Okay, forgive the pun in the title. What I refer to was the pleasant surprise waiting when I attended my first meeting of the Walsall Writers’ Circle for months. As some will know, things have been a struggle recently and meetings either clashed with work, or some calamity. Therefore, I was delighted on October 10 to discover my diary was free and I could slip nonchalant into the room with nobody asking where I’d been.

Now the secret in maintaining a low profile, I now find, is not to receive an award for continued success during the previous year (and then have to accept said award to much applause). But this is exactly what happened.

I am highly honoured to have collected the Norrey Ford Cup as recognition for my endeavours of recent times. I will say, the message is, if you don’t submit stuff, you’ll never get an acceptance. So get writing, and get it out.

Norrey Ford was a Walsall writer of many romance novels whose legacy includes the forming of the Walsall Writers’ Circle of which I am proud to be a member. Encouraging writers since 1966, the circle meets monthly to share writing experiences, take part in workshops and talk about writing in general. And they’re an awfully nice bunch, too.

Pictured below is myself being presented with the Norrey Ford Cup by Margaret Woods.

I am so glad I was not wearing an offensive tee-shirt for once.

Cheers.

Nick