BRISBANE
VALLEY WRITERS & RECITERS
THE GROUP
For almost three years the inspirational Brisbane Valley Writers and Reciters, have been together, writing, reading, and performing in the region with poetry, stories, skits, plays and radio serials.
They have presented at Esktravaganza; the Brisbane Valley Multicultural Festival; Warrego Wine; Caboonbah Homestead; Valley FM 95.9 and Bring It On… community live entertainment.
Book the Brisbane Valley Writers and Reciters for your event!
SOME OF THE MEMBERS:
· 
Liz Ward – Esk; bush poet and performer. Achievements - Runner-up Bronze Swagman Award 2007; CD production ‘Pull Up a Stump’; publications: ‘Through a Woman’s Eyes’; ‘The Ashes of my Campfire’; ‘Campoven Classics’; ‘Paid in Advance’; ‘Beyond Capricorn’.
- Neil Norwood – Toogoolawah; poet. Achievements - Runner-up poet Valley FM’s R.A.V.E. Awards 2006; poetry publications; ‘Struth’; ‘Bulldust n’ Birdsville’; ‘Full Throttle’; Well I’ll be Damned’.
- Kerry O’Neill – Esk; visual artist and poet. Achievements - theatre performances: the North West Theatre Company, Tamworth Musical Society, Armidale Women’s Comedy Group and the Tamworth Jazz Choir; bush poets events.
Cheryl Quelhurst – Coominya; poet and writer; Achievements – ‘Best Article Winner’ - Brisbane Valley.info, stage and radio performances, bush poet events.
- Judith Perry – Esk; poet and artist. Achievements – lst prize (art) 2000 Esk Multicultural Festival; (art) exhibitions 2004, 2005, 2006. Festival performance presentations.
Beth Dias – Wivenhoe Pocket; script writer/producer. Achievement – published short stories, profiles, editorials, radio serials, ’90 clicks from Brizzie’ and ‘Blood, Sweat and Fears’; plays ‘Jason and the Argonauts’, ‘Troy’ and ‘Penthesilea’.
Book the Brisbane Valley Writers and Reciters for your event!
CONTRIBUTIONS
TAKING A BREAK
by Neil Norwood
Whilst driving along the Warrego
I decided to take a break
And that is when all hell broke loose
As I stepped onto a snake.
I went east and he went west
But my heart was beating faster
As both of us didn’t want a scene
Which would probably end in disaster.
But then as luck would have it
And our paths crossed once again
the terror I felt at the moment
Would have scored a perfect ten.
Now in the end a truce ensued
And we both went on our way
To continue our respective journeys
With our fears now held at bay.
So now I look just where I walk
When I have to take that break
And not get caught with my pants down
Then to be met by an angry snake.
****
THE GHOST OF GASCOYNES ROUNDABOUT
by Liz Ward
The beergarden at the Opencut Hotel is the social centre of Gunbarrel Creek. The mine workers…drivers, plant operators, boilermakers, mechanics and office staff relaxed with their families at the end of a week’s hard work.
Jodie moved purposefully among them, delivering drinks, collecting glasses and exchanging banter with the regulars. As in most mining towns, men vastly outnumbered the women and many a single man noted Jodie’s trim figure and shining, blonde hair.
Mick, the hotel owner, regarded her as his greatest asset. Big Charlie, her truck driver husband, held the same opinion but Charlie spent long hours on the road and Jodie didn’t like nights alone.
As she passed Arnie Stanton’s table he caught her hand and murmured, “Charlie on an overnighter?”
“In Rocky,” she nodded, “picking up dozer blades.”
“What time do you finish?”
“Nine thirty.”
“Right!”
No further conversation needed…they’d been lovers for some time.
How could she know the dozer blades had been delayed and Charlie was hurrying home empty?
Charlie pulled his phone from his pocket to call his wife.
No, he thought, grinning to himself, I’ll surprise her.
Surprise her he surely did…at 2am…asleep in Arnie’s arms.
Charlie saw red.
“You bastard!”
He lunged at the offending lover but Arnie, younger and faster, was out the window.
Jodie sprang to intervene but was flung roughly aside, striking her head on the wrought iron bed frame.
Arnie, stark naked, just made it to his car ahead of a husband bent on murder. Thank God he’d left the keys in the ignition.
Neighbours heard Charlie yelling, heard the car tyres squealing, rolled over and went back to sleep. Jealous husbands are not big news in a mining town.
Striding back to take out his rage on his wife he found her on the floor. Still…very still.
He tossed her limp body on the bed…slapped her face…shook her. No response. Felt for a pulse and didn’t find one.
Jodie was dead!
Oh God, no! No, she couldn’t be! JODIE! J..O..o..o..o..o
As his convulsive sobs subsided Charlie realised the seriousness of his position.
Murder; manslaughter at the very least. Think Charlie, think. A plan began to form in Charlie’s mind.
Wrapping her body in a blanket, he carried her to the truck and drove to the
Gascoyne Street intersection where the town council was building a roundabout to facilitate the ever increasing traffic. Earthworks were in progress and it was only a few minutes work to lay the body in a deep trench and cover it with a shallow layer of soil.
Charlie’s mate, Jock McEvoy, drove a cement truck and was aware that Jodie sometimes had a late night visitor. No business of mine, he figured, but when Charlie woke him at 3.30am. he offered a friendly ear and liquid sympathy.
“She’s gone, the bitch. Caught her with bloody Arnie Stanton. They cleared off together. Cheating bitch.”
“Tough luck, Charlie. More than half his drinks had gone onto a potted palm.
“Jock, old mate, you can’t go to work like this. Look, I’ll take your truck and do your shift. Back at lunchtime. Okay?”
Jock didn’t protest. “Thanksh, mate.” He snored on the couch.
Wearing Jock’s work jacket and hard hat, Charlie drove away. His collar was pulled up against the cold, almost hiding his face. His first load of cement went into the trench in the right spot. Other loads followed and a relieved Charlie returned Jock’s truck. Home and hosed, he thought, knowing the story of ‘Jodie’s runner’ would spread quickly.
The Gascoyne roundabout did facilitate traffic movement but many drivers avoided it, saying it was spooky at night. Several swore they’d seen the shape of a woman in a nightgown. Charlie heard the rumours. Bullshit, he reckoned. Until the night he took the inside lane in her little Datsun.
A fully loaded Kenworth was negotiating the outside lane when Jodie, in her nightgown, ran screaming at Charlie’s windscreen.
Appalled, he swung the wheel to avoid the figure of his wife…and drove between the prime mover and the load. The mangled Datsun was hauled from underneath the tri-axle several hours later.
Charlie’s funeral was well attended and the ghost of Gascoyne’s roundabout was seen no more.
Book the Brisbane Valley Writers and Reciters for your event!
MORE ABOUT THE
BRISBANE VALLEY WRITERS AND RECITERS
BRING IT ON…
St.Andrews
Church building is the venue for the live entertainment and features local musicians, vocalists, poets, story tellers and comedians. The entertainment evening is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7pm.
M.C. Liz Ward. Cost - $2 coin cover charge. FREE supper is included. Like to participate or find out more? *See contact details below.
Join the Brisbane Valley Writers and Reciters who meet at the Esk Tourist Information Centre on the last Saturday of the month. Experience is not necessary; just enthusiasm to have a go. The age group is open, whether school student or senior. Cost $4 each meeting. To participate phone Liz Ward on 5424 2174 or Beth on 5427 0171 - beth@somersetregion.info
