Biggest school ever!!!!!

My first journey to a school in Hull on Thursday last week, and WHAT a school. Loooong, straight corridors stretched into the distance, with classrooms spread out on both sides. When I asked how many children were at the school, I was told by the very helpful Atlanta that there were merely 613 pupils at Eastfield's primary school. 613!!!! Compare that to the modest 56 at Thurstonland First school in Huddersfield. You could fit more than 10 of those schools into Eastfields.

I found it so strange to have driven less than an hour, yet be met with such a different accent. Faaaaive was the new 'five' - it always amazes me how diverse our accents are in this country.

As for the three reception classes that I saw, they were brill. The majority of them were absolutely convinced that they'd seen Sweet pete by the end of the day, and were all chattering about him as they left. Thanks also to the staff who made it such a lovely afternoon, and who promoted my book so kindly on my behalf.

Poet Lucy

Poet Lucy

My name is Lucy
I am a poet
If I didn't tell you
Then you probably won't know it.

I like words that rhyme
And words that are funny
Like flibbity jibbit
And hoppity bunny.

I like poems
As you can see
Maybe one day
You will join me.

By Lucy


Well done Lucy! This is a great poem. Any poem that gets the words 'flibbity jibbit' in it is a good one in my view! Thanks for the poems and keep writing!

Ackworth Poetry Extravaganza

WOW! What a brilliant two days I've just completed at Ackworth Howard school. It's a brilliant place with excellent staff and lively, fun pupils. And we've been doing poetry, poetry, poetry and more poetry. It all culminated in today's final competition in the 'Right Royal Poetry Contest' which was nail biting! The eventual winners were Louis from Class 3 and Douglas from Class 5. I was really chuffed that two boys won it - I always like to see the boys representing when it comes to writing. Their poems were fabulous, and the King and Queen were extremely impressed. As was I!

Thanks everyone at Ackworth - you were great!

John, Jack and a Jamaican Anansi

I tried out a full one hour interactive storytelling session on my Year 6s today - and they LOVED it! First up was 'The Three Sillies' as recounted by Hugh Lupton (whom I also had the pleasure of seeing in action a few weeks ago at York Theatre Royal - he was brilliant), then 'Jack and the Old Giant' and finishing with 'Anansi and the number nine.' I was keen to see if their attention would be held for a full hour, and it pretty much was, apart from the odd shuffling here and there. I was very pleased with the reaction to Jack and the Old Giant, as this is the first time I've ever told it to anyone other than my webcam (I keep having to webcam myself for my mentoring by Gemma from 'Once Upon a Story'). And as for Anansi - the kids LOVED it and they LAUGHED so much at my (admittedly slightly shaky) Jamaican accent.

The afternoon filled me with joy - I really really did have a good time, and once again I realise that stories that are humorous are my kind of story. One thing I also realised - when I do full days of storytelling, I can't be shouting as loud as long as I did in the Anansi story. My voice is fried!

Thanks to Year 6 at St Peter's. They were fab.

I am still here

Well, 4 months into 2011 and you could be forgiven for thinking that I'd dropped off the end of the earth. But thanks to a gentle prompt from Gemma, my storytelling mentor, I'm back writing on my blog. The truth is that actually, due to being very busy in schools, and looking after our three delightful daughters, I've just been rather overrrun with things to do!

I'm very excited to be receiving such ace storytelling training from Gemma. She runs the brilliant company called Once Upon a Story and is a most excellent tutor. And I'm learning more and more about the art of storytelling. Got another training day (actually, two days) down in London in August and I'm really looking forward to that. But before that happens I've got LOTS of schools to visit, to have fun with, and to inspire to write write write!

Yaay, I'm back blogging. Well done me!

POEM FROM JESSICA

This is a poem sent to me by a Y3 girl called Jessica. Thanks Jessica! So... her it is...

MY FUNNY BUNNY

I've got a bunny who is very funny
He likes to be out when it's sunny
His teeth are long and his legs are short
That's why my bunny is funny!


Round of applause for Jessica please! And Jessica, keep on writing poems. They're good for the soul!

BADSWORTH J AND I and sheep that are blue!

Badsworth Junior and Infants School very kindly hosted me on Monday, and I was VERY well looked after by the delectable Mrs Laycock (nee Bunting, and still the name I want to call her whenever I see her!). I spent the whole day in her Year 3 class and what a pleasure they were to work with. Funny, enthusiastic, and, best of all, creative. Some of the threats in our 'Wars of the Roses THREAT FACTOR' were genius. I was also very chuffed to receive a poem and a picture from Bradley the following day, courtesy of Mrs Laycock, who popped in after work. When I get my scanner working I'll post the picture Bradley drew, but for now here's the poem. It's brill, and it's one he made up in the playground on Monday whilst I chatted with the other children and Mrs Laycock shivered uncontrollably in the cold...


A POEM ABOUT A BLUE SHEEP

A sheep in a heap went to the loo
And got turned blue
He went to the zoo
And did not get fed
And died in bed
With a red head


Written by Bradley 13/12/10

Thanks so much Bradley! I loved it! And the googly eyes on your drawing are brill. I've read the poem to Alice, my four year old, and she keeps saying 'read it again, Daddy, read it again.'