Imagine the sheer thrill of being a child and having exhilarating opportunity to run wild through your town once a year, dressed in Pixie costumes, shrieking with pure delight.

Envision the unbridled joy of leading the town bellringers from the church to the square and then guiding them down to their cave by the river. Wouldn't you have adored living in such a town?

This is the enchantment of Pixie Day in Ottery St Mary, a day that children from Brownies, Cubs, Beavers, and Rainbows eagerly await every year on the Saturday closest to Mid-Summer Day.

Pixies' Revenge occurs this year on Saturday, 22nd June, in the Land of Canaan, in the heart of Ottery St Mary. The event opens at 1.30 pm and is packed with attractions the Pixie Day Committee has in store. From a mouth-watering barbecue and a refreshing bar to a delightful dog show and a tempting array of cakes and stalls, there's something for everyone. And let's remember the games are designed to entertain all ages.

We all recognise that Pixie Day is not merely an event but a tradition deeply rooted in history, a living testament to the legend as narrated in Delderfield's The Pixies' Revenge for the 500th anniversary of the installation of the bells of the Church of St Mary.

It is a day that hearkens back to a time when Ottery St Mary's pixies were exiled from the town, where they wreaked havoc, to a local cave known as Pixies Parlour. This year, the event has gained an exciting addition with an exhibition at our Heritage Museum in Silver Street, where you can view photographs of the first Pixie Day organised by Fred Godfrey in 1953. It is a journey back in time that I highly recommend visiting if you wish to fully grasp the significance of this event as it allows you to see numerous items connected to it and listen to interviews with previous Pixies, all thanks to the efforts of Phoebe Smith, who, as part of her Duke of Edinburgh Award submission, has curated the exhibition.

(Image: Phyllis Baxter) Pixie Day celebrates the tradition and helps raise funds for the local Scouts and Guides. The funds raised are used for various community projects and initiatives that benefit the youth of our town, such as providing educational resources, organising outdoor activities and supporting community service projects. As far as my knowledge goes, only in the 60s had a lapse of a few years and moved to September in 2021 because of the restrictions imposed by the COVID pandemic. But we can only talk about Pixie Day by mentioning the event's driving force, represented by their present Chairman, Richard Coley, Catriona Paton, and their tireless team of volunteers. Their efforts guarantee that year after year, those children living in Ottery can call themselves participants in a unique event and that many generations in the future, as many in the past, can call themselves lucky, too.

Through the pages of this paper, I urge the Ottery community to come together and bolster the event. The majority of the financial cost of the event is covered by your support and contributions on the day, whether it is through purchasing raffle tickets or simply backing any funding event organised by the Committee. We all understand that traditions of this nature, which lend a unique charisma to our town, require time and effort, hence it is vital to welcome volunteers to the team. If you have the time to spare and the energy to contribute, consider joining their team of volunteers, as you know you will be instrumental in making this town great by creating lasting memories.

If you have children, it's a day you won't want to miss! Get ready for a day of fun and excitement. It’s a great opportunity for your children to have fun, make friends, and learn about our town’s history.