Seeds of Hope: A Butterfly Begins in Challock
"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly." Richard Bach
Something very beautiful happened this week.
The ten eco-minded children from Challock Primary, led by the ever-inspiring Mrs Sweet, stepped out into the school grounds excited to show us the wild spaces. Questions were asked. Ideas were shared. Butterflies—real and imagined—took flight.
This post is a celebration of those children, their headteacher, and a school that gets it. A school where care for the world is cultivated just as attentively as academic achievement. This is the kind of soil that allows not only butterflies, but also children, to thrive.
And this moment marks more than just an afternoon of joy and planting. It’s the eve of something larger. Something hopeful. A movement that has been quietly building—story by story, garden by garden, child by child.
The Stories That Made Me
I’ve been thinking about how I got here—why these stories, and why now?
As a child, I moved through literary landscapes that shaped my sense of wonder. Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Peter Rabbit taught me about curiosity and kindness. Roald Dahl introduced me to foxes, giants, and mice who never gave up. Then came the dawn and wardrobe of C.S. Lewis, and much later, the brilliant weight of The Screwtape Letters.
But it was Tolkien who lit the fire. A man who could have written in any field, but chose to spend his linguistic genius crafting fellowship, mythology, and memory. It’s that commitment—to truth through tale—that I now honour.
My own humble attempt begins with The Wandering Lamb, followed by The Butterfly Farmer, and will complete itself, someday soon, with The Light of the ‘hunter Moon’. A trilogy rooted in movement, transformation, and return. Not just books—but a space made for others like me.
The Hobopoet Finds a Friend
This journey has also brought me Roland Brown.
I’ve mentioned him before, but now we’re working together, I’m beginning to understand the depth of his gift. There’s a wisdom in the way Roland speaks with the children. It’s slow, open, real. Last week we were out at Challock—wandering the garden, chatting to children who had written down their own questions. A dialogue of equals, of mutual learning. This week, we visited new schools and imagined new butterfly sanctuaries.
Roland brings with him not only deep compassion but also a rare validity—an ecological and emotional intelligence grounded in his work with Kent Butterfly Conservation and at ‘Hearts Delight Farm’. His presence lends this project more than just support; it gives it weight. Through his eyes, the butterflies are not just symbols of transformation but real, fragile species in need of our care. He brings the science into dialogue with the story, and in doing so, he awakens the children—and us—to a fuller kind of awareness: that conservation isn’t a distant act, it’s a relationship. Local, lived, and urgent.
But today wasn’t about imagining. Today was about doing. The children of Challock have now released their butterflies. It’s all beginning.
What’s Next?
📚 Want to pre-order The Butterfly Farmer?
Email Craig.dadds@canterbury.ac.uk to be added to the priority list. Or wait a few weeks for the official Kickstarter campaign, where special rewards will be available to early backers.
🏞️ Visit the bookshop window at Canterbury Christ Church University—decorated and waiting to welcome young readers. Children are invited to see the display and meet Craig, who is helping champion this literary movement from within the heart of the university.
🎪 Save the Date: Wildchild Festival at Knowlers Farm – 02.08.25
Mark your calendar. This one’s going to be special.
🐑 Rare Breeds Centre – Storytelling Sessions with Tom Delahunt
Come join me for magical days of reading, crafting, and imagination:
Thursday 10th July
· 10am–12pm and 1pm–3pm
Thursday 17th July
· 10am -12pm and 1pm–3pm
Thursday 31st July
· 10am–12pm and 1pm–3pm
📖 Each session includes:
– Readings from The Wandering Lamb
– Sneak previews of The Butterfly Farmer
– Hands-on butterfly-themed craft activities
– Time to talk, wonder, and play
Perfect for ages 3–11, with sessions designed to suit each group.
So Here We Are
This isn’t just about butterflies. It’s about transformation. About education that feeds the soul as well as the mind. About friendship, fellowship, and the art of knowing through story.
‘Seeds of hope’ were placed today. Not metaphorically—literally. Tiny seeds in tiny hands. But maybe that’s always been how change begins.
This really is the beginning of something very special.
Follow this Substack to stay up to date on new releases, school visits, festivals, and news from the garden paths we’re walking together.
NEXT POST; the beginning of the enchanted gardens…
Work at a school or feel you have links to a school that would value this initiative email me on td179@canterbury.ac.uk We are going to limit year 1 to 15 - 20 schools so don’t miss out.
With love and hope,
Tom
The #Hobopoet