School Workshops & Visual Arts

WORKSHOPS

TALKS AND WORKSHOPS

Talks:

Myths and Legends of St. Helens: this talk looks at local legends such as the White Rabbit of Crank and Crank Cavens.  It also looks at the true, tragic story of Isabel Robey, the Windle Witch who was hanged and tried with the Lancashire Witches in 1612.

Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary People:  is based on my book of the same title featuring five remarkable people connected with the town including William Draper the first man to talk a clear photograph of the moon.

 A-Z of St. Helens: an interactive talk which looks at the history of the town letter by

letter.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It ! This is about my career as a journalist and covers interviews with people such as Willy Russell, Dame Edna Everage and Coronation Street characters.

From Four Villages to an Industrial Giant: This charts the history of St. Helens from four rural villages to the home of industries such as coal mining, glass and Beecham’s Pills. It also looks at the town’s place in transport evolution with the Sankey Canal and the Liverpool to Manchester Railway.

Workshops

Sue runs a series of workshops in schools for children and young adults.  She has several packages for teachers to employ and can create a special package to match the individual class requirements.

Among those available:

Look Back in Time: this is especially tailored to the history of St. Helens.  It includes instruction on writing poetry with class exercises.  It has been used at Holy Cross Primary School and Parish C. of. E. School, both in St. Helens. Suitable for 8 to12 year olds. 

Fun with Words: Children’s stories and poems with class interaction and exercises. Used at Parish C. of E. School, St. Helens. Suitable for 8- to 12-year-olds.

Let’s Paint A Rainbow: Fun with colours.  Teaches children how to write poetry in a fun and enjoyable way.  Suitable 8 to 14 year olds.

Poetry Workshops: This is a combination of the above workshops but aimed at an older audience.  Used at Sutton Academy, St. Helens.  Suitablefor 12- to 16-year-olds.

Lancashire Witches workshop: this focuses on the Witch craze in Lancashire and is geared to the educational curriculum.  Delivered at St. Helens College and at KGV School, Southport. Suitable for 17plus who are studying this subject or have an interest in this area.