Mike O’Leary hasn’t just collected the stories from books and websites, he has walked them and listened to them.

Stories can be heard in the strangest and most ordinary places; they can be heard from a man in a hi-viz jacket, leaning on a kebab van on the A287; or a woman in a farmer’s market who loves the land that provides her produce.

They can be heard from the archaeologist whose fascination with the story of humanity has taken her to excavations throughout Britain, and from the old man in Sandy Lane, who, in the 1970s, recounted how life in the Hampshire countryside had changed throughout the twentieth century.

The stories often come from the “Edgelands”; the marginal areas. Once upon a time the New Forest was one of these, a place for dissenters, outcasts, gypsies and vagabonds. Nowadays the Edgelands are the places, neither rural nor urban, that lie in the clutter between town and country.

Come and hear stories of the blood red king of Canterton Glen, of the plague hearse that gallops Chute’s Broadway, of the flip flap footsteps of the dead frogman who walks Spice Island, and of the buried football shirt that tells a tale of two cities.

This is based around Mike’s new book, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Folk Tales, but Mike will not be reading from it, he will be storyTELLING, using bagpipes, flutes and a variety of strange and wonderful instruments, to help the stories along.

Doors open at 7.15pm and stories start at 8pm.  Please arrive in good time as, to ensure that the storytelling is not disturbed, we will not be admitting anyone after 8pm!

Booking details:

Booking is recommended.

Cost:

This is a fundraising event for The Art House and all of the money raised will go towards covering our closure costs for the Christmas period.  Places are £5 per person/£3.50 for "Friend of The Art House" cardholders.

Food & refreshments:

There will be a licensed bar at this event selling yummy organic and fair trade drinks, as well as tea, coffee and soft drinks and some light snacks.  We will also have MULLED WINE and if you book online, you get one free ;)

Please do not bring your own food or drink to The Art House.

Accessibility:

This event will be held on our ground floor, which is wheelchair accessible. 

The toilets are accessible and located on the ground floor.  Please contact us if you have any concerns or queries about access.

Other information:-

This event is suitable for adults and young people.  Well behaved younger children are also welcome to come along but be advised that his is not a children's event.  Most of the stories told are aimed at an adult audience :)

Children must be supervised at all times!

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