Auld Deer, New Deer, Strichen and the Broch Syne we’ll hae a straucht road, An that will gar me hough
It’s my fifth visit to a North East school as part of the Loons an Lassikies project! The P6/7s and P3/4s at Strichen School will be creating new rhymes based on those collected over 100 years ago by the wonderful Annie Shirer (who can be seen in the photo below on the right wearing a wonderful corsage ).
It might be the weekend, but I’m busy busy busy planning upcoming projects!
First of all, I’ve been preparing my plan of action for the next 6 weeks with my Promise Group. We’re creating a story, working with hand puppets, making shadow puppets and filming it all before showing the film to their grown ups and the rest of the school at the end of the term!
I’ve also been planning ABC visits to care homes across the North East with funding Doric Books have received from Hands Up For Trad! The sessions will be based around Work, School and Home and will aa be in Doric – the Activities, the Blethers and the Community Singing. Three of the visits will be with Sheena Blackhall, so I’m really looking forward to that!
I’m delighted I’ve still got two visits to local schools funded by The Doric Board – working with the rhymes of Annie Shirer, a project thought up by Ewan McVicar – you can find out more about that here – https://annieshirerrhymes.co.uk/
And I’m chuffed to be covering three weeks of Scots Song with SC&T Youth – the songs have been chosen and the fun warm ups are being sung around the house!
I’m also planning the rest of the term’s stories and activities for the GREC Language Cafe. These are free weekly sessions for New Scots, those seeking immigrant status and abdy else learning English as a new language. Each session has a theme and there are often visitors who talk about what they do and what services they provide. My job is to tell a story and come up with ice breaker questions and activities for the Cafeistas. The cafe meets weekly (during school term time) at the Arts Centre on Thursdays between 11 and 3pm. Find out more here – https://grec.co.uk/language-support/
Oh! And the Guiding organisation in the UK has created some new interest badges for Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers. Including… the Brownies’ FOLKLORE BADGE! So I’ve had fun planning some stories and activities for that.
A new project for a new term! When my pal Sarah and I over at Windswept Stories Photography were out for a walk the other month, she was telling me how she was working with care experienced children – teaching them photography skills, increasing confidence – and having fun!
“Cor. Someone should do storytelling with the groups! It’s what gave me confidence” was my response.
So a couple of months down the line, here I am working with my first group for We Care Aberdeenshire https://thepromise.scot/ #KeepThePromise #ScotlandCares
We’ve planned to
1) create a new story
2) learn to use hand puppets
3) make shadow puppets
4) film our story for the pupils ‘ grown ups, friends, and school to see.
I was so excited I had to have a lie down in the library carpet afterwards
Coming up this Sunday! I’ll be telling stories at the Craigston Carnival from 11.30am!
The event is taking place at Craigston Castle walled gardens near Turriff and runs from 10am to 4.30pm. I’ll be telling tales of bees, seeds, gardens, naughty fairies and thirsty frogs!
There’s loads more going on though – have a look at the Facebook event here https://fb.me/e/5RaPcQhgz 🙂
“Family Fun Day in the Walled Garden in the grounds of Craigston Castle! In aid of Crudie Playgroup Join us for a magical day in the beautiful Walled Garden at Craigston —packed full of activities for all ages!
What’s On? Live storytelling with the wonderful Pauline Cordiner at 11:30am An all-day scavenger hunt to keep curious minds busy Traditional games for kids (and grown-ups!) Local arts & craft stalls – perfect for finding a unique treasure Hands-on craft experiences – get creative with clay, painting & more Hot food with The Cod Father available throughout the day
Special Touches: Buzz by the on-site bee hives Access via gravel and grass. Three lengths of beautiful woodland walks ready to be explored, open all year. Portaloos available on site
Please note: no disabled toilet facilities available
We open at 10am – come early and make a day of it! More exciting details coming soon…
please note; the Castle remains private property and we ask that all visitors and vendors respect the privacy of the castle and it’s occupants.”
I’m delighted to be back at Tarland Food and Music Festival telling stories at three venues on Saturday 20th September! Food and Music must been good themes, because over the years I’ve found heaps of new stories to tell at Tarland and they’ve stayed in my repertoire – often becoming some of the most popular tales!
The storytelling sessions are all free, but I’m sure a donation into the donation bucket wouldn’t go amiss! 🙂
Here are the details –
SATURDAY 20 SEPT 11–11.45am | Upper Hall | Free 12.30-1pm | Community Garden 1.30-2pm | The Pavilion
For the lady on the last Guided Tour of Peterhead, an answer for you!
I was telling the tour about a couple of skeletons which were unearthed during the site clearance of the old Peterhead Music Hall following its fire in 1936. The Peterhead Trail suggests that they may have been militia men – maybe even deserters – who came to a sticky end at Clockie’s Hoose (full story here https://www.peterheadtrail.co.uk/the-peterhead-trail/blade-2 )
The question was – what happened to the skeletons? Where were they buried? I was half way through writing an email to the Aberdeenshire Burial Admin and thought I’d attach a newspaper clipping or two for context. Re-reading this one from the Buchan Observer and Aberdeenshire Advertiser (21st June 1939) it seems that the skeletons were unceremoniously “dispatched to the refuse tip at Keith Inch” !!
“No competent authority had the opportunity to study them as they were found, and in the surroundings in which they lay, with the view of passing judgement on their origin and probable antiquity.”
Can’t see that happening these days! Surely archaeologists would be called in?
Wow, wow, wow! What a fantastic time I had today at the Tall Ships! I had three sets on the Family Stage at Blaikies Quay and despite a rainy start, there was soon a super audience for my first set! Elsie the fishwife joined me to tell the story of a grumpy fishwife and there was time at the end for a tale from the Arabian Nights of a fisherman and a genie!
Then for the second and third sets, I was joined by Sam Stephen, Makaton interpreter extraordinaire! Fizzy the Fairy had to get a story in there of course – with her help (and Sam’s!) we told a version of Mark Fraser’s Flotsam Fairy which went down very well! After that it was… plain sailing. And we had a whale of a time. (And many other fish related puns)!
Thanks to The Tall Ships Aberdeen for having us along to perform and to WeToo for organising Sam’s interpretation for the audience!
I had a super time today in Peterhead telling tales from The Peterhead Trail on a walking tour – thanks to everyone who came along and who asked some great questions and who told us their own memories and knowledge of the area!
I said at the end of the tour that I was amazed to find that my G-G-Grandfather’s run-in with “The Kraken” was not the only one. Sea Serpents and Monsters really were being spotted all round the coast! Here’s one of my favourites from the 9th February 1898 edition of the Dundee Courier – this time it’s The Buckie Sea Serpent!
I spoke to the storytelling group about my “globster” theory – Globsters are often thought of as “sea monsters” when they wash up on beaches, but are usually just decomposed whale carcases. Here is a photo of one which washed up on a beach in the Philippines in 2018. You can see the “hair” (which is just heavily decomposed muscle fibres) which I suspect the Boddam Kraken was covered in.
29 PRINCE STREET JAIL! I was asked when it was built and didnae ken! So I said I’d find oot –
The first Tolbooth – 1616 to 1645 – location unknown, burnt down to cleanse the area of the plague after contagious folk were “housed” there.
Second Tolbooth – Built some time between 1651 and 1660. Location was close to Threadneedle Street.
Current Townhouse – built 1788 on the site of the Tolbooth. It did have a cell known as “The Black Hole” (Trove link – https://www.trove.scot/place/21187 )
Prince Street Jail (now no 29!) – built 1842 and closed in 1874. Thanks to the ladies that told us the cells are still in the basement of the building which is now an affa nice hoose!
Peterhead Prison opened officially in 1888 (building started in 1886). It finally closed in 2013 with the new HMP and YOI Grampian opening in 2014.
Of course it would be totally in character for me to have taken NO PHOTOS AT ALL (well – not of the storytelling) – so here’s an image of Fizzy the Fairy in the new outfit she unveiled this weekend. Yes! She’s gone all nautical (makes a change from naughty)
After stories (and moths!) at Forvie, we sped off to Stonehaven for Friday evening’s family storytelling at Stonehaven Tolbooth Museum. (Thanks for hosting folks!) The weather was hot and sunny and the harbour area was busy with families and folks enjoying the sun and music and I had a fantastic crowd for tales of the sea, lifeboat men and salty old sea dogs!
On Saturday I started the day with a couple of workshops – Sea Shanties for Families in which the attendees (from an 8 week old to the gent who knew ALL the calls and responses – thankyou sir!) amazed me with their enthusiasm and vocal skills. (In return they were entertained by the sight of me drinking water out of a massive jug because I’d forgotten my water bottle oh well.)
– Then family storytelling where I must apologise for the biological details of septicaemia – it was all in context of a very bad joke spun out into a 20 minute story… honest!
On Saturday evening I had a fantastic audience for Adults Only storytelling at the 65 Club. Thanks so much everyone for coming along and I hope you enjoyed the mix of spooky and ridiculous!
On Sunday afternoon I had a dedicated group of Shadow Puppet Makers who went above and beyond on the design – this deserves a post of its own (pics and vid to follow!)
Today I’m having a wee rest before tomorrow’s tour and storytelling session at Peterhead, Wild About Aden on Thursday and the Tall Ships on Saturday!
(Must also mention how much we enjoyed The World Paper And Comb Championship – of which Wee Imp is now the Junior Champion, hehe; the Aquaceilidh at Stonehaven Open Air Pool and I must also thank everyone at @Stonehaven & District Mens Shed for running such a great camp site for the Festival!)
Fancy a FREE (almost! You just need to pay travel expenses and do a good deed for your community) ONE HOUR STORYTELLING SESSION as part of the Big Scottish Story Ripple?
Pauline Cordiner - Scottish Storyteller 