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One day, you'll wish you'd asked.
You know the feeling. Sat across from someone who holds a piece of your family's story, and somehow the moment never quite arrives. The question stays unasked. The silence fills in. And slowly, without anyone meaning it to, the story disappears.
This Saturday, Alison Marshall - heritage writer and the woman who turned a drawer full of her grandparents' letters into a book - is spending three hours in Settle helping a small group of people do the thing they've been putting off.
How to find the story. How to ask the question. How to turn an old photograph, a half-memory, or a box of unsorted papers into something that will outlast all of us.
Twelve places. A few left. Saturday 20th June, 2–5pm at The Joinery. £45, including a signed copy of Alison's book.
Don't leave it until it's too late. Book your space here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-to-find-and-tell-your-familys-story-workshop/ ... See MoreSee Less
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This Monday, your pupils get to hear a story that helped shape modern Britain.
The Windrush Generation left home behind to help rebuild a country they'd never seen. They came with courage, kindness, and open hearts, and changed this nation forever.
This Windrush Day, we're bringing their story to life through online storytelling, led by a professional storyteller and pitched perfectly for KS1 and KS2. It's ideal for mixed-age assemblies or whole-school listening, and the whole session is just 30 minutes.
Oh, and it's completely free.
Monday 22nd June | 1:30pm | Online
Register your class here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/building-a-new-britain-windrush-day-event-for-ks1-and-ks2/ ... See MoreSee Less
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📖 Your Wednesday reminder is here!
This Friday, we've got something wonderful waiting for your class - The Trojan Horse, a new free story for KS2.
From 1pm on Friday 19th June, 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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Somewhere in a drawer, there are letters.
Faded ink. Fragile paper. Words written across oceans, across decades - a love story interrupted by distance, danger, and the upheaval of an entire era.
Journeys of Hope: The Letters of Meyer and Sonia is a true story of migration, family, and what gets carried across borders. And this Wednesday evening, author Alison Marshall sits down with Sita Brand at The Joinery in Settle to talk about it.
Only a handful of tickets remain for what promises to be a truly special evening. Your ticket includes a signed copy of the book.
Wednesday 17th June | 7pm | The Joinery, Settle (also available online) | £20
Grab one of the last places here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/journeys-of-hope-an-evening-with-alison-marshall/ ... See MoreSee Less
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"So tell me about yourself."
Five words. And suddenly your mind goes completely blank.
Sound familiar? You're in good company. Most of us have more stories inside us than we realise, we just haven't found the right way in yet.
That's exactly what our How to Find and Tell Your Story workshop is for. In just two hours online, you'll learn how to spot the moments in your own life that are worth sharing, shape them into something people actually want to hear, and tell one story out loud with confidence.
Teachers, managers, job-seekers, parents, curious humans - this one's for you.
Saturday 11th July, 2–4pm | Online via Zoom | £16.50 (early bird price available)
Grab your space here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-to-find-and-tell-your-story-2/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Imagine leaving a three-hour workshop with this in your bag:
✅ Your first interview questions, ready to ask the relatives who hold the stories
✅ A clear framework for turning research into narrative (goodbye, overwhelm)
✅ Practical techniques you can use that same afternoon at home
✅ The opening lines of something that actually matters
✅ A personal action plan for where to go next
✅ A copy of Alison Marshall's book, Journeys of Hope
This is what Saturday afternoon at The Joinery looks like on 20th June.
A small group (just 12 people), a gifted guide, and three hours to start the story you've been carrying around for years.
🎟 £45 | 20th June, 2–5pm | The Joinery, Settle
Book your place here 👇
settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-to-find-and-tell-your-familys-story-workshop
#FamilyHistory #StoryWorkshop #SettleStories #SettleYorkshire #HowToWriteYourStory ... See MoreSee Less
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Next week - free online event for schools 🎉
This Windrush Day, bring history to life in your classroom.
On Monday 22nd June at 1:30pm, we're hosting a free live online storytelling session for KS1 and KS2: Building a New Britain: The Windrush Story.
The Windrush Generation left home and sunshine behind to help rebuild a Britain they'd never seen. They came with courage, kindness and open hearts, and changed this country forever. This session brings their story to your pupils in a way that's vivid, honest and full of heart, led by a professional storyteller.
Perfect for mixed-age assemblies or whole-school listening. Just 30 minutes. Completely free.
📅 Monday 22nd June | 1:30–2:00pm
💻 Online
🎟 FREE
Book your school's place here 👇
settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/building-a-new-britain-windrush-day-event-for-ks1-and-ks2
#WindrushDay #WindrushGeneration #PrimarySchools #KS1 #KS2 #FreeForSchools #SettleStories #Storytelling #ClassroomResources #PrimaryHistory ... See MoreSee Less
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📖 Your Wednesday reminder is here!
This Friday, we've got something wonderful waiting for your class - The Bundle of Sticks, a new free story for EYFS, KS1 and KS2.
From 1pm on Friday 12th June, 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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That question you've been meaning to ask before it's too late.
The box of photographs you've never quite got round to sorting. The recipe your aunt makes without measuring. The story you keep meaning to write down before the people who know it are gone.
Sound familiar?
This workshop with heritage writer Alison Marshall is a proper, hands-on afternoon for anyone who wants to capture their family's story and actually do something with it. You'll learn how to turn fragments (a single photo, a half-memory, a place name) into real narrative. Stories people will want to read. Stories that last.
No writing experience needed. Just bring your curiosity and one family memento to start from.
📅 Saturday 20th June, 2–5pm
📍 The Joinery, Settle
🎟 £45 including Alison's book
Only 12 places available. Grab yours before they go 👇
settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-to-find-and-tell-your-familys-story-workshop
#FamilyStories #CreativeWriting #HeritageSkills #SettleStories #Storytelling ... See MoreSee Less
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Due to a fantastic number of entries, we have decided to extend the deadline for our Children's Story Competition for a further two weeks, until Monday 29th June at 5pm.
That's right, you have another two weeks to get your 500 word story on the theme of 'What I Love' written. If you're aged between 7 and 11, we'd love to hear from you - you could win up to £100 in book tokens, have your story broadcast to the whole country as a part of the #FridayStoryClub and win your class a subscription to Stories for Schools. We can't wait to hear from you!
Find out more here: settlestories.org.uk/stories-for-schools/childrens-story-competition-2026/ ... See MoreSee Less
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There's a photo in your grandmother's drawer with no names on the back. Alison Marshall knows that feeling.
Her own family story began with a bundle of letters from the 1920s. What started as curiosity became a book, Journeys of Hope: The Letters of Meyer and Sonia, tracing two people's emigration across continents and generations.
Now she's bringing that same depth of research, craft, and warmth to a hands-on workshop right here in Settle. Alison combines the skills of a heritage writer with the instincts of a storyteller. She'll help you find the feeling underneath the facts.
📅 Friday 20th June, 2–5pm at The Joinery, Settle
🎟 £45 (includes a copy of her book!)
Just 12 places. Book yours here 👇
settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-to-find-and-tell-your-familys-story-workshop
#FamilyHistory #HeritageWriting #SettleStories #SettleYorkshire #Storytelling ... See MoreSee Less
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Are you a writer or creative trying to sell yourself? Are you a business person, fed up of making small talk at networking events? Are you job hunting and unsure about how to answer the question, "So tell me a bit about yourself"?
On Saturday 11th July, storyteller and CEO of Settle Stories Sita Brand will be leading you through a two hour workshop on how to do just this. You'll learn how to identify stories from your own life that really sell who you are, and how to deliver these confidently, engagingly and in a way that will want people leaving more.
Perfect for those who have never told a story aloud before and those who are experienced storytellers alike, it's two hours of your life that will sell the rest.
Tickets are limited - this is a small group experience. Book your slot here: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-to-find-and-tell-your-story-2/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Last night, Settle Stories was delighted to welcome Jez Meyers and Maria Romanenko from @all_for_ukraine to The Joinery to deliver their talk, How Not To Flee A War.
With both an in person and virtual audience, we were guided through the pair's terrifying journey to leave Kyiv when fighting broke out in February 2022, the impact that it has had on them, and the friends they lost and left behind. It was powerful, moving, deeply emotional, and will stick with us all for a long time.
Huge thank you to Jez and Maria for their generosity in sharing their story, their warmth, humour, and kindness.
Jez and Maria now run All For Ukraine, a charity that works with and provides support for refugees from Ukraine. You can make a donation to their amazing work here: buy.stripe.com/bJedR9f0j9NTg0r5oNcAo00 ... See MoreSee Less
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Picture this. September 2025. A British-Kenyan team deep inside Panga ya Saidi, one of the oldest burial sites on earth, carrying satellite equipment through a sacred cave system in coastal Kenya.
78,000 years of human history. And we were about to share it live with the world.
Lost and Forgotten brought together Settle Stories, Kenyan cultural organisation Msitu Wa Ndoto, and the Kaya Kauma elders to stream The Goddess and the Shadow, an ancient Mijikenda story of environmental protection, community and spiritual balance, performed by elders and traditional storytellers, many of whom had never been formally recorded before.
No electricity. No signal. Wildlife, humidity and strict cultural protocols at every turn. But months of trust-building, collaboration and sheer creativity meant we found a way.
The result? The first live broadcast from that sacred site. The first comprehensive digital archive of Mijikenda storytelling at Panga ya Saidi. And a permanent home for those voices, kept under community stewardship, for generations to come.
This is what story can do when you lead with respect.
Want to know more about the work we do? 👇
🔗 settlestories.org.uk/news/project/lost-and-forgotten/
#SettleStories #LostAndForgotten #storytelling #CulturalHeritage #kenya #mijikendatraditions #oralhistory #ThrowbackThursday #tbt #collaboration #BritishCouncil ... See MoreSee Less
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Tomorrow night. One story. You really don't want to miss this one.
How NOT to Flee a War is a talk unlike anything we've hosted before. Ukrainian journalist Maria Romanenko and her partner Jez Myers take you right back to the morning of 24 February 2022 - the explosions, the disbelief, and the desperate, chaotic scramble to leave Kyiv as a city emptied overnight.
This isn't a polished survivor's tale. It's honest, human, and told with the kind of dark humour that only comes from living through something truly unimaginable. Seen by BBC, ITV, Sky News and CNN - and heading to the Welsh, Scottish, and Danish Parliaments - this is your chance to hear it up close, in our little corner of North Yorkshire.
Last few seats available. £12–£19.
👉 Book now for in person tickets: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-not-to-flee-a-war/
Or online tickets: settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-not-to-flee-a-war-online/
The Joinery, Settle · Thursday 4 June · 6:30pm ... See MoreSee Less
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📖 Your Wednesday reminder is here!
This Friday, we've got something wonderful waiting for your class - The Tale of Falsehood and Truth, a new free story for EYFS, KS1 and KS2.
From 1pm on Friday 5th June, 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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We had a wonderful time last night working with @1st Clapham & Austwick Brownies & Guides on the short films for their Protect the Peaks project. The girls were all wonderful, and got stuck in and learn as much as possible about our cameras, filming, sound, lighting, live editing and set design.
It was lovely to have the Joinery so full of people. If your community group, organisation or business is interested in learning about professional filming, or what we can do for you, check out our website: settlestories.org.uk/hire/ ... See MoreSee Less
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What an amazing evening with a wonderful group! Thanks for coming all!
If your community group or organisation is interested in getting involved with a filming project, drop us a line at info@settlestories.org.uk to find out more! ... See MoreSee Less
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✨ This International Volunteer Week, we want to shout a huge thank you to the incredible illustrators in our Artist Directory.
From Yorkshire to Taiwan, from Nigeria to Northern Ireland - so many of you have given your time, your talent, and your imagination to help bring stories to life for children and communities everywhere.
Your art doesn't just decorate a page. It opens a door. It sparks a question. It makes a child feel seen.
We are endlessly grateful. 💛
👉 Explore the full directory and discover the brilliant minds behind the magic: settlestories.org.uk/collaborate/artist-directory/
#InternationalVolunteerWeek #ThankYou #SettleStories #Illustration #Storytelling ArtistDirectory VolunteerArtists ... See MoreSee Less
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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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