As promised, a pic from Wednesday evening’s storytelling in Huntly with Orb’s Bookshop.
Sheena and I had a fantastic time – as you can see from me in this photo having a good laugh at something! The imps sitting on the table did too!
Well worth the scary drive back home in the blizzards and thanks again to all at the bookshop, community cinema space and everyone who came out to see us 🙂
As the snow falls on the North East of Scotland, here’s some photos from last night’s storytelling at Drumtochty Castle near Auchenblae.
The occasion was the night before a grand wedding – and I’d like to wish the happy couple the most wonderful day today! The snow is lying on the ground and many of the wedding guests are from considerably warmer climes!
I hope you all enjoyed last night’s stories and thanks for having me along to share some local folklore and tales! 
(Pic 1 with a bonny boar – telling Tad Losgann got bumped when white stags were mentioned and I spotted a foliate head in the decor, Pic 2 outside the castle, Pic 3 – I had a good look at the decor and paintings to see how much tied in with the stories I’d prepared! Pic 4 – it was like arriving at Hogwarts! Pic 5 – I so seldom get to wear this outfit!)
A grand visit yesterday tae Durnhythe Care Home in Portsoy – anither ABC visit fae @doricbooks !
Wid ye believe Fizzy demanded an ice cream aifter or she widnae come oot tae spik tae abdy!?
Here’s Strawberry Moose enjoying a day trip on Wednesday – My two Promise Groups were enthusiastic, creative and joyous puppeteers!
Both groups started off with a story (the classic Stone Soup) and then had a lesson on how to effectively bring hand puppets to life. It really is SO tricky, when first picking up a puppet, to make it open its mouth for each syllable. We had a lot of fun with that.
Then both groups started creating their stories with me. They’re going to be very different from eachother and displayed in a different way – one will be a film and the other will be a storyboard (maybe with animated drawings!) watch this space!
@we_care_aberdeenshire #PromiseGroups #KeepThePromise
Talking of the #sisfstoryripple2025 … I had a great visit to Oldmachar Church Youth Group on Tuesday evening! They enjoyed popcorn and hot chocolate and I got to tell some of my favourite stories with a twist at the end. It’s their second year of Ripple funding and I hope to see them all again next year 🙂
(As usual I didn’t take any photos, so here’s an auld een)
What a lovely visit I had to Kaimhill School on Tuesday as part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s Big Scottish Story Ripple. I told stories to two P1 classes and two P2 classes who were fantastic listeners! They really got in to stories of a king and a bee, a woman who could stitch the most amazing things, and… an affa thirsty puddock!
#sisfstoryripple2025
Post edited to add:
Talking of frogs…. (see my last post)
I was so happy to see this book in the P2 classroom – It used to belong to Wee Imp and she donated to Kaimhill a few years ago when she was having a clear out!
The teacher said it was a favourite 🙂
I had my first of two Big Scottish Story Ripple visits to Aye Aye Club on Monday night! We created a story – and when I say I LOVE creating stories with the Aye Aye folks – you have to know it’s because there’s going to some amazing ideas AND cabbages AND uranium !!
Because I’m a bit rubbish and get carried away and forget to take photos, here’s me asking AI to draw me our main character. (Charlie).
Next visit we’ll be making shadow puppets of the characters and the scenery! #sisfstoryripple2025
A grand visit tae Faithlie Care Home in the Broch on Monday daen Doric ABCs for Doric Books
The theme this wik wis “Skweel” an we hid some grand songs an tales an blethers. We spoke aboot fit wi got intae trouble for fan wi were bairns. Aene quine got the tawse for forgettin her pencil!!
(An then it turned oot aene o the carers hid my mither as a teacher fan she wis a bairn!!)
I’m still grinning after my two #PromiseGroup visits yesterday! Both groups started with story where they could join in with describing whatever plant or tree they could imagine – then we made our first stories together using story dice!😁 #KeepThePromise #WeCareAberdeenshire
Fit a grand visit tae the residents o Overdon Care Home in Kintore wi Sheena on Tuesday! This was a session organised by Doric Books far we’ve been daen oor Doric ABCs
Active, Blethers an Community Singing!
The theme this wik wis “Hame” an we hid stories aboot a wifie fa winted a bigger hoose (an mair aifter that), Purley Wurley Puddock an a hale bunch o sangs includin Sheena’s Washin Machine sang!
(Photo fae a ghostie nicht wi did a couple o year ago – we were ower busy tae tak photos on Tuesday!)
Pauline Cordiner - Scottish Storyteller 