All Hallows Gathering 2017 – A Little Night Magic

If I were a member of the audience at the Dark Gathering I would be in a bit of a dilemma when it comes to deciding where to be at dusk. Join the Torchlight Procession and escort the Mari Lwyds to the Museum – or wait at the Museum and witness the mighty Penkevyll call up the Maris with tribal drumming? I personally don’t get a choice because as organiser I have to stay at Base Camp so to speak! This has proved to be somewhat problematic in the past not knowing what was happening from one end of Boscastle to another – however we’ve solved that problem now by using walkie-talkies. These were carried by a small team of locals who took on the role of marshalling for the Gathering. They all did a simply splendid job and I thank you all and hope you will be available to repeat the experience next year. 🙂 Anyway, whichever choice folks make they all seem to enjoy whatever experience they go for, as they both have their own attendant magic. Here’s some photos and footage to get a flavour of each atmosphere.

After the joyous reunion of Cornish Penkevyll with her Welsh bone sisters, the Mari Lwyds, it was time for the traditional pwnco ceremony. This year, you’ll be delighted to know, I decided that it would be better not to inflict upon anyone else having to hear my voice mangling the pwnco verses! So instead Tia and Sue sang alone the riddles to each other first in Welsh with the responses in Cornish. They were brilliant, and judging by the cheers that went up following this performance it was well received by all, and the Mari Lwyds were successful in their endeavours to gain entry to the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic. Then it was time for some very strange creatures of the night to make their appearance…

A little bit of back story is required here. Back in the summer whilst I was searching around for a Dark Morris side to replace the now sadly defunct Wytchwood I was contacted via my website by the Artistic Director of Mr Fox who are based at Barnsley, Yorkshire. They described themselves as a Street Theatre & Dance Company who worked with fire and stage effects. Initially I wasn’t sure whether this would be suitable for the Dark Gathering but decided to invite them following discussion and perusing their videos. However this meant that there would only be two Morris sides for the afternoon as Mr Fox essentially could only perform in the dark. I was confident that Wreckers and Beltane were more than capable of fulfilling their brief of ‘Morris entertainment’ for two hours as they are both competent sides with many performers amongst them. When I asked for a bio from Mr Fox I received some prose in reply and the opening stanzas of this gave me a great idea of how the enigmatic Mr Fox could make their entrance (or prowl-up as they describe it) at their appointed hour. These were the verses concerned:

When eyes do see the naked flame
and ears do hear the brazen beat of drum
When two worlds meet
then twilight’s winding walk is begun…

Down from on high they come
skirting the undergrowth
and into the square…

Above the Museum is a green lane that runs the full length of the village and I thought Mr Fox could start off from there and make their spooky way down to the square in front of the Museum. It actually turned out even better than I had anticipated! The first the onlookers heard was the skirling of pipes which were joined by vibrant and pounding drums as slowly the performers holding torches made their way down the hill and into the performance space. It was truly magical and very atmospheric.

There then followed a bewitching performance with characters appearing and disappearing at will accompanied by special effects. What added to the haunting quality of this performance was there was no spoken word at any point. There was dance, gesture and movement all orchestrated and directed by the music(ians). Mr Fox were like a tribe as there were small children taking on roles as well and it was impossible to tell what gender anyone was because of how they were kitted out in their smocks and masks. All in all it was an eerie and deeply atmospheric experience – folks loved it! 😀

As the performance came to a close Mr Fox disappeared into the night as mysteriously as they arrived. Time for a change of pace and an acknowledgement of the Samhain energies and spirits that were abroad that night. Sarah and Paul took the stage and sang a beautiful, poignant and evocative song which was composed by Paul. In case you didn’t catch the words on the night, here they are now:

The Gather

Gather the sticks and gather the stones
The part of the wind that whistles and moans.
Gather the water from out of the stream
And out of the wells where witches have been.

Gather the wheat, the barley and corn
The bones of the things that are yet to be born.
Gather the birds, the raven and rook
I will decide where they shall be took

Bring me the heather, the view from the bluff
The moss on the moors and the fragile stuff
The mid day of winter, the sun where it shone
Find for me this before it is gone.
(softly: before… it is…… gone. )

Gather the clouds from out of the sky
It will not be easy but please you must try
Gather the future and gather the past
And all of those moments that just did not last

Gather the words that no one has spoken
The well meaning thoughts, the promises broken.
Gather the many and gather the few
If they are unwilling, then gather them too

All that are present and all that are here
Stand and be silent, stand and draw near
When all this is done. When all this shall be
Set them before me. Then set them all free

Paul Sumner

It was now nearly time for Will Fox’s now traditional Samhain Blessing, but just to set the scene we decided to honour the genius loci (spirits of place) by utilising bullroarers. So three wisewomen were employed to achieve this; myself, Tia and Michelle (aka Selkie).

The time for the Ancestors was upon us and Will Fox took us on a journey to them honouring the darkness and the outcasts on his way. He can truly weave magic with his words and cast a spell upon the audience. 🙂

The Dark Gathering calls all sorts of people to itself. It attracts folks from not only all over Britain, but also from other countries. This year we had people from the Netherlands, Germany and even had a couple who travelled all the way from Maine, USA just to attend the Gathering! It was lovely to see this couple, Ken and Mary, in particular as we had handfasted them earlier in the year at the Men an Tol. 🙂

I had a word with our MC Steve who then had a chat with Ant from Beltane, and as a consequence, Ken was given the place of honour holding the centre torch in the now famous Beltane Fire Dance.

Normally proceedings would have come to a reluctant halt at this point but there was still something important to do. The much deserved thanks to all who helped so much to make this Gathering so successful.

Steve read out the list of people concerned:

Our Sponsors
The Museum of Witchcraft & Magic
which includes;
Simon Costin – Owner
Judith & Peter Hewitt – Managers
and
Boscastle Chamber of Commerce

Also thanks to:
The National Trust

The people of Boscastle

All volunteers including: Nathan, Daniel, Claire and Dreads

John Isaac – Photographer
Kieran Sweederz – Videographer

Performers
Beltane Border Morris
Wreckers Morris
Boscastle Buoys
Mr Fox

Special thanks to:
Sarah Emery & Paul Sumner
Michelle Elliot
Will Fox
Steve Podger
Kylie Reynolds

All Mari Lwyds
Penkevyll the Lands End Oss

Also I would like to mention donations we received from Beltane Border Morris and Woody’s Pizza which we’re very grateful for and will put to good use in next year’s Gathering. So much of what the All Hallows Gathering is nowadays is reliant on goodwill and volunteers who give of their time and energy for free. I would love to be able to offer everyone something towards their costs but our funds are quite limited at present. We are always open to offers of help and donations towards this unique event though.

Kieran who has filmed and crafted our archive footage for the last few years is a case in point. At present he is a University student and he would love to be sponsored in some way for his superb work each year. So if anyone out there is willing to offer patronage to him then please get in touch – camera and editing equipment does not come cheap.

I feel it is crucial to any event like this to make sure there is adequate acknowledgement to the volunteers’ endeavours. I have in the past been part of various voluntary organisations where occasionally the volunteers have not been treated very well or have been taken for granted. I personally cannot understand this attitude as, quite frankly, without them you’d be stuffed! So much goes on behind the scenes that others are blissfully unaware of. Just to snatch an example out of the air – torches. They look great don’t they? However, someone has to bear the responsibility of creating them, carrying them, keeping them primed and so on and so forth. I know for a fact that Paul Sumner made the magnificent tall torches that light up the parade and performance space so well and his partner Sarah Emery helps with the management of them. Ant Veal I believe sorts out the torches for Beltane Border Morris. Let’s hear it for all the folks behind the scenes who help create the wonderful spectacle that is the Dark Gathering! 🙂

Before we knew it, it was all over and everyone wended their weary way to the welcome hospitality of the Wellington Hotel.

I end this post on a definite high knowing that this year’s Dark Gathering brought so much to so many people in spite of many setbacks. There was fabulous feedback from the many folk who came, and others who could not who watched the live footage. It was a great boost to the local economy as it was estimated that 1,200 people attended, and the Museum said they had their best day’s takings ever!

Now it’s time to settle back, make yourself comfortable and enjoy the next 2 hrs 40 mins of Kieran’s archive footage of the All Hallows Gathering 2017.

See you all next year on October 27th 2018! 🙂

December 7, 2017 4

All Hallows Gathering 2017 – The Daytime Hours

I think it is fair to say that 2017 has been my most demanding year yet as organiser of the Dark Gathering. Speaking now from the other side of the event I can safely say that this year has also been ultimately the most satisfying for all sorts of reasons. There’s nothing like striving in the face of adversity and despite that, succeeding to give you a real buzz! However, this most definitely could not have happened without the goodwill and co-operation of many good-hearted folks who seemed to go out of their way to help when unexpected problems occurred. Peter, one of the Museum’s managers, said that it was a real pleasure to work with people on the Dark Gathering because there were no egos inferring with the work in hand. Certainly it was refreshing for me to work with folk who worked well using their own initiative and flair for whatever role that they were performing. Thank you guys and gals! 😀

The day kicked off to a fascinating start with the talented David Pitt holding a Mari Lwyd Workshop in Boscastle Village Hall. Everyone who showed up during the day thoroughly enjoyed the experience and there was evidence of many Mari Lwyd rattles in the crowd later on! 🙂

David is a multi-talented artisan and a gifted storyteller. Here is his website: David Pitt

Once again we were fortunate with the weather and it didn’t seem too long before people started to gather outside the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic, eager to get a good view of the afternoon’s performances. The Salt Sisters, a duet who sang a cappella was a lovely warm-up act to listen to whilst waiting.

The air was full of the buzz of anticipation as performers and audience began to arrive. There was even a raven called Branwen who had turned up for the occasion! 🙂

Plus a little owl who flew in for the experience!

Ravenswell

Finally it was time for our irrepressible MC Steve Podger to start off the proceedings and the All Hallows Gathering 2017 was under way!

Our local side this year was Wreckers, resplendent in Cornish gold and black who delighted the crowd with their light-hearted and fun entertainment. It was very enjoyable playing in the band with them and I learnt very quickly to expect the unexpected! 😉

Wreckers Morris

Beltane Border Morris who are part of the backbone of the Dark Gathering were magnificent once again with some new faces spotted amongst them. They never fail to thrill the audience with their theatrical dancing skills and raw vigour.

Beltane Border Morris

As a surprise component there was a visitation seawards of a young Sea Oss, Morvargh and a Mari Lwyd, Seren who moved amongst the watching crowd during the afternoon. Young Morvargh was particularly entranced by the music and needed no further encouragement when ask by Wreckers to dance along to their music! 🙂

During the break in the afternoon’s Morris dancing we had the local male voice choir, The Boscastle Buoys giving us all lively renditions of many popular Cornish songs and shanties. Rather wonderfully they raised a total of £160 for the Cornwall Hospice by passing a bucket around to the crowd. 😀

Meanwhile, making their way down the old part of Boscastle was another Mari Lwyd contingent complete with a set of talented musicians who had travelled from Penzance to play with the Maris. This Mari Party was calling upon some of the inhabitants of Boscastle where they, once they had gained admittance, duly blessed their houses. Needless to say following some generous hospitality, they were well fed and watered by the time they made their slightly unsteady way to the bottom of the hill – where they had a well-earned rest…in the Cobweb Inn! 😉

By this time the light was fading rapidly and it was time for the creatures of the night to emerge from the shadows! Which I will relate to you in my next blog. 😉

And so the anticipation built…

November 17, 2017 8

Further Dark Gathering information

Only a few weeks to go now and all sorts of exciting things are afoot…!

Responding to a need for more retail outlets to be available to folks after the festivities, many of the local establishments in Boscastle will be open later in the day. Also we have secured the presence of Woody’s Pizza Van who are well known locally for delicious wood-fired pizzas. They will be stationed outside the Spar shop from 5pm – 8 pm. They come highly recommended!

Woody’s Pizza

I now have details of how those who can’t attend the Gathering for whatever reason can watch online or as good as. You have the choice of two options on the day:

Option One – you can follow the proceedings via the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic’s YouTube channel here:

Museum of Witchcraft & Magic

There will be a slight delay on this option whilst the filming is uploaded to YouTube.

Option Two – follow live footage on our All Hallows Gathering Facebook group here:

All Hallows Gathering Boscastle

Both options require membership – there is no charge. Of course if you’re an avid fan you could watch both! 😉

It’s startling to consider how our original spontaneous creation has now reached a global audience in just a few years. Well done everyone! 😀

Lastly for now, on this night of the powerful Harvest Moon I send the call out to all of goodwill and merriment. Come join with us at the All Hallows Gathering on Saturday 28th October 2017 to honour our ancestors and celebrate Summer’s end in the ancient village of Boscastle. Help us a-conjure in the eldritch time of Halloween!

October 5, 2017 2

Nine and a Half Weeks … until All Hallows Gathering 2017

To say that organising the Dark Gathering this year has been challenging would be an understatement! All sorts of spanners have been thrown into the works, but amazingly where a person or a side have departed, there have been folks who are only too eager to step into the breech and fill the void. I thank you all! 🙂

As you can see from the poster, we have a very full line-up of activities and performers this year. Whilst on the subject of the poster I want to personally thank Chris White who designed it at very short notice. Even more amazing is the fact, and I hope he doesn’t mind me mentioning this, that Chris is disabled and is more or less housebound being a full time carer for his beloved wife. Chris sadly will never be able to attend the Dark Gathering, but has given his full support to the event from it’s inception. Chris is a unassuming, generous and talented guy who has a passion and curiosity for the absurdities of life – who definitely has a soft spot for Osses, Maris and other assorted beasties. Take a bow Chris White! 😀

This seems a good moment to state that provision will be made this year for a live recording of the Dark Gathering. This means that the housebound and people abroad will be able to share in the atmosphere of the event as it happens. So performers and audience be aware – you will be on camera most of the time!

The day will start early this year with a Mari Lwyd Workshop led by David Pitt. In the workshop you can make and decorate your own mini Mari Lwyd shaker to join in with the festivities – and meet some Maris too. It is open to all ages and I really hope I get the time and opportunity to attend myself. If not, can someone make one for me please? 😉 There is no charge for this workshop, although donations are welcome to cover costs. Here’s more information on David: The Crowman – Storyteller

Joining Beltane and Wreckers this year was going to be a new Dark Morris side, Emanon. This happened through a chance remark at Teignmouth Folk festival and as a result, a new Dark Morris side was born. Emanon were to be giving their debut performance at this year’s Gathering – I’m sure everyone would have welcomed their input with interest as they came with a great CV. So new are they that they didn’t even have a photo I could have shown you yet!

I know that taking on a new untried and untested side who I haven’t even seen in action was a bit of a risk – but hey, it keeps things vital and interesting. So much of the organising and arranging of the Dark Gathering is a risk, a gamble, but in a sense you have to accept that it’s all in the lap of the gods how well (or not) plans turn out. So many times now there have been instances of realising that there are gods who care what happens at the Gathering and the community of Boscastle because of amazing interventions, just at the right time. It is said that Fortune favours the brave – however, it doesn’t pay to be too blasé either! All we can do is prepare for the worst and anticipate the best. 🙂

Risks

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk being called sentimental
To reach out to another is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk showing your true self
To place your ideas and your dreams before the crowd is to risk being called naïve
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure
But risks must be taken, because the greatest risk in life is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing
He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love
Chained by his certitude, he is a slave; he has forfeited his freedom
Only the person who risks is truly free

Janet Rand

Ironically, and just to prove my point about the unpredictability of this year I have been informed by Emanon that sadly, due to the ill health of one of their key members, they are unable to perform this year. 😦

We all hope that the person concerned recovers swiftly and we look forward to Emanon making their appearance another year.

Moving on, I am delighted to announce that we will have a local choir singing in the afternoon at the break (around 4 pm) – the Boscastle Buoys. They collect for charity and this time it will be for Cornwall Hospice Care so make sure you have your change ready when the bucket comes round!

You may have heard that Wytchwood Morris have taken a sabbatical, but some individual members of Wytchwood will be attending the event in a supporting role – and given the collective talents of that side, it will be well worth looking forward to any input from them! 🙂

Finally regarding performers, we have the enigmatic Mr Fox. When asked for a bio I was sent this – make of it what you will:

When eyes do see the naked flame
and ears do hear the brazen beat of drum
When two worlds meet
then twilight’s winding walk is begun…

Down from on high they come
skirting the undergrowth
and into the square…

The dancing ground is old as time
But before that time was bound
The black morass of earth was lit
And the shining star was found…

With smoking clouds and tendrils flare
Amid eternities brilliant glare
the hooded shadows flit…

They crouch and prowl, they run and fight,
They tend the braziers’ fiery heart
With flames that flash as bursts of light
And this is but the start…

As giant, feathered footsteps bound,
Seek to rule the dancing ground
Beneath a moonlit sky…

A blaze of flame, a fire flower
Wrought with magic for the task
Is summoned with unearthly power
By a silent, Silver mask….

Darkness and tears are cast aside
Shadows banished far to hide
Beyond the dancing glow…

A timeless story is evoked
Written in flame upon the night,
Blazing colour, curling smoke…

A battle danced twixt dark and bright.
Hear the drums and seek the flame
The nameless ones who share a name…
The inimitable Mister Fox.

This year the Mari Lwyds will be visiting establishments and households throughout the village during late afternoon, culminating with some steeds joining the procession; and others making their own slow but steady progress to attend the ancient pwnco ceremony at the threshold of the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic. There are a couple of new additions to our equine friends who may make an appearance – so keep alert as they may appear where you least expect them!

Given the growing popularity of the Dark Gathering it has become necessary to make some logistical decisions regarding crowd control and the like. There will be volunteers who will act as marshals, moving folk around when necessary to avoid bottle-necks and to ensure that everyone has a fair chance of viewing the day’s activities. Please try and co-operate with these necessary measures which have to be brought in for health and safety purposes. Also parking became an issue last year so you need to know that there is also a car park at the top of Boscastle near the Napoleon Inn – see map for details.

That’s all for now folks and I look forward, as I hope you do, to this year’s All Hallow’s Gathering. See you all there – here’s last year’s footage just to remind you of how brilliant it all is!

August 22, 2017 9

Update on the Dark Gathering 2017

Our 4th All Hallows Gathering will contain a few changes. A fortnight ago I received an email from Angie Latham that said that she was stepping down from a few roles she held due to health reasons, and that this would include being Morris organiser for the Dark Gathering. Although I was saddened to hear of her health issues, I understood the need for her to cut down on her responsibilities. I want to take this opportunity of publicly acknowledging Angie’s hard work and commitment to the Gathering, and I personally thank her for her support and enthusiasm for this event from its small beginnings to the hugely popular happening we enjoy now. Take a bow Angie! 😀

Moving on… Catseye Morris are unable to perform at the All Hallows Gathering for what appears to be the foreseeable future. I am sure I am not alone in thanking the Catseye team for their unique contribution to the Gathering in the last couple of years. In their place this year will be another Cornish side, Wreckers Border Morris. Wreckers are an inclusive and energetic Morris side who are a lot of fun and we look forward to their performance alongside Beltane Border Morris and Wytchwood.

Wreckers Border Morris

Finally, it has been decided that it would be a good idea to have, if possible, a Guest Side each year. So, the following invitation is going out to any side that would like to perform at our All Hallows Gathering:

We are sending an open invitation to any sides that consider themselves to be dark and edgy and preferably of Pagan persuasion (although not essential) to perform alongside Beltane Border Morris and Wytchwood Morris at the annual All Hallows Gathering at the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic. If you are interested please apply to Event Organiser

At the end of each Gathering we will make an announcement about which side has been chosen as Guest Side for the following year. Make sure you submit any offers early as we already have had interest shown from some Dark Morris sides.

There are several things planned for this year’s event but I will fill you in on those details nearer the time. In the meantime, enjoy a taste of Wreckers performing Evesham Wheel at Restomel Castle.

March 30, 2017 5

All Hallows Gathering 2016 – Part Two

Now was the time for the whole raison d’être of the Dark Gathering – the meeting of the Welsh Mari Lwyds with Cornwall’s Penkevyll the Oss. This year we were going to try to introduce the Mari Lwyds into the proceedings in a different way – we were going to have a procession. However, there was one thing that we hadn’t factored in – that this year the clocks hadn’t gone back yet – so it was still light by 5 pm, the advertised time of the Lantern Procession. The Mari Lwyds traditionally don’t appear until at least dusk, and there was lots of debate about when to start the tribal drumming (the signal for the Procession to start) – and also when to light torches etc. You can just imagine the dialogue!

To add to the confusion there is no mobile signal in Boscastle so we couldn’t communicate with the processional group who were congregating in the car park the other end of the village – eventually we sent a runner and the Procession started.

What I didn’t realise until much later is how popular the procession turned out to be. It certainly attracted hordes of people who came out especially to see the Mari Lwyds and to join in the fun.

Here is some drone footage of the procession compiled by Dougie Latham and Paul Sumner:

Not only did we have music in the procession but at the Museum there was a troupe of drummers drawn from all sides and the general public, lead by Dave from Beltane Border Morris, who started a tribal rhythm. This was enough to entice Penkevyll from her temporary stable in the back of the Museum and she emerged to join her Teazers in raising the energy.

Laetitia as Teazer shot out of the Museum like a bat out of hell, whilst I followed at a more leisurely pace making sure I guided Penkevyll out safely to her waiting audience. At our emergence, a huge cheer went up and we began to dance up the energy. Laetitia was brilliant in her role as Teazer. She was really fired up and danced like one possessed – which is just what is required with this role in my opinion. By fortunate happenstance her transformation was captured on film, as can be seen here:

This sort of ‘overlooking’ of a person can also happen to the Oss Rider – in fact, it is encouraged. You allow the spirit of the role/Oss to ‘ride you’ but you have to be aware enough of where you are going and what you are doing at the same time. This can happen with other types of theatrical performance including dancing. Indeed I have personally witnessed this with some of the dancers from Beltane Border Morris as they fly around the space – every now and then they can shapeshift momentarily. It quite magical and intensely fascinating!

The role of Teazer is complex but in essence is to be a bridge betwixt the Oss and the crowd – to be able to travel and dance between those worlds. Just because I’m not as spry as I used to be doesn’t mean I can’t function in this way anymore. Sometimes moving very slowly can have just as much effect. I like having two Teazers. It makes sure that the needs of Penkevyll are being well attended to as well as dramatic energy raising dance being performed – and every now and then, the two forces meet – and there is a ‘frisson’.

After some frolicking around and general mischief-making with Penkevyll we caught sight of the torches of the Procession approaching and it was time for Penkevyll to meet her bone sisters who she hadn’t seen for nine long months!

It was a joyful reunion! The crowd marvelled at all the different Osses and Mari Lwyds and after the initial welcome, Penkevyll and Teazers disappeared into the Museum to make ready for the traditional pwnco ceremony which went with it’s usual idiosyncratic craziness. No matter how well we try and arrange this part, to date it has always been chaotic – ah well maybe next year…! 😉

Here’s the only bit of footage that I have found thus far of this year’s pwnco. Apologies to anyone of a nervous disposition as my singing is truly appalling and my Cornish not much better. Oh, and try ignore the very rude remark made by a member of the crowd at the beginning!

At last the Maris gained entrance to the Museum and they blessed it in their usual ways ending with the traditional libations of soul cakes and beer. On return to the outside world we found that we were just in time for the now iconic Fire Dance by Beltane Border Morris. This year I can share with you some unique drone footage compiled by those two IT wizards, Paul Sumner & Dougie Latham:

Although the small organising team work over the year to bring about the All Hallows Gathering, it seems to go so quickly on the day. There was just enough time left to mingle with the crowd and performers in the torchlight and savour the atmospheric and heady mix of exuberant, wild dancing and feeling the old ancestral spirits of Halloween draw ever closer.

Time to stable the Osses and Maris, and certainly time for all of our intrepid performers to make their way to the Welly (Wellington Hotel) where their well-deserved dinner was waiting for them along with foaming pints of ale – aka Party Time! 😀

Although we were treated to a high standard of singing again from many talented people including the Boscastle Buoys the local male voice choir; to me the stand-out song was from young Jake Sonny Rowlinson who sang a heartfelt rendition of ‘What’s the Use of Wings’. I’m fairly certain that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house…

At the Welly we had a great time and there were many things to be thankful for and to celebrate – but the main thing was that although there were a considerable amount of last minute obstacles and challenges, they were all successfully overcome.

Time for the accolades:

Many thanks and appreciation again to Angie Latham for all her hard work and commitment. Angie remains as our Morris co-ordinator and PR/Publicity person – take a bow Angie! 🙂

Another person who has tackled all sorts of queries and followed up ideas and suggestions on behalf of the All Hallows Gathering is Judith Hewitt, who is also the hard-working, seemingly tireless Manager of the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic. A huge thank you Judith for a job well done quietly and with grace. 🙂

Whilst mentioning the Museum we need to also thank Simon Costin for his continued support and enthusiasm for the event. Loved your costume on the night Simon! 😀

Our faithful MC, Steve Podger once again rose to the challenge and delivered an accomplished repertoire of information combined with tradition and folklore with great aplomb. Cheers Steve! 😀

With grateful thanks to our sponsors:

The Museum of Witchcraft & Magic

The Boscastle Chamber of Commerce

Finally a very special mention to the Hero of the Hour, Kevin Godley. This quiet, unassuming man truly saved the day when he stepped up to the challenge of taking on the role of Oss Rider of Penkevyll with no prior knowledge or experience of the role. He has supported the All Hallows Gathering from day one and was present at our very first attempt at a happening in 2014. When he heard that we had been let down at the last moment and that Penkevyll would be unable to appear without a Rider, he didn’t hesitate in volunteering. By doing so he averted what could have been a major upset, which would have made a nonsense of everything we had arranged with the Mari Lwyds.

On the day he performed to the best of his ability and really put his heart into riding Penkevyll – I was very touched by his reverence and respect in his dealings with the Oss. Afterwards he was so inspired by it that he wants to continue being one of Penkevyll’s Riders. So, although one rider fell by the wayside, we immediately acquired a new and enthusiastic new Rider – result! Congratulations Kevin – we are very proud of you! 😀

I’ll just leave this post here with one last jewel in the crown – an amazing video commissioned by us and edited by a very talented young man, called Kieran. It’s taken of the whole event and lasts almost an hour, so make yourself comfortable with your favourite tipple and enjoy the fruits of all our labours… Ladies & Gentlemen, I give you the All Hallows Gathering 2016!

November 18, 2016 7

All Hallows Gathering 2016 – Part One

It’s hard to know where to start on describing the events of the All Hallows Gathering 2016. From a small, seemingly inconsequential idea birthed in 2014, it has grown exponentially to become a remarkable happening that has attracted worldwide interest. Since Simon Costin, director of the Museum of Witchcraft & Magic, put out this video from the weekend, it has attracted well over a million hits!

It was estimated that over 300 people attended the Gathering and all accommodation in Boscastle was fully booked. In fact, it was stated by a member of the local Chamber of Commerce that the hotels and B&Bs could have booked their rooms four times over – so, phenomenal indeed! However, as a result of this remarkable interest in the Dark Gathering it has been agreed by all concerned that it cannot afford to get any bigger because the infrastructure of Boscastle cannot support this. Therefore all Morris sides and other performers, including Osses and Maris will have to be by invitation only.

However, I’m getting ahead of myself. This blog is about what the weekend was like and to try and share what the atmosphere was like with others who were not present. Quite a few of us, particularly the organisers met up at the Cobweb Inn on the Friday evening to relax, catch up, sort out last minute details and generally socialise.

It was during this general ambience that I was informed by my Oss Rider that he had decided for reasons best known to himself to withdraw from performing with Penkevyll. This could have had a very detrimental effect on the whole event’s proceedings but fortunately within minutes the situation was resolved by someone who heard what had happened and immediately stepped up to the challenge. A crash course in Oss riding and associated lore was then embarked upon and the possible calamity was averted. It appeared that the gods were definitely on our side that weekend as although there were quite a few potentially upsetting problems that presented themselves over the weekend, all of them got resolved in surprising and unexpectedly positive ways. There were definitely a lot of ‘silver-linings’ around! 🙂

Saturday morning dawned bright and clear and it was obvious that the weather gods had been kindly once again., although it has to be said that there were quite a few people specifically petitioning them! I personally had to be at the Museum early in order to put my new volunteer Rider through his paces as he became accustomed to the energies and logistics of Penkevyll.

Given that Penkevyll’s new Rider had only about 15 minutes of physical instruction, he did fantastically well. Then it was time to prepare Penkevyll for the evening’s performance as we knew we wouldn’t get time later to do this. She had a new headdress handmade by Laetitia with LED lights and it was rather fiddly to secure. Once done I then had to zip off to undertake a TV interview in the Museum pointing out and explaining various artefacts. Here’s a brief excerpt:

This was followed rather swiftly by a photoshoot for all the performers, Osses included, in the Museum Library where a temporary studio had been set up. Then, thankfully, it was time to get lunch of a grabbed sandwich and a cup of tea.

Me and Laetitia had decided some time ago that she would join me in teazing Penkevyll from now on. Nobody knows exactly what the future will hold and I wanted to be sure that Laetitia was ready to take over the Teazer role whenever that became a necessity. Given that I’m now nearer to 70 years of age rather than 60, it made sense to me to be prepared for this.

Also, in the folklore tradition and in the Morris world in particular, there has been an recent backlash towards the practice of ‘blacking-up’. Some of the comments directed towards sides and traditions that we respect have been particularly virulent and upsetting accusing them of racial incitement – which is a nonsense. As a sign of solidarity, both myself and Laetitia thought we would try this practice of blacking-up. We were both amazed at how much it altered our appearance and how effective it was as a disguise. Moreover we subsequently found out from our Welsh visitors from the Mari Lwyd party, that this was used in the past in their traditions. We have now decided that we will keep this look for any Midwinter excursions with Penkevyll.

The crowds who came to watch the afternoon’s entertainment came from near and far, and gathered well in advance of 3 pm the advertised start time. Subsequently, the dancing kicked off a full half an hour earlier. The action started with Wytchwood Morris from Worcester, and I got to play drum with them this year which was huge fun!

Wytchwood looked fantastic in the afternoon autumn sunlight which was a beautiful match to their autumnal coloured tatters. I particularly like Wytchwood’s energy and versatility and it was a brilliant start to the afternoon’s proceedings.

www.wytchwoodmorris.com

Next up was the fantastic Beltane Border Morris who delighted the crowd with their wild but highly skilled performance. Their dark, edgy dancing always thrills the crowd and I get mesmerised by their innovative music and drumming.

www.beltaneborder.co.uk

Finally it was the turn of Catseye Morris who looked particularly colourful this year and their dancing and music created an interesting contrast to the previous sides’ performances.

During the well deserved break at 4 pm I managed to get Angie Latham and John Isaac together and get a photo taken with them. I quickly ran into the Museum and ‘borrowed’ a copy of my book as Angie (Illustrations) and John (Photographs) were both excellent contributors to Village Witch.

Before we knew it we were participating in with the last dance of the day – the now traditional Rochester Thistle, performed by Wytchwood in which every side now joins in with.

Then it was time to bring out Penkevyll the Oss to send the Call to the Mari Lwyds.

To Be Continued….

November 8, 2016 3

The Dark Gathering

The time approaches rapidly for the All Hallows Gathering – or the Dark Gathering as it is affectionately known now. This year it falls on Saturday 29th October and starts at the slightly later time of 3 pm. Attending Morris sides this year will be:

Catseye Morris – www.catseyemorris.co.uk

Wytchwood Morris – www.wytchwoodmorris.com

Beltane Border Morris – www.beltaneborder.co.uk

Directly as a result of the past few years’ success and subsequent upsurge into the local economy, we have received two sources of funding for our event.

The Museum of Witchcraft

www.museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk

The Boscastle Chamber of Commerce

www.boscastlecornwall.org.uk/bctc/bosctradecouncil

Both businesses have given us generous sponsorship for which we gratefully thank them.

We have decided that we will welcome the Welsh Mari Lwyds with a Lantern Procession which will start at the main car park at around 5 pm and process accompanying the Maris down to the Museum. Bring your own lantern and dress up if you feel in the All Hallows mood!

In the meantime back at the Museum, Penkevyll the Cornish Oss will be raising the energies to send a Call out to the Mari Lwyds to come and join our celebrations. This will involve lots of tribal drumming. If you wish to join us with your own drum at this point please do so.

Finally, as an appetiser here is some footage put together by Dougie & Angie Latham of last year’s festivities:

See you all at this year’s All Hallows Gathering!

October 1, 2016 0