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

Nae lang now! I’m off tomorrow evening to Balintore for the Fisherfolk Festival at the Seaboard Centre 😀

At 10.30 on Friday I’m telling fisherfolk tales (dressed as one of my fishwife ancestors) at the Seaboard Centre for bairns and their grown ups

Then I’ll be part of the Friday evening concert at 7.30pm in the Seaboard Centre with Ewan McVicar, Aileen Carr and Carrie Afrin.

On Saturday from 11am – 4pm The Rhynie Wifies will be demonstrating Pictish Living History and Bob Pegg and I will be telling Pictish Stories at the old St Mary’s Chapel site (next to the Hilton of Cadboll Stone).

And finally on Sunday evening I’m looking forward to the stories at Nigg Old Church with Ewan, Bob and Ian Stephen.

Plenty of other things for my Wee Imp and I to do in between though! I’m hoping to see all three Pictish stones (Nigg, Shandwick and HIlton) and maybe pop up to Portmahomak to visit the Tarbat Discovery Centre and see the site of the old Celtic Scriptorium I’ve been learning so much about for the Book of Deer Project.

… as well as all the other concerts and things we have planned. It’s going to be grand! 😀

Some photos from Gordon Castle Highland Games & Country Fair at the weekend. Thanks so much to the Games for having Fizzy the Fairy and myself along and of course thanks to Leah from Moray’s Got Talent who introduced me and had me up on the Talent Stage having so much fun with Fizzy!

Thanks to Katy, Graham, Leah and Molly for the photos, Nick for the loan of the tent, the wonderful wonderful Face Painters (whose card I can’t find just now but when I have it I’ll tag them) who painted my Wee Imp’s face and who soldiered on late into the day to do wonderful glitter tattoos, face paint and airbrushed faces for everyone!

Oh and more thanks of course our wonderful camping friends who were the best I’ve ever seen at tent packing! (And equipment humping! )

I’m sure there’s more… but I’ll add it later when I remember, hehe