I’ve got two storytelling sessions coming for our friends at HANDSS as part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival‘s #sisfripple

And what a wonderful good deed that they’re doing in return? I totally love it! (And hint to the team – the worse the joke, the MORE I’ll love it )

They have looked at the reason HANDSS is in existence, which is to develop the social skills of kids attending the club. “We will tell jokes for a month, to brighten up the month of November and make little recorded voice clips of children telling their jokes to share on social media and the children can also share their jokes face to face with people that they meet.”

Hallowe’en is now well and truly on its way and with it come the spooky stories!

I’m doing a number of private events, but here are some of my upcoming spooky storytelling sessions

On Sunday 30th October, I’ll be telling Ghostie Stories in Aden at 4.30pm for young witches, warlocks, ghoulies and their grownups! – unfortunately this event is sold out, but do watch out for other storytelling sessions at Aden Country Park Mintlaw AND they have HEAPS of other Halloween activities this weekend so do have a look at their page and events!

The evening session for adults only (Aden’s Terrifying Tales!) is back for another booked out session – but don’t worry if you’ve been before… There are some new stories and haunting tales from further out in the Shire to be told!

On Tuesday 1st November, I’m excited to be making a return visit to TClub – Special Needs Tuesday Club in Peterhead where Cauld Johnnie (recently turned into a book by Epic Tales!) will be making an appearance! – this is just one of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival#sisfripple funded events coming up in the next few weeks!

On Thursday the 3rd November I’m going to be at Middleton Park Nursery and Primary School for their Scottish International Storytelling Festival#SISFRipple event and can’t wait to entertain all the pupils and their grown ups with spooky tales!

Finally on Friday 4th November, The Grampian Association of Storytellers – GAS is holding one of its Scottish International Storytelling Festival events with the Elphinstone Institute – 5 local storytellers for the price of one! Sheena Blackhall (Poet), Diana Peers from Once upon a tune, Jackie Ross from Jackietales, David Brown from Half Man, Half Myth – Storyteller and myself!

More details here – https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=462333925938043&set=a.462332462604856

What a fantastic and busy weekend!

On Saturday I was telling stories and doing some living history up at Aden Country Park in Mintlaw for the The Book of Deer Project. This was then followed up by some ghost stories for the grown ups with Derek Jennings.

And on Sunday I was telling stories at the Stonehaven Tolbooth Museum which linked very neatly into some of the items in the museum – of course I was too busy and didn’t get any photos, but had some fantastic audiences!

Here’s some photos

The car is all packed for tomorrow’s storytelling and living history at Aden Country Park!

Butter Making, grinding flour using a real medieval quern stone, making clay pots and exploring dye – cannae wait! Some tickets still available, only £2.67!

Tickets for 2pm session – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stories-and-hands-on-activities-for-families-tickets-252087549647?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Tickets for 3.30pm session – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stories-and-hands-on-activities-for-families-tickets-252089445317?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

For those of you who haven’t seen it, here’s a link to the full programme of events relating to the Book of Deer’s return to the North East of Scotland. It’ll be displayed at Aberdeen Art Gallery from the 2nd July to the 2nd of October 2022, but there are events happening all over the North East – including, of course, our storytelling and living history events this coming Saturday and the 14th July

https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/AAGM/whats-aberdeen-art-galleries-and-museums/book-deer

One of my favourite places in the North East and somewhere I take visitors to all the time – Stonehaven Tolbooth Museum! I’m really excited to be back in the courtyard on Sunday to tell some more stories

I’ll be talking about some of my favourite items in the museum in my stories – see if you can spot them in the stories and then in the museum afterwards! I’ll be telling from 2 – 2.30pm and then from 3 to 3.30pm. In between, the winner of the Childrens’ Art Competition will be announced

Well what a wonderfully busy weekend that has been! For those of you outside the UK, it has been the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (70 years on the throne) so on Saturday I was storytelling and glittering girls at the Guiding Jubilee Jambouree out at Crathes Castle. There were Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers, Leaders, Volunteers, Trefoil Guild and SO much entertainment it’d take ages to list it all here! (My own wee Brownie was attending and had an amazing time and fell asleep very tired and happy when we got home!)

Then on Sunday I was delighted to be back at my own Guiding stomping ground and neighbourhood Kirk, Cragiebuckler Church who had an amazing community picnic with storytelling, piping, highland dancing, school choir, crafts, and again so many other things I’d take ages to list.

Both days had beautiful weather and although my outfit relied on my peely wally white Scottish skin as part of my red, white and blue… it was soon rather pink with the sun!

Coming up on the 11^th June – Join storyteller Pauline Cordiner inside the Mansion House at Aden Country Park for some hands-on living history activities for all the family!

Learn about the lives of the Picts, the early Celtic monks and the Vikings who invaded the North East – Hear the story of Aidan and then try your hand at milling flour (using a real medieval quern stone), making butter, dyeing cloth and making clay pots.

11^th June 2-3pm
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stories-and-hands-on-activities-for-families-tickets-252087549647?aff=erelexpmlt

11^th June 3.30-4.30pm
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stories-and-hands-on-activities-for-families-tickets-252089445317?aff=erelexpmlt

It’s Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee coming up this weekend of course and I’ve got a couple of storytelling events booked in for the celebrations. Saturday’s event where I’ll be telling stories and providing some festival glitter for the occasion is private, but on Sunday the public is welcome to attend Cragiebuckler Church’s Jubliee Celebrations.

The Jubilee Thanksgiving service starts at 11am (service available online for those unable to attend in person) and the Big Jubilee Lunch starts at 12.30pm with food, entertainment and various activities for all the family. (For more details, see their Events page here – http://www.craigiebuckler.org.uk/home/events-calendar or see the comments for the event poster)

I’ll be telling stories of my favourite Queens of course!

I tried to find my favourite photo of Her Majesty enjoying the children’s race at Balmoral a few years ago, but no amount of searching will find the right one! Instead, here she is with Charlie

Well that’s me and my Wee Imp and The Rhynie Wifies returned from the Fisherfolk Festival at the Seaboard Villages!

I had such a wonderful time it’s hard to know where to start! Suffice to say I didn’t really get any photos taken until it was almost all over and Wee Imp took some at the Sunday evening event in the old Nigg kirk. Somewhere there may be photos of me telling tales to pupils of Hilton of Cadboll Primary School on the Friday morning… telling the tale of Kittie fae Fittie at the concert in the Seaboard Centre on the Friday evening… (with Ewan McVicar, Aileen Carr and Carrie Afrin)… dressed as a Pict and telling Pictish tales with Bob Pegg on the Saturday – but you won’t find them here!

Suffice to say I had a marvellous time and might be rather tired today now that we’re back home!

In the meantime, here’s some photies