Southend U3A

Writing for Fun

Writers block had descended and Laura just couldn’t think what to write – if she didn’t get going soon she’d lose her job with the Evening Herald. Wracking her brains, she went through every possible storyline she’d ever written but still nothing new, fun or dramatic flew from her fingers to the keyboard.

Finally giving up she showered, dressed and picked up her car keys, ‘I’ll go for a ride to Leigh and see if I can get my nails done,’ she thought, ‘that might help, they’re too long and need a new paint job, perhaps a conversation with Jade, manicurist extrordinaire, will give me inspiration.’

However, the salon was fully booked, so she wandered around the shops, listening to conversations, mundane, some heated arguments, some discussing their children, decorating, parents, pets and so on but nothing newsworthy.

Back in the car she drove along the seafront and parked near the local, famous ice-cream parlour. Choosing the medium sized cornet with flake, she sat on a seat in what was known as the Jewish Garden, as it was the area most local Jewish families would picnic.

A young family were enjoying their food, the 3 children aged about 3 to 7 years old playing tag and laughing. She could just hear the parents discussing their own parents and the subject turned to the war and the flight from Poland they’d endured to finally be safe in England and build a new life, raise a family here.

‘Excuse me,’ Laura said as she walked over to them, ‘I’m from the local paper, I couldn’t help over-hearing your conversation, would you mind if I wrote a piece about your parents and their amazing escape to freedom in England during the 2nd World War?’

Minah and Isaac were at first surprised that anyone had been listening, but Laura was smiling and seemed kind so they decided to chat with her. After an hour just talking about general things, they told her they would consult their parents, who were still alive but now living in the care home at the top of the cliffs and get back to her – so exchanging phone numbers they parted.

Laura drove home feeling pleased but still wondering what other subject to write about in case the parents declined to have their story published. She need not have worried – two days later Minah rang her, ‘It’s ok Laura, my parents are happy to chat with you, so if you’d like to come and visit us next Sunday, they will be at our home and you are invited to bring a tape recorder.’

The article spread over two pages in the centre of the paper 3 weeks later, with photos of then and now of the couple, Ruth and Jeremy – (new names when they’d successfully reached the UK all those years ago). Laura’s boss called her into his office – ‘Brilliant article, carry on like that, Laura and you will have a job for life, well done.’

‘Wow,’ she thought, ‘what a piece of luck that was, just buying an ice-cream!’