in honour of the holy dove (whitsuntide)

what is happening in kilvert land in 1871? 

on monday the 5th his father was up visiting. they went fishing  and his father spoke of wanting to visit north wales. 

'as we went home my father proposed an expedition into north wales next week. I saw in a newspaper last week some curious whitsuntide customs described or alluded to - 

"the hallowing of churches on the stroke of twelve, mysterious visits to the graves of friends, scattering on the graves the last blooms of may, the letting loose of a white pigeon in honour of the holy dove, and maidens dressed in white waiting in silence in church chancels as if in expectation of a heavenly descent."' 

horsemouth was just reading about the whitsun goings on in whaddon in cambridgeshire (including the singing of a special song). 

the expedition with kilvert's father begins on the 12th and he returns to clyro for the 19th. horsemouth will join them. sadly they observe none of the phenomena mentioned above (or at least if they do the diary doesn't mention it). they may be too late for whitsun is today (the 8th) though it does move about a bit. 

thereafter horsemouth will be off to the wen 21st to 28th (possibly off to the big palestine demonstration on the 21st) and a meet up with other friends midweek.  it matches nicely with stendhal's writing of his memoirs of an egotist. 

'without work, the ship of human life has no ballast. I confess that I wouldn't have any motive for writing if I didn't imagine that one day these pages will be printed and read by someone I love.... but the eyes that will read this are barely opening to the light of day...' 

- stendhal, memoirs of an egoist.

round here people are off to gwatkins cider (traction engines, cider etc.).  specifically an irish dad and bored teenage daughter. but they'd taken a wrong turn in abbeydore (horsemouth hopes he put them on the right road). 

later a zoom beer with howard. howard is reading through millstone grit again (at horsemouth's insistence). he's up to page 48 (which is pretty good). horsemouth has found a link to paul kingsnorth interviewing glyn just before his death. he is not afraid. he is in as good a place with it as you can be. 

apparently howard has a raft of friends out near fishguard and haverford west (the save the world  club lot).  plans are afoot. thoughts are turning to retirement. of life after of the world of work. 

today a better (drier) day. horsemouth should get the remainder of his spinach in.