Category: Competition

Keeping Young at Heart

On Thursday I swam in the ‘Young at Heart’ session. The session is for OAPs, disabled and those who are over 50. As you may remember I fall into the latter category. Just.
All well and good.

The pool wasn’t too busy: I went in as the Toddlers and their Mums came out, along with the rope that divides the shallow end from the rest of the pool. I was in the water and ready to go at three minutes to three, and in there with me were two men doing plodding lengths, one with his specs on doing only head-up breast stroke, while the other alternated between breast stroke and crawl, plus there were three women in various Delphinium coloured costumes with Marigold hats and another man in a floating device with two carers. Continue reading “Keeping Young at Heart”

DECISION TIME – can wait no longer

The photo competition closed officially yesterday lunchtime, but given the fact that OZ had said he would be posting something and is currently suffering Lupine Influenza I thought I’d give him some leeway.

Sadly he has not posted, and the number of photos submitted remains low: only four this time.

(Have I somehow jinxed it all by setting such defined parameters? Maybe it was the time frame? (I had said only photos taken during the period of the competition – was that too harsh)

Anyway, Continue reading “DECISION TIME – can wait no longer”

BBC News – NHS accused of bias against private sector

BBC News – NHS accused of bias against private sector.

So why am I not surprised at this news?

God help the NHS if it was ever subjected to healthy competition from a Private Sector offering to carry out the same operations at NHS costs.  No wonder they are frightened it would impact on NHS hospitals, with their grossly inefficient management structures.

Spring Fever for O Zangado

Spring Fever

I know where the ivy climbs
while lords and ladies
drop in from the fields
and rambling brambles
with nettles entangle.

I notice the goosegrass
clambering through
the Japanese Quince
and see the forget-me-nots
competing with peony shoots.

And I smile wearily
at the dandelions
(with their long tap roots)
as they grin at me knowingly
from their position of strength.

But from where I sit
with the scent of the Daphne drifting
over me I see tulips and cherry blossom
lit up in the Spring sunshine.
I pull on the gardening gloves.

This year I will win.
It has only just begun.
This year a little at a time
the battle between nature
and nurture will be mine.

PS this is not new, only lightly pruned, so it may not qualify for OZ poetry competition

Sixth Photographic Competition 12th – 31st March 2011

The theme for this next competition is ‘The Force of Nature’ – the rules for this one are:

  • Manipulation is limited to the usual basics of fine tuning the colour balance and brightness etc, and cropping to make a good composition, but none of the ‘high tech’ manipulation of shots.
  • Photos should be added in a comment following Bearsy’s guidelines –
  • Each image should be supported by a brief description of the where / why/ how (not too technical) and what the theme means to you, how you interpreted it….
  • Photographs should be taken within the time frame of the competition.
  • The closing date is mid day on Thursday 31st of March (GMT)

To Anna: March Creative writing Competition

Sunday, 13th February 1887

At first I was unaware that anything had changed. The day progressed along normal lines, in that I had breakfasted early as is my habit, and retired to my study for a few hours to complete another chapter of my diary. I feel the need to tell you at this point Anna; this was not so much for posterity, more a confession of a life squandered, and a need to express regret for all the hurt I have caused to my family. I do not feel a need to broadcast to the world, but I would like a chance perhaps, to explain to those who remain alive.

Our children will judge me harshly, and how can I blame them? You perhaps will have a more enlightened view of my actions; I do hope so. Your understanding now, as I am aging and alone, is becoming ever more important to me. I know I have your forgiveness, and that too is now a source of comfort, and no longer fuelling my bitterness and self-loathing. Such emotions are akin to snakes, their coils, loose at first, tighten until life is squeezed out, and no emotion remains, save a deep and desperate hatred.

Continue reading “To Anna: March Creative writing Competition”

6th Poetry Competition

Well I’m pleased and flattered, with the result of the 5th, especially as I managed to turn Stephen Hawking into Stephen Hawkin in the first one (you would not believe poetic license I suppose?).
For the next event I propose “A Parody” (not that many of the previous entries have not been inadvertently that), but this should be deliberate and should target some piece that is recognizably pompous, maudlin or melodramatic (or all three).
Continue reading “6th Poetry Competition”

March Confidential (C/W competition)

Good evening.

I didn’t realise the difficulties in setting up a competition. With great power comes great responsibility (Stan Lee…again). After discarding hackneyed taxi ideas and wearing out lots of crayons, this is the best I can come up with for the March creative writing competition.

Rock Hudson was a Hollywood star with a very secret private life, Nick Leeson was a trader that kept his dealings from his firm. The theme will be about someone or thing (institution, golf club, whatever) having a secret they take great pains at to hide. Eventually, the truth will out. It’s your decision if it ends up good or bad.
To complicate matters I’d like to see the word snakes used in the script either metaphorically or literally (just an excuse to give Snakes on a Plane another plug).

The pressure of judging will be new to me, though I am looking forward to reading lots of entries. Happy writing, everyone, go on, pick those crayons up.

Usual rules apply. 2,000 words. Closing date is the last day in March.