The Rainbow
By Gillian Dixon

Once upon a time in a land far away where everyone lived in beautiful little cottages with thatched roofs and colourful gardens. Playgrounds and schools full of happy children, couples strolling through the park, grandparents sitting in the sunshine alongside the river, lived a magical but slightly sad rainbow called Archie.

Archie was really, really beautiful with particularly radiant colours. His red shone and sparkled like rubies over the land whilst his orange was tangy and succulent like freshly squeezed oranges ready to drink. His yellow felt like the sun, warm, inviting and inspiring and his green was the colour of emeralds deep and exquisite. The blue was like the deepest ocean, you could almost imagine hearing the waves crashing and the sensation of sand in between your toes as you lost yourself further and further in the water. Now the indigo, well that was very special, it had a sparkle as though it was made of fairy dust and you could imagine receiving a gentle dusting every time you saw it and it stayed with you for some time. Archie was finished off with a perfect arch of Violet with a softness and a warmth like the best hug you have ever had with love and feeling and an overwhelming sense of security.

Now you may be wondering why Archie felt sad when all the other rainbows envied his radiance and the people adored him. They gazed in awe at his ability to radiate so much to so many people, that his arch was so perfect and seemed to be set at such an angle that all his colours stood out the way they did. The people were lucky to have such a rainbow. The other rainbows all had their own unique gifts but none quite like Archie.

Archie saw where his feet touched the soft grass that smelt fresh and gently waved in the breeze tickling his toes, and whilst he loved being able to watch all the people go about their daily activities a part of him wished he was one of them rather than a rainbow with big feet and an upside down smile. He resented his arch, he saw the people coming to and from their homes, playing in the park, swimming in the river or just strolling through the town and he longed to have a purpose, a real sense of belonging.

Every now and then just as the rain started to stop and the sun started to peak out he would see people look up to the sky and he would watch their faces in amazement. Sometimes he would see a child look to the sky through their tears because they had just been told off for making a mess and as he watched the child he would see them stop crying and smile as though they had just been given a huge loving hug like being wrapped up in a warm cosy blanket. He would see happy children look to the sky and it would be as if they had been hit with a flash of energy giving them a burst of creativity and inspiration and the things Archie would then see them do made him smile at their mischief and adventure. Another child would look with wonder and awe and he recognised feelings like happiness, belief, security, warmth and love just from the emotions on their face. Archie would follow that person for some time after, watching how they grew in confidence and contentment.

Now I started this story by introducing you to a slightly sad rainbow called Archie. Archie felt such frustration that he could not look up and see what the people could see. He could swear that they walked away from looking at whatever it was they had seen as if they had been sprinkled with magical fairy dust…….

Theresa Awkward
By David Joliffe

Once, there were 2 trees in a huge forest, ELMo and OAKley. During the summer, both trees were lush, green and big. Over the years while they were growing up they saw all the other trees losing their leaves and re-growing them, losing their leaves and re-growing them every single year.

One year when they were old enough, Oakley said to Elmo “I’m not going to lose my leaves when it’s cold… I’m going to wear my leaves proudly like a winter coat just like the Fir family over there”. Elmo laughed thinking that Oakley was just fantasising again like he always does.

When Autumn came, Elmo’s leaves turned yellow, then slightly orange, then a reddy brown, turned dry and crisp and then fell at the foot of the tree just like all the other trees. The forest floor looked like a painter’s workshop of colour… all except in one patch of the forest. At the foot of Oakley! His leaves were still bright green and all his branches were lush and full. He had done what he said he was going to and kept all of his leaves! Oakley laughed. “I told you I was going to keep all the leaves… look how skinny and bare the rest of you are, HA HA HA!”

Everything was going well for Oakley at the beginning of winter. The grass stopped growing in preparation, the temperature started slowly dropping and the dark night started creeping over the horizon earlier and earlier. Oakley was still laughing. He was stood there proud and tall and still green. When it started to get to mid winter the temperature got to its lowest point. The rain, wind and snow set in thick and heavy yet Oakley still refused to let go of his leaves.

The cold freezing rain battered the trees in the forest. Oakley braved the rain and kept hold of all of his leaves. He had little icicles hanging from his branches where the rain had frozen and they looked like tiny fairy lights in the moonlight. As pretty as they looked, the icicles were heavy. They made the branches bow a little towards the end but Oakley still stood strong. The rest of the trees just stood there and allowed the rain to roll off their bare empty branches. They didn’t have a care in the world! Elmo tried to convince Oakley to see some sense and let go of his leaves. “Let the leaves go and the rain will wash off in no time… you’re just keeping hold of the freezing rain with all those leaves Oakley”. But Oakley didn’t listen. Oakley refused to let go of his leaves.

After the rain, the winds came. The wind was fast, freezing and forceful, travelling as if it was late for a dentist appointment. The wind howled and whistled through all the trees… until it got to Oakley… When the wind got to Oakley it was as if the wind was made of Velcro trying to pull every leaf from Oakley’s branches. Oakley resisted though. He made sure he kept every single leaf on those branches. Elmo said “Come on Oakley, just let the leaves go! The wind would pass on by like you wasn’t even there if it wasn’t for those leaves!” Oakley snapped “Mind your own business Elmo… I’ll keep all these leaves even if it kills me!!” So Elmo let him get on with it.

After the wind, the snow came… This was a bad year for the snow. It came in thick and heavy in one relentless white curtain covering all the trees. The rest of the trees had snow covering their feet and covering the bits of branches that they had. Oakley stood still, slightly drooped over with the weight of the snow over his canopy of leaves. He looked like one massive white cloud hovering on a tiny brown stick in the forest. Elmo said “Oakley! You have to lose the leaves and then you’ll be able to stand up straight again!”. Oakley didn’t respond… The weight was too much for him to be able to try to stand AND talk. He concentrated on keeping all of his leaves just like the Fir family… No matter what…

After months of the constant battles with the winter, the temperature finally got warmer, the green grass started to grow again and wake up in the morning covered in dew, the days became longer and the trees began to grow their leaves again. As Elmo began to turn green again from his tiny leaf sprouts Oakley wheezed “See… I told you I could keep my leaves” and slowly the leaves began to fall, floating and twisting to the ground around Oakley’s feet. As the other trees got greener, Oakley got browner. In trying to keep his leaves, Oakley had exhausted himself.

The following winter, when the temperature dropped, and the wind, rain and snow set in… Oakley lost his leaves along with the rest of the forest…

Be the Sun of Your Sky.
By Linda Methven

You know what you like and you like what you know.

Snuggled in a blanket of traditions, you are safe and assured in your world. You do an honest day’s work and live in harmony with those around you because you are indeed a “good egg”. And what are the gifts that this brings to you?

Maybe it’s the simple joy of friends dropping by, starting a new book, a holiday in the sun or a glass of fine red wine that puts a smile on your face? On the other hand; bagging a Wainwright, going that extra mile to care for somebody or finally, triumphantly completing the Times crossword, may better reflect your own personal goals. Whatever it is that floats your boat, you’ve done pretty well thus far and can rightly hold your head up high.

So what’s on the road ahead for you? More of the same, less of the same, change everything, change nothing. Maybe you have a special hobby that you’ve never had enough time for. Perhaps you sometimes think, “I could do that”. You have so many skills that you are aware of and probably some others that you’ve yet to find, so it begs the question, what if one of those skills could now open new doors for you?

Maybe now is the time to recall those happy, carefree salad days. Those endless days full of adventure when the sun always shone and there were so many things to do. You could climb trees, collect frog spawn from the pond, play skipping and hopscotch out on the street and even ride your bike down the road with ‘no hands’. A time of wonder, a time of adventure and a time of the great unknown when everything is possible and the possibilities are endless! Just thinking back gives you ‘goose bumps’ and you just have to smile!

Was it then that you decided to knuckle down and do a good job? Was it then that you decided to be who you are? You made the best choices available at that time and those decisions have served you well. Now consider, if you knew then, what you know now, what choices could you have made? What could have been that has not?

Now is the time to kick off your shoes, run down the beach and splash in the sea. Feel how the fresh salty air energises your being. Hear how the sound of the seagulls, lifts your spirits. See how you stand tall and proud with your arms held high, as if in celebration.

In your mind’s eye, you start to paint a picture and ahead of you is a fresh clean page, in an open book. As you pick up your pen you start to wonder what gifts will this new chapter bring?

Stepping Stones
By Andrea Wilson

One day a young boy was skipping alongside a stream, and as he skipped he glanced across to the other side. There he could see his grandmother. She was sitting in her garden which bordered the stream, surrounded by beautiful colourful flowers. Beside her was a table laden with cake and pop prepared for the enjoyment of her grandson.

The boy waved happily and continued down the banks of the stream until he came to the small bridge, where he crossed and then ran happily to his grandmother.

As they sat together enjoying the cake, his grandmother said to him, “Why don’t you cross the stream using the stepping stones. You are big enough to try now?

“Oh no”, replied the young boy, “I might slip and fall”.

The next week the young boy visited his grandmother again. This time he noticed the stepping stones across the stream. He looked at them and wondered whether he should attempt to use them to cross the stream. It wouldn’t be easy but he could give it a try. A small voice inside his head said “but what if you fall in and hurt yourself?”

The young boy turned round and ran to the bridge to cross the stream as usual.

His grandmother asked how he had crossed over. The small boy replied “I came across the bridge.” His grandmother said “I saw you standing by the stones” but the little boy said, “Yes, I wanted to try to get across but I was scared I’d fall in.” A few days went by before the next visit to his grandmothers. The young boy stopped again at where he could use the stepping stones to cross the stream. He looked at the stones and the water gently trickling around them. He stepped on the first stone and then the second, he was nearly half way over, and then with a hop, skip and a jump, he cleared the remaining stones and found himself stood on the other side.

The young boy looked back at the stepping stones and jumped for joy. He waved excitedly to his grandmother and ran as fast as he could to join her. She gave him a huge hug and smiling, explained, “You did it, I knew you could.”

Round the World
By Simon Allcock

A cyclist is training for her round the world adventure. At 60 years old she’s still a lady in her prime, with experience and skills. She has spent year training so she has the required fitness. This trip is her life’s dream.

She has researched carefully all the things she may require for her adventure and she has built up the required items over the course of her training.

Each item she packs has a reason behind it:

• The pump, because when she gets a puncture, she needs to re-inflate the tyre.
• The mountaineering jacket because when she passes through the mountains it will be freezing cold
• The sun visor and sun block to protect her skin from the sun when she crosses the desert
• The GPS and detailed maps to ensure she doesn’t get lost
• 3 kinds of identification documents so she can renegotiate her visas if her plans change.
• The waterproof oversuit for when it rains
• The ipad so she can write her blog
• A locket which had been an heirloom from her father.

She would have everything she needed.

Finally all her gear was packed and loaded onto the bike and she set off.

Her pink bike groaned under the weight of the load, turning the pedals was so hard… At the first hills in Kent she stood up on the pedals and strained and puffed and panted up the first small hill. Fainting to the top she collapsed and soon a crowd had gathered.

“She can’t do it.” They said.

“She’s not fit enough.” Said another.

“She doesn’t have the right gear.”

“It was a stupid idea anyway.”

She cried.

After a while she carefully unhooked all the bags from the bike and left them there at the side of the road…….. All of her thoughtfully packed kit. She looked at it all there, and there was look in her eye.

She got back on the bike. It felt suddenly light and responsive to her efforts. She flew down the hill and up the next valley. Over dales and crossed the sea to Europe and onward towards the East.

• When she got a puncture she borrowed a pump from a lovely lady who stopped to help in Germany
• When it got freezing cold in the mountains she bought a jacket from a stall at the side of the road.
• When she crossed the desert she took advice from the Uzbekistani women and wrapped a cotton fabric loose round her face
• When she got lost she asked for help and received directions, food and offers of accommodation
• When she had to renegotiate her visas she rang her son and asked him to courier the documents to her while she waited in some of the most exotic cities in the world
• When it rained she got wet
• And when she wanted to write her blog – she would find an internet café , and relax over a coffee and chat with the other travellers.

And when a handsome gentleman smiled at her from across the foyer of the Royal Hotel in Tbilisi, she smiled back, thinking about how much she missed her father.