Hello, dearest daydreamer. Welcome to the Isle of Neverwas and the Lost and Found Exchange.

You, my dearheart, are joining us on an incredibly special day. Today is the last day of Yule. Let’s celebrate the return of the sun and greet the new year with hopeful intentions. Our story continues at Bubble Beach.

The fairy folk music takes on the form of a lullaby; the notes fade gently away before dawn. The bleary-eyed islanders wake up from their slumber, and the last of the dancers rest their feet for a moment. The assembled group sleepily drifts out of the tent and back onto the beach to watch the first sunrise of the New Year. They are joined on the sand by friends and family out for an early morning walk. A shared moment of joy and contentment, welcoming the returning sun, a new beginning.  They whisper their thanks, letting go of the old as they do so.

The sun rises slowly, the sky streaked with pink. Pirate Pete has organised breakfast for the partygoers. He has brought trays of steaming hot fried egg sandwiches in soft white rolls. Another tray with buttered toast has also been carried down to the beach. The island folk munch their food quietly. After a night of dancing, the egg sandwiches are possibly the best egg sandwiches they have ever had, washed down with cups of sweet milky tea. The islanders are weary but content following their night of celebration and togetherness. 

The Isle of Neverwas is humming with magic. This is going to be a good year. Some of the fairy folk have a bit of energy left, refueled with food and drink, they run towards the incoming tide to race the waves, splashing through the bitterly cold water. 

Following a night of music and dancing, the islanders return home for some much-needed sleep. They climb into their squishy beds, warm and cosy, falling quickly into a deep sleep. Later, after their much-needed rest, friends and family gather in each other’s homes to observe one last tradition of the Yule season, the Wishing Tree.

The fairy folk write their wishes for the year ahead on sugar paper leaves. They write wishes for themselves and their loved ones; it is a little bit of extra magic to start the new year. Each town and village across the Isle of Neverwas has a wishing tree. The islanders will visit the tree in the days ahead, adding their wishes. Gradually, the tree is filled with sugar paper leaves, hopes and dreams that the fairy folk would like to come true. As winter turns to spring, the leaves slowly drift away. The wishes are released, and who knows, on a magical island, that wish might just come true.

We hope you have made many happy memories this season. As Yule ends, we send you lots of wishes for the year ahead. Thank you for spending your precious time with us to share a story. For my daydreamers, mischief-makers, and restless souls. Welcome to the Isle of Neverwas. You are home.