Terror Scribes Gathering - Leicester - 21st February 2009

The last Terror Scribes gathering I attended was held in Hinkley, in 2004, where I heard just how much John Ford loved what he’d so far read of “Conjure”. Since then, a lot of water has passed under the bridge and a lot of things have changed but this year, Sue decided to get the TS back on track and so organised a gathering in the heart of Leicester.

I drove over, feeling more trepidation the closer I got - I’ve seen a lot of the old Terror Scribes at various FantasyCon’s, but for some people, it’d be the first time we’d seen one another in five years. I felt new again, as nervous as I did on my first gathering, in Sheffield back in 2000. I shouldn’t have worried though. I found the pub quickly, wandered into the reserved area Sue had arranged and it was like I’d never been away.

Rob Rowntree, Ally Bird & I discussed the parlous state of small press publishing and our hopes and dreams for our writing future, then Rob took me to one side to pass on some news that - quite rightly - has him chuffed to bits. I’m equally pleased for him and hope it all comes off. Back in our area, I sat, on a very low pouf that was difficult to get off of without resorting to a tuck-and-roll, with Jay Eales and Selina Locke, across from John B. Ford, Des Knight (who I haven’t seen since 2003) and David Price. It was quickly time for the readings - Joseph Freeman read from his collection “This Is My Blood”, Ally Bird from her “Bull Running For Girls” collection and I read the prologue from “In The Rain With The Dead”, before putting said copy into the raffle. Derek read a wonderful memoir, of he and a gang of mates getting in to see the Christopher Lee version of “Dracula” and then David Price took the floor, reading a short from his collection. To say it was a very theatrical delivery would, unfairly, be selling the experience short and when he pulled out a tissue, to mime covering a slashed throat that the character had just suffered, I was genuinely concerned that tomato ketchup would be involved!

Then it was time for the raffle, in aid of the NSPCC and I think everyone who took part won something. I was very lucky, winning four times and picking up a set of “Girly Comic”s that Selina and Jay produce. It was chatting time then, but as Jay & I had managed to get decent seats, we stayed put and discussed plenty of things to do with films and writing.

At 6.30, we headed for the curry house (a long standing tradition of TS gatherings) and Jay & Selina had picked a fine establishment though, once again, the more authentic cooking and spices were perhaps just a bit too much for my palete. As was the hot dip that John B Ford was downing as if it were cool yoghurt - we warned Des not to have any but did he listen? The meal was very nice, the company better, the conversation wonderful - old times, old friends, plans for the future both in terms of writing and gatherings. By the time the evening started to break up, towards 9pm, I was content and pleased to have come along. John, Des and Dave were billeted in a bizarre sounding hotel that entailed them walking by my car, so we hit the A6 hill together, pausing only to check out a blue plaque that proclaimed the building was where Tanky Smith, Leicester’s first Private Detective (died 1888) had plied his trade. A master of disguise, the plaque proclaimed, clearly illustrated by the multitude of busts that decorated the building. All of which showed a heavily bearded man wearing a variety of hats. Of course, this struck us as ridiculous and we made fun of poor old Tanky all the way up the hill. As we separated, shaking hands and promising that we’d meet up soon, John & I had a quick word about “Conjure” - Rainfall are going to publish it this year, which makes a nice symmetry.

It was good to see everyone again, it was good to get back into that creative spirit (I always come away from gatherings feeling really jazzed and ‘ready to go’ with my writing) and I hope we get to meet up again soon. Before, one hopes, John, Des, Dave & I confirm our deal to produce a novel-ised biography of a certain Tanky Smith!