Category: Storytelling Events

Free History Walking Tours of Peterhead – This Summer!

Leave a comment

Looking for something fun and educational to do with the family this summer? Step into the past with History Walking Tours of Peterhead led by Pauline Cordiner, A Scottish Storyteller !

From tales of plague and smuggling to the Scottish witch trials and WW2 secrets, discover the hidden stories that shaped Peterhead. These tours are based on the wonderful research done for The Peterhead Trail and will be packed with fascinating (and at times gory) history – perfect for curious minds aged 8 and up!

📅 Tour Dates:
Tuesday 8th July
Tuesday 15th July
Tuesday 29th July
Tuesday 5th August

🕦 Tour Time: 11:30am – approx. 1 to 1.5 hours

📍 Tours leave from Drummers Corner

💰 Click here to book – https://www.peterheadtrail.co.uk/blog/step-into-the-past-free-family-friendly-peterhead-trail-guided-walking-tours-and-storytelling-sessions-this-summer-at-peterhead-drummers-corner?fbclid=IwY2xjawK44ONleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBkSGVOZ3RxTjBhdlBvZHo3AR5EZjurVdVtO3hhfZ-CuZYX5xPP5qaxSODVZAxKQl95YWrv8e76PyQ0ET9xKw_aem_HSAOD_s2DH94J8ZA6_64tg

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Can’t manage the walking or prefer a more relaxed experience? Join us at Drummers Corner after each tour for a lively Storytelling Session — full of the same rich history, brought to life for all ages!

🕜 Storytelling Sessions: 1:30pm – 2:30pm
📍 Drummers Corner, Peterhead
🎤 Family-friendly & accessible

Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month (GRTHM) at Mintlaw, Wednesday 11th June

Leave a comment

I’m delighted to be telling stories this coming Wednesday at MACBI Community Hub in Mintlaw as part of Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month.

Although not from a traveller family myself* I have been lucky and privileged to have learned stories and ballads from the wonderful Stanley Robertson and many other Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and New Age Traveller storytellers and singers that I’ve met over the years. I owe them all a huge debt of gratitude!

I’ll be telling some of my favourite stories from Stanley, Duncan Williamson and Lucy Stewart and can’t wait to meet the bairns from local schools who’ll be coming along for the day.

*(Actually we do have Smiths, Williamsons and Stewarts in the family tree – but those were hawker g-g-grandparents all making themselves difficult to find in the censuses in the 1800s!)

“To celebrate this years Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month, (GRTHM) there is a Community Event in MACBI Community Hub on Wednesday, 11th June from 9.30am to 12.00pm. Davie Donaldson, Traveller Activist, podcaster and charismatic speaker will be doing a “Show and Tell” of Gypsy/Traveller objects. Pauline Cordiner an amazing Storyteller who studied under the great Stanley Robertson will be telling us one of her great stories. This will be a very interesting and fun event and all are invited. It will take place in Hall 3. Hope to see you there!! Many thanks.”

Portsoy Haal 2025!

Leave a comment

Here I am playing catchy up with the socials again!! 😂

This time I’m catching up from last weekend where Sheena Blackhall and I were telling stories at the Portsoy Haal!

We had a hurley up on Thursday afternoon so we’d be up nice and early to visit local schools – stories and songs all the way! 😆

On Friday morning we had a lovely visit to Macduff Primary School where some of the loons and quines surprised us by reciting a couple of poems – Snailie and Meg the Midgie – written by Sheena and masel respectively☺️ Wonderful!🐌🦟

Then it was on to Portsoy Primary School where the P1s and 2s joined in with songs and had a whale of a time! 🐳🐋

On Friday evening it was the late night session with loads of contributions from the floor. Some affa spooky! 👻 Of course i forgot to take photos the entire weekend, so thanks Tattie for taking this one!

On Saturday we had a well attended workshop in the grain store – some grand songs and rhymes produced by all attending!

Saturday afternoon I have to mention the participation in the Greig Duncan competition. Bill Gray came first with his rendition of the Hairst o Rettie, Sheena came second with The Dottered Auld Carle and oor Tattie (aka Natalie Chalmers) came third with the Butchers Boy.

(With Wee Imp listening to the lyrics and looking shocked 😆)

Wee Imp and I entered as a duo and sang the Bonnie Ship the Diamond which earned her the Junior trophy (which we didn’t know existed!) Will share some photographs from that later 🙂

Finally we had a braw storytelling session on Sunday morning ootside the grain store (not the original plan, but the weather was beautiful and the audience did well with rocks and mossy humpties down by the harbour for seats!) 🐟

(Oh and Wee Imp and I managed a brief dip in the harbour afore the heavens opened!!)

Thankyou so much Portsoy Haal for having us both along to tell stories for a second year – we had a wonderful time!!

Aberdeenshire Promise Groups

Leave a comment

A braw day today finding out more about Aberdeenshire Promise Groups!

Held today at AFC, I met pupils and teachers from 2 local primary schools as well as other facilitators. We had a story and a fun game (while watching the mannie with the smallest lawn mower see to the biggest lawn!)

They even let this numpty (with no football knowledge at all) touch the Scottish Cup – which must be nothing short of sacrilege!

Photos below are of Sarah of Windswept Stories photography and myself with Angus The Bull – It was Sarah who originally told me of the work she’s being doing in schools; Me and the Scottish Cup!; Sarah and I are VERY excited to see Pittodrie; The wee man with the tiniest lawnmower who must have the world’s most satisfying job!

Glenbervie School Thanks!

Leave a comment
The word "Thankyou" with coloured circles as a background.

Aww it’s always lovely to get feedback from a storytelling session – especially when it’s from a school and the pupils have put so much thought into their comments!

I received a lovely email following my #SISFStoryRipple24 Ripple visit to Glenbervie Primary School! The pupils were thinking about how a traditional storyteller uses more than just words to tell their tales – I’ll be over here in the corner with my giant heid getting big after all these wonderful compliments!! 😃

“You have great hand gestures. Thank you for telling your stories”

“It sounded like it was real. Thank you so much”

“You have very good expressions. Thank you for telling your stories!”

“Thankyou for telling us two amazing stories. I loved how you made different expressions for different things you said.”

“Your stories were brilliant. Your actions were great.”

“It sounded realistic. You have a beautiful voice.”

“You made us laugh”

“I could picture it in my head”

“You have great actions and wonderful expressions. The stories were awesome”

“You had lots of exciting hand actions and funny face expressions”

“It was very realistic. I could picture the stories in my head”

“Good description. Good voices. Good hand signals. In your stories there were a lot of plot twists.”

“You had good voices for different people”

Spooky Stories at Aberdeenshire Farming Museum

Leave a comment

Fit like abdy – that’s us just back from a wee family holiday and now I’m ready and raring to go for SPOOKY SEASON!
Hope you’re all surviving Storm Babet – it’s terrible out there

At least the worst will be out of the way for my first HALLOWEEN STORYTELLING EVENTS at Aberdeenshire Farming Museum within Aden Country Park Mintlaw – part of Aberdeenshire Museums Service!

The session is funded by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival‘s community programme, The Big Scottish Story Ripple #SISFStoryRipple who have loads of community events going on in the shire – just follow the # for more events near you 🙂

As the storytelling will be held in the Farming Museum, the spooky tales will have a country/farming flavour, with maybe a couple of tales from Peterhead and Fraserburgh for the folks travelling out from there – The session will be held between 2.30 and 3.30pm and is a Free Event for all the family! Book your tickets by following this link – https://livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk/october-programme

Why not also pop in for their Wash Days event the day before – see how the washing was done for a big farm toun back in the day!

See you there ! 🙂

A Story and a Craft at HANDSS

Leave a comment

My Wee Imp and I joined our friends at HANDSS yesterday evening for a story and a craft!

I told the tale of an Armenian woman (a total hero who is a teacher and a weaver) who refuses to marry a prince unless he “gets a real job” – he becomes a weaver and that ends up saving his life. The story was followed up by a wee bit of simple weaving.

Here are some photos courtesy of HANDSS.

Turriff Academy True Stories

Leave a comment

It’s a snow day today, so no Live Literature visit to Turriff Academy for me today

Instead I’ve been reading over the fantastic work done by the two S2 classes!

One of the homework tasks they’ve been set is to go off and speak to family member or friend to find out some of their own stories.

Pupils asked questions like “What’s the naughtiest thing you did as a child?”

“What was school like when you were younger?”

“Do you have any stories of petty revenge?

“What news story do you particularly remember?”

We’ve had some amazing responses which will be posted on the S2′ Live Literature Residency Blog which you can find here – blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/turriffacademyliveliterature/

A photo of some of the handwritten stories submitted by S2 pupils at Turriff Academy