Folksburywoods Story Blog

Tofler lived alone on the island, but he was not alone. Tofler had his music.

For thirty years, the man played his music each dawn and dusk. He did this to ensure the day would awake in joy. He also wanted the day to rest in peace.

“I don’t think it is a waste of time. It brightens me and the world around me,” said Tofler to a passing sailor.

Once, his music saved the lives of a fishing boat lost in the fog when the lighthouse’s horn broke.

The keeper played through the night. When the sailors heard the music, they knew it must be Tofler. They stirred away from the rocks.

The villagers hear sweet melodies floating in from the sea when the wind blows landward.

At times, age and weather conspire against the keeper’s fingers. The old man rubs hot seal oil into his hands, climbs the stairs, and greets the dawn with a song.

“I might retire someday, or maybe I’ll stay until the Dutchman comes to take me across to rest. Either way, I’ll play my songs until I’m gone,” said Tofler.

If you ever walk along the coast of Anglesey in North Wales at dawn or dusk, you might hear Tofler playing on his fiddle.