Candlemass Bell

Candlemass Bells

The snowdrops have started to bloom in the Wylye Valley and last year's chicks have laid their first eggs. It's light until after 5pm now, so there is the feeling that perhaps spring is just around the corner.

Snowdrops have many ancient names including 'Candlemass Bell' and 'Fair Maids of February' and have always been regarded as a symbol of hope during dark times.



My old schoolfriend, Oz Hardwick, has had his poem, Candlemass Bell, included in an anthology entitled Soul Feathers, ISBN: 9781907401367, which is being sold to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Oz's work will be  rubbing shoulders with contributions by such luminaries as Carol Ann Duffy, Seamus Heaney, Leonard Cohen, Benjamin Zephaniah and even Bob Dylan. My copy is on order and I can guarantee to have it signed by at least one contributor......