NEWS AT THE REACH

Local author leads a lifewriting and a submariner wartime talk at The Reach!

October 17, 2018 3:30 pm

The Reach Gallery Museum is excited to host local writer and editor, Philip Sherwood for two timely and fascinating events this fall. On Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 1:00pm, Philip Sherwood will lead a free Lifewriting session at The Reach, 32388 Veterans Way.

Aspiring memoirists, lifewriters, and family historians will discover what is involved in taking their projects from concept to completion. In his two-hour session, Sherwood will provide an overview of the planning, writing, editing, designing, and printing process and a list of do-it-yourself resources. His company lifewriters.ca specializes in helping individuals, families, organizations, and communities tell and preserve their stories in print. In 2013, Sherwood partnered with the MSA Museum to publish Matsqui Sumas Abbotsford Pioneer Stories 1890–1950.

“So many people, especially among our senior population, want to record their stories for posterity but don’t know where to start. This session will inspire and equip them to take the first steps, and we welcome lots of questions,” says Anna Williams, Curator of Learning and Community Engagement at The Reach. This session will be followed by several in-depth lifewriting seminars in February and March 2019 at The Reach.

On Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at 10:30am, Philip Sherwood, the son of Frederick Sherwood and co-author of Fred’s wartime memoirs, It’s Not The Ships will talk at The Reach’s popular Culture, Coffee, and Cookies (C3) program. Philip will share the wartime exploits of the late Frederick H. Sherwood, Lt Cdr RCNVR, DSC & Bar, Canada’s most highly decorated submariner. He’ll trace his father’s naval career from the time he joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve as an 18-year-old in 1936 until his demobilization in 1945. In 1940, Fred was loaned to the Royal Navy and experienced action on submarines in the North Sea, Bay of Biscay, and the Mediterranean before being given command of his own submarine. Several combat patrols followed in the Far East.

“Only a few Canadians have ever commanded a submarine during wartime, “explains Sherwood, “and my dad was the first to command an RN submarine. As such, he was a trailblazer in Canada’s submarine fraternity, and his story is an important part of Canadian naval history. There is even a love interest, as he met my mother on a blind date in Colombo. It is a privilege to share his story as part of this year’s Remembrance Day commemorations.” Sherwood will also sign copies of It’s Not the Ships.

Both Sherwood events are free, but preregistration is required. For more information and to register for the Lifewriting and the It’s Not The Ships session, visit www.thereach.ca, call 604.864.8087 x 0, email programs@thereach.ca or visit The Reach at 32388 Veterans Way, Abbotsford.