High Peak Writers' radio play, The Last Laugh, written by members of High Peak Writers in 2003

This is my first ever blog and I'm sorry it has taken me a while to write this (since the indution 2 months ago) but we have been literally 'snowed under' in Derbyshire (2ft deep outside my flat and 65 schools closed) since early January. This means that most people in Buxton have not been insane enough to venture out of the house for some time. I've had icicles dangling from my gutters and at last now they have defrosted, which is more than could be said for my fridge which definitely needs 'doing'. It has just occurred to me, I don't really need a fridge in this weather. I did decide, however, the other day to make ice-cream in hollowed out tangerines as it says in my cook book that this is a January dish, oddly enough.

I've managed to drag several members of my group to the recording studio in Belper, Derbyshire (28 miles from Buxton). We were all subjected to the intense cold in the recording studio in the first session but, despite seeing our breath, we were able to record a good chunk of the play and I think we may be on Youtube as Nick Hollis, the sound engineer, decided to film us as we were talking, implausibly, about our various characters in the play. We are trying to keep Prem's voice in the play, former Chair of High Peak Writers, as, sadly, he died last  February. This is technically very difficult for Nick as Prem's voice was originally recorded live so there is lots of 'reverb' on his voice and all the other  voices are now being recorded in the studio. I think, however, that Nick can surmount this difficulty. I had coffee that looked like liquorice on Sarurday 23 January before we recorded another chunk of the play from 12 until 4pm. There was a very good hand-slapping moment when Jackie (our lead in the play ) hits Stella, the awful psychiatric nurse, and I can't say that I blame her. This was vey difficult to simulate as I wasn't very good at hand-slapping, so Rachel took my place and was a lot better than me. Personally, I would have thumped the psychiatrist as well for being so smug.

We only have a few more voices to record before we finalise the play. Nick recorded various members of High Peak Writers doing 'the voices' that Jackie hears as well as sound effects last year so it is just a case of tweaking the final recording. I hope this makes sense. Louise Glasscoe (in receipt of cold weather payments) Buxton, Derbyshire