Beltane: Day 7

It's the final day of our Beltane celebrations! Just two more seasonal events left before the wheel turns, but they're both good 'uns.

Late Spring Walk in the Park

I led a Late Spring Walk in the Park for Friends of Crumpsall Park this morning. Tons of bluebells, apple blossom and oak leaves to herald the season!

Hannah’s Bookshelf Beltane Special

This afternoon was the Hannah's Bookshelf Beltane Special on North Manchester FM, featuring twelve original pieces of seasonal flash fiction, all inspired by Beltane and the beginning of May.

And so the wheel of the year turns. We'll be celebrating again at Midsummer.

Midsummer Stories Wanted for Hannah’s Bookshelf on North Manchester FM

Submit your seasonal flash fiction to be played on Hannah’s Bookshelf this June!

Can you tell a seasonal story in just 3 minutes? Want to have your work played on the radio? This month, I’m looking for seasonal (Summer) flash fiction from around the world for inclusion on Hannah’s Bookshelf, the weekly literature show on North Manchester FM.

On Saturday 22nd June, I’ll be hosting the Hannah’s Bookshelf Midsummer Special, and as part of my seasonal special, I’ll be playing a selection of my favourite 3-minute stories on the show (broadcast on FM and on digital). Want to be part of it? Submit a recording of your seasonally inflected story (maximum 3 minutes) by midnight on Monday 17th June.

All genres welcome – be they cosy, romantic, scary or sad. The only rules are that stories must be your own original work, have some connection to the season, and be in English (the language of the broadcast). And please ease off the swears – stories have to be radio friendly! All you need is a microphone and a story – once you’re ready to submit your story, click on the ‘Start Recording’ button on my website to record your story and submit it. Remember to enter your name and email address when submitting your story.

If you aren’t able to submit via a recording and would like another method of taking part, please message via my website for more information.

Please share this call with anyone who you think might be interested – I’d like to cast the net as wide as possible. My favourite seasonal stories will be broadcast on the Hannah’s Bookshelf Midsummer Special at 2pm on Saturday 22nd June, on digital radio and 106.6FM.

Beltane: Day 6

It's the penultimate day of our Beltane celebrations for this year. I was at work all day, but there was something nice planned for the evening, so that's okay.

Bakewell Puddings and Tarts

Took a little souvenir of our holiday into work today to spread a little springtime. Bakewell tarts for a volunteer meeting, and Bakewell puddings for me and my manager!

Bailey’s Wood Beltane Walk

I led a Beltane Walk in the Woods this evening for Friends of Bailey's Wood. It was lovely to wander through the woods, talking about the folklore of the season, and seeing that the hawthorn blossom and oak leaves have appeared since the last time I was here. It's really May now!

Stag’s Breath Liqueur

Since we've been celebrating all things Green Man this Beltane, we picked a treat tonight that feels pretty foresty... Stag's Breath Liqueur! It really does taste of comb honey (and also whisky, of course).

Beltane: Day 5

Another day of celebrating the season... and we had lots of nice seasonal treats lined up today.

Bakewell

It was our last morning in Bakewell today. We had a bit of a mooch round the town, and then lunch at The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop. I had Derbyshire Rarebit and a Bakewell Pudding (of course).

Beltane Wreath

This was a lovely surprise... when we got home from our holiday, my mum had hung a lovely springtime wreath on our front door.

Cherry Bathe-Well Bath Bomb

A bath-time reminder of our holiday... it's a Cherry Bathe-Well Bath Bomb from Bomb Cosmetics.

Beltane Wax Melts

We lit our diffuser tonight with some seasonally inspired wax melts: Wild Bluebell by Orgánico.

Beltane Dinner

Rob cooked our traditional Beltane dinner of Sausage Casserole tonight.

The Wicker Man

And we watched our traditional Beltane film, which is obviously The Wicker Man.

Beltane Gifts

After dinner, we exchanged our Beltane cards and gifts. We'll add the whiskies to our seasonal collection, to drink when we're in Cornwall in December.

Beltane: Day 4

Our fourth day of Beltane celebrations! And neither of us has got sick this year! Woohoo!

Bakewell

Our little holiday in Bakewell continues! It's the last full day today, so we're planning to make the most of it.

Magpie Mine

We went for a picnic and a wander round Magpie Mine today. We came here a couple of years ago and just loved the place. It's so atmospheric and evocative. There are also a lot of wildflowers growing on the site. I particularly enjoyed spotting mountain pansies today.

Honey Tea

We took a moment to enjoy the season with a nicely evocative tea. This time, it was Honey Tea from Tugboat in Truro.

The Deceit

We spent this evening puzzling over an escape room game called The Deceit. This game was from Puzzle Post, and we really loved the attention to detail in the contents and clues. As always when we play games like these, we were so proud of ourselves for solving it, we considered (yet again) opening our own detective agency.

Beltane: Day 3

Another day of celebrating Beltane! And today was an absolute cracker.

Bakewell

We're still on holiday in Bakewell, and today we baked up a picnic and headed out for an adventure. It was so sunny... I even got to wear my sunglasses for the first time this year!

Monsal Trail

Today we walked half (sort of) of the Monsal Trail. Two years ago, we walked from Bakewell to Upperdale and back again. This year, we wanted to explore the other half, so we went from Upperdale to Chee Dale and back (just over nine miles). It was absolutely glorious! Everything was green, and we were surrounded by butterflies and bees and birdsong and bluebells. We explored tunnels and disused lime kilns, and I had a Banana and Toffee Ripple ice cream. Just a properly perfect day.

The Green Man: A Field Guide

I am a bit obsessed with the Green Man this Beltane, so when we got back from the trail, I read a bit of The Green Man: A Field Guide by Clive Hicks.

Events in May 2024

Beltane Walk in the Woods
Friday 3rd May
5.30–6.30pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a sociable walk in the woods to enjoy the changing seasons
Booking Link

Late Spring Walk in the Park
Saturday 4th May
11.00–12noon
Friends of Crumpsall Park
I'll be leading a sociable walk in the park to enjoy nature and the changing seasons
Booking Link

Virtual Writing Retreat
Sunday 12th May
10.30–5.00pm
Hannah's Bookshelf
I'm hosting an online writing retreat for creative writers with writing exercises and structured writing sessions
Members Event

Woodland Fairy Walk
Wednesday 29th May
11.00-12noon
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a creative walk in Bailey's Wood, hunting for fairies (suitable for all ages)
Booking Link

Dark Fairy Folklore in the Woods
Wednesday 29th May
6.00-7.00pm
Friends of Bailey's Wood
I'll be leading a woodland walk with dark and creepy tales of fairy folklore (suitable for ages 12+)
Booking Link

Interested in booking me for an event? Click here to find out more.

Beltane: Day 2

Our second day of celebrating Beltane! And we had a nice little trip out planned today.

Bakewell

We're still on holiday in lovely Bakewell. The weather isn't too bad today, and apparently it's going to get even better tomorrow.

Summerisle Mugs

Celebrating Beltane with our new Summerisle mugs from Cultzilla!

Robin Hood’s Stride, Stone Circle and Hermit's Cave

We had a lovely walk and a picnic in the hills above Bakewell. We visited (and climbed all over) Robin Hood's Stride, and I found a little grotto to sit in. Then we visited a nearby stone circle and the Cratcliffe Hermit's Cave, where there's a stone crucifix that dates back to the thirteenth or fourteenth century. It was a really brilliant walk!

Green Man Puzzle Box

I'm a bit obsessed with the Green Man this spring, so I treated myself to a Green Man puzzle box from Bakewell market today.