Ghost of the Sky is an audio adventure written by Sarah Hehir set on The Bentham Train Line. It is produced by outside it is beautiful. Please use headphones for the best listening experience.
Please scroll down for the text version of Ghost of the Sky. * for notes about the recording at the end of this page.
Ghost of the Sky - by Sarah Hehir.
Ghost of the Sky is a short audio adventure set on The Bentham Train Line, written by poet, playwright and writer of BBC’s The Archers Sarah Hehir and produced by the outside it is beautiful team. It takes listeners on an imaginative wildlife and heritage adventure between Leeds and Morecambe, drawing on tales and histories from the communities who live on the train’s route along the way. And if you listen closely, you might recognise a few people too.
More on outside it is beautiful
outside it is beautiful is a brand new community-focused digital audio stories project about nature and local history set on the Bentham train line which runs between Leeds and Morecambe.
Curated by writer/journalist, photographer and film-maker, verity healey; playwright, poet and writer for BBC Radio 4’s The Archers, Sarah Hehir; and Yorkshire-based writer, educator, performer and facilitator, Becky Cherriman, outside it is beautiful will connect rail passengers with stories inspired and written by local people and places via an audio app which can be accessed by travellers on the Bentham Train Line.
Ahead of its official public launch in 2025 to mark both the 175th anniversary of the Bentham train line and the 200th anniversary of the modern railway in Britain, the outside it is beautiful team held a week of activity between 1st-7th October in partnership with local organisations at different stops along the Bentham line, which has culminated in the creation of a brand new audio adventure, written by Sarah Hehir. The project was supported by Arts Council England through its National Lottery Project Grants programme, the Northern Community Fund and in kind by Culturapedia and The Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership.
From 1st to 7th October 2024, the outside it is beautiful team met local groups and commuters on and around the line, and also ran a series of free arts activity sessions led by Sarah Hehir and Becky Cherriman in Bolton-le-Sands, Holbeck in Leeds, Morecambe and Skipton. Participating groups were Kurdish communities and Ripon House in Leeds who house women recently released from prison, Settle Stories Writers’ Group, Pioneer Project’s Wellbeing Groups including people living with dementia, SELFA Kids, Bolton-le-Sands CoE Primary School, Bolton-le-Sands Library and Morecambe Library. The artists also met with the Forest of Bowland National Landscape and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust/Yorkshire Peat Partnership.
To find out more and how to get involved or help support the project next year please contact verity healey, creator and producer at collcreative@yahoo.co.uk
Ghost of the Sky credits: (in order of appearance)
Chorus: Elsie Hehir
Helius: Barry Symons
Liberty: Holly Bars
Tot Lord: Gerald Townson
Mum: Bridget Evans
Cassandra: Sophie Evans
Production credits:
written by Sarah Hehir
researchers: Becky Cherriman, verity healey & Sarah Hehir
Piano: Dan Healey
director/editor: verity healey
This production was produced using mostly non-actors, some of whom live along or at the end of the Bentham Line. Due to running out of budget, we couldn't afford to use a studio or afford to have the actors together recording with each other. Everyone recorded on what they could find following notes from the director.
We would love to find funds to re- record this using the same actors but in a studio using proper foley etc.
A note on the piano music - Elgar was a frequent visitor to Settle and the surrounding area. It is said that he composed parts of Nimrod on returning from Leeds one night after hearing a recital of some of Mozart's music. We thought it appropriate to use his piano variation here.