Scottish Country Dance of the Day

If you are a Harry Potter fan you will know that in the series, Ottery St Catchpole was a small village located in Devon, England, presumably named after a Saint Catchpole. The village had both a Muggle and a magical community, the latter quietly established after the passing of the Statute of Secrecy in the 17th century. Four wizarding families were known to live around Ottery St Catchpole: the Weasleys, the Fawcetts, the Diggorys, and the Lovegoods! The name is most likely a reference to the real Devon town of Ottery St Mary. Ottery St Mary is near Exeter, the city where Rowling went to university, so it is plausible that she visited it, or at least had heard of it. There are also several locations near Ottery St Mary that include "Burrow" in their names, possibly making them namesakes for the Weasleys home. The word Ottery means "on the river Otter." Catchpole gives an impression of a Quidditch goal post or, perhaps, a fishing rod. However, "catchpole" is also a Middle English term for a sheriff's deputy, usually assigned to collect a debt - possibly a humorous reference to the impoverished Weasleys. 📚 💫 🦉