The Silver Reserve - Live Music
2026-05-14 19:00 - 20:30 (Europe/London) | The Joinery, Dawsons Court, Market Place, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 9ED, United Kingdom
There is music that performs at you. And then there is music that finds you.
Matthew Sturgess, who records and performs as The Silver Reserve, makes the second kind. On a classical guitar, with carefully layered loops and a voice that carries the weight of things honestly felt, he crafts songs that don’t rush toward meaning. They circle it, wait, and then, quietly, they arrive somewhere true.
We all carry a reserve, don’t we? Something set aside for the moments when the world sits heavy. A place inside where beauty, steadiness, and the particular comfort of being understood still live. Matthew’s songs seem to know where that place is. They are written from it.
This is an evening to set down what you’ve been carrying. To sit with music that asks nothing of you except your presence and gives something back that’s hard to name but easy to feel.
Beauty, darkness, hope, and joy, all held in the same breath.
Join us in person at The Joinery in Settle, or from wherever you are in the world online.
What others have said:
“Songs of warmth and beauty that scratch at the inside of your heart. In a world that sits heavy on your chest, this is music that reminds you how to breathe.” – Thea Gilmore, Cooking Vinyl
“Miniature masterpieces amid towering sonic architecture.” – Louis Brennan
“Beautiful, fragmentary songs which slowly dismantle you.” – Seamus Fogarty, Domino Records
“Perfectly bleak beauty… a hugely talented songwriter.” – Simon Godley, God is in the TV
“Quietly spellbinding.” – Andy Brown, Soundlabhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-D0t6eUzjYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn32z4lPdC4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUHENx6JoCo

The Bear and the Bee: World Bee Day Event for EYFS and KS1
2026-05-20 13:30 - 14:00 | https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/the-bear-and-the-bee-world-bee-day-event-for-eyfs-and-ks1/
Live online storytelling | Gentle, playful and age-appropriate
Barnaby the Bear loves honey – but love alone isn’t enough.
When Barnaby tries to take honey without asking, the bees respond, and Barnaby quickly learns that how we ask matters. His promise to do better next time offers a simple, powerful lesson for young listeners.
Delivered live by a professional storyteller, this session supports social skills, empathy and respectful behaviour, with no preparation needed and an easy fit into the school day.

Folklore and Future on the Settle-Carlisle
2026-05-27 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-06-03 11:00 - 12:00 | The Joinery, Dawsons Court, Market Place, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 9ED, United Kingdom
We open with something rather special – a live recording of Dave Goulder performing his own song, ‘The Settle and Carlisle’. Dave was a passed fireman on the line, meaning he was licensed to drive. Three minutes of guitar and voice, and you’re right back there.
The first presentation, on Wednesday 27th May, brings you the real stories of the railwaymen who kept this line running – people like Derek Soames and Jim Taylor, whose ingenuity and dedication were, frankly, extraordinary. Brought to life by Peter Fox’s original cartoons and drawings, a retired deputy headmaster and lifelong railway enthusiast.
The second, on Wednesday 3rd June, takes you back to the time when the whole line – not just Ribblehead – faced permanent closure. This is the story of how it was saved, told by someone who was there, with access to people and places that simply would not be possible today.
Two presentations by local historian Bob Swallow. Come on your own or bring a friend. There will be a warm welcome, a good story, and plenty to talk about afterwards.

SOLD OUT: StoryLab: Craft Your Story In Six Weeks (April '26 Intake)
2026-05-27 19:00 - 20:30 | https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/storylab-craft-your-story-in-six-weeks/2026-05-27/
StoryLab: Craft Your Story In Six Weeks
NOW SOLD OUT
Only 1 place remaining.
Most people struggle with storytelling for the same reason.
Nobody taught them the mechanics, so their stories drift. They over-explain. They start too early, end too late, and miss the moment that actually matters. People nod politely. Nothing lands. That’s not a talent problem. It’s a craft problem.
StoryLab exists to fix that.
This is practice-based. Not theory.
Six weeks. Same people. Same Zoom room. One story, built properly from Week 1 to Week 6. No inspirational fluff. No “just be authentic” nonsense. You’ll craft your story both ways: written (~1500 words) and told aloud (5-7 minutes). Same story. Two forms. Real craft.
The six weeks:

Week 1 (April 15): Getting them to lean in
Week 2 (April 22): Raising stakes and tension
Week 3 (April 29): Structural frameworks
INTEGRATION WEEK (May 6) – Time to write and practice. No session.
Week 4 (May 13): Scene craft
Week 5 (May 20): Character, voice and conflict
Week 6 (May 27): Cut to the chase

By Week 6 you’ll have:

One complete story – written (~1500 words) and told aloud (5-7 minutes without notes)
Six professional techniques you can use on any story after this
Your Story Bank framework for building the next one

This only works if you show up.
You’ll write between sessions. Practice aloud in small groups. Give and receive feedback.
Teaching is recorded and available for 7 days, but this isn’t a “watch it later” experience.
If you want passive content, there are cheaper options. If you want skill, this requires participation.
Who this is for:
StoryLab is for people ready to stop circling storytelling and start doing it properly.

Writers who want their work to land in the body, not just on the page
People preserving personal or family stories before they disappear
Anyone who uses story as a tool – teaching, leading, communicating
Those who know they have stories but haven’t learned how to shape them

You don’t need a story chosen in advance. That’s what Week 1 is for.
What You Get:

6 x 90-minute live sessions (3 weeks + integration break + 3 weeks)
Small, consistent cohort – maximum 12 people
Direct teaching + guided practice in breakout groups
One complete story in two forms: written and told aloud
Six techniques you’ll reuse for the rest of your life
Teaching recordings (available 7 days)
Story Bank method for ongoing work

No certificates. No gold stars. Just skill.
A note from Sita:
“I’ve spent four decades telling stories – in prisons, on stages, in funding rooms, and in the moments that actually matter. What I know for certain: storytelling isn’t magic. It’s method.
The same techniques work whether you’re writing for the page or speaking aloud. Whether you’re crafting a memoir piece or pitching an idea. Whether you’re preserving a family story or telling the truth about your life. StoryLab isn’t about becoming ‘a storyteller’. It’s about learning how story works, so you can use it deliberately, ethically, and well. Six weeks. One story. Written and told. Real craft.”
Dates & investment
When: Wednesdays, April 15th, 22nd, 29th + May 13th, 20th, 27th
Time: 7:00–8:30pm GMT
Where: Live on Zoom
Size: Maximum 12 (1 place remaining)
Early bird (by March 28th): £217 Standard: £247. Payment plans available.
Questions welcome. But fair warning: this is for people ready to practice, not just think about it.
Not sure yet? There’s a 2-hour Finding Your Story workshop on 7th April. Think of it as Session Zero – try the framework, experience the teaching. If you want to continue, the early bird StoryLab rate applies automatically.

How Not To Flee A War (In Person)
2026-06-04 18:30 - 20:00 | The Joinery, Dawsons Court, Market Place, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 9ED, United Kingdom
‘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.
What 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.
Rather 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.
Since 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.
Their story has resonated around the world, with coverage from BBC, ITV, Sky News, CNN, and many more.
With upcoming talks scheduled at the Welsh, Scottish, and Danish Parliaments, alongside a headline slot at Lewes Speakers Festival, this is one not to miss.
Biographies
Maria 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.
Jez 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.

How Not To Flee A War (Online)
2026-06-04 19:00 - 20:00 | https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-not-to-flee-a-war-online/

Journeys of Hope - An Evening with Alison Marshall
2026-06-17 19:00 - 20:30 | The Joinery, Dawsons Court, Market Place, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 9ED, United Kingdom
Love, Migration, and Stories That Echo Across Generations

Alison Marshall in conversation with Sita Brand
Wednesday 17th June | 7pm | The Joinery, Settle and Online | £20 (includes signed book)
In 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.
Join 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.
The Story:
Meyer 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.
Their 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.
In this conversation, explore:

The moment of discovering letters that rewrite your family story
Love tested by distance, danger, and uncertainty
Why migration patterns echo across generations
What gets carried (and lost) when we cross borders
How researching the past reveals present-day witness
Reading both what letters say and what they cannot say

Your ticket includes:

Intimate conversation guided by Sita’s warmth and wisdom
Signed copy of the book (“I couldn’t put it down”)
Time for questions and reflection

For:

Anyone exploring their own family’s migration story
Writers and storytellers working with heritage narratives
History lovers curious about early 20th century Jewish diaspora
Those seeking to understand migration with greater nuance and humanity

About Alison Marshall:
Living 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.
About Sita:
Founder 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.
Limited to 30 participants for an intimate conversation
Letters 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.
If you are interested in this event, you might be interested in How To Find And Tell Your Family’s Story.

How to Find and Tell Your Family's Story Workshop
2026-06-20 14:00 - 17:00 | The Joinery, Dawsons Court, Market Place, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 9ED, United Kingdom
A hands-on workshop with heritage writer Alison Marshall
There’s a photograph in your grandmother’s drawer with no names on the back. A recipe that tastes like home but comes with silence instead of story. That question you’ve been meaning to ask before it’s too late. These aren’t just gaps in your family history. They’re thresholds. Invitations into rooms you didn’t know existed.
Perhaps you’ve felt it, that tug toward the past. The sense that something important is slipping away while you wait for the right moment, the right skills, the right words.
Here’s what the old storytellers knew: the stories that matter most are rarely the ones already written down. They’re living in the pause before someone answers. In the recipe, your aunt makes without measuring. In the way your father goes quiet when certain places are mentioned.
Maybe you can’t find out the details of your story however, it’s a window into history. Don’t lose it.
In this workshop, you’ll discover:
– The Fragments Method: how to transform scraps (a single photograph, a place name, a half-memory, an object tucked in a drawer) into rich narrative that holds generations
– Voice and Narrative Craft , techniques for writing family memoir as narrative non-fiction: true stories that read like you can’t put them down
– The Story Arc: a proven structure that transforms overwhelming research into story that moves people (not just information, but feeling).
– Flexible approaches: being open minded about where your research takes you.
This workshop is for you if:
– You’ve been meaning to capture these stories before they’re lost, and you’re done waiting for “someday”
– You have boxes of documents, photographs, or letters but no idea how to turn them into narrative people would actually want to read
– You’re secretly worried your family’s story isn’t “dramatic enough” or “interesting enough” (it absolutely is , you just need to know where to look and how to listen)
– You know there’s more to the story than what gets said at family gatherings, and you want to honour what was hard as well as what was hopeful
– You want to create something meaningful that your children or grandchildren will treasure, not just dates and documents, but story that helps them understand who they are
What you’ll leave with:
– Practical tools that work immediately, not theory, but techniques you’ll use that same afternoon when you get home
– Your first interview questions ready to ask, shaped specifically for the relatives who hold the stories
– A clear framework for turning research into narrative (so you stop feeling overwhelmed and start feeling excited about the journey)
– Permission to tell it honestly, messily, powerfully , including the complicated parts
– The opening lines of something that matters , quite possibly the story you were always meant to write
– A personal action plan outlining your research sources, the main questions to answer, and next steps
About Alison Marshall:
Alison knows migration stories aren’t clean or simple. She’s spent years helping people excavate the stories that shaped their families , holding space for complicated truths, honouring what was hard, finding the courage in the crossing and the cost of it too.
Her own journey began with discovering her grandparents’ letters from the 1920s. What started as curiosity became a book: Journeys of Hope: The Letters of Meyer and Sonia. It charts two people’s emigration journey across continents, drawing moving parallels between their experience and that of parents, grandparents, and relatives who migrated across generations and countries.
Alison’s approach combines deep research skills with storytelling craft. She won’t just help you gather facts. She’ll help you find the feeling underneath them , and the narrative arc that makes your family’s story come alive.
She lives in Settle in the Yorkshire Dales and is involved with local refugee support activities, bringing contemporary witness to the timeless patterns of migration, loss, and belonging.
What you’ll need:
No writing experience required. Just bring:

Any family memorabilia you have (photographs, letters, objects or pictures of them, even one item is enough to begin)
Curiosity and willingness to see your family’s story with fresh eyes

Workshop Details:
Date: 20th June 2026
Time: 2 – 5pm
Location: The Joinery, Settle
Investment: £45, including a copy of Alison’s book. ‘Journeys of Hope: The Letters of Meyer and Sonia’
Limited to 12 participants so everyone receives personal attention and space to discover their story.
If you are interested in this event, you might be interested in Journeys of Hope – An Evening with Alison Marshall.

Building a New Britain: Windrush Day Event for KS1 and KS2
2026-06-22 13:30 - 14:00 | https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/building-a-new-britain-windrush-day-event-for-ks1-and-ks2/
Online storytelling | Warm, courageous and age-flexible
The Windrush Generation left sunshine and home behind to help rebuild a Britain they’d never seen. They came with courage, kindness and open hearts, and changed this country forever.
This Windrush Day, we’re bringing their story to life through the power of storytelling. Pupils will discover who the Windrush Generation were, why they came, and what they gave, told in a way that’s vivid, honest and full of heart.
Led by a professional storyteller, this session is suitable for KS1 and KS2, making it ideal for mixed-age assemblies or whole-school listening.

How To Find And Tell Your Story
2026-07-11 14:00 - 16:00 | https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/how-to-find-and-tell-your-story-2/
You have stories. Learn how to find one and tell it well.
A practical 2-hour workshop that turns lived moments into stories people listen to.
This workshop is for people who struggle to tell their own stories. If you go blank when asked to share an experience, talk in circles, or aren’t sure what makes a story worth telling – this is for you.
In this practical 2-hour online workshop, you’ll learn how to spot stories in your own life, shape them using a simple structure, and tell one story with confidence.
You’ll leave with one story shaped and told aloud, and tools you can reuse.

What You’ll Learn

How to recognise which moments contain real stories
A clear story structure that works every time
How to open a story and keep people listening
How to cut what isn’t needed
Practice telling your story out loud

This Workshop Is For You If

You freeze when someone asks you to tell a story
You need to use personal stories in work, interviews, or everyday life
You’re curious about storytelling but don’t know where to start
Teachers, therapists, managers, parents, job-seekers – anyone who needs to hold attention

What People Said About the February Workshop
“Unlocked something I’ve been blocked on for a very long time. Solid gold.”- Clare
“The content was well presented and explained and I felt relaxed enough to risk telling a very personal story and thoroughly enjoyed the experience and my listeners’ reactions.”- Umi
“Fun, engaging, productive, nourishing: definitely worth getting up at 6am for.”- Delta, USA
Practical Details
Date: Saturday 11th July 2026, 2-4pm GMT
Format: Online (Zoom)
Price: £16.50 / £12.50 Early Bird until 28th May
Experience needed: None.

Two Friends: World Friendship Day Event for EYFS and KS1
2026-08-03 13:30 - 14:00 | https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/two-friends-world-friendship-day-event-for-eyfs-and-ks1/
Live online storytelling | Calm, accessible and age-appropriate
Designed for EYFS and KS1 pupils, this story introduces big ideas in a simple, memorable way.
When Aisha and Leo find a bag of gold, Aisha wants to keep it all to herself. But when others say the gold belongs to them, Leo reminds her that you can’t keep the reward and avoid the consequences.
Delivered live by a professional storyteller, this session gently explores sharing, honesty and accountability, supporting early PSHE learning through story and discussion.

Lilith: The Other Side of the Story
2026-09-18 19:00 - 20:00 | The Joinery, Dawsons Court, Market Place, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 9ED, United Kingdom
Before Eve, there was Lilith…
An uplifting one-woman storytelling show. An exploration and celebration of female power through the mythological figure of Lilith. Shocking, seductive and entertaining.
Lilith, the first wife of Adam, was not prepared to lie down and accept what was given to her. Thrown out of Eden, she slithered back in to take her revenge and wake Eve up to what her body could do. Viewed as a demon, worshipped as a goddess, adored as the Queen of Sheba, Lilith slips out of the Bible, reclaims the narrative and is dancing with us still, forever free. Katy Cawkwell mixes myth from Arabia, Ethiopia, Mesopotamia and Jewish tradition, with a dash of feminist flavouring and a large dollop of her own wild dreaming.
This event is in person at The Joinery in Settle, and online, streamed globally. It’s not one to miss.
“Katy was not only captivating to listen to and watch, but was also a breeze to work with, as a producer. It was lovely to watch the engrossed audience as they followed her storytelling and feel the space close in around us, with Katy as the focal point.” Villages in Action (rural touring)

The Cauldron That Died: World Gratitude Day Event for EYFS, KS1 and KS2
2026-09-21 13:30 - 14:00 | https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/the-cauldron-that-died-world-gratitude-day-event-for-eyfs-ks1-and-ks2/
Live online storytelling | Humorous, inclusive and age-flexible
This classic Nasreddin tale uses humour to explore a timeless idea: gratitude matters more than entitlement.
As Nasreddin outwits his greedy neighbour, pupils learn that generosity should be met with thanks, not expectation. The story encourages reflection on sharing, kindness and how we respond when we receive something freely given.
Led live by a professional storyteller, this session is suitable for EYFS through KS2, making it ideal for mixed-age assemblies or whole-school listening.

The Ritual Year
2026-10-15 19:00 - 20:30 | The Joinery, Dawsons Court, Market Place, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 9ED, United Kingdom
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.
Kiera 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.
This event is hybrid – you can attend online or in person at The Joinery in Settle.

Diwali: Live Storytelling Event for EYFS and KS1
2026-11-09 13:30 - 14:00 | https://settlestories.org.uk/whats-on-event/diwali-live-storytelling-event-for-eyfs-and-ks1/
Live online storytelling | Calm, inclusive and age-appropriate
In this age-appropriate storytelling session for EYFS and KS1, children learn about Diwali – a festival that celebrates light, knowledge and goodness.
Through story, pupils are introduced to the idea that light can guide us through darkness and that kindness and fairness help communities thrive. The session supports early learning around values, empathy and cultural understanding, all through the power of story.
Delivered live by a professional storyteller, this 30-minute session fits easily into the school day and requires no preparation from teachers.
