After six months research Rising Brook Writers based near Stafford have written and desk-top published a nostalgic themed anthology about the Old-Time Music Hall period of the 1930s. Their 130 page book is called "Tales From The Gaiety". It's full of pictures (some 100 years old) of music hall stars, biographies and songs - all strung together by a comedy tale of the madcap adventures of the cast and crew of a fictional failing northern Music Hall. The group aim to donate the books, when printed, to the Staffordshire County Library and possibly to perform pieces from the work at next year's County Show. Individual characters The comedy stories centred around The Gaiety Music Hall include some very individual characters... - Vester Swann, the gin soaked child singer (aged 45!);
- Sid Hissins (think Johnny Vegas...) a useless animal act with white mice down his trousers and a cussing parrot he got off a sailor;
- Dickey Bird, a drunken ventriloquist who can't remember what day it is; Andre de la Rue, gay dresser to the stars;
- Evadne Golightly, a 70 year old vamp chasing Gwynffor Davis the lovesick manager who's pining for Polly Perkins, their missing top of the bill, who's no better than she ought to be.
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The list goes on! Support for writers The writers now need £2,000 for printing costs to see 1,000 copies of their anthology come to fruition. As one member said: "Stafford is outside the Potteries regeneration zone, which means our writers cannot easily access the arts funding routes open to Stoke on Trent writers. "This seems such a shame when our members – many of whom are elderly or disabled (our oldest contributor is over ninety) – have proved they are equally as talented and equally capable of producing an ambitious, high standard piece of work." Library-based Staffordshire has 45 libraries - which all have Readers' Groups - but Rising Brook Writers is the first library-based Creative Writers group in the county. The group aims to encourage senior citizens and the disabled to experience the joys of creative writing for themselves and to add to their skills through challenging project work. This self-support group has a wide range of experienced writers – published authors, playwrights, award winning poets, retired journalists - on hand to kindly advise beginners and improvers. Contact details If you can help to get this creative writing project off the ground, please contact me - Stephanie Spiers (Treasurer of the group) in either of the following ways... Tel: 01785 248345 or email: [email protected] Thank you! Stephanie Spiers | 
