Former reporter promises story to “heal the earth”
A Unicorn Danced In The Woods comes promised as “a beautiful story to heal the earth” from Christine Day who was at The County Times from 1980 to 1987 as a news reporter and feature writer.
It has been illustrated by John Wakefield who lived in Horsham for many years and is now based in Coldwaltham.
The book has been published independently by Etheric Books and is available on Amazon at £18.
Christine, who now lives in Rottingdean, explained: “Many years ago when I was lucky enough to move to a property in the middle of an old walled garden near Warnham, I discovered the power of oaks trees, the feeling of strength and safety they exude. Once I made the connection it stayed with me and I became aware that West Sussex particularly has numerous aged oaks.
“I moved to Alfold, near Loxwood, to the edge of an oak wood, and later to Warninglid where there were more oaks. Then seeking refuge again, after living in France for a number of years, I stumbled across a magical place that gave me unexpected inspiration.
“I rented a tiny barn conversion in a lane between Horsham and Southwater, beside a majestic circle of oaks. I had been writing since I became a trainee reporter on a weekly newspaper at Ickenham, near Uxbridge in the London suburbs. And then went on to work for pop magazines and can claim to be the first journalist in London to write about The Who and then The Moody Blues, who came to my office for an interview under the category Undiscovered British Group – and look what happened to both groups!
“I wrote a novella called Between The Broken Glass The People Play which was published by legendary, avant garde publisher John Calder, and freelanced for a number years as a short story writer for magazines and also wrote features. Then the editor of the West Sussex County Times, Dave Briffett, offered me a job as a reporter. I found myself working to deadlines again and on front page stories about ancient oaks that were sadly dying under the Gatwick flightpaths where fuel was dumped in emergencies.
“I had written a number of books commissioned by children’s and educational publishers and also experimented with titles of my own. But when I discovered this amazing circle of ancient oaks I felt my writing style, which is lyrical and highly descriptive, had somehow been enhanced.
“One misty autumn morning I woke up with the first words of a story about a unicorn running through my head. I wrote them down and a fascinating journey began.
“I had never thought much about unicorns but discovered they had become extremely trendy. During the feverish battle over Brexit, television presenters mentioned them often, somewhat derisively. Then I spotted a whole window display of children’s clothes with unicorn themes at Primark and noticed children on their way to birthday parties wearing shimmering unicorn costumes with magnificent horns.
“My unicorn came out of the Oak Circle unexpectedly, coaxed by a stunning painting of a unicorn silhouetted against the sky at sunset on the website of Horsham artist John Wakefield. I contacted John and commissioned him to do a series of illustrations. I loved his work because he was so in tune with nature and also the mystical. I had studied shamanism, spiritual psychotherapy and colour healing. All these influences were to be woven into the embryo book.
“A Unicorn Danced In The Woods consists of seven dreams or visions, each staged around the Oak Circle where the powerful vibration and pure energy allow the manifestation not only of unicorns, but angels, faeries and elementals. These colourful dreams penetrate many levels of the psyche and physical experience.”