Cheshire Folk Tales

Cheshire is a county that associates with the giants of English literature, such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Wierdstone of Brisingamen, but how did these fabulous tales develop from a supposedly flat county of boggy, cheese-making plains? This book uncovers some of the surprise and charm hidden in the folds of this unassuming landscape. For hundreds of years, Cheshire folk have been quietly telling their own tales about some of Britain's great heroes, as well as wrestling with their own demons, dragons and boggarts. Let the Journey Man guide you along the canals, through the forests and safely past the sniddlebogs to some surprisingly spectacular heights where you can experience Cheshire's own heroes alongside its eccentric traditions and fast-disappearing dialect. It's not all salt and cheese... The Journey Man is an internationally travelled storyteller who has settled in Cheshire. He has been telling stories for some twenty years, and has been given the opportunity to gather and retell the folk tales and history of Cheshire. He now visits schools throughout the North West of England, as well as leading storytelling walks for all ages.

These lively and entertaining folk tales from one of Britain's most ancient counties are vividly retold by local storyteller The Journey Man. Their origins lost in the oral tradition, these thirty stories from Cheshire reflect the wisdom (and eccentricities) of the county and its people.Cheshire has a rich and diverse collection of tales, from the stories of some of Britain’s most famous mythical heroes, to tales of demons, dragons, boggarts and sniddlebogs. These stories, illustrated with twenty-five line drawings, bring alive the landscape of the county’s rolling hills and fertile plains.The Journey Man is a professional storyteller who has been telling stories across the world for over twenty years.

From the author of the Booker Prize-shortlisted Treacle Walker and the Carnegie Medal and Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize-winning classic, The Owl Service The definitive collection of traditional British folk tales, selected and retold by the renowned Alan Garner.

These lively and entertaining folk tales from one of Britain's most fascinating counties are vividly retold by local storyteller The Journey Man. Their origins lost in the oral tradition, these thirty stories from Staffordshire reflect the wisdom (and eccentricities) of the county and its people. Staffordshire has a rich and diverse collection of tales, from the stories of some of Britain's most famous mythical heroes, to tales of demons, dragons, boggarts and brownies. These stories, illustrated with twenty-five line drawings, bring alive the landscape of the county's moorlands, forests and fertile plains.

In this book, first published in 1970, Ruth L. Tongue has collected a number of county folk tales recorded by her from childhood onwards, from old people, village children and farm round-the-fire sessions. Many of the beliefs embodied in the gipsy and witchcraft tales are still in practice today among the travelling people and locally ‘gifted’ healers. The tales reveal a good deal of fairy lore, some tree lore, including ghostly trees like Crooker, and the ‘uncanny’ Black Dog makes his appearance in more than one tale. The collection includes several of the long fireside tales which would be told on succeeding evenings on winter nights round the kitchen fire, and rhozzums from various localities.

This enchanting collection of stories gathers together folk tales from across England in one special volume. Drawn from The History Press' popular Folk Tales series, herein lies a treasure trove of tales from a wealth of talented storytellers performing in the country today, including prominent figures Taffy Thomas MBE, Hugh Lupton and Helen East. From hidden chapels and murderous vicars to travelling fiddlers and magical shape-shifters, this book celebrates the distinct character of England's different customs, beliefs and dialects, and is a treat for all who enjoy a good yarn.

Almost 20 years ago Michael Brocken created from his doctoral research, what became both a seminal and contested volume concerning the social mores surrounding the British Folk Revival up to that point in time: The British Folk Revival 1944–2002. In this long-overdue second edition he revisits not only his own research, but also that of others from the 1990s and early 21st century. He then considers how a discourse of folkloric authenticity emerged in the closing years of the 19th century and how a worrying nationalistic immanence came to surround folk music and dance during the inter-war years. Brocken also proposes that the media: records, radio and TV in post-WWII folk revivalism can offer us important insights into how self-directed learning of the folk guitar emerged. Brocken moves on to consider the business structures of the contemporary folk scene and how relationships are formed between contemporary folk business and the digital and social media spheres. In his penultimate chapter he discusses the masculinisation of folk traditions and asks important questions about how our folk traditions are carried and are authorised. In the final chapter he also considers the rise of an exciting new folk live music built environment.