Back to index of Nerve 21 - Winter 2012

Nerve-WEA Reviewers Group

New members welcome: it's informal and free and the emphasis is on reviewing things (not always art) together, swapping ideas, then writing your own review which is presented to the group next time for feedback from everyone.

WEA tutor John Daly says: "We are trying to learn from each other what makes an effective review. A group brings out more ideas."

The group meets at Leaf Café, Bold Street, on Fridays 11am - 1pm
Contact: John Daly via: urbanpotterer@btinternet.com

The Strawberry Duck by Mike Naidoo

The Strawberry Duck is a pub a few hundred metres from Entwistle station on the Manchester to Sheffield line. The train will only stop if the conductor is told in advance - a request stop. If one looks back whilst walking up the short slope to the pub, the platform looks derelict and abandoned. The pub itself, despite its colourful name, is dowdy and run-down, but it appeared in 'Inns of Character in Lancashire' (30p), probably published in the 70s.
The guide says the inn is not residential, but I spent a memorable summer weekend there in the early 80s. A lively real-ale pub, the Sunday Buffet included a whole salmon ceremoniously laid out for the guests to help themselves.
The guide also notes that in the area 'there are three beautiful lakes, rolly hills and plenty of fishing'.
It is on those 'rolly hills' that our Wednesday Walking Group has roamed a couple of times this year. On the first occasion the pub was closed, but the second time it was open with plenty of diners. The food looked processed and heavy on the chips. The pub also follows the current trend to annoy everyone entering by playing noisy music of the sort the mostly middle-aged and elderly would never have chosen.
So continues the decline and slow death of the 'Olde Worlde' pub, The Strawberry Duck.

Darts and me by Mark Iddon

I've been a darts player for five to six years and I play for a team called Mosley Arms. There are 12 members in our team and the regular members all get on well.
The atmosphere in the matches is great. It is tense and exciting when the score is 4-4 and you want your team to win…
Some players can get 'Dartitis'. This means they can't let go of the darts. It's a horrible thing to happen and it can be embarrassing when people laugh. I'm glad it's never happened to me.
Some dartboards can cost up to £50. The one we play on is a Winman Diamond.

‘Buy the Book’ by Diane Jansen

This review was written after hearing a visiting speaker

A friendly smile would have been
Nice to see
At St Bride's the church by me.
Let's sit and have a pew
This seat is reserved but not for you.

Dead Sea scrolls and Jewish Jesus
Was the topic of the day

I'm here to sell my book
'Only ten pounds for a look'

As you can see this talk wasn't
For me
It's all in the name of philosophy!

A Personal View of the Course by Joe Coventry

Not having put pen to paper in any artistic sense for many years I found this course very instructive. Every aspect of producing reviews was covered, including written, visual and spoken exercises, to bring out a rounded approach to critically assessing topics.
The group was very interactive and appreciated the light, but constructive, teaching approach.
At the end of sessions personal thoughts on development were compared with initial starting comments and we could clearly see that progress had been made.
Well done the WEA for providing the opportunity for this experience.

Joe has been writing reviews for Nerve since January 2012

Taking Grandchildren to the Allotment by Sue H.

Here we go, tramping along the muddy paths in our wellies - pink flowery ones for Caiti, who's five, Thomas the Tank Engine for Cami, aged three.
First, Ritchie gives us the Tour - spuds doing nicely, some onions bolted, spinach devoured by slugs and pigeons.
"Now, would you like to plant some seeds?" says Ritchie. "OK" they say - so each is given trays of beetroot and spinach seeds.
"Space them out in a straight line like this."
"No Cami, not in a big clump all together."
"That's perfect Caiti. Don't press them in - we'll cover them with soil in a minute.
“No Cami, don't press them in. That's very good Caiti."
Uh oh, one of the trays is kicked over - tiny seeds all over the path. "Never mind Cami, we'll pick them up."
"Now, let's pull up some onions that are ready - no Cami, not that one - this one over here. Well done Caiti!"
Onions sorted at last, they want to water everything.
It's been pissing down with rain and the ground is soaked, but watering is their favourite job, so out come the watering cans and everything is drenched again, including our legs.
Cami's getting hungry - we know the signs - bashing things with sticks; so off we go for baked potatoes and beans.

Printer friendly page

Comments are closed on this article