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NEWSLETTER NO. 76 May 1994 Dear Friend of the Library, NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, May 25th, 1994 at 7:00 p.m. in the Peter J. Peters Meeting Room. BOOK SALE '94: JUNE 25TH & 26TH AT THE ICE ARENA (10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.) Book sorting commences on Monday, May 16th, downstairs in the Library and lots of help is needed for this, as always. It is not only very interesting, but there is a hidden bonus in that you will probably come across a book or two that you would like to keep, and you can do just this by recording name of book and yourself in the book in the sorting area, and payment can be deferred until the date of the sale if you wish. It's fun and the company is always good! SO PLEASE sign up for a spell (or spells) of helping out, by phoning John Hunter at 922-8780, or Pat Scrivener at 922-2298. Thanks! ARTIST'S RECEPTION The next artist's reception will take place on Monday, May 30th from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. The artist featured will be Margaret Key. The exhibition will continue until June 26th. VILLAGES AND PEOPLE: PART 2 (continued from the April Newsletter) ... and last Easter Monday John Dove got married in Barley Church. We went to look on, of course, standing by the lych gate with half the village, and it was a sunny day and a pretty wedding, but even better was the ceremony outside the Old Forge, before all the guests went over to the Carpenter's Arms for the reception, when they fired the anvil. It is not a Barley tradition. Blacksmiths all over the country have had an anvil fired at their weddings for generations and many still do. There is no lawn in front of the Old Forge, just a couple of narrow flower beds, but opposite the cottage is a low, grassy mound, on to which the anvil had been dragged. Everyone stood around it, all over the lane, and there were two big fireworks stuffed into the anvil hollows, with a makeshift fuse, a piece of tape, leading down on to the grass and across the road. A lot of fussing about, and checking and rearranging, a lot of family cameras to the ready, and then the farrier and his wife were pushed forward a little, and the farrier's father lit the fuse. It crept slowly, slowly towards the fireworks. The children began to get restless, everyone looked either embarrassed or worried, or a bit cold, in the spring breeze but expectant. Two blackbirds were singing like mad in the lilac tree above the bank, and just as someone was saying, 'It's gone out,' there was one bang, a puff of yellow smoke, and then the second, bigger bang, and everybody cheered and applauded and clapped the farrier on the back and kissed his bride, and the blackbirds flew off, screeching, startled, into the trees. The blacksmith was well and truly married. ...../2