I'd love to be able to tell you exactly when The Enfys Society was first founded, but I can't. That's not because it's a closely guarded secret or anything, but simply because it was so long ago that no-one can remember.

As far as anyone can tell, The Enfys Society has always been around, and has had many illustrious members throughout its long history.

But what does The Enfys Society do?

The Enfys Society is actually lots of things. But, in it's most simple form, it's a society that exists to protect and preserve all the magical things in this world.

Where things get a bit more difficult is defining exactly what "magical things" are.

Of course there are all the normal things that people instinctively know are magical like unicorns, fairies, dragons and elves. But then there are all the things that people experience every day and have come to forget how magical they really are. These are things like dreams (the ones when you're sleeping at night, and especially the super-magical daydreams), imagination, make-believe, and adventure. All of these things are looked after and protected by The Enfys Society.

Why magic needs to be protected

There are many different sides to magic.

The most commonly known one is things like magic spells and potions. Another is all the magical creatures that exist in the world today. And finally there is the kind of magic that is most special and delicate and which helps us see hidden magical worlds, find magical creatures-in-disguise, and make anything we can dream or imagine come true.

If all the magic in the world was to disappear then it would be a very different world indeed.

Although it might be true to say that you can't see magic around you all the time, it's most definitely always there. If you can, try to imagine a day where you don't happily drift off into another world whilst gazing at a beautiful view out of a window; or a week that you don't arrive home with muddy shoes and tired legs from the most amazing adventure; or a morning when you don't wake up with a just-out-of-reach dream of riding on the back of the fastest unicorn in the world across pink, fluffy clouds.

That is what a world without magic would be like.

It would be ordinary. All day, every day. Magic is what makes even the most ordinary things special.

How do you become a member of The Enfys Society?

I can remember the day that I joined The Enfys Society like it was yesterday; although it was more years ago than I care to remember. I was sat having my breakfast on a very sunny morning and was reading over the second draft of my book called 'The Protection of Magical Creatures' when I heard a curious popping noise just next to my elbow. I looked down and there was an envelope I hadn't noticed before. I opened it, and inside was a beautifully written invitation to join The Enfys Society. I was overjoyed!

In fact there are thousands of members of The Enfys Society all over the world. Not all are invited as I was, some make the decision to join themselves and some (like Elgilina) have been members since they were born. The only condition to joining is that you must believe in magic and must do all that you can to protect it.

Want to find out more?

If you want to find out more about what The Enfys Society does to ensure there's always at least a little bit of magic in the world, have a look at some of our other stories ...

From all the research you've done so far, you'll already know that unicorns can live just about anywhere.

Of course, in the Very Olden Days it could be said that unicorns had a very specific kind of habitat. In those days unicorns were rarely found outside the Enchanted Forest, albeit they would regularly make an appearance in their local village to entertain the little children.

As we know, time went by and the unicorns retreated further and further away from the sight of the villagers - even the little children. But that doesn't mean that the places that they live have decreased.

By now you may be coming to appreciate just how common unicorns really are. That's not to say that they are easy to spot though, or that you'll just stumble across one without putting any time or dedication into your search. But with their fantastic powers of disguise, unicorns are become much more confident about venturing out into habitats that might have once be considered unusual for a unicorn to be spotted in.

For example, only last week I was on my way to pick up some supplies for my next Unicorn Expedition when I decided to stop off at a local garden centre. At first I thought I might have been getting a little over-excited but, after checking that all the right signs were there, I was certain that I had spotted a rare miniature unicorn disguised as a cheeky robin and living in the aisle where the bird feed and bird tables are on display. I couldn't believe my eyes and will be going back to check in on him again next week. I hope I can capture some pictures of him in his unicorn-form soon to show you all.

So, you see, it doesn't really matter where you live, as long as you follow the clues and have plenty of patience, you can find a unicorn just about anywhere. However, just like any creature (magical or otherwise), unicorns do have their favourite types of habitat that they will seek out above anything else.

If you're just beginning your search for unicorns, these are some of the places that you will be most likely to come across them:

1. Forests

Above all, unicorns still really love living in forests. I have a theory that it has a little to do with history, when pretty much all the unicorns around lived in Enchanted Forests, as well as a little bit to do with the fact that they are just nice, peaceful places to be. If you think back to the last time you were in a forest and tried to remember how you were feeling, I'd like to have a bet that 'relaxed' or 'happy' were one of the first words that came to mind.

Forests have lots of lovely places for unicorns to live and potter around in - whether they're in disguise or not. There are plenty of places to hide if they need to, there's always a nice bit of shade for when it gets too hot, and they always smell really nice too. A surprising thing to learn about unicorns is that they like to live in places that smell good, it's very rare that you will ever discover a unicorn-in-disguise living somewhere that is stinky.

Top unicorn spotting tips in the forest:

Places to look out for: small rivers and ponds in the forest, clearings with some springy grass or crunchy leaves, fallen trees, exposed tree roots, the place in the forest where it's most peaceful.

Common unicorn disguises: Blackbird, robin, chaffinch, jay, hedgehog, deer, squirrel, centipede, woodlouse.

2. Nature reserves

It might surprise you that unicorns would like to live in nature reserves, especially as they are usually places that attract lots of people.

Well, in these places unicorns can get the best of both worlds. They can easily blend in with a good disguise because there is usually a lot of wildlife around, and they also get to see lots of children which they really love.

There is normally plenty of food around and lots of shelters too, so nature reserves actually come pretty high in the places that unicorns love to live in. However, spotting a unicorn-in-disguise can be difficult in these places simply because there are a lot of animals. You will need to pay close attention to the most important clues such as hints of sparkle, a flash or rainbow colour, or an animal that doesn't belong - spotting an armadillo at Martin Mere for example should definitely get your attention.

Top unicorn spotting tips at a nature reserve:

Places to look out for: picnic areas, bird hides that look over water in particular, children's play areas, quiet spots with long grass or some trees, flower meadows.

Common unicorn disguises: duck, goose, godwit, pied wagtail, nuthatch, squirrel, mouse, shrew, badger.

3. Parks

Whether your nearest park is in a city or a small village, they are equally appealing to your local unicorns as places to set up home. In general, parks are peaceful and pretty places and there is enough going on to keep an inquisitive unicorn-in-disguise entertained for hours on end.

If your local park has an area for children to play games then this will be very attractive to any unicorn; and features such as small ponds, climbing frames and bug hotels will be equally as attractive to most.

Whilst visiting a park to try and spot a unicorn you could try two main approaches. Firstly you could just go ahead with what you normally do at a park - for example swinging on a swing, digging in a sandpit, or having a game of football with your friends. If you choose this approach, the key is to always keep a bit of attention focussed on what is going on around you. Is there a small bird with a wonky wing checking you out from the corner of his eye? Is there a curious pink rabbit peeking at you from under some begonias? Children having fun in a park will always be very attractive to any unicorn-in-disguise, but you'll have to be very cunning to spot one peeking at you.

The second approach to take is to sit very quietly in the park as though you were spotting birds, investigating the mini-beasts or simply having a picnic. This option will help you blend in a bit more and might cause an inquisitive unicorn to come out of its hiding place without noticing you - if you're very lucky it might have forgotten its disguise too.

Top unicorn spotting tips at a park:

Places to look out for: climbing frames, football pitches, grassed areas, picnic benches, swings, rivers, bug hotels, bird feeders.

Common unicorn disguises: pigeon, seagull, crow, thrush, ladybird, butterfly, caterpillar.

And finally ...

Don't forget to keep your notebook handy to keep track of all the clues you spot on your adventure. This will really help you build up a good picture of the habitat your local unicorn likes to live in and might even help you catch a glimpse of it in its natural state.

My top three tips for searching for unicorns in unusual habitats are:

1. Keep an open mind. Remember that unicorns can be found just about anywhere, keep looking out for the key signs and you're almost certain to spot a unicorn-in-disguise eventually.
2. Think of places you love to be. If you come across a place that you really love, you can be certain that there's a unicorn out there that loves it too. If you have a special place that makes you feel happy every time you go there, just take a moment to check around and see if you can find any clues.
3. Try visiting your favourite places in all kinds of weather. Don't just go on your unicorn adventures when it's sunny. You can have just as much luck in your search if you venture out in frosty or rainy weather too. Just make sure you wrap up warm and make notes as to whether the clues you discover are different depending on what the weather's like.

Happy adventuring!

Now that spring has finally sprung, it's time to stop dreaming and start putting together ideas for your very own fairy garden.

Even if you've never met a fairy in person, it's a pretty well known fact that fairies (and unicorns) love flowers - and the more colourful those flowers are the better! So it goes without saying that setting up your own fairy garden at home is a great way of helping to attract some local fairy folk to visit.

We've had quite a few fairy gardens at The Enfys Society HQ over the years, so we thought it would be nice to share some of the plants that have proven most popular with our own local fairies.

1. Sepervivum

Sometimes known as 'house leeks', these cute little plants have lovely succulent leaves which normally grow in adorable rosette shapes which fairies are known to love. A great addition to a fairy garden because they stay green all year round, they are quite tough little things and like to be planted where they will find lots of sun.

Some have cute star-shaped flowers in the summer and they range in colour from bright green to a lovely deep red.

2. Thyme

Plants that smell as beautiful as they look are great ones to choose. Thyme creates a pretty mat of grey-green foliage with lovely pink flowers in the summer. Not only is it brilliant at attracting fairies (as well as bees and butterflies), but its soft, spongy structure forms an ideal carpet for fairies to dance on.

When you first start checking your garden for fairies, you could try creeping out in the early evening and seeing if you can catch a hint of the lovely smell of thyme - it might mean that a fairy has been strolling amongst your flowers.

3. Sedum

Any plant that is great for attracting bees and butterflies is a must for your fairy garden, which makes Sedum plants perfect additions.

Another plant with juicy, succulent foliage, Sedum tends to flower in late summer so is great for adding a final bit of colour before autumn arrives again. Sedum will die back over the winter and then reappear again in the spring.

Be sure to choose the plant carefully as some varieties can get quite tall.

4. Delosperma

If you've picked a hot, sunny spot for your fairy garden, then Delosperma, or Ice Plant as it's also known, should be your plant of choice.

Showcasing masses of stunning pin-wheel flowers in bright and vibrant colours, it flowers all summer long and will make even the most reserved fairy jump for joy.

5. Aubretia

A beautiful plant which will love scrambling over the edges of your pot to provide a fun climbing frame for fairies of all ages, Aubretia has loads of star-shaped flowers in a gorgeous blue colour.

The only thing you might need to watch with this one is that it doesn't try to take over your whole fairy garden - cut it back gently if it does.

6. Saxifrage

A classic addition to any tiny garden, Saxifrage are known for their pretty little flowers which are held on tall, wispy stems above a mound of green foliage.

Cut them back a little after they've flowered and they'll look even better next year.

These plants like a little bit of shade during the hottest part of the day and so are the perfect plant to take a peek at to see if you can find a little fairy taking an afternoon nap.

7. Dianthus

This stunning plant produces so many flowers during summer that it will be sure to attract fairy families from far and wide.

Available in loads of colours and even ones that have a pretty two-tone effect, Dianthus plants like to be in a sunny position and will give off a delicate scent when a fairy brushes past them.

A top tip is to pull off the faded flowers to encourage more blooms which will keep your fairies visiting for longer.

It's a really good idea to do a bit of research before deciding on which plants you're going to get.

Think about where you're going to put your fairy garden, whether it will be in a pot or a corner of an existing border. You'll also want to check to see if you can find any evidence of fairy habitats nearby and consider the best place to locate your garden in order to tempt as many fairies to visit as possible.

Once your fairy garden is all planted and growing nicely, the only thing left to do is to set up a comfy chair or cushion nearby and settle down for some quiet fairy-spotting time.

Happy fairy finding!

Castleshaw is a beautiful place just outside the little village of Delph in Saddleworth. Not only has it got loads of cool history to discover, but it's the perfect place to put your unicorn-finding skills to the test.

We took a trip to Castleshaw last week. Take a look at some of the things we found and discover how you can plan your own adventure there.

But first...

Before you start putting your adventure kit together, here's a bit of history about Castleshaw.

Located on the Pennines, Castleshaw is a tiny hamlet which is also home to two reservoirs and a Roman Fort. The remains of the Roman settlement can be found on Castle Hill, which offers fantastic views over the valley as well as the opportunity to explore the site which dates back to c. AD 79. There are some really interesting information boards at the site too - don't forget to pack your notebooks!

Getting to Castleshaw

Depending on how you're going to travel, and if your unicorn-finding assistant can drive, Castleshaw is really easy to get to by car.

Located just outside Delph in Saddleworth, Castleshaw can be accessed from the A62 Huddersfield Road at the junction with Delph Lane. Follow Waterworks Road until you get to the Castleshaw Outdoor Centre and then you can park in the public carpark which is just past the Centre.

What to bring with you

Having the right equipment with you is essential if you're going to have a great adventure, and you should be prepared for taking note of any clues or even unicorns-in-disguise that you might spot while you're exploring.

Depending on what time of year you're visiting, I would suggest being prepared for quite a bit of mud (which is great for spotting interesting tracks) and usually some rain.

This is what I took with me when I visited:

• Waterproof walking boots (a pair of comfy trainers or wellies would be good too)
• A waterproof coat
• Backpack
• Notebook and pencils
• Camera
• Water
• Some snacks
• Bird spotting book
• Small tin (for collecting clues)
• A compass
• Binoculars

Of course, there may be things that you want to bring along that are not on my list. Just make sure they are all essential to your adventure and won't get in the way of you discovering what's about. For example, I went on an adventure to my local forest last weekend and took a rubber ring with me - I felt certain I would need it at the time but, in reality, it just prevented me from being able to squeeze between trees whilst hot on the trail of a unicorn-in-disguise and it frightened the subject away when I accidentally popped it on a curiously sharp pine needle.

On this occasion I also took my new assistant, Roxy along with me. She is new to the adventuring business so didn't prove to be much assistance in all honesty, but she was good company when she wasn't running off to sniff sheep poo or to drink from a muddy puddle. I have made a mental note not to ask her to carry my snack bag anymore - she likes to munch on my sandwiches when I'm not looking.

What can you find at Castleshaw?

There is so much to discover that you'll be certain to have a successful adventure. I tend to follow the path out of the carpark towards the Roman Fort, then I continue around the road until I come to the road that crosses between the two reservoirs, I turn left at the end and then follow the path past the farm with the lower reservoir on my left until I make a circular route back to the carpark.

I won't tell you everything that I found because that will spoil your chances of discovering things for yourself, but some highlights of my adventure are as follows:

1. On occasion there are lots of very handsome black cows around the reservoir. I was careful to only observe them from a distance as they can be shy creatures who don't like being sneaked up on but, when I took a closer look at them with my binoculars, I definitely caught a glimpse of one that had a rainbow sheen to its belly.
2. There are a few very peaceful areas which I would suggest standing and being quiet for a while to see if you can hear a fairy singing.
3. I enjoyed reading about the legend of "Grott the Evil Toad" in the carpark. I spotted some stones which I think are part of the legend - see if you can find them too.

Happy adventuring! We'd love to know what you find.

Once upon a time in the very-very-olden-days, there was a great rivalry between a unicorn and a bunny. It wasn't a bad rivalry, they were actually the best of friends, but the unicorn and the bunny liked to compete against each other in just about every respect.

If they were walking to school together in the morning they would compete about who could get there the quickest; if they were having cake for tea they would see who could eat the most slices; and if they were doing magic tricks for little children, they would compete against each other to create the most spectacular magical firework display.

But the thing that would inspire the most competition between the pair was putting on the best disguise.

The bunny's particular talent was for magically dressing up in different funny outfits, whilst the unicorn much preffered disguising himself as different animals with pretty patterns and lots of colour.

Every day after school (yes, unicorns and magical bunnies have to go to school too), they would meet up in a clearing in the woods near where they both lived. Then they would take it in turns to disguise themselves in the strangest and most wonderful thing they could imagine. These contests would go on for hours and hours, until they finally got too hungry and decided that they'd better go home for tea.

Eventually, word got out around the village that these contests were going on. All the creatures who lived nearby would go and watch them, and all the cheering and clapping spurred the unicorn and bunny on to more and more amazing feats of disguise.

These disguising competitions had been going on for months now, and both the unicorn and bunny were getting better and better at it every day. But still the question remained - who was the winner? Each of them was so good that none of the magical creatures wanted to decide between them.

One day, the bunny had a great idea. Easter was coming up and he wanted to do something special for the little children who lived nearby. He decided they should make an Easter treasure hunt, and that they should take it in turns to disguise themselves along the way. Then at the end of the trail, the children would decide on who to crown the winner of the Easter treasure hunt.

The unicorn thought it was a great idea.

Together they planned the most amazing treasure hunt. They used magic to decorate a path through the trees, making clues magically float along the way. As a special treat, they placed chocolates in the trees for the little children, covering them in bright, sparkly wrappers to mark the path. They looked like little eggs.

The unicorn and the bunny practiced their disguises for weeks beforehand, each perfecting the most brilliant disguises in the hope of being the winner. Eventually the day came, and little children from the villages all around waited eagerly to start the trail.

All around multi-coloured eggs, flowers, butterflies and sparkly balls hung in the trees. The Enchanted Forest had never looked so magical and the little children were so excited that they didn't know where to look first.

They followed the clues, picking up the little eggs as they went, until they came to the first clearing. They gasped as they saw the first disguise; a disguise that was so amazing that it sent little bolts of rainbow light glittering all around the clearing.

They carried on, and with each clearing they got to, the disguises became more and more wonderful.

Finally they came to the last clearning where both the unicorn and the bunny were waiting. There they put on the best magical firework display anyone had ever seen, with brightly coloured chocolates falling from the sky and little puffs of sherbert popping in the air.

Then the children voted for their favourite disguises. The unicorn and the bunny held their breath as the votes were counted - one ... two ... three ... and the winner is ... bunny!

The bunny was crowned the first winner of the Easter treasure hunt and became known as the Easter Bunny.

These contests went on for hundreds of years, the unicorn and the bunny still competing, until the unicorns and other magical creatures began to retreat into the woods to hide from the non-magical world.

However, evidence that these competitions still go on can be seen by the Easter Egg trails popping up in children's gardens on Easter Sunday and, if you're lucky enough, you might even stumble across the unicorn and the bunny themselves ...

The End.

If you know that unicorn’s are masters of disguise, then I reckon you’ve already passed the first hurdle of trying to find a unicorn.

There are plenty of people that don’t know this most basic unicorn fact, and so might well have been walking past the same unicorn on their way to school, or work, or just on their way down to the shop to get some bread and milk without even knowing it.

There are some unicorns that find this quite amusing, and so will come out and about in their disguised form, flaunting themselves to anyone who happens to come by and chuckling to themselves that they haven’t been recognised.

There are even some cheeky unicorns that choose their disguised form just so that they can get free food. Next time you go to a duck pond armed with some slightly stale bread, just take a close look at the ducks that come along to be sure there isn’t a cheeky unicorn disguising itself amongst them

So, if you already know that unicorns are very good at staying hidden, what tools can you use to help you track them down?

Read on and I’ll share a few tricks and tips when I’m out on my own unicorn finding adventures.

Look for signs of sparkle

Unicorns are born to sparkle. They just can’t help it, and this is something that they don’t have much control over when they're in disguise either.

As you know, glitter will twinkle best when there’s lots of light around, so the best days for discovering sparkly clues will be when the sun’s shining.

If it happens to be a nice sunny day when you’ve planned your unicorn adventure, you might be in luck. As you walk along, just cast your eyes around for anything with a slight twinkle and then have patience whilst you stop and study it.

Things you’re looking out for are ducks with a slight hint of glitter in them. Take a look really closely at the feathers just at the back of their neck to see if they twinkle in the light.

You might also see other small birds, sheep, cows or even fish whilst you’re out and about. With these too, don’t get too close but have a detailed look at them to see if you can spot even the slightest hint of glitter.

Spot a rainbow

Rainbows are sure signs that there’s a unicorn about. Usually they’ll be in disguise, but this could also be one of the rare times that you can spot a unicorn in its natural form.

Although it’s not something that you’ll see every day, so won’t help you on most unicorn spotting missions, there’s actually a much higher chance of seeing a unicorn at the end of a rainbow than finding a pot of gold.

Make sure you keep your eyes peeled if you see one.

Have a picnic

Unicorns love being with people, especially children, but are naturally shy creatures who have kept themselves hidden away since the very-olden-days.

However, if there’s one thing that unicorns find it very hard to resist, it’s a picnic.

Being patient whilst on your unicorn spotting adventures is one of the biggest keys to success, so taking a picnic along if you’re going for a long day out is a great way to pass the time.

Whilst the unicorn probably won’t wander right up to you whilst you’re having your picnic, even if it’s in disguise, it might watch you from afar so make sure you take note of what’s peeking at you from the undergrowth.

Once you’ve finished your picnic you could put a few tasty looking morsels a little way off from where you’re playing. Leave them alone for a while and then, sneaking up quietly and remaining a good distance way, take a peek to see if anything’s had a munch of your tasty treats.

If your food has gone it could well be that you’ve just fed a unicorn. Check for signs of glitter if the coast is clear, but be careful that you don’t disturb a unicorn who might be resting with a full tummy somewhere nearby.

Keep a notebook handy

Finding a unicorn takes a lot of hard work and practice but, with patience and determination, you’ll begin to build up a pattern of clues that will lead you to make your first unicorn discovery.

Every time you go out on an adventure it’s a good idea to take a little notebook and pen with you so that you can jot down your most important observations. This will really help you towards success when planning your next unicorn adventure.

And finally …

It took me a very long time until I saw my first unicorn-in-disguise and it's even harder to see a unicorn in its natural state. However, with lots of practice, I’m now confident that I can spot even the merest hint of a disguised unicorn and am happy to report that, although it is still a challenge to find them, there are plenty of them about.

My top 3 tips to remember when trying to find a unicorn:

1. Keep your eyes open for even the merest hint of sparkle
2. Look for creatures that don’t belong. For example, a sloth lounging around in your local park has to be a unicorn-in-disguise
3. Watch out for rainbows, and not just in the sky. Unicorns love rainbows so look out for rainbow coloured fur and things like that which will give the game away

Happy unicorn spotting!

Planning your own unicorn adventure has got to be the most exciting thing about trying to find unicorns.

I like to take as much time as possible to plan my adventure in detail.

I’ll usually be thinking about things like where I’m going to go, what is the habitat like, what disguise will the local unicorns probably favour (or, indeed, if there is a particular time of day that I think I might surprise them out-of-disguise), what I should take with me and what the weather is going to be like on the day.

If you’ve already done a bit of reading, you’ll know that unicorns are masters of disguise; and so you’re already well equipped to plan a successful adventure.

Once again, the things that you’ll be looking out for when you’re trying to find clues as to where the unicorns are lurking are:

1. Sparkle. Unicorns can’t help but sparkle, and searching for them on a nice sunny day will give you a great advantage due to this trait.
2. Random animals. If there’s an animal out of place, the odds are high that it’s a unicorn-in-disguise. Seen a flamingo in the duck pond? I’ll bet you that’s a unicorn-in-disguise.
3. Rainbows. A sure sign that there’s magic about, rainbows are a great clue to watch out for.

So then, let’s get on with planning your own unicorn adventure.

Where’s the best place to find a unicorn?

To be honest, any place is a good place to find a unicorn.

Gone are the days of endless Enchanted Forests and Forbidden Swamps. Nowadays the unicorns are pretty varied in the places that they like to live, which is good news really as Forbidden Swamps are not very nice places to spend the day looking for a unicorn.

If you think of somewhere that you would quite happily spend the day lazing around; maybe lying on the grass for a bit, having a little run around and possibly playing in some water, then that’s a really good place to look for a unicorn.

How about a pretty park with grass and a playground, a little forest with picnic benches and a nature trail or a shaded valley with a burbling stream and long reeds? All of these would be excellent places to go for your unicorn adventure.

When are unicorns out and about?

Unicorns don’t really like coming out during the early morning or after it gets dark. At these times, they much prefer to be curled up in a nice bed of moss. However, there are some unicorns that are very partial to midnight snacks, so it might be possible to catch a glimpse of these creatures well after the sun has set - although they almost always keep themselves in disguised at night.

I find that going on a unicorn adventure is much more enjoyable if you go at a time that suits you. Finding a unicorn can take a VERY long time, and so you want to go when you can make the most of your day looking for clues, as well as enjoying yourself too.

Remember that unicorns love to be near children, so having fun and playing with your friends might even persuade them to come a little bit closer.

What equipment do I need to find a unicorn?

That is a very good question, and one that can only really be answered by yourself. Finding a unicorn is a very personal mission, and so there will be certain items that you feel almost instinctively that you must take with you.

For my own part I feel incredibly strongly that I could not be without a hat, a notebook and pencil, a book on bird spotting, and my favourite teddy (currently a soft, brown moose called Marvin). What you decide to take along with you might be entirely different.

I recently asked one of our young apprentices what he liked to take on his unicorn adventures with him and he very kindly sent me some pictures of what he likes to take with him on his most extreme unicorn finding missions.

A sturdy backback

Preferably with several compartments of differing sizes, he likes to feel that he can take plenty with him should he need to.

A strong case or tin

Great for transporting more precious items of his kit, he also uses the tin for collecting any delicate unicorn clues that he finds on his adventure.

On this occasion he has packed inside the tin: a separate bag for more clues or snacks, a magnifying glass, a couple of unicorn friends, a night-vision scope and some fairy dust in a jar.

Random extra supplies

Our apprentice says that he can’t advocate enough the necessity for being prepared for all eventualities. He advises that if you lay your hands on something that you think you may need, even though your bag may already be packed, then throw it in for good measure.

For this adventure he has added: a magic wand, a unicorn beanie baby, a compass, a unicorn squishy, binoculars and case, a note pad and feather pen, and a metal detector.

He also says that he will take plenty of snacks, water and a blanket, but that he would more than likely make his assistant carry this substantially heavier backpack.

Top tips for planning your first unicorn adventure

Now that you’ve got a good idea on what goes in to planning a successful unicorn finding adventure, all that’s left to do is get planning your own.

My top tips for planning your first ever adventure are:

1. Stay close to home. There’s no need to make the journey unnecessarily complicated. Staying in your local area will give you the advantage of knowing the landscape, as well as giving you ample opportunity to send for supplies should the adventure take longer than expected.
2. Pick a good assistant. It’s always good to take an assistant along with you, but ensure that you choose wisely. It’s no good choosing an assistant who will moan constantly about having to carry bags or who is terrible at keeping quiet. I have taken Snuggles (my cat) along on a few occasions, and I can categorically state that he is the most useless assistant.
3. Go when it’s sunny. Unicorns can be found in all weather but, for your first mission I would suggest going on a day when the forecast looks to be good.

And finally …

All that’s left is to wish you a great adventure!

Remember to keep your eyes open for clues and see this adventure as the first step towards the long and sometimes tricky business of finding a unicorn.

One of the most important days of the year for any budding unicorn spotter, the 9th April is National Unicorn Day. We’re so excited!

Here at The Enfys Society HQ we really love doing something extra special to mark the day.

Read on to discover some great ways to have your most fun-filled National Unicorn Day ever. Yes, we mean EVER!

Go on your own unicorn adventure

There’s no better way to celebrate Unicorn Day than putting the plans for your own unicorn adventure into practice.

Spend some time beforehand to plan out where you’re going to go, what equipment you’ll need to take with you and what clues you’re going to keep an eye out for.

If you’re looking for some inspiration, you can find some great hints and tips in our handy guide on how to plan your own unicorn adventure.

Although there’s a higher chance than normal of spotting your local unicorn on National Unicorn Day, keep in mind that it’s still a very hard task and watch out for clues that might help you locate a unicorn on your next adventure.

Plan a unicorn day out

When it comes to celebrating Unicorn Day, planning a unicorn-themed day out is a great idea. A lovely day out filled with unicorns, glitter and sparkle sounds like the most perfect day in the world to us!

Here’s a couple of events that we thought looked really fun. We hope you can find something in your local area too:

Waterstones in Witney, Oxfordshire

Join the team in-store for a reading of The Hungry Unicorn, unicorn colouring, crafts and instructions on how to make your very own unicorn horn.

Sew a unicorn plushie in Kent

This looks so much fun. Hosted at Quarry Farm, kids will get all the help they need to make their very own unicorn plushie.

Unicorn and dragon day in Dartmoor

Head along to The Miniature Pony Centre in Dartmoor, and take part in their Unicorn and Dragon day. Perfect for picking up all the tips you need when it comes to planning your own unicorn finding adventure.

Get your colours out

Believe it or not, unicorns actually love crafting. So, why not get your brightest pens and pencils out and celebrate the day by making some great, colourful pictures?

Whether you colour-in your favourite unicorn colouring book or design your own fantastic picture, why not put it in a special frame and then update it each year on National Unicorn Day?

We love this colouring book. Not only has it got loads of unicorns to colour, but there’s plenty of cool patterns too.

Plan a party

By far my favourite option for celebrating National Unicorn Day, bake some unicorn-inspired treats and invite all your friends around to talk about what clues you found on your last adventure.

Why not gather together any photgraphs you’ve been lucky enough to take, all the evidence you’ve found, and maps of potential unicorn habitats and plan your next big adventure all together?

A party is a great excuse for baking . Try one of our favourite cupcake recipes to mak your party truly magical:

Ingredients:

Makes approximately 24 cupcakes

• 250g softened unsalted butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 250g self-raising flour
• A pinch of salt
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons of milk
  
• 2 cupcake trays lined with paper cases

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 190℃ or gas mark 5
   
2. Put the butter into a bowl and beat it with a whisk until it’s soft. Then add the sugar, flour, salt, eggs and milk and combine them until the mixture is smooth.
   
3. Use a spoon to divide the mixture evenly between the paper cases.
   
4. Put the muffin tins in the oven for 15 minutes, swap the trays over and then continue to bake for a further 3 to 7 minutes until the cupcakes are a lovely golden colour.
   
5. Take the tins out of the oven. Leave the cakes to cook in the tray for a few minutes, before transferring them onto a wire rack.
   
6. Once the cupcakes are cool, the fun bit can start. Decorating! Let your imagination go wild!

We found these amazing things to decorate our cakes … let us know what you do with yours :)

Happy National Unicorn Day!!

Unicorns used to be so common that every child would have known some really great unicorn facts without really having to try very hard to think of some. Unfortunately, now that it has become significantly harder to spot a unicorn in the wild, that shared knowledge of unicorns has all but disappeared.

I’ll bet that, even as a keen unicorn spotter yourself, you would be hard-pressed to think of more than just two or three really good facts about unicorns. However, the thing that’s really great about finding out new facts about unicorns is that the more facts you know, the more you will believe in unicorns and the higher your chances of spotting one are if one happens to cross your path.

I’ve been collecting interesting, unusual and truly bizarre unicorn facts for as long as I can remember so here are my top 10.

1. Unicorns are masters of disguise

Probably the most surprising fact of them all; you probably never knew that unicorns are masters of disguise.

Although unicorns are much rarer than they were in the very-olden-days, it’s highly likely that you’ve crossed the path of a unicorn at least once in your life; you just never knew you did.

Unicorns are so magical and so clever that they can hide just about anywhere, and can disguise themselves as most things too.

If you’ve ever noticed a rather large rabbit with rainbow eye-lashes, or even a duck with a slight hint of glitter on your adventures, you might have thought that you were going a little bit mad.

In reality, it’s because you just stumbled upon a unicorn not-quite-in-disguise.

That’s a very useful thing to know when you’ve got your heart set on finding the whereabouts of your local unicorn.

2. Unicorns are healthy eaters

When it comes to unicorn food, it’s a widely held misconception that unicorns like nothing more than to stuff their faces with cupcakes and rainbow-coloured sweets.

True, there are a few unicorns that have a particularly sweet tooth, but even these prefer to have a diet that consists of at least a few non-brightly-coloured foodstuffs.

Most unicorns I’ve met seem to prefer to be healthy eaters; mainly living off a diet of moss, apples, grass and the occasional ice-cream with sprinkles if the weather is particularly hot.

3. Unicorns hate slime

You now know that unicorns are masters of disguise, and can use this knowledge to assist you in your adventures to discover your very own local unicorn.

However, another key fact about unicorns is that they hate slime.

You would never catch a unicorn disguising itself as anything slimy so, if you do happen to come across a sparkly snail or an iridescent slug, it’s far more likely that it's a gnome or a furzleworzle in disguise than a unicorn.

I have to admit that I was particularly thrilled when I made this discovery as, when I was much younger, I had become convinced that I had spotted a unicorn living in my local swamp. After picking up many slimy creatures that eventually turned out not to be unicorns at all, I was relieved to find that I need no longer continue my search in that area; especially as I had a rather unsettling feeling that the gnomes and bogarts were transforming themselves into various slimy things just to taunt me.

4. Unicorns are very shy

You probably know this already, but it’s a good fact to bear in mind when you go out on your adventures.

You’ll need to have a lot of patience when trying to spot a unicorn and it’s important to keep your spirts up by remembering that not only are they masters of disguise, but they are also very shy too.

Unfortunately this fact makes unicorns even harder to spot in their natural habitat; unless you come across an unusually gregarious unicorn, which is quite possible of course.

5. Every unicorn has a favourite magic trick

Whether it’s shooting rainbow sparkles out of their horn, conjuring a glittery cloud of butterflies or changing the arms and legs of a small child different colours (not permanently of course), each unicorn has a favourite magic trick.

If you happen to make friends with a unicorn, it’s a good idea to ask to see its favourite magic trick as it is certain to be something very special.

In the very-olden-days a unicorn’s favourite pastime used to be entertaining the village children with special magic tricks that would make them giggle for hours on end.

6. Unicorns can be any colour you can imagine

No two unicorns are the same, and they can be found in any colour you can possibly imagine.

If you were to close your eyes and imagine the most beautiful unicorn you’d ever seen, it would be quite possible that there would be a unicorn just like that somewhere in the world; in fact, you might have just made a unicorn change into that exact colour.

There is a theory amongst some unicorn specialists that the colour of the unicorn does not depend on genetics, habitat or diet, but is determined by the power of imagination.

Some say that when unicorns are born they have no colour but rather take on the colour of their surroundings, just like a chameleon. This provides excellent camouflage for the young unicorn and would go some way to explaining why no baby unicorns have ever been spotted in the wild.

As the unicorns mature, they begin to transition through a number of temporary colours, until a burst of imagination fixes the unicorn into its permanent colouration when it is around 5 or 6 years old.

7. Unicorns love quizzes

I can’t remember exactly how I discovered this peculiar unicorn fact, but I’ve found that pretty much every unicorn I’ve ever met has loved a good quiz.

Whilst some prefer word-searches, other like crossword puzzles and others simply enjoy a good old fashioned general knowledge quiz, what’s for certain is that having a good natter about general interesting facts whilst your on your unicorn spotting adventure will almost certainly get the attention of a unicorn.

8. Unicorns can live to be hundreds of years old

No-one knows exactly how old the oldest unicorn in the world is, but we do know that they can live to be hundreds and hundreds of years old.

A unicorn’s magic is very powerful and, although their magic can’t make them live forever, it does have a fantastic rejuvenating effect which keeps them young and full of life even when they are very, very old.

9. Unicorns talk in pictures

Although unicorns can’t talk like you and I, they do have ways of communicating and can share their own language with special people with whom they have a deep and heartfelt bond.

It may take years and years of meeting the same unicorn before that bond is strong enough for you to be able to communicate with each other in this special way.

It has only ever happened to me once, but I have been lucky to have a conversation with a unicorn in its own language. A very strange experience, the unicorn spoke to me in pictures which kind of felt like having the most wonderful dream but much more vivid and real.

If you are ever lucky enough to build up a friendship with one unicorn in particular, I would urge you to be patient and keep believing in the power of imagination until it feels ready to have a conversation with you in unicorn language. It really is quite an amazing experience.

10. Unicorns live all over the world

Contrary to popular belief, unicorns exist all over the world and are not restricted to any particular habitat.

During the very-olden-days it was true to say that the unicorn’s favourite place to live was in enchanted forests, but since these have become increasingly rare, the unicorn has had to get used to living in all sorts of places.

Where a unicorn lives is nowadays determined primarily by the unicorn’s individual preference. Some like to live in cities, other prefer beaches whilst some still prefer the comforting familiarity of the forest whether it’s enchanted or not.

Unicorns don’t always live in the same place either. As they are naturally inquisitive, they like to explore and, on the recommendation of other unicorns, they will even travel to other countries to visit places that sound particularly interesting to them.

However, this can cause some problems with their powers of disguise initially. For example, a unicorn from Bournemouth may favour disguising itself as a seagull but, whilst this may be perfectly adequate for the Promenade, it would look slightly out of place if they disguised themselves as a seagull whilst visiting the Arizona Desert.

On a more positive note, this love of travelling can provide some unique opportunities for spotting out of place unicorns-in-disguise. For example, if you were to catch a glimpse of a moose wandering round the streets of Peckham, you could almost certainly say that it was a Canadian unicorn who had only recently arrived in the area.

A long time ago, in the very-olden-days, unicorns were a lot more commonplace than they are today. In fact, there were so many of them about that they were actually considered a bit of a pest due to the amount of distraction they provided to the children of the very-olden-days.

All too often the children, who should have been paying attention to their lessons or doing their jobs that their parents had asked them to do for the one-millionth-time, would be found asking the unicorns to do their favourite magic trick. And that didn’t always go down well with the parents.

In those days, looking for a unicorn would have been no challenge whatsoever. It would have been just as easy as walking down to your local pond and spotting a goose is today.

Once-upon-a-time it seems that the world was just a little bit more magical than it is today, and unicorns were much easier to find in those days.

Where do unicorns come from?

There’s quite a lot of debate amongst Professors of Magic and Mythology as to where unicorns originally came from. In truth, it’s more than likely that we will never know the true answer.

Some popular theories suggest that the unicorn is simply a distant relative of the horse; although I would challenge anyone who had compared the two animals closely to truly assert this theory. For one thing, there is simply no sparkle about a horse. This fact alone proves that can be no link whatsoever between the two creatures.

My own theory, whilst impossible to prove, feels much more satisfactory. I speculate that unicorns didn’t really come from anywhere in particular, but that they actually originated from a collective wish that also created magic itself.

It took a huge, concentrated burst of energy to create magic; much like when the Earth was first formed. I believe that the energy of millions of children (happy children, sad children, creative children and lonely children), all the children of the world wishing for something special at the same time created magic. And with magic they also created unicorns, fairies, pixies and all the other magical things that we see all around us today.

Of course, I can’t prove that, but it seems the most logical explanation to me.

Unicorn mythology

Unicorns have been part of mythology since the earliest of times, appearing in accounts from the Ancient Greeks, as well as being described in both medieval and Renaissance times.

What I have learned from my study of these myths and legends is the startling difference in the ways in which unicorns are depicted. Sometimes described as being an extremely timid woodland creature; sometime like a white horse with a multi-coloured horn and other times more like a goat with cloven feed and a beard.

This seems to prove some of the powers of the unicorn as we understand them today; in particular their spectacular ability to disguise themselves as just about anything.

But we’ll come back to that later.

Unicorn magic

It might surprise you to learn that unicorns are still fairly common in the UK. It’s true that their numbers have dwindled slightly since the very-olden-days, but it’s still highly likely that you will have crossed the path of a unicorn at some point during your life; even if you didn’t realise it at the time.

Rather ironically, unicorn magic is the reason why there are not quite so many unicorns around as there used to be. It can also explain why we don’t see them out in the open like we used to once-upon-a-time.

As you will already be aware, unicorns are very magical creatures and can perform a whole range of magic tricks. Some of these tricks can be very useful, but on the whole a unicorn will much prefer to do magic tricks that entertain people - especially children.

Unfortunately, this is where the problems first began.

Where have all the unicorns gone?

Life for children of the very-olden-days could sometimes be very dull. Once they had finished school and their jobs, there wasn’t really very much for them to do, especially if their friends weren’t around or if it was raining, for example. If you were a child in these days and you were feeling a little bit bored or lonely, it was common practice for them to go out and find their local unicorn who would be more than happy to perform their favourite tricks to cheer them up and keep them entertained for a bit.

You might think that the adults would think that this was a very good idea, and would thank the unicorns for keeping their small children entertained and out-from-under-their-feet. But the problem was that unicorn magic tricks are very special and can only be seen by children (and sometimes the occasional adult who is still a kid at heart).

So this is how the problems started. The unicorn tricks became so popular with the little children, they would sneak out of their houses at all hours just so that they could see some of their favourite magic. As you can imagine, this made the grown-ups quite cross and they started to get fed-up of all the strange stories their children were telling them about unicorns shooting rainbow stars out of their horns, or making them float on strawberry coloured clouds.

In the end the unicorns realised that they were causing problems for the children and so they started to disguise themselves more often so that they couldn’t find them so easily. Then they retreated further and further into the forests, until eventually the children began to forget that there was ever such a thing as their local unicorn.

And that is why it’s very unlikely that you’ll see a unicorn just wandering around your local forest.

Hello magical apprentices.

If you love magic and adventures then you’ve come to the right place. We do too!

We’ve been part of The Enfys Society for more years than (some of us) care to mention. During all that time, we’ve built up a wealth of knowledge about magical creatures, how to find them and where to plan the best adventures. We’d really love to share our experiences with you too.

But before we share our secrets, let us introduce ourselves so that you can get to know us better.

Professor Marshall H. Maddern

Head of Mythical and Magical Arts at The Merlin Academy

Professor Maddern is top of his field when it comes to the study of mythical and magical arts. Having taught at The Merlin Academy for over forty years, he’s lost count of the number of student’s he’s inspired to go off on their own magical adventures.

One of his former students is the famous alchemist Sir Percy Wilberforce, who was knighted last year for his services to the food industry. Thanks to Professor Maddern’s teachings, Sir Percy discovered a simple garden herb that can transform sprouts into the most delicious food you’ve ever tasted (based on your own individual tastebuds). He says that without Professor Maddern’s enthusiasm for his subject, as well as his unique and tenacious teaching methods, he would never have discovered what a delight it can be to eat a plateful of sprouts.

Professor Maddern himself has made many magical discoveries and has written several books on the subjects of myths, legends, magical creatures and interesting facts about things you didn’t even know you were interested in.

Likes: tweed jackets
Dislikes: new-fangled things
Top tip: patience is the key to finding anything magical

Spencer Caldwell

Adventurer and professional mischief maker

There probably isn’t a place on the planet that Spencer hasn’t explored. Ever since he was a small child, he has fully embraced the spirit of adventure, making mischief even before he could walk properly.

When Spencer was eight-years-old, he lived in a tent in his back garden for the whole of the summer holidays. Not only did this mini-adventure confirm what he wanted to do with his life, but it was also the first time that Spencer actually found proof that there was a unicorn living amongst his mother’s prize-winning begonias.

Since making this remarkable discovery, Spencer has made it his mission to chart and document all other signs of magic in what other less enlightened people call ‘the everyday world’. Thanks to his tireless work and acute powers of observation and patience, Spencer has documented millions of examples of magic at work, proving that magic is actually all around us at every minute of the day.

Most at home in wild and wonderful places, Spencer has a natural affinity for the art of Bushcraft, and could probably survive anywhere in the world with just a tin can, a bit of wool and a pair of scissors.

Likes: the outdoors
Dislikes: sprouts
Favourite saying: If your hands aren’t dirty by the time you go to bed, then you haven’t made the most of your day.

Elgelina Atterbury

Baker and craft enthusiast

Always very excitable, Eleglina is always happiest when she’s making a delicious cake or transforming a piece of paper into something far more magical. A gifted artist, she has an endless supply of imagination and creativity which has resulted in her small cottage becoming quite full of all the lovely things she has made.

** TOP SECRET ** We tell you this only because we think it’s important for you to know, but Elgelina is actually a Fairy. She is supposed to stay in her human form whilst teaching her students how to bake cakes or how to create a fairy castle from some mushed up paper, string, glue and glitter, but sometimes all the excitement gets the better of her and she pops back to her fairy form. We wouldn’t want you to have a fright. Don’t worry, this is quite normal and not at all painful despite the odd popping noise, but it’s important that we don’t tell absolutely everyone about her true fairy-form so that we don’t alarm those people who don’t like to believe in magic.

It might surprise you to know that, as far as she can remember, Elgelina is about 314 years old. This is actually quite young for a fairy (Elgelina’s mum is about 563!), but it also means that she’s got lots of interesting things to tell us about the Very Olden Days. She definitely thinks that the cake recipes are better these days though, she says that she wasn’t too keen on frog pie!