March World Book Day (1) - all day at Sunderland City Library working with schools. A day at New Silksworth Junior school (7) on songs and stories of coal mining. Two sessions in Sunderland with Beamish Museum (14 and 21) on local heritage. Invited to open the Family History Exhibition Newcastle's Discovery Museum (22 - 6 till 8)

February Children's History of Northumberland  and Sporting Ancestors books both came into the shops and online this month. Book and CD of whistle tunes now avaliable from me. (See below for these). Dickens' Day with schools in the City Library ( bi-centenary). Also two ceilidh bookings at Thornaby and Stockton and a family history talk to Hartlepool FHS on Thursday 16 Feb. Working on sport related articles for the Olympics. Key event - concert of Lowry Songs written with children at Sunderland Minster Tuesday 28 February 8.00- all welcome! Also recorded voiceover apps to be used by visitors to South Shields seafront.

January Awaiting publication of Children's History of Northumberland and Sporting Ancestors. CD and music book of self-penned whistle tunes - The Taing of Houss - due out. Worked with a number of schools on a presentation at Sunderland Minster on Benedict Biscop Day - January 12. Addressed a meeting of teachers and facilitators about my creative work in schools 20 January at Monkwearmouth School. Called at Burns' Night ceilidh at Redcar 21 January. Gave talk on family history at Discovery Museum, Newcastle on Monday 23 January.

December . Four sessions with Redby Primary School building up to concert of my local songs and launch of video ( Roker Park 7 December 4.30 -7.00). Successful meetings with BBC and Beamish Museum with a view to my involvement in a number of projects. Recorded Taing of Houss at the Bunker - a collection of my tunes written in the traditional style. Hope to release a joint CD and tune book soonish. 

November  Checked  proofs for publication of Sporting Ancestors in January and did a book signing at Waterstones, Sunderland  on Saturday 12 November. Two sessions at Grange Primary School, Hartlepool on myths and legends and World War II.Talk on my rugby book to Probus at Ashbrooke on 23 November and called at a ceilidh in Newcastle on 26 November.

October Ran family history course for Tyne and Wear Museum service. One Among Many - the History of Sunderland RFC  was published on October 10 and Children's History of Sunderland  Spent the rest of the time travelling in Italy, Japan and China.

September Launch of A Viking In The Family book ( see Amazon).Three sessions with schools in Sunderland libraries on mining heritage and  a further two with Monkwearmouth School on local heritage and song. A week ( ten sessions) with schools at F Pit Museum ( Tyne and Wear Museum Service) on mining heritage. Wedding ceilidh in North Yorkshire.

 Take a look at

http://www.collinsbigcat.com/software/eresources

for a demonstration of Shoofly book for which I did voiceover.

 HighBeam research encyclopedia site currently has fifteen of my travel articles from different newspapers - find it in Google, enter my name and scroll down to newspaper part or simply try  http://www.highbeam.com/

.