Every person has a tale to tell, a short story in them, a glimpse into someone else's life and the things that have happened to them. Everyone has a voice, but not everyone has the courage to use it, to tell their tales with honesty and conviction. We found our voices over coffee and treats at Libby's in Marple Bridge one dismal Wednesday morning in January. An idea was formed when a group of like-minded women friends decided to try to write some of these stories down to raise money for The Christie Hospital in Manchester. None of us has made any money from the writing of these stories. Sounds easy, doesn't it? The first part, perhaps the most difficult part, was finding what to write about, experimenting with rhythm, style, tone and words to express our stories in a way we hoped would be of interest to someone else. But as our confidence increased and we bounced stories and ideas around between each other, writing and rewriting, we discovered that we liked the sound of our own voices! So, here are our offerings. We hope you will enjoy them, read them and hopefully, return to them occasionally. We hope to entertain you and to make you reflect on your own lives and experiences as you share ours. Sally Clegg & Sharon Goddard (Joint Editors)