History
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The Artistic Legacy of Gorodets: Carved Stories and Women’s Voices
When I look at a wooden, hand-carved plaque in my home, I think of Gorodets, Russia. I wonder how this handmade object could preserve hope across decades of political change. In the ’90s and the early ’00s, I worked on the community use of technology to foster cohesion across people and networks. I spoke in Moscow’s House of Soviets, sometimes informally translated as the White House about the possibilities the internet might bring to all nations. Back then, the hope for democracy was strong among the people I met in Russia. I often wonder how they are doing. My sense is that some are probably distraught, having to send sons…
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Ireland – May 2026 – Hill of Uisneach – Bealtaine Festival
My birthday present in May 2026 was a visit to my father’s ancestral home in Westmeath, Ireland, timed for the fire festival on the Hill of Uisneach. After a tough year, Jim’s cancer treatments weighed heavily. We questioned whether we could climb the hill together, but hoped the journey would restore us. Locals claim the Bealtaine fire festival on this hill is the oldest in Ireland. Fires are ignited on sacred hills, creating a single “fire eye” over the island, symbolising the country’s emergence from the cold darkness of winter into the light. On Bealtaine eve, every household fire across Ireland was extinguished, and people waited in the dark for…
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Easter 2026 São Brás – Torch Flower Festival
The Resurrection Procession in the eastern Algarve town of São Brás de Alportel is a deeply felt, singular expression of local faith and community connection. Yesterday, Sunday 5th April 2026, we visited the vivid, communal, and welcoming celebration of renewal that invites everyone to share in São Brás’s traditions. The procession route usually winds from the Igreja Matriz through the historic centre, pausing at small chapels and squares. Each Easter Sunday the town transforms, residents carpet the streets with intricate mats of purple, white, orange flowers and greenery. Locals don their best clothes, and men from associations, the council and community groups lift flower torches high as a procession moves…
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Your neighbour – Seu Vizinho-Celebrating Creativity and Connection – Open Mic Night
Update: Many of you may have heard Tela Leão who co-ordinated the Alvaro de Campos Birthday Party each year in Tavira and supported me in organising the English side of the Open Mic Night passed away last Saturday 8 November. I visited Tela on Wednesday 5 November and she was pleased the Open Mic night was still coming together with local artists performing and reading. We will pay tribute to Tela at the event with words and music. The event starts at 18:00 at Casa Alvaro de Campos on Thursday 20 November 2025. More information – written before Tela passed.Every year, as the nights darken and the air cools in…
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Blue Eyes and the Secret – A Novella
Coming soon on Kindle Blue Eyes and the Secret. A novella – Venture into the heart of the Algarve with Blue Eyes, a Balinese-spirited feral cat, as she uncovers ancient secrets and fights to protect her home on Monte Agudo. In a land where olive groves meet modern orange farms and water is scarce, Blue Eyes speaks with plant devas and heeds the whispers of the earth. When a devastating threat emerges in the form of disappearing trees, poisoned lands, and a foretold prophecy of end times, Blue Eyes must embark on a transformative journey. Guided by the wisdom of Ceres of Old and aided by a motley crew of animal…
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Whisky Galore Fundraiser- Help Tavira artists to perform in Glasgow!
Tavira and Glasgow have a cultural connection that is about to become even more potent. In 2019 two Scottish poets performed in Tavira, together with their Portuguese colleagues, and this year the event will take place in Glasgow. Unfortunately, there is not enough money for travel and hotels. From the total costs of € 6.000 still € 4.000 need to be raised. Why is the connection between Tavira and Glasgow important? Tavira’s famous poet, Álvaro de Campos, was born here in 1890 and moved to Glasgow to study naval engineering. Álvaro de Campos including his birthday, only existed in the poet Fernando Pessoa’s imagination. He was one of his heteronyms,…
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Are the community gardens in Tavira under threat? – Voicing your concerns
I was contacted by the association ACTIVE ECOTOPIA to translate documents and help spread the message about a possible threat to the Community Gardens in Tavira. Jim and I were part of the protest a few years ago to save the historic Agricultural Centre in Tavira where the Community Gardens are now flourishing.I have translated the document from Portuguese into English with the help of DeepL and added some native English sense. Coming from a large city in England we know what traffic congestion really means and why it is important to maintain as much green space and promote public transport and not cater just to cars by creating new…
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Cachopo, the windmill, wild flowers, the earthstar and the stones
Some days I just want to bottle moments of joy. That not being possible, on International Women’s Day 2024, I decided to start recording the events of a magical day from earlier in the week. Four women had a mission, an electric car, which I drove and the sun on our backs. You could call our mission one of spirit – that is we wanted to find ancient stones. We are women who meet together to meditate and create art. We feel connected to each other and the earth, so for me our exploration was about deepening our relationship with nature. But also the opportunity for a “jolly out” together.…
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Literary and Philosophical Cafe Friday 9 November
It is that time of year again, a time of celebration in Tavira when events and workshops mark a birthday. It is when artists and creative people come together to recall the work of Fernando Pessoa and his heteronym Álvaro de Campos. This year the birthday party takes place without the financial support of Algarve 365. So if it resonates, do come out and appreciate this celebration with your presence. The party is organised each year by the Association called Partilha Alternativa (Alternative Sharing), under the experienced guidance of the cultural leader Tela Leão. One event to put in your diary and to come to (that will be in English)…
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New – History tours of Tavira
As part of her master’s degree, Isabel Macieira has published several studies about the History of Art. She is the author of the book – “A Pintura sacra em Tavira, séculos XV a XX – estudos e inventário” (The Sacred Painting in Tavira XV to XX centuries). As a teacher between 1983-2014, she developed with various groups an awareness of local history involving the natural and built environment. So it could be said that she knows something about the city of Tavira, its heritage and architecture. Once a month or so since September 2016, she has offered a city tour to residents, visitors and tourists. The tours are grounded in…
