Herring House: Stories and Other Writing

Last year as part of  Marsh, Arts and Us we visited Carlton Marshes. The banner was inspired by our trip accompanied by artist Ian Brownlie and writer Belona Greenwood. Together, we developed the artwork in a series of workshops held at PrimeYarc.  The project is part of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Authority’s Marsh, Arts and Us community arts engagement project and part of the wider Water, Mills and Marshes Broads Landscape Partnership scheme funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.   Below is some of the writing that came out of the walking. It is beautiful and profound, humble and life-enhancing. Take a walk with our words.   ***  Carlton Marshes Sleeping water dragons Lazy path   Following the lazy path along the stream, the birds were singing in the background. I had decided to take a less travelled path today. The grass only slightly trampled from the marsh creatures frolicking in the night. I stumbled over something that was partia...

  5494302  ©  Oleg Dolgikh  |  Dreamstime.com Siting by a village pond Early in sunrise no one about but creatures of the night then the village awakens person by person Animal by animal the fish glimmer in the water performing their gentle dance for life, my dog beside me, lazy just looking. I wonder where his mind is as I see his ears prick up staring, waiting. What next?  Simon

  14342118   ©   Peter Wollinga   |   Dreamstime.com As I watch the sun fall from the sky, The trail of red colours Amongst the spartan clouds Leaving a visible line across the sky. The colours reflect on the surface Of the running water, Chasing itself along channels, Weaving through the soft, black mud, Like a river weaving through the countryside.   Martyn

  5340227   ©   Tyler Rogers   |   Dreamstime.com As the sun breaks through the rolling mist on the path, a figure appears, a robed silhouette walking towards me, the sun behind him giving an illusion of him exiting a tunnel. Distracted, I stepped in a puddle, staining my new white trainers. As the figure draws nearer I noticed he had no shoes on his feet, dusty and calloused from the miles he had walked. I ask the man why he has no shoes and if they hurt, he said “Yes they do, the reason I wear no shoes is to feel the earth beneath me, I lost my connection to the world and wanted to get it back.” Maybe he was on to something so I removed my shoes and continued on my journey.   Russell

    1994789   ©   Sue Ashe   |   Dreamstime.com Backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards - I was stacking chairs and tables on a pallet strapping them down and wrapping them. Using the pump truck to transport them to the outbuilding, my steel toe cap boots were slipping off the back of my heels, two pairs of socks wouldn’t even solve the problem. I forgot my paperwork so I run back and get it. On my return- jogging back down the walkway I hear in the distance behind me “Run Forest Run”. This makes me laugh and I look back and see my pal laughing along with all the other employees, at least we had something to chuckle at over at lunch.  Dan

  8866553  ©  Ben Goode  |  Dreamstime.com As I walk along the single lane road, yellow grass lining the banks each side, with a few hardy weeds, and trees still green, I notice the farmer ploughing the field. I know how dry the field is as the plough turns over 12” at a time, and the shade of colour is almost unchanged. A cloud surrounds the plough as its moving, even the seagulls are very few since the worms have dug deep to escape the dry soil. The farmer will struggle to sow seeds this year, without the rainfall to encourage the seeds to grow. But as every year, the farmer must keep to a schedule for the crops to be ready for harvesting. Martyn There is a drought in this world, causing death and destruction, fires rage, fields lay bare. Country against country, brother against brother. Despair fuelled wars rage across the globe. Children starving, dying from lack of medicine, War heroes reduced to dark solemn figures in doorways as the world passes the...

    3742501   ©   Kathleen Van Hoffen   |   Dreamstime.com Out of the car, stretching after the three hours sat in the backseat with my head on a pillow, wedged between the seat-belt and the window. The realization that we are here rushes into focus through bleary eyes. The wind cools the side of my face where I’ve dribbled down my chin. Then I’m on! Throwing the book in my left hand and the slime from the Ghost-busters figurine in my right, into the car door and slamming it shut, just shoving the pillow in at the last second before it closes on it. I run to the door wailing with pure excitement and total love. I lift up the letterbox and peer in poking my fingers through and shout “Wally, Wally” he runs to the door with so much energy and he bounces up and down licking my fingers as he reaches up. That familiar click of the lock and sticky foam round the edges of the door peeling apart, and the door opens. My Granddad standing there with his big smile,...