Are you sitting comfortably?
A story is like a cat – it finds you, jumps into your lap, curls up and starts to purr. I remember having stories read to me every night as a child and I read to my own son. The joy of reading aloud and listening to stories was the main reason for writing 10 stories from both the German and the British perspective for my latest WW1 project Lone Wolves. Based on historical accounts of sailors and submarines as well as weaving Greek myth, ...
The King of the Cats…and other stories
Using the festive break to write 10 new stories was a great challenge. As Reader in Residence with The Scottish Book Trust at Falkirk Libraries my next project is to work with Primary 7 ‘reluctant readers’ in beautiful Bo’ness to create a Graphic Novel. Inspiration came from a trip to Kinneil House last summer and the ever-supportive Falkirk Archive at Callendar House came up trumps with an unexpected photograph. Imagine looking ...
The Thrive Archive project – empowering community
I dreamed up The Thrive Archive project 18 months ago following an amazing 2 weeks of collaborative arts training with XO Sco. After a year of fantastic opportunities including a residency at St Margaret's House with Edinburgh Palette The Thrive Archive is literally doing what it says on the tin! The Thrive Archive was set up to empower diverse communities to use their local creatives to produce innovative arts events and on our recent project ...
From the horse’s mouth and other stories…
A Kelpie is a mythical water spirit that changes form to lure you to your death. It often appears as a large black horse or a handsome stranger but if you can manage to bridle a Kelpie you gain its power! In the past few months I have spent many a pleasant hour on Falkirk’s Forth and Clyde Canal under the watchful eye of their mythical beasts. Radio 4’s Ramblings came along on one of our Walking With Words events and despite the rain we ...
Walking with radio royalty
What an exciting week, double walks down the Great Canal as they call The Forth & Clyde. Our longest walk to date was with Radio 4's wonderful programme Ramblings and the lovely Clare Balding - and what an amazing energy and charm she has. It lashed with rain for 3 solid hours from Falkirk Wheel to The Kelpies in Helix Park and we rambled regardless, notebooks sodden and glasses dripping. My favourite moment was when we showed our ...
Airing your dirty laundry…
Walking with Words got off its marks this week on a stroll up the Great Canal to Falkirk Wheel. Eyes were sharpened, photos posted, tweets twittered and words were even committed to paper. Falkirk historian Geoff Bailey gave us food for thought in a fascinating talk with archive maps in the social history section on the top floor of Falkirk Library framed by stunning views. From bleaching sheets with sour milk in public parks to tar works and ...
On the hoof and other ramblings…
Shy bairns get nae sweeties is one of my favourite expressions and so it was that a few months back I emailed Radio 4’s Ramblings program to suggest that if Clare Balding hadn’t seen the Kelpies yet they’d be happy to meet Radio royalty! The Autumn series of Ramblings is about walking with artists and so I am delighted to report that we will indeed be rambling down the canal from the Falkirk Wheel to see Andy Scott’s glorious Kelpies as ...
Knitted Kelpies
Whilst the Princess Royal visited Falkirk’s stunning Kelpies created by sculptor Andy Scott this summer I have been working on a knitted Kelpie head as part of my Reader in Residency with the Scottish Book Trust and Falkirk Libraries. Several libraries in Falkirk have knit and natter sessions and Meadowbank even has a Lego group, Bo’ness will also be creating a virtual library using Minecraft later in the year! My theme for the year is to ...
Best Bib and Tucker…
A lot can happen in Falkirk in a summer…not one but two royal visits. I am delighted to report that a First World War project that I worked on with Falkirk Community Trust last year was on the schedule of His Royal Highness Prince Edward. Thanks to the Learning Team at Callendar House we all had a lovely day and the former pupils of Laurieston Primary School did a great job at remembering the story of their ‘memory boxes’. It was good to ...
Poetry with a small ‘p’
Everybody's a poet these days, digital spray can in hand - busy on the twitter. So when National Poetry Day planning looms and you're organising an event what right do any of us have to pose as poets? (more…)
