Loving home found for chair with tales to tell
In the 12th century a tradition began to present a wooden chair to the best bard in Wales.
The tradition has continued in the south of England after children in Portsmouth proved to be the best storytellers.
For the past three years the special storytelling chair has travelled thousands of miles from Dorset to Sussex, from the Isle of Wight up to Oxfordshire and everywhere in between as part of the BBC's RaW which encouraged reading and writing among children – echoing the aims of The News' Spread The Word literacy campaign.
The chair was used as prop to help tell stories across the BBC South region at speedway meetings, football matches, county shows and a regatta.
Now the RaW campaign has come to an end, the BBC decided to present it to Portsmouth City Council's adult and family learning team in recognition of the work they did to support the campaign.
That included circus storytelling workshops in Paulsgrove and Portsmouth dockyard reading and writing festivals.
Roger Hammett, BBC South's learning project manager, said: 'We've been encouraging families and children to read together and write stories. Because of the BBC branding and the high profile it's caught the eye of children and parents.
'Portsmouth family learning have contributed so much to the campaign we thought it would be a fitting place for the chair.'
Anne Cassidy, the council's family programmes manager, said: 'We're really pleased to get it as we really did appreciate the chance to link up with the BBC.'
The storytelling chair also impressed pupils from Devonshire Infant School in Southsea.
Shannon McDermaid, 7, from badger class in Year 2, said: 'The chair was comfortable to sit in. I liked reading in it.'
Friend Jessica Parker, 7, said: 'I like storytelling and reading to other people. I like talking in a loud voice and in different voices so other children can listen to me.'
The chair will now become part of the furniture at Portsmouth Central Library in Guildhall Square.
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Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 26 May 2012
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