Of course, the nice things people say and the buzz of doing a good show is reward in itself! But it’s also nice to know that just over half way through the run the costs of printing and the voluntary contribution for the free fringe are all covered – I am even on my way to covering the Equity Membership again this year with 4 more shows to go.

As ever it is an invigoration and joy to be part of the amazing explosion that is the Festival and Fringe in Edinburgh’s August. I’ve met some lovely people and even told some of them stories. It’s also a secret thrill to have fellow storytellers come up and ask to re-tell a few as well. To which the answer is obviously ‘yes, please!’ Never trap a tale that wants to run free!

Half way through the year, and half way through our story Ceilidh programme at the Storytelling Centre already! Our Deep Blue Sea, hosted by yours truly was, I blush to tell you, a great success. Jan Bee Brown took on our choir master role with some rousing sea shanties – and a surprise New Zealand Hakka thrown in for good measure.

I love the warm atmosphere these events create in the Cafe space – about 50:50 regulars and passers by but by the end of it everyone is chattering and leaving as friends sharing and joining in the spirit of a real life house ceilidh

Edinburgh has gone pop and all the fringe and festival tents are deflated for the winter. But the work of Edinburgh storytelling goes on never fear. The Burgh Blatherers (of whom your humble author is present Secretary) go from strength to strength. It does seem to have been a long haul back from the Covid brink when our hard core met solely on Zoom but at last numbers are picking up again.

Last Wednesday saw our triumphant sell-out story ceilidh at the Edinburgh Storytelling Centre with contributions varying from donkey eared kings to, frankly, lewdness and innuendo aplenty with the queen of the fairies and her bull from the sea!

The Burgh Blatherers are a traditional story-telling club, welcoming anyone and everyone with a story to tell, or most especially practice, in front of a supportive and generous audience. We meet once a month on Zoom, second Friday of every month, and once a month in person, fourth Tuesday. We were formed upstairs in the Waverley bar (as are many good things) from a group of apprentice storytellers looking for free listeners back in 2017. Find us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/theBurghBlatherers . It would be great to see you at our next ceilidh!

What a joy to spend time in lovely north Wales with storytellers, delving into the nuts and bolts of tellng with Daniel Morden and Phil Okwedy who are generous and patient tutors and especially to meet all the fellow aspirant tellers! My discoveries include the beauty of oak trees in full leaf, the deliciousness of elderflower ice-cream, the magic of telling in a reconstructed iron age round house.

Thanks to Phil Okwedy (https://www.philokwedystoryteller.co.uk/) for the picture of Sadhbh in action, mid dance between the worlds.

The travelling dust and the highs and lows of criticism and advice have settled now however, and Sadhbh is ‘written’ – developed anyway. Now to find some laughs and moments of space in her story – a magical moonlight bright figure who travels some difficult paths to find acceptance at the last I hope. This storytelling business can take you to some dark and wonderful places indeed!

Nothing beats the warm glow of a congenial evening spent among storytellers sharing good craick and song! Our first outing went with warmth and laughter to cheer us up on a dreich January evening – stand out stories about Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and the Cailleach of course, who made a fabulous appearance in scots verse this time!  I’m really looking forward to participating in the rest of the series. Great to be back at the Storytelling Centre!