May morning

[strange_complex]

We totally made it through the night: me and Spiky Neil playing Worms and Puzzle Bobble, and then oxfordgirl joining us for the ritual viewing of The Wicker Man, and by then it was 4am and time to start phoning people like redkitty23 and stompyboots to chivvy them up and out for meeting at the tower.

It rained, but the freshness was perfect, and we walked in clutching sprigs of cherry blossom, me feeling more alive and alert than I think I've ever felt on May morning before, despite having been in such a state of extreme tiredness on Saturday that I was seriously afraid I was about to suffer internal organ failure or something.

And we had the best spot ever, right at the base, and when the Hymnus Eucharisticus rang out, I gazed up through the rain at the impossibly looming tower, held my blossom aloft and felt the hush and the still and the awakening summer all around me, and remembered all the previous times and the powerful magic of the morning and cried softly to think I might never be there again.

And then it was a damp picnic and dancers in the Radcliffe Camera Square, and some guy taking pictures of me and oxfordgirl laughing and waving our blossoms, and a physical manifestation of Apollo, and champagne and free hot chocolate and giggling at the extreme spaced-outness of stompyboots, edling and Cat WINOLJ.

And then it was home, and crash and burn, and my fingers feel like putty now on the keyboard. I think I may possibly need to sleep for a very long time, very, very soon.

But I'm so glad I did it, because I LOVE OXFORD. And it tears my heart to think I must leave it all behind. :(

This post brought to you by sleep deprivation and Piper Heidseick champagne.

Comments

[my-mundane-life.livejournal.com]

Sounds amazing :)

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Certainly was. So worth it, in the kind of way that only something you've stayed up all night for can be. :)

[angeoverhere.livejournal.com]

As ever, it sounds amazing. If you'd like company in trying to find beltane/mayday celebrations Oop North, then I'm more than happy to oblige.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, definitely! Anything would do, really - just so long as the day gets marked. You get so used to doing so, after 9 years, that it would seem wrong now not to.

[thebiomechanoid.livejournal.com]

Good stuff.
I went to a maths and biology lecture : )
AND the buses were off so I haad to walk!

Lucky you!
(seriously though it sounds superb)

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Wow, you are very hardcore!

Do they try to close off any of the bridges in Cambridge to stop people jumping into the river? They do here, and it causes absolute chaos for anyone trying to go to work, because there is only one bridge across in the centre of town, and detours to get round any other way add literally miles to people's journeys.

And it still doesn't stop people jumping anyway!

[kernowgirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, dang. Something else I never did... Although I used to love hearing about it at work the next day. Glad you had a great 'last' one. I don't recall anything of the kind at Leeds, but then again, I never looked for it.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Ah, silly! It's so worth it. And one of the things I really love about it is the way it brings people from all parts of the Oxford community together - from little babies to elderly couples, from Christians to pagans, from party animals to sensible folks with thermoses of coffee. Can't beat it.

[purple-peril.livejournal.com]

Blessed Beltane Hon!
I am sad that I never saw the choir on May morning when I was at Oxford. We in the Arthurian Society were always off at the Rollrights to see the dawn, which was lovely in its way, but I do rather wish I had heard the choir just once.
I considered going along this year as I was in the country, but decided it would be something I would like to share with someone, rather than being there all alone. Besides which, I read on the internet that the event is 'not open to the public'. Is that true?

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Eh? How can something which takes place in Oxford High Street in the middle of the road not be open to the public? They may say that to try to discourage too many people from attending, but the whole point is that this is an open-air, community event, for town, gown and anyone who feels like coming.

Anyway, you would have been welcome to come and share it with us!