It’s a “learning stories about volcanoes” kind of day today 🙂

Hi everyone! Wolf and I are just back from our first zoo/animal themed party and had so much fun that we’re going to offer it as one of our party themes to anyone that’s looking for a party for their mischievous monkeys!
Just send us a message or give us a phone to enquire about booking ! 🐒🦁🐯🐼🐭🐸🐢🐙🐛🐝

Telling ghost stories at Christmas seems to be a bit of a forgotten tradition these days – but not in Aberdeen! On the 29th December, I told some haunting tales from the North East of Scotland at the wonderful Tea Zone in the Castlegate along with Fiona-Jane Brown (local author and excellent tour guide!) who organised the event to raise funds for Graft Theatre Company Aberdeen, Michael Connell from Ellon and with some creepy poetry and music from Haworth Hodgkinson (writer and musician)
Thanks so much to Tea Zone for the wonderful tea, cakes and use of your fantastic venue and to Fiona-Jane for asking me to join in! 😀

Pauline was telling stories from our Iron Age and Pictish ancestors at Duff House on Sunday to celebrate the “Treasures of Historic Banffshire” exhibition. You can see the real Deskford Carnyx and the Gaulcross Hoard as well as reconstructions of the Carnyx and the Gundstrop Cauldron. Well worth a visit! 😀

Here we are in the Winter 2016/17 edition of Raring2Go magazine!  Raring2Go is Aberdeen City and Shire’s free magazine which is packed full of useful info such as what to do and where to go with your children – it was really nice to turn up to Molly’s nursery this morning and get a copy! 😀

Today I visited primaries 1 – 3 at Hill of Banchory Primary School. What a wonderful set of audiences!
We spoke about the lessons and fun there was to be had from telling stories and heard tales from Scotland including Auld Craobhie, and the Laird O Morphie as well as some stories for the projects the children have been working on – The Rainbow Crow and How Bear Hibernated for the primary one children who are looking at how animals survive winter… and The Boy Who Became King for the primary threes who have been looking at farming.
I’d like to say a huge thankyou to all the teachers and pupils who made me feel so welcome!

The Rainbow Crow (a Lenape legend)

It’s getting to the frosty frosty time of year and we like to spend our time in the Winter Gardens within Aberdeen’s Duthie Park.  Here’s Pauline telling the Australian Aboriginal tale of Tiddalik the Frog in the arid house.
You can see Tiddalik’s cousin, MacPuddock, elsewhere in the greenhouses, but the dry, warm atmosphere of the arid house was perfect for this story!

This morning Pauline went to visit the primary 1 – 7 children at Kaimhill Primary School! First off the primary 1 – 3 classes had 2 classic tales – “The Fisherman and the Flounder” and “Silly Jack.”

The primary 4 – 7 children have all been doing projects on different countries and so had the wonderful Scottish Folk Tale, “Auld Craobhie” which she learned from master storyteller/balladeer Stanley Robertson, and also “How Raven Brought The Sun,” a Haida legend from North West America.

Stories of Crime and Punishment today at Banchory Library /Museum for the Aberdeenshire Crime Festival! What a wonderful audience. Stories of Treason, witchcraft, murder, graverobbing and a rowie!!

On a slightly less fearsome note, Pauline and Cauld Johnnie were on hand to tell stories at the Bookbug session in the morning – Johnnie is a softie at heart so we had the tales of Tidalick the Frog, The Boy Who Wanted A Star and we learned how blackbird and owl got their feathers!

To finish off the day, Cauld Johnnie and Pauline had a brilliant time at Inchgarth Community Centre with the Phoenix Club! Johnnie made a whole heap of new pals and we can’t wait to go back another time!