Halloween at Haddo

Here’s the terrifying trio who were busy on Thursday evening telling stories at Haddo House’s Pheasantry. We spooked ourselves so much that the walk back to the car in the dark was truly scary! 
Diana (https://www.facebook.com/OnceUponATuneAberdeen/), David (https://www.facebook.com/halfmanhalfmyth/) and I would have been hard pushed to find a more cosy and atmospheric venue. Thanks to the ladies of Haddo who hosted the event for GAS 2019 Haddo Diana David Me

Phew!

Well that’s Halloween over and done with for another year!
(Cauld Johnny is having a right sulk and is hunting for a nice Santa hat so he can “do” Christmas as well.)

For the next week I’ll be busy preparing for a fairy party and running storytelling workshops at Oldmachar Academy for their S1 pupils and P7 pupils from Oldmachar’s 5 feeder primary schools! I love my job Cauld Johnnie Skull

Haunted Voices

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.Haunted Voices

Animist Workshop with Simon Yuill

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!

Buchan’s Horrible Histories!

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/

3 1 Aden House early 20th Century from 2017 report by Aberdeenshire Council

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.

Halloween at Haddo House

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.

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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.