About 30 people turned up, the youngest just seven weeks old, to celebrate the turning of the seasons last Saturday in the most traditional of ways. Eight beautiful maidens, dressed in white, weaved the 'web of life' around the maypole in a lighthearted celebration of love and fertility. As one watcher said, "Its that time of year when you have high hopes for crops and it used to be a matter of life and death - its still important."

A little later we saw the erection of a Wicca man, 14 feet high and made of weaved willow, though the observant will have noticed that in this urban settng the man is filled with newspaper rather than the traditional dry straw. In a sureal touch, a bright red 'Elmo' balloon was imprisioned in the Wicca chest - a muppet sacrifice? Gus Hunter, chair of Friends of Lynwood Gardens, lit fires at the base of the Wicca man, and we all watched as it burst into flame. The smell of woodsmoke brought back the feeling of summer, and the heat of the blaze pushed the crowd back a little, as the fire crackled and glowing shards of willow fell to the ground. The Wicca man was reduced to its supporting 'A' frame in just a few dramatic minutes.

Lynwood Gardens sits between Glossop Road and Broomhall, and dates back to the garden of a master cutler's house (now the Aunt Sally's pub), left untouched since the 1830s. The Friends are fending off developers, having attracted funding to manage the council-owned land; they have already improved access with new paths and planted new wildflower meadows and begun to build willow seating. Their regular events cater for all ages, and anyone is very welcome to come and help out - no experience necessary!