Telling tales and heading homewards

first days: Dollar Glen

A Cavalcade of Stories

Northern Scotland, late April 2015

who did you meet on your adventure?
Dingwall Primary

Two weeks on the road winds to a close. These were good weeks full of unexpectedly snowy days (and hail, sleet, rain and even sunshine, now and then)

I was “on tour” through northern Scotland throwing myself about from Farr and Daviot, out to Nairn (Millbank Primary) and up to Thurso (Pennyland Primary and Miller Academy)

In Daviot, puppets told strange stories of horses, witches and rabbits.

In Dingwall, some rather grisly accounts of the lost stories of the town surfaced

Up In Thurso, Pennyland Primary and MIller Academy hosted marathon storytelling sessions. New stories were told inspired by my collections of strange objects

story landscapes at Daviot

Farr Primary saw the lost  tales of the glen shaping up with spooky houses, mushroom armies, and people hiding in wooden houses that turned into boats so that they could sail away down the river

At Lochardil Primary among all the stories I felt privileged to see rehearsals for the R-Rock competition the following week

And I never manage to take enough photos to capture all the moments we encounter! But I have met, worked with and told stories to some 1500 children over the last 10 days

this little lamp from Dubai airport always gets ideas going!

Haunted House

a Daviot witch

1,000 years old, with

1,000 years of ghosts, and

1,000 years of screams, and

1,000 years of fear and terror, and

1,000 years of emptiness, and

1,000 years of hopelessness, until

A single person finds

1,000 years of treasure

(Jake, Daviot)

Stories have come and gone including the man who poured hot water into a genie’s goblet to chase the poor thing out and got 2 wishes before the genie decided it wasn’t giving him any more.Then there was the red dragon who emerged from smoke and mist, and flew away. (Miller Academy stories)

Farr: a house to hide in

And from Miller Academy in Thurso also comes what must be one of the best endings of all!

“...and surprisingly he got away. Then he looked back on that day and forgot about it”

Thurso, late afternoon

Thanks to all the storytellers, storymakers, artists and dreamers I have met over these 2 weeks! Congratulations on your wild imaginations and don't wake the giant under the hill!