A HILLINGDON-based writing group is raising money for charity by selling a CD of short stories.
Phrase Writers, based in the borough, writes stories, plays and novels which members read and perform at meetings.
Club member Marion Lindores specialises in funny stories and is a club favourite for the entertaining characters she dreams up and her humorous delivery of their lines.
The group decided that Marion’s tales would make an entertaining CD and decided to record it.
They had previously attempted to record an audio book themselves back in 2004, but realised creating background noises was not as easy as first thought.
Chairman Kath Lewis said: “We thought that if we put some gravel in a plastic bag it would sound exactly like shoes scrunching along a gravel path.
“But it sounded exactly like someone shaking gravel in a plastic bag.”
In the end, the BBC volunteered a studio free of charge and their completed CD was distributed as a Christmas present by the Talking Newspapers for the Blind.
This time, Ms Lewis approached the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), which she knew owned a state of the art recording studio, and hoped they would volunteer its use for a day.
“RNIB were very happy to oblige and they even gave us 100 blank CDs,” said Kath.
The group recorded a master CD and Middlesex Association for the Blind put copies on to the blank CDs.
“They will make an excellent present for anyone who enjoys a good laugh,” said Kath.
The CD, Make Merry with Marion, is being sold at a stall in The Mall shopping centre, Uxbridge, in the week running up to Easter.
“All the money raised will go to the Middlesex Association for the Blind to help with the wonderful work they do,” added Ms Lewis.
