WHEN he moved from Sydney to Slaithwaite two years ago, Brett Hodgson vowed to immerse himself in the local culture.
Tonight, the former Huddersfield Giants player and his family will show they have embraced village life when they take part in its famous biennial festival.
The 33-year-old fullback moved from the Giants to Warrington Wolves this season but he and his wife, Skye, still live in Slaithwaite with children, Annaliese, five, and Christian, three.
And they will join other villagers for the traditional Moonraking Festival.
Brett said: “There’s nothing like this that I’m aware of back home in the little suburbs, and certainly not in Sydney.
“We love the country and the laid-back life here.
“It’s the first time we will have been to the festival and I think it’s great that the community get involved.”
The Moonraking Festival, which started in 1981, is held to celebrate a local legend. According to folklore, in 1802 a pair of alcohol smugglers from Slaithwaite were caught trying to fish barrels of booze out of the canal using garden rakes.
Asked by passing soldiers on patrol what they were doing, they replied that the moon had fallen in the water and they were raking it out.
The highlight of the festival is the lantern parade, held this Saturday.
The Hodgsons have been in Slaithwaite since they moved to England in January, 2009, and the children have been making lanterns for the event.
Brett lined up against his former teammates on the first day of the new season at the Millennium Magic weekend in Cardiff this month, coming off second best as the Giants won 28-18.
Despite being “fully committed” to Warrington, he admitted it was strange facing the Giants.
“I will always have a soft spot for Huddersfield as a team,” he added.
“I was really happy there.”
