
Your Stories In Song
During 2024 Milton Hide organised events, on behalf of Summer Trifle Group, across the Wealden area for people to share their stories, be they personal recollections, tales of local people, family history or legends associated with places. In true folk tradition, Milton Hide wrote and performed songs inspired by the stories gathered and invited audiences to participate. The aim was to encourage social engagement across the generations, especially for those feeling isolated and to help ensure your stories don’t disappear into the momentary ether of ‘social media’.
‘Your Stories In Song’ was funded by the National Lottery.

“According to local legend, the ghost of Nan Tuck, a woman from Rotherfield who allegedly poisoned a man in the 17th century, is said to haunt Nan Tuck’s Lane in Buxted…” quote from Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buxted#Legends ‘Nan Tuckett of Buxted. suggested by JS – Crowborough U3A, 15/2/24 Further reading, moonmausoleum.com Ghost of Nan Tuck Haunting the
Suggestion from Crowborough U3A, 15/2/24 Mad Jack Fuller. Builder of follies, philanthropist, patron of the arts, very wealthy man. Said to be buried in the pyramid shaped folly in Brightling, sitting up holding a glass of port. Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Jack_Fuller http://www.madjackfuller.net/IRONMASTERS.html
'Nutley Windmill is a grade II* listed[1] open trestle post mill at Nutley, East Sussex, England which has been restored to working order.' Quote from WIkipedia Suggested at Crowborough U3A 15/2/24 Further reading: https://www.bridgecottageuckfield.co.uk/about-udps/nutley-windmill/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutley_Windmill https://www.sussexmillsgroup.org.uk/open1.htm#Nutley
The ghost of Alice Bright Lane, Crowborough JS – Crowborough U3A, 15/2/24 ——— Quote from ParanormalDatabase.com “Dashing Lady Location: Crowborough (Sussex) – Alice Bright Lane Type: Haunting Manifestation Date / Time: Weather Dependent: Stormy weather Further Comments: A young woman was found drowned in a stream along this lane early in the
Past Your Stories In Song events (2024)
- 7 FEB FRONTIER BAR, EASTBOURNE – public event co-ordinated by Compass Community Arts. 7pm
- 15 FEB CROWBOROUGH U3A private event for U3A members – contact for details
- 13 MARCH – LIVESTREAM 8.30pm. Watch on Facebook or Youtube
- 15 JUNE PICKHAMS, Arlington 2.30pm. In the gardens. BYO: chair/drinks/nibbles. BOOK
- 18 JULY. Hailsham Library. 1pm
- 8 AUGUST. DUNN HALL, RUSHLAKE GREEN. Rushlake Green Little Arts Festival TICKETS
- 11 SEPT. GROVELANDS SCHOOL. HAILSHAM. 6pm. Hailsham Festival
- 7 OCTOBER. HAMPDEN PARK LIBRARY.
- 11 OCTOBER. BATTLE LIBRARY. 11am
- 25 NOVEMBER. THE GROVE, EASTBOURNE. An event for women in partnership with WayfinderWoman Trust. 6pm BOOK
- ADDITIONAL EVENT –
30 NOVEMBER. HILLCREST CENTRE, NEWHAVEN. An evening of song with Tide Mills Choir. Ticketed event in aid of MIND. BOOK 7.30PM.
Check out www.miltonhide.com for all Milton Hide performances
Story Archive
If you didn’t get to one of the events you can send your suggestions and stories using the form below to be added to the online archive.
We are adding more stories all of the time so check back for new entries.
Thanks go to everyone who has submitted a story. We hope you find inspiration here for your own creative project, be it songwriting, poetry, prose, visual art, dance or drama.
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Lewes Snowdrop
The Snowdrop Inn in Lewes commemorates a deadly avalanche that hit the town in 1836. On Christmas...
Defying the rules
Name: Helen Peckham Story / suggestion: My Husband "Nick" suffered a Stroke in October 2021. He...
Roundabout Jack or Horace Albert Duke
Suggestion from Laura Murphy at the WayfinderWoman Your Stories In Song event at The Grove theatre...
Not All In The Mind
We met Barbara at one of our Your Stories In Song events at Hampden Park Library. She told us this...
Mary Fildes
At Battle library we met a descendant of Mary Fildes who told us about her. Mary was president of...
Tom Hendrix’s Wall
Te-lah-nay's Wall - Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall We, Milton Hide (Jim and Jo) were lucky...
Paddling Along
We (Milton Hide) were pleased to work with the children of Grovelands School as part of Hailsham...
Boy from the Estate
A boy from the council estate got to the top of the corporate tree. My gosh it wasn't for me!...
Accident Annie
Accident Annie She spilt her drink down her skirt And found it was because she was a flirt Never...
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Share your story here
Milton Hide are singer-songwriters Jim Tipler and Jo Church.
Their songs are story based and they have been touring the UK with their Audience Book to gather new song inspirations. They worked on “Your Stories In Song” with the Summer Trifle Group gathering stories in Wealden – a project funded by the National Lottery and wrote 11 songs inspired by those stories..
The project continues in the form of this website. Local legends, characters, landscape features – any story you have to share and that might be immortalised as a story in song is welcome.
The hope is that artists, musicians and writers will also create new works based on the stories stored in the archive below.
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Be the first to find out news of where Milton Hide are playing and when they are releasing new music or videos, or what’s happening with the Your Stories In Song Project, by subscribing to their mailing list.
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