Coming up on the 22nd November – the third outing for this set of stories from Aden Country Park and the surrounding countryside! Delighted to be asked back after the first two events sold out 

https://www.facebook.com/events/552986465270027/

Look what arrived in the post today!

Haunted Voices is an anthology of gothic storyteller from some of Scotland’s best storytellers (and myself too) which is now available to buy as an audio collection, e-book or the traditional thing known as a “book.”

You can buy directly from the publishers here – https://www.hauntpublishing.com/books. If it’s a print copy it will be sent out as soon as possible and the audio and e-book are sent immediately after purchase.

Some cracking photos from my storytelling sessions at Crathes Castle this Sunday just past.  Some amazing audiences!  Thanks to everyone at Crathes for making me and Cauld Johnny (the shkellington that shounds a bit like Sean Connery) so welcome!

Last week I had the amazing opportunity to work with artist Simon Yuill on an animist workshop at Peacock Visual Art’s The WORM.

“The exhibition “Raik” by Simon Yuill is a study of the Raik Road area in Aberdeen looking at its development since the end of the Ice Age in terms of what the artist calls a metabolic animism. This looks at the area as a site of metabolic flows and processes that have changed over time.”  To read more about it, click here – https://peacockvisualarts.com/simon-yuill-raik/

Simon explained the 5 different time periods in the exhibition – each of which had a beautifully made cloak that you can see some of the children wearing in the photographs below – mesolithic (early stone age), Pictish, the Herring boom, North Sea Oil and the future.  I then told the story of a spoiled chieftain’s son who had to survive alone in a mysterious landscape.
The children were then able to make animal masks which they were able to take home with them.  We then created a story which saw a young girl slip back in time to the mesolithic.  (Watch this space for the story!)

I’d like to thank all the children and parents were involved and especially Simon for asking me along to provide the traditional storytelling element.  Thanks of course to those at Peacock and The Worm as well!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Something for the kids this time! 

I’ve done a couple of events in the past year at Aden Country Park strictly for adults only telling stories from some research I’ve done into the darker side of Aden’s history. Now there’s a PG version aimed at children aged 8 and over! Get your tickets now  Some tickets are available for the 1pm show and also for the 2.30pm show 

https://www.facebook.com/events/409383296620842/

Come along to the Aden Theatre and hear spooky stories that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Storyteller Pauline Cordiner will retell stories of local witch hunts, how a member of the Russel family from Aden was eaten alive, find out about the Ghosts that haunt Aden estate and learn about the Monks from Deer Abbey that have been seen in Old Deer to name but a few. All the stories are based on events that occurred within a 10 mile radius of Aden. Due to the nature of this event, it is recommended for those over the age of 8.

Adults only!!
This Thursday night at Haddo House – haunting and scary tales for Halloween.
Join three of the North East’s best traditional storytellers – Pauline Cordiner, David Brown and Diana Peers, for the evening.

October 31st is Halloween but it is also the start of the ancient storytelling season (this is not a coincidence!); when the agrarian and wild harvests had been gathered in, and livestock that could not be kept throughout the winter slaughtered, the hours of darkness needed something to lighten them.

Join The Grampian Association of Storytellers at Haddo Country Park for a wide and wild variety of Samhain (‘Summer’s End’) tales; myths, local legends, ghost and horror stories and more. This evening is aimed at adults; some of these tales are not for the faint-hearted and some may have adult themes, so there is a lower age limit of fourteen years. The event will start at 7:30 and end around 9.30 P.M. Turnip and pumpkin lanterns are welcome!

Tickets cost £10 per person and can be booked by e-mailing Suzanna on vsohaddo@gmail.com.

This Saturday at Crathes Castle – join Pauline for some spooky storytelling as the Witch returns to Crathes!

So this weekend just past I was in Edinburgh at Offbeat Recording Studio off the Royal Mile to record my story for Haunt Publishing’s “Haunted Voices- An Anthology of Gothic Storytelling from Scotland.”

What a great experience it was and lovely to meet Rebecca and her crew!  Some of my other storytelling friends will also be part of the anthology and I’m really excited to hear the finished anthology.  More to follow!

What a wonderful time I had at HANDSS on Tuesday evening!  I had my first visit to their group back in May but was invited back – this time with my Big Box of Puppets in tow!  Everyone had a great time experimenting with the puppets – choosing their favourite and giving them new names, voices and personality.

HANDSS group is a club for children with additional support needs. It is run by parent/volunteers & siblings are welcome.  Here’s their Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/HANDSSBOD/  You can also find them on Twitter here – https://twitter.com/HANDSS_Group