Tales of Winter Magic

If someone asked you, What came before Christmas?  You might respond, Christmas Eve. But I would answer, the Winter Solstice! The Winter Solstice (aka Yule) was here well before any humans let alone Jesus. It is the shortest day and the longest night and in the Northern hemisphere it marks the first day of Winter. It falls on or near the 21^st of December.



Butser Ancient Farm on the South Downs



Pagan Winter Solstice festivities are among the oldest seasonal celebrations in the world. Celtic priests would cut special mistletoe that grew on oak trees and give it as a blessing. Oaks were sacred and the fruit of the mistletoe, a symbol of life in the cold Winter-dark months.



Teazles in Front Of the Roundhouse



Many prehistoric stone circles in Britain, align themselves with the sun on the shortest day; the Celts even believed that the sun stood still for twelve days in Midwinter. Yule logs are traditionally burned during the Solstice to conquer the darkness, banish evil spirits and bring luck for the coming year. They burn throughout the night as a symbol of hope that the sun will return.



Something Wicker This Way Comes



Last year we visited Butser Ancient Farm on the South Downs and listened to mesmeric story telling by Red Phoenix around the fire in an Iron Age roundhouse; snow was thick on the ground, the atmosphere was intoxicating and the snowballs plentiful. We returned this year, there was no snow but we had just as much fun.



Baaaaa Humbug!



We started by exploring the traditionally built roundhouses and admiring the livestock; my daughter insisted that she has a singular affinity with the sheep! Then we trooped into the Roman villa for some making. As our eyes grew accustomed to the dingy light we found our way into a room, which thankfully had a fire burning in the hearth.



Nice Making by the Children



The children made their own mystic story-telling staves and rustic table decorations. The smoky room was soon bustling with well wrapped families but as we were first in, we could afford to be first out and soon squatted a spare roundhouse to eat our picnic.



Word-Weaver Red Phoenix in all Her Glory

Then the bell rang - it was time for the main event! We all sat on bales of hay, roughhewn seats or animal skins, gathered around the central fire in the largest roundhouse; the thin light and fire-smoke hung in the cold air, adding to the potent atmosphere.

Inside the Large Roundhouse

Red Phoenix is a word-weaver of many remarkable talents, she carefully settled everyone down before proceeding to involve us all in her entrancing tales of the Winter Queen & Holly King, travellers, warriors, foxes, imps, hunters, heroes, bears, robins, hobgoblins and Jack Frost. It was all quite enthralling and the children enjoyed it just as much as the adults did, they even got an age appropriate present as they left.

Red Phoenix Spins Her Captivating Tales

For me though, the highlight was Red Phoenix and her Tales of Winter Magic!



Boo!
It's Only Me - Looking Slightly Demonic
Have a Very Merry Yule all of you!
x



Winter and the Hope of Spring

Winter is always a lean time for foragers and this Winter has been an especially wet and stormy one here in the UK. I seems as if it has not stopped raining for the last 6 months! Obviously, this is not actually true but it has been unusually damp for a long time and many rivers are swollen.

However, a wise person once said, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing!" We have still been out and about in the landscape, enjoying the weather regardless of what it chucks at us.

We visited Stonehenge for the Winter Solstice, which was fascinating particularly as this is one of the only times when the public are allowed in amongst the stones, which are normally fenced off. The clear advantage of the Winter Solstice over the Summer Solstice is that you don't have to get up quite so early because sunrise is around 8:00. Although it still proved difficult to arrive on time - despite leaving home at 6:00 - because parking is very limited and all the surrounding roads are designated tow away zones. However, after some improvisation, fence climbing and nocturnal navigating, we did reach the stones just in time.

We visited a storm-swept, yet somehow beautifully peaceful Devon in late December. We spent our time exploring the breathtaking beaches in wellies and waterproofs, and watching the waves smashing into the shoreline and breaching the breakwaters.

The New Forest is a short distance from our city, Southampton, and, while we love to find new places to visit and wander, there are a few favourite places that we frequently find ourselves walking through with friends. the whole of the forest is like one giant boggy mire at the moment, so suitable clothing and footwear is essential. Often we find ourselves delicately picking our way from tussock to tuft, trying to avoid sinking from sight like some poor character from the Hound of the Baskerville's. I would not be surprised to discover that some of the tales written by Conan Doyle, who is buried nearby in Minstead, were inspired by the seriously muddy New Forest environment.

Now the crocuses are out, shining like jewels amongst the mud and frost, Ransoms & wild Garlic is beginning to show itself and the daffodils, forcing their way out of the soaking ground will soon be trumpeting in the green shoots of Springtime.

Winter Fayre

Silver Pine Cone Decorations

Last year at the school Winter Fayre, we sold Christmas decorations and little bunches of mistletoe, it proved a very popular idea and amongst the tsunami of children and parents. We completely sold out of mistletoe in a very short time. Obviously, we thought it would be a good idea to do it again this year.

Mistletoe

The loss of traditional orchards has led to a shortage of easily harvestable mistletoe and a consequential price hike but with a little improvisation and determination it can still be obtained for free.

A Big Ball of Mistletoe at Dusk

I had spotted some large balls, fairly low down in a tree at a local park and like a good boy scout, I have a pen knife. Among the many blades and tools contained within my Swiss Army special is a small but effective saw…

See Saw

With the enthusiastic help of my son and a couple of his school friends, we selected and coppiced ourselves a suitably lengthy hazel stick (about 3m long). Then using gaffer tape, I attached the tiny saw to the end of our pole and hoisted it up into undergrowth.

Weapon of Choice

It was impossible to get any downward pressure on the small saw, but by shoving it quickly up and down, I eventually managed get a couple of large bunches (as big as my boy) down, before my arms finally gave out. Last year, I used my woodworking pull saw, a far smarter solution that exploits the weight of the pole; this time I didn’t have my weapon of choice with me, but at least the vigorous exercise kept me warm.

Tied into Bunches with Ribbons

Later on, back at the ranch, the branches were broken down into nice sized bunches; they were then tied up with pretty red and silver ribbons to complete the Christmas effect.

Good to Go

Soon the bundles were all boxed up and ready to sell at the Winter Fayre. From there they will be taken into people’s houses and dangled above sweethearts in an attempt to cultivate the love kisses and hugs that we all require, no matter what the season.

Allotment Cardboard & Seedling Guards

Fed up with the endless futility of hacking back the weeds that grow over our allotment in the spring, I decided to try using corrugated cardboard as a biodegradable suppressant. 

Where I work we get large 2m x 3m sheets, which ordinarily just end up in the recycling bins. I covered the cultivated areas at the end of the season last year and weighted them down with bits of timber.

After a Winter and Spring of storms my initial efforts were beginning to look a bit tatty and shredded, but no weeds had grown. So, I laid down a second  layer in April to keep the weeds at bay and hold all the old bits in place. 

This system seems to work really well, nothing had grown beneath the cardboard and it also adds a layer of insulation, which helps to warm up the land. New plants and seedlings can be individually planted directly through the cardboard.

My other recycling initiative employed old pallets, which I had dismantled and cut to size during the Winter. Then with the help of some enthusiastic child labour, the timber was fashioned into frames and then covered in netting to protect young seedlings from birds, mice and cats. 

In the case of our garden based raised beds, these guards can even deflect stray footballs!  On the allotment plot, once the frames are deployed, they also help hold the cardboard in place, and I figure they can be turned upside-down during the Winter months to make them even more effective at this job.

Once the crops at the allotment are pressing against the netting, the plants are tough enough for us to remove the guards and place them over our next new batch of seedlings. This system seems to be working very well so far.

Sloe Motion

These May Actually be Tiny Damsons but they are Related and Will Do

When the first frosts of November arrive, we all start digging out the warm clothing and Winter gloves. Around this time, my mind also turns to toward the bountiful Blackthorn bush. It has been a prodigious Autumnal harvest for most fruit and nuts this year and Sloes have been no exception; they seem to be everywhere you look.

These are Definitely Sloes

Blackthorn provides us with two chief pleasures; in Spring, it is one of the first trees to blossom, smothering the hedgerows with its pretty white bloom. It flowers along with its close relative, the plum and proclaims the seasonal change. Then, as Winter approaches, we benefit from its late fruit, Sloes.

Blue Black Bloom

Tradition has it that the Sloes should be picked after the first frost. I normally wear cycling gloves, to save my fingers from the prickly thorns and purple stains, as much as the chilly air. The most popular pastime with this fruit is to make Sloe Gin, a tasty, plummy nip for those cold Winter nights.

Sloe Wine Fermenting

I picked so many juicy beauties that I had enough to make a bonus gallon of Sloe wine, but Sloe Gin is always the blue/black jewel in November’s crown. This seasonal drink can make a delicious Christmas gift; in a small, decorative bottle. Alternatively a small glass can be the perfect companion to a platter of cheese and biscuits, maybe accompanied by tangy home-made chutney and a few slices of apple…

Sloe Gin Infusing

Someone turn the TV on and ring for the butler!

Autumn Abridged

When we have an Indian summer, autumn seems to be brief but beautiful. This is especially true if there has been more sunshine than rain, which turns the golden leaves into an inevitable muddy pulp.



Lots of Lovely Leaves



We always enjoy this time of year; both our children have their birthdays in this season and we all like to get outdoors for long chilly walks. A favourite place of mine is Rufus Stone in the New Forest, where towering beech trees shed their bronzed leaves on top of the ancient mossy floor. Some of these wizened trees may even have witnessed the death of King Rufus (William 2), his breast pierced by an arrow as he hunted deer near this spot.

 

Rufus Stone - Stunning Beech Trees
Just Imagine How Big That Fallen Giant Was




·         Chestnuts – Still falling in some places but the season will be short this year. Roast them in the oven or better still on an open fire. Chestnuts don’t keep well unless you freeze them. Don’t forget to slit the skins first.





Chestnuts



·         Apples – Some still on the trees. Later, more firm varieties will keep better through the winter. Store un-bruised, firm apples in a cool place like a shed or outhouse; they must be kept not touching. Wrapping them with newspaper in greengrocers boxes will suffice. Some varieties will keep through winter. Eat/cook the softer earlier fruit first. Turning them into cider preserves them well – until you drink it…



The Hedge End Hidden Orchard Apple Matrix



·         Pears – Mostly finished now. Pears do not keep as well as apples, although I still have a few which taste good. It’s normally best to bottle or stew pears – or turn them into perry.



A Bucket Full of Itchen River Pears



·         Walnuts – Last year we got 16 Kgs but we were not so lucky this year. You need to be on your toes as they tend to drop all at once and children love collecting them off the streets. They will keep well, as long as you make sure they are kept dry. Hang them in string bags or nets to allow ventilation.



Let's Get Cracking



·         Hazelnuts – We had a huge amount this year, thanks to the timely intervention of a storm. Hazelnuts keep well, if dried thoroughly and stored in a similar way to walnuts.



Nuts Oh Hazelnuts!

·         Blackberries – Lore has it that you should never pick blackberries after the feast of St. Michaelmas (29^th of September). This is because the Devil has spat on them! Apparently, when St Michael cast Lucifer down, he landed in a bramble bush, which scratched him (as they do) he was so cross that he cursed, stamped and spat on them. Traditionally you can eat a goose on this day instead and maybe stuff it with your freshly picked chestnuts.



Darn Those Brambles

·         Quince – I have included this golden apple because the kind Vicar of Swaythling Parish invited us to gather the remainder from his garden. We will be donating them to Grandma I expect, who will turn them into something tasty soon.

Quintessential Quinces

·         Sloes – Traditionally, you pick these after the first frost; so I’m saving them for my winter section. Otherwise I will have very little to talk about…

Slow Down

What Shall We Do During Winter?

Autumn is now well established and Winter is always a lean time for foraging, we have had our first frost and cold weather is clearly on its way. I have been wondering what to write about; obviously I want to keep you, dear readers, amused, entertained and even enthralled. So I thought I would ask you what you would like to see?

A Muddy/Icy Walk/Ride in Wickam

As a family we still get out and about a lot during the cold season and I still take lots of lovely pictures. I could for instance show you how I built the supersonic pallet sledge.

The Pallet Sledge, Out Slides Anything On The Slopes

I can report back on the success or otherwise of our various chutneys and wines. We can celebrate the Winter Solstice in style. I’m certain we can have a go at making Xmas decorations and wreaths.

Making Decorations Last Year

I have a great plan for Xmas sweet treats, which could also make nice presents. We can organise some wassailing activities in the Lost Orchard of Mansbridge. I could write a book/manual on Urbane Foraging, and publish it in time for next spring. Or maybe you have something you would like to ask/suggest?

Actually, if my plan for a Community Orchard goes according to design, there will be plenty for us all to get excited about...

The Devil in the Detail

The Curiously Named, Cheesefoot Head

Not much happens, in the foraging vein, during the Winter months, but we still love to get outdoors when we can.  The children and I went for a walk around Cheesefoot Head in December and had a lovely time scrambling up and down the banks and exploring the woodland.

The Devil, Recently

One place that I have always wanted to visit is the Devil’s Punchbowl. I had seen it it many times, normally when stuck in the traffic bottleneck of Hindhead on the  A3. Now though, the busy London to Portsmouth road has been diverted through a tunnel, which means that the scenic area can be returned to something like its original beauty. The landscape here is actually a valley and not a “bowl” but this fact does nothing to diminish the staggering nature of this place.

When I suggested the Devil’s Punchbowl, my daughter asked why I always took them to places with evil names - we walked to the Hell Stone in Dorset last Summer and the year before we found the Deadman's Plack. I explained that remarkable places often have curious names. To be honest, I simply love maps and enjoy walking; so I frequently gaze at Ordinance Survey maps, hunting for wicked names or stunning ancient contours, where we can have a little adventure.

There are various legends attached to the Punchbowl, including an argument between Thor and Satan; the village of Thursley (named after the Thunder God), lies nearby. It’s always good to have an ancient story to engage the nippers with on the journey and there is a conveniently grisly tale attached to the A3 at this point. This involved the murder of an unknown sailor in the 1700’s and the subsequent punishment of three perpetrators. They ended up hanging from a gibbet atop the appropriately named Hurt Hill. 

Fortunately, the grim remains have now been replaced with a granite monument and some nice laminated signs. The original engraved marker-stone still stands though, detailing where and when the crime occurred. The unfortunate sailor’s gravestone can be seen in the Thursley churchyard, if you are curious enough.

Muddy Hell!

Some friends came with us, bringing Mungo, their lovely dog. Mungo kept my son constantly entertained by enthusiastically fetching every stick he threw, and the two of them were scampering back and forth throughout. We walked a fair way around the busy edge of the “bowl”, before stopping for a picnic and finally cutting back down through the valley along a lovely quiet sandy path. The thin, Winter sun was shining on us for so much of the walk that we ended up carrying the kids coats - you would not have guessed that it was mid-January.

The final part of our journey was more challenging and involved negotiating a very steep and slippery hill, which was covered in storm smashed trees and damaged fences. There were no casualties but the dog, and everybody else, did require hot baths that night.