Are you sitting comfortably? Gran’s stories from lockdown are online hit
Retired teacher started reading books to her grandchildren on video calls during pandemic
Friday, 29th August — By Daisy Clague
Alison Campbell
A GRANDMOTHER from Finsbury Park who read books to her grandchildren on video calls during the pandemic has started a YouTube channel to bring her storytelling to the masses.
Tom Thumb, How The Camel Got His Humps, and Jabari Jumps are among the 20 picture books that retired teacher Alison Campbell has uploaded since starting her channel, More Granny’s Stories, in April. One video already has 10,000 views.
Ms Campbell told the Tribune this week: “My grandchildren live in Yorkshire, so I was really missing them in Covid and finding it hard to communicate with them. My main love has always been storytelling, so I just started reading to them over Zoom.”
After the pandemic, Ms Campbell was volunteering at the Hilldrop Community Centre, where her daughter worked as a lunchtime chef, when she joined a session run by the Peoples Place Community Partnerships (PPCP), an organisation that works across 11 Islington community centres supporting people with computer and digital skills.
It was there that the idea for More Granny’s Stories was born.
Ms Campbell said: “People my age, we feel cut off from society often because we can’t do things on the internet. I struggle with it all the time – even booking train fares.”
She has become increasingly confident and is now able to upload the videos herself.
Alison with Daniel Beloy
PPCP technician Daniel Beloy, who has helped Ms Campbell set up, film, and design the artwork for her channel, said: “A lot of things are digitalised nowadays, which is good, but at the same time it leaves out some people. These skills have a life-altering level of importance.”
While she loves all sorts of storybooks, Ms Campbell’s favourite – and her grandchildren’s – is Are You Asleep, Rabbit?, which she co-wrote when her own son was just four years old.
“That’s the one they love, because it features their dad when he was little,” she said.
And while there is no live audience of toddlers during the filming sessions, her grandchildren’s favourite toys – Gerry Giraffe and Olly Orca – are always in front of her on the desk as Mr Beloy films the books over her shoulder.
“I just pretend I’m reading to the grandchildren, I imagine they’re listening. And hopefully, they are,” said Ms Campbell.
Peoples Place Community Partnerships is based at the Light Project, Watkinson Road, N7.
Alison Campbell’s YouTube channel is @MoreGrannysStories
