Tom Harvey and the Pershore Plum Fayre

The title of this blog sounds like a fairy story although, trust me, it is not. Tree and I went to the Pershore Plum Fayre on Bank Holiday Monday to sell some of our wares and set up a lovely pitch in St Andrew's garden. The weather was good and we put all the mirrors outside. This attracted a lot of people, especially to Tree's lavender bags and weaving kits, which sold well. I then started to get a variety of people saying "Are you Tom Harvey then", having looked at my mirrors. This went on for some time until I finally had enough and said to one, particularly annoying, old gentleman," Who is Tom Harvey"? It transpired that there is a tree in the Abbey grounds that was crowned after a storm. Left with just the trunk of this huge tree the abbey paid for a sculptor called, you guessed it, Tom Harvey, to carve it. I went and had a look and was very impressed, not least by the fact that everyone thought I was him, after seeing my work. I wonder if Mr Harvey would feel the same way in reverse.

Phew what a smell II

Yesterday I ventured, for the first time since the floods, down to Pitchcroft Racecourse on my way into town. Racecourse seems to be the wrong term to describe what is now left in the aftermath of the scourging flood waters. Everything is covered in a layer of smelly slime! Any part of the grass raceway has been destroyed. I think it would now make a good track for dirt bike speedway!! That's if they can get rid of the smell first!

Spirit of the Oak

I can only apologise for the lack of blogging but I have been busy, as the proverbial bee, getting ready for the plum fayre in Pershore. I have made about another half dozen mirrors and Tree is well on the way to making another batch of weaving sticks. One mirror, in particular, has fascinated me as I have worked on it. It is a piece of waney edged Oak about 2' high.As I cut and polished further into the surface, lo and behold, a face appeared. Could this be the Dryad spirit of the Oak itself..who knows! I have put the two photos just in case you can't see the face and think I'm mad!

Anniversary joy!

Today is Tree and my Third anniversary, so I am a happy bunny today, despite the weather. Later on, we hope to be able to light a fire and watch the Perseids before they disappear.

Otherwise, there is not much going on, apart from making loads of stuff for the Plum Fayre. I have found myself turning my hand to new skills of late including weaving dream catchers and making felt mice, to go in my mirrors. I am also in the midst of making a scrying mirror.

Tree and I took time out to go to Glastonbury, last Sunday week, and on the way Tree spilt coffee all down her front, as you do. The only thing we had in the car for her to wear was a piece of Indian cloth we used to cover the seats. Tree was, needless to say, not happy with this. However, on walking up the high street, she soon realised that no-one even noticed and the cloth matched in with her top, so much so it looked like she was some kind of festie hippy chick in a sarong. She wore it, quite happily, until we bought a skirt.

Whilst there, we got chatting to someone from the Witches Emporium who, after explaining about the Druid's war and the in fighting, put us off taking up one of the new units in The Gauntlet arcade. Instead we shall carry on where we are as it seems to be picking up nicely now.

Happy Lammas and Phew! What a smell.

Well the flood waters have finally receded and what have we got left..a great big stink! You know that smell that you get at a festival, when the grass has been trodden down after the rain, well magnify that by 300 and you might be close to what Pitchcroft racecourse smells like. A combination of dead fish and rotting vegetation. I am happy on two points. Firstly, Tree and I haven't got an allotment by the river anymore and, secondly, we don't live in a flood plain. What amazes me is that you still hear adverts on the radio saying "Come to Worcester racecourse and get your heart racing". Trust me, you'll be lucky if you can breath with that foul stench.

On a more cheery note, I have started doing house and name signs for people and the first attempt isn't too bad, if I say so myself. Business is better as well, partly due to punters arriving for The Big Chill at Eastnor this weekend.

And most certainly last but not least, Happy Lammas! time to gather in the harvest both literal and spiritual. Take time to see where you have been and where you are going. Goodbye to the Sun and welcome the coming change. Be thankful and celebrate the fruits of your labours.!