QPHS magazine - Autumn Term 2025 - Magazine - Page 19
DO YOU BELIEVE?
A Spooktacular Day
We were thrilled to be invited, as part of
Chester Schools Together, to The King9s
School for an inspiring author talk with
Danny Robbins, writer and podcaster,
about his new book Do You Believe in
Ghosts? In October, Mrs MelhuishJones took an excited group of Year 7
students for an afternoon of spooky fun.
Danny shared how his fascination with
ghosts began in his school library,
reading classic ghost stories. He then
posed the big question: Are you a
believer or a sceptic? There was plenty
of lively discussion as everyone shared
their views on stories from Roman
soldiers haunting York without their legs,
to Uri Geller9s famous spoon bending
and even ghostly encounters in school
toilets! With Chester9s rich Roman
history, we could not help but wonder if
we might have a few spectral visitors of
our own!
The afternoon ended on a high as our
students were gifted a signed copy of
Danny9s book, courtesy of Chester
Schools Together. It was a fantastic
experience that sparked imaginations
and left us all with plenty to think
about…and maybe a few goosebumps!
FANTASY, FOLKLORE
& NETFLIX
Curtis Jobling Shares His Story
Thanks to the generosity of Storyhouse, 52 excited Year 7 and 8
students had the chance to hear local author Curtis Jobling
speak about his newest book, Wereworld.
Curtis shared how he first came to Chester to study at Art
School, following his lifelong passions for drawing and reading.
He fondly recalled borrowing stacks of books from his local
library, and how discovering Tolkien in Year 7 sparked his love
of fantasy and folklore.
His career has been an extraordinary journey, from designing
Bob the Builder for the BBC to seeing his Wereworld series
brought to life as an animated show on Netflix. Many students
had already watched the series, so they were thrilled to hear
directly from the author behind it.
Curtis also spoke about the origins of fairy tales, tracing them
back to the Brothers Grimm and reminding students that the
earliest versions were often very different from their Disney
counterparts! He introduced his new book, inspired by folklore
and his childhood holidays on the Isle of Man, and even treated
the audience to a live reading of a chapter. Students left eager to
get their hands on the full story.
Before the session ended, Curtis encouraged everyone to
pursue their own hobbies and interests outside the classroom,
explaining that his own passions had led him to his successful
career as an author.
