You have in your hands a collection of writings that has been nurtured in the greenhouses of two writing groups meeting in the Rivelin Valley over the last couple of years. Ordinary people foraging through their life experiences to uncover images, stories, poems and narratives and sharing them together in a spirit of appreciation and the desire to find their own voices.

It is a joyous, emotional, challenging and ultimately uplifting evening for all involved and in that spirit the groups known as the Rivelin Writers share the fruits of their labours. Some have entered what we call retirement, yet as you will see - have not given up striving to produce good harvests.

Covering themes from marriages to departures, secrets to revelations, the natural world to the built environment in poems and short prose; these pieces please, move, amuse, and celebrate in equal measure. A testament to writing as moving from the solitary desk or laptop to tentative sharing and encouragement into the full sunlight of a published book, please read it kindly.