kimberley Blaeser and Fiere by Jackie Kay
I think we all felt this was an uplifting Story Cafe which celebrated friendship and community, both essential parts of our lives.
Still Life by Sarah Winman is available from GWL.
Thursday 13 March
Our themes at this Story Cafe – spring and birds!
Wendy welcomed everyone saying that is was good to see both familiar and some new faces to our welcoming and inclusive group.
There were short readings on our themes from several sources, the first from The Golden Mole and Other Vanishing Treasures by Katherine Rundell was the swift, a fascinating description of these tiny birds whose life is lived almost completely in the air, describing them as “sky-suited like no other bird”. Chicks leave the nest and fly straight to Africa, strengthening “their wings by doing feathery press-ups”. This was a short extract with so many interesting facts.
We spoke of other birds such as sand martins that are losing habitats and the amazing collective memory of crows through generations.
Then we heard from Four Hedges by Claire Leighton, a book with beautiful illustrations by one of the finest engravers of the 20th century, an extract describing the coming of spring and the birds nesting in her garden.
We commented that birds often make their nests in odd places such as on top of a ladder or in cycle basket!
Finally from Spring: an anthology for the changing seasons, edited by Melissa Harrison we read about spring in the city, how it falls “like a benediction”.
After the break we read poetry about birds which Wendy cleverly introduced by playing the appropriate birdsong which was just lovely. Chaffinch by Fiona Durance, Swallows by Kathleen Jamie and Skylark by Gill McEvoy.
Finally she circulated some words from The Scots Dictionary of Nature by Amanda Thomson, alongside photos of the birds.
This was joyful Story Cafe as we welcomed the coming of spring.
