October 1999, visit 31

Sat 2nd Oct 1999, visit 31

"Got up at 5.20! To go to Glastonbury, my first visit since Mar 97. It was raining really hard when I left here. Went down via Bath and Wells. Got to G. about 11. Had a look round the shops first, there were several new ones. Had lunch in Rainbow's End, then went to the Tor. It was warm in the sun and out of the wind. Had about an hour in the Chalice Well gardens. Had another wander round the shops. Came home via Bristol. Got home about 8, exhausted and went to bed early".

I don't know why there was so long between visits- 2.5 years! 1998 was a bad year for me though, for personal reasons so I guess I had other things on my mind. There were a few new shops and most of the old ones still there. I bought a couple of copies of Avalon magazine, cards of course, new guides to the Abbey and Chalice Well, and a small blue sculpture by Phillipa Bowers, "Mother" which has a small gold baby figure embedded. I got chatting to a man in Rainbow's End who told me I am an old soul. I have been around a while.

Guess where!

The White Spring

The Chalice Well, it looks as if work was in progress on the lid (which now as the Vesica on both sides)

The Glastonbury Experience courtyard.

1997 Glastonbury visit, no. 30

Glastonbury visit 1997- Friday 28th March, visit 30

"Woke early! Got up at 8.30. Went to Glastonbury for the day with Dave (workmate). We got there about 12.15 and had lunch and a restrained look round some of the shops. I bought a book , The Isle of Avalon, Avalon magazine and a unicorn. We went round the Abbey ruins, then to the Chalice Well and climbed the Tor(v. windy!). Finished with tea at the White Well. We stopped in Avebury for a drink on the way home, and the comet (Halle-Bopp) looks amazing away from the light. Got home about 9.30, had a bath and flopped."

The Tor from the Chalice Well gardens

The lower gardens at the Chalice Well.

The tower on the Tor

This view is an iconic one, I wonder how many photos of the same view I have taken over the years

1996 Glastonbury visit

Just one visit this year. For about 10 years I only seemed to go down once a year, but from the mid noughties onwards the multiple visits returned

Thur 7th Mar 1996, visit 29

"Got up at 5.30 and left here at 6 to go to Glastonbury. I went via Bath and Wells and got to G about 10.50. It was lovely and sunny when I arrived but it clouded over and got colder. I did some shopping first- only a few minor changes to the shops, then climbed the Tor to eat my sandwiches and meditate. It was very cold and blowy. Then I went to have a look at the mysterious old barn in Bulwark's Lane, and visited the White Spring, then sat in the Chalice Well gardens for a while and also meditated. Had a cup of tea in Rainbow's End before departing. Got home about 8.15".

It was nearly a year since my last visit. I bought cards, candles, a book of the art of Courtney Davis and a Chalice Well pendant.

It was quiet on the Tor!

The barn in Bulwark's Lane

The lid of the Chalice Well didn't have the Vesica on the back originally, the new one does.

View of the Tor across the park

1995 Glastonbury visits

1995 Glastonbury visits

Sat 7th Jan 1995, visit 27

Woke at 5. Got up at half past and went to Glastonbury- visit 27. I felt totally relaxed travelling down there. It was frosty first thing. Came home on 3.20 bus instead of 4.20 due to time of year. Did loads of shopping. Got the novel about Glastonbury I had been looking for. Had lunch in Rainbow's End- homity pie which was delicious. Spent 45 minutes in Pandora chatting to James, he was very helpful with some guidance and visualisation. He said I should be surrounded by water- perhaps I should be going to Scilly! I left the Tor pictures I had made there. Went to the Chalice Well gardens before heading home. Met a really nice Brazilian lady on the way home, she said she was drawn to me because the colours I was wearing (mainly mauve and blue) were healing colours. My energies were being discussed in Pendragon too. Got home about 7.15."

The book was Glastonbury by Donna Fletcher Crowe, a novel about Glastonbury from a Christian viewpoint. I made some little felt Tor pictures which Pandora offered to sell for me. As well as the book I bought one about Glastonbury town by Robert Dunning, a little chest with several drawers covered with moons and stars which I keep jewellery in, cards of course, and some wool in a colour combination called Lilac. This was my first ever January visit.

The Abbey barn with the Tor behind

Wintery Chalice well gardens

Sat 11/Sun 12/Mon 13 Mar 1995, visit 28

I went down for a two night visit and stayed at Waterfall Cottage on Old Wells Road which was gorgeous.

Sat 11 Mar

Woke about 6.20 and got up at 7. Went to Glastonbury. I left here in sun but by the time I got to Bath it was raining.Arrived at G about 12.50 and went straight to Waterfall Cottage. Very nice, Had a cup of tea there then went to Rainbow's End and had pizza and salad for dinner. Due to the weather I decided to spend pm shopping. I didn't buy much except birthday presents for a friend. Spent ages chatting to Susan in Pandora. They haven't sold my pictures yet but they look very pretty. Pottered around in eve reading and letter writing and flopped into bed exhuasted at 9."

Sun 12 Mar

"Woke about 6.30 to a lovely clear sunny day so I did lots of walking. In the morning I walked over Wearyall Hill, along Mill Stream and the River Brue to Old Butleigh Road and back into town. Met a man planting trees who gave me a conservation society  leaflet.  Had lunch in Rainbow's End, pizza and salad again, then left my stuff at the guest house. Then I set off walking again. I walked down Wick Hollow and Paradise Lane and along a lane towards Gog and Magog- lovely views of the Mendips. It got muddy though so I retraced my steps and went a little way down Stonedown. Then I climbed the Tor and sat there in the sun. I had an hour peacefully sitting in the Chalice Well Gardens. I saw the moon over the Tor. Then I had a cup of tea at the White Spring and walked back to the guest house via magical Bulwarks lane with little orchards and an old Gothic barn. Then went back up the Tor and watched the sun set with several other hippies! Someone was playing a guitar and singing REM songs, it was lovely. Got back to the GH about 6.45, had a bath and then read."

Mon 13 Mar

"Woke about 7 and got up at 8. went into town to buy a couple of things. Then went back to get my stuff. I got a lift into town with the owners which was very kind of them. Had a cup of tea in Rainbow's End and a chat in Pandora. Got the 11.20 bus, 1.25 train and was home at 3.30".

I bought mainly cards, plus a glittery sun and glittery moon wall decoration which are still on my walls. I didn't take many photos. A mere 22!

All photos taken on Sunday 12th

View of the Mendips from Waterfall Cottage.

Wearyall Hill

River Brue and the Tor

Blue skies over the Tor

Dusky Tor

Sunset and doorway to the tower on the Tor

This is the only time I have stayed in Glastonbury for more than one night, something which I need to do more often. Really immerse myself in the Avalonian landscape

1994 Glastonbury visits

And the next installment... 1994. Seems like a long time ago now and I look so young in photos of myself. I was in my 30's then

Fri 11 feb 1994, visit 23

"Got up at the crack of dawn (5.30) to go to Glastonbury. There was a 7 O'Clock train from Didcot to Bristol so I was able to get the 9.02 bus. It was a dull overcast day, Glastonbury was very quiet and lots of the shops had sales. I did some shopping then had lunch in Rainbow's End- broccoli crumble. Then did the rest of the shops. I decided not to climb the Tor, but had a nice long wander round the Abbey and spent a while in the Chalice Well gardens. Phillipa Bowers shop has now become a cafe selling her sculptures so I had tea and banana crumble there, it was the first day of trading. Got the 4.20 bus and was home exhausted at 8. Had a bath and flopped!"

I bought mainly cards and also a book of the art of one of my favourite artists, J W Waterhouse. Cafe Galatea is still there.

New waterfall at the White Spring

Me in Pandora, I look so young!

Sat 7 May 94, visit 24

"Woke at 5.30am. Went to Glastonbury. Went by my usual Sat route, down via Bath and back via Bristol. Got down there about 10.50. Did the shops first and had pasta bake and coleslaw for lunch in Rainbow's End. It dried out in Glastonbury so I went up the Tor pm and had a nice long time up there, reading "Mists of Avalon". Then I went to the Chalice Well gardens where there were lots of blue flowers. Had a cup of tea at the White Spring, It was quiet there today, but I do love the Tor. Got home about 8. "

It was wet when I set off from Oxford  but dried out while I was down there. 

The shop at the back of the Glastonbury experience which is still there and even more beautifully decorated now.


An array of colours at the Chalice Well

Me on the Tor

Well dressing at the White Spring



Mon 29th Aug 1994, visit 25

I was on an Earth Magic holiday based in Lyme Regis and a trip to Glastonbury was included.

"Went to Glastonbury today. Left the house at 9.30 and stopped at Street for tea. Got to Glastonbury about 11.30. We spent ages dowsing at the Abbey, then I showed Maureen round the shops. I bought 2 skirts, 2 posters by Cheryl Yambrach Rose, a green man plaque and 3 cards,- modest! We met the rest of the group at 2.30 and went up the Tor but it was too windy to do much dowsing. So we spent the rest of the time at the Chalice Well".

It turned out that I knew more about Glastonbury than the holiday leaders so I ended up as sort of unofficial guide!

White Spring

Me at the Chalice well

Sat 5th Nov 1994, visit 26

"Woke at 4am! Got up at 5.30 to go to Glastonbury. I was at the bus stop at 6.10. Got to Bath about 8.40 and was in G at 10.50. Went shopping first. This visit(no. 26) was 6 years ago by day and date since my first visit ever. I was constantly thinking back to that first visit. There were fewer New Age shops then. Had vegetable bake for lunch in Rainbow's End, then finished shopping. Climbed the Tor pm and spent a while visualising there. Had a cup of tea at the White Well. Then spent quite a long time in the Chalice Well gardens. Also climbed Wearyall Hill and spent ages chatting to a lady from Shepton Mallet. Came home via Bath instead of Bristol. Got home about 8.20, had a bath, unpacked and watched next doors fireworks. Wonder where I will be in 6 years? There was a Mind, Body and Spirit festival in the Assembly rooms.

(In 6 years, in 2000 my dad had died and I owned what was originally the family house and I was had been working where I still am for 4 years already!)

I bought a unicorn calendar, patchwork trousers, cards of course and a tape.

Autumn view of the Tor, I took a photo of the same view in 1988.

Goddess and The Green Man and Starchild in the Glastonbury Experience