NEW CENTRE FOR STORYTELLING
©Story and picture courtesy of Westmorland Gazette 28 July 2006
"A LAKE DISTRICT story teller who has delighted people of all ages with his renditions of tall tales, plans to found a centre dedicated to his craft in a South Lakeland village. Grasmere-based raconteur Taffy Thomas is hoping to found the centre, which will act as a non profit making charity dedicated to the art of storytelling, in the village’s former National Trust shop. And although the plans are still subject to permission from the Lake District National Park Authority, Mr Thomas hopes the centre will now attract people interested in story telling to the village throughout the year. 'I hope it will be a positive step forward for the North, for the Lake District and for Grasmere,' he said. 'Before I die, which I hope won’t be for another 30 years, I want to leave behind stories and story tellers. I want to do something for the young and the young at heart.' At present, Mr Thomas gives renditions of tall tales in the Storyteller’s Garden, which is adjacent to the building, although this is dependent on weather. But Mr Thomas and his wife Chrissie hope the new centre would mean that his stories would reach new listeners - rain or shine. There would also be space for workshops for those interesting in developing their own story telling skills. The building would also house archives of stories and recordings of the tales being told, as well as an exhibition space. It would be leased from the National Trust, which also owns the adjacent Storyteller’s Garden. And Mrs Thomas explained that since it was founded in 2000 the garden had become a popular attraction for family groups visiting the village. 'We have since expanded out into things like training teachers and librarians and hospice workers in the art of story telling. 'Although Taffy will be the principle story teller we will be bringing story tellers from other places as well. It is quite exciting because this is going to leave a legacy. There isn’t anything else like this in England,' she said. The couple hope that if all goes to plan the centre will throw open its doors over the weekend of September 29 to 30 with a star studded celebration which will include well known faces, including the poet Michael Rosen and Coronation Street star Jean Alexander."