The Story Door Door: True Tales Told Live (Woodend)

pic: The wide streets of Woodend

At first I thought I was imagining it - but no, there is definitely an energy and enthusiasm for storytelling events in regional Victoria that wasn't there a few years ago.

My friend Kate Lawrence (from Macedon) has been offering workshops and open floor nights throughout 2015. Initially, not really comfortable telling personal tales, I attended a workshop some months back and have now, stepped up to the mic a couple of times.

Kate booked the lead-light Room in Holgates Hotel in Woodend for the first Friday of the month for three months as a trial. Not having good 'night eyes', I've enjoyed jumping on a train, hopping off at Woodend and sharing a meal with other folks following the stories from Kyneton, Daylesford, Castlemaine and Trentham. One quickly bonds around open mics and folks become new best friends in a blink!

 pic: Macedon Station (Love train stations!)

 Pic: Didn't get a pic of Holgates from the front as there were people enjoying themsleves, but this is a window in the Leadlight Room

I love getting on the train in the busy inner west of Melbourne and 45 minutes later, stepping out into the quiet, wide streets of Woodend. I love old train stations and those big pubs on the corners of wide streets and that's even before the stories begin. The big stories of life and death, the human tales of miscalculated consequence, the misreading of intention - funny, poignant and acerbic. I'm slowly becoming a fan of personal tales and highly recommend a trip to Woodend for meal, a wine and a story.

pic: The room slowly filling up. Later on in the evening, these chairs were filled.

Follow Kate's adventures and join in the fun: HERE 
And if you can't make it to an evening, or if you would like to hear the stories again, Kate is recording and posting to SoundCloud (with the permission of the storytellers) HERE. Enjoy.

Telling stories in the Story Peddlers tent

Children's author Sally Rippon and Coffee Peddler, Patrick Verdon, have combined their talents and created a story tent. Patrick has designed and stitched this magical space that loads into a small caravan mounted on a tricycle.

Pitched on the grass at a small suburban primary school, the grade 1s and 2s were in for an end of year treat. (To the envy of all the others!)

We comfortably squeezed 60 small people into the space. I can only imagine what was going on inside those heads. Glazed looks of wonder, the children loved the exquisite agony of the wait, there was much peeping and running away.

There is something of the carnival and circus about the tent. It was an absolute delight telling stories in the Peddlers tent. A highlight of my year, of that there is no doubt!

You can find The Story Peddlers HERE