The Story Wagon.

Stories from Carradale.

“Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it, action has magic, grace and power in it, begin it now”

quote from the Story Wagon

Bright turquoise, red canvas roof, wooden steps, created from recycled woods cleaved from across a different world. Emblazoned “ Story Wagon” in large bright yellow letters. Luke Winter had arrived in Carradale. Crowdfunded during lockdown with support from Creative Scotland, Luke travels Alba bringing stories back to the people Writing them down, sharing with the magic of a beautiful old typewriter.

Luke told me a little about the Story Wagon before the arrival of excited and inquisitive children, fascinated by the typewriter and magic of its ink to paper, shrieking with excitement to hear their stories written down. You can hear Lukes story in the video below (forgive my novice attempt at video!)

https://storywagon.co.uk

“…And the end of all our exploration will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time”

The day was bright, breeze keeping the midges away, sunny and warm for a Scottish Autumn. Ideal for a family outing to the playing fields. Ciara, our Yoga guru, had created a calm peaceful space in her Bell tent, a quiet time for Yoga. When the moment came though the joy was being outside, all generations together, feet planted on the damp grass, swirling hula hoops, and beach balls swaying with stretches and then with bottoms in the air.

Back at the Story Wagon, children squealed in delight as their stories were typed out by Luke. They were excited by this newfangled gadget the “typewriter”, how it magically created letters and then whole words on a blank page. Eyes like saucers, they spelt out their names, and marvelled at seeing the extraordinary device write them down. They struggled too, pressing on keys, accustomed to the soft touch typing of a keyboard, this needed a bit of oomph. Play, writing was playing, stories were full of joy, and cheek, and laughter, whispers in a Nana’s ear - can I say bum? Delight at being allowed to say such rude words out loud, and even better have them incorporated into their stories, because these were their stories.

This was a Carradale family day, Nana’s, and uncles, and aunties, and mums and dads, together with their excited children. All ages playing, laughing, moving, telling stories, sharing. A reminder of a life before screens, and mobile phones, and X boxes, when being together was how we created memories, and this was what life was all about.