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Stories with Supper at the Dean Court Hotel for your party; book with Adrian: 01904 789950 See more in section 4. Exciting Projects
Preston Hall Christmas Fayre 12th December 2009 A full day of exciting and enjoyable stalls, events and shows at the delightful Preston Hall, Yarm, Stockton: Come and pick from my seasonal story menu. Enquiries: 01642 527375
2010 events so far: Preston Hall: Vikings and Saxons for schools. For two weeks from March 15th Enquiries: 01642 527375
Poems of Sea and Piracy, Flamborough Primary, Bridlington. Available for your school or group 01904 789950
Hob Moor Creativity Awards. A day with Hob Moor School exploring the moor and their own sense of creative adventure with an awards ceremony for creations at the fair on 29th May. Available for your school, group, or area 01904 789950 Watch out for the 2010 Creature Hunt too!
2. Jelling Dragon have just accepted my new CD Andvari's Gold - The Tales That Tolkien Took, more news next time. They have also accepted Jorvik, York and the Vikings CD too. For pre-release purchases see below.
3. The Shop New Storytelling CD Andvari's Gold, the Tales That Tolkien Took is available now. Andvari as a double CD is £10 postage free for a limited time only. Buy Now Cheques payable to 'Adrian Spendlow' C/O 6 Acomb Mews, Front Street, Acomb, York YO24 3BQ CDs sent by return post. Buy Adrian's Books Our snazzy all-new sales site is also in construction, but for now you are welcome to order books via the post. Adrian's Poems of Spirit - a collection from across the career. Road to Ragnarok, A dramatic tour through the Viking Myth worlds. The Blood Eagle and other Ghostly Tales - Short Stories from my radio series. Essence of Ghost, The search for the essence of a good ghost tale. Wicked Oscar and his Wilde Women, a selection of poems and stories from the drama. All only three pounds each; UK post-free (£4 post free elsewhere) cheques payable to 'Adrian Spendlow' 6 Acomb Mews, Front Street, York YO24 3BQ Or order the following CD's through the post History of York and the Vikings - (£8 postage free, or outside UK @ £9): Guy Fawkes and Dick Turpin (Two on one CD) - (£6 postage free, or outside UK @ £7)
4. Exciting Projects Stories with Supper at the Dean Court Hotel, York Following the success of my events for the Jorvik Viking Festival, York?s 50+ and the York Literature Festival at the wonderful Dean Court Hotel, we are now offering Stories with Supper nights for your group. Your party can arrange an evening to either, come along and dine, or to stay over too, in this delightful hotel just by York Minster. Call and arrange a mutually suitable evening: 01904 625082 sales@deancourt-york.co.uk You may contact me too by reply. Have a peek at this splendid place:- http://www.deancourt-york.co.uk/
Poet in Residence for the Jorvik Viking Centre View a poem of mine written for the Jorvik by pasting the link below, you can also send in poems, stories and artwork. I will happily send you prompt sheets so you can get together and write especially for the site. http://www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk/events7.htm
Weddings Jorvik Centre's Events Coordinator booked Adrian for her wedding ceremony to, write a poem especially, to meet and greet all the guests and to announce the speeches. Adrian will be telling Viking and Medieval stories in Barley Hall at the wedding of a member of staff and her partner in September 2010 and will be welcoming guests of a Barley Hall manager's wedding in January. Are you getting married? 01904 789950
Ghost walks for your party ring 01904 789950 / 07854764511 to arrange. Adrian can meet your group for a ghost walk around York or perhaps you would like to fit in a haunted pub or two? This is the perfect time of year to spend time with a true professional storyteller.
Poetry Without the Use of Nets Working with poet Helen Burke is a joy and a lease of life. Now her stunning, surreal performances are available with, yes, you guessed it, Adrian Spendlow. After knowing each other years we have now teamed up, with performances under our belts at such as Seven in Leeds and Manchester Not The Festival Festival in the Central library. See review below (and the poem in the poems section).
History Talks with Sound and Image Displays Jorvik Festival 2009 featured a Spendlow?s York Talk created especially for the fest; topics among others were navigation and stone sculpting plus there was of course the moving image and soundscape projection to accompany the entertaining and informative presentation. Bookings are now being taken for this presentation and commissions of projects are also welcome: 01904 789950 : email : adrian_spendlow@btinternet.com
Viking Divination on the Web I am very please to let you have this link to a new feature of my site from Dave Restless; Many of you will have seen me working with my Nordic Cards and now you can auto-pick which being or creature is in your heart! There are also pick-a-card versions of the Journey cards (very useful for creative writing) and the Runes. This is an ever developing feature so have a go and keep checking back. Nordic god cards and Rune cards are available from Adrian directly, and at the Spendlows Emporium stall, at Barley Hall on the 12th and 13th of December 2009 Stockton Heritage Week.. ...saw Adrian being commissioned to create an historic walk through streets of Stockton (the town that invented Mayors) based on memories from as far back as 1900. This highly entertaining walk is available for your group or as a performance. Other topics are always welcome. (Bonfires of Mafeking and the Oom Pah Monster are two of the tales from this commission)
Adrinskald Comes Back Through time As Adrinskald the Viking you are more than welcome to experience my return to your time to compare the world now with how I lived as a Viking. This entertaining and animating show was commissioned by the York Environmental Centre and is now available to tour. Let me tell you, you haven?t done very well.
5. Round Up of the Year
New Collectables Two new popular sets of collectables are Adrian's Autograph photos and the laminated poem-cards. Both have proved collectable at recent performances. There are now 12 different autographed photos in the ever growing set and the invitation included to join the mailing list and or send gig photos has seen lots more join this magazine news list, plus the collection of performance pics on Facebook is growing and growing. A wider selection of Adrian's poems are now available as poem-cards and gigs such as Manchester Not The Festival Festival see almost every one be taken away by attenders. Look out for one on your seat at the next performance.
Poetry Without the Use of Nets Review by Stephanie Brookes OK, I'll be honest, English literature is not my specialty and I struggle to see the hidden meanings behind words. I therefore try to avoid all things related for fear of my secret being exposed ? that was until I went to 'Poetry Without the Use of Nets' and discovered that there's more to this poetry thing. The calm and collected Helen Burke took turns with the eccentric Adrian Spendlow to perform against the backdrop of Manchester Central Library. Her work was totally refreshing; she amused us with tales of a friend who has an affection for second hand men and was spot on with 'The Wisdom of Cabbies' , they do know everything and it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in thinking pigeons will take over the world! Adrian was equally as entertaining, but completely contrasting. His poems and stories had deeper, darker meanings I'm sure, but his theatrical performances drew me in! An obscure love poem was dedicated to Germaine Greer and 'The Witch That Made Me' struck a chord with the ladies, Adrian is forgiven for using a witch to represent the female form, but only because of his honesty in listing the ingredients required to cast a spell to make a man - huge opinion, nip of caring, dirty finger nails. so true! Reviewed: Wed, 15 July, 2009 'Everyone will be looking at my finger nails at my next gig!' Adrian http://www.citylife.co.uk/arts/reviews/16816_poetry_without_the_use_of_nets_review
The 25th Anniversary Event for the Jorvik Viking Centre A wonderful day and I was seen to leap into yet another new area of performance. As well as stimulating a chalk spree all around the area to highlight aspects of the stories, I was requested to do stories on Viking Myth for, wait for it, the very young. This went down really well, I used props , puppets and soft toys to engage my audience. I must say the overriding memory is of the adults; as I raised my fluffy creatures to speak, all heads would turn from one to the other of my characters as if they were totally real. As I have said before, there is a small child within us all just awaiting release.
Oh Gosh Many of the pictures of me on my Facebook site are of another new direction; up the street and around the corner, then, er, back again. If you have visited the centre of York over the summer you will have no doubt seen me about in different costumes as different characters, mixing and reacting with the crowds. From a Love-lorn Knight to the creepy Plague Doctor there I am, promoting Barley Hall and DIG. (Oh Gosh, simple, it was my best line. Just look me in the eye and ask me to say it.)
Wicked Oscar and his Wild Wild Women This performance piece of poetry, prose and drama with Pauline Kirk, Alison Yates and Helen M Sant has been a real highlight as well as a real leap forward. Nobody came up and said I was a 'Yorkshire Oscar,' so I must have got away with the character take over. The book is available, as advertised elsewhere within this news, and let's hope this production gets to travel further than the York Literature Festival in the same way as the next production covered below.
Branwell Vs the Brontes Another performance piece of poetry, prose and drama alongside Pauline Kirk, Alison Yates and Helen M Sant created for the York Literature Festival which has gone on to appear at such as the Scarborough Literature Festival and with enquiries wide and far. 'You have such presence Adrian!', 'I felt I was there climbing that cobbled hill', 'I felt it was going to be yet another churning out of the same old views and pieces we so often hear of the Brontes, but not at all, it was unique, fresh and riveting.'
Tall Tales in the Tavern I foolishly said during one presentation of this show, 'Don't worry it's only a story' , there were cries of astonishment all around the room, 'Oh no, is it really!' I will never again destroy the magic which is storytelling. I was commissioned to be Hobb and create this misadventure with its unicorns, dragons, sea-monsters, princesses and high dark dungeons for Barley Hall by the York Archaeological Trust and am happy to don the tights and tour your way at a moments notice.
Hobb at Christ Mass and the Festival of Angels Research by Michelle Hogg enabled me to recreate the seasonal time of medieval days for St Nicolas Fayre and even for a whole room of angels. Look to the wonderful star among the jewels of mistletoe with Hobb this Christmas. 01904 789950 Following the success of memories for Stockton Heritage Days and my work with Michelle I see the option of creating from research a new way forward and look forward to further such challenges. I am sure Michelle would be willing to meet the needs of your group to research me an historical theme for your event.
Medieval Warfare ... ...was an intriguing project for the York Archaeological Trust which I presented during the Jorvik Viking Festival. The show was unique in that the scenes and story were presented from the viewpoint of Hobb Swinerd, with personal understanding rather than technical detail. The audience made such comments as, they felt they were really there and an archer came and told me I had got it completely right, even though I had told it all from the simple view of Hobb. School, museum and festival enquiries welcome: 01904 789950
Saga and Song Adrinskald the Bard is thrilled to be asked to host these wonderful nights at Barley Hall in York.
Storytelling in Parks From dragons to ghosts, from tall tales to unicorns, from bluebell pixies to magical stones, I draw on all my repertoire plus many tales created from local folk-lore and history especially for each park. Stephen the Senior Ranger for City of York's Parks & Open Spaces has set me on for all the park's fetes throughout the summer and you are welcome to join me whatever your age. Of course, as well as coming along and choosing a story from my menu, you may well want me to come along to a park or school near you......
5. Contact Details Contacting Adrian 'Adrian Spendlow' C/O 6 Acomb Mews, Front Street, Acomb, York YO24 3BQ 01904 789950 adrian_spendlow@btinternet.com
6. Big Thank Yous
Thanks All Round I receive so much encouragement and wonderful messages that I felt I aught to say thank you to all of you who support my work. It is hard to believe i am still here doing this but the encouragement and of course the jobs keep rolling in. Thank you. Everyone who comes along to my performances. All of you who buy my books, CDs, Card sets, and DVDs. My readers who respond so well to these occasional news features. The agencies, museums, organisations, councils, and promoters who make it all happen. You the artist, musician, curator, re-enactor, co-participant who bring events to reality by cooperation. Family members and friends. Venue hosts and their teams for all the encouragement and cooperation. All those local businesses and premises which display posters, leaflets, products and A boards. Friends in the media for accepting all my press releases and for promoting my work for all these years. Particular pals who do so much, (this list will develop each issue), Gramey, Janet, John, Helen, Jude, Bru, Roland, Suze, Dave, Dan, Akimbo, Sarah, Jackie, Jane, Chris, Alison, Alison, Stel, Elaine, Pauline, Miles, Zena, Stu, Sarah, Sharon, Mum, Dad, Ginny, David, Lindsey, Hayley, Maria, Darren, Louise, Andraea, Tony, Mark, Tamsin, Michelle, Pixy Feet, Mr Purple, Jo, Stephen, Jerry, Helen, Phil, Luca, Jim, Ruby, Sue, Anne-Marie...... Heartfelt thanks to all of you out there.
7. More News From Others Booking is now open for the first ever YORK FESTIVAL OF STORYTELLING, Sunday 18th October, 10am-10pm. This event (to be held at York Steiner School, Fulford Cross) celebrating the spoken word, folklore, mythology, puppetry and tall tales, is for adults and children of all ages. It is a unique opportunity to hear, in one day, many master storytellers from Yorkshire and beyond - Taffy Thomas, Ingrid Barton, Anneliese Emmans Dean, Nettlefoot Kate, Miles Cain, Adrinskald the Bard aka Adrian Spendlow, Hannah Davies, Helen M Sant, and many others. Also featured are workshops on many aspects of storytelling, from entertainment to healing to ecology and childcare; story walks; music; 'story rounds' to practise your own tale-telling. Separate adults' and children's sessions. As evening falls, the bonfire will be lit, and food and drink will be served, followed by a ceilidh with 'Salmon Tails'.
Entry to all sessions is by armband - tickets start at £5 (adult evening ticket), £18 (family daytime ticket). For full details of the programme, artists and booking, see www.yorkstorytelling.co.uk, email info@yorkstorytelling.co.uk, or phone 01904 620898.
Renowned York-based poet Pete Morgan has agreed to headline a fundraiser in aid of York Literature Festival. 'His poems are dramatic, formally superb, funny, toughly tender, lyrical and never less than entertaining. Ted Hughes was a fan of his.' - CAROL ANN DUFFY The event will take place on National Poetry Day, October 8th, and will be at the Bar Convent, Micklegate, York. 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm. £10.00 - 01904 643238 or email : reception@bar-convent.org.uk With 9 published and prize-winning York poets and musicians: Pauline Kirk, Rose Drew, Oz Hardwick, Lizzi Linklater, Alison Yates, Andy Humphrey, Catherine Heinemeyer, Miles Cain and Dave Gough.
8. Poems and Stories
The Experience Recalled (for Helen Burke)
The real and the surreal The readily identified The original thinking The grasped and the snapped back The gasps and the laughter The conversational crafted The now of the then The moment deliciously placed The mundane mastered to become our culture The entertainment and enlightenment The experience The experience The experience
Adrian Spendlow
Tree Dressing
Runic bark, ribboned strip and driftwood wishes Beasts of earth and soapstone serpent Bags and packets, scattered herbs Head of sheep and horn of stag Twists of blissful trinket [shiny] Silvered fish and gleaming shell Bone of eel and treasured necklace Leathered etch and fletchers file Bangles, bands and horsehair twine Bunch of wild and patterned petal Golden goddess, lapis lazuli, burning sage Bless the tree and bless the goddess Bless the tree and bless the goddess Tree is truth and tree is trust?
Sham King Spendlow
Haughty and anxious are an ill mix to be and I am just such a mix it is true. Or I was once it is sure. I was once for it seems that the ill fitting feelings of imminent disaster striking are becoming more and more and more frequent. Such it was that I was feeling back then at any rate once I had experienced the first of the dreams. I called on a friend for coffee and as we chatted I passed him the biccy plate, he didn?t take it. Oh how I hate this, waiting. Holding my hand out to offer and having to wait, this makes me angry. Very angry. He looked as he talked, rambled, insistent even in his topic, mongering, nurturing each little passion, each oh so important facet of mindless interest: the drudgery of listening, watching the shine of excitement in the eye of his dusty cluttered mind. Reaching for a biscuit, ever pausing, and wonder, continuing with cursed fingers paused while I servile, and fierce, hold on to his blessed biscuit bower this challis of tidbits. How irritating! He had moved away from the topic of his beloved collection of hymn books to past life regression, interesting in the hands of a half way decent orator, but one that would make me wait, hover, hold with a long held point and a particularly pedantic want. This was excruciating. 'I must have been someone very important!' 'Ha' he scoffed. In a, pah you know nothing, kind of a snuffle. 'You know nothing, I will meditate on this.' At last he took a biscuit. I dream. I dream this time of being very important. There is gold involved. They dress me in it. I hand back a plate I have eaten from and someone takes it immediately. I make a joke, everyone laughs. I return to my meditating friend and he agrees of the importance, well in a way, he says, He agrees on the royalty factor, well in a way, the fact I am Incan, well more or less. He claims I was Mayan. He says they dressed me in gold. He tells me I was crowned as king. They did do anything I asked. 'I see them standing around. You, boy-child, are destined to be our ruler, raised, in isolation:' Always with the promise that I would be their ruler one day - On the manhood hour, on the day of my fourteenth birthday. I am told now all would stand around me; the Sham-King. Laugh at my jokes ha ha ha. Look fearful when I demand. Jump forward when I hand back a dish or a cup or a cloth. Bow constantly always glinting a wry smile in the eye. I dream of this still; it fills my waking moments too. Imagining me being so important, for a day, just the one day, such a joke. The sacrificial boy king, sundown they pounce. In sleep still I dream on and I jump at the thought: how I gloat at my ruling of them and slowly they move in. My well armed royal guard move up to me. Just as the sun goes. There. The last glimpse. I rule them so importantly. Their swords raise. The sun goes. Argh. They laugh as they kill me. That moment again and again. The sun going. The swords raised. Argh. They laugh now the sun goes the swords raise. Argh. Argh. Ah no. Argh. Argh. Ow. No. Ow. Ah! The past life. The past life. The past life.
Binyam, Binyam Mohamed
Binyam, Binyam Mohamed Did it happen to him Perhaps he is having you Just one look In those eyes Will tell you Seven long years of internment This is told Seven long years of most terrible Most terrible tortures Medieval It is evil Is it true Just one look In those eyes Will tell you
Let him tell you; Mohamed Binyam shows it happens Entrapped in where you?re going to They have put Out their lies Say they tell it true Even let tears, show their intent What they do Sent along fears until a heart?s full A heart?s full, full of tortures It is evil They did blood spill Eyes tell you Should have put Out his eyes Eye tells true
Binyam, Binyam Mohamed Did it happen to him Perhaps he is having you Just one look In those eyes Will tell you Seven long years of internment This is told Seven long years of most terrible Most terrible tortures Medieval It is evil Is it true Just one look In those eyes Will tell you
The Comfort of Moments
We know we feel alike as our linking pinkies touch Laughter would grow from that glance of his eye She said she could share the sadness of my heart Favourite supper: The warmth of wellbeing we feel Dreams of sky-flying can only be true In the comfort of moments, we are alive
The model was finished: our smiles came alive We could fight through this together as our shoulders touch After page after page we cry, 'Is it all true'? I saw a common bond when she raised her eye Glad of this bath, deep sensations I feel The actions of all happenings burst in my heart
The run of the race: The beat of the heart Pity me no longer, success comes alive Snuggled in soft 'jarmers' you know you can feel Cold hard fear melts in the clinch of your touch Kind-heartedness shows in the smile in the eye When you are loved, you know the impossible is true
When you whisper to teddy, all his answers are true That pat on the back will stay in my heart Sad girl returns sees compassionate eye In the sadness of loss we know we're alive Warmth of the hand stays after the touch Sharing all experiences reminds us we feel
Just one sip of tea brought on a calm feel We plot, fight and die crying, 'All play is true' Biffing my arm meant no failure could touch, the forever of friendship that lies in our heart The falling, the scraping; just the pieces of feeling alive The knowing you are trusted can be seen in the eye
A poem finds its magic in a faraway eye The pleasure of a garden is something you just feel Your own world of interest is where you're alive Pixies among primroses will always be true Laughter follows after the safety of heart We will always be in childhood where our memories touch
Reaching we can touch how we really feel Always show in our eye that all hopes will come true From deep in the heart where we are alive
WATCH ME GO FOR I CAN FLY BUT I NOW KNOW WE MUST ALWAYS TAKE OUR HEART WITH US FOR FROM ITS HURT ARE FORGED THESE WINGS OF STEEL
after Requiescat For Oscar Wilde Loss in youth can lead to all around you losing spirit, should one join them in despair or live as they would have?
One treads wildly, out of fear, That daisies grow Live mighty or, as those near, Fall under snow
Our once bright fallen locks Blemished with dust Loved ones silken flocks All lack-lust
When Mothers cease to give Or hear the child Man?s tragedy to live Flamboyant wild
All hearts become as stone All spirits rest Vexed to feel alone, or Rave one's breast
Peace, grief, we cannot bear Ode or bonnet Wild life not buried here Till earth's upon it
Related Articles: teaching aids, interactive sessions, writing workshops, poetry, storytelling, greeks, vikings, pirates, combined arts projects, how to book. coming soon |
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