Sunday 16th December 2018
Garlic Vodka
Saw this in Canterbury in a shop selling Christmas presents...
Sunday 16th December 2018
Sunday 16th December 2018
The Halloween That Almost Wasn't...
Years ago, an incident happened where on a Halloween trip to Rye it was found that 2 did not go into 3, and no more need be said... other than it became known as 'The Halloween That Wasn't' and involved the last copies of an out-of-print book.
Yesterday's trip to Rye, started with the Curse of that Halloween past conspiring to thwart the best laid plans and preparations for the perfect Halloween day trip that had been set in motion two months previously.
The idea was to go to Rye with two friends, look around the town, go on an organised ghost walk, have lots of seasonal food and drink whilst continuing the tradition of telling newly written ghost stories and poetry. The evening would then be rounded off by staying in The Mermaid Hotel, Rye's oldest hotel in which every bedroom is reputedly haunted to some extent.
Oh, how our auspicious arrival at the hotel's car park was to change... A friendly porter was there to remove the private parking sign blocking the entrance to the narrow archway allowing access to the parking behind; but on entering reception we were told that there were no rooms for us and that they had been expecting us the day before!
The hotel claimed that they had tried to email... but no emails had been received! The person booking from our end had definitely booked the right day, and the hotel had totally messed up! Refunds and offers of alternative day's accommodation couldn't hide the obvious disappointment. Sometimes shit just happens!
But despite the let-down this caused, we still resolved to enjoy the day and at least I wasn't told to move my car from the hotel's car park.
Secondhand and new bookshops were rummaged and bargains gained, when in the last one visited, the offending 'formerly out-of-print tome' that had cursed us so many years ago graced its shelves in multiple copies as if mocking our earlier misfortune.
After our shopping spree, the plan was to then go on an organised ghost walk. Starting at the Heritage Centre, a few free old pennies were given to play on the slot machines and automata upstairs whilst waiting for the start of the 15 minute audio-visual presentation of the town of Rye's history with their giant town model. So about 20 past 6pm the Town Crier took about 30 paying punters on a walk around ancient Rye pointing out the locations of all the ghostly sightings and unpleasant murders. An excellent tour that lasted just short of 2 hours.
And humorously the 'Halloween That Wasn't' book reared its mocking head again on the ghost walk! The book in question is John Ryan's 'Murder In The Churchyard which is an illustrated book by the author of Captain Pugwash that deals with the murder of Rye's deputy Mayor in 1743 in a case of mistaken identity.
John Breeds, the murderer, had intended to kill the Mayor, and so when caught the Mayor's punishment was extreme and vindictive. John Breeds was hanged and then his body placed in a specially made iron frame and left to rot on public view as a warning to others. The body was never buried and the frame with John Breed's skull is now tucked away in the town hall attic and not placed on display anymore. However for our ghost walk we got to go up in the attic and have a look at the remains of the murderer, whose skull still remains unburied after 275 years!
After the excellent tour, we headed back to Folkestone. Then after a quick stop off in the festively decorated Ship Inn, in Sandgate, we did manage to have our prepared hampers of food and gruesome storytelling and see in All Souls Day. Perhaps more a day of 'Trick and Treat' rather than 'Trick or Treat' but undoubtedly an enjoyable day nonetheless.
Thursday 1st November 2018
A Musical Pazuzu!
I know the event has passed, but hats off to Romney Marsh Morris dancers who used a picture of Pazuzu (the demon from The Exorcist) playing an accordion to advertise their Halloween dance! I saw the poster in a shop in New Romney on my way to Rye yesterday.
Thursday 2nd November 2018
Butternut Squash pasta
It's worth heading to your nearest Morrisons and picking up some butternut squash and sage pasta from their chilled cabinets. A new addition this year for Morrisons, supermarkets such as Waitrose have sold something similar for a few years now... however the Morrisons product tastes better in my opinion and doesn't break open losing its filling when boiled like the Waitrose one often does.
Tuesday 30th October 2018
Folkestone shop
Good to see a local shop getting into the Halloween spirit...
Sunday 28th October 2018
Sunday 28th October 2018
Last nights pumpkins...
Well, its clean up day after the party and time to put the pumpkins up from last night. The youngest carver was 5 and the winner 9 (and with no help from her parents).
Hopefully the adults who had the naga chilli white chocolate aren't having too many side effects today!
Sunday 29th October 2018
Hopefully the adults who had the naga chilli white chocolate aren't having too many side effects today!
Sunday 29th October 2018
Halloween Beer - Part 11
It has been a bit of a poor year down in Kent for Halloween beer this year, however in Aldi in Hythe they had Wychwood's Dunkel Fester (which I've mentioned before) and two new beers i hadn't tried before.
Both Sadlers' Hoptical illusion and Wadworth's Treacle Treat both have nice skull designed labels. Both are very drinkable too...
Saturday 20th October 2018
John Carpenter at the Shepherds Bush Empire, 16th October 2018
Thought I'd better put a few pictures up of last night's gig and my pre-Halloween treat to myself!
The gig ran for c75 minutes and the setlist is as follows. Absolute magic!
Escape From New York: Main Title
Assault on Precinct 13: Main Title
The Fog: Main Title Theme
Vortex (from Lost Themes)
Mystery (from Lost Themes)
They Live: Coming to L.A.
Starman: Starman Leaves
The Thing: Main Theme - Desolation
Distant Dream (from Lost Themes II)
Big Trouble in Little China: Pork Chop Express
Halloween 2018: The Shape Hunts
Halloween Theme: Main Title
In the Mouth of Madness: In the Mouth of Madness
Encore:
Body Bags
Vampires: Santiago
Prince of Darkness: Darkness Begins
Christine: Christine Attacks (Plymouth Fury)
Wednesday 17th October 2018
Lidl Halloween 2018
Even the cheaper supermarkets haven't anything much to offer apart from the usual sweets. My local Lidl does Sangria mixers but there's nothing else to recommend a trip there, apart from of you want dried pasta in Halloween shapes, which I have covered in a previous year's post.
Wednesday 17th October 2018
Morrisons Halloween 2018 - update
Sadly still no Halloween beer... however if you want a white Ghost Pumpkin, this is the only supermarket so far where i have seen them.
Wednesday 17th October 2018
Richardson and Richardson Jewellery
And then sometimes when you are least expecting to see something exciting in the shops for Halloween you stumble across something out of the ordinary like this...
As I was taking photographs of new shopfronts for the local history society in Folkestone I came across this display at 23 The Old High Street for R&R a locally run company with a shop in Folkestone since August 2018 and a stall at Greenwich market.
The picture of the whole window doesn't do it credit, but the close ups are better of the acrylic Halloween jewellery, hand made in Folkestone.
And to top it all, as part of their display (and not for sale) are two Super-8 films of 'The Revenge Of Frankenstein' and 'The Wasp Woman.'
Saturday 13th October 2018
Waitrose Halloween 2018
Popped into my local Waitrose today - again much of a muchness with the other UK supermarkets. The only thing really different were small autumnal wreaths for £5.
Friday 12th October 2018
Flying Tiger Halloween 2018
I was working in Maidstone yesterday and on the way to work passed a shop called Flying Tiger which had some rather interesting sweets. Sadly on the way back to the train station after work they had sold out, otherwise they would have fitted the 'trick or treat' remit of my Halloween party!
Thursday 11th October 2018
John Lewis Halloween 2018
John Lewis always manage to have something of a little better quality, albeit at a higher price. And in a charming way the most interesting item was a metal witch and ghost standing by a streetlamp which could house a tealight. A simple and child-friendly design, but very well made.
The Hotel Chocolat confectionery is always overpriced in my opinion but then John Lewis is aiming for a wealthier pocket! The push bats and cats looked and felt nice but at £20 for what is essentially a small cuddly toy, the cat didn't find its way into my basket.
If I hadn't already got a glass skull bottle, I would've taken one of these.
The metal hanging bat and pumpkin light looked great too and for a tenner I was considering it. The central section was glass and not a cheap plastic, but I was dissuaded in the end by the fact that the battery operated light looked as if it would not be replaceable once used up.
Tuesday 9th October 2018
Dobbies Halloween 2018
Last year I saw in a display in Hythe some terracotta pumpkins and found out that the garden centre chain Dobbies was selling them.
As I was passing a Dobbies on Sunday I popped it. There are 3 styles: two larger pumpkins at £20 each and a smaller one at £10. All are very nice but somewhat overpriced. I'll maybe hang on and see if they are reduced after Halloween!
Tuesday 9th October 2018
The Range Halloween 2018
I wasn't expecting much from The Range and to be honest haven't found anything to buy in this store in previous years - but that's more about me being picky and into higher quality items. They do the usual costumes and also do more of the animatronic props. Of interest this year was a Ouija Board - but it sadly looked too plastic for me. But for those creative types there were rolls of Halloween ribbon which I haven't seen anywhere else.
The wooden pumpkin face, looked quite rustic, but in my opinion was a bit too pricey and the LED lights unnecessary. It looked like the sort of thing TK Maxx would have sold at half the price and better quality.
Tuesday 9th October 2018
B&M Bargains Halloween 2018
Again, another shop that's a bit out of my way. It's a bit of a muddle trying to find stuff inside and I doubt whether you could find everything you'd want in there; but when I'd finally found the aisle with Halloween items it was clear that this shop has tried to be a little different. There were the usual children's fancy dress costumes, but there were also larger animatronic items. Years ago you would have trouble finding lights too, but B&M have one of the larger selections of Halloween lights this year.
And on a top shelf were these somewhat gruesome pumpkins...
Sunday 7th October 2018
Home Bargains
Ok, Home Bargains is not a shop I normally frequent, but this shop has scented candles at very cheap prices. And again this Halloween they have pumpkin spiced candles. To be honest they're not the best scented candles, but at these prices you can't really complain.
Sunday 7th October 2018
Morrisons Halloween 2018
Well I don't expect too much from Morrisons; they stock much of the standard disposable stuff needed for parties - but in recent years Morrisons have excelled in having a beer festival with lots of Halloween themed beer with great designs on the bottles.
This year they have their beer festival, but not the themed Halloween beer, apart from a couple of the Wychwood brewery beers which are commonly available anyway.
Oh well, better luck next year...
Sunday 7th October 2018
Asda Halloween 2018
Well this is the first year in a long time that the local Asda in Folkestone hasn't pulled out all the stops to make its Halloween aisle particularly spooky with well designed floor and overhanging decorations.
They still have the usual fare you would expect from kids costumes to sweets and cheap plastic decorations and disposable partyware. However this year there was a section dedicated to make-up.
For me the best of a rather uninspiring spread were the creepy dolls and the Stephen King IT t-shirts. It's just a shame the t-shirts were for the remake and not the Tim Curry original!
Saturday 6th October 2018
Tesco Halloween 2018
Again Tesco disappoints. A few years back they had exclusive CDs of music and nice ceramics and candles. This year, as with many of the supermarkets, we are back to non-frightening designs for the pre-schoolers, fancy dress and plenty of sweets. The walking hand was the best thing on offer, but probably not worth the £10 price tag.
Saturday 6th October 2018
Sainsburys Halloween 2018
Well, as we head into October, TKMaxx's offering start to dwindle and the regular UK supermarkets start to put out their wares. And this week I've been to the 4 major chains... and all my visits have disappointed slightly.
Sainsburys is great if you want kids fancy dress costumes, disposable partyware and decorations. There are cheap DVD and CDs mainly aimed at the kids' market - it is a shame that there are no new compilations this year of Halloween music. Also, a couple of years back, Sainsburys experimented with some higher quality decorations (such as made of wood) and it is a shame these never took off.
Saturday 6th October 2018
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