Angels In The Linn - Truth Or Myth?
On the 28th October 2000 at the Queen's Hall, Hexham, there was a unique and very special event entitled a 'Wild, Wicked and Wonderful Wood'. It was a celebration of Hareshaw Linn which is a beautiful wooded valley, near Bellingham in Northumberland.
The event included the opening night of 'Sticks and Stones' - a play written by Kitty Fitzgerald which promised intrigue, angels and waterfalls, riveting entertainment and rhubarb! Over the previous 10 months, the Bellingham community had worked together with professional artists to honour the Linn and tell its story.
This celebration was a remarkable collaboration between the people of Bellingham, Northumberland National Park Authority and the Queen's Hall Arts Centre in Hexham. This was the National Park Authority's first excursion into drama and was based on the people's stories, past and present, of Hareshaw Linn.
Fascinating and revealing stories were recorded as part of an oral history project in 1999 and their flavour was captured in a piece of drama by playwright Kitty Fitzgerald. Kitty, whose work had been broadcast on Channel 4 and BBC Radio 4 and who had written about many unusual things such as the Amazon Rain Forest and vampires, now chose Angels in the Linn to inspire her work.
Post Production Discussion:
After the play on the 28th there was an opportunity for the audience to discuss the production of this innovative play, from the initial oral history research to the end product with the production team, members of the cast, director and writer.
The 'Sticks and Stones' play was made possible by £12,000 of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Nationwide Building Society through the Local Heritage Initiative which was run by the Countryside Agency.
The opening night of 'Sticks and Stones' was part of a day of celebrations of Hareshaw Linn at the Queens Hall, Hexham. From 1pm the main foyer, café, workshop spaces and stage were full of activity and fun with exhibitions of paintings and photographs, a story performance by Bellingham Middle School, displays, music, writing, storytelling, silk painting and exciting workshops for the whole family in movement.
