Our next session will be on Wednesday, June 5th 2024 and our theme is “Sunshine”.
We will meet in the welcoming surroundings of the Woolpack Inn, Tillicoultry, 7.30pm – 9.30pm.
Come and join us to listen to tales based on our theme, or perhaps you’d like to tell a tale of your own.
Everyone is welcome!
Our second storytelling session in May, on Wednesday, 15th, was, as usual, in the convivial surroundings of the Woolpack Inn, Tillicoultry.
Our loose theme was “Children”.
First we heard the tale of Goldilocks, told from Goldilocks’ own point of view. In this telling, our heroine tries to justify her actions!
The second story of the evening was “The Menstrie Kips”. The Kip family lived in Jerrah cottage in the Ochils. Their young son, Tommy, is rescued from a deep ravine by the wee folk, but neither his father nor his mother believe his tale.
Next up was “This Be The Verse”, Phillip Larkin’s well-known poem, written in 1971. It is one of the nation’s favourite poems.
The evening’s fourth offering was “The Hanging of the Mouse”, in which a king defeats all other kingdoms around his, but one day discovers that all his subjects have disappeared. A wizard has cast a spell over the king’s lands to avenge the other lands which have been conquered. The mouse in the title is in fact the wizard’s son, caught stealing ears of wheat and sentenced to hang. Thankfully, an arrangement is reached and the mouse lives.
Next we listened to a story about another king, a handsome and vain one, who hates any signs of ageing, so he sends all his older subjects away. His kingdom soon declines without the elders’ wisdom. It takes a young girl to show the king how useful the elder generation can be.
Our penultimate tale, “Habetrot” concerned an old woman who spun yarn for a local girl who could not spin, and then convinced the girl’s new husband that she should never spin again.
Our last story was “The Selfish Giant” by Oscar Wilde in which a giant learns that keeping his garden to himself, chasing away the local children, causes his garden to wither. The giant learns to welcome the children back and to delight in watching them play.
We all enjoyed listening to and telling these stories and poems, and the accompanying memories of our own childhoods.
On Wednesday, 1st May our regular fortnightly storytelling session took place, as usual, in The Woolpack Inn, Tillicoultry.
Our theme this time was “Spring”.
We heard several stories with trees at their heart. We listened to “The Wonderful Tree,” in which, during a drought, all the trees die except for one, which can supply all creatures with food… only if the magic word is spoken.
“The Shepherdess and the Tree” told the tale of an orphaned girl, taken in by a shepherd who taught her his shepherding skills. On the first day the girl had sole responsibility for the flock, her curiosity got the better of her, and fairy magic and mischief came her way!
We also listened to “Saving the Forest”, in which the people of Scotland must find an ingenious way of saving their forests from devastating fires.
“The Wonderful Tree” is an African folk tale in which during a long drought, Monkey, Elephant and Lion all try to remember the magic word to wake up the sleeping tree which will give them limitless fruits of many varieties. However, only slow and steady Tortoise completes the task successfully.
We then heard an original poem from one of our newest members, titled “The Green Man”.
After that, we listened to “The Queen of the May”.
“Auld Cruivie” told the story of Jack, who yearned to witness the trees dancing on Midsummer’s Eve.
In “The Monster of Raasay”, a lonely but greedy man agrees to give said monster her baby back, but only if she can grant his three requests. Of course, he tries to make the last request impossible, in order to keep the baby monster, of whom he has become quite fond.
We all had a most enjoyable evening once again.
Our next session, on Wednesday, 15th May, 2024, has the theme of “Children”.
Join us to listen to children’s stories of all kinds, or stories about children or childhood. There may be some poems told, too.
Perhaps you’ve a story to share?
We meet in The Woolpack, Tillicoultry, 7.30pm 9.30pm.
Come along and join us at the Woolpack Inn, Tillicoultry, on Wednesday, 1st May from 7.30pm til 9.30pm for an evening of tales loosely based on the subject of “Spring”.
Choose to listen to stories and perhaps poems told by our members or perhaps you’d like to tell one of your own.
On Wednesday, 17th April, our storytelling session had the theme of “Trickster Tales”. We were treated to a variety of stories and poems on this theme.
Firstly, we listened to the tale of “Kitty Illpretts and the Giant”. Kitty was the youngest of three sisters. a poor but clever girl working for the king, who brought good fortune to her elder sisters and herself by outwitting the giant who lived nearby.
The second offering was the true story of “Gregor MacGregor”, who conned and lied his way through life in the 19th century.
Thirdly, a poem was told, “The Trickster”, composed by one of our members herself. It told of the trickster in her house, who left a mess behind them, ate all the biscuits and left wet towels on the floor. Perhaps you have a trickster in your house?
Next up was another original poem, “My New Friend”. It told a tale of romance fraud, an all too common form of tricks in the internet age.
Our penultimate offering was “The Devil and the Farmer”, set in Fife, after a terrible storm destroys a farmer’s grain store. An odd wee man comes to his rescue… or does he?
Our last story was “A Home of Their Own”, a Swahili tale of the unlikely “house share” between a leopard, a hare and his ever growing family.
We enjoyed a wonderful evening once again, in the comfortable setting of The Woolpack Inn, Tillicoultry.
Our second February storytelling meeting will be in The Woolpack, Tillicoultry, on Wednesday, 21st February, 7.30 – 9.30pm.
Our subject will be “Spring”.
Please join us to listen to stories, poems and perhaps even songs, base loosely around this subject.
We hope to see you there!
Our session on Wednesday, 7th February, on the subject of “Love and Romance” was very well attended. We had so many stories on offer that we almost ran out of time!
Firstly, we heard more about Pwyll, the Welsh prince, his beloved lady, Rhiannon, and their star crossed romance.
Secondly, one of our newest members told his first story, written by himself, called “The Little Mouse”, a poignant tale set in Germany.
After that, we were treated to two traditional Scottish songs, “The Ballad of Mary Hamilton” and “Maids, When You’re Young”. The latter warns young women not to marry older men!
Next was another original work, a poem, “The Bus Stop” which was most thought provoking.
After that, we listened to “The Storm”.
This was followed by a Selkie story, wherein the selkie makes her own decision about whether to stay on land or return to the sea.
The penultimate tale was the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche, and how they fell in love and lived happily ever after – after a series of mishaps along the way.
Our final tale was of “Clarinda and Sylvander”. “Clarinda” was the name Robert Burns (Sylvander) used when addressing his lover, Agnes MacLehose, who was separated from her husband. Burns also wrote “Ae Fond Kiss” about Agnes.
Come and join us next time, Wednesday, 21st February 2024, to listen to tales about spring. Or come and tell your own!!
Our next session will be held in The Woolpack, Tillicoultry, on Wednesday, 7th February, 7.30 – 9.30pm.
Our theme will be “Love and Romance”, as Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.
So come and join us to share your own story of love and romance, or just come to listen. Everyone is welcome!
on Wednesday, 24th January our second session of 2024 was held in the Dunmar House Hotel, Alloa.
Our theme was “Burns”: Robert Burns, things that burn, watery burns…. our themes can be widely interpreted.
We heard not one but three poems written by our national bard: “To A Mouse”, “Naebody” and “Tam O’Shanter”. They were all wonderful to hear. We also heard a parody of “My Love is Like A Red, Red, Rose”, which was most entertaining.
In addition, we listened to the tale of “Pwyll and the Lady on the Horse”.
We had a lovely evening once again, as the stories told chased the January blues away.
