Arts
The Year Turns, part 5
Beltane This important festival has been reinvented umpteen times throughout the ages. I knew it from childhood as May Day. On a couple of occasions while at primary school our class was forced to dance [more…]
Spring
Literature
Miss Procter’s Verses
An old friend of mine, who would eyebrow me, till I’d assured her the dangerous word referred to the length of our acquaintance only, has been for some time working on translations of verses she’s [more…]
Arts
The Year Turns, Part 4
Ēostre My earliest memories of this time of year involve decorating eggs, going to the local park, and rolling them down a hill. Well, more of a small embankment than a hill, but the thought [more…]
Arts
The Year Turns, Part 3
Imbolc This celebration of light and hope marked the early signs of spring and is one of the key occasions in the Celtic calendar, marking the transition from winter to spring. Widely observed in Ireland, [more…]
Arts
Postcard from the Keukenhof
The best time to visit the Keukenhof flower gardens is usually in late April/early May. So, this little essay will be published too late in the current season for it to inspire you to arrange [more…]
Arts
A bird in a gilded cage
My lockdown is idyllic, I am one of the most fortunate people in England at the moment. We have a smallholding in the East Riding of Yorkshire, close to the river Derwent which is the border between [more…]