Black Magic Part 1

Another find from my plethora of Halloween bits and pieces, a postcard from Simon Drake's 1992 UK tour. I saw him perform at Folkestone's Leas Cliff Hall and the tour was off the back of his late night Channel 4 TV show "Simon Drake's Secret Cabaret." I believe (but could be wrong) that he did two series of shows for Channel 4 mixing the rather bloody magic that Penn & Teller would later become famous for, with interviews from confidence tricksters and vintage footage of freakshow acts.

The show featured his staple acts of sawing a woman in half... lengthways! And ended with him being knowed out and balanced in the centre of his back on a tall metal spike or pole. As he was then spun in the same way plates are spun round on poles, the pole appeared to pierce his chest as his impaled body dropped to the floor with much blood and gasps from the audience.

Sadly he seems to have disappeared from our TV screens and apart from seeing on TV an Iron Maiden concert in the early 1990s for which he designed and performed similar effects, the last I heard he was running a 'House of Magic' in London performing magic tricks in his own pricey restaurant.

Sunday 26th September 2010

Say No To Halloween

Whereas I'm a big fan of celebrating Halloween I do feel that this leaflet that was distributed by the Kent Police is actually a good idea, especially for those groups in society that are either offended by the idea of Halloween or those members of society who are vunerable and easily preyed upon - such as the elderly. And if it cuts down vandalism too - what a great idea.

But let's have Halloween celebrated properly. None of this trick or treating for candy; or alleged neo-pagans exerting a claim on this sacred holiday. Let there be real devil worshipping, naked dancing round bonfires and animal sacrificing... or small children if available!

Wednesday 22nd September 2010

The bank that likes to grow pumpkins!

Well it's nice to see LloydsTSB using the humble pumpkin in their advertisements for savings!

Saturday 18th September 2010

Eeire Pubs

I was working in London the other week in an office on Ludgate Hill, near St Pauls cathedral, opposite "Ye Olde London" pub. And this got me remembering back to when the Eerie Pub chain had their gothic themed pubs around the country. What a shame that they didn't stay open for that many years and got taken over. Obviously people didn't fancy having a pint and pub lunch in somewhere that looked like a torture chamber with skulls, manicles, chains and gargoyles all over the place! I had many a pleasant pint in the "Bell Book & Candle" (which became "Ye Olde London") in Ludgate Hill and "London Stone" opposite Cannon Street railway station and managed to find this flyer.

Thursday 16th September 2010

Halloween Beer (Part 4 - Monsters)

Well the last post on beer for a while... or until the Hammer beers come out. Nessie's Monster Mash was a nice pint from a brewery up in Scotland that I purchased about 10 years ago; and similarly the other bottles are from about the same time. Before Safeway turned into Morrisons supermarket they stocked some American beers around this time of year. Both Hop Devil and Dead Guy Ale were vile - but the Dead Guy Ale has one of the best bottles I've seen. The other beer - Vamp Beer - is actually a screw top tin can that I picked up in Carrefour supermarket in France one year and have never seen since. A shame since it tasted nice and has a great design.

After my pumpkin beer bottle post, and wondering when actually was the last time I'd seen the Wychwood Brewery's Pumpking Ale... it seems that just like last year and possibly the year before that they are only doing a slightly relabeled version of their popular Hobgoblin beer this year with some pumpkins in the drawing on the labels. Here is a bottle I bought from Sainsburys supermarket today, although most other major supermarket I'm sure will also be stocking it.

Wednesday 15th September 2010

Halloween Beer (Part 3 - Devils)

A shorter blog from me today with some demonic bottles. The Belgian beers here (Lucifer, Satan and Belzebuth) are all well worth trying if you can find them... so that'll be in Belgium then! Although I did pick up the Lucifer beer in an English supermarket - but it is the less attractive of the bottles. Young's Old Nick I also picked up in England and personally found to be quite vile in taste so won't be buying any more of that one. Regarding the Satan beer, it is sold in Belgium in large wine bottle sized bottles and then placed in a very nice metal case. I have one but it's packed away amongst the Halloween decorations so I will have to wait until later to display this.

Monday 13th September 2010

Halloween Beer (Part 2 - Pumpkins)

Wychwood's Pumpking Ale is a nice tasting ale which has been regularly available most years although I don't recall seeing it in 2009, also it has changed from clear to brown bottles and increased its alcoholic content by 0.5%. In 2009 I saw the Badger brewery's Pumpkin Ale which was nothing special to taste and it's label visually left a lot to be desired too. However, in America back in 2004 I was surprised to taste Halloween themed beers both draft and bottled that were flavoured with such spices as vanilla or cinnamon and Stone Cat Pumpkin was one such beer that sadly we don't get over this side of the pond.

Sunday 12th September 2010

Halloween Beer (Part 1 - Witches)

Well with the news that Hammer Films are producing a range or horror themed beers this year, available in October, I thought I'd just post some of the other Halloween themed beers that I've tried over the years. Wychcraft from the Wychwood brewery is usually available this time of year in major supermarkets and is a reasonably good tasting bottled beer (but not as good as their Pumpking Ale - see next post). Black Cat Ale from the Fallen Angel Brewery I purchased a few years ago from a farm shop in Faversham and have to say that the label's graphics surpassed the actual enjoyment of the drink inside. However their best bottle design has nothing to do with Halloween but I've put it below anyway. Kopparberg did a Witches Brew mixed fruit cider a few years ago too which was for sale in Wetherspoons pubs. They still do a mixed fruit cider, however I haven't seen the same packaging in supermarkets. And finally Moorhouse's Pendle Witches Brew is a beer I picked up from the Sourced Market stall in King's Cross St Pancras station recently and is worth trying as well as having a great label.

Saturday 11th September 2010

The first pumpkin crop of the season

Well I decided to pick and cook some of the first pumpkins and squash of the season. (Sunburst, Baby Pan, Patty Pan, Winter Festival, Custard White, Uchiki Kuri, and a rather large courgette hiding behind!)

So Sunday Lunch today consisted of sausages, mash and a selection of roasted pumpkins! Mmmm!

Sunday 5th September 2010

Arkham in Brighton!

Here's a flyer I found in my folder of Halloween's past in the early 2000s... Does anyone else remember a small shop at the end of the North Laines in Brighton called "Arkham"? It was run by a very slim bespectacled and dreadlocked young man known as Docktor A or Bruce Whistlecraft who was also the synth player for local goth/electronic/industrial band Goteki. He sold all manner of HP Lovecraft inspired artwork,  independantly produced videos and audiobooks; stone gargoyles; clothing; graphic novels; goth and synth CDs and the odd cauldron or two! According to wikipedia his model making and art is influenced by Victoriana and steampunk and after the his shop closed he moved to Yorkshire. Many a work trip to Brighton was simply an excuse to visit this wonderful shop and spend some hard earnt cash. And it is a treat to see his work lives on at http://www.spookypop.com/

Saturday 4th Spetember 2010