Lin Goram reflects on all things festive

We didn’t get our usual corner table when we met on Saturday in Norwich Cathedral Refectory. It’s always busy there – we had to do some shuffling about to cram six of us, plus resources and coffee, round a small table. When I think about the activities we did, being crushed up together made it all the more fun. Today was about creating a small oasis of mess and stickiness and storytelling in an already bustling place.

It feels like a time of change for lots of us – some of us are looking out for a change in job, others embracing changes which have recently happened. We chatted about how we’d come to writing group in the first place – for me it was part of the activities in the writing pedagogies course I chose as part of my MA studies at UEA. I’m a relative newcomer – some have been coming to the group for over ten years! Despite my toddler status, the experience of writing together and sharing our writing makes me feel as if I know everyone well. I feel welcomed and settled.

We started with a shopping list of words and phrases about Christmas. My carols were from Kings; Mark’s carols were heard in Waitrose. A mix of warm and cold, anticipating the joy as well as the weight of expectation to make Christmas excellent for our loved ones.

We moved on to reflections on the rituals of Christmas, using Dylan Thomas ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ as a starting point. We decided not to share as it was much more exciting to get going with the next activity. Jeni shared some fantastic picture books with us, including Jon Klassen’s ‘How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?’ and Neil Gaiman’s ‘What You Need to be Warm.’ Even the staff were enjoying it!

Then we really got into it: Jeni’s incredible three-inch hole punch meant we had perfectly sized pieces of card to make baubles – complete with heart-shaped holes to thread ribbons through for hanging. We did plenty of cutting and sticking: choosing angels and birds to create our baubles, with messages for loved ones on the back. Writing a short message means you have to be so sparing with words – not easy for me! – and having a loved one in mind makes the message all the more meaningful. There is so much power in just two or three words – at points it felt very emotional as we thought of the people we were writing to.

From baubles to boxes: we then spent time creating tiny Christmas boxes, with room for concertinas of paper telling Christmas stories (how does Father Christmas get down the chimney?). Since getting home I’ve bought reams of glittery paper and made boxes for everyone I can think of – some with chocolates in, others with stories.

What messages do you have for yourself and for loved ones at Christmas?

The next Norwich Writing Teachers’ Group meeting has been set for Saturday 20th January 2024 in the Refectory of Norwich Church of England Cathedral. Scroll down to the previous blog entry for venue details or please email/message us via the website or social media for more information.