We were lucky enough to once again have, James Carter join us for a day of creativity, poetry and laughs! It was fantastic to see so many children from the Thame Partnership join us at St Andrew’s and throw themselves into the writing workshop. It speaks volumes to the children’s passion for writing that we only managed to work through two of the five planned activities, such was the depth of imagination that everyone worked at. After a handful of fun warm up games, including all the teachers’ new favourite, the “daisy chain”. James transported us into the magical world of Harry Potter, with a bit of help from ‘Big Steve’ and ‘Little Steve’…the piano and his melodica! Transforming the iconic opening paragraph into a shape poem. There were wands, broomsticks, scars and even the whomping willow tree. Following a brief lunch break and a recharge of batteries for all, we delved into and broke down James’ own poem ‘Boasting and Lies’. The children altered and provided a fresh and often unique take on this piece, examining the idea of gods and the stories behind them. We were introduced to gods who were ‘lord of the shadows’, shooting stars who granted the wish of life to the ‘burning soul of the universe’. The work that was produced was to an extraordinary standard and even managed to blow away Mrs Mashru, who was often called in from her office to hear these tales! A huge thank you must go to James for making this such a truly incredible and memorable day for all involved. The children were fantastic, engaged and really got stuck into the work; When asked for feedback, one particular quote summed up the day perfectly ‘Squeezed some of the best work I’ve ever done out of me!!’