Did you know that the Dark Ages could be found in the Ouseburn Valley? Were you aware that Deadly Dragons and Hairy Hooligans lurked in corridors and nestled in alcoves just waiting to surprise you? Would you have guessed that there was an entire dictionary of ‘Dragonese’ and that you, yes you, could add to it?

Well it’s all waiting to be discovered at Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books, because the charming Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third (he of the Hairy Hooligans tribe) has come to town.

The new exhibition, ‘A Viking’s Guide to Deadly Dragons’, offers a fascinating insight, not just into the much-loved characters of author Cressida Cowell’s books, but into her writing – and the publishing – process.

If you are a small visitor to the centre then you can get stuck in and design your own Viking helmet, marvel at the costumed staff members who pass you on the stairs brandishing stuffed dragons and enjoy listening to some Viking story-telling. If, like me, you’re that bit bigger then it’s a chance to be really quite nosey about how the books that make it onto our children’s bookshelves actually get there.

Beautifully detailed preliminary sketches for Cowell’s books are framed alongside video interviews with the author as she talks about the remote Scottish island she lived on as a child and that provided her with the inspiration for the wild and bleak landscapes her heroes live in.

Upstairs, the exhibition ‘A Squash and a Squeeze: Sharing Stories with Julia Donaldson’, reveals that wonderful books like ‘The Gruffalo’ actually started life, not on some whizzy computer screen, but on the pages of an A4 exercise book like the ones you or I might have at home. Sketches for artwork by the brilliant illustrator Axel Scheffler go through a number of drafts before they’re approved and are subject to changes from ‘the powers that be’ in the publishing world and what is clear is just how much work goes on behind the scenes of creating a children’s book.

With one of the best bookshops around, helpful and friendly staff and a brilliant café overlooking the river, Seven Stories is a treasure trove of delights that’s just waiting to be explored. And don’t worry – Hiccup’s Dragon won’t bite. He’s called Toothless.

For more information on Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books, go to: www.sevenstories.org.uk

by Katherine Wildman © 2012

Katherine Wildman is the Creative Director of Haydn Grey Ltd, a copywriting agency based in Cullercoats.

Discover how Haydn Grey can help you find the right words to promote your business at www.haydngrey.co.uk or call the office on 0191 289 3170.

“If you hear two whistles from me in the middle of the night, you’ll know it’s happening.”

We sat on bales of hay in the sunshine, eating a feast of roast lamb and freshly picked salads from the nearby vegetable garden.

“I don’t think it will …But if it does, you’ll hear it” said Lee, one of the farmers at Christmas Farm.

Looking behind us at the rolling hills of Northumberland it was clear that one of the beautiful Dexter cows in the field was moving considerably more slowly – and looking a lot more rotund – than her friends. A new calf was expected on the farm at any moment.

“They’re very sensible,” said the other farmer, Beth. “They usually wait until it’s all calm and quiet just before dawn and then the action starts.”

“If it happens, can we watch?” the kids at the table asked eagerly. Lee laughed, “You can! You never know. I might need you to pull!”

G&S Organics at Christmas Farm in Longframlington hold monthly Farm Focus Dinners and, for the price of your dinner ticket, you can also camp out beneath the stars.

After devouring puddings of home baked ginger cake and fresh cream, we decamped to the other side of the fence and started to pitch our tent. The campsite has a compost loo – which is more fun than it sounds – a fresh water standpipe and apart from that it was just us, a few other guests from the dinner and the occasional swallow, diving out of the great big beautiful skies overhead.

As the only campsite in Northumberland that allows you to build a real fire you can watch as your kids turn completely and happily wild, like the heroes and heroines of a Famous Five story. With hair scented with the delicate scent of wood smoke and armed with a large stick each, we didn’t see either of our two for hours as they sat at the bottom of the field and played with Billy and George, the boys who are lucky enough to live on the farm all year round.

Towards evening we heard a chorus of squeaks from the bottom of the field as the latest litter of kittens appeared near the children to play in the long grasses, followed by a parade of ducklings obediently following their mother back to their pen for the night.

The sun sank behind the hills and we put out our fire and crept into our tent, falling fast asleep after a day filled with delicious food, laughter and fresh air. All was silent until a little eight-year-old voice whispered in my ear “Mummy – you will listen for the two whistles won’t you? I don’t want to miss it!”

by Katherine Wildman © 2012

Katherine Wildman is the Creative Director of Haydn Grey Ltd, a copywriting agency based in Cullercoats.

Discover how Haydn Grey can help you find the right words to promote your business at www.haydngrey.co.uk or call the office on 0191 289 3170.

“Well, I am glad that so many of you are here. I did worry, what with the Dementors sweating down on us from the sky like they’re doing… I thought that nobody might come!” The crowd of damp tourists in the far corner of The Knight’s Quest at Alnwick Castle sat wide eyed and open mouthed. The enormous figure of Hagrid had emerged from behind a suitably heavy and creaking wooden door to gasps of amazement. Dressed in a long caramel coloured overcoat and tunic and with giant size leather shoes Hagrid was soon joined by a very convincing Dumbledore dressed in jewel coloured robes and a very long pointy hat. The two men entertained the crowds for over half an hour with hilarious tales of Ginny Weasley, Severus Snape and, of course, Harry Potter.

It is a testament to the enduring popularity of J.K. Rowling’s books throughout the world that this castle in a Northumberland town was filled with tourists, even on a cold, drizzly August afternoon. Out on the lawns children lined up to learn to fly a broomstick on the very spot where Harry took his instructions from Madam Rolanda Hooch in the film ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’. Spanish and German voices mixed in with American accents as the castle staff arranged a session of ‘Broomstick Training’ for the trainee international witches and wizards. This was the scene in the film where Neville Longbottom failed to heed Madam Hooch’s directions to “Kick off from the ground hard, keep your broom steady, hover for a moment then lean forward slightly and touch back down”. Instead Neville went on a whirlwind tour of the castle’s many towers and turrets before ending up suspended high above the grounds on a knight’s jousting stick.

Inside the castle walls queues of children stretched around the inner courtyard of the Dragon’s Quest to choose between “phoenix feathers, vine wood and dragon heartstrings” to make their own wizard’s wands. Castle staff handed out lengths of coloured wool, feathers, beads and glitter and got stickier and stickier as they helped with the multi-coloured creations. “We make between 700 and 900 wands on a normal day”, one staff member explained, “But that goes up to 1,200 whenever Dumbledore and his gang pop in.” That’s a lot of glitter!

It’s over 700 years since the Percy family become owners of the Castle and the Barony of Alnwick. A specially created tour, ‘Battleaxe to Broomsticks’, is available to guide visitors in the footsteps of the castle’s previous owners including Harry ‘Hotspur’ Percy (1364-1403). The bravery of this young knight, who went into battle against the fearsome Scots whilst still a teenager, is celebrated in Shakespeare’s play Henry IV and he features in a larger than life statue in the castle, riding atop his heavily armoured horse in the Knight’s Quest courtyard.

Inside the castle several rooms are open to visitors. Paintings by Turner and Canaletto cause quite a stir among the crowds who file quietly through the ornate rooms with their stunning fireplace and ceiling high mirrors. One very thoughtful touch by the staff at the castle are the small toy owls that have been placed as a treasure hunt throughout the castle to keep children occupied. These little white balls of fluff, like lots of baby Hedwigs, with their orange eyes and speckled chests, give older visitors a chance to appreciate the artefacts on display. The library has added benefits too with stuffed pet dogs lounging on velvet chaise-longues and rogue red squirrels climbing up the book cases.

The current duke and his family live in the castle, and their family photographs give the rooms a friendly air. Since the Second World War parts of the castle have been used by different organisations, including the Newcastle Church High School for Girls. The walls along the corridor as you leave the castle are lined with photographs and memories of the schoolgirls saying that it was a very happy place to stay in the midst of a war. The feeling of happiness is still there. The attention to detail and the celebration of the castle’s long distant and recent past combines to make it a fascinating and wonderful place to visit.

by Katherine Wildman © 2011

Katherine Wildman is a freelance creative copywriter based in Cullercoats and holds an MA in Creative Writing (with Distinction).

If you need the words for your new website, a new company brochure or a regular SEO blog to increase your online presence please get in touch with her on 07186 763393 or at katherine@wildmanwrites.co.uk.