TONY WILSON "The Laidley Worm of Spindlestone Heugh" Part 1

1/3 There are many stories that refer to "Worms" and in most cases it is some form of huge snake or dragon. I first heard this as a song in a folk club in Fleet by a man who played a hammer dulcimer. I learnt it myself and then played it once in a club in Maidenhead. At that time anything over 3 minutes seemed so long to perform but it put me in good stead for my later career as a storyteller where the time factor is ten fold, (i.e. a short story is under five minutes and an average story is more like fifteen minutes.)
I started to write a musical based on the story in and around 1994, but was later asked to work with some Middle-school children in Belford on the story in 2000. This resulted in a short play that was performed at the Berwick Arts Centre. When the story became a set piece for the National Curriculum I started to tell the story again.
The present Bamburgh castle is not the one from the story and you cannot get to Adderstone as it is private property, but in every other case I have recorded the parts of the story in the location that they are mentioned in the story. I was as ably assisted by my lovely wife Anne who operated the camera, stood, lined up, framed the shots and helped the equipment, and had made the ears for the previous play. We must thank Beadnel Golf club who kindly lent us two huge umberellas to save us from the ravages of a Northumbrian summer. They didn't hesitate for a second as we staggered in and asked if they could help us as we were filming a story about a monster. It had been forcast as "Dry, warm but overcast", but you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• TONY
• WILSON
• STORY
• STORYTELLER
• WRITER
• LAIDLEY
• WORM
• SPINDLESTONE
• BAMBURGH
• NORTHUMBERLAND
• NORTHERN
• TALES

[thebanj]

Thank you so much. It makes it worthwhile when people are so kind about what I do.

Tony

[morwalugi]

The thing is Lambe(the 18th century fellow scholars decided actually wrote the source ballad)

probably didn't have long ago Britain in mind when/if he wrote it.The political

events of 1765-1768 Britain closely parallel those of the ballad.Likewise by

Jan 15 1772 Lambes personal health and family life had taken quite a beating.Professionally his 18th century observers seemed to view him with a bemused/"nudge nudge win wink" attitude.

[RicardoGreen2008]

Absolutely Fantastic.

My Speech Communication students

in New York City will derive great benefit

from all your hard work.

Thank you so much.

Ricardo

[elad463]

this is fantastic thank you for posting it.

[corplaxt]

Brilliant!