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We have been quietly capturing some of the Tales from our live events on film in a variety of different ways. This will provide a more permanent legacy, a chance for a wider audience to see these tales and will give us content for future plans for a “Pop up” Museum. This has been done using a range of local amateur and professionals establishing themselves and one of the projects functions has become to provide material and a platform for artists of all sorts to develop and practice their skills and artistry.

Some of this work was showcased at the first public premiere of “Tales on Film” which was held at the Henry Travers studio at the Maltings on Wednesday 18th November.

It featured 4 tales: The Monks of Dryburgh (with input from the Duns Players), The Faithful Wife (which won our young film makers awards at the Berwick 2013 Film and Media Festival), The Vacant Chair (Wilson’s first published tale) and finally The Monomaniac a drama shot on location at Paxton House.

Our talk to the Berwick Literary Festival, focusing on the Everett/Wilson correspondence from the National Library of Scotland was enjoyed by the audience with positive feedback received.

In the meantime our joint venture with the Literary Festival and Rotary to provide a new “Tale of Borders” received over 150 entries. We intend to publish three of these as part of our 2016 revival issue. So this will keep the Tales fresh with more local input and widen the group and generations aware of them and the winners of this competition become published authors as part of their prize.

Our fifth live event, “The Adventures of Lancelot Errington and his Nephew Mark: A Tale of Lindisferne.“, presented with Berwick 900 by Northumberland Theatre Company with support from John Nicholls from the Northumbrian 15 Jacobite society was well received and attracted our largest audience yet of over 70.

The event features an introduction to Wilson’s Tales and the Wilson’s Tales Project by Andrew Ayre, Project Director, “The historic context of the rising and the tale” by John Nicholls MBE, Chairman, The Fifteen (The Northumbrian Jacobite Society) and the Northumberland Theatre Company’s performance of “Launcelot Errington and his Nephew Mark: A Tale of Lindisferne.”

The Northumberland Theatre company are already receiving rave reviews for their latest production, “A Wife or the Gallows” from which from which “Launcelot Errington and his Nephew Mark: A Tale of Lindisferne.” is extracted.

“Six amazing actors – seven if you include the stage manager – and one brilliant show. This must mean the Northumberland Theatre Company’s latest production is under way … My favourite story was the Northumbrian tale of Launcelot Errington and his Nephew Mark … ” – Michael Pearson, Northumberland Gazette.

It follows a similar format to one we developed last year, this time with 6 tales, edited and updated for modern readers with companion pieces about the historic background events and the extent to which the tale follows these.

Two tales are of love and devotion set against harsh backgrounds. Two are swashbuckling local adventures and the final two are based on a wider canvas of Scottish adventures abroad.

The first chapter in what will become a biography of Wilson and the tales is also included.

There has been growing community involvement in the project with 12 contributors this year providing a mixture of updated versions of the tales, research, photographs old and new and reproductions of some of the original illustrations.

The book can now be purchased at Grieves, Berwick Tourist Information office and The Barn at Beal. We can also post out to those of you further afield price £8.50, including postage. Please send a cheque payable to “The Wilsons Tales Project” and return address label.

We will now start on planning edition 3. This includes working this year with Berwick Rotary and The Berwick Literary Festival where we have provided the theme for this year’s schools writing competition; write a more contemporary “Tale of the Borders“, as the last ones dated from before 1840. The 3 winners of the age categories will have their stories published as part of next year’s edition and will become published authors as their prize.

For the month of September we have a shop front display on Berwick high street in the former Country Casuals shop, promoting what we are up to. This includes the first public outing of some of our display and information panels.

We are also starting to successfully be awarded be awarded small amounts of funding for the project, in particular to build up towards our “pop up museum” concept for 2016, including various tales captured on audio visual formats for retelling to audiences in a listening room.

A week to go until the official Maiden Voyage, and we’re longing to have a couple of sea trial sessions to become accustomed to the handling.
Force 5 to 7 and up to 8 today though, so no launches.

We DID fit the stretchers to the floors, so rowing will become much easier.  Racing starts here we come.
Meantime, our Listed Building restoration team have been busy withe mantra of ‘Let there be light’  and have reglazed three of the windows now, shutters still to refix.  What a difference!  When you enter the place it’s looking far more shipshape – a coat of paint on the walls worked wonders,  some daylight works more.

I have to say, with all the fittings now attached, the late evening sun streaming in, the Pride of Aln  really is a boat to take some pride in.  All the many people who had a hand in building her really do have something to take pride in, and the comments from passers by suggests that our community is equally proud and pleased to see her, and see the Lifeboat House with a boat once more.

Tom

Saturday February 21st 2015.
Pride of Aln comes home.
It’s been a long time coming, but here she is, all complete,  arriving at the Old LifeBoat house on Alnmouth beach, her new home for at least the next 5 years.  Rather fitting to be bringing back a rowing boat to the same building that housed a winning design of lifeboat in 1853.

Mark Lediard produced a great video of the Launch.  Here it is

https://vimeo.com/112822768

A big day in the life of a boat, when your keel, stem, and stern posts are all bonded into place.
Such a big event that it was recorded by the local newspaper sending along a photographer to record events