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Feargal O'Neill's avatar

Happy New Year to you Jack. One of the joys of being a gardener is to feel the year turning in such a tangible way. Right now all those grandiose plans in our heads for next year are still possible. They won't all come to fruition of course, but that's OK too. Regarding the passage of the sun, I have been using the Suncalc Android app a lot over the last year, it allows you to easily project the position of the sun for any location at any date and time you like. A very useful tool for a gardener to get a sense of where to light hitting your plot comes from.

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Jack Wallington's avatar

I love how you just described it Feargal, couldn't have described it better. And thanks for the tip with the Suncalc app! I have an iPhone but it's probably on there, or something similar. Happy new year to you too! Hope you have a great 2025.

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Anne O’Hare's avatar

I agree it’s about the return of the light. Thank you, a lovely article

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Jack Wallington's avatar

Thank you Anne - wishing you well for 2025 ☀️

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Judith Franklin's avatar

Thanks for the article on the Winter Solstice. For my part, I like the pagan celebrations which mark the changes of seasons and light. I belong to a Circle Dance group and we have dances for each one. I like the fact that they remind us of our Celtic ancestors who were in tune with the natural cycles of the year and were closer to Nature and the earth, because they depended on them in order to survive. Many of us have lost that connection, which is why the world is in so much trouble. People think they can survive without Nature.

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Jack Wallington's avatar

Lovely thanks for sharing Judith. Anything that helps people reconnect with our nature is going to be a positive thing in the coming years ✨

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Judith Franklin's avatar

Absolutely.

NB: Bells of Norwich is a beautiful song which marks the Winter Solstice. The Albion Christmas Band have a lovely recording on YouTube.

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Fiona Flynn's avatar

A great read and reminder. Thank you!

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Jack Wallington's avatar

It’s easy to forget with so much going on at this time of year!

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Susan Hawkes's avatar

So good to read this. Thank you & ‘Jolly Solstice’! 😊

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Jack Wallington's avatar

😄 thanks Susan, you too!

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Rouge Noir's avatar

Loved this, thank you

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Jack Wallington's avatar

Thank you

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