Reading with Redfearn

She’s used to keeping order at Full Council and chairing high-powered meetings with the borough’s big decision-makers.

But this week Wigan Council Chief Executive Joyce Redfearn faced one of her toughest audiences to date…the under fives!

The council chief became the latest in a line of high profile figures to take the chair and keep a gathering of eager young fiction fans entertained. And it was all to promote the joys of reading.

The story telling event at The Wiend Children’s Library in Wigan town centre on Wednesday was one in a series of events taking place in the borough to celebrate the National Year of Reading.

Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust organised the event and has commissioned a special ‘reading chair’ for the popular sessions. So far it’s been graced by writer and broadcaster Stuart Maconie, Hollyoaks actress Leah Hackett and Leader of Wigan Council Lord Peter Smith.

But now it was the chief’s turn…

Joyce chose children’s pop-up favourite The Very Clever Crocodile as her book of the day and admits she was little bit nervous before facing her audience.

“I just wanted the children to enjoy it,” she said. “And I think they did. I wanted to engage and entertain the children It was a pop-up book so I was hoping they could join in a little bit and they certainly did. I was also really pleased and delighted that so many children and their parents had turned up for the reading and they all got involved.”

Mum-of-two Joyce is a big advocate of reading out loud and says storytelling should be a real family affair.

“We used to read as a family when the children were younger,” she says. “It is a great way to spend real quality time together and it encourages the children to read on their own, which is vital.

“Reading is a fabulous thing, so reading together is even better. It’s something that’s only limited by your imagination. You can share the whole world and beyond, visit far off places and meet fantastic people all without leaving the room.”

Watching over Joyce’s debut in the reading chair was Wiend Centre worker Sue Whalley.

Sue, who regularly takes the Wednesday afternoon under fives story telling session, said Joyce was a natural.

“You have to keep the children’s interest,” said Sue. “You have to grab their attention by emphasising certain words in the story and keep them entertained by encouraging them to join in. Joyce did all that and more, everyone enjoyed it.”

As part of the National Year of Reading, Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust is hoping that more people will get turn on to the beauty of reading and take the plunge and visit there local library.

There are currently around 100,000 library members across the borough, which is about one in three people. And Joyce for one would be delighted if it was more.

“Libraries are really great places,” she says. “Whatever your taste in books there will be something for you and that’s not all. There are DVDs, computer games and much more. I’d encourage everyone to get down to their local library, who knows where it might lead!”