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This Thursday, two people are going to walk into The Joinery in Settle and tell you a story unlike anything you've heard before.
On 24th February 2022, Ukrainian journalist Maria Romanenko and her partner Jez Myers woke up to explosions over Kyiv. What followed was a desperate, chaotic, darkly funny attempt to get out of a city emptying under threat of invasion.
How NOT to Flee a War is their story, told with the kind of blunt honesty and warmth that only real experience can carry. Covered by the BBC, ITV, Sky News, and CNN, this is a talk that has resonated around the world. Now it's coming to our little corner of North Yorkshire.
Thursday 4th June, 6:30pm at The Joinery, Settle.
In person: £12–£19. Online: £5.
Some stories need to be heard. This is one of them.
Tickets: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-not-to-flee-a-war/
#HowNotToFleeAWar #SettleStories #LiveStorytelling #Ukraine #TheJoinery #Settle ... See MoreSee Less
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Every child has a story worth telling. The quiet one at the back. The daydreamer by the window. The one who lights up when you give them the space to imagine.
Our 2026 Children's Story Competition is open, and we'd love your class to be part of it. A chance for every child to put their words on the page and feel, perhaps for the very first time, like a writer.
We see it every year. Children who struggle with writing, who hang back in class, who carry stories inside them they've never had the words for. And then they enter a competition. And something shifts.
Simple to enter. Genuinely exciting for your pupils. Free for all ages. And who knows what you might discover about the child you thought you already knew.
Entries close 15th June. Winners announced 10th July.
Give your class the gift of being heard.
settlestories.org.uk/stories-for-schools/childrens-story-competition-2026/
#ChildrensWriting #PrimarySchool #StoryCompetition #EveryChildAWriter #SettleStories ... See MoreSee Less
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Teachers, this one's for you.
There's something that happens when a child knows their writing will be read by someone beyond their teacher. The care they take. The detail they reach for. The quiet pride when they hand it in.
Our Children's Story Competition is open until 15th June, and it's designed to slot beautifully into your week, whether as a class project, a homework task, or a creative writing session.
The theme is "What I Love." Ages 7 to 11. 500 words. Free to enter.
Every child receives a participation certificate. The school with the most entries wins a term's subscription to Stories for Schools. And the winning story gets performed live by Sita Brand and streamed nationally as part of #FridayStoryClub.
We've got a free planning worksheet pack ready to download and use straight away.
Share this with your class and watch what they come up with.
🖊️ Everything you need is here: settlestories.org.uk/stories-for-schools/childrens-story-competition-2026/
#TeacherLife #PrimaryEnglish #CreativeWriting #SettleStories #UKTeachers ... See MoreSee Less
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📖 Your Wednesday reminder is here!
This Friday, we've got something wonderful waiting for your class - The Snake and the Scarecrow, a new free story for KS1 and Lower KS2.
From 1pm on Friday 29th May, head to our #FridayStoryClub page and press play. A real storyteller, beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, and pure magic - completely free, no strings attached.
At 3pm, it's gone. So set that reminder! 🎉
👉 settlestories.org.uk/stories-for-schools/fridaystoryclub ... See MoreSee Less
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There's a photograph in your grandmother's drawer with no names on the back.
A recipe that tastes like home but comes wrapped in silence instead of story. That question you've been meaning to ask before it's too late.
These aren't just gaps. They're invitations. And this workshop is your way in.
On Saturday 20th June, heritage writer Alison Marshall is coming to The Joinery in Settle for a small, hands-on afternoon workshop, and there are just 12 places available.
In three hours together, you'll learn how to turn a single photograph, a half-remembered name, or a tucked-away letter into something people will actually want to read. Practical tools, real techniques, and the kind of guidance that makes you feel excited rather than overwhelmed.
No writing experience needed. Just bring your curiosity, and anything you have that holds a fragment of the story you've been meaning to capture.
You'll leave with your first interview questions ready, a clear framework for turning research into narrative, and the opening lines of something that matters.
Your £45 ticket includes a signed copy of Alison's own book, Journeys of Hope: The Letters of Meyer and Sonia, the story that began when she discovered her own grandparents' letters and couldn't stop until she'd followed them all the way across continents.
These stories are living in the people around you right now. Some of those people won't always be there.
This is your reminder to start.
🎟️ Grab one of the 12 places here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-to-find-and-tell-your-familys-story-workshop/
#FamilyHistory #Storytelling #SettleStories #HeritageWriting #FamilyMemoir #NorthYorkshire #WriteYourStory #RefugeeWeek ... See MoreSee Less
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In a drawer somewhere, there are letters.
Faded ink on fragile paper. Words written across oceans, across decades, across the ache of distance between two people in love.
This June, we are sitting down with local author Alison Marshall to explore her extraordinary book, Journeys of Hope: The Letters of Meyer and Sonia, a true story of migration, family, and survival that stretches from South Africa to London, from Ellis Island to Eastern Europe, and all the way to the present day.
Meyer and Sonia fell in love in a Jewish immigrant community in 1920s South Africa. When Meyer set off alone to build a life in London, they wrote to each other. Those letters survived. And what they reveal is breathtaking.
Sita will be in conversation with Alison on Wednesday 17th June at 7pm, here at The Joinery in Settle, and online too.
Your £20 ticket includes a signed copy of the book. Places are limited to just 30, so this one will go quickly.
If you have ever wondered about your own family's story, if distance, migration, or history has shaped the people you come from, this is the evening for you.
Come and sit with us. Bring your curiosity. Leave with a story that stays.
🎟️ Book your place here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/journeys-of-hope-an-evening-with-alison-marshall/
#JourneysOfHope #SettleStories #LiveStorytelling #FamilyHistory #MigrationStories #RefugeeWeek #BookEvent #NorthYorkshire ... See MoreSee Less
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What do you pack when you have twenty minutes to flee a war?
It's Refugee Week soon, and we're bringing you one of the most powerful evenings we've ever hosted.
'How NOT to Flee a War' is the true story of Ukrainian journalist Maria Romanenko and her British partner Jez Myers, who woke to explosions in Kyiv on 24th February 2022 with no plan and no escape route.
What followed was chaotic, frightening, and at times darkly funny. And it changed both of them forever.
This isn't a news report. It isn't a political debate. It's two real people, in the room with you, sharing the kind of story that gets under your skin and stays there.
The National Holocaust Centre called it "storytelling at its most raw and real." The University of Leeds said it was "fascinating and deeply moving." We think you need to hear it for yourself.
Tickets are going. Grab yours now and we'll see you there.
🎟️ Book here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-not-to-flee-a-war/
#RefugeeWeek #HowNotToFleeAWar #SettleStories #LiveStorytelling #Ukraine #RefugeeStories ... See MoreSee Less
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Derek Soames and Jim Taylor worked on the Settle Carlisle. What they did to keep it running will astonish you.
Local historian Bob Swallow brings their stories to life in a free morning talk - with original cartoons and a song performed by Dave Goulder, a man who drove these very trains.
Free. 11am, Wednesday 27th May. The Joinery, Settle.
Book your free place here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/folklore-and-future-on-the-settle-carlisle/2026-05-27/ ... See MoreSee Less
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In 1927, Meyer left the woman he loved behind in South Africa and sailed to London to build them a future. They wrote letters. Those letters survived a century.
Alison Marshall found them. Followed their threads across eastern Europe. And wrote a book that braids her grandparents' love story with the wider, timeless patterns of migration, displacement, and hope.
On 17th June, Alison joins Sita Brand at The Joinery for an intimate conversation - just 30 in person places - about letters, longing, and what family stories can teach us about the world we're living in now.
£20. In Settle and online - and no matter where you attend, your ticket includes a signed copy.
Book your space here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/journeys-of-hope-an-evening-with-alison-marshall/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Could this be your moment? 🌟
We're looking for brilliant people to help shape the future of storytelling. If you believe in the power of stories to connect, inspire, and change lives - we'd love to hear from you.
Applications close Friday 29th May. Link here: settlestories.org.uk/settle-stories-chair-and-trustee-recruitment/ ... See MoreSee Less
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📖 Your Wednesday reminder is here!
This Friday, we've got something wonderful waiting for your class - The Wise Old Owl and the Forest Law, a new free story for EYFS, KS1 and KS2.
From 1pm on Friday 22nd May, head to our #FridayStoryClub page and press play. A real storyteller, beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, and pure magic - completely free, no strings attached.
At 3pm, it's gone. So set that reminder! 🎉
👉 settlestories.org.uk/stories-for-schools/fridaystoryclub ... See MoreSee Less
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On 24th February 2022, Ukrainian journalist Maria Romanenko and her British partner Jez Myers tried to flee Kyiv.
What followed was chaos, exhaustion, dark humour, and a journey none of us could imagine.
Their talk, How Not to Flee a War, has become a nationally recognised speaking series, with upcoming dates at the Welsh, Scottish and Danish Parliaments. Now they're coming to Settle - and online.
4th June, 6:30pm. In person and online.
This one will stay with you.
Online tickets available here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-not-to-flee-a-war-online/
In person tickets available here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-not-to-flee-a-war/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Do you remember when they nearly closed the Settle Carlisle for good?
Join us on Wednesday 27th May at 11am for a free morning of real stories, original artwork and a song from a man who actually drove the trains. Two short presentations from local historian Bob Swallow. One remarkable railway. And a warm welcome waiting for you.
Free. 11am. The Joinery, Settle.
Book your free space here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/folklore-and-future-on-the-settle-carlisle/2026-05-27/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Something special is waiting for you this June. ✨
Stories that stay with you. Moments that bring you closer to people you've never met. That sense of wonder you didn't know you needed on a Thursday evening.
Our June events are live, and there's something for everyone, whether you're a lifelong story lover, a curious newcomer, or just someone who fancies something a little out of the ordinary.
From the heart of the Yorkshire Dales to wherever you are in the world, join us for an extraordinary month of storytelling.
👉 See what's on and book your place: settlestories.org.uk/events/whats-on/
Spaces fill up fast, so have a look and grab yours. We'd love to see you there.
#SettleStories #StoriesForEveryone #YorkshireDales #Storytelling #June #WhatsOn #LiveEvents ... See MoreSee Less
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Last few tickets. Tonight. 7pm.
Matthew Sturgess, The Silver Reserve, live at The Joinery in Settle. Classical guitar, layered loops, songs that take their time and arrive somewhere true. From just £5, in person or from your sofa online.
The people already in those seats? They are going to have a very good evening indeed.
Book yours before they're gone:
👉 settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/the-silver-reserve/ ... See MoreSee Less
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📖 Your Wednesday reminder is here!
This Friday, we've got something wonderful waiting for your class - The Rainbow Serpent, a new free story for EYFS, KS1 and KS2.
From 1pm on Friday 15th May, head to our #FridayStoryClub page and press play. A real storyteller, beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, and pure magic - completely free, no strings attached.
At 3pm, it's gone. So set that reminder! 🎉
👉 settlestories.org.uk/stories-for-schools/fridaystoryclub ... See MoreSee Less
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Meet the person reading your child's story. ✨
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of the @literacy_trust , Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and Booker Prize Advisory Board member, is our judge for this year's Children's Story Competition.
He's read thousands of stories. He knows a great one the moment it starts. And this summer, he could be reading yours.
The theme is What I Love. 500 words. Ages 7 to 11. Deadline: 15th June.
Every child who enters gets a certificate. The winner gets a £100 book token and the chance to have their story performed live to schools across the country by Sita Brand. The school with the most entries wins a term's subscription to Stories for Schools.
Enter your child or your whole class right here:
👉 settlestories.org.uk/stories-for-schools/childrens-story-competition-2026/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Last chance to book: The Silver Reserve is this week.
Stories from lives richly lived, shared in a space that's warm, welcoming, and genuinely unlike anything else. Places are going. Don't let this one slip by.
👉 settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/the-silver-reserve/ ... See MoreSee Less
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🎸 Some music you hear. Some music you feel.
On 14th May, The Silver Reserve comes to The Joinery in Settle - and if you've never heard Matthew Sturgess play, you're in for something quite special.
Delicate guitar. Layered atmospherics. Songs that take their time and find their way quietly, gently, completely under your skin. This is an evening for people who know that the best music doesn't shout - it simply sits with you, long after the last note fades.
You can join us in person here in Settle, or tune in online from wherever you are. Either way, clear your Wednesday evening and give yourself this one.
🗓️ Wednesday 14th May | ⏰ 7pm–8:30pm | 📍 The Joinery, Settle (or online)
🎟️ Tickets from £5
Grab yours here 👉 settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/the-silver-reserve/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Happy 100th birthday, Sir David Attenborough. 🌿
For a century, he has done what the very best storytellers do: looked at the world with wide-open eyes and invited us all to lean in a little closer.
That same wonder lives in every classroom we visit. When children hear a story rooted in the natural world, something shifts. They ask bigger questions. They care more deeply.
Stories have always been how we learn to love what matters.
Here's to a man who understood that from the very beginning.
#HappyBirthdaySirDavid #Storytelling #StoriesForSchools #NatureDays #SettleStories ... See MoreSee Less
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,🐝 What happens when a bear wants honey but forgets to ask nicely?
This World Bee Day, we're bringing Barnaby the Bear to life in a FREE live storytelling session for EYFS and KS1, and it's one your little ones won't want to miss.
The Bear and the Bee is a gentle, joyful story about asking, listening, and doing better, told by a professional storyteller on 20th May at 1:30pm.
No prep. No fuss. Just a wonderful story that slips beautifully into your school day and sparks conversations about empathy and respect that last long after it ends.
🍯 It's free. It's live. And spaces won't hang around.
👉 Book your class in here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/the-bear-and-the-bee-world-bee-day-event-for-eyfs-and-ks1/ ... See MoreSee Less
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If you love live music, a good night out, or lyrics that feel like poetry, then you've come to the right place. We're delighted to be welcoming @silverreserve to settle next week, and are very excited that the show will be both in person at the joinery, and livestreamed online, so you can watch from wherever you are. We'd love to have you along.
You can book your tickets now via settlestories.org.uk. ... See MoreSee Less
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📖 Your Wednesday reminder is here!
This Friday, we've got something wonderful waiting for your class - The Chipped Cup, a new free story for KS1 and KS2.
From 1pm on Friday 8th May, head to our #FridayStoryClub page and press play. A real storyteller, beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, and pure magic - completely free, no strings attached.
At 3pm, it's gone. So set that reminder! 🎉
👉 settlestories.org.uk/stories-for-schools/fridaystoryclub ... See MoreSee Less
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This isn't your average night out.
The Silver Reserve is an evening of exceptional storytelling, fine music, and real conversation - the kind that doesn't happen often enough. Carefully crafted and warmly hosted, it's an event where you arrive curious and leave with something you didn't expect.
Whether you're a music lover, a story lover, or simply someone who appreciates a genuinely memorable evening, this one is for you. The atmosphere is warm, the company is brilliant, and the stories are the kind that stay with you.
Spaces are limited and tickets are on sale now. If you've been thinking about it, stop thinking.
Grab your ticket before they go 👇
settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/the-silver-reserve/ ... See MoreSee Less
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