We feel completely lost without Christine and to think I was worried about the way the group might react to a ‘outsider’ hitching a ride then getting off. We are quite lost without her directions too and find it difficult to navigate to our next campsite in Llandegla. A sequence of beautifully performed U turns guides us safely to the small family run campsite of Llyn Rhys Farm. As Gillian pulls into the campsite Briaan and I leap out to find where we should park. Gillian drives onto the grass prompting Briaan to show a keen set of heels to a whippet speeding off, jumping up and down berating his sister for parking in the field. Hilariously and fortunately the farmer is happy for us to park there and we get the soup on before heading to the Chirk Writers Circle.
We arrive at the community centre home of the Chirk writers circle’s monthly meetings. We are welcomed with an array of tea and biscuits before getting down to introductions. Once these formalities are out of the way, Barbara Maitra, the commander of the Writers Circle, sets us the task of writing a short piece of prose without adjectives.
Cerbyd chorus:
‘What’s an adjective?!’
An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. An adjective usually precedes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies.
Well, I’m glad that’s been cleared up. Clear as mud now. I’m very glad that I’m filming and photographing this activity so not required to perform these tasks.
The next task is to write a short piece of prose only using adjectives. We all read our pieces one by one. Barbara is impressed and we seem to have done ok. We have not shown ourselves up and genuinely bond with the Writers circle over some more tea and biscuits.
The Chirk writers each perform a piece of poetry or prose that they have specially prepared for our visit. Cerbyd is blown away by a beautifully crafted almost epic, in length, poem about the World of War Craft computer games. This multiplayer online role playing game where players take on characters as their avatar to explore the landscape, fight various monsters and completing quests has never sound so lyrical or seductive.
We clamber into the bus and once again this bonds the group. I feel a sort of ‘we’re a better group than they are’ mentality and I suppose we are. Half the group are tired and head for bed, the other half of us congregate in Louise’s cavernous tent to share two now warm bottles of wine between the remaining eight. No it doesn’t go far but that really isn’t the point.
