A fortnight ago, QUAD, the new arts centre in Derby city, ran a well dressing event in the city and the photo shows the finished article which they decided should feature our peregrines centre stage. Not an amazingly good representation of a peregrine it has to be said, but better than none and remember that the well dressing is composed of tiny petals, bits of lichen etc.....so it is very difficult to do! For those of you who don't know, the dressing of wells in Derbyshire is an ancient custom said to lie in pagan tradition or in giving thanks for the purity of the water drawn from certain wells during the period of the Black Death. Whatever its origins, it was historically a custom exclusive to the Peak District of Derbyshire. The custom had almost died out by the early years of the 20th century but it was revived in the 1920s and 1930s and has now spread more widely.
Try Wikipedia for more information about well dressings.
Thanks to Jan Reynolds of QUAD for sending us the photo and for directing folk across to Cathedral Green on the day.
