June 26 th and it is still raining, not as heavily as earlier this week, but enough to help the garden.

Still, Midsummer has yet to come.

Yes, midsummer still has to come.

The 'real' Midsummer Day, that is, 5 th July by the old calendar - brought with it the traditions of victual and ale tasting in towns and villages when samples of food were checked for quality and the traditional brew, which should have been made the previous October, were sampled. In the border country, now West Devon, the traditional cry rang out 'To the people of this house, a prosperous morning, long life, health, and merry riding,' all of which depended upon the official 'taster's' verdict and many a supplier found themselves hauled before the local court to pay the penalty for poor produce or watered ale, instead of enjoying the festivities, riding and racing.

These early days of July saw major sheep markets taking place through the county and once the drovers had taken their sheep, by 8 th July-ish, the Drift feasts began.

Lapford - held its Revels on the Sunday after the 7 th .

South Tawton was similarly, with Revels that were held in church, with ale sold in the Church House.

Pestle pies were dish of the day; ham, tongue and whole game with crusty pie-top - some say the pies were big enough to need hoops to support the pastry.

The Revels in South Tawton only died out a few years ago, by which time they were a 'Summer Event,' with stalls in the lane and food in the church; but the GOOOD NEWS is that the REVELS are being revived this year on July 10 th , with the church building still at the centre of the festivities.

By July 9 th - Dog Days have begun - and last until early August while Sirius (the Dog Star) rises with the sun.

The added heat from Sirius is said to assist the Sun to provide the hottest weeks of the year and, so it is claimed, during this period dogs and humans go mad. Edward Young referred to this in 1719 in his play - Busiris; 'Like pois-nous vermin in the dog-day sun humans do dastardly deeds or act madly.'

Dog days bright and clear,

Foretell for us a happy year -

But when accompanied by rain,

For better times we hope in vain.

Deadly Serious July Weddings for Whiddons

The beautiful Mary Whiddon could make one man happy only by upsetting another.

In 1641 she stood at the marriage altar in Chagford church, with the successful suitor, while her last love loaded his gun behind the pews. When it came to that part of the ceremony asks if anyone present knows of any reason that the marriage should not take place, the thwarted lover took aim and shot Mary. Her tombstone in the churchyard puts it: 'Behold, a Matron yet a Maid.' But Mary was not finished with Chagford. It is recorded on a number of occasions that she has returned, in full bridal rig, to her former home, Whiddon Park, which is just outside Chagford, near Bovey Tracey. In 1971 Mary, wearing the dress in which she had been shot, appeared to a wedding guest. She smiled and disappeared. The bride, a member of the Whiddon family, placed her bouquet on Mary's grave in sympathy.

The Sunday after July 10th was called, tantalisingly, Forty Feast Sunday. This was meant to be self-explanatory, as 40 feasts were said to fall on that day. Regrettably, no one ever jotted down just what those 40 feasts were; but if anyone can advise us....

King Con

The birth of one of Devon's most famed crooks, Bamfylde-Moore Carew will be celebrated on July 12 th . Born in 1690, the son of the rector at Bickleigh preferred hunting to schooling - and had loudest hound-rallying cry in the County. His pack damaged new corn in a field and to avoid retribution he hid with gypsies near Bampton. Taking to the life of a con-man, he used all kind of disguises, sick sailor, wounded soldier, poor peasant, washer-woman, talking even his own relations into parting with money without recognising him. Bamfylde-Moore Carew who became the King of the Gypsies - the title chiseled on his grave-stone - died at Bickleigh in 1758.

As this is written, it is still raining; which prompts thoughts of July 15 th -

St Swithuns Day. His wish to be buried outdoors, so that humbling rain would always fall on his grave, was respected; until Winchester Minster was extended. In 971AD the decision was then made to put St Swithun indoors; but the move motivated digger monks were delayed by 40 days of rain.

The watery legend has survived a thousand years and more, though records do not show that the 40 days rain - threatened to follow a wet St Swithun's Day would necessarily fall in the same place.

St Swithun's Day, if ye do rain,

For, forty days it will remain;

St Swithin's Day, an ye be fair,

For forty days 'twill rain n" mair.

Why 40 days ?

In myth and legend, 40 is a magical number meaning simply 'a long time'.

It was the duration of the biblical Flood

the length of Jesus' wandering in the wilderness

Fines and rights of Sanctuary often had a 40-day limit too.

It is usually the case that on each of the 40 days after the 15th it will be wet somewhere in Britain - but there are no records of any one spot having rain over the whole period. 1993 got off to a good start, but only managed 14 out of the 40 in the environs of the Met Office. In 1887 a drought was interrupted by rain on St Swithin's Day ... but then the drought resumed.

© Roy & Ursula Radford