Dr Embers has just moseyed in from the West...
Tonight's tale follows a lone Texas Ranger and his faithful horse, Friday, as they ride into a town on the brink of its greatest trial. Faced with the gravest threat the townsfolk have ever known, the Ranger carries no rifle, no grand army... only an ordinary stone and a quiet confidence that it may yet save them all.

How can a single stone stand against such a danger? Well, you'll have to gather around the campfire to find out.

The Fire is Lit!

Follow the journey on Instagram: @Doctor.Embers
Speak with me directly: [email protected]

If something you hear stays with you,
 you are always welcome to share it —
 a thought, a reflection, or even a story of your own.

Join the circle — like and subscribe,
 so you never miss a chance to journey with us.

"He who is feared by many must fear many."
— Publilius Syrus

Fear is ever present. No matter how big, brutal, or fearsome we may appear, we are all shaped by it. It warns us of danger, keeps us alive, and reminds us of our mortality. Yet left unchecked, it can become a prison of our own making.

---------

Recently I was challenged to take a simple children's story and transform it into an Arthurian-style legend.

The result is The Lay of the Black Toll Knight.

Have I succeeded in turning a children's tale into a medieval legend?

You tell me...

So draw closer to the fire and join me for a tale of fear, power, wisdom, and the strange ways in which even the mightiest may be brought low.

The Fire is Lit!

Follow the journey on Instagram: @Doctor.Embers
Speak with me directly: [email protected]

If something you hear stays with you,
 you are always welcome to share it —
 a thought, a reflection, or even a story of your own.

Join the circle — like and subscribe,
 so you never miss a chance to journey with us.

Dr Embers is bringing stories on the road.

Tonight, we learn the tale of the Big Nasty Knight and discover that fear is never far away—even for the most fearsome of fellows...

The Fire is Lit!

Follow the journey on Instagram: @Doctor.Embers
Speak with me directly: [email protected]

If something you hear stays with you,
 you are always welcome to share it —
 a thought, a reflection, or even a story of your own.

Join the circle — like and subscribe,
 so you never miss a chance to journey with us.

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
— Albert Einstein

Tonight, we return to the hearth for a more personal conversation as contributor Gordon Banks shares the inspiration behind the poems he recently read for us and reflects on the importance of imagination, creativity, and simple fun.

In a world that often prizes practicality and reason above all else, Gordon reminds us of the value of playfulness, wonder, and occasionally embracing the absurd. Together, we explore the enduring appeal of nonsense poetry, the freedom of the imagination, and why we should never entirely outgrow our sense of childlike curiosity.

So pour yourself a favourite drink, settle into a comfortable chair, and join us by the fire for an evening of poetry, reflection, and imagination.

Thank you for joining us around the hearth. Until next time, keep the fire burning. 🔥

The Fire is Lit!

Follow the journey on Instagram: @Doctor.Embers
Speak with me directly: [email protected]

If something you hear stays with you,
 you are always welcome to share it —
 a thought, a reflection, or even a story of your own.

Join the circle — like and subscribe,
 so you never miss a chance to journey with us.

"Men are not punished for their sins, but by them."
 — Elbert Hubbard

We often imagine that consequences arrive from outside ourselves, but perhaps the choices we make carry their own rewards and punishments.

Tonight, award-winning storyteller Jason Buck takes us into a modern tale, a place where every choice will leave an echo.

Settle into your favourite chair, draw a little closer to the hearth, and join us for Swipe Right—a thought-provoking story written and performed by Jason Buck.

You can find more of Jason's work here:

Instagram: @jasonbuckstoryteller

YouTube: Jason Buck Storyteller

The Fire is Lit!

Follow the journey on Instagram: @Doctor.Embers
Speak with me directly: [email protected]

If something you hear stays with you,
 you are always welcome to share it —
 a thought, a reflection, or even a story of your own.

Join the circle — like and subscribe,
 so you never miss a chance to journey with us.

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere." — Albert Einstein

This week on Verse and Tales, we leave reason at the door and step into the wonderfully absurd world of nonsense poetry.

Join us as we sail with Edward Lear's adventurous Jumblies, venture into Lewis Carroll's strange and perilous realm of Jabberwocky, and conclude beneath moonlit skies with Lear's beloved classic The Owl and the Pussy-cat.

Though playful on the surface, these timeless works remind us of something often forgotten in adulthood: the importance of imagination, curiosity, and the courage to see the world differently.

I am especially delighted to welcome this week's reader, Gordon Banks—the man who first introduced me to the magic of these poems many years ago. It is therefore a particular pleasure to share these cherished works with you in his voice.

So settle by the hearth, suspend disbelief, and allow your imagination to take the lead.

Poems featured:
• The Jumblies — Edward Lear
• Jabberwocky — Lewis Carroll
• The Owl and the Pussy-cat — Edward Lear

Instagram: Gordonbanks

The Fire is Lit!

Follow the journey on Instagram: @Doctor.Embers
Speak with me directly: [email protected]

If something you hear stays with you,
 you are always welcome to share it —
 a thought, a reflection, or even a story of your own.

Join the circle — like and subscribe,
 so you never miss a chance to journey with us.

“If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it’s yours; if it doesn’t, it never was.”

In this episode of Verse & Tales, we step onto the shores of myth and memory to explore the haunting legend of the Selkie — beings caught between land and sea, love and freedom.

Through this tale, we are asked a timeless question:
 can love ever truly exist where there is captivity?

Tonight’s story is an exclusive excerpt from a novel currently being penned by Sarah Turpin, who not only offers us a glimpse into her world, but lends her own voice to guide us through it.

Her work captures the quiet sorrow and enduring pull of the sea — a reminder that what we try to hold too tightly may one day slip beyond our grasp.

You can find more of Sarah’s work here:
 Instagram: @sarahturpinillustrator

So come, draw closer to the fire…

and listen carefully — for the tide is always calling.”

The Fire is Lit!

Follow the journey on Instagram: @Doctor.Embers
Speak with me directly: [email protected]

If something you hear stays with you,
 you are always welcome to share it —
 a thought, a reflection, or even a story of your own.

Join the circle — like and subscribe,
 so you never miss a chance to journey with us.

“What people believe prevails over the truth.” — Sophocles

In every age, mankind finds something new to fear, something new to believe in — dragons in the dark, madness in the moonlight, or the quiet anxieties of the modern world. The superstition changes… but the instinct does not.

Tonight, I step aside and welcome a new voice to the hearth.

All of tonight’s works have been written and performed by Simon Satori of Hi-Reciprocity — a collection of haunting, thought-provoking pieces that explore fear, belief, mortality, and the strange edges of the human mind.

Tonight’s works include:
• Instructions for Avoiding Ghosts (1:40)
• Hunting Dragons (2:50)
• Unsure Myself (6:25)
• And the Dead Have Got to Live Somewhere (7:35)
• Progress Within the Program (9:50)
• In Admiration of Meta Physical Mechanics (11:05)
• Red Sky Descending (13:40)
• See No Evil (15:00)

More of Simon’s work can be found here:

Facebook: Hi-Reciprocity

https://hi-reciprocity.bandcamp.com/

So come… draw closer to the fire, and listen well.

The Fire is Lit!

Follow the journey on Instagram: @Doctor.Embers
Speak with me directly: [email protected]

If something you hear stays with you,
 you are always welcome to share it —
 a thought, a reflection, or even a story of your own.

Join the circle — like and subscribe,
 so you never miss a chance to journey with us.

Tonight, By the Hearth takes a different form.

Rather than a tale told by the fire, I'm joined by a fellow poet, storyteller, and co-creator Joanna Vale for an intimate conversation exploring the inspiration behind her latest season — a collection of stories and poems shaped by the lessons of nature.

Together, we discuss the ideas hidden beneath each piece: what rivers remember, what owls witness, and what the natural world can teach us about ourselves if we are willing to truly look. 

From shifting perspectives to the quiet wisdom found in the wild places of the world, this episode offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain into the creative process itself.

So draw closer to the hearth… and join us for an evening of reflection, inspiration, and conversation beside the fire. 🔥

If you would like to support the vital work with Nightingales please use the link below:

https://www.singingwithnightingales.co.uk

The Fire is Lit!

Follow the journey on Instagram: @Doctor.Embers
Speak with me directly: [email protected]

If something you hear stays with you,
 you are always welcome to share it —
 a thought, a reflection, or even a story of your own.

Join the circle — like and subscribe,
 so you never miss a chance to journey with us.

“We see the world… not as it is… but as we are.” — Anaïs Nin

How often do we mistake our own perspective… for truth?

How often do we look… and believe we have seen?

Tonight’s episode invites us… to loosen that certainty…
 to step beyond ourselves…
 and to inhabit… something other.

In Beltane Fire and other poems… Joanna Vale brings a collection that asks not that we observe the world differently…
but that we become it…

To feel the hunger of the owl…
 to move with the quiet persistence of the river…
 to exist, if only for a moment… outside the boundaries of our own mind.

The Fire is Lit!

Follow the journey on Instagram: @Doctor.Embers
Speak with me directly: [email protected]

If something you hear stays with you,
 you are always welcome to share it —
 a thought, a reflection, or even a story of your own.

Join the circle — like and subscribe,
 so you never miss a chance to journey with us.