
Autumn comes alive with the beat of a drum. Emerging from the shadows is a fearsome dragon, slowly moving towards the gathered community. But what happens next is that a fearsome warrior, robbed in white, draws their sword. Seeing the sword, the dragon halts, then is subdued into kneeling down as the crowd cheer.

The dragon procession is a highlight of the Michaelmas autumn festival, with the Voyagers this year playing the dragon and a Pippins student as Michael. The Apple Tree community assembled to celebrate together, with each group contributing to a shared lunch – Discoveries baked dragon shaped bread, Oakens brought the butter and freshly pressed apple juice, Voyagers cooked soup, Pippins provided crumble and the Hawthorns contributed custard to accompany the dessert.





After a hearty meal, the dishes were cleared and everyone gathered to watch performances. The Pippins recited a poem by Robert Frost and some also showcased their Capoeira skills. The Discoveries sang a song called “Earth in Common.” The Voyagers performed a play and led the song “Maggon the Dragon.” Oakens sang “Yellow the Bracken” and our newest affiliate group Hawthorns shared the first verse of “Tom Bombadil.”


To round off the day all raised their voices to sing the St Michael Harvest song. It was stirring to hear everyone singing together and a good time was had by all.