A mythical celtic hero lives on

Corn-dolly crafter Colette Hughes describes the bleak situations our ancestors faced. “Imagine,” she says. “It’s winter and your family is hungry and cold. It gets dark early, fresh food is in short s

Held in Southwick, Northamptonshire, on the second Sunday of October each year, this competition has taken place since 1965. These days thousands come to watch in the grounds of the Shuckburgh Arms, w

IT was a day every bit as beautiful as autumn is supposed to be. The sky was blue and the air felt warm, holding a hint of distant woodsmoke. It was a perfect afternoon for a walk in the country, so w

In the borderlands, something is stirring. A current of eclectic neopaganism braided with folk music, performance art and countercultural fashion. From time to time when the stars align these currents

Beloved by schoolchildren for decades, the once-popular playground game of conkers has seemingly fallen from favour recently. This has been blamed on health-and-safety rules, but this is largely a myt

Our writer returns from Latvia’s Midsummer celebrations, where skyscraping bonfires, folk rituals and flaming barrels on poles offer a lively introduction to an ancient festival