What an incredibly busy half term! I visited fifteen primary schools, two high schools and an FE college across the North West in a whirlwind eight-week period. I wrote with hundreds of children, performed stories with thousands more and even squeezed in some time working with students who were preparing themselves for life in the…
Most of my writing workshops take place with KS2 children or high school students. Occasionally, I am asked to write with KS1 pupils. When Mrs Kippax asked me to work with her Y1 pupils as part of their ‘Awesome Authors’ topic, I jumped at the chance. The theme for the morning was pirates. To start…
I was booked to visit Stanah on a number of days across a week in October. The first visit kicked off the week with an author assembly. I shared Eric’s new adventure with the pupils during a whole school session. The children listened beautifully throughout. To finish the session, I put on the storytelling waistcoat…
It had been a year to the day since I last visited these schools, so I was excited about returning. The morning saw a trip to St John Southworth RC Primary, Nelson. I looked back over the last five years during the assembly, before introducing the children to Eric’s latest adventure. They heard about the…
I was excited to make two trips to Benjamin Hargreaves CE Primary, Accrington, in September. The first morning visit started with a KS2 author assembly. The children listened brilliantly as I explained the events of the last five years in forty minutes! I even managed to put on the storytelling waistcoat to share an Impossible…
Carleton Green is a short walk from my home and it’s a school I’ve built great links with over the last five years. It was lovely to return to be part of their ‘Reading Day’, which kicked off with a storytelling assembly with Year 3 – 6. There was a dragon theme for the day,…
This was my first visit to Brookfield Park and it was a morning to remember. I had a fantastic time! The visit kicked off with an author assembly in the hall. It was a joy to share my writing adventure with Year 2 – 6. They discovered the process involved in writing and editing the…
It’s always one of the highlights of the year when I visit my local libraries to share some stories. Six library visits took place across two weeks in August. These gigs are always important because I usually take some time off from performing in the summer, so they are great to get back into…
Two high school visits featured before the academic year drew to a close. First up was St George’s. I was invited to be part of the English transition day, which saw Year 6 pupils spending time in school before they go into Year 7 in September. I spent the morning in the fantastic surroundings of…
The final primary visit of the academic year took place at Kincraig Primary. The author assembly started with an explanation of the writing process. I think all of the drafts and the hours of editing blew the children’s minds! The children got to see Martin’s illustrations at the various stages of development. It never fails…