A young Welsh friend, Ben Roberts, dancing in the May with Clerical Error Border Morris.
Here we are, May Day. Did you get up to welcome in the May at dawn this morning? Lots of my Molly and Morris friends around the country did, Face Book is awash with great photos, how wonderful the tradition seems to be gathering strength amongst the younger sides. I must confess it was almost seven before I was up, and I wasn't out gallivanting either! Here are a couple of photos of other Morris friends here and there.
Loose Women Morris, at Goodhurst.
Green Dragon Morris, dancing at Whitstable.
My April read was quite delicious, I enjoyed every page, and for me, Sally Vickers is back on song. The characters are finely written and the transition between the present day, and Agnes' past life is well handled and reads comfortably.A book with lots to capture your interest; local colour, a mystery, and a nice balance of gently handled revenge and romance. Satisfying.
I haven't felt like attempting anything very challenging as I feel I can't settle to much at the moment with keeping on top of the situation with mum takes a fair amount of energy. So my read for May is an undemanding Dan Brown, which was on offer at the bookshop for cheaper than a paperback - says something about Dan Brown books you may infer!
His latest offering, Inferno, is in the same mould as the previous three (or is it four?) and, as it is May today I have begun it, and it promises to be just as formulaic. But it will suffice to keep me going, easily put-downable when I can't be bothered. I'm sorry, that really isn't the spirit of the challenge is it? And not usually how I approach reading books. I shall hopefully be back on song next month!
Hello lynne from sunny skye!!! We are here for just one more day then we go to the outer islands - yesterday was our wedding anniversary and a lovely day was had - Dave has been walking in the chilling (sounds painful!!!!) most days and is loving it - I have been mooching around - I think you would love the yarns!!!!! I have been reading " simple" books because that is where I am at the mo - I have read the woman who went to bed for a year by sue Townsend and laughed all the way through and 44 Scotland street by Alexander McCall smith - probably not to your taste but I have laughed out loud at them .......... Hope your mum is keeping as well as can be expected and hope you have a great weekend xx
ReplyDeleteHi Lynne, lovely comment, thanks a lot; your holiday in Skye sounds just wonderful, and yes I would love the yarns! Ah yes, I have read a couple by Alexander McCall Smith and I do like his writing actually.And simple is good - I don't have the energy or the concentration at the moment for very deep or complex! Enjoy the rest of your holiday! Lxx
DeleteActually I don't know how that happened BUT Dave is walking in the Cuillins not in the chilling - this iPad seems to be making up words!!!! Xx
DeleteHahahahaha! Wonderful! I have a friend who provides hours of laughter to us all with her facebook typos and predictive text from her phone. You do have to go back and check, don't you, but fear not, I kinda guessed it was something else! Lx
DeleteDear Sweet Lynne, I so enjoy reading your blog and learning about your traditions. There is so much joy and merriment in your posts. We have a tradition of making May baskets filled with flowers to hang on the doors of those we love, but very few are doing it anymore. When I was a young girl we would have a celebration at school which included dancing around a May pole, but they don't do that any more either. It is a shame how America has been loosing it's traditions. Today there is always some one protesting to the fact that they are unconstitutional or unfair, and they don't want their children involved, but they don't want them sitting and watching those that do either. So the answer is to stop them. What A Shame!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your festivals and learning that the Brits are embracing your traditions and passing them on to the children :)
Have a wonderful weekend.
Your blogging sis, Connie :)
Thanks as usual for a lovely comment, Connie. You know, our very old traditions are very diluted these days if remembered at all, and certainly in England we a re very self -conscious about anything which may smack of 'nationalism' we have become so politically correct. We can celebrate the traditions of others but somehow have been made to feel uncomfortable about our own. I have lost patience with it. So I am so trilled to see so many of my young musical friends embracing the customs and traditions and giving new life to them. I ope the sun is shining for you this weekend, we have been fortunate so far! Lxx
DeleteHi Lynne, so lovely to see these wonderful traditions thriving amongst the young ones - there's hope for us all yet! Sorry to hear about your problems with your mum. I can relate to how difficult it must be to settle to anything - sadly my mum passed away a few weeks ago and life here is very unsettled too! But we find strength from somewhere don't we, and life goes on. xCathy
ReplyDeleteCathy I am so sorry about your mum, you must all be quite raw at the moment, and yes, unsettled is right. We have a few boulders to get over then we should be sailing into calmer waters - what a mish-mash of metaphors! but you know what I mean. I think what I find hard is I am beginning to feel my own old age fast approaching - and I know I'm not "old" but it is all bringing it home to me what the future might hold. I'll get over it, but like you, I am all unsettled. But we will survive! Lxxx
DeleteI quite like a good old Dan Brown read once in a while. I find formulaic books quite comforting, particularly when I find it difficult to concentrate on a book. I didn't get up at dawn to greet May, I think I had too many early mornings with all the children! Your photos show the joy of your gathering. Thank you for sharing a custom I am not familiar with.
ReplyDeleteHi Christina, -see my comment below to Jay - yes, I wasn't knocking the genre so much as making the point that they become repetitive after a while. And no, I wasn't up at dawn that morning either! Though I was awake, the dawn chorus sees to that!
DeleteI remember in my childhood celebrating May with maypole dancing at school, weaving the ribbons in and out, although I've never seen it in Norfolk. I enjoyed Dan Brown's first few books although they were a bit samey, wouldn't mind trying another one now though.
ReplyDeleteHi Jay, no, I've not seen it in Norfolk either - whether that's because by the time we came to live here it was considered Old Hat, the boys certainly didn't do any of this at school. However, growing up in Liverpool in the late 50's early 60's we were fortunate to tap into a very strong 'folk ethic' and had country dancing, Maypole, and lots of music-related events at high school. I have to say this Dan Brown is proving interesting culturally, I'm learning a lot about Dante, Michelangelo et al regardless of the plot!L xx
DeleteWhen I feel as you do I turn to Terry Pratchett ... undemanding and funny ... always works for me.
ReplyDeleteI do hope things are a little easier with your mum Lynne x
Hi Annie, yes, absolutely nothing wrong with an undemanding read now and then, I jet feel the 'chosen' book ought to have a bit more meat on it though! Mum moves tomorrow, lots of hard graft ahead re her house but we have at least started the process. Lxx
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