The Bentilean
Welcome......
....to this, the first issue of Bentilee's only independent community free-mag, "The Bentilean".
What is a community magazine? It's not a 'literary magazine' only read by 'airy-fairy Melvin Bragg' types. It's not a bunch of 'wishy-washy liberals' or 'leftie loonies' ramming their opinions down your throat. What it is is a magazine that tries to reflect its community: by giving local writers the chance to see their work in print, by giving ordinary people the opportunity to air their views and pose questions about local issues, and by reporting on and commenting on news events that directly affect the local area.
That's why this issue contains one humourist, several local poets, an article about the EEC (by the local MEP), and a piece about the Berry Hill opencast issue. All nicely illustrating the only requirements for inclusion in the mag: that you should live or work in the Bentilee area, or have something to say relevant to the area. (And here 'Bentilee' includes Bucknall, Ubberley, Berry Hill, and the village of Hulme.)
So if you fit into any of these broad categories, please don't just think about sending in your writings, do it! You don't have to be a 'proper writer', or 'good at English'. I can fix up your punctuation and spelling, if you think it needs it. And if you're shy: fine. Use a pen-name, or I can bill you as 'Name and address supplied' as they do in the Sentinel. And as for the time problem, you've got till mid-November to make the next issue (the Christmas one). So come on, let's see your name listed on page three of the next one, and not like many other community magazines, the same clique of writers issue after issue after issue...
And finally, let's have some feedback hey. If you don't like what you read, hate it, are offended by it, or want to slag the mag off for whatever reason, please put pen to paper. With the best will in the world, "The Bentilean" can't reflect local tastes if nobody tells me what those tastes are.
Special Note
It would be unforgiveable of me if I did not take this opportunity to thank everybody who has expressed support for this venture (if only verbally) and especially those who have supported it with their writings (see page three), and those who have supported it financially (i.e. our three paying advertisers -- see pp. 7, 15 & 21). I would also like to thank "The Meadows" residential home for allowing me to go along with my tape recorder and chat with one of their staff members and residents for the Bentilee Lighthouse Column (page 16).
Copyright John Steele, 1990, 1999Back to: The Contents Page | The Archive | The Bentilean Main Page