01 VIEWFEB:NOVEMBER COVER - View Magazines

points
View December 2008
competition winner
Congratulations to Mrs I Auckland of Lee-on-the-Solent,
Hampshire, who has won a two-night break for two at
Homewood Park Hotel near Bath.
Correction – short story
The Ghost Train January 2009
O ur
apologies to readers and author Gill Richards for the technical
glitch that corrupted the text of the short story The Ghost Train in the
January issue of View, and thanks to those readers who wrote or emailed to
ask what had happened. A few wondered whether, in-keeping with the
theme of the story, it was a double-bluff. Alas, no. We have put the correct
version of the story on our website (www.viewmagazines.co.uk) and the
missing paragraphs are published in full below. Please accept our apologies
for keeping you in suspense:
The Ghost Train…
The train began its journey past the ‘station’ - always a hair-raising
moment. As the noise reached its crescendo the piercing whistle started
(remember, this was pressurised air into the biscuit tin) but it didn’t stop.
A woman rose from the front row, let out an almighty scream and dropped
into a dead faint on the floor. The curtains closed, the hall lights went on
and she was carried away. The hall was agog. For the rest of the show
everyone in the audience was on the edge of their seats for the next drama.
After the curtain calls, which were many that night, the usual invitation
was made and parties of people watched as the sound effects were
performed. The final party watched as the canister was demonstrated.
There was a huge whoosh, then silence. The canister had run out. They
turned as one to watch as the tripod was whirled round past the light to
make the flickering train lights. The perforated screen toppled sideways and
smashed the bulb. They stood in a line as the roller was drawn across the
wooden laths. As it moved across the blocks, each of the wooden sections
sprang from the stage, flying in all directions. The lads drawing the roller
were hell bent on reaching the other end, they didn’t hear the shocked cries
as the lethal inch-thick wooden laths flew in all directions. One woman put
out her hand to avoid the hail of sticks, put her fist straight through the
tambourine and the peas rolled all over the stage and into the hall.
Had The Ghost Train hit the buffers? We’d had three rehearsals a week
with three appearances of the ‘train’ in each. Demos after the show took
three more. Why did it take over 50 rolls before that final performance,
that final whoosh of steam, that final whirl of the screen in front of the
‘train’ lights and that final nail to hold?
Hollies tickets giveaway
The fabulous Hollies will be appearing at
Salisbury City Hall on 5 March and
City Hall is offering View readers a chance
to bag two free tickets and the opportunity
to meet these legends in person before the
show. All you need to do is email to
cityhall@salisbury.gov.uk and type ‘Hollies
Give Away Competition’ in the subject line.
The lucky winner will be drawn on 20
February and notified by email.
For information on the Hollies and other events at City Hall, such
as The Juan Martin Flamenco Ensemble (12 Feb), Buddy Holly’s Winter
Dance Party (14 Feb) and Billy Ocean (1 March) check out the website
www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk