Glastonbury – Beltane and more on this Mayday (not M’aidez)
The celebrations started at sunrise or what would have been sunrise had we been able to see it. Dancing round the maypole and the like started 7.30 am. Celebrations were held all over the town.
We arrived about 9.30 am. We were joined by a visiting friend from Peterborough. Sometimes you meet people and there is an obvious ‘click’. You have not met them before but they are familiar to you. No instructions are necessary. You just carry on from where you left off, whenever that was. This was the case with our friend.
We spent some time in the Chalice Well Garden itself where there was entertainment by way of singing and dancing. A plentiful supply of coffee and snacks was on offer. People as ever were very approachable and I had half a dozen meaningful conversations. One was with an astrologer and writer, another with a dancer, and another from an Estonian lady who I complimented on her demeanor and happiness. Another had headgear in the shape of a ram.
We walked round the town introducing our friend to the main sites and sounds of the unique High Street. We then came across a number of druids, with their faces painted green a la the famous Green Man of old. We returned to Chalice Well for the midday celebration and had a quiet period of meditation for the welfare of the planet and its consciousness.
We finished our visit by a drink at the King Henry, one of the community establishments where it is a genuine pleasure to enter and mingle with like-minded people.
It requires several visits to Glastonbury to appreciate even a small fraction of what goes on. We did not attempt the Tor as our friend’s back was stiff.
We returned home via Wells and prepared a meal, part of which was a lasagna prepared by our guest. We then sat round a brightly burning fire in the living room, whacked up the temperature by adding many logs, and went into a semi-somnambulent state.
Sometimes, Cows are let out and they walk around the building at the top but on this occasion there were only a few sheep on the lower pastures. We met an African-American couple photographing each other and I got the impression that the male photographed his female companion many times so I made a joke saying that if I had 50 p for every time he photographed his friend would I be rich and he laughed knowingly saying yes.
And so back home. Now the evenings will start to draw in. On the way back, we got in supplies of coal which I note has increased in price. We paid £23 for 60 kg of house coal. We burn a combination of coal and wood so that should last us a bit.
I seem to be banging on about Corona and other problems but then why should I apologise. I do follow Samuel Pepys’ example; he was very much concerned with the matters of the day especially the Great Fire of London which was started in a bakery so we are told.
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