And just like that… Stonehaven Folk Festival was over!
I have had a wonderful time 🙂
Storytelling at Stonehaven Tolbooth Museum
Bairns Scots Song Workshop
Family Storytelling
Adults Only Storytelling
Sunday Story Craft Workshop
and…
Petanque!
Seafood platter at the Ship!
AQUACEILIDH… and…
I’m going to blow my own trumpet here…. well my own comb n paper. Can announce that I am the 2026 WORLD PAPER N COMB CHAMPION!!
Thanks Festival and Tolbooth for having me along. A wonderful weekend! ❤
Also this weekend I’m going to be telling stories and running workshops at Stonehaven Folk Festival!
Friday 10th 7 to 8pm I’ll be telling Tales The Tide Brought In at the Stonehaven Tolbooth Museum
Saturday 11th I’ve got the bairns singing workshop and storytelling session (see below!)
And on the evening of Saturday 11th I’ll be telling tales for adults from 9 to 10pm before Susie’s singing session. Please note this will be at the Legion on Barclay Street and not the 65 Club as previous year.
Finally on Sunday 12th I have a workshop “Flotsam Fables and Driftwood Ditties” – this is fully booked, but if it’s successful I’m sure we can run it again in future years. 
I have had a wonderful and busy weekend at Forvie National Nature Reserve Fun Day AND!! Stonehaven Folk Festival!
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!)
Finally it’s here! It’s the Stonehaven Folk Festival !!
While I’m looking forward to the songs and the tunes and the World Paper and Comb Championship… I’m also really looking forward to … Telling Stories!
All my storytelling sessions are either FREE or COST ONLY £1 this year and 3 of them are FAMILY FRIENDLY!
Tonight – along the boardwalk, join me (and probably those nuisance fairies in the photo!) for STORIES ON THE RICKSHAW with The Stoney Rickshaw ! We’ll be leaving the Men’s shed about 7pm and making our way along the board walk, stopping somewhere there if there’s an audience for a wee tale. Then follow us to the harbour for some more stories, finishes 8pm.
Tomorrow – Saturday 8th July 10.30am – 11.30am. Join us for SINGING FOR KIDS – a workshop aimed at kids of all ages and their grown ups – Held at the Community Education Centre on Bath Street. Only £1 per person!
Following that at 11.30am – 12.30pm, there will be STORYTELLING FOR KIDS and their grown ups – a family storytelling session of monsters, heroes and probably farts.
And for the grown ups, I’ll be doing some ADULTS ONLY STORYTELLING at the 65 Club from 9 to 10pm on Saturday – Likely some spooky and bawdy tales just before Susie’s Singing Session!
Of course there are many many other amazing concerts, workshops and sessions going on throughout the festival, many of which have no charge – have a look at their web page for more details!
https://www.stonehavenfolkfestival.co.uk/33rd-stonehaven-folk-festival/
Here’s the full listing of what’s on this coming weekend at the Stonehaven Folk Festival! (PDF version can be found here if you’re struggling to read the image below – https://www.stonehavenfolkfestival.co.uk/…/Whats-On…
Come to some storytelling sessions!
I’ll be on the The Stoney Rickshaw with Charlie Rickshaw and probably Fizzy the Fairy in tow from 7 to 8pm along the board walk and doon at the harbour – free! 
I’ll be running the Singing for Kids Workshop at the community centre, 10.30 to 11.30 on Saturday morning – only £1 per participant!
And that session will be followed by Stories For Kids – also only £1 per participant
And 9 to 10pm I’ll be doing bawdy and scary tales for Adults in the 65 club – this event is also FREE! (and for adults only)
Do come along and jine in!
Well that’s been an exhausting but fantastic trip away to #GlastonburyFestival where I was just one of the fantastic storytellers telling tales in the #kidzfield and #greenfutures Field!
Loads of photos to come once I’ve got the umpteen loads of washing done 
In the meantime here’s a wee post about what’s coming up, and a photo of the Kidz Field opening from Duck In A Dress !
In about half an hour I’m heading off to North East Sensory Services to tell some local tales!
Tomorrow I have my last visit to Turriff Academy as part of my Scottish Book Trust #liveliterature residency! 
On Thursday evening I’ll be helping some local Rainbows with their Storytelling Badge
And Friday, Saturday and Sunday is the Stonehaven Folk Festival! Another post on that to come
Come along for a story!
Pauline Cordiner - Scottish Storyteller 