.
I mentioned earlier that DarceysSis & I went on a thoroughly enjoyable walk last weekend. It was great in spite of the weather -
DarceysSis at Ogden The Giant's tooth
- because we were on a mission, namely a Boggart hunt! So don't be fooled by the picture of us gathering around the Giant's Tooth - that was literally a sidetrack.
Anyway, whaddya mean, what's a Boggart? "Why, don't you know?"
[Psst, y'quoting the wrong woodland monster story there, DsD! - Ed.]
Oh yeah, thanks. Boggarts? They're a Northern English sprite: a nasty little bleeder that causes things to disappear, milk to sour, dogs to go lame, and so on. Always malevolent, the boggart lurks under bridges, in stone walls, outhouses (we still have outdoor toilet blocks up 'ere, tha'knuzz!), wooded thickets etc, taking great delight in scaring the pants off all & sundry.
Legend (aka tourism-desperate Local Authority) has it that during September and October, the Boggarts have an annual festival which climaxes on Halloween. They drink strong wines made from local berries and celebrate the scares they have given humans over the summer. They drink so much that they forget to hide during the day, and are turned to stone by magic in the morning light. Frozen in their stone form, they can be spotted sitting in and around the woodland trails.
I mentioned earlier that DarceysSis & I went on a thoroughly enjoyable walk last weekend. It was great in spite of the weather -
DarceysSis at Ogden The Giant's tooth
- because we were on a mission, namely a Boggart hunt! So don't be fooled by the picture of us gathering around the Giant's Tooth - that was literally a sidetrack.
Anyway, whaddya mean, what's a Boggart? "Why, don't you know?"
[Psst, y'quoting the wrong woodland monster story there, DsD! - Ed.]
Oh yeah, thanks. Boggarts? They're a Northern English sprite: a nasty little bleeder that causes things to disappear, milk to sour, dogs to go lame, and so on. Always malevolent, the boggart lurks under bridges, in stone walls, outhouses (we still have outdoor toilet blocks up 'ere, tha'knuzz!), wooded thickets etc, taking great delight in scaring the pants off all & sundry.
Legend (aka tourism-desperate Local Authority) has it that during September and October, the Boggarts have an annual festival which climaxes on Halloween. They drink strong wines made from local berries and celebrate the scares they have given humans over the summer. They drink so much that they forget to hide during the day, and are turned to stone by magic in the morning light. Frozen in their stone form, they can be spotted sitting in and around the woodland trails.
Ogden Water, nr. Halifax, has an excellent relationship with the local schools, inviting the kids for several walk-based activities during the year. Although we went on an organised led walk, this one is open for all to take themselves, every day between now and the end of the month. If AliMunday or DaddyPig fancy a free walk that'll get the kids' cheeks rosy, get yourselves to the shop by the Reservoir Head for a set of Walk Instructions. But be warned, wear your walking shoes, take a snack, and leave the pushchairs in the car; it's uphill & downdale for a good 90 mins right round the water (nearer two hours if you go up to see Oggie's molar).
For more info, click here
And somehow, this seems appropriately spooky:
My Morning Jacket - Into The Woods
