A Few Words about Juno Beach D_Day / Operation Overlord A 21 year old son of a WW1 veteran, the Kilted Tommy, finds himself part of the greatest invasion in history. He joined the Royal Marines and ended up commanding a Centaur tank for the Royal Marines Armoured Support Regiment as one of the first
A Few Words about Holidays in the 50s and 60s Everyone remembers the long school summer holidays. Days filled with promise, excitement and adventure. I have a talk for your residents that will trigger all sorts of good memories of those days long ago. I talk about my childhood holidays at places like Butlins,
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A Few Words about Rochester Castle The Medieval History of Rochester Castle in Three Hats This year I had six bookings at Rochester Castle to tell stories around various characters and incidents in history of Rochester Castle. Out of this I have developed this talk. In one hat I tell the story of a
A Few Words about WW2 Stories Bring memories to life. Let your clients enjoy revisiting their family life in the 1940s.. I tell the tales of my maternal grandparents in WW2. I tell as if I was my grandfather. I talk about what life was like on a daily basis, dealing with rationing, work, air
A Few Words about The Tolpuddle Martyrs A Stain on British History and a factor in the rise of the trade unions Let George Loveless, the ‘spokesman’ of the farm labourers who were transported to the Antipodes for trying to earn a fair wage and to feed their family, tell of their heart breaking story
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A Few Words about William Marshal The most powerful man in medieval history, and mostly ignored in current history From a younger son of a baron, he rose to be the most powerful and celebrated Jouster in ‘Europe’; He was a Knight Marshal of England; he was one of the closest military and political advisors
A Few Words about A Medieval Stonemason How the medieval world was built A master mason was a man to be respected. His skill came from many years of study as an apprentice. He not only designed and built toe stone walls. He was in charge of the whole site, be it a cathedral, castle,
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A Few Words about Tintern Abbey Tintern Abbey and the dissolution The end of an institution and the start of a beautiful ruin What happened to them? Why didn’t they survive like the cathedrals? Ohh that Henry VIII, he has a lot to answer for. Him and his chasing wives. But what really happened? Many
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A Few Words about Wordsworth Wordsworth, The Romantics and Tintern Abbey. A young Wordsworth visits Tintern on a walking holiday His visit is in in unhappy circumstances. He has had a bad experience in France at the start of the Revolution, and has had to leave a baby and common law wife in France as
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A Few Words about D-Day D-Day. A Day In The Life Of The Kilted Tommy D-Day, the 6th June 1944 It’s the 75th Anniversary of D-Day this year. People are remembering the events on the coast of France and the sacrifices by so many men on the beaches of Normandy. But what was happening to
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A Few Words about my New Stories Researching two new stories in Middleham, Yorkshire I have spent a lovely week in Middleham, Yorkshire, having a wonderful rest in a wonderful cottage (shameless ad here – have a look, well recommended) and researching new stories. Its amazing how so small and pretty a town has such
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A Few Words about Costume Costume There is an ongoing discussion in storytelling circles about whether to costume or not. Some say it distracts from the story. Some claim it adds to the story. I’m afraid I come down on the side of ‘it all depends’. Saint Tysilio If your storytelling gig ranges through stories
A Few Words about 2018 Is Not Over Yet! Historical Interpretation is having a busy autumn. The Kilted Tommy had an outing to Highclere House (Downton Abbey to most of us) giving talks about army hospitals and the special care offered by the House and family during WW1 We gave life to Sir John Cator
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A Few Words about Property Developers Are property developers a recent phenomenon? Property developers are generally an unloved bunch these days. Making money from the expanding London property market. Buying up land, then moving people off the land. Building extravagant properties. Tearing down other beautiful buildings for their own ends. Wanting to make a name
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A Few Words about 2018 2018 – The Year So Far The year has started off very well considering. The Agincourt Archer has had three evening outings, as had the Weymouth Pilgrim and the Kilted Tommy. One further Weymouth Pilgrim and 6 more Kilted Tommy evening performances are booked so far I have written and
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A Few Words about Libraries or art galleries? Libraries or art galleries? Where are the best sources of stories for storytellers? No doubt we each have our favourites. Are they libraries? Or are they art galleries Personally, I find galleries can offer more stories than Aesop, Lamb, and all the others put together. All you
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A Few Words about Libraries or art Museums? Libraries or art galleries? Where are the best sources of stories for storytellers? No doubt we each have our favourites. Are they libraries? Or are they in museums? Personally, I find museums can offer more stories than Aesop, Lamb, and all the others put together. All you
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A Few Words about my Story Telling Evening Storytelling In Penge Stories aren’t only for summer events. As its October why not a ghost story too? A summers daydream in an old local country park leads to a scary happening. As its in a pub, why not also hear about another pub and another innkeeper
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A Few Words about Kipling and the kilted tommy Kipling and the kilted tommy Bateman’s is a wonderful house and it was a privilege to take part in their WW1 weekend this year. The Kilted Tommy’s first battle was Loos in September 1915, as it of was John (Jack) Kipling. According to trench maps they
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A Few Words about The Stoney Stratford Kidnapping Write something about medieval Milton Keynes…… umm… Wasn’t Milton Keynes only built in 1969? But.. Everywhere has a history. Everywhere has a story. Medieval kings processed around the country with an enormous retinue. Imagine being an innkeeper in a small midlands town who is told the king
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A Few Words about Saint Tysilio Saint Tysilio I will be Actor in Residence for the weekend on the Island and performing my story in the Church on Sunday afternoon Who? Was he martyred? Was he famous? Where is his cathedral? He wasn’t martyred, he isn’t famous, he has no cathedral. He was quietly religious
A Few Words about An Agincourt Archer An Agincourt Archer – Treason in Romsey There were lots of Archers at Agincourt, at least 3000. My first Archer story looks at a farmer signing up to the army of Henry V and enjoying his journey from Derbyshire to Porchester castle, meeting Chaucer and his pilgrims on
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A Few Words about my Perforrmances in 2017 Coming up in 2017 March – The Agincourt Archer at a private event May 25th, and June 1st and 3rd – One Man and his Dog at Brighton Fringe June 17th & 18th – The Inkeeper at Milton Keynes Heritage Festival July 1st – The Agincourt Archer at King Johns House,
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A Few Words about One Man and his Dog One Man and his Dog at the Brighton Fringe 2017 A play about older people. Something unusual for the Fringe! Is one too old to look for pastures new? If not, what are the consequences?You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, or can you? Age
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A Few Words about my First Post of 2017 1st post of 2017, and a reflection on what I am about We all like marvelling at beautifully ruined churches and dramatic castles and soaking in their history. They are evocative, due to their size and appearance alone. But do we take much notice of ruins
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A Few Words about Remmeberance Day Remembrance Day means different things to different people. Everybody’s feelings are coloured by their experiences and everyone’s experiences are different. Our Remembrance started after WW1. I’m sure other, earlier wars, resulted in people having the same feelings and the same needs which we now express on Remembrance Day. Two
A Few Words about Agincourt Day So its Agincourt Day again. One of our most famous victories over the French (in the Hundred Years War anyway). Immortalised by Shakespeare in Henry V and subsequently by several ‘based on’ films of varying quality. With the greatest respect to those involved in it originally, Shakespeare has done
A Few Words about Richard and his castles What does a king do when he doesn’t like a castle? Well he swaps it or he redevelops it. Both these happened to Sudeley Castle. I was commissioned to write a story illustrating Richard III ‘s connection with the castle and its general history for a celebration
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A Few Words about Hamming it up An event to celebrate the history of a deserted medieval village? Is there much in the way of historical interpretation in that? Well surprisingly there is! South Somerset District Council and the Ham Hill Park Rangers planned a weekend celebration of the park which includes, on top of
A Few Words about A House in History Some houses last a couple of hundred years and some leave some history behind. I was privileged to write about and perform in a house that has an amazing history. Adgors Farmhouse at the Museum of East Anglia Life in Stowmarket has been lived in continually since around 1350
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