#Gordon Castle Garden

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Monday 10 February 2025

The cultivar Rubus 'Glencoe' (raspberry) was bred at the Scottish Crop Research Institute to have fruits that are a very deep purple. This is a tall-growing thornless raspberry and one plant will form a multi-stemmed clump. It is a floricane (summer bearing) variety which flowers quite early producing its harvest in midsummer on canes produced in the previous year. Here the beautiful red canes have been pruned and tied in readiness for the coming season.

Jill Raggett

[book--brackets]

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (2001)

Twelve-year-old Addie admires her older sister Meryl, who aspires to rid the kingdom of Bamarre of gryphons, specters, and ogres. Addie, on the other hand, is fearful even of spiders and depends on Meryl for courage and protection. Waving her sword Bloodbiter, the older girl declaims in the garden from the heroic epic of Drualt to a thrilled audience of Addie, their governess, and the young sorcerer Rhys. 

But when Meryl falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death, Addie must gather her courage and set off alone on a quest to find the cure and save her beloved sister. Addie takes the seven-league boots and magic spyglass left to her by her mother and the enchanted tablecloth and cloak given to her by Rhys - along with a shy declaration of his love. She prevails in encounters with tricky specters (spiders too) and outwits a wickedly personable dragon in adventures touched with romance and a bittersweet ending.

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams (1988-1992)

A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.

Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.

Starbound by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (2013-2015)

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder-would they be better off staying here forever? 

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (2004-2024)

Meet the great Skulduggery Pleasant: wise-cracking detective, powerful magician, master of dirty tricks and burglary (in the name of the greater good, of course). Oh yeah. And dead.

Then there's his sidekick, Stephanie. She's… well, she's a twelve-year-old girl. With a pair like this on the case, evil had better watch out…

Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction. Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source – the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.

When all hell breaks loose, it's lucky for Skulduggery that he's already dead. Though he's about to discover that being a skeleton doesn't stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there's anything Skulduggery hates, it's torture… Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing's for sure: evil won't know what's hit it.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (2006)

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to be pretty . . .

Aza's singing is the fairest in all the land, and the most unusual. She can throw her voice so it seems to come from anywhere. But singing is only one of the two qualities prized in the Kingdom of Ayortha. Aza doesn't possess the other: beauty. Not even close. She's hidden in the shadows in her parents' inn, but when she becomes lady-in-waiting to the new queen, she has to step into the light--especially when the queen demands a dangerous favor. A magic mirror, a charming prince, a jealous queen, palace intrigue, and an injured king twine into a maze that Aza must penetrate to save herself and her beloved kingdom.

Trickster's Duology by Tamora Pierce (2003-2004)

Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods. This is the first of two books featuring Alianne.

Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu (2015-present)

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.

Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud (2013-2017)

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Protector of the Small by Tamora Pierce (1999-2002)

Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl who dares to take advantage of a new rule in Tortall—one that allows females to train for knighthood. After years in the Yamani Islands, she knows that women can be warriors, and now that she’s returned home, Kel is determined to achieve her goal. She believes she is ready for the traditional hazing and grueling schedule of a page. But standing in Kel’s way is Lord Wyldon. The training master is dead set against girls becoming knights. He says she must pass a one-year trial that no male page has ever had to endure. It’s just one more way to separate Kel from her fellow trainees. But she is not to be underestimated. She will fight to succeed, even when the test is unfair.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (2012-2018)

Princess Cleo of Mytica confronts violence for the first time in her life when a shocking murder sets her kingdom on a path to collapse. Once a privileged royal, Cleo must now summon the strength to survive in this new world and fight for her rightful place as Queen. 

 The King of Limeros's son, Magnus, must plan each footstep with shrewd, sharp guile if he is to earn his powerful father's trust, while his sister, Lucia, discovers a terrifying secret about her heritage that will change everything. 

 Rebellious Jonas lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making. 

 Witches, if found, are put to death, and Watchers, immortal beings who take the shape of hawks to visit the human world, have been almost entirely forgotten. A vicious power struggle quickly escalates to war, and these four young people collide against each other and the rise of elementia, the magic that can topple kingdoms and crown a ruler in the same day.

[staticspaces]

French Style Chateau

Have you checked out the video yet!?

Now on to the primary suite, this main bedroom was huge, including a massive ensuite with a round stained glass window…as well as a few more photos of the staircase from the second floor!!

This mansion was built in 1985 on two lots in The Bridle Path neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada and was designed to resemble a French style chateau. The 30,000 square foot mega mansion had 10 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, and was located on a huge four acre property that also included a tennis court. It also had a granite cobblestone driveway, a horseshoe staircase at the back and extensive gardens which completed the experience of living in a castle in France.

Originally built by Robert Campeau a financier and real estate developer. Robert began his career by building just one single house in 1949 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His company then known as Campeau Corp was also responsible for building Scotia Plaza, a hi rise built in 1988 in the financial district of Toronto, as well as the Harbour Castle Hotel in 1975. In the 80s, Campeau began a series of leveraged buyouts of companies, both in Canada and the United States. The final company was Federated Department Stores, the owners of Bloomingdale's for $7 billion. This was the beginning of the end for Campeau Corp, as they filed for Bankruptcy in 1990, one of the largest in history. Robert was forced to sell the home in 1990.

The home was purchased in 2002 by Harold and Sara Springer who entrusted architect Gordon Ridgely, interior designer Brian Gluckstein, and landscape architect Ronald Holbrook to bring their vision to life. They brought in 17th century antique furniture from france, original royal academy paintings, Italian marble and even crystal chandeliers.

Other features of the large house included a two-story indoor Olympic-size swimming pool with a retractable floor that converts into a ballroom. It also had an elevator, an oak wood bar, recording studio and even its very own bomb shelter!

The mansion has been featured in several movies including Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's 'It Takes Two', 'Kissinger and Nixon', 'That Old Feeling' as well as most recently in an episode of Suits. A party was also held for Jane Fonda in the two-storey ballroom, which was then disassembled overnight so that Campeau could swim in the pool the next day with Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

The Springer's listed the chateau for sale including all of its contents starting in 2014 for $25 million and was last publicly listed in 2018 for $39,500,000. Finally, the home was purchased by Nascond Holdings in 2020 for $30.8 million.

Nascond Holdings is a company owned by the Muzzo Group which is a well known development company in the area. Marco Muzzo caused a drunk driving crash that killed four people and seriously injured two others. It was a very high profile incident several years ago, because of his ties to such a wealthy family. There was also a guest list of people found in the home including Marco's name as the host of the party.

The mansion was demolished shortly after my visit in August of 2022. Not much happened after that until more recently when some activity began to happen on the property. Ferris Rafauli who was also behind Drake's Bridle Path Mansion, is the designer and builder behind the new mansion that will take shape in the coming years.

[myelicia]

West Port Garden and Castle

Carola Gordon

[jayde-jots]

Uni has been kicking my ass, so after kicking it right back a decided to destress with some headcanons and brotherly fluff!

Context- I adore reading fanfics about engines turning human, and I sort of have my own head cannons about the trope.

I think if an engine were to turn human, their human bodies would reflect their physical health before the transformation. Like Scotsman for example, his irl engine self is not in good health at the best of times, and if we're to believe that TTTE universe Scotsman also went to America I don't believe for a second that the guy wouldn't have some PTSD. So mentally and physically he'd not be doing so hot as a human. Then take Gordon, big G has been potentially pulling the express for over 100 years by this point, and still going strong. The fat controllers we know take care of their engines, so more than positively Gordon has been kept in pristine health his whole life. If Gordon were to turn human, I don't doubt he'd be a strapping human with an 8 pack. But then it turns to personal experience.

In the story of this image I've hinted that Gordon has been human for much longer than Scotsman has, and while Gordon did pop out of his engine to human transformation being absolutely ripped in the beginning, I like to think that once the engines discover more of what humanity has to offer they'd indulge more of their personal interests. James for example I imagine would like to model and maybe do drag, or hell, maybe even design clothing! Henry I think would adore gardening and maybe animals, I imagine him volunteering at an animal shelter or the one putting in the most work at a community garden. I think Edward would find pride in his community, he'd adore things that you'd find at the Earl of Sodor's castle, he'd adore history, and the slower crafts of humans like painting and join Henry in some gardening, maybe some cooking to. Thomas I think would find his competitive nature, finding the joy in sports, liking to race people on a track, seeing how far he can hit a baseball, dancing around players in basketball, or just simply working out and liking the burn. And Gordon I imagine finds his interests with food, enjoying the sensation of taste, and also more of what the mainland would have to offer, I think he'd do a little exploring and also find the fun in traveling with other modes of transport. Which leads me to the brotherly fluff! I think that after a while some mainland engines who visit Sodor often would eventually feel the effects of the engine to human transformation. Scotsman would have seen Gordon as a human many times by now, and the two would sit and chat at Vicarstown before Scotsman would have to go back on his return journey. This is over the span of many months and each week Scott sees Gordon he notices his brother gaining a little more in the human part of him that reminds him of a boiler. At first it concerns him, until he's told that's how humans gain weight, and how they become fat. Once that happens he begins to poke fun at Gordon, calling him "big brother" in a new mocking way. Gordon becomes more hurt at that because to him it's far more personal than Scotsman knows, so afterwards he distances himself from his brother for a few weeks that span months until Sir Topham tells Gordon that Scotsman is in hospital after turning human, which leads to now. Gordon catches the next train out closest to the hospital and is very surprised to find Scott looking the polar opposite to him. He's so thin he appears anorexic, and even if Gordon had been in his first body type he would have still towered over Scott if the pair stood up side by side. The doctor had been informing Scotsman and the museum director of what his diagnosis was when Gordon burst into the room! Scott was very happy to see Gordon, bursting into tears and crying into his shoulder when Gordon scooped him up and hugged him close. Scott had ended up being diagnosed with Crohn's disease, type 1 diabetes, along with many more mental health conditions. PTSD, depression, and anxiety, but the most prominent being extreme separation anxiety. Once Gordon showed up it was all or nothing, Scotsman wouldn't leave his arms and refused to even go back to the museum, even not wanting to go back into the hospital bed or a wheelchair unless Gordon was right next to him or the one pushing the chair. The doctor suggested that Scotsman go with Gordon so he could receive treatment without possibly going into a panic attack, Gordon was okay with this as he and the others had managed to secure jobs and cash pooled their money together to afford a house. So that leads to the picture of Gordon and Scott talking as they probably walk out of the hospital together. Enjoy!

[ewesless]

Another Crossover Nobody Asked For

This was too ambitious for my skill level as well.

Barbatos (Obey Me) vs Falling Devil (Chainsaw Man) A cook-off to determine who will have the title of "The G.O.A.T Chef of Hell". There will be Oya and Oh my galore.

The judges are Famine Devil (Chainsaw Man), Beelzebub (Obey Me), Chef Gordon Ramsey and Dr. Hannibal Lecter (cast your choice of actor). Diavolo (Obey Me) and Denji/Chainsaw Man are co-hosts for maximum crack commentary.

There is no studio audience because of obvious reasons. Each course is structured around the Italian 9 course meal and Inferno as featured in Dante Alighieri's "The Divine Comedy". So for Aperitivo the theme is The First Circle "Limbo", Antipasto is The Second Circle "Lust", etc.

Gimmicks include using their power over doorways to locations to gather ingredients and that they can shop or harvest ingredients from human help... or by actually using human body parts. Through this mechanic somehow poor Kobeni (Chainsaw Man) gets dragged into this scenario. MC (Obey Me) calms and comforts her and then invites her to stay as a special guest panelist so she can eat the once in a life time food too.

When Kobeni realizes that actual humans were used as ingredients in the dishes by Falling Devil she becomes hysterical (in Fujimoto tradition of making her graphically suffer) and tries to spit out the food. MC clamps her hand over Kobeni's mouth and pinches her nose shut until she swallows it to ensure that Falling Devil doesn't beam murderize her for insulting her cooking. She is essentially forced to finish the meal and promptly passes out, carried away by the onsite medical team.

In Obey Me tradition a disaster or other form of disruption prevents the decision of a winner. So everyone ultimately is teleported home disappointed, traumatized or satisfied by the food they got to eat at least.

In the aftermath Barbatos and Falling Devil are left speechless and surrounded by a destroyed set and a mixture of mutilated corpses and ruined food. Gordon Ramsey's bombastic tonguelashings are still ringing in their ears and the lingering stench of burnt hair and flesh stings their noses. He may or may not be dead for his rudeness. That may or may not have been why the event was cut short now that I think of it...

They then simply turn to one another and calmly acknowledge one another's skillset as the finest XYZ of Hell. Barbatos proposes tea and sweets in the garden gazebo at The Demon Lord's Castle as the proper course of action where they have a lovely chat. They discuss cuisine and the endless demands of their bosses, as well as the constant sources of irritation from the idiocy and unsightly behavior of the people around them. Inspired, and with a new friendship blossoming, they begin planning an elaborate feast for all of Hell to enjoy.

The End (?)

[windsweptinred]

E, L, and V For the fandom asks.

Thank you @bazzybelle this was a hell of variety to play with! 😁

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what?

😅... Most of my early fandom content was Dreamling of the crack kind. Let's see, I guess some of the ones I'm most proud of are...

Hob Gadling, Miss Vestal Virgin 1389 -

Desire's Nefarious Plot n. 83 Lord George Gordon Byron

Microchip Nuptials

Hob vs The Witchfinder Sergeant Shadwell

L. Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you���re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

Uff, I don't think there's any major Sandman characters I don't like. They're all my darlings and I'm hopelessly devoted to each and every one. Hence why I have a Sandman ship list longer then most people's entire ship history. 😅Errrmmm.... I'm going to have to delve into the cast a little here...Ok Lyta Hall, who I don't hate by any means, but I guess you could say I'm neutral on her... I know she gets a TON of fandom hate. But, I get it. If someone tried to take my child, I'd tear the world down around me to try and stop them. So as a fellow mum, I get that burning, desperate rage Lyta. I get it.

V - Which character do you relate to most?

I don't think there's just one character I can point to and say... Yup, that's the Eldritch stuff I was forged from. 😅 But, if you took Destiny's preference to inhabit a gothic castle surrounded by infinite gardens, full of picturesque, overgrown ruins. With other people way, way way... Way over there. And Desires natural propensity to cover everything in the line of sight with the colour red and an impulsive nature to act now... Let any repercussions be future me's problem. And combined the two....Destiny and Desire... I guess that's my Sandman asthetic, sexy sith.... 😆

[lhaewiel]

And so, I have more headcanons for the Black Mirror games trilogy!

And ofc they are all post canon, because you know, there will be only one heir alive! They are in no particular order, anyway, part 1 is here!

Adrian Gordon, having now fully inherited the Black Mirror castle, starts exploring it, mostly to see what he can get rid of, what he can restore and what he can keep. He finds love letters that his bio mother Catherine and his father Samuel had exchanged when they were not married yet. Somehow, whilst not in full, that makes him see a better picture of the man his father had been before Mordred's curse and the murders. He will elaborate everything whilst in therapy.

Adrian also finds William Gordon's diary and that makes him really curious about the full history of the castle and the Gordons who dwelled there before him. Sister Antolini is happy to help dig out all chronicles - whatever bits and pieces can be found. Of course he has sealed all of the portals and Mordred's curse has gone.

This means that old stones do not reject the new ones anymore, hence the castle can be properly rebuilt. It becomes the pearl of the British countryside. The castle in Wales does get the same treatment and the old ruins at the Gordons Academy get completely dismantled in favour of the building of a library free for all (and free from curses).

This means that his fortune is at risk, but he applies for governmental help after Edward, his new butler and friend, advises it. Soon enough the Gordons properties become attractions, which means: the town of Willow Creek gets to have a proper revamp with new shops and a yearly fair.

Money also arrives from the various lawsuits he manages to get against Murray, ex pawn shop owner, ex Gordon Hotel owner. Murray owes him basically all of the money on his name.

As mentioned the Ashburry Sanatorium gets a new owner. It becomes one of the best private clinics of all, funded by none other than Adrian Gordon.

Ofc Adrian has a share in all of this, he is directly responsible for changing Willow Creek and surrounding areas from "the murder town" to "the pearl of the countrysside". Also, he has been in customer service long enough to not let his newly acquired aristocracy get the best of him.

"The Three Kegs" pub becomes once again one of the best family-owned pubs in Britain.

And of course a proper detective gets sent, with some policemen to keep in check petty crimes mostly. One that possibly is not as bitter and biased as the former detective Spooner.

As mentioned, Adrian manages to digitalize the castle. A proper alarm gets installed, a computer, a laptop, a cordless phone and a pad find their place among the old walls.

Since the old stones are not rejecting the new ones anymore, the old wing gets fully restored and Adrian gets access to William's tower and decides to elect it as his photography lab.

With the castle renewed, it is definitely easier finding workforce. Two gardeners get hired, a stableman and a carpenter get hired, even a couple of maids for cleaning under the orders of Edward the butler, who is living his best life.

Life is good.

[ironstrangeao3]

Sand Castles and Garden of Thorns

by Loriavx

Aaron Strange had nothing, then she got everything she never knew she wanted, and then suddenly she had nothing again.

Damian Wayne had everything he had ever wanted. He had just started learning to be better so he's worthy of it when suddenly his everything is gone.

Tony Stark decided to take his ex-boyfriend's daughter and his ex-rival's son under his wings because their respective parents got blipped. Now, he had to take care of two multi-national companies and two thirteen-years-old who hates each other's guts and would one hundred percent turn a verbal fight to a physical one in a heartbeat.

At least they're can quietly exist in each others' presence and are willing to cooperate in the most basic sense 90% of the time.

If nobody opens their mouth, that is.

Words: 9296, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, DCU (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Doctor Strange (Movies)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M, Gen, M/M

Characters: Damian Wayne, Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Pepper Potts, Wong (Marvel), Happy Hogan, Loki (Marvel), Talia al Ghul, Most of them are only mentioned at first because they got blipped

Relationships: Damian Wayne/Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Stephen Strange & Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark & Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark & Damian Wayne, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne

Additional Tags: Protective Tony Stark, Protective Stephen Strange, BAMF Tony Stark, BAMF Stephen Strange, Slow Burn, Supremefamily, Not Civil War Team Captain America Friendly, perhaps, I'm still working on my grudge, I'm still working on my grudge okay, No Beta We Die Like Tony's and Stephen's Relationship in this Fic, At least that means we lived again, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, this is a long ride, Forced Proximity, This Fic Happens During the Blip, Five years baby, Five years of longing for Stephen Strange by Tony Stark, Middle School, High School, Past Child Abuse, past human experimentation, Past Torture, Domestic, Somehow Very Domestic, Sorcerers Dimensional-Reality Problem Bullshits, Cults, More cults, The League of Assassins (DCU), Found Family, M A G I C, Angst with a Happy Ending, Everyone Needs A Hug, Everyone Eventually Lives, Everyone Has Issues, Crossover, Trauma, lots of trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Enemies to Lovers, More like Enemies to 'Who did this.' to 'I trust you.' to 'Don't leave'

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/47946151

[lahilden]

Gordon Castle

Gordon Castle is located in the parish of Bellie in Moray, Scotland. It served as the principal seat for the Dukes of Gordon. The six-story medieval tower house dates from 1498 and was built by George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly. Later, it was incorporated into the center of the neoclassical four-story house with a pair of two-story wings built by his grandson in the late 18th century. The castle was used as a hospital for soldiers during WWI and then sold to the Crown in 1938 when the 9th Duke sold the estate and its contents to pay enormous death taxes. The estate fell into disrepair until after WWII when the grandson of the 7th Duke of Richmond and Gordon purchased it. During the restoration, much of the house was taken down due to rot and transformed into an attraction for the public. The estate sits on the Spey River, known for its world-class salmon fishing. The castle offers exclusive use accommodations in the castle, along with self-catering cottages. The property boasts gardens, a café, a child’s play center, and an eight-acre walled garden, one of Britain’s oldest and largest walled gardens. Using the family company that runs the estate, they created the Gordon Castle brand, which includes Gordon Castle Gin crafted from the botanicals grown in the Highlands. The Castle is not open to the public and only available exclusively. 

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 2 July 2024

The walled garden at Gordon Castle, Scotland, has used Allium fistulosum (Welsh onion, bunching onion, long green onion, Japanese bunching onion, onion-leek, stone leek) as an edging plant. The leaves of this decorative 'cut and come again' onion can be used in a similar way to chives (although their flavour is stronger) while the flower shoots (which are not as pungent as onions) can be added to salads.

Jill Raggett

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Sand Castles and Garden of Thorns

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/oUHA2Ty

by Loriavx

Aaron Strange had nothing, then she got everything she never knew she wanted, and then suddenly she had nothing again.

Damian Wayne had everything he had ever wanted. He had just started learning to be better so he's worthy of it when suddenly his everything is gone.

Tony Stark decided to take his ex-boyfriend's daughter and his ex-rival's son under his wings because their respective parents got blipped. Now, he had to take care of two multi-national companies and two thirteen-years-old who hates each other's guts and would one hundred percent turn a verbal fight to a physical one in a heartbeat.

At least they're can quietly exist in each others' presence and are willing to cooperate in the most basic sense 90% of the time.

If nobody opens their mouth, that is.

Words: 9296, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, DCU (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Doctor Strange (Movies)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M, Gen, M/M

Characters: Damian Wayne, Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Pepper Potts, Wong (Marvel), Happy Hogan, Loki (Marvel), Talia al Ghul, Most of them are only mentioned at first because they got blipped

Relationships: Damian Wayne/Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Stephen Strange & Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark & Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark & Damian Wayne, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne

Additional Tags: Protective Tony Stark, Protective Stephen Strange, BAMF Tony Stark, BAMF Stephen Strange, Slow Burn, Supremefamily, Not Civil War Team Captain America Friendly, perhaps, I'm still working on my grudge, I'm still working on my grudge okay, No Beta We Die Like Tony's and Stephen's Relationship in this Fic, At least that means we lived again, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, this is a long ride, Forced Proximity, This Fic Happens During the Blip, Five years baby, Five years of longing for Stephen Strange by Tony Stark, Middle School, High School, Past Child Abuse, past human experimentation, Past Torture, Domestic, Somehow Very Domestic, Sorcerers Dimensional-Reality Problem Bullshits, Cults, More cults, The League of Assassins (DCU), Found Family, M A G I C, Angst with a Happy Ending, Everyone Needs A Hug, Everyone Eventually Lives, Everyone Has Issues, Crossover, Trauma, lots of trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Enemies to Lovers, More like Enemies to 'Who did this.' to 'I trust you.' to 'Don't leave'

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/oUHA2Ty

[staticspaces]

French Style Chateau

Don't forget, there is also a very entertaining video of this location as well!!

Now let's shift our focus to the main staircase in the oversized front entry hall, it was pretty spectacular…there are also a few images from the second floor as well!!

This mansion was built in 1985 on two lots in The Bridle Path neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada and was designed to resemble a French style chateau. The 30,000 square foot mega mansion had 10 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, and was located on a huge four acre property that also included a tennis court. It also had a granite cobblestone driveway, a horseshoe staircase at the back and extensive gardens which completed the experience of living in a castle in France.

Originally built by Robert Campeau a financier and real estate developer. Robert began his career by building just one single house in 1949 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His company then known as Campeau Corp was also responsible for building Scotia Plaza, a hi rise built in 1988 in the financial district of Toronto, as well as the Harbour Castle Hotel in 1975. In the 80s, Campeau began a series of leveraged buyouts of companies, both in Canada and the United States. The final company was Federated Department Stores, the owners of Bloomingdale's for $7 billion. This was the beginning of the end for Campeau Corp, as they filed for Bankruptcy in 1990, one of the largest in history. Robert was forced to sell the home in 1990.

The home was purchased in 2002 by Harold and Sara Springer who entrusted architect Gordon Ridgely, interior designer Brian Gluckstein, and landscape architect Ronald Holbrook to bring their vision to life. They brought in 17th century antique furniture from france, original royal academy paintings, Italian marble and even crystal chandeliers.

Other features of the large house included a two-story indoor Olympic-size swimming pool with a retractable floor that converts into a ballroom. It also had an elevator, an oak wood bar, recording studio and even its very own bomb shelter!

The mansion has been featured in several movies including Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's 'It Takes Two', 'Kissinger and Nixon', 'That Old Feeling' as well as most recently in an episode of Suits. A party was also held for Jane Fonda in the two-storey ballroom, which was then disassembled overnight so that Campeau could swim in the pool the next day with Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

The Springer's listed the chateau for sale including all of its contents starting in 2014 for $25 million and was last publicly listed in 2018 for $39,500,000. Finally, the home was purchased by Nascond Holdings in 2020 for $30.8 million.

Nascond Holdings is a company owned by the Muzzo Group which is a well known development company in the area. Marco Muzzo caused a drunk driving crash that killed four people and seriously injured two others. It was a very high profile incident several years ago, because of his ties to such a wealthy family. There was also a guest list of people found in the home including Marco's name as the host of the party.

The mansion was demolished shortly after my visit in August of 2022. Not much happened after that until more recently when some activity began to happen on the property. Ferris Rafauli who was also behind Drake's Bridle Path Mansion, is the designer and builder behind the new mansion that will take shape in the coming years.

[frankterranella]

Facing the reality of getting older

Stopping to smell the roses at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, England.

The Rolling Stones had a hit in 1966 with a song called "Mother's Little Helper." The song was essentially about the epidemic of tranquilizer abuse. Librium had been introduced in 1960 and was an instant hit, particularly with depressed housewives. The verse of the Rolling Stones song begins: "Kids are different today, " I hear every mother say Mother needs something today to calm her down And though she's not really ill, there's a little yellow pill She goes running for the shelter of her mother's little helper And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day Listening to this song today, what strikes me is the line that opens the song and separates each stanza of the verse -- "What a drag it is getting old." That line hit me last week as I watched James Taylor sing on television. Taylor recently celebrated his 75th birthday. Up until now I have been happy that his voice seemed unaffected by age unlike formerly great singers such as Gordon Lightfoot (84), Neil Diamond (82), Paul McCartney (80)  and Linda Ronstadt (76). But now I can't deny the fact that age has finally caught up to James Taylor. His voice was thin and sounding old in two separate performances this week. And that's sad. Between the number of singers of my generation who have been dying recently and the number who have lost their voices, it certainly is a drag getting old. Actually, I think one of the worst things about getting old is not being able to do things you used to do. And it's bad enough watching the aging process in others when you're young, but as you reach retirement age, aging becomes real for you. Climbing stairs, getting into cars and just walking great distances are progressively more difficult. I think the physical deterioration is worse for people like athletes, singers and dancers, whose great talents are dimmed by age. Next month I will celebrate my 70th birthday. I have to acknowledge that I have a much closer relationship with doctors that I had a decade ago. Although I have no life-threatening illnesses, in a few days I will have my third surgical procedure of the year. This one will attempt to ease my sciatica. So I have all the aches and pains and physical breakdown that comes with getting old. But I also have the pleasure of having time to enjoy life. I can wake up every day and, after walking around the house to get the blood flowing and the sciatic pains to subside, I can go for a walk in a park and literally take time to smell the roses. I can drive to spend time with my three grandchildren. I can enjoy the museums, libraries and restaurants in my area on a weekday without crowds and without rushing. I even have time to devote to volunteer work in my community. All in all it's a wonderful life, despite the aches and pains. No stress; no anti-anxiety drugs needed. I have seven decades of memories to contemplate. I can look back at wonderful trips by land, sea and air to some of the most beautiful places on earth. I have pictures on the walls to constantly remind me. And best of all, I can plan new trips without having to worry about the demands of a job. So while from a physical standpoint it undoubtedly is a drag getting old, from a fulfillment and happiness standpoint, it can be some of the best years of our lives.

[inbarfink]

I mean, the thing that’s really amazing to me about the Rocky Horror Cult Phenomena is how much it fits with the themes of RHS. Like, Rocky Horror becoming The Midnight Movie and gaining this huge culture of callbacks and cosplay around it wasn’t like something anyone planned for or anything like that - it was a super-unexpected and strage and organically-grown thing and it just amazing how well it resonates with the movie itself. So many movies gain Fandoms that are kinda at Odds with What the Movie is Actually, so it’s really incredible that even with the Rocky Horror Fandom being what it is, it’s also so in-sync with the movie it’s based around in a strange way. 

Like, if you actually wanna think seriously about RHS, there are few major lenses of interpetation you can view it through: as a 70′s-style mockery of the 50′s, as a narrative about both the anxiety and thrill that comes with the changing times, as a Garden of Eden allegory starring a weird Reverse-God whose gospel is debauchery... but I think one of the biggest ones for me is how it is obviously a tribute to the experience of watching horror and sci-fi movies late at night - and the way these movies, however silly, can offer a sort of getaway from the restrictive, repressive environment of your everyday life. 

Like that is kinda what “Science Fiction/Double Feature” is literally about?

It’s about how much the speaker wants to watch a late-night screenings of science fiction\horror movies. And the verses are peppered with all of these vaugely sexual innuendos, it’s clear that this is at least part of why the speaker wants to go to the late night double feature picture show. Whatever it’s because sci-fi outfits allow for a bit more fanservice than your Regular Movies (”And Flash Gordon was there/In silver underwear”), or cause the thrills of the monsters can become strangely sexual (”And I really got hot\When I saw Janette Scott\Fight a Triffid that spits poison and kills”) or just for some midnight alone-time in the back row...

And in the stage version that line is usually sung by an Usherette character which kinda makes it like... it puts another layer of reality between the audience and the plot. Like, what is seen on stage isn’t a musical abstraction of Brad and Janet’s misadventure but a musical abstraction of the experience of the Usherette (and the cinema audience played by the Actual Audience) watching a horror movie starring Brad and Janet. In the Picture Show, this is replaced with just like... a lot of intentionally kitchy transitions and editing tricks to constantly remind the audience that This Is a Movie. Because regardless of the medium, Rocky Horror is in some way about the Experience of Watching Movies.

And this also comes up when the Criminologist speculates about the nature of reality - it is actually true that life is an illusion and reality is a figment of the imagination, because he is a fictional character in a movie. And Magenta’s verse in “Time Warp”

Like, I suppose literally in-universe she’s talking about her hobby of spying up on people in the castle (like she did to Janet and Rocky in ‘Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch Me’) but like... this is also about being The Audience? Like, the Audience watching the movie are the one who are sitting invisible in ‘another dimension’ and see everything that’s going on... and are being freed by fantasy. (and also it’s important to note that Magenta and the Usherette generally share an actress on stage, and in the Picture Show, share lips but not a voice).

I think you can very easily read Rocky Horror as being About how yeah these old horror movies are cheesy and stupid but they’re also, like, a place of escape from mainstream conservative culture, where you can allow yourself to celeberate the weird and transgressive. Even if it’s kinda bittersweet under the conditions that this transgressiveness always has to come from Monsters and Aliens, and that it was to always Obviously Be Bad, and it must be Defeated and Destroyed at the end - as both the protagonists and the audience must return to the daytime world of normalcy.

Even with Magenta kinda being the Usherette, I think the comperison between Brad and Janet and the Audience is a bit more important. They’re the one who transition from the everyday daylight world of social norms into the late-night world of transgression and release that is Frank’s Fantastic FuckCastle. I mean, that’s why they have so little agency in the plot, they are mostly just sitting back and watching the events unfold. That’s also why Brad seems to have adapted the “Dr. Frank N. Furter did nothing wrong” position by the movie’s climax (”What’s his crime?”). It’s kinda like he’s not really viewing him as a real life person within his own reality, but like a fictional villain. Which is also how Frank views himself - as we can see at the end of “I’m Going Home”. From an in-universe perspective, it seems like a delusion. but from our perspective he is 100% correct. There IS an audience of people watching that entire show unfurl and cheering for him. 

Basically yes I am saying Frank N. Furter is himself’s, Brand and Janet’s Problematic Fave

And then when Frank dies and the Servant Duo beams back to their home planet, it’s explictly not a triumphant moment. It’s not a moment of heroism or any sort of moral victory for normalcy over transgressivism. Like, Frank and Riff-Raff share a lot of the same rotten personality flaws - it’s just that Frank is confident and flamboyant about them while Riff-Raff is resentful and self-loathing. That’s part of why Columbia and Rocky had to die, to drive home the fact that Riff-Raff isn’t doing any of this out of concern for Frank’s victims or even really to go home. It’s purely about his own personal beef. And for Brad and Janet, the ending is really melancholy due to the way they have been stranded back in the ‘real world’. All of the strange characters are either dead or gone, the setting itself literally beamed off the planet. They’ve been changed by their experience, but now they’re back in this daylight world that they escaped from. Cause in the end, the Science Fiction Double Feature always ends. 

And you’ve got all of this, and then you look at Rocky Horror The Cultural  Phenomena and it’s like....... it became like the ultimate encapsulation of what it was tributing to begin with. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is THE late-night science fiction/horror movie event. Midnight Screenings carry this movie and this movie is iconic to Midnight Screenings. And it’s this place that allows you an escape from normalcy and a space to be transgressive - through shouting sexual and\or dark jokes along with everyone else in the movie theater and through being a space for experimenting with gender presentation and\or sexually provocative outfits....It really just became the extremely concentrated version of the experience it was trying to convey in the first place.

And the whole Audience Participation and Shadowcast phenomena really works to enchance the movie’s film of nonreality, which is I think Important to it. Like you know, when you’re sitting in a very rowdy movie theatre shouting profanities at the screen while a bunch of friends mimic the actors’ actions with a few cardboard props because they’ve seen the movie so many times they know them by heart - the murder and the cannibalism seems more and more unreal by emphasizing how much it’s Performance. But “Don’t Dream It, Be It” - already an in-universe Performance by the one character who knows there’s an Audience, feels just as real as ever. 

And it just, it FITS SO WELL TOGETHER, it’s amazing none of this was intentional or even predicted. It’s really just beautifully poetic that this fandom happened.

[grandmaster-anne]

Court Circular | 17th January 2023

Kensington Palace

The Prince of Wales this morning visited Together As One (Aik Saath), 29 Church Street, Slough, and was received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire (Mr James Puxley).

St James’s Palace

The Earl of Wessex this morning opened the Sports Hub at Gordon’s School, West End, Woking, and was received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey (Mr Michael More-Molyneux).

St James’s Palace

The Princess Royal, President, UK Fashion and Textile Association, today opened Kalopsia Collective’s new Textiles Facility, 26-42 Gardeners’ Street, Dunfermline, and was received by Mrs Fiona Robertson (Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Fife). Her Royal Highness, Chancellor, the University of Edinburgh, this afternoon visited FastBlade Structural Testing Facility, Building 29 Watt Road, Rosyth, Dunfermline, and was received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Fife (Mr Robert Balfour). The Princess Royal later received Miss Krisha Modi (Scholar, Everiss Scholarship) and Miss Jessica Thomsen (Scholar) at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Her Royal Highness, Patron, Royal Caledonian Hunt, this evening attended a Dinner to mark the Two Hundredth Anniversary of Royal Patronage, Barnbougle Castle, South Queensferry, Edinburgh, and was received by Mr Peter Hillier (Deputy Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh).