‘In walked this big bundle of energy’: the day Dolly Parton came to Rotherham
What it is about
Who published it, and when
How it spread - 2 original reports
Sat, 29 August 2026
1 report- The Guardian World07:00first to report
Country star came to South Yorkshire town in 2007 for UK launch of the Imagination Library, her book donation scheme Shane Jarman was up a ladder decorating a Christmas tree at the school where he was deputy headteacher when he got a call asking him to come to Rotherham hospital ASAP. It was December 2007 and Jarman’s wife, Claire, had given birth the previous day to their first child, a girl called Emma, so of course he rushed to the phone. All was well, he was told, but that “everything would...
Tue, 1 September 2026
1 report- Times of India15:46
Eighteen-year-old Emma Jarman recalls meeting Dolly Parton when she was just one day old at Rotherham Hospital in 2007. The singer had visited the UK to launch her Imagination Library literacy initiative, with Emma becoming its first UK recipient. Emma now reflects on their surreal encounter and Parton’s lasting impact on her life.