A filmmaker and writer who tells the weird and wonderful tales of Cumbrian folklore has just released a new book of Haiku poems.

Stephen G Rae, 54, also known as the Bard of Cumberland, is originally from Scotland.

His family farmed on the Ayrshire coast and bred cattle which had an influence on him from an early age.

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He studied Botany, Ecology and Botanical Science at Glasgow University and became an Agricultural and Horticultural consultant.

He has travelled to many places including Pakistan and Zambia creating sustainable farming practices and providing AIDS awareness to schoolchildren and adults. 

(Image: Stephen G Rae) Stephen moved to Ulverston in 2007 where he began researching Cumbrian folklore.

He now practises as a Druid with his Bard 'title' referring to the keeper of the tradition and of the historical record after the Romans destroyed any written record of them. 

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Stephen's usual tales are of sea people, boggles, kelpies, sea-witches, faeries and plenty of other ancient folk however his book of Haiku poems is influenced by his experiences travelling.

One reviewer called it 'expressing emotions in the presence of nature throughout the author’s life'.

(Image: Stephen G Rae) The book entitled 'Often I Stop and Look Back' contains 60 Haiku poems in the traditional Japanese discipline of 17 syllables. 

When Stephen's book was published on August 16, it took the top spot for Haikus on Amazon for its first 48 hours.

Stephen said: "So far it's had all five-star reviews which is quite groovy really.

"I've actually been writing Haiku for around 30 years. I'm currently writing a folklore book and I'd been in talks with a gentleman called Russell Holden, founder of Ulverston's Pixel Tweaks, who works with authors.

(Image: Stephen G Rae) "It was somehow decided that I was going to write a book of Haiku which I went away and did that very weekend and got it to him by Monday morning.

"I picked 60 of my favourites out of about 600 and they're based on my experiences with animals and nature from my travels around Africa, Asia and South America.

"I'm still working on my folklore book as we speak."

(Image: Stephen G Rae) Two Haiku are also inspired by two very dramatic features of the Cumbrian landscape - Helvellyn and Coniston Old Man.

The latter reads: "On a winter's morn, Coniston Old Man's nightshirt drifts back to the moon."

Stephen said: "It was inspired by my experience there one winter morning. There was a cloud that was lower than the top of the Old Man and it just slowly drifted upwards.

"I've always been inspired by nature and was spoon-fed Robert Burns poems as a child.

"Poems about nature can be quite long and boring however so I quite like the challenge of keeping it short.

"I'm quite active on Twitter often posting quotes and bits of writing so with restricted characters, it's not that dissimilar."

The book costs £6 and is available in Ulverston's Sutton bookshop and TPFramework as well as Amazon.