If you all are ardent Wes-TEN followers as well as Weston Owl subscribers, you will know that Weston brought back the British-inspired Hedgehog Day two years ago in an effort to turn back time. In case you missed that particularly inspired Wes-TEN, you can catch a recording here. You will learn a lot about hedgehogs from former Animal Control officer Rachel Hoffman–like baby hedgehogs are called “hoglets” which is pretty cute, no?

Did you know that Hedgehog Day started during the Holy Roman Empire? And that the reason that the US has Groundhog Day and not Hedgehog Day is that there were no hedgehogs native to this country? Well, we should say Groundhog Day is celebrated by the entire US except for Weston, which let’s face it, has always been fairly loyalist (we see you Golden Ball Tavern and your tea).

Quilly, or Sir Quilliam as he is posthumously known, was declared Weston’s official hedgehog and presented with the world’s tiniest proclamation by Weston Town Manager Leon Gaumond. You can’t actually make this stuff up–unless you are the Wes-TEN and then of course you can.

In 2020. Quilly did see his shadow which meant two more years of town center construction (true–JST is not done). In 2021, in a remote filming, Quilly did not.

Sadly, one of the things that most people don’t know about hedgehogs is that they live only a few years. Adopted as an adult, Sir Quilliam passed away of old age in November 2021. The official state, err town, memorial has been delayed until post-Covid times.

In Quilly’s absence, the town of Weston will have to rely on Lincoln’s Ms. G, an American groundhog, who will see her shadow or not on Facebook live at 10 am. Count on Lincoln to keep up the patriot past. We, in Weston, hope to one day have another official groundhog. Until then, we salute you, Sir Quilliam.