Category: News

Dates in our diary so far … All shows are Kathy’s Song except **

October 3 EXETER The Cygnet

October 8 BEARWOOD 1000 Trades 

October 10 KINGTON Old Picture House

October 24 STRATFORD UPON AVON Brook Arts Hub ** (50/50 Simon & Garfunkel and The Seekers)

October 30 GLOS Maisemore 

October 31 GLOS Edge

November 11 LEICESTER The International 

November 13 BELPER Football Club ** (The Songs & Stories of The Seekers)

November 14 BERKSHIRE Swallowfield

November 27 NOTTS West Stockwith

November 28 GLOS Westcote

December 4 GLOS Redesdale

December 5 HAY ON WYE The Globe

January 30 STAFFS Calton

January 31 LINCS Ropsley

February 5 NOTTS Costock

February 6 NOTTS Misson

February 26 GLOS Bledington

March 29 GLOS Corby

April 15 SHROPSHIRE Eaton Constantine

April 16 SHROPS Stoke St Milborough

April 17 HEREFORD Yarpole

May 21 GLOS Northleach

May 22 GLOS Oxenhall

I’ve had a brilliant time exploring coal mining for my latest commission. The University of Birmingham has a wonderful sculpture trail in its grounds, and I was asked to write & tell a story that would celebrate the shield of the Department of Mining. The department opened in 1902 and was founded by Sir Richard Redmayne – actor Eddie Redmayne’s great grandfather! Not only did the department have an extraordinary laboratory, it also had a mock mine – 1.5 miles of tunnels built beneath the university campus. Amazingly, it is still there, though sadly no longer accessible because of asbestos concerns.

I found myself totally absorbed with deciphering the images on the shield and researching the history of coal mining in the UK. This led me to Big Pit in Abergavenny, where I was able to strap on a helmet, lamp and battery pack before descending in the cage for a thrilling hour deep underground. The tour guide was excellent, and suddenly everything I had read about was right there, from the heavy trap doors to the pony stalls (Would you believe the last pit ponies in the UK were retired in 1999?!)

Last Saturday, I did the first of two days’ telling the story to families, right beside the shield and the entrance to the tunnels. The second day will be in the spring.

The diary is filling up with dates for KATHY’S SONG… twenty five so far. There are some wonderful venues to look forward to, including a 19th century Grade 2 listed town hall in the Cotswolds, a lovingly restored 1920s Picture House on the Welsh borders, a converted 18th century chapel in Hay on Wye and a fabulous historic house in the Black Country that dates from 1791.

We’ll be in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Devon, Herefordshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Derbyshire and the Black Country. Full dates & booking info will be on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backstorymusic

Another wonderful school visit, organised by Authors Abroad. I had two truly delightful days at the International School of Latvia which, like many international schools was situated outside the city, in a suburb called Pinki. The lovely librarian Marla encouraged me to extend my stay so I could see the city itself. So I treated myself to three nights in an Air BnB right in the middle of the Old Town after my working days were done.

What a city! I fell totally in love with it. There was much to see and do, from art nouveau buildings to the former headquarters of the KGB… A magnificent library, its design inspired by the folk tale The Glass Mountain… The biggest covered market in Europe, housed in five former Zeppelin hangars from World War 1… Winding streets, enticing souvenir shops… The Black Magic Cafe, with its interior like an eighteenth century apothecary shop… I need to go back!

Getting to Shanghai was a bit of a challenge. My original flights were via Dubai, which was bombed just a few days before I was due to fly out! But the team at Authors Abroad sorted it (they are miracle workers) and I flew direct, over Sweden, Russia and down over Mongolia.

And I was so glad I made it, because it was a great trip. Four days at the huge Nord Anglia bi-lingual school in Shanghai (NACIS) working with students aged 6 – 15. I was very impressed with the little ones’ English skills. They were great! It was lovely to see their Book Week costumes too. There were many I had never seen before. The embroidered emperor costumes were especially wonderful.

Another fantastic author visit with Authors Abroad, this time to Bulgaria. The Anglo-American School of Sofia is beautiful, situated outside the city centre with a backdrop of mountains which were blanketed in snow for my visit. It was a short but action-packed visit, with workshops for every primary class. It’s always great to get a whole school fired up about stories.

I managed to get into the city centre to see the sights, including the Nevski cathedral and a fascinating rotunda church, built in the 4th century by the Romans. There are Roman remains everywhere in Sofia; in Roman times, the lower part of Bulgaria was in Thrace.

I was told a lovely story by a taxi driver while I was there. I hadn’t mentioned the fact that I was a storyteller. He simply offered it as a gift:

‘In the beginning, God gave land to all the peoples of the world. But when he had finished, he discovered he had left the Bulgarians out, and he had no more land left to give. So he gave them a piece of Heaven.’

This was a full-on trip! Eight international and Kuwaiti schools, countless sessions and THOUSANDS of children in attendance. One of the schools had the biggest screen I had ever seen!! I was dwarfed by my own book covers.

It was tiring and stressy at times, but it was also exhilarating and different. I always get out of the hotel and go wandering to see the sights and explore the culture. I loved sitting in the old souk, eating freshly baked flatbreads and hummus, sipping peppermint tea and watching the world go by. Loved the fragrance shops! People take fragrance very seriously in that part of the world – the men even more than the women, it seems. The old souk had a dozen or more fragrance shops, all busy with customers. I bought two fabulous versions of sandalwood (one of my favourite scents) and every time I use them, I am instantly transported back to the warm nights and equally warm welcome I received from everyone. When I tried to pay for my hummus in the souk, the cafe owner waved his hands: ‘No, no. You are guest!’ I love travel moments like that .

Thank you to the team at Authors Abroad for making this happen!