Gary stares at the mass of wet bedclothes rocking slowly back and forth in the washing machine drum. How on earth is he going to dry them? Gary and Sandra had met six months ago at a Christmas party. All his family, except perhaps gran, had liked Sandra from the off. Especially his sister Carol. …
Image by Jörg Peter from Pixabay Moira sat in the sand, brooding, like the roiling thunderclouds in the distance. The soothing splash of waves breaching the shore didn’t ease her mood. All those job applications without a reply, and today, the train-wreck interview. She knew it was going to be disastrous from the get-go. The twenty-something woman interviewer…
My mom knows nothing about basketball. She never even went to any sports games until I was a kid and made her come to soccer – my first team sport, though I don’t do it anymore. I decided I should get really really good at one thing, not be half-assed at two, so I quit…
At the beginning of the month Judith holds her Christmas Bazaar for the leprosy charity. The Bazaar was started by Judith’s mother and her daughter is set to continue the good work. Along one side of the church hall trestle tables are set out with an array of little gifts collected by people throughout the…
I didn’t believe it when Mum phoned. Her hairdresser had had her sit on the floor. Apparently the hairdresser has hurt her back and can’t stand. She announced to Mum she couldn’t see the top of her head unless Mum sat on the floor. She added, as if by way of mitigation, ‘there is a…
There are 3 big projects going on in the library calendar this month. The whole of October is ‘Black History Month’. This year we have decided to focus on 3 19th century women. Mary Prince, an abolitionist who wrote her autobiography recalling her life as a slave in 1831. Sara Forbes Bonetta was the ward…
Town was busy with the PRIDE march. Thousands of people making their way to the Dane John Gardens. Colours galore, banners and music. Everyone enjoying themselves and being themselves. Great. *** Derek has been staying here for a whole week. We have been giving my kitchen a spruce up. I’m not in the market for…
Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside! I do like to be beside the sea! Oh I do like to stroll along the Prom, Prom, Prom! Where the brass bands play, “Tiddely-om-pom-pom!” Woke early, the sun was up and the heat of the day was beginning to build. I had my morning cup…
Oh confound it, my tooth started to ache again last night. I’m not waiting to see if it wears off or settles down, I rang Mr McScary at 8.30 only to be greeted with a message ‘This dental practice is open between 10 am and 6 pm, please call back between those hours or leave…
Derek texted to say he had been given 2 tickets to a wine tasting, was I interested? Gave him a quick call in my lunch break and he explained the auction house was having a wine sale and all the staff had been given tickets to a tasting at a local wine merchant. I don’t…
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Text & stories © Joanna Sterling
Stories © various authors
Editing by Joanna Sterling & Alyson Faye
Audio by Menna Bonsels
Brooch photography by Mark Colliton
Website by Brighton WEBtech