SWALLOWS are beginning to return to Greenwell on their annual pilgrimage to Cumbria.

This year, however, they will not be joined by their usual, 'magical' counterparts.

As well as people young and old, coronavirus has turned their world of magic upside down.

A band of pixies and fairies, who normally descend on the small corner of woodland on the outskirts of Brampton each summer, have decided to protect themselves from the threat of coronavirus by staying at home in Cornwall.

The organiser, who goes only by her first name Penny and claims to be a friend of the magical creatures, keeps in regular contact with her four and six inch fellows by post.

Her latest letter, signed with the familiar words of “The Pixies of Cornwall and Cumbria”, contains a poem explaining why they must stay in their southern home this summer.

The poem begins: "This year we cannot come to play, In Cornwall we will have to stay. Coronavirus is everywhere, So to fly up north would not be fair."

“In winter, the pixies live in Cornwall and when the swallows come back, they fly with the swallows,” explained Penny.

“This year - because of the virus - they can’t fly up. They will be back next year, hopefully.”

Penny believed the pixies would be a huge miss in the Cumbrian forest this year.

“People look forward to it," she said. "We always make sure people are aware the pixies are back. Each year the children leave gifts for the pixies.”