Tuition with Lesley

18/03/2026

I am so enjoying running writing workshops for this project. It was especially lovely to get this feedback from one of the young people involved in the series of five writing sessions the museum arranged for them:

‘This is the one thing I have done like this that puts energy back in the tank rather than spending it.’

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded funding from Chippenham Borough Lands Charity for our 'Brief Lives' community creative writing project.

Using two significant events as inspiration, this project celebrates the history and people of the town of Chippenham and its surrounding area.

2026 marks the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Aubrey, a local antiquarian, scientist, and biographer. We will celebrate his wide-ranging pursuits and scientific interests in our summer exhibition, 'Wiltshire and the World: John Aubrey and the Quest for Knowledge'.

Aubrey’s anniversary coincides with the planned publication of the Victoria County History (VCH) Chippenham volume. To mark the publication, community groups and heritage organisations are coming together for the Chippenham - Our History community project, with planned events and activities already bringing people together to celebrate the history of the town and surrounding area.

Here at Chippenham Museum, we are using these two momentous events to inspire a creative writing project that will celebrate the life and work of John Aubrey, acknowledge the significance of the VCH publication and the work of the professional historians engaged on the volume, and develop a modern-day snapshot of local lives.

The funding received will enable the museum to engage an experienced creative practitioner to develop and deliver a series of workshops and resources aimed at Year 5 and Year 8 pupils. The workshops will introduce young people to John Aubrey and his collection of 'Brief Lives' and encourage them to develop their own series of modern-day brief lives based on adults they know, such as teachers and school staff, family members, or sports and club leaders.

Using the work produced by the schools as publicity and inspiration, the museum will encourage the wider community to add to the 'Brief Lives' archive by producing their own mini biographical accounts, acknowledging and celebrating individuals living and working in the community today.

Read our latest blog to learn more about the project 👉 bit.ly/InspiringYoungWriters

Follow the project's progress and find out how to get involved through our monthly newsletter and social media. Here's how you can stay up-to-date 👇

📧 Join the mailing list: bit.ly/ChippenhamMuseumNewsletter
📱 Follow us on social media: linktr.ee/ChippenhamMuseum
🛜 Visit our website: bit.ly/ChippenhamMuseum

28/01/2026

Join the Chippenham Museum Creative Writing Group for a series of linked workshops celebrating the 400th anniversary of the birth of local antiquarian and famous biographer, John Aubrey. The workshops will be led by Lesley Taylor, an experienced facilitator, and will draw inspiration from Aubrey’s work and the museum’s summer exhibition.

Born in Kington St Michael in 1626, Aubrey was a biographer, archaeologist, scientist, naturalist, and oral historian. He valued the minutiae of everyday life, and his writing is rich with specific (and often witty) details that bring the past to life.

Drawing on his most well-known work, 'Brief Lives' - written portraits of key figures of his day - the workshops will explore how to write with greater detail. Sessions will provide an opportunity to develop the skill of telling your own stories with clarity, experimenting with a range of forms including flash fiction, memoir, poetry, and creative non-fiction.

Suitable for beginners and experienced writers alike, this series of monthly workshops will culminate in 'An Evening with Aubrey' at the museum, where participants’ work will be shared and celebrated. The date for this celebratory event is to be confirmed.

Each session costs £5 per person. Spaces are limited, so booking is essential. Please contact the museum to reserve your place.

📅 Monthly, February - September
🕒 First Wednesday of the month, 7pm - 9pm
🎟️ £5 per session, booking essential

09/01/2026

On this , why not get involved with our new series of creative writing workshops for young people?

Join us as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of local antiquarian and inventor of the biography, John Aubrey. Open to young people aged 16-18, these free workshops offer the chance to develop your writing skills and see your work in print.

Aubrey was an archaeologist, scientist, and historian who, from a young age, collected stories and local legends from people across Wiltshire. He used these to create a series of mini-biographies collectively known as 'Brief Lives'.

Inspired by Aubrey’s work, participants will use the museum’s collection of portraits, taken by local photographers in the 1900s, as creative prompts to write their own ‘brief life’ for these anonymous figures.

An experienced writer will lead the workshops, helping young people develop their skills and explore new writing forms and genres, including:

🎼 Poetry and lyric writing
🎭 Dramatic monologues and short scripts
📖 Short stories and flash fiction

The project is supported by the Friends of Chippenham Museum and will conclude with a special celebration of the work produced, including a printed publication.

These workshops are free, but spaces are limited, so booking is essential. Please contact the museum to reserve your place.

📅 15 January - 12 February
🕒 Weekly Thursdays, 4.30pm - 6pm
🎟️ Free, booking essential

10/12/2025

It’s important to keep up to date with CPD when you’re self employed and I’ve been on several really excellent courses this year - alongside the important ones that are required (safeguarding etc):
- Granta’s Nature Writing course: an intensive 8 week course which I completed across the summer.
- Creative Ink’s Life Writing course: a six week course which I am just coming to the end of.
- Advanced Tutoring GCSE English Language marking CPD for AQA: completed yesterday morning.
All have been tremendously interesting as well as helpful.

20/10/2025

Many students start half term this week - a well earned rest at the end of what is always a busy term in school. Now is a good time for Y10/11 or Y12/13 students to consider if they need some extra help in English at GCSE or A Level. Do get in touch if you think you might need this support as I have some slots free for online or in person (depending on day/location etc).

18/09/2025

21/08/2025

Really pleased to hear that so many students were happy with their GCSE results. One parent said, ‘Thank you so much for all your help, we really couldn’t have done it without you. I would recommend your tutoring to anyone.’ Another parent emailed to say she was delighted that her son, a college student who I started working with before Easter, had finally passed English on his third attempt.

But results day can be hard for some students and things don’t always go to plan. It’s good to remember that exams are just one small part of life and there are always ways around difficulties.

21/08/2025

Eagerly awaiting news of how my GCSE tutees did in their exams (especially English of course!).

11/06/2025

In A Level Literature, poetry is so important across all exam boards and yet it’s an area students often struggle with. Do get in touch if you have a student who needs help with this - or any other aspect of A Level literature. Now is a good time for those in Y12 to consider tuition!

03/05/2025

I can’t believe it’s just over a week until the first English GCSE exam with A Level Literature not far behind!
I know that students have valued their weekly tuition over this past year and it’s made a difference to them. If you have a Y10 or Y12 in your household, it’s a good time to start thinking about booking tuition for the next school year. Do get in touch if you’d like to find out more. Slots will start to become available once exam season is over.

23/02/2025

Lovely to get this feedback from Christian and Amanda following GCSE resit results earlier this year:
'We used Lesley to tutor our daughter in her GCSE English Language resit. She was absolutely fantastic, especially as our daughter wasn't able to attend the resit lessons at school due to clashes with her a-levels. Her grade went from a 3 to a 5. Highly recommended and we can't thank Lesley enough!'