Halloween #Blogtober post 24. The scariest book I’ve read so far in my life.
“How is that the scariest book you’ve ever read in your life? That is a children’s book.” Yes, I hear the disdain and disbelief in your voice and I can only assume one thing – You have not read this book.
The first time I read it, yes, I was a child. I tool It out of the library and my nan read it to me. And then read it to me again, and again, and again. And then I extended my library loan on it. And then my nan read it to me again and again and again… You get the picture. Then I forgot about it.
For no reason whatsoever it popped into my head, 16 years later while I was on holidays, lounging next to the pool in a villa in Costa Del Sol. As soon as I got an internet connection I ordered it. It was waiting for me when I returned home. Ominous. Looming. I wrapped up warm and took to the garden steps with my pack of cigarettes (back when I was an avid smoker) as the light was fading. I read from the first word to the last word. I was transported back. I was terrified all over again.
Honestly, if you can get your hands on this book, BUY IT. There are some not so great stories in there, but there are some that have never left me. My favourites are Widershins (also I learned what Widershins was from this book!), Mine, and Siren Song. I don’t know if it’s the content, the style of writing, or the general feeling I get from reading them. They never fail to give me goosebumps though.
Also – I find that being scared overrides anxiety when it decides to flare up. I once had to come home from work because of a massive anxiety attack, and when I got in I made duvet fort and sat under there with this book and a torch and a cup of tea. After that and a nap I was pretty much reset and back to normal. Makes me ask myself – is there anything this book can’t do?
Halloween #Blogtober 22. This post is going to be short and sweet because all of these kind of do the same thing. You may have noticed that I like podcasts, and well, these are the videos I *wish* were podcasts. Kind of like the No Sleep Podcast, these channels read stories in sets. I think the stories mostly come from Reddit and 4chan. There is some imagery which compliments the stories but is not needed, so I like to put them on and let them trundle away while I clean or do whatever chores I need to do. Life would be so much better if I could play them as podcasts and lock my phone screen or reply to texts without pausing them. You listening, Youtube gods?
Halloween #Blogtober 14 (a catch up!). So even though I have my posts all chosen, life does sometimes get in the way – work has been super hectic, the last 3 working days I’ve been knuckling down in a room without any human interaction. But we’re going to catch up today and get back on track!
Today, we’re talking alternative Pumpkins or their uses. I found all of these on Pinterest, it’s a Halloween goldmine.
Mom On The Side shares her best pumpkin carving tipsSo this is obviously the most stereotypical use for a pumpkin – carving it! I only carved my first pumpkin two years ago, I went for a scary pumpkin face in case you were wondering. Last year I went for 3 bats, but they looked more like 3 seaguls. Mom on the side has some really handy tips for all you carvers, like what to look for when buying a pumpkin, the best way to actually carve, and how to preserve it when you’ve finished.
2. Unoriginal Mom’s Glitter Monogrammed Pumpkin
Not very spooky, I think maybe more suited for Thanksgiving… BUT look how beautiful! And you could always forego the letter in favor of a glittery witches hat, or a glitter bat… glitter Frankenstein if you are artistically gifted, you get the picture. I just love glitter.
3. One Little Project: Yarn Pumpkins using balloons
Look how CUTE! If I was to make these they would be the sort of thing I would use as a centerpiece, dotted around a drinks table, hanging from the ceiling (think bobbing apples), or decorating the way up the stairs at a party. Now, I won’t be doing any of those things because I am way, far, too lazy. But it’s still super cute.
4. I can teach my child: Pumpkin Patch Dirt Cups
These may well be a bit difficult to make because the pumpkin sweets are American, but you can always make the dirt! Be inspired – chuck some of those giant delicious strawberry sweets on there! Or some jelly spiders for a creepier crawlier take on it!
5. House Beautiful: Pumpkin Ice Bucket
Practical and keeping in the theme of your Halloween party! Use as an ice bucket for drinks, or just an ice bucket for people to help themselves to cubes. Also could work as somewhere to put wrapped sweets or chocolate. If that doesn’t do it for you, check out the pumpkin candle idea, genius.
Halloween #Blogtober day 12 – board games, with a dark tone. I love board games. My partner is really into them and has a collection of over 100. I think the only stereptypical well known ones are Cluedo and Scrabble. It’s a little bit nerdy and a lot bit fun!
According to the website “The world of Gloom is a sad and benighted place.” Gloom is card game, rather than a board game. The cards are clear, and bear certain events in life, both happy and sad. The main aim is to pile all the sad events onto your Gloom family and the happy events onto your opponents Gloom family. Each card has a self worth value, which is totaled at the end of that characters life. The aim is to have the lowest value. It’s miserable, depressing, hurtling towards death, and brilliant fun.
The Fury of Dracula
This is more of an actual boardgame. Set in Victoria-era Europe and based on Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula. Plays up to 5, one is Dracula, and gets to move secretly across the Europe dropping hints for the other 4 players who form a team of vampire hunters. Dracula may attack any time night has fallen, and the aim is to capture Dracula before he plunges Europe into darkness.
Letters to Whitechapel
This is one similar to The Fury of Dracula (above), but is based on an actual historcial event – one of the most notorious serial killers to ever target London… One who has never been caught…. One player takes the role of Jack the Ripper, secretly traveling across Victorian London by cover of night, leaving hints and victims in the wake of Victorian policemen – roles which are taken on by the other players.
Dead of Winter
This is more of a classic everyone-against-each-other type game, except you’re also working together. Each player is in charge of a group of survivors in a post apocalyptic world, where everyone else is dead, or basically a zombie.With all that going on you’re also working toward group objectives, and secret personal objectives, and have to chose to go from scary place to scary place in order to accrue necessities to survive. A game where you can literally trust no-one.
The Bloody Inn
In this game, you and your family form some low income innkeepers from early 19th century France. The idea is that you and your family decide to take advantage of the wealthy travelers who are utilising your inns… Murder, robbery and family feuds ensue, and its every person for themselves to see who will come out on top.
Haloween #blogtober day 10. I always find folklore, myths, and legends quite creepy. I’m sure not everyone feels the same way, but these are some of my favourite tales from Wales – that send a shiver down my spine!
‘Salem’
The story goes…. Salem is a painting by English artist Sydney Curnow Vosper showing Siân Owen in traditional Welsh dress attending chapel on a Sunday (Capel Salem in Cefncymerau, Llanbedr, North Wales. One interpretation of the piece claims that it’s a commentary on the sin of vanity, with the Siân Owen arriving late (a few minutes before 10 according to the clock on the wall), to ensure her arrival was noted. Another observation is the ghostly face which appaears on the right side of the shawl (by admission of the artist). Many believe this to be the devil sneaking into church. The original is displayed at the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Liverpool.
Gelert
The story goes… Gelert was a hunting dog, the favourite pet of Prince Llewelyn. On one occasion, the Prince sets off on a hunting trip with his wife, leaving their infant son in the care of a nurse and servant. Given that all is well, the nurse and servent decided to go for a walk in the mountains – leaving the baby at home, alone.
The Prince quickly notices that Gelert is not with the pack, and so returns home. As they arrive, Gelert appears from their lodge and bounds toward his master, blood dripping off his face and his tail wagging. The Prince finds the child’s cradle overturned, and no sign of his son. The floor and bedclothes are blood stained.
Prince Llewelyn immediately avenges his son’s death, bringing his sword down on the dog. Gelert wimpers, and his cry is met by that of the baby, hidden behind the overturned cradle. The Prince investigates, and finds his son unharmed with the bloodied body of a huge wolf next to him.
It’s said that Llewelyn never spoke again. Gelert is honoured in the name of the village Beddgelert (Gelert’s Grave) in North Wales.
The story goes… According to the Mabinogion (a book of Welsh myths and legends) an invading white and local red dragon become locked in a fight,with the emanating cries terrorising the land and people in earshot. The dragons were both captured when the brother of the king dug a hole and filled in with mead, and the dragons drank and fell asleep. Both dragons were wrapped in cloth and held within Dinas Emrys in Snowdonia.
The story continues in Historia Brittonum. The dragons were undisturbed until the King of Briton decided to build a castle at the site. No matter what progress was made during the day, overnight they would return to find everything demolished. The king decided to seek out a child and sacrifice him. The child instead tells the King that the dragons hidden within the mountains are the reason the castle won’t stand.
The king investigated, and came across the two dragons. The awoke and continued their fight, and soon the white dragon fled. The red dragon remained, victorious!
The Cursed Wall
The story goes… 800 years ago, there was a fully functioning Abbey in Margam. When Henry VII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries this site was one that was seized. One disgruntled monk declared to the new owner “if this wall should fall, everything in the vicinity will fall with it”. This particular wall is no longer part of the Margam park estate, but rather sits within the ground of the Port Talbot Steel Works plant. It’s surrounded by a protective barrier – just to protect the heritage, of course…
The Swansea Devil
The story goes… Back in the 19th Centrury, the church of St. Mary was having some work done – and a few architects were battling it out for the job. One was enraged when his plans were rejected, so o much so that he bought the lands opposite, demolished the cottages which sat on it and built a structure to house a wooden carving of “Old Nick” the devil. The idea being that the church would forever be held within an evil gaze.
He declared that “My devil will be able to leer and laugh, for at some time in the future he will see St. Mary’s burn to the ground.” Which happened to come true during the WWII Blitz… and yet the devil remained standing. The church was rebuilt following the original plans, and the devil’s lair was demolished.
Old Nick disappeared for years, until a historian launched a campaign to locate him which he did, in a garage in Gloucester. The devil was soon returned to his rightful spot, which is now within the Quadrant shopping centre, still gazing over St. Mary’s Church. If you haven’t noticed him, the next time you’re entering the Quadrant from the Entrance by St. Mary’s church, and Primark and New Look… Glance up at the second floor windows.
Red Lips, Real Life. 
