The Magic Spring

by Richard Lewis

City-dweller Richard Lewis has been having a problem with his roots. Had he been born in Dublin or Marseille, he would have had a rich tapestry of traditions to draw upon. But what hope is there for a man born in Croydon? Starting with the conviction that England must have a folklore as compelling, as exotic and as beautiful as that of other places, Lewis embarks on a search for traditional roots that takes him well off the beaten track--from the humble folk clubs of the Fenlands, across the Yorkshire moors via the Morris-dancing Cotswolds. With humor and a keen eye for the quirks of humanity, Lewis dispels some of the myths about English traditions.

Genres: Nonfiction, British Literature

336 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Beth Gilmore]

Made me sad when I realised this was published in 2005, nearly 20 years ago! As that means many of the people and traditions in the book are probably not around any more. Oh England and your ever changing face! Funny touching and inspiring book

[Bonnie]

An interesting, personal pilgrimage around Britain's folk customs. A lot of morris, but an intriguing introduction.

[Erica Fairs]

A journey through England discovering our folk customs - music, the morris, pagans, more music and much else besides. A delightful book, very funny in places - dissecting and (in some cases) debunking the myths and legends of England. Meet sundry colourful characters, mostly wrapped around glasses of real ale or cider, wassail the apple trees in Somerset, don the horse costume and dance with the mnorris. If you are even remotely interested in our folkloric history, then join Richard Lewis on his journey to discover his (and our) roots. Packed with information and an easy read. Delightful.

[Matt]

Funny, dry witted tour around England. No misty eyed nostalgia here just honest warm appraisal of remaining pockets of ancient English custom, tradition and pseudo tradition. Entertaining reminder of an often overlooked but still very much alive - in parts - aspect of Englishness. Bit too much Morris for my taste but good stuff nonetheless.

[Alex George]

Richard Lewis's dry delivery is the perfect vehicle for this hysterical tour around some of Britain's nuttier traditions. Pitch-perfect.