creating stories and poetry inspired by Padiham’s heritage 1 The Padiham Writes Project Anthology of Short Stories and Poems Autumn 2018 © Burnley Council 2019. Job_15417. creative-council.net Contents Foreword i Preface iii SHORT STORIES 1 POETRY 21 The Day the Devil Came Helm Mill to Padiham Lorraine Lee 22 Brenda Hayman 2 The Camelback Settee A conversation with my Mary Lee-Slade 23 5 year old son. Padiham – 1977 Janet Dandy 4 Paddy Goes To Padiham Suzanne Boden 24 A Crimson Dawn Mary Lee-Slade 6 Untitled Janet Dandy 26 Spinning out of Control Kary Backhouse 10 Chime of the Church Clock Lorraine Lee 29 A Friendly Cup of Tea Branda Hayman 12 One Gawthorpe Deer Richard Bendall-Jones 30 Annie Janet Dandy 15 The Bedroom Life of Miss Shuttleworth The Troll Tunnel Amy Lee Tempest 32 Kary Backhouse 19 The Oak Bookcase Lorraine Lee 33 If you would like to know more about the Padiham Write’s Project, you can join us here: Acknowledgements 35 https://www.facebook.com/The-Padiham-Writes- Project-261849467878655/ Foreword The Padiham Writes Project has been supported by the Padiham Townscape Heritage programme, a Heritage Lottery Funded scheme supporting the growth and development of Padiham town centre. The scheme aims to retain the historic character of the area through building repair and restoration, along with significant improvements to the public realm. Yet, it’s not just about the importance of historic buildings, but the heritage of people and community too. The Padiham Townscape Heritage also wants to engage local people in local heritage, in fun and creative ways. The Padiham Writes Project expresses heritage and culture through writing, developing short stories and poetry inspired by Padiham’s past and produced by Padiham people. With special thanks to the Padiham Writes facilitator, Amy Tempest, and all our participants. Thanks also to: Padiham Archive Group, Gawthorpe Hall, Mooch Café and Padiham Library. Suzanne Pickering Townscape Heritage Development Officer i Preface Imagine the writer. They’re sat alone in a café, hunched over a notebook or laptop, working in secrecy until they get published. If they get published. Much of their work doesn’t see the light of day because they haven’t found a place for them in a publication. Some writers don’t even share their work in the first place for fear it won’t be ‘good enough’, whatever ‘good enough’ is. And writing groups just don’t seem to happen as often as other arts and crafts. Writing can be a lonely pursuit! But sometimes writers need to find each other to share ideas, gain feedback on their work and create collaborations. They need to kick back, drink coffee and eat cake. And laugh together. This is exactly what the Padiham Writes Project did for three hours on a Saturday afternoon over one month. This anthology is what they created over such a short space of time. Every piece has been inspired by Padiham’s heritage in one way or another, and the rest was down to each person’s craft and artistry. Creative writing can often get overlooked when it comes to the arts and crafts. Yet, writing is both an art and a craft. Writers respond to the world around them artistically and they use ‘writing tools’ and techniques to craft that response into something which moves the reader; a smile, a tear or a deep reflection. Or even just the turn of a page. Padiham has its pockets of creativity and is mostly known for the textile crafts. There are art shops, arts and craft classes and plenty of people with a creative flair. But I couldn’t find a place nearby for writers. It was my aim to make that place, find those writers, bring them together in the heart of Padiham, and respond to Padiham’s heritage in a way that hasn’t been done here before. We used the Padiham Archives huge wealth of material; Padiham Libraries maps and local history books; a tour of Gawthorpe Hall; some tai- lor-made-to-Padiham writing prompts; and lots of coffee and scones at Mooch Café to get us writing. We re-drafted our work considering feedback received. Edited. Edited. Then edited again. Then we read our final piece/s at an evening event as part of the Burnley Literary Festival 2018. Some of the pieces featured in this anthology are from writers who had not written before. Some had written but not for a long while. A few had written frequently but were still challenged to write in ways they hadn’t done before. Each person was brave in trying something new and offering that work to be printed here. Please keep in mind whilst reading the short amount of time we had working on our piece – each piece was given a week to find the idea, do the research, write and then redraft. We did not have the help of an editor or ii iii other professional either. Nevertheless, the anthology contains a lot of great writing. There’s historical fiction, children’s poetry, free verse poetry, a sonnet, a children’s short story and lots of Lancastrian humour. I hope you find something in these pages that moves you to appreciate Padiham’s heritage, and creative writing as an art and craft. At the very least, it’s not a bad way to pass the time is it? Get yourself a drink in a coffee shop, get comfy, and enjoy. Amy Lee Tempest Workshop Facilitator Short Stories iv 1 hell in my service’ The Day the Devil ‘But – but – I’m not Abraham Entwistle’ I managed to stammer out. If the Devil could have had a look of surprise on his ugly face, Old Nick had it now. ‘I am the Devil’ thundered the horned figure, ‘I can’t make mistakes.’ He Came to Padiham shook his trident in the air menacingly. ‘Abraham lives two doors down’ I contradicted him. This time I felt more Brenda Hayman confident, having got over my initial shock, and my voice was stronger. Not to be denied another demonic servant in his kingdom of Hell, the Devil It was the noise of what sounded like horse’s hooves clattering on the cobbles retorted, ‘Well, I will take you instead.’ outside my home which attracted my attention. I rose from my cosy armchair ‘Oh no, you don’t,’ I said, banging on the window, ‘Be off with you. May the to look out of the window of my home in Mill Street. Lord drop his clogs on you.’ I could not believe my eyes. There, in all his fiery glory, surrounded by The Devil recoiled at the sound of this ancient sacred Lancashire invocation, clouds of smoke, stood the Devil, Old Nick himself. It was the sound of his and with a loud noise like a thunderclap, disappeared in a huge cloud of fire cloven hooves that had disturbed my afternoon reverie. The figure was eight and smoke. feet tall and was coloured bright red. With his horned head and eyes like No-one believed my account of the day the Devil came to Padiham, but glowing coals he was a terrifying apparition. He held a lethal-looking trident, townspeople remarked on the smell of sulphur which lingered in Mill Street his claw-like hands ending in long, razor-sharp talons. His long tail, tipped for many days after. like an arrow-head at the end, was draped over his left arm. Taken aback, for several minutes I could only stare, my eyes and brain refusing to believe what I was seeing. At last, I pulled myself together enough to call out, in a weak tremulous voice, ‘What do you want?’ ‘I have come to collect you, Abraham Entwistle.’ Demanded my unwelcome visitor. ‘For all your evil deeds you will come with me and spend all eternity in 2 3 ‘Mum, Is the Queen coming to our house today?’ A conversation with my 5 year ‘Yes. She is. And Prince Philip too.’ ‘Will the Queen be wearing a crown?’ ‘Yes she will. And Prince Philip will be in his navy uniform. He’ll even have a old son. Padiham – 1977 sword with him’. ‘Are they coming to see all our ladies here?’ Janet Dandy ‘Yes, they will go round and shake hands with everyone.’ ‘Will everyone have to bow or curtsey to them?’ Based on a very memorable Street Party in 1977 in Queen Street ‘We can if we want to. But the Queen and Prince Philip will understand if Padiham, to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. some of our ladies can’t get up from their chairs or out of bed. Oh, and did I My five year old son and I were living at the ‘Bank House Home for tell you that someone is coming from the newspaper to take a photo and write Gentle Ladies’ on Queen Street, which was a private care home for about it.’ elderly ladies that my parents had bought. ‘Oh good. And are we still having a party afterwards?’ Two friends of my parents had volunteered to dress up as the Queen ‘Yes. We are going to have a wonderful street party. Nearly everyone from and Prince Philip, but for amusement the man was dressed as the on this street, and some from the other streets. So we have a lot to do. We Queen and the lady was dressed as Prince Philip. They came into the have to help get all the chairs and tables outside, and the food, and the flags home and shook hands with all the residents, and I think some of them and put the bunting up.