Keith Butters - Storyteller in Lincolnshire

Keith tells stories about his native home county of Lincolnshire. He has lived in the same cottage all his life except for three years when he was away at college. Brought up on a farm, he understands the joys and sorrows of Lincolnshire rural life.

His father, Geoff, was a storyteller but did not know it! In other words, Geoff just told us about the experiences of himself, family and friends.

Keith tells a story of Jabez, his great-grandfather, who went courting one winter's night in South Ormsby. He still has a recording of Geoff telling the story. Keith has a number of Lincolnshire stories including the "Wormsgay Dragon," "Grandfather's Windsor Chair" and "Jack went to Horncastle Fair."

Keith relates Bible stories, for instance, "The King's Golden Statue", "The Farmer" and "Creation" and also regularly does assemblies at local Schools including St Helena’s Church of England Primary School in Willoughby.

Traditional stories include "The Frog that went to a Party in the Sky", "The Blindman and the Hunter", "The King of the Birds," "George and the Dragon," "The Mills that Grinds," "The Snake," "Sir Gawain and the Lady," "The Man with no Luck," "The Monkey and Papa God," "The Fisherman and his Wife" and "The Triumphal Arch"; his children's stories include "Annie, the Clever Baker," "Noisey and the Hens" and "Silly Jack".

Tennyson Dialect poems include; "Owd Roa," "The Northern Farmer," and "The Churchwarden and the Curate."

Keith's great-great grandfather's boot-making workshop can be seen at the Hackett Barn Museum in the Alford Manor House Grounds.