My Writing Journey so far... by Nicky Wilkinson

In the winter of 2024 I went to the ACW committee annual retreat. It was cold and misty and there was much fumbling to find the keypad to open the door. But there was a buzz amongst us; almost like rebels, we were breaking away from the time-honoured norms of how the committee had always worked and doing things our way. Armed with baskets of, pasta and basil, we gathered in an Airbnb, with a new agenda. Rather than interminably rehashing the old discussions and controversies we needed a new path. Cradling hot chocolate in our hands we huddled in the warmest room. Our intuitive new chair was seeking intimacy to encourage inspiration and hopefully innovation. With dynamic new members of the team and an ‘out of the box’ approach it felt like anything was possible. As the weekend progressed it became clear the old could not continue. Over washing up and glasses of red wine ideas were explored and formulated. I had arrived conscious that my own time on the committee was ...