Something happened last week that I never could have imagined in the darkest years of addiction, fear, and self-erasure.
A classroom was named after me…… Me????
‘ Class - Delahunt ’.
To be written into the very architecture of a school—a living, breathing part of a place of learning—is beyond words. It’s a sacred recognition. I’ve cried more than once trying to understand how this has come to pass. But perhaps it doesn’t need understanding. Just gratitude.
No expectation Just Gratitude…………………..
And then—the gates opened.
At Enchanted Gardens Kent, the vision we’ve been quietly planting flowered into life. The first school came through the wooden gates and stepped into a space designed with soul and soil, story and silence. And it was… perfect.
Sunlight danced between branches. Children laughed under the Talking Tree. Teachers rested. We watched nature teach and poetry hold space. And in that moment, we knew:
This is what the world needs. As the poem states,
‘a space of safety for his fragile beautiful butterflies’
A sacred, safe space. Not behind paywalls or within institutions. A space for the community—for tea and cake, for rest and realignment, for being human in a world that often forgets what that means.
🌿 The Enchanted Gardens Need You
But here’s the truth: spaces like this don’t survive on magic alone.
Like the plants lovingly tended each day, the gardens need sustenance—your presence, your attention, your support. So here’s your invitation:
Come. Bring a book. Sip a warm tea. Have a piece of cake. Lie beneath the Talking Tree. Watch the butterflies move like poems through the air.
Come for no reason at all—just say the #Hobopoet sent you. Your visit helps keep the gates open, and in doing so, protects a fragile but powerful model for how wellbeing can grow in community.
📚 Coming This Summer: A Garden of Events
🦋 The Butterfly Farmer Project is in full, fluttering flight. What began as a story is becoming a movement of hope, nature, and transformation—rooted in Kent and reaching far beyond.
The Quiet View will host a series of intimate book readings and poetry gatherings once the release date for The Butterfly Farmer is confirmed.
🐑 At Knowlers Farm Wild Child Festival, I’ll be reading The Wandering Lamb—and yes, you can meet Wanderer the Lamb in person, alongside me, for a book signing, a Storytime, and maybe even a shared moment of wonder.
🌾 Come say Hi at the Rare Breeds Centre in July and August for a new series of creative, conservation-led workshops, where the young (and young at heart) will craft, care, and co-create with nature.
📬 To get early access to book pre-orders, email: Craig.dadds@canterbury.ac.uk
We’re building something bigger than we imagined. Something honest. Something hopeful.
And behind the scenes, we’re gathering the quiet data—poetic, ecological, emotional—that will shape our spring programme and seed long-term change.
🦋 A Note of Deep Thanks to Roland Brown
None of this would be taking wing without the visionary support of Roland Brown, who is helping shape the Butterfly Farmer Sanctuaries and deepen our relationship with local conservation across Kent. Together, we’re encouraging schools to take part in the National Butterfly Count, and will be sharing access and materials in the coming weeks.
This is the start of a long journey—one that threads story, sanctuary, and sustainability.
We’ve got more partners to announce. A major magazine feature on the horizon. And—most importantly—we have you.
You who are reading this. You who understand that hope isn’t a theory, but a practice.
Join us……
Rest under the tree. Bring your children. Bring your elders. Let’s build something beautiful.
