Michaelmas
For the Catholics, today is the feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (the Archangels); for Anglicans, Saint Michael and All Angels. In olden times, the feast was celebrated on…
Autumn Equinox
So, it's here, and this point in the calendar is personal. For about five years now, I've only written in the winter. It's a Proserpina life: I spend the summer…
English history in one village
Starting tonight on BBC 4 is Michael Wood's series on the history of Kibworth in Leicestershire. Focussing on one small village, we will travel from prehistory to present day. Michael…
Weather Diaries
The man from British Gas, who'd come to sell us a new boiler, looked up at the kitchen window. 'Spiders,' he said, noticing the couple we are hosting outside the…
St Bartholomew’s Day
Sorry! - I missed this one. It was 24th August. The traditional end of summer, when we begin to turn the candles back on. It's a time for markets and…