More local tradition stuff - peacefully getting on with life, unlike other places.

Out and about yesterday, I went through the crossroads for the first time since Storm Lilian hit us. I’d already noticed branches broken off trees in other parts of the village but at the crossroads a large tree appeared to have been broken. I hadn’t been aware that Lilian had hit us so hard. I must have slept through most of her onslaught.

Still out and about, this time in the village itself, I noticed that it seems to be well-dressing time again. We don’t have a well, at least not one that I’m aware of, but for the last few years well-dressers have produced a fine piece of work which is usually attached to a tree on the edge of the village centre. It’s made of flower petals pressed into clay. This year’s theme is the Oldham Mountain Rescue Team. We don’t have spectacular mountains to speak of either but we’re close enough to the foothills of the pennines for unprepared walkers to get themselves into difficulty. 

“Well dressing, also known as well flowering, is a tradition practised in some parts of rural England in which wells, springs and other water sources are decorated with designs created from flower petals. The custom is most closely associated with the Peak District of Derbyshire and Staffordshire. James Murray Mackinlay, writing in 1893, noted that the tradition was not observed in Scotland; W. S. Cordner, in 1946, similarly noted its absence in Ireland. Both Scotland and Ireland do have a long history of the veneration of wells, however, dating from at least the 6th century.

The custom of well dressing in its present form probably began in the late 18th century, and evolved from "the more widespread, but less picturesque" decoration of wells with ribbons and simple floral garlands.”

Thank you, Wikipedia, for that information.

I notice that quite a lot of places in the Peak District have Well Dressing Festivals but they seem to be mostly in May. Our well dressing without a well usually takes place at the end of August, in time to coincide with the presence of lots of Morris dancers. 

Some places like Tissington in Derbyshire have very fancy decorations of actual wells, but ours is a much humbler affair.

We’re just peacefully getting on with local traditions. 

Elsewhere, Israel seems determined to take war further afield, with strikes into Lebanon. A dangerous business! 

Here’s a bit of Michael Rosen with The King and his Tutor:

'Today,' said the King's tutor, 'we're going to talk about saving lives.'

'That's nice,' said the King, 'at last we can talk about the good things we do.'

'The first thing to remember about saving lives,' said the tutor, 'is that we do this through war.'

'Yes,' said the King, 'you mean we have our apothecaries and physicians who administer medicaments and salves to  our soldiers' wounds.'

'Not exactly,' said the tutor, 'I was thinking more about what happens in times of battle.'

'Go on,' said the King.,

'Well we have swords, cannons, pikes, lances and arrows,' said the tutor.

'We do,' said the King.

'When we attack we use these,' said the tutor.

'We do,' said the King, 'I don't follow where you're going with this.'

'When we attack a city, say, we use these,' said the tutor.

'Of course we do,' said the King, 'that's where the enemy is.'

'What I want you to think about here, though,' said the tutor, 'is just think: if we wanted to, we could kill everyone in the city. But we don't.'

'That's true,' said the King.

'Today's lesson is about saving lives' said the tutor. 'I've just demonstrated how war saves lives.'

'On account of us not killing everybody,' said the King.

'Exactly,' said the tutor.

'It's been a good lesson today,' said the King, 'I'm most grateful to you.'

That’s all.

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!