Lord and the Spirit of the May welcome fresh beginnings
Suitably attired as May Day characters, Mick and Julia Bovee visited two new businesses on Arran to provide them with a Beltane blessing, celebrating an ancient pagan ritual at the start of May and to celebrate fresh new beginnings for them.
While not strictly a new business but rather a well established one that will be operating from a new location, Chrissy’s Cabin has moved from Auchrannie Road and is now located in the centre of Brodick at The Boat House, previously operated by Tracy Gibson, of Island Porcelain, as a toy shop.
Mick and Julia provided a Beltane blessing and officially opened the shop which offers a dry cleaning and mending service, and hopes to expand to offer more haberdashery supplies and services. It will also continue to run the putting green and serve freshly-made ice cream.
Another business officially opened on Saturday was the Isle of Arran Coffee Company at Duchess Court at Cladach.
Owners Alix Hitching and Sofia Pantizadiou welcomed Mick and Julia, who sampled some the fresh coffee that is roasted on site and provided their blessings.
Visitors are welcome to drop by and enjoy free samples or get advice on the tastiest way to brew at home or more information can be found online on their website at www.arrancoffee.com
Mick and Julia also visited other establishments, including the Douglas Hotel, which has reopened for visitors, to wish them a merry May.
May 1/Beltane is a traditional Celtic festival representing the peak of spring and the beginning of summer. It celebrates abundance, fertility, new beginnings and a union between earth and sky.
The word Beltane originates from the Celtic God Bel, meaning ‘the bright one’ and the Gaelic word ‘teine’ meaning fire. ‘Bright Fire’ bonfires were traditionally lit to honour the sun and to encourage the support of the God and the sun’s light to nurture the summer harvest and to provide a bountiful crop.