The delightful Katy Marchant is the director and founding member of this wonderful group of medieval musicians and theatre players who are a visual treat and capture what it must have been like so many years ago when this kind of entertainment was our way of storytelling. Their amazing music is played on authentic instruments and this troupe mix together their great musical talent with drama, dance and old fashioned stilt walking skills, using hand made masks and traditional costuming to fantastic effect – these original entertainers take us back into our past and a time when humour and interactive story telling was the only way to hold a crowd’s attention and of course nowadays hold us transfixed! Their attention to detail and authentic reproduction of their sound from the Middle Ages and visual effects are astonishing, together with their understanding of how folk used to celebrate festivals intertwined with the natural rhythms of the year. Daughters of Elvin are such a treat in this modern high tech world and reverently carry with them a tribute to our folklore heritage, the keepers of the old magical treasures. As their web site is being redeveloped at the moment, you can learn more and hear them at http://www.myspace.com/daughtersofelvin

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(photos here) When you were little, did you ever hold a buttercup underneath someone’s chin to see if the delicious colour reflected in their skin, knowing that if it did, then they liked butter? I love it that every new generation of kids think they’re the first to figure this out, I was asked to partake in this experiment many times when I was a teacher on playground duty. I still adore these bright, deep yellow, wildflowers that creep and grow profusely in our garden and bring a welcome warm feeling on gloomy days. I know that buttercups are thought of as weeds, but how can one be offended by something so happy looking, they’re like little suns dotted all over the grass and along the hedgerows!

Magical Blessings, Be

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.” – Maori proverb