Hidden Treasures and Inspiration - a Talk on Friday, 21st October

Last summer, as part of the Berwick 900 Our Families family history research project, we set up a small creative writing group to write fictional family stories about incidents and historical characters in Berwick’s, Tweedmouth’s and Spittal’s history, using research produced by the volunteers.

There's lots of scope for imagining what led up to incidents, what impact it had on people, what happened afterwards and creating a family story. One story, a poem written by Sandra Whitnell, is about a woman murdered at Middle Ord, Northumberland, in December 1876.

This year, Linda Bankier, the Berwick Archivist will give a talk at Berwick Literary Festival about the variety of records available in Berwick Record Office, and the audience will hear excerpts from three stories based on research into the Berwick Town Council account books, a newspaper cutting from November 1863 about a crinoline that caused an accident and a poster.

The talk is this Friday, 21st October at 12 noon at the Holy Trinity Parish Centre, Berwick; cost £5. 

The Errington Inquiry, 1715

Here's another video from the 1715 Northumbrian Jacobite Rising weekend with John Nicholls, MBE, talking about the Northumbrian Jacobites and what happened to the unsuccessful rebel ringleaders, Kendal Leask about the reproduction printing press, excerpts from poetry readings in English and French in Berwick Literary Festival, Derek Sharman about the Berwick 900 Festival and a drama, The Errington Inquiry set in the Court room above Berwick Guildhall.

The inquiry was presided over by the Mayor of Berwick and features Mrs Wilson, a tavern-keeper on Holy Island,  Corporal Francis Amos, Alexander Unthank, the jail-keeper and tavern-keeper of the Berwick Arms. Most of their evidence is about Lancelot Errington, the principal ringleader who seized Holy Island castle with his nephew.

Berwick Literary Festival, 16 to 18 October

There's more than 25 interesting talks and workshops to engage you during Berwick Literary Festival which runs from 16 to 18 October.

For example,
Friday, 16 October at 10am  
Archives for Creative Writing
A talk by Linda Bankier at Holy Trinity Parish Centre (tickets £2).

Friday, 16 October at 12 noon  
History in Historical Fiction: Icing on the Cake or Main Ingredient?
A talk by Margaret Skea about her latest book; A House Divided. Set in Scotland in the 16th Century, Munro, one of the Earl of Glencairn's followers, is trapped in a longstanding feud between the Montgomeries and the Cunninghames.

Sunday, 18 October at 2pm  
Archives for Creative Writing
A workshop led by Linda Bankier at Holy Trinity Parish Centre (tickets £5).

Full list of Berwick Literary Festival events.

Bookings for a talk or workshop.

Are you an author or want to be one ?
Are you interested being part of a creative writing group, based in Berwick, uses your own historical research, newspaper clippings or research produced by the Berwick 900 Our Families Project to write fictional family stories about incidents (before World War I) and historical characters in Berwick’s, Tweedmouth’s and Spittal’s history ?

There's lots of scope for imagining what led up to incidents, what impact it had on people, what happened afterwards and creating a family story.

If you're interested, please send me an email