'We Brits love a game... and maybe set fire to something': Actor Tim Downie talks about his new book Rituals

Whether playing historical figures in Outlander and Upstart Crow or voicing fan-favourite characters in Baldur's Gate 3, actor and podcaster Tim Downie is no stranger to immersive storytelling.

But for his latest project, Rituals: A Folk Journey Through the Seasons, Tim traded scripts and recording booths for muddy fields, blazing tar barrels, and centuries-old local customs.

The book, published by Ebury Spotlight, is a sensory travelogue across Britain's eccentric folkloric calendar: Tim explores everything from the World Marbles Championship to the Hunting of the Earl of Rone in Devon.

"They're all very unique and strange and wonderful, all in their own unique way," Tim tells the Yorkshire Evening Post. "The World Marbles Championship is never something that you'd think would be particularly arresting, but it really is.

“The use of language within marbles is extraordinary - the phrase 'knuckle down' is actually a marbling phrase. It's what you do at the beginning of the game before you flick your marble off."

‘The land becomes alive in stories’

While popular imagination often pairs outdoor celebration with summer, Tim’s travels revealed that the darker months between Halloween and the Winter Solstice hold the true heart of British folk heritage.

"You would assume summer months are best - drinking with friends outside, long summer days," Tim explains. "But historically, that’s when people would be ploughing fields and harvesting.

“The winter months, the colder, darker months, are the ones where you need to come together as a community, as a family, to celebrate and just have fun."

He notes that as the nights draw in, the atmosphere shifts fundamentally. "There’s a lot of fire, light in darkness, and Celtic practices. It’s a time of wonder, celebration, and shadows. There are more mysteries, more ghost stories, more things lurking in the furrows.

“Almost the land becomes alive in stories - it might not come alive in fruitfulness, but it most definitely comes alive in stories and magic."

Tim believes the growing public appetite for ancient seasonal customs stems from a modern longing to disconnect from digital noise and reconnect with tangible spaces. He draws a parallel between today's cultural landscape and the major British folk revival of 50 years ago.

"The last sort of great folk revival was in the '70s, which was very much a time of no one having any money, rolling blackouts... a tough, tough time," Tim says. "That’s when people start looking to the land and to other stories. Society has been slowly fracturing into being far more individualistic, with people on screens.

“All of these factors come together to push folk narratives a little further into the public consciousness."

When asked what lies at the core of Britain’s most enduring traditions, Tim keeps it simple.

"Either you've got to have a great story, or a game. Make it a game! We Brits love a game - from marbles to mob football. If we can make a little bit of fun out of something, then that seems to draw people together.

“And maybe set fire to something!"

Yorkshire's 'rich hunting ground'

For readers across West Yorkshire looking to experience local rituals firsthand this winter, Tim points to several standout regional events.

"You can't go wrong with a good wassail," Tim suggests. "Find a local wassail in an orchard. That's an easy entry-level point - you get a bit of nature, a bit of community, and a lot of ale drinking!"

For those seeking something more atmospheric, Downie highlights the Hunter's Moon bonfire gathering near Sheffield and the timeless appeal of the Yorkshire coast.

"You can't go wrong with going to Whitby - that's just an extraordinary place. Go for a Goth weekend or a vampire weekend.

“There is so much in North Yorkshire. It is a rich hunting ground for folklore, as well as creatures that lurk in woods, lakes, and streams. York Saturnalia is very exciting as well, with its Roman march."

His message to local readers wanting to explore their own doorstep this season is straightforward: "Take an idea and follow the threads.

“Whether you want something haunting or folky, it's everywhere."

Tim Downie will be discussing Rituals alongside Jeremy Dyson at Church House, All Saints' Parish Church, Ilkley on November 6from 7pm to 8.30pm, with tickets priced at £12 (including £5 off the book) available via The Grove Bookshop and Eventbrite.