Hannah and the Christmas Turkeys
Chapter 1 It was nearly Christmas down on the farm. In the barn Lucky the duck was keeping one eye on the turkeys in their pen. The other eye was…
Lucky Goes To Market
My friend Anne is a farmer. One day I visited Anne on her farm and she told me about a duck called Lucky. When her mother laid some eggs, Lucky…
The Fire Fairies
Here is another story I used to tell my children. It was one of many based in the Lake District. They began when I was cook and Dee, my wife…
Then and Now
I wrote this poem for my writers group, Maggies’ Creatives, led by the excellent Clare Stuart. They meet at the Maggies Centre in Manchester every Thursday and let me join…
The Clock and the Walking Stick …
the ones I made up, featuring them as the heroes in magical tales based on their holidays with grandparents in Cleethorpes and Mablethorpe and with us in the Lake District.
Childhood, Chalk and Cheers
Childhood’s boundaries are marked in chalk on walls and pavements. They are never completely erased and once you have crossed the border you can never return. You know you’ve crossed…
Twelfth Night
Three poems for the new year, and how we can work together if we want to make it a happy new year.
Two Christmas Poems of Hope
Why I write and why I hope. A short explanation and two poems about Christmas.
Stanton Family Christmas Newsletter 2021
Another Christmas letter written in strange times. We decided not to go on holiday this year. We have made do with day trips to the Lake District and occasional visits…
The Twelve Books of Christmas
For the Christmas edition of Critical Mass, Dave Middleton asked contributors for lists of twelve: books, songs, films; whatever we like. So naturally I chose books. Now Critical Mass is…