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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Pickering Book Tree
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260425T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260425T220000
DTSTAMP:20260302T205109Z
CREATED:20260302T205109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260302T205109Z
UID:10000030-1777143600-1777154400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Three Acres and a Cow
DESCRIPTION:The history lesson I’ve always wanted. Thank you for a very entertaining/life changing evening. I’ll be looking at the land and listening to folk songs in a very different way — Emily \nA history of land rights and protest in folk song and story\, the show connects the Norman Conquest and Peasants’ Revolt with current issues like the housing crisis\, reparations\, climate breakdown and food sovereignty via the Enclosures\, English Civil War and Industrial Revolution\, drawing a compelling narrative through the radical people’s history of England in folk song\, stories and poems. \nPart TED talk\, part history lecture\, part folk club sing-a-long\, part storytelling session… Come and share in these tales as they have been shared for generations. \nVisit the Three Acres and a Cow website for more information about the group and the show\, and check their Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to any specific enquiries. \nThe event will be held in the Memorial Hall\, Pickering\, which is fully accessible. \nDoors 6.30pm with the show starting promptly at 7.00pm. We will finish around 9.45pm with one interval. \nI think about this show all the time. It has totally changed the way I think about colonialism\, direct action and English nationalism. Thinking about it today\, four years after seeing the show\, it’s clear it was a life changing event for me — Monique \n  \nTickets\nStandard seated tickets are £16.50\n(supported and pay it forward options also available) \nBook online at threeacresandacow.co.uk\n(direct link to the Pickering event here)
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/three-acres-and-a-cow/
LOCATION:Pickering Memorial Hall\, Potter Hill\, Pickering\, YO18 8AA
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Folk,Live Music,Social History,Storytelling
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260505T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260505T210000
DTSTAMP:20260502T193530Z
CREATED:20260408T213220Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260502T193530Z
UID:10000038-1778009400-1778014800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Jules Brown
DESCRIPTION:We’re very much looking forward to chatting with Jules Brown about his travel adventures\, from how he plans his journeys to translating them into his always entertaining real-life stories. \nThe evening will focus on Jules’ newest book Far Out\, which takes readers with him on his challenge to reach each of the four furthest points in Europe by train\, exploring some fascinating off the beaten track places along the way. \nJules’ books are all written in his lively and humorous style\, and are brilliantly engaging with quick and often funny observations which make these reads perfect for fans of Bill Bryson\, anyone in need of some armchair travelling\, or perhaps even to inspire your own European adventure! \nJules started his travel author journey writing for Rough Guides\, now focussing on his own blog posts and travel books. He’s published two series: Tales from a Travel Writer’s Life (Don’t Eat the Puffin\, Never Pack an Ice-Axe and Watch Out for Pirates) and On the Rails (Not Cool: Europe by Train in a Heatwave and Far Out: By Train to the Edges of Europe). \nJules has so many great stories to tell gathered from his many trips across Europe and beyond\, so we know that we’re in for a fantastic evening hearing some of them! \nThis event will start at 7.30pm and the shop door will be open from 7pm with complementary wine and cordial available on arrival. \nTickets are free and guarantee entry to the event. Please contact the shop or use the booking form below to reserve your seats. \n  \nAbout the Book\nJules’ travel writing is funny\, inspiring\, quirky and always engaging. His blog is great but reading the cream of his travels in book form is even more fun — Mark Ellingham\, founder of Rough Guides & publisher of Driving over Lemons \nTravel writer Jules Brown is back with another wayward rail adventure. \nWhen Jules sets out to go as far as he can in Europe by train\, everything seems to be on track. Travel to the most extreme stations in the north\, south\, east\, and west. How hard can it be for a seasoned rail traveller and ex guidebook writer? \nFunny you should ask. \nIt’s a long way\, for a start – from Scandinavia and Finland to the shores of the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Even the final destinations are in dispute. In fact\, no one sensible would try it. \nEnter Jules. Whether it’s travelling through the Swedish wilderness on the Inlandsbanan\, into the Pyrenees on the Train Jaune\, or across Spain on the Torre Oro\, he’s aiming for some classic rail experiences. And while capital cities and famous sights come and go\, there are also plenty of offbeat and intriguing stops along the way. \n*This book also includes five special route maps. \nJules has a rare observational talent. These short travel tales are really very good – passionate\, engaging and entertaining — Phil Ascough\, journalist\, author\, media/PR consultant \n  \nAbout the Author\nTravel writer Jules Brown wrote his first books for Rough Guides\, and more recently has produced a series of highly entertaining travel memoirs and adventures based on his travelling life. \nIn his latest book\, Far Out\, he takes to Europe’s trains to journey to the most extreme stations in the north\, south\, east and west of the continent. Part travelogue\, part memoir\, and definitely not a guidebook\, Far Out is a snort-in-your-coffee train adventure by the author of Not Cool: Europe by Train in a Heatwave.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/jules-brown/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Memoir,Non Fiction,Travel Writing
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260529T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260529T210000
DTSTAMP:20260428T151631Z
CREATED:20260408T224454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T151631Z
UID:10000039-1780083000-1780088400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Katie Carr
DESCRIPTION:We very much look forward to welcoming Katie Carr to mark the much anticipated publication of her memoir Thundery at Times. \nKatie’s first book Moderate Becoming Good Later follows her brother Toby as he faces a life‑limiting illness through sea kayaking and the solace of the natural world\, written from his recordings and notes. \nThundery at Times is her own memoir of finishing his Shipping Forecast journey while navigating loss\, a difficult family past\, and midlife in Barcelona. \nThis event will start at 7.30pm and the shop door will be open from 7pm with complementary wine and cordial available on arrival. \nTickets are free and guarantee entry to the event. Please contact the shop or use the booking form below to reserve your seats. \nWe look forward to seeing you there! \n  \nAbout the Book:\nThundery at Times announces Katie Carr as a terrific writer on her own terms. Having continued her brother’s journey and book in the beautiful Moderate Becoming Good Later\, here she sets out on the next epic series of voyages\, revealing herself to be not only resilient\, determined and courageous\, but possessing a rare ability to distil those qualities into exquisite prose. Thundery at Times is a profound depiction of the long tail of grief\, but most of all it is a voyage into the best of humanity and how it can be found in the remotest of locations. Like the Shipping Forecast itself\, Thundery at Times is quirky and eccentric but underpinned by extraordinary heart and substance. A remarkable book. More\, please — Charlie Connelly\, author of Attention All Shipping \nKatie had never been in a sea kayak\, but when her brother Toby died in the middle of his challenge to paddle in every area of the Shipping Forecast\, she decided to honour his memory by completing his adventure. On a journey that takes her from the monotonies of motherhood in urban Barcelona to the far reaches of the Shipping Forecast through the wilds of the British Isles\, Katie is forced to face her past and question her present\, exploring the loss of her family members as well as her own identity. After two years of inelegant paddling and potentially worse parenting\, can she complete the challenge? \nThundery at Times is not a story of battling high seas or completing daring tasks\, but one of making your own rules and living life to the full. It is about finding joy and hope in nature\, motherhood and middle age\, in nurturing your own adventures and embracing connection and peace. It is a story of female resilience in the face of adversity; of staring down grief and asking\, what’s possible from here? \nThundery at Times captures something essential about grief – that it asks us to keep going even when we don’t know how. Carr’s honest\, heartfelt writing about finishing her brother’s challenge is a story of small braveries and the quiet strength found in honouring those we love — Freya Bromley\, author of The Tidal Year \n  \nAbout the Author\nKatie Carr is a British author\, coach and trainer based in Barcelona. Her work sits where sea and city\, loss and possibility meet: she writes narrative non‑fiction and helps people find steadier ways of leading and living; her narrative non‑fiction is rooted in sea\, weather and family\, and includes Moderate Becoming Good Later and Thundery at Times.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/katie-carr/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Memoir,Non Fiction,Travel Writing
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260618T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260618T210000
DTSTAMP:20260523T123918Z
CREATED:20260422T151700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T123918Z
UID:10000044-1781811000-1781816400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Midsummer Festival: Wyl Menmuir
DESCRIPTION:The Spirit of Stone\nPickering Book Tree | Doors from 7pm | Tickets FREE\n \nFull of wonder\, hope and fascinating tales of stones and their people — Fiona Robertson\, author of Stone Lands \nFrom the lonely heights of mountains to the womblike depths of caves\, stone has always drawn us in. In The Spirit of Stone\, Wyl Menmuir explores the many ways in which rock and earth form part of our identities\, histories and futures. \nAcross Britain and Ireland – from Mull to the Isles of Scilly – rock is everywhere beneath our feet\, shaping not only our landscapes but also our imaginations and the ways we live together. \nMoving across these lands\, Wyl Menmuir’s essays combine travelogue\, social history and memoir\, bringing together interviews\, folklore and personal encounters with the landscapes themselves. \nFrom sacred monuments to modern sculpture\, this book reveals how stone grounds us\, challenges us and inspires us\, such as: \n\nMountains and caves as places of pilgrimage\, danger\, refuge and wonder.\nAncient pathways and stone circles that leave traces of our ancestors written into the land.\nMarks and monuments\, from Neolithic carvings to contemporary sculpture\, art that endures across centuries.\nEveryday stone\, for example the quarries\, buildings and raw materials that underpin our daily lives.\n\nThe Spirit of Stone follows on from The Draw of the Sea and The Heart of the Woods\, completing a trilogy of explorations into our relationship with place. Where the first two books took readers to the water’s edge and into the forest\, this book journeys into the landscapes of rock\, stone and earth\, reflecting on how they continue to define us. \nResonant with the work of Robert Macfarlane\, Kathleen Jamie and Peter Ross\, yet strikingly original in its breadth and vision\, The Spirit of Stone is a profound meditation on belonging\, endurance and our shared human story written in stone. \nA warm and generous guide to the bedrock of our land\, and the characters who champion it — Ruth Allen\, author of Weathering and Grounded  \n  \nAbout the Author \nWyl Menmuir is an author and creative writing lecturer based in Cornwall. His 2016 debut novel\, The Many\, was nominated for the Man Booker Prize and was an Observer Best Fiction of the year pick. His short fiction has appeared in Best British Short Stories and he has been published by Nightjar Press\, Kneehigh Theatre and the National Trust. \nWyl’s non-fiction books have been awarded the Roger Deakin Award from the Society of Authors\, the Award for Excellence from the OWPG\, a Holyer an Gof Award\, and the 2026 Blue Metropolis Planet Literature Prize\, awarded for a body of work that demonstrates the beauty and fragility of the living world and promotes greater ecological awareness. \nA former journalist\, Wyl has written for Radio 4\, The Guardian and The Observer. He lectures in creative writing at Falmouth University. \n  \nTickets\nFREE from the shop counter or online at ticketsource.com\n  \nDirect link to booking page here\n \nDoors will be open from 7pm for a 7.30pm start. The event will be held in our atmospheric upstairs event space.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/wyl-menmuir/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Memoir,Nature Writing,Non Fiction,Pickering Midsummer Festival,Social History
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260621T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260621T210000
DTSTAMP:20260426T183750Z
CREATED:20260422T154016Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260426T183750Z
UID:10000045-1782068400-1782075600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Midsummer Festival: Old Songs
DESCRIPTION:Stories Told Through Music\, Words and Art\nPickering Book Tree | Doors from 6.30pm | Tickets £15\n \nAs the Summer Solstice twilight nears\, we welcome you to the Book Tree to travel into a selection of Britain’s folktales through a stunning artistic collaboration.  \nOld Songs is based on the book of the same name\, written by Amy and illustrated by Gwen. Natalie will lead the trio in performing beautiful renditions of the traditional ballads featured in the book\, while animated versions of Gwen’s illustrations will be projected onto a screen to accompany the songs. Giving deeper context to the stories\, Amy will share readings and historical insights throughout the evening. \n  \nOld Songs\nAn astonishing collaboration of words and images that immerses readers in a magical folkloric world . . . These remarkable stories dice with the dangers around us and within us\, and they challenge us to emerge triumphant — Juno Magazine \nOld Songs fuses short stories\, histories\, lyrics and illustrations in an enthralling reimagining of traditional folk ballads. Sunday Times Bestselling historian Amy Jeffs and Illustrator Gwen Burns combine forces to create a rich compendium\, singing of travel\, mystery\, magic and the essential urges of humanity. \nFeaturing iterations of fairy tales and sinister descendants of Greek myths and bible stories\, as well as a cast of lesser-known characters with names like Tam Lim\, Child Wynd and Maisery\, Old Songs threads a tapestry of Britain’s landscape\, history and cultures. At the base of hills we can visit to this day\, elf queens kidnap hapless poets and carry them through rivers of blood; and at the foot of a tree whose offspring still stand in the forests of Northumberland\, a girl mimes combing the hairless head of a dragon who was once her brother. \nIn spellbinding tales of brown-skinned girls who danced on their lovers’ graves\, of golden-masted ships captained by the Devil\, of fiddles that cried “Murder!”\, of men kidnapped by fairies and boys married at fourteen\, we find narrative motifs as ancient as humanity itself. \nIn the histories interconnecting the stories\, we find the fantastical rooted in the everyday\, bringing to light the real experiences of great swathes of people to whom such story-songs were not only familiar\, but a way of escaping into the extraordinary and returning gratefully home. Bringing enchantment to familiar landscapes\, ballads were created anew by each singer and passed down from fireside to fireside\, at the knees of childhood nurses\, in manuscripts and in early printed pamphlets. Now\, ten stories are gathered here\, beautifully recreated for modern readers. \nThe stories absorb you instantly . . . A treat for those captivated by the medieval\, grisly and historic — The Northern Echo \n  \nTickets\n£15 from the shop counter (currently cash only) or online at ticketsource.com\n  \nDirect link to booking page here\n \nDoors will be open from 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The event will be held in our atmospheric upstairs event space.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/old-songs/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Folk,Live Music,Meet the Author,Meet the Illustrator,Pickering Midsummer Festival,Social History,Storytelling
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260622T130000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260622T140000
DTSTAMP:20260512T202655Z
CREATED:20260512T202655Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T202655Z
UID:10000051-1782133200-1782136800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Midsummer Festival: Amy Jeffs
DESCRIPTION:Saints\nSt.Peter and St. Paul’s Church | Doors from 12.30pm | Tickets £5\nJoin us for an event steeped in mythological history with author\, medieval culture historian and artist\, Amy Jeffs. Hear about the history and legends of Saints featured in Amy’s book of the same name\, in the setting of St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church where we’ll be surrounded by the famous and rarely preserved medieval wall paintings depicting these stories. \nAmy will be in conversation with Alex from Pickering Book Tree\, whose background is also in medieval history. It’s set to be a fascinating discussion about Amy’s retellings of the legends and the histories behind them in her book Saints\, which is thoroughly researched\, thoughtfully compiled and beautifully illustrated with her own black paper cut-outs. On Amy’s website\, she says of her work: “All my books are based on primary research. I care about faithfully and rigorously drawing readers into the sources I work with: historical manuscripts\, literature\, music and art. All my books are invitations to discussion\, close-looking and wonder\, rooted in real places and lives. My illustrations are made at home\, with wood\, Lino\, ink and paper.” \nThe Tablet\, who chose Saints as their Book of the Year\, described it as “a book of remarkable beauty\, mystery and originality“ and that “the legends are beautifully told and illustrated . . . The writer’s approach is both imaginative and scholarly”. \n  \nAbout the Book\nA rewarding and beguiling collection of legends that are little known\, a wide-ranging introduction to medieval saints’ lives — The Literary Review \nFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author of Storyland and Wild\, comes a sweeping new legendary of miracles\, magic\, human frailty and heroic strength. Illustrated with over thirty original paper cutouts by the author. \nSaints’ legends suffused medieval European culture. Their heroes’ suffering and wonder-working shaped landscapes\, rituals and folk beliefs. Their tales spoke of men raised by wolves\, women communing with flocks of birds and severed heads calling from between bristling paws. \nIn Saints\, Amy Jeffs retells legends born of the medieval cult of saints. She draws on ‘official’ lives\, vernacular romances\, artworks and obscene poetry\, all spanning from the fourth to the sixteenth centuries. The legends’ heroes originate from as far east as Turkey and North Africa and as far west as Britain and Ireland. Saints includes such enduring super saints as Brigid\, George\, Patrick and Michael\, as well as some whose legends are less well known (Scoithín\, Euphrosyne and Ia) or else couched in prejudice (William of Norwich). \nThe commentaries following the stories offer a history of each saint and\, together\, trace the rise and fall of the medieval cult of saints from the first martyrs to the Protestant Reformation. And all this maps onto the passing year: from St Mungo in January to St Thomas Becket in December. \nJeffs guides her readers from images high on the walls of medieval churches\, through surviving treasures of the elite and into the shifting silt of the Thames\, where lie the lowly image-bearing badges once treasured by pilgrims. She opens manuscripts that hold wondrous stories of the lives and deaths of wayfaring monks\, oak-felling missionaries and mighty martyrs. With tales of demons and dragons\, with the stubborn skull of a giant\, with stories of sleepers in a concealed Greek cave\, Saints will enchant and transport readers to other worlds. \nWonderful . . . Each lifestory is a gem . . . It’s beautifully written\, evocative\, informative\, compulsive reading — Scottish Field Magazine \n  \nAbout the Author\nAmy Jeffs writes and illustrates her critically acclaimed books from her home in Somerset. Her work engages with Britain’s medieval and early modern storytelling cultures. She has a PhD in Art History from Corpus Christi College\, Cambridge. \nHer work combines a love of nature and natural history with her academic training as a medievalist and art historian. She takes part in podcasts\, Youtube shows and television documentaries and travels widely to speak about medieval and early modern cultures and how they can open our eyes to Britain’s heritage and oldest recorded stories. \nJeffs’ first book\, Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain\, was a Sunday Times bestseller\, shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year and named a Times Historical Fiction Book of the Year. Her second book\, Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain\, explores an old idea of the wilderness through medieval stories of outcasts\, monsters and the natural world. The audiobook\, illustrated with song\, was named audiobook of the week by the Times and the Guardian. \nSaints: Legends of Heroes\, Humans and Magic is her third book\, and this was followed by Old Songs: Stories of Love and Death from Traditional Ballads in 2025. \n  \nTickets\n£5 from the shop counter (currently cash only) or online at ticketsource.com\n  \nDirect link to booking page here\nThe event will be held in the beautiful setting of St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church in Pickering\, which is a perfect venue for this event with its incredible Medieval wall paintings. \n£2 from each ticket will be donated towards the Church to help with maintenance and the ongoing restoration project. \nDoors will be open from 12.30pm for a 1pm start.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/amy-jeffs/
LOCATION:St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church\, Hallgarth\, Pickering\, YO18 7BE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Folklore & Mythology,In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Meet the Illustrator,Non Fiction,Pickering Midsummer Festival,Social History,Storytelling
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260622T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260622T203000
DTSTAMP:20260523T123815Z
CREATED:20260423T172207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T123815Z
UID:10000046-1782154800-1782160200@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Midsummer Festival: Aidan Meighan
DESCRIPTION:The Folklore of Trees\nPickering Book Tree | Doors from 6.30pm | Tickets FREE\n \nThe Folklore of Trees explores the fascinating stories and intriguing superstitions behind nature’s guardians. Insightfully written and beautifully illustrated by Aidan Meighan\, it’s the perfect reading companion for every lover of the natural — and mythological — world. \nThis book reminds us of the enduring power of stories to connect us to our history\, to nature and hopefully to an ever-greener future. We need to love life\, we need to love trees — Chris Packham\, wildlife TV presenter & campaigner \nUncover the myths\, legends and secrets of the world’s most iconic trees. \nDid you know that laurel is said to protect against snakebites and shield against witchcraft? Or that yews are often planted near graveyards to keep the devil out? Across cultures and centuries\, trees have stood as guardians of life\, inspiring stories that connect us to nature\, spirituality and tradition. \nThe Folklore of Trees brings these tales together in a stunning hardback featuring a foreword by acclaimed naturalist\, Chris Packham. Inside\, you’ll explore 36 legendary species from around the globe\, each paired with an intricate illustration and rich cultural context. \nYou’ll discover: \n\nThe Major Oak\, said to shelter Robin Hood\, and the baobabs of Madagascar\, revered for their longevity.\nSacred trees of Celtic\, Norse\, Greek\, Roman\, Hindu\, Buddhist and Indigenous traditions.\nFascinating myths behind olive branches of peace\, dragon blood trees that bleed red sap and Japanese cherry blossoms symbolising life’s impermanence.\nSeasonal customs\, protective charms and superstitions.\nA compact\, beautifully designed format\, perfect for gifting or personal reflection.\n\nWhether you’re a nature lover\, folklore enthusiast or simply curious about the stories rooted in our landscapes and forests\, this book is your invitation to wander the cultural canopy. \n  \nAbout the Author\nAidan Meighan is an author\, illustrator and arboreal devotee living in Somerset\, with a passion for nature and storytelling. For fifteen years\, Aidan has been passionately drawing trees\, maps and beautiful places from around the world\, working with travel and lifestyle books and magazines\, brands and destinations\, in his distinctive style. \nAidan is an enthusiast for the written word and print\, being instrumental in the production of the Glastonbury Free Press newspaper since its inception in 2013. He is also a keen gardener and back-yard conservationist. \nThe Folklore of Trees is a joyful coming together of Aidan’s passions and interests. \nYou can find Aidan on his website\, www.aidanmeighan.com\, and on Instagram\, @aidan_meighan. \n  \nTickets\nFREE from the shop counter or online at ticketsource.com\n  \nDirect link to booking page here\n \nDoors will be open from 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The event will be held in our atmospheric upstairs event space.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/aidan-meighan/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Folklore & Mythology,In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Meet the Illustrator,Nature Writing,Non Fiction,Pickering Midsummer Festival,Social History
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Aidan-Meighan-webp.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260623T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260623T123000
DTSTAMP:20260520T013810Z
CREATED:20260512T212243Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260520T013810Z
UID:10000052-1782212400-1782217800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Midsummer Festival: Tree Walk
DESCRIPTION:Tree Walk with Aidan Meighan\nMeet outside Beck Isle Museum | Starts at 11am | Tickets £8 or £16 including sandwiches\nExplore the folklore of the trees found on our doorstep here in Pickering! \nJoin arboreal devotee and author of The Folklore of Trees\, Aidan Meighan\, on an approximately two mile walk starting outside the Beck Isle Museum and following the Pickering Beck\, before branching off around the Castle and down Burgate to the Church. \nAlong the way we’ll stop to hear about the legends\, secrets and myths of the different tree species living on this beautiful route. \nWe’ll end the walk at The Forest and Vale Hotel garden\, home to a 300+ year old sweet chestnut tree\, with a sandwich buffet for those who choose to add this on to the walk. Drinks aren’t included\, but the bar will be open for you to choose your favourite\, from a cup of tea to an afternoon tipple! \nThe walk is generally considered an easy route along footpaths. If you have any questions about the route or accessibility\, please contact Pickering Book Tree to discuss. \nThe event will go ahead in most weathers\, so please come prepared for the day’s forecast. We’ll move inside at the Forest and Vale if it is raining. \n  \nAbout the Book\nThe Folklore of Trees explores the fascinating stories and intriguing superstitions behind nature’s guardians. Insightfully written and beautifully illustrated by Aidan Meighan\, it’s the perfect reading companion for every lover of the natural — and mythological — world. \nThis book reminds us of the enduring power of stories to connect us to our history\, to nature and hopefully to an ever-greener future. We need to love life\, we need to love trees — Chris Packham\, wildlife TV presenter & campaigner \nUncover the myths\, legends and secrets of the world’s most iconic trees. \nDid you know that laurel is said to protect against snakebites and shield against witchcraft? Or that yews are often planted near graveyards to keep the devil out? Across cultures and centuries\, trees have stood as guardians of life\, inspiring stories that connect us to nature\, spirituality and tradition. \nThe Folklore of Trees brings these tales together in a stunning hardback featuring a foreword by acclaimed naturalist\, Chris Packham. Inside\, you’ll explore 36 legendary species from around the globe\, each paired with an intricate illustration and rich cultural context. \nYou’ll discover: \n\nThe Major Oak\, said to shelter Robin Hood\, and the baobabs of Madagascar\, revered for their longevity.\nSacred trees of Celtic\, Norse\, Greek\, Roman\, Hindu\, Buddhist and Indigenous traditions.\nFascinating myths behind olive branches of peace\, dragon blood trees that bleed red sap and Japanese cherry blossoms symbolising life’s impermanence.\nSeasonal customs\, protective charms and superstitions.\nA compact\, beautifully designed format\, perfect for gifting or personal reflection.\n\nWhether you’re a nature lover\, folklore enthusiast or simply curious about the stories rooted in our landscapes and forests\, this book is your invitation to wander the cultural canopy. \n  \nAbout the Author\nAidan Meighan is an author\, illustrator and arboreal devotee living in Somerset\, with a passion for nature and storytelling. For fifteen years\, Aidan has been passionately drawing trees\, maps and beautiful places from around the world\, working with travel and lifestyle books and magazines\, brands and destinations\, in his distinctive style. \nAidan is an enthusiast for the written word and print\, being instrumental in the production of the Glastonbury Free Press newspaper since its inception in 2013. He is also a keen gardener and back-yard conservationist. \nThe Folklore of Trees is a joyful coming together of Aidan’s passions and interests. \nYou can find Aidan on his website\, www.aidanmeighan.com\, and on Instagram\, @aidan_meighan. \n  \nTickets\n£8 from the shop counter (currently cash only) or online at ticketsource.com\n  \nDirect link to booking page here\nWe’ll meet outside the Beck Isle Museum and start the walk at 11am\, heading along the Beck and up to Pickering Castle. \nWe’ll end the walk in The Forest and Vale Hotel with sandwiches in the garden for those who have added this on. In the case of poor weather\, we will move inside! \nSandwiches are an additional £8 per person and need to be booked in advance through the booking page or Pickering Book Tree\, letting us know of any dietary requirements.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/tree-walk/
LOCATION:Beck Isle Museum\, Bridge Street\, Pickering\, YO18 8DU\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Activity,Folklore & Mythology,Meet the Author,Meet the Illustrator,Nature Writing,Non Fiction,Pickering Midsummer Festival,Social History
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260721T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260721T210000
DTSTAMP:20260428T145817Z
CREATED:20260428T144129Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T145817Z
UID:10000043-1784662200-1784667600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Sally Coulthard
DESCRIPTION:We are excited to welcome Sally Coulthard back to Pickering Book Tree to discuss her fascinating new book\, A Brief History of the Coast in 100 Objects\, which offers a wealth of insight into the often surprising objects connected to the coast and the people who live and work there. \nSally has authored more than thirty non-fiction books spanning a wonderful range of interests including nature writing\, social history\, folklore\, and anthropology — always brilliantly researched\, engaging\, and informed by an immersion in the subjects she writes about through her own rural life in her Yorkshire smallholding. \nWe’ll chat with Sally about the book\, her writing\, research and inspiration. There’ll also be a chance to ask your questions and Sally will sign copies of the book at the end of the evening. \nThe shop door will be open from 7pm with complementary drinks available on arrival until the event starts at 7.30pm. \nThe event is free to attend\, but booking is essential. Please contact the shop or use the form below to reserve your seats. \nWe look forward to seeing you there! \n  \nAbout the Book\nA genuine delight\, this richly woven tale of our maritime nation is as crafted as the objects it highlights. I’ve loved every page\, and learnt and laughed along the way — Jules Hudson \nAn immersive history of our coasts and the people who have shaped them \nThe coast means something different to everyone. \nIt’s a place of pleasure and reckless pursuits\, of fishing\, fearless endeavours and a crashing\, rugged beauty. The coast is\, and always has been\, our first line of defence and our springboard to other cultures. \nThrough the lens of 100 carefully selected objects\, this treasure chest of a book delves into the myriad ways our coastlines have shaped\, and been shaped by\, our history\, culture\, and identity. From Roman lighthouses to rosary beads\, knitted jumpers to Viking slave shackles\, each object serves as a portal to a unique story. \nSally Coulthard’s engaging narrative goes far beyond the traditional seaside holiday to illuminate the coast’s role as a first line of defence\, a site of trade\, and a catalyst for cultural exchange. Readers will discover how the coast has influenced our beliefs\, economy\, and even our domestic lives. And\, looking out to sea\, this book will show how Britain’s story is anchored to those of our European neighbours and of faraway lands. \nFrom one of Britain’s finest historians of material culture\, this book vividly captures the enduring magic and significance of our shores. Whether it’s smugglers’ underpants or sailor’s hoaxes\, whale vomit or pickled puffin – it all washes up on the British coast… \nA rich\, perfect jigsaw of 100 genuinely fascinating pieces\, building a deep and wide picture of Britain’s history through its salty edges. Prehistoric harpoons\, slave shackles and a Pepysian fake nose all contribute to this superbly researched\, lively tale of our islands. Enriching\, engaging and a pleasure to read — Jo Bell \n  \nAbout the Author\nBestselling author and columnist Sally Coulthard has spent the last two decades writing about her favourite things – nature\, history\, and craft. Many of her books delve into the traditions of rural life – from artisans to agriculture – the people\, plants\, and creatures who make the countryside tick. \nSally’s work often weaves together different disciplines\, pulling threads from social history\, anthropology\, archaeology\, design\, and nature writing to bring her diverse subjects to life.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/sally-coulthard/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Non Fiction,Social History
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