Latest News

Jill's Song

2011-02-23T06:08:00.000-08:00

Australian Tales at Orchard Junior School

2010-06-08T05:36:00.001-07:00

Visitor Feedback

2010-06-07T03:01:00.000-07:00

Received feedback from last week-end's storytelling aboard The Warrior as follows:

Visitors' Book

Name: McCormack Family
Email: #########
Home Town: Harrow
Country: England
Comments: Liam (age 9) & Zoe (age 6) voted their time on the HMS Warrior
as one of the best bits of our recent short holiday. The Storyteller was
beyond superb - a real joy - please pass on our thanks for bringing the ship
to life!
McCormack family

End of message

Storytelling at Oakhurst

2010-05-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Visited Oakhurst First School in West Moors Dorset today to tell stories to the whole school and then open their new library. A special honour for Graham as he started his career in education at that school 35 years ago.

Roman Day At Maumbury Rings, Dorchester

2010-05-25T02:14:00.000-07:00

Telling the story of Romulus and Remus - an early coalition that ended in tears.

2010-04-27T01:17:00.000-07:00

Orchard Junior

2010-04-27T01:11:00.001-07:00

Native Americans

ORCHARD Junior

2010-04-27T01:11:00.000-07:00

Native Americans

Heybridge Primary

2010-03-08T01:17:00.000-08:00

Creation stories.

National Storytelling Week

2010-02-05T03:11:00.000-08:00

Busy week with National Storytelling Week.

Two day project with fellow storyteller Taprisha at Priestlands school in Lymington where I told Beowulf and she told the Star Twins - great to work with another teller. Then an evening get-together of the New Forest Storytellers in Ringwood.

Hamworthy Nursery Department

2009-11-26T09:02:00.000-08:00

Had a great day today at Hamworthy. Successful drama/storytelling with such young children depends to a large extent on the involvement of the staff. The staff were excellent and so the children had exciting and rewarding sessions - so did I. Three cheers for Hamworthy, Hip, hip...

Dibden Purlieu

2009-11-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

At Orchard Junior school today - one of my favourite customers for the Greeks

Romeo and Juliet at Four Marks, Hampshire

2009-11-05T10:25:00.001-08:00

Performed my storytelling version of R & J to y5 & 6 at Four Marks Primary school this afternoon. Everyone had a good time, even the starcrossed lovers.

News update

2009-11-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

Two Halloween sessions last week, one, a long standing tradition at a garden centre near Wimborne and another, a new one, a garden centre at Titchfield.

Two sessions yesterday in a school near Winchester. Giants for KS1 and Shackleton with KS2.

The Great Fire of London raged through Hamworthy First school in Poole this morning. Managed to rescue a few children and staff.

This Week's Work

2009-10-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

Busy week! Lots of sessions in 3 schools over 4 days.
Monday.
Sleeping Beauty.
Beowulf.
The Greeks
Tuesday
The Tinderbox
The Magic Castle
Beowulf
Wednesday
Native Americans
Magic Castle
Thursday
Gawain
3 Little Pigs

Mabinogion at Maiden Castle

2009-09-19T10:32:00.001-07:00

Well part of it!

Maiden Castle Bronze age event

2009-09-19T04:06:00.000-07:00

Sinbad in Storrington.

2009-09-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

Told my newish story at Storrington today. I did a version which includes Shahrazad telling the stories to stay alive. It works pretty well with year 4 children.

Heatherlands School in Poole

2009-09-14T07:45:00.001-07:00

Pirates at Heatherlands with Year 1

Sting in the Tale

2009-09-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

The Insect Story at Moors Valley

2009-08-26T05:24:00.000-07:00

At Moors Valley Country Park today. Telling the Insect Story. Following the story folks went bug hunting with the Countryside Wardens.

Alex joined in the storytelling with gusto. Here he is catching an ichneumon fly. Oh no, that insect was the baddie in the story.

Sting in the Tale

2009-08-25T02:05:00.000-07:00

My contribution to the Sting in the Tale Storytelling Festival about to get buzzing at Wimborne library with "Beasts and Monsters".

Farewell to the Bournemouth Theatre in Education .

2009-08-15T22:34:00.000-07:00

A wonderful evening of memories, fun & tributes to this motivational team. Their achievments have been magnificent.

Back on the Warrior

2009-08-08T10:53:00.001-07:00

Telling Davy Jones and the Ship of Bones today.

From the Festival at the Edge

2009-07-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

Wenlock Edge

Dovey Thomason

Heard some wonderful performances from Dovey Thomason, Jan Blake, Jo Blake, Cat Weatherill and Hugh Lupton. Highlight of highlights, for me, probably being Michael Harvey and his performance of 'Hunting the Giant's Daughter'but then Hugh's story tribute to Duncan Williamson brought tears to my eyes.

Jan Blake

King Kong seen in the New Forest

2009-07-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

Graham's version of King Kong.
At Hale Primary

The aeroplanes attack, Kong lowers Ann to safety before plunging from the heights of the Empire State Building.

Storytelling in South Wales

2009-07-12T02:03:00.000-07:00

Which School?

Answer

Cardiff

2009-07-09T04:33:00.000-07:00

Off to Cardiff to visit my Great niece and nephew's school and tell a few stories.

Upper Norton Farm

2009-07-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

Ploughed field, rain; it got better. Very busy in the afternoon, so no pics.

Storytelling on the Farm

2009-06-30T03:49:00.000-07:00

This Saturday off to Norton Farm

Maiden Castle

2009-06-23T00:33:00.001-07:00

The Maiden Castle Schools' Project was organised and funded by
Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
and the Iron Age fort of Maiden Castle is managed by
English Heritage

Picture courtesy of (C) Moonflower Photography/Dorset AONB
Picture courtesy of (C) Moonflower Photography/Dorset AONB

Picture courtesy of (C) Moonflower Photography/Dorset AONB

Llassar, the Barterer, and the Bowl of Eternity

King Matholwch followed the deer to the edge of a lake, where it had no escape. He took aim at the stag, threw his spear, felling his prey and killing it instantly. He climbed down from his horse. Suddenly, all the birds around the lake screamed into the sky shattering the silence with alarms. A great upwelling of bubbles broke the surface of the lake, sending out a ring of waves; something was coming from the depths. Two great giants emerged from the water. The man carried a great bronze bowl. Matholwch’s horse trembled as the king raised himself up and called...

Iron Age Market at Maiden

2009-06-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Five groups of children came to Maiden Castle in Dorset today, from three local schools to barter trade goods, necklaces, heads and torques made at school.

The children ground flour, made butter, jewellery and fishing line as well as taken part in storytelling - Graham told Llassar the Barterer, a story adapted from the Mabinogion.

Hyde

2009-06-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

Told the Insect Story today at Hyde Primary School, in the New Forest. Delightful and confident children and welcoming staff.

Shirley Warren

2009-06-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

All I need is an audience.
Shirley Warren Primary and Nursery School are having a multicultural fortnight and I was lucky enough to take part today, telling the stories, "the Man who danced on the Sun", The Gingerbread Man, Sinbad, the Incas and the Greeks.

A Shirley Shout

Storytelling Aboard the Warrior

2009-05-27T04:36:00.000-07:00

Native Australian Folk Tales at Dibden Purlieu

2009-05-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Eulayhi people of the Lake Narran area of Australia told wonderful stories, which were written down by Katie Langloh Parker at the end of the 19th Century. The Children of Orchard Junior School are here using shadow puppets to represent a celebration.
Find out more here.

Children working Ivor puppets on HMS Warrior.

2009-05-10T04:25:00.000-07:00

Ivor the Engine at Portsmouth

2009-05-09T11:12:00.001-07:00

Steam weekend at Royal Naval Dockyard. Telling Ivor stories with puppets

Shackleton at Poole

2009-05-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

The one thing, of the many shocking events that I have told in my stories, which really upsets my young audiences is Ernest Shackleton's decision to kill his dogs.

Native Americans at Dibden Purlieu

2009-04-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

Year 4 children at Orchard Junior were an excellent audience for Graham's collection of Native American Folk tales, Raven and the Eye Juggler.

Australian Folk Tales

2009-04-27T05:22:00.000-07:00

A wet and traffic jammed M27 journey was rewarded by a pleasant morning session at Bidbury infant school in Havant. Staff were friendly and children delightful. The stories went well, not always in the order I had planned. Once again many thanks to the Eulayhi tribe of Lake Narran and Katie Langloh Parker, who collected the stories in Victorian times.

The original tales as transcribed by Katie are now online here. Or you can buy the book.

"State of Play"

2009-04-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

Graham meets, Tony and Sharon, the team behind the new, soon to be launched, Bournemouth based Theatre in Education Team; "State of Play".

Harry Paye at Poole

2009-04-23T09:14:00.001-07:00

Graham Tells the story of the 15th Century Poole Pirate Harry Paye to children at St Mary's Poole.

Hansel & Gretel

2009-04-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

Year 1 children today from Canford Heath in Poole. Can they help Hansel and Gretel cope with a weak dad, devious step-mother and avoid the wicked witch?

The Titanic

2009-04-19T03:52:00.000-07:00

As part of Southampton Maritime Museums's Titanic project - Graham tells his newly researched story to family audiences.

Graham's story

Off to sea again

2009-04-13T03:29:00.001-07:00

Aboard HMS Warrior

2009-04-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

Busy day, lots of visitors.

HMS Warrior

Fordingbridge Junior School

2009-03-27T01:27:00.000-07:00

The children of Fordingbridge Junior School, and Graham performed the story of Macbeth in March.