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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Pickering Book Tree
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261005T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261005T200000
DTSTAMP:20261001T195255Z
CREATED:20261001T195255Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T195255Z
UID:10000071-1791226800-1791230400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Oak Book Club: October 2026
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a welcoming book club to discuss the current novel and choose the next month’s read. \nWe meet on the first Monday of each month for a relaxed conversation\, sharing our thoughts in the friendly atmosphere amongst the bookshelves. \nThe bookshop door will be open from 6.50pm for a 7pm start in our upstairs event space. \n  \nThis Month’s Book\nRoom 706 by Ellie Levenson\nAs tender as it is surprising… a gripping interrogation of womanhood — Sarah Jessica Parker  \nI devoured it… I haven’t stopped thinking about it — Jennie Godfrey \nNobody knows she’s checked into Room 706. \nCaught in the wrong place at precisely the worst time\, Kate must face the most confronting situation of her life – and discover what matters most – in this deeply suspenseful and thought-provoking novel. \nIf she knew it would end this way\, would it ever have begun? \nKate stretches her legs and turns on the TV while James washes away the traces of their morning. She watches in horror at the unfolding news: the hotel they are staying in has been taken under siege. \nShe should be making her way home\, working on appearing normal\, getting ready to re-enter family life with her loving husband Vic and their two adored children. Instead\, she is trapped somewhere she shouldn’t be\, with a man she definitely doesn’t love. \nHow will she begin to tell Vic what she is doing here? If her body is found\, will it give up the secret of what she’s been up to? She’s been so careful hiding the evidence of her affair: write nothing down\, leave no trace. Will he begin to understand why? \nFor now\, Kate can only hide\, take a deep breath\, and reflect on the series of choices she’s made that have brought her to this moment. \nWhat will her marriage and her life look like\, if she makes it out? \nDiscover the most gripping and original novel you’ll read this year\, from an incredible new talent in fiction. \nA love story wrapped in a grenade — Cecelia Ahern \nA tense\, riveting read about the unpredictable ripple effects luck and choices can have — Tracy Sierra \nI could not stop reading — Sarah Easter Collins
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/oak-club-october-2026/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Book Club,Meet at the Book Tree,Oak Club
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ORGANIZER;CN="Pickering Book Tree":MAILTO:shop@pickeringbooktree.co.uk
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261008T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261008T220000
DTSTAMP:20260916T231937Z
CREATED:20260830T041302Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260916T231937Z
UID:10000067-1791487800-1791496800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Paul ‘Piglet’ Middleton
DESCRIPTION:Tales from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway\nJoin us in conversation with Paul ‘Piglet’ Middleton\, star of Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Steam Railway and Channel 4’s Steam Train Diaries. \nCelebrating the launch of Paul’s first book ALL ABOARD! on the day of its publication\, we’ll discuss all things railway. From tales of train royalty to working with historic engines\, filming for two hit TV shows to collecting some of his many stories into a highly anticipated book\, and much more\, this is sure to be a fascinating and entertaining evening. \nSteam Train Diaries returns to Channel 4 for a second series beginning 5th November. Hear Paul in-person at this special event\, with the chance to ask your own questions in the second half of the evening. \nAll ticket holders will receive a voucher redeemable for £7.50 off the price of ALL ABOARD! (RRP £25)\, a beautifully produced hardback including black and white photographs. \n  \nAbout the Book\nHeartwarming tales from the thirty-year custodian of the beautiful and historic North Yorkshire Moors Railway. \nBest known as the star of Channel 4’s hit series Steam Train Diaries\, Paul ‘Piglet’ Middleton brings readers into a world of steam\, nostalgia\, Yorkshire humour and some truly unforgettable characters. \nThroughout his career\, he has worked with engine royalty such as The Flying Scotsman\, Locomotion No.1\, and Sir Nigel Gresley; acting royalty\, including Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford; and even helped make a few things happen for actual royalty\, namely His Majesty King Charles III. \nThen there are Piglet’s colleagues and friends: not only in the famed locomotive sheds at Grosmont Station\, but up and down the line\, alongside countless locals\, volunteers and visitors. \nWell-known for his laid-back demeanour and love of “all things oily”\, Piglet even has his own steam engine\, Lucie\, which he rescued from the scrap man about a decade ago\, restored (with the help of his brother)\, and now runs on the NYMR. \nThe North Yorkshire Moors Railway\, which stretches for 24 miles between Whitby and Pickering\, is a piece of Yorkshire like no other\, and over the years it has afforded Piglet a veritable treasure trove of tales. \nSo\, climb aboard\, sit back\, keep your feet off the seats and get ready to be transported into a wonderful world of adventure\, nostalgia\, and\, of course\, steam. \n  \nAbout the Author\nPaul started work at the NYMR in December 1996\, at the tender age of 16\, after he finished school. He has worked at the NYMR ever since and was promoted to Foreman in 2007. He then became Depot Manager in 2016 and finally Traction and Rolling Stock Manager in 2017. \nPaul’s hobbies include cycling\, flying model aircraft\, motorcycling (touring Europe)\, backpacking holidays\, working on his allotment and dog walking. He is also a volunteer fireman on the NYMR. \n  \nTickets\n£15 from the Kirk Theatre box office or online via the booking page (direct link below). Box office details are online here page \n \nDirect link to the event booking page here
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/paul-middleton/
LOCATION:The Kirk Theatre\, Hungate\, Pickering\, YO18 7DL
CATEGORIES:Books in Yorkshire,In Conversation With,Launch Event,Non Fiction
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ORGANIZER;CN="Pickering Book Tree":MAILTO:shop@pickeringbooktree.co.uk
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261015T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261015T200000
DTSTAMP:20260930T133113Z
CREATED:20260930T133113Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260930T133113Z
UID:10000070-1792090800-1792094400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Hawthorn Book Club: October 2026
DESCRIPTION:Join us for our next Thursday book club! \nWe usually meet on the second Thursday of each month for a relaxed and friendly conversation about the current book. As there is an author event with Paul ‘Piglet’ Middleton on the 8th October find out more here\, this month’s meeting will be the following week. \nThe bookshop door will be open from 6.50pm for a 7pm start in our atmospheric upstairs space. \nOur book club meetings are free to attend\, and we offer a 10% discount on each month’s paperback choice. \n  \nThis Month’s Book\nThe Wax Child by Olga Ravn and translated by Martin Aitken\nThe Wax Child proves Olga Ravn’s ahead of the game. She’s the strangest – and best – young novelist in Europe — Telegraph\, The Greatest Books of 2025 \nI gulped The Wax Child down and dreamed wild dreams about it. Just brilliant — Max Porter \nIt was a black night in the year 1620 when Christenze Krukow made the wax child\, when she melted down beeswax and set it in the image of a small human. For days\, she carried it tucked beneath her arm\, shaping it with the warmth of her flesh\, giving it life. She fashioned for it eyes and ears that cannot open\, and yet – it watches and listens. Soon\, it will begin to understand that once a suspicion of witchcraft has taken hold\, it can prove impossible to shake… \nBased on an infamous seventeenth century Danish witch trial\, The Wax Child is the extraordinary new novel from Olga Ravn\, one of the most acclaimed and original writers at work today: a mesmerising\, frightening vision of a time when witches and magic were as real to the human mind as soil and seawater. \nOlga Ravn is a master and an alchemist. There’s nobody else doing quite what she does — Samantha Harvey \nAn incantation that explores womanhood\, motherhood and bodily autonomy. Martin Aitken’s mesmerising\, exquisitely precise translation is\, literally\, breathtaking — Irish Times\, Books of the Year
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/hawthorn-club-october-2026/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Book Club,Hawthorn Club,Meet at the Book Tree
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ORGANIZER;CN="Pickering Book Tree":MAILTO:shop@pickeringbooktree.co.uk
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261026T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261026T220000
DTSTAMP:20260830T024207Z
CREATED:20260830T024207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260830T024207Z
UID:10000066-1793043000-1793052000@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:John Blek
DESCRIPTION:John Blek once again proved why he remains one of Ireland’s most compelling folk songwriters\, delivering a performance that was honest\, funny\, moving\, and deeply memorable — Ian Mc Donnell (Mc Gig Music Magazine) on The Midnight Ache tour performance at Cleere’s Bar & Theatre\, Kilkenny  \nWe are excited to welcome Irish singer-songwriter John Blek to Pickering during the UK tour for his latest album\, The Midnight Ache\, which was released earlier this year. \nJohn is a fantastic musician and storyteller\, influenced by a varied mix of styles from the traditional folk of Ireland\, Britain and the US\, to alt. country\, to folk-informed pop. His music is emotionally resonant\, transporting the listener with his timeless voice\, fingerstyle guitar and stories often inspired by the many places he’s visited on tour. \nJohn’s music has been described as “always poetic\, always melodic\, always entertaining” (Julie Williams-Nash for Folk and Tumble Magazine on John’s 2023 album Until the Rivers Run Dry). His following album\, Cheer Up\, took him on a more introspective musical path\, revealing personal and poignant lyrical aspects of his character. The Midnight Ache continues in this direction\, with eleven soulful and gently resonant songs which are intimate and deeply human. \nBlek wears his vulnerabilities and anxieties openly\, just as he does his hopes and heart\, resulting in another sublime album that underscores his standing among the Irish greats — Mike Davies (KLOF Magazine) on The Midnight Ache \nJohn will play two sets\, including new music from The Midnight Ache alongside favourites from his impressive back-catalogue of nine solo albums. \nThe event will be held in our atmospheric upstairs events space\, surrounded by the building’s old oak beams. Drinks will be available at an informal bar before the show and during the interval. \nThe bookshop door and bar will be open from 7pm\, and the concert will start at 7.30pm. \nBeautiful\, lush without being cloying\, understated and at a tempo that sounds like effortless perfection. John Blek always delivers and on The Midnight Ache\, smooth but quietly explorative music coupled with his soulful voice is a winning combination — Marc Higgins (Fatea Magazine) \n  \nAbout the Musician\nBlek is an artist with a story to tell. With his timeless emotive voice and layered fingerstyle guitar you will be transported from scene to scene as his expansive songbook unfolds. \nJohn Blek is Cork City born and bred but is currently residing in north Co. Cork. His parents\, both of whom were primary school teachers\, had to bribe him to stay in school after his 16th birthday with the promise of a new guitar on the completion of his final exams. Such was John’s belief in his ability and chosen path in life that he was willing to forgo the more traditional education sought by his peers. This conviction carries through to his art. His music is written from such a personal place that it creates the sense that he grew up with these songs\, that they are in his blood – and in a way he did\, they are his thoughts\, his words\, his sounds and his stories. Though not all autobiographical\, like many of the great painters\, an element of the artist exists in every portrait. \nIt all began for him in the passenger seat of his father’s Hiace van. Parked in the driveway running the battery down listening to cassettes from Jim Croce\, Willy Nelson and The Beatles. These formative musical experiences unknowingly laid the foundation for John’s self lead musical education. Later the discovery of Bert Jansch\, Bob Dylan\, Nick Jones and Neil Young added more fuel to his fire. He began writing his own music at 15 for no other reason than that he found it frustrating and false trying to learn and imitate other musicians’ work. That was the start of his pursuit of his own unique voice. \nBlek has a love of music in the real sense\, he creates to create. At 38 he has a catalogue of music that would represent a life’s work for many musicians. He is a career musician\, and has dedicated his working life to developing his art. He began his solo career in 2014\, and over the last eleven years has created a reputation as a singer songwriter who is sure to leave a legacy of timeless music that will speak to generations. He has released 9 studio albums to date Cheer Up (2024)\, Until The Rivers Run Dry (2023)\, On Ether & Air (2021)\, Digressions #2 Grounded (2021)\, The Embers (2020)\, Thistle & Thorn (2019)\, Catharsis Vol.1 (2017)\, Cut the Light (2016)\, and Cutting Room Floor (2014) with his 10th coming in January 2026. He speaks about his craft as passionately as he performs and has a dedicated fan base\, meaning he has a well-worn path returning to play venues across Germany\, Belgium\, Holland\, Denmark and the UK as well playing to sold out venues in Ireland. \nIn an age when it would be easy to become disillusioned with the music industry John has remained steadfastly positive and unyieldingly independent and creative. Known for being one of Ireland’s hardest touring musicians the Cork based creative tours relentlessly in Europe and the UK as well as his native Ireland. His live show is thoughtful and entertaining\, littered with stories and showcasing his arresting vocals and intricate guitar playing. \nWhile Blek is a solo artist he regularly collaborates\, and indeed will write new music with collaborators in mind. As a result\, it never feels like another artist is merely gate crashing his music instead it works as a beautiful harmonious meeting of artists who understand each other. Recent collaborations include Cathy Davey and Colm Mac Con Iomaire who play on Until The Rivers Run Dry album. Kris Drever & Kit Downes who both join John on his album On Ether & Air\, Joan Shelley who embodies Laura\, one of the characters in Blek’s duet ‘The Body’ and fellow Corkonian Mick Flannery who duets with him on ‘Revived’ a single from the 2020 album The Embers. \n  \nThe Midnight Ache\nThe Midnight Ache is a staggeringly beautiful and perfectly formed piece of alternative folk with a lo-fi heart and touches of modest grandeur delivered by an artist with a voice that could break a heart in two and songs that could heal the most weary of souls. \nKnown for being one of Ireland’s most creative and independent artists\, John Blek brings us another beautiful record of 11 new songs. This time around John has taken his DIY spirit one step further. Not only did he self record and produce the majority of the album he went so far as to build the recording studio with his own bare hands. A labour of love but labour all the same. \nIn April 2024 Blek finished building his new creative home\, Bigger River Recording Co.\, and set about working on what would become The Midnight Ache. Echos of Sea Change era Beck and Sparklehorse give this record a lo-fi intimacy while the string arrangements balance the sound with an element of grandeur and sophistication. Home is very much at the heart of this new album\, it features vocal performances by John’s wife and even the cover is adorned with pressed flowers from their garden. Additional production and mixing was done by regular collaborator Brian Casey at Wavefield Recordings. \n“This album took me by surprise. I was slowly writing and using the songs to try to get to know the new studio space. Sonically feeling my way around and seeing what I could achieve when all of a sudden I realised I was looking at a new record.” \n  \nFind Out More\nFollow John on Facebook or Instagram \nRead more about John on his website \nExplore John’s music on Bandcamp or YouTube \n  \nTickets\n£12 from the bookshop counter or online from the Pickering Festival: Rooted Ticket Source page \n \nDirect link to the event booking page here
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/john-blek/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Live Music,Pickering Festival: Rooted
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