Such A Lovely Day In Nature Today And Witnessing The Pure Joy Of My Friends' Four Year Olds Who Wanted

These works clearly demonstrate that it is the novelist rather than the theoretician who is best able to capture the relationship between the urban environment and human behaviour

Merlin Coverley in 'Psychogeography' when talking about JG Ballard, questioning some of the work of Debord and the Situationists...

Some filter some no filter needed #redadmiral

"The Wee Weaver" sent in by Emmie Ward, supported by Aimée.

South London Botanical Institute - Victorians through trade and and empire - one of three rooms for the  workshop - here year 4 our children were learning about Marianne North and her art. It is near the end of the hlf funded project. The children drew and wrote accompanying labels.  I was helping out on the day.

I love how everything is explained here at the AMNH so clear and understandable :)

A Couple of Sensory Stories

November 2016

Hi there again...

Fresh from my day of music and storytelling sessions I thought I would share a couple of stories with you. My version of the Gunpowder Plot Story, which we worked on for the past couple of weeks and and The Highwayman story that I created today.

The Gunpowder Plot story I have to say thanks to the people on Joanna Grace's Facebook page who shared their stories and ideas for Bonfire Night sensory storytelling. The Highway Man was a bit last minute today as needed to fill in with a story last minute. So I could call it my ten minute Highway Man story... gather what props you can and random props you have with you. I got most of the ideas from when Keith Park, Emmie Ward, Coralie Oddy and I did our Great North Wood Storytelling - The Highwaymen (and women) was one of our themes. But both were sort of creating the story around props I already had. Thanks Emmie for a few of those on display in the tweeted pic :)

The Gunpowder Plot

Now we gather around the fire and remember, remember the 5th of November! (fire on ipad and candle scent)

A long time ago In 1605, there was man called Guy Fawkes. (chime)

A long time ago In 1605, there was a King called James 1. King James was not very popular with Guy and and his friends. They were annoyed about the King and his government. (Wear crown and say ‘no we don’t like you!’ but can also say we don’t like you as King but we like you as .... say their name)

So, Guy Fawkes and his friends decided to have a plot, the gunpowder plot. They wanted to blow up the parliament. (Popping candy on hand/eat)

They filled 36 barrels with gunpowder! They planted them under the cellars of the Houses of Parliament - ready for a big explosion. (Cedar wood scent for barrels) (can emphasise the secret through quiet voice)

However, there was a traitor in the group! One of Guy Fawkes friends! He got worried about all the people who would get blown up. He sent a letter to his friend warning him! (Big Ben chimes on Big Mac)

So the police, the guards of parliament arrived – on their horses (clip clop) they went down the stairs (walking sound) and crept slowly (shhhh) and….. bang! The plot was rumbled! The plotters were arrested, tortured and executed. (Bang on the drum)

Now we sit and remember remember the 5th of November. We light a bonfire (fire on iPad and bonfire scent candle)

And sit and watch fireworks (fireworks torch and sounds or app)

Then go home for a nice cup of tea (have a cup of tea/tea break)

The Highwayman

It was Autumn in the woods and the leaves were gently falling

(leaves in a basket – can handle them or drop them on people/the floor)

The leaves were red, yellow, orange, green, brown

(say whatever colours you find – show the colours – can spread them between different people rather than person by person)

Animals were looking for food and the wind was rustling in the trees

(rainmaker or shaker or similar sound)

There was a damp smell in the wood - after the rain

(cedarwood or similar smell – it sounds a bit like the musty leaves, but you could also get musty leaves)

Then suddenly!! The sound of horses hooves

(clapping sticks/pieces of wood – we have some round slices of wood – we had enough for everyone to make the sound who wanted to - we also sung ‘Horsy Horsy don’t you stop because it is a favourite song of one of the people in the session)

It was a carriage with wheels going around!

(rolled hoop – saying ‘and the hoop rolled past….’ And gave a chance to push if people wanted – if not you can find anything that goes around as a visual stimuli)

There were rich people inside the carriage, enjoying looking at their jewels and money

(glass nuggets, money, or anything jewel like – we had a lot of baskets to hand so I handed a basket to everyone and then put the nuggets in each persons basket and encouraged them to look through them and be interested in them J)

But they didn’t know that someone was waiting for them! There was a swish of a cloak!

(piece of material – or a cloak if you have one – the material I grabbed was quite light so I swished it past people and over some people and gave the chance to feel)

And the brim of a hat

(feel a hat – I found a straw hat which was not really a highway man but did the job of being a hat)

The Highway Man was waiting and he said “Stand and Deliver! Your Money or Your Life!”

(encouraged people to repeat the words ‘stand and deliver’ and sung that bit of the song)

He took all their money and jewels

(one person had a cloth bag and asked people for their money and they tipped their nuggets into the bag)

Then he rode off

(clip clop sounds)

And the animals continued looking for food and the leaves rustled in the wind

(rainshaker again – or whatever you used)

I also added on a bit about the highway man sitting by a fire and had the fire app on the ipad and also the scent of a bonfire candle – but that might make it a bit too long)

I then did a bit of call and response with ‘The Highwayman’ poem.

Pretty big meteor! #museumhack

Who wouldn't want to take a bus to Pleasantville? Just so long as or isn't a Sunday... I came to upper state new York instead though for the big day tomorrow :)

a few words symbolise my evening

ethics, consent and project information forms....

Victoria Park - to accompany my previous text!