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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260604T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260604T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T061515
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SUMMARY:How Not To Flee A War (In Person)
DESCRIPTION:‘How NOT to Flee a War’ is a first-hand talk by Ukrainian journalist Maria Romanenko\, co-presented with her partner Jez Myers\, telling the story of their attempt to escape Kyiv as Russia launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. \nWhat begins as a surreal morning of explosions and disbelief quickly becomes a frantic and uncertain decision: whether to stay\, where to go\, and how to leave a city rapidly emptying under threat. Built around their real journey out of Ukraine\, the talk uses personal storytelling and images from the road to show what the first days of invasion felt like from the inside. \nRather than a polished narrative of survival\, Maria and Jez describe the experience with blunt honesty and dark humour – the endless traffic\, exhaustion\, panic\, misinformation\, and the reality of borders under pressure. Through Maria’s perspective as a Ukrainian\, and Jez’s as a British partner caught inside the unfolding disaster\, the talk becomes both a gripping personal account and a wider reflection on displacement\, resilience\, and what it means to lose your home overnight. \nSince launching in 2022\, the tour has grown into a nationally recognised speaking series and a leading awareness-raising campaign across the UK and Europe. At its heart is the powerful talk\, ‘How NOT To Flee a War’\, which tells the gripping story of their escape from Kyiv to Manchester. \nTheir story has resonated around the world\, with coverage from BBC\, ITV\, Sky News\, CNN\, and many more. \nWith upcoming talks scheduled at the Welsh\, Scottish\, and Danish Parliaments\, alongside a headline slot at Lewes Speakers Festival\, this is one not to miss. \nBiographies\nMaria Romanenko is a Ukrainian journalist and co-founder of All For Ukraine. Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Hromadske International\, one of Ukraine’s best-known news organisations\, she is the only Ukrainian recipient of the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award. Since relocating to the UK\, Maria has focused on supporting displaced Ukrainians and raising awareness through talks\, including the widely delivered How NOT to Flee a War. She has conducted over 1\,000 mainstream media interviews since arriving in the UK and is a regular commentator across national and international channels. \nJez Myers is a community champion and CEO of All For Ukraine. A recipient of Manchester City Council’s prestigious Pride of Manchester Award\, he brings a dual background in business consultancy and civic engagement. After fleeing Ukraine with Maria\, Jez has advised local and national bodies on supporting displaced Ukrainians\, as well as assisting multiple Ukrainian charities. He is also Chairperson of the Spirit of Manchester Awards\, the largest voluntary sector awards in the North West of England.
URL:https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-not-to-flee-a-war/
LOCATION:The Joinery\, Dawsons Court\, Market Place\, Settle\, North Yorkshire\, BD24 9ED\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Networking,Talk
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://settlestories.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Artist-Directory-Featured-Image-13-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260604T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260604T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T061515
CREATED:20260212T124545Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T110341Z
UID:10000067-1780597800-1780603200@settlestories.org.uk
SUMMARY:How Not To Flee A War (Online)
DESCRIPTION:‘How NOT to Flee a War’ is a first-hand talk by Ukrainian journalist Maria Romanenko\, co-presented with her partner Jez Myers\, telling the story of their attempt to escape Kyiv as Russia launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. \nWhat begins as a surreal morning of explosions and disbelief quickly becomes a frantic and uncertain decision: whether to stay\, where to go\, and how to leave a city rapidly emptying under threat. Built around their real journey out of Ukraine\, the talk uses personal storytelling and images from the road to show what the first days of invasion felt like from the inside. \nRather than a polished narrative of survival\, Maria and Jez describe the experience with blunt honesty and dark humour – the endless traffic\, exhaustion\, panic\, misinformation\, and the reality of borders under pressure. Through Maria’s perspective as a Ukrainian\, and Jez’s as a British partner caught inside the unfolding disaster\, the talk becomes both a gripping personal account and a wider reflection on displacement\, resilience\, and what it means to lose your home overnight. \nSince launching in 2022\, the tour has grown into a nationally recognised speaking series and a leading awareness-raising campaign across the UK and Europe. At its heart is the powerful talk\, ‘How NOT To Flee a War’\, which tells the gripping story of their escape from Kyiv to Manchester. \nTheir story has resonated around the world\, with coverage from BBC\, ITV\, Sky News\, CNN\, and many more. \nWith upcoming talks scheduled at the Welsh\, Scottish\, and Danish Parliaments\, alongside a headline slot at Lewes Speakers Festival\, this is one not to miss. \nBiographies\nMaria Romanenko is a Ukrainian journalist and co-founder of All For Ukraine. Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Hromadske International\, one of Ukraine’s best-known news organisations\, she is the only Ukrainian recipient of the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award. Since relocating to the UK\, Maria has focused on supporting displaced Ukrainians and raising awareness through talks\, including the widely delivered How NOT to Flee a War. She has conducted over 1\,000 mainstream media interviews since arriving in the UK and is a regular commentator across national and international channels. \nJez Myers is a community champion and CEO of All For Ukraine. A recipient of Manchester City Council’s prestigious Pride of Manchester Award\, he brings a dual background in business consultancy and civic engagement. After fleeing Ukraine with Maria\, Jez has advised local and national bodies on supporting displaced Ukrainians\, as well as assisting multiple Ukrainian charities. He is also Chairperson of the Spirit of Manchester Awards\, the largest voluntary sector awards in the North West of England.
URL:https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-not-to-flee-a-war-online/
LOCATION:https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-not-to-flee-a-war-online/
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Talk
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260617T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260617T203000
DTSTAMP:20260417T061515
CREATED:20260313T112354Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T114452Z
UID:10000076-1781722800-1781728200@settlestories.org.uk
SUMMARY:Journeys of Hope - An Evening with Alison Marshall
DESCRIPTION:Love\, Migration\, and Stories That Echo Across Generations\n\nAlison Marshall in conversation with Sita Brand\nWednesday 17th June | 7pm | The Joinery\, Settle and Online | £20 (includes signed book) \nIn a drawer somewhere\, there are letters. Faded ink on fragile paper. Words written across oceans\, across decades\, across the chasm between one life and another. \nJoin us for an intimate evening as Sita speaks with Alison Marshall about Journeys of Hope: The Letters of Meyer and Sonia \, a powerful true story of migration\, family\, and survival. \nThe Story:\nMeyer Fortes and Sonia Donen grew up in a Jewish immigrant community in South Africa\, where they fell in love. In 1927\, Meyer set off alone to study in London. Sonia stayed behind. Their letters chart their hopes\, fears\, disappointments and successes as Meyer struggles to make a life and prepare for Sonia’s arrival. \nTheir story braids with others: Meyer’s father\, Nathan’s journey to Memphis and Leeds\, half-sister Annie’s incarceration on Ellis Island\, Sonia’s escape from the Russian Civil War. The letters offer unique insights into universal challenges\, drawing moving parallels between their 1920s experience and the migrations that came before and after\, including contemporary stories unfolding in Eastern Europe today. \nIn this conversation\, explore: \n\nThe moment of discovering letters that rewrite your family story\nLove tested by distance\, danger\, and uncertainty\nWhy migration patterns echo across generations\nWhat gets carried (and lost) when we cross borders\nHow researching the past reveals present-day witness\nReading both what letters say and what they cannot say\n\nYour ticket includes: \n\nIntimate conversation guided by Sita’s warmth and wisdom\nSigned copy of the book (“I couldn’t put it down”)\nTime for questions and reflection\n\nFor: \n\nAnyone exploring their own family’s migration story\nWriters and storytellers working with heritage narratives\nHistory lovers curious about early 20th century Jewish diaspora\nThose seeking to understand migration with greater nuance and humanity\n\nAbout Alison Marshall: \nLiving in Settle\, Alison discovered her grandparents’ letters and began a journey of research and travel through eastern Europe. This first book combines family memoir\, travelogue\, and cultural history. She’s involved with local refugee support\, bringing contemporary witness to timeless patterns of migration. \nAbout Sita: \nFounder of Settle Stories\, Sita creates spaces where stories build bridges between cultures and beliefs. She brings Buddhist wisdom traditions and deep curiosity to conversations that go deeper than you expect and stay with you longer than the evening lasts. \nLimited to 30 participants for an intimate conversation \nLetters are like threads; they connect what was to what is\, carrying voices across time and distance. Hear a story that echoes across generations and discover what it might reveal about your own.
URL:https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/journeys-of-hope-an-evening-with-alison-marshall/
LOCATION:The Joinery\, Dawsons Court\, Market Place\, Settle\, North Yorkshire\, BD24 9ED\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Talk
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261015T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261015T203000
DTSTAMP:20260417T061515
CREATED:20260213T102611Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260402T085153Z
UID:10000070-1792090800-1792096200@settlestories.org.uk
SUMMARY:The Ritual Year
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a celebration of the delightfully eccentric folk customs\, rituals and traditions that mark the turning year! From cheese rolling to hen races\, and from Morris dancing to druid gatherings at Stongehenge\, there’s plenty in the ritual year that feels traditional. But these customs are not a twee relic of a fancy-dress past\, but a series of living\, breathing traditions that evolve and modernise over time. The seasonal calendar\, too\, is changing\, as multicultural contemporary customs\, like Lunar New Year celebrations or the Bradford mela\, add diversity to the calendar. Yorkshire author\, Kiera Chapman\, will guide us through the surprising stories of these customs\, showing why they are more popular than ever with audiences young and old. \nKiera Chapman is author of The Ritual Year: A New Calendar of Britain’s Feasts\, Festivals and Folklore and Nature’s Calendar: The British Year in 72 Seasons. She is a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford\, where her work focuses on preventing biodiversity loss associated with urban development. \nThis event is hybrid – you can attend online or in person at The Joinery in Settle.
URL:https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/the-ritual-year-in-person/
LOCATION:The Joinery\, Dawsons Court\, Market Place\, Settle\, North Yorkshire\, BD24 9ED\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Talk
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