#great britain pet travel

[rockythebullterrier]

New pet travel rules approved! 🐾 starting in June 2025, traveling with your pet from Great Britain to Northern Ireland just got easier as you will simply need a lifelong travel document 📖 plan your next adventure stress free

[rabbitcruiser]

Happy Birthday Sushi!

Sushi was born six years ago on October 6, 2018.

[monarisse]

— The Hex paradox [arthur nightingale x gn!drifter]

Arthur asks, why are you still here.

You can't believe that he thinks you see them as pets.

SFW, second pov, hurt/comfort, misunderstanding, angst with a happy ending | 3.6k

ao3

There is a flex of a hand — meat under the skin is terribly tense, just like their owner. Long unclipped nails, map of the old scars with pigment just a little bit lighter than everything else. Further: burn, raw marks from laser. Further: a contaminated virus from the elder beast of Deimos. Further-

This is just a body that holds your consciousness when there are no more metallic constructs of dead people that should be controlled. It was... actually, not so horrible to unfold the truth behind the creations of Ballas. Or others. There was always something more than you in these turned-to-be-bones metallic wires and engines. Always lurking in shadow; just not enough to be found, but enough to feel the sudden twitch of a cobalt fingers or unknown step of feet. Sometimes, even more: dance with a weapon, full of joy; murmur in an unknown language; search for something behind the back. Unnecessary. Unasked. Unprovoked. But... familiar, almost to the pain in your drifting mind.

It's ironic — that they all called you The Drifter. Not The Operator — not anymore, at least. Even if there was someone, in this time of the universe, who would gladly use this title on you, it would not be the truth. And you will not allow it. Hundreds of years after all of this, there would be a child with angry eyes and a thirst for power, who changed too much and too little to be completely you again. So you give them the future and keep yourself in the past — it seems right. Especially because (it's ill-fitting, it's wrong, and it's foolish, but deep down it's what makes them and you one person), The Operator can't travel here. They ask in rare times together how it was.

And for you, it's never "was." It's still here.

———

After winter, spring and summer together, they became steadier, softer. Smoother. Happier. Amir sleeps better. Angered only by some unnecessary presence before, now Quincy finds serenity, covering your back on missions. Aoi plays on the borrowed piano from the music store, and Eleanor whispers in your mind stories that she read in the past about Great Britain. Sharpened on the edges Lettie, today holds her hand to yours, so her beasts could crawl on the skin of this body with hushed squeaks, smelling with their little noses acid and kerosene, that scaldra pours on you every day. Lettie clicks her tongue in disappointment when she sees a new wound on the meat of shoulder — because in this body you can't heal as fast as they, and it's hypocritical to come out of frame when they're — the Mighty Hex, batch of soldiers of the future, your Friends, in the end — still here. And-

It's so. Fucking. Funny. A snicker falls from your lips before you can stop it.

Lettie furrows her eyebrows. In her eyes — something eats the previous light joke and fills it with thick tension.

"What did he do?" Anita squeaks, runs to her siblings, and you just blink.

"Who?"

Oh, it's not a secret. You... can guess who she talks about. And Lettie knows it.

"¡Pendejo! You know who. Don't play an owl with me."

Sharp teeth of the future crash into each other. Smile on these lips — sugary sweet from lies. This is not something new. How many people "The Great Hero" of the New War has deceived around the years of the Narmer regime?

"Nothing. Why you-"

She smacks your arm.

"Shut up. Don't want to hear your explanations. His brooding takes its toll on you," she painstakingly cleans her fingers from void-touched blood. From all of them, Eleanor is one who can feel lies, but Leticia is... another deal. She doesn't have the need to hear your thoughts. Magic of doctors, you guess.

It's strange that she cares about you. After all, these six are a team. And the seventh angle doesn't belong in the hexagon, even if it forces itself inside.

But, for Lettie, you let it slide. Hold her palm in yours and blink a little bit slower.

"I take care of that. Promise"

———

You know it — even too much of something good can be poisonous. Like trivia: this body was not ready for the delicious food that they have here, so on one night with beer and Hex you threw up in the bathroom on the second floor. But... Compare this and... your genuine worry for Nightingale seems like a wrong play of komi, where no one could win.

Worse: you remember Umbra. His blind eye and this wordless trust between him and The Operator. This wordless care that travels with them everywhere. How could you not feel envy when this child not only found the way from Zariman 10-0, but even saved the frame that could think without Tenno? Well, now you have protoframes. They joke with you in their bones, and they help you when it becomes unbearable — this world, this time, this loop. So why, when you stretch out your hand only how you can, it turns out... It is too much. Or too little.

And... what even happens in this thick skull of his, when he abruptly leaves a conversation on KIM, then agrees on Amir's play and, after... drowns you in questions?

Broadsword

So what is it? Pity? Or are you stupid as well as crazy?

Broadsword

Stop dodging! Why. Are. You. Still. Here?!

There is a reminiscence of a dull ache from Duviri. Another swing of an axe above the head. Endless swirl of colors. And buzzing in the skull. This body trembles, unable to comprehend all emotions from a feverish mind, and you pull your hand to clean your face from... something. Anything.

How could he even ask this shit? Like you some bystander that already left them after a week of knowing, just to start a new adventure far far away. Like you didn't search abandoned markets for his favorite beer, didn't bring special ammunition to Quincy, didn't practice with Aoi and Amir on the transmission of intel. Just some guest, not important to add in their ranks.

Nidus quietly shrieks when you transfer back to him. It is something of a habit. You can't even feel the exact moment when his broad frame already exits the backroom, too busy with boiling emotions inside your mind (the biggest question there: what if Kid would be able to help them without this mess of emotions. What if Hex liked the Operator more?).

Höllvania Central Mall never sleeps. Especially now, when there are not seven, but many more breathing shadows waiting for the other day to live, so... It is a little bit of awakening — see disbelief and caution in the eyes of bystanders when the form of Nidus makes his way from the second floor to the first in one jump. But still not enough to stop the heavy steps of the infested frame.

He's in his usual spot, crouched between some ammo for his rifle and computer, and Arthur... seems a little bit surprised. Like it wasn't you who he wrote just seconds ago.

Pity. He called your carefully crafted relationships with the Hex "pity." And you, yourself: crazy and stupid.

"You could just-" There is something more behind his dazed expression, some dark undertone, but it is not about him. Not anymore.

"How could you," Nidus freezes like a mannequin in the doorframe. This body constructs itself right against Nightingale; scarred fingers cling to his shoulder to feel something else beside the usual eerie words of KIM-messages and hushed phrases under the sick sky. His brows rise up even more now, "How could you even think of something like that!"

Arthur's lips twitch.

Prince of fire Lodun, in all his ugly glory, paints your mind with blood and red.

"It's bothering me already enough time to just let it slide," his words twist something in the pit of your stomach, and Lodun's voice screeches somewhere around the frontal lobe. He shouldn't say such words to you. It is blasphemy. Lie. His hand rips your own from himself almost like you hurt him, and the scar around the palm that he left you with starts to pulsate, "You walk around the Mall like everything is okay and we're not just some dead meat to your future."

He is poisonous. Some sort of divine punishment for you, as if you didn't suffer enough for years and years of survival. There are no more light jokes, no more strange, vigorous words with the undertone of something bigger. Only a stern glance on this body.

Prince Lodun fist his finger and crack another hole in your mind walls.

Body of the Drifter winces.

"Are you fucking kidding?" teeth clacks. The jaw's strained to its limit. All of this time together, just drained in the sink, "What do you think? That I stayed here just to forget about you all in the next minute?"

He doesn't need to say it aloud. The answer is written on his face already, and it's making Lodun more loud in your mind.

"How many times have you already done that?"

Lodun roars. This head is pounding.

"What?!"

It's unbelievable. He looks at you with such a sardonic expression, as if he knows that you did something so bad that you even can't stand with him in one room, and... you want to go right in his head to fucking show Arthur how terribly wrong he is.

The worst of all: he keeps going.

"It's convenient, isn't it? To play "friends" with people you can just leave behind," his grip tightens, and Arthur steps forward. A little more and it would become a fight.

You hold back. Just a little bit, but the patience in this body already wears itself.

"So that's what's stuck in your head?" You snarl, "Not bad enough, don't you think?" One step to him, and you feel — one more, and you can crash in his metallic chest. Eyes squint, "Make me a villain more, why not? Maybe I should take control of one of you and dispose of everyone else, huh?" Luscinia weeps in the corner of your mind with these harsh words, but you are unable to hear her — spiral of Loduns anger in its all-power captured you. There is something of a hurt in Arthur's face. But you only use his own method on him. It's almost like he didn't think of this — that you could use his friends against him or even make him a bystander in the nonexistent massacre.

"You can," his voice drops lower. Grip tightens even more — soon bones in this body would be broken by his fingers. "So I advise you to stop pretending like we're important to you," Nightingale bends his head, and you can see the hues of his blind eye for the first time, "and put us all out of this misery."

You're tugging this hand away — alas, it's not working, and a wave of dull pain passes through the body. He never thought that it was as hard for you as for them.

Luscinia crying. The Sorrowful Soprano of Duviri weeping like a mother who lost something too precious for her, and with Loduns anger, it's too much to feel in one moment. Your mind makes itself the battleground of the old Tales.

You want to say: maybe you're right.

You want to say: maybe I should just leave things like they are.

But... the Hex already made themselves important for you. So much that you gladly would stay here forever, with this ancient technology and people of the past. The Operator has their people. Why shouldn't you have yours?

You take a deep breath. Close tired eyes.

"If you think that I should go, I'll do it." There is something too heavy in these words, so you can't raise this head anymore, with your gaze a little bit blurry. Not from tears, "You all became too important for me, so if it would be better for Hex, I'll be gone to my time."

You know: without you, they will all be dead in the New Year of 1999. The reactor will blow up, and Arthur will bleed on the floor of the radiated room, near the bodies of Aoi and Amir.

And you can just feel the power of Spiral, to send it all back in January, to start again.

"Don't make yourself a martyr. You can leave when you want."

That's it.

You snap.

"My fucking Sol," you twitch this head, "you are as dense as Razorback," Nightingale becomes a little bit puzzled by the unknown comparison, but you continue, "What should I say? "Sorry, Arthur, I stayed here because I know that without me you all will die." Your voice becomes louder and louder; it breaks in some words, and you feel: the dam was broken, "And I developed feelings for you, and all of this embarrassing flirting was so bad because I had never done it before? You know, because I was trapped all of my youth in an endless loop of my own death, and I didn't even think that I could feel something like that"," his grip finally becomes loose, and you break the palm from him, only to point the finger at Arthur, "Everyone knows about it. I thought that you-"

Wait. You thought that he already knew about your feelings for him — it was so obvious that Eleanor even asked you not to think about her brother on united missions. But... You shut this mouth and looked at Arthur. He's... flagger-basted. No more anger in his eyes, only genuine surprise, and — worst of all — he continues to keep silent.

"Great," you roll this eyes. Fuck it. Maybe he knew, just feelings weren't mutual, and Nightingale didn't acknowledge it, to leave things as they were. But now you spelled it all aloud, and there is only one way to turn it back. Maybe... no. You don't want it.

Sol, you should just go to the backroom and decay in some corner.

You take a deep breath.

"I'll be going to throw up somewhere on the second floor from embarrassment," you transfer back to Nidus, "don't message me," and head towards the escalator.

Worst: he didn't even stop you.

———

Quincy screams in your comm and it's almost unbearable how he just throws a stash of Scaldra supply on the garage floor, just to head back to civilians in the old supermarket without another word to you.

Blew up the tank without care of flying too far away to not be hurt; melted one of the other stashes; almost got Kalymos dead. You've gone more hectic. But it's still better than lying on a couch with nausea and a sorrowful expression (it's still better than nothing — you remind yourself — you still feel something, and it's better than apathy).

Funny: if the Kid could see you, they would be furious. Throwing some tantrum about how such a mindless thing would wreck you, The Drifter, to some pathetic ordinary human. They were always like this: more hard than you, more prideful. They could chew Arthur's words and twist them so much that the man would not be sure what he even wants anymore. But the Operator is too far away. And you are too arrogant to travel back to them. Lotus would calm you down, embrace you in a motherly hold; however... you don't want it right now. One thing that surely helps: killing. Scaldra or Techrot — doesn't matter.

"I'm worried about you," tells Aoi when the sharp talons of Garuda give her a package full of CDs, "I heard your argument with Arthur." She seems a little bit sheepish, but... you know, that you actually can trust her. Of all Hex, Aoi is the most understandable. You can tell her all your worries, and she wouldn't laugh or write off your feelings. "It's hard with him sometimes, but Arthur cares about us all," of course he is, "you included."

You hum. The sound comes a little bit muffled.

"I'm sure." No, you're not, but there is no need to talk about it right now. Aoi squints her eyes in disbelief. "Sorry, Aoi. It's between me and him and i-"

"Drifter," his voice is too loud in Aoi's lair, but you don't turn to Nightingale. Maybe he will disappear if you don't acknowledge his presence. "We need to talk," Morohoshi shows some kind of gesture that you don't recognize, with her big finger pointed out, and she shakes her head, smiling.

If there were only two of you, you'd find a reason to just vanish in the air.

Damn. Why is it harder than killing an archon with a bow?

"Alright," you sign. Garuda turns around to Excalibur and he is already heading somewhere in an unknown destination.

What does he want to say? That he made a decision to stay with you on friendly terms so that you could save Hex's lives? That he'll save them by himself? Good luck with that. You'll still be here, even if he wants to banish you from others, just not in his line of sight. And when clocks turn 23:56 without catastrophe, you'll let them go and transfer yourself back to Loid, to solve problems of Deimos.

It's some sort of warehouse — you've never been here before, and it's strange how music from the hall becomes only disoriented muffles when Arthur closes the door. You stand a little bit farther from him than usual — not to make yourself comfortable here.

Arthur leans on some kind of cabinet.

Heavy silence falls on you two.

And when you think that this was a bad idea — to come here with him — Arthur starts talking.

"You know that all my life I was a military man," he spins that damn sword — Arthur's voice... not so loud. He speaks almost carefully, like his words already were chosen before this talk, and... you don't know what to think about. Emotion without name, without personification in Tales of Duviri, born in a pit of stomach, "and... I think I was ready to leave some things behind," he's not looking at you; his gaze stops on scratches on the floor, "because there was not enough time, or... I didn't try to understand others more."

You gulp. Garuda's scales tremble.

"And I tend to search for enemies where there aren't any." Finally, Arthur looks at you. There is more than tiredness from endless nights; quiet longing, a hint of uncertainty, something... tender.

He sighs.

"And," Arthur chuckles, and you grit your own teeth, thrashing about to step from Garuda or stay in her bones, "I'm not even entirely human. I mean, look at me," he gestures at the metal skin of his body, "not a usual choice of the mass."

Still, it's better to talk face to face. Especially on topics like that, you make a decision in one moment, to reappear beside him in another.

"Arthur," your own voice strained with hoarse hesitation, "you're a good person. You shouldn't talk about yourself like that." There is a hint of a smile in the corner of his lips, and Arthur blinks a little bit slower.

"You're always saying such things that give me hope." Spinning of his blade comes to an end, and the warehouse becomes more... steady. Peaceful.

Nightingale clears his throat.

"Did you mean it?" comes almost in a whisper, "that you have... feelings. For me."

You tear your gaze from him and put it down, not able to look in his eyes. Yes. It is definitely harder than killing an archon.

Fingers dip in the elbows.

"Yes."

Nothing more. Just a short, clear answer to put any misunderstanding behind.

Remarkably, the stomach stops swirling. All of this body became... calm, like all the worries just disappeared with this one word. Even if Arthur doesn't feel the same, you are glad that you two talked about it. Finally, you can open a new page in-

"It's mutual."

What?

You snap this head to him, and, for the first time in an eternity, you see Arthur smiling. Without some undertone in it, without pressure. Just a clear, happy smile on his scarred face, and you even see some little dimples on his cheeks.

And, maybe it's too early and you should wait some time to do such things, but these hands — your hands — reach out to him, to bury your fingers in his hair and press an uncertain but full-of-burning-emotions kiss to his lips.

It's raw — skin to skin, first too gentle to feel something more than the texture of others, but with every passing moment, all of this bottling adoration for him seeps through the motion. And Arthur answers you, laying his metallic palm in the crook of your neck, to deepen the kiss — he opens his mouth, presses you to himself more, to finally give you something that you wanted too long to confess.

In reality, it's still better than in imagination.

When there is not enough air in your lungs, when your shuddered inhale mixes with his own and both of you break away for a moment, you press your forehead to Arthur's, holding onto his shoulder.

"You know," he starts after a moment of silence, with a voice a little bit rough on the edges. You open your eyes and move your head a little bit to look at him once more. Cold fingers start to play with the strands of your hair. "If someone had told me that I would want to kiss someone from the future who trespassed my mind, I think I would kill them," Arthur breathlessly laughing and-

"Sol, you're unbelievable." You smack his shoulder and move to get out from his grip, but Nightingale presses you even more into himself, and you feel how his laughter starts to seep through your bones.

"You're stuck with me now. No refunds, sweets." Arthur pressed a chaste kiss on the crown of your head, and... you hug him, closing your eyes back.

The Harbinger of Joy, Mathilda, smiles for the first time in what feels like eternity.

[gallifreyanhotfive]

Random Doctor Who Facts You Might Not Know, Part 11

The Second Doctor traveled with Jamie again after his departure while working for the Time Lords. The reason he doesn't remember this is because the Time Lords regularly erased his memory.

The Ice Warriors were originally created as a slave race to serve the Gandorans.

Strax carries dehydrated water in his first aid kit.

Homunculette and Marie are a Time Lord/TARDIS duo who consider each other "companions" and have incredibly intense feelings about one another.

The sexual attraction to humans by non-humans is called humanophilia.

On four separate known occasions, the Doctor has been to the Frost Fair. He took Vicki and Steven, River, Clara, and Bill.

When Missy broke into the Black Archive, she "liberated" a good portion of their inventory, including her "good friend" TOMTIT.

Turlough's great-great-great-great grandfather was part of Trion's royal court.

James Lethbridge-Stewart was the Brigadier's older brother. At a young age, he was forced by the Great Intelligence in an act of revenge against the Brigadier's future self to jump to his death over Golitha Falls. The young Brigadier was too short to retrieve his body. Their memories of James were later removed by the Great Intelligence.

After the year 12,000,000, some humans evolved into Homo solarians and lived inside the sun.

Oswin "Winnie" Clarence, a splinter of Clara Oswald, was a research graduate at Snowcap University in Antarctica. She saved the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald.

There have been many other splinters of Clara. A Constable Oswald filed a missing person's report on Susan Foreman in the 60s. Another was a member of the Happiness Patrol. Another was a Morestran. Etc, etc....

During an adventure with the Seventh Doctor, Chris Cwej had sex with a man named David Daniels. In doing so, he accidentally gave him a metagenic compound from the 30th century that acted as an HIV anti-virus. Harry Sullivan would later discover this compound in 2015 as a potential cure.

The Dragonhunters have a saying that "no Time Lord could be trusted."

The Doctor considered his cousin Arkhew to be inoffensive, gentle, and an unassuming. He said that such traits were "unusual for this family."

Arkhew had a pet scrubber, but his pet was eaten by another cousin named Owis. This made Arkhew hate Owis. Owis later killed Arkhew.

The Kithriarch is another important figure to a Great House. Unlike the Housekeeper, who is a medium between the sentient House and the family and responsible for the House's wellbeing, the Kithriarch is responsible for the social wellbeing of all family members.

The First, Sixth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Doctors all meddled in the Gunpowder Plot.

Magnus Greel told the Fourth Doctor that he had encountered a Time Agent in the 51st century. Unbeknownst to the Fourth, Greel was referring to the Fifth Doctor, who had posed as a Time Agent.

The Doctor studied under Hippocrates.

The Chancellery Guard is issued a Gallifreyan Army knife. The Doctor had one, but it is marked as property of Castellan Spandrell. He eventually returned it to Spandrell.

The Eighth Doctor once ran into the Seventh Doctor and Ace at the Festival of Britain in 1951 but did not recognize them because he had amnesia at the time.

The Fourth Doctor once became a taxi driver in order to learn about history first-hand.

Raine Creevey was a companion of the Seventh Doctor, who actually assisted in her birth by midwife-ing her mother.

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

[hazyange1s]

MC: Diana Blackwine

Basics

Full name: Diana Seren Blackwine

Nicknames: Di, D

Gender: female

Species: witch (and technically a starseed but that’s on the DL)

Date of birth: February 2, 1875

Nationality: Scottish and Welsh

Blood status: pureblood

Wand: vine, phoenix feather, 10 1/2 in, supple

Appearance

Hair color: jet black

Hair style: worn down in loose curls or in half-up styles

Eye color: teal

Skin tone: pale/peachy

Height: 5’2”

Body type: petite

Clothing style: rich jewel tones and cool shades (blue, purple, silver), smooth and light fabrics (satin, silk, cotton)

Accessories:

Blackwine family ring

moonstone necklace (gifted to her by Ominis)

scarf lover…like, a whole collection

Other distinguishing features:

scar over the bridge of her nose (from an inferi in the catacombs the night of Solomon’s death)

light freckles over her nose and cheeks

star shaped birthmark on her wrist

Personality

Traits: artistic, compassionate, spiritual, wise, diplomatic, indecisive, absentminded, self-righteous, people pleaser

Likes: sweets, winter, classical composers, art, theory, random acts of kindness

Dislikes: yellow, frogs, closed-mindedness, being forced to act on a whim

Fears: loss (of loved ones, of herself), change, small spaces, FROGS

Hobbies: painting, violin, stargazing, cartography

MBTI: INFJ-T

Enneagram: 5w6 (592) so/sx

Zodiac: aquarius sun, pisces moon, libra rising

Temperament: phlegmatic

Archetype: The Sage

Similar characters: Feyre Archeron, Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Katara, Luna Lovegood, Sam Winchester

Relationships

Father: Bennett Blackwine

Retired Unspeakable —> astronomer

Pureblood wizard

Killed during a home break in when Diana was 14

Ravenclaw alumnus

Mother: Guinevere Blackwine (Faughn)

Pureblood witch

Portrait painter and poet

Killed alongside Diana’s father

Slytherin alumnus

Aunt/Guardian: Celeste Blackwine

Pureblood witch

Owns a clothing shop

Ravenclaw alumnus

Pet: Saoirse

Scottish fold

Gifted on her thirteenth birthday

Loves Ominis’s cat Phoebe, lounging in the common room, and annoying Raegan’s Phoenix

Best Friends:

Raegan DesRosiers, Ominis Gaunt, Sebastian Sallow, Poppy Sweeting, Amit Thakkar, Samantha Dale, Natsai Onai, Ronan Sharp

Love Interest(s): Ominis Gaunt

Magic

Boggart: two cloaked figures

Patronus: black mare

Polyjuice: turns shimmering indigo and tastes like blueberry syrup

Amortentia: Jasmine, chamomile, dark chocolate, and paint

Special abilities:

Ancient magic - especially gifted in weather spells (don’t mind the sudden thunderstorm over the castle… she’s just having a bad day.)

Seer (receives most of her prophecies through dreams, but is also skilled at tarotmancy and osteomancy as well as astrology)

Backstory

Born on the Isle of Skye in Glen Sligachan, Scotland, Diana was raised as the only daughter and heiress to the Blackwine fortune; a family of the sacred 28. She often traveled with her parents, as their lines of work took them all over Great Britain and Northern Europe.

When Diana was around age seven, her governess began to report frequent distractions, being late to lessons, and speaking out of turn - which caused her parents concern. She was believed to have a behavioral disorder and was promptly given a slew of experimental drugs to remedy it… with no luck.

Her father was patient and understanding, while her mother was a different story; especially when Diana grew older and still showed no signs of possessing magic.

When Diana was fifteen, her manor was broken into in the middle of the night. By the time she awoke to the sound of screams and made it to the study, her parents were both dead - and the murderers gone. This is the trigger for her magic to be awakened, which shatters every piece of glass in the room the moment she finds them. The case remains unsolved for many years.

But she gets her Hogwarts letter (as Raegan did) just after the funeral, and finds hope in what’s to come despite the horrors that follow her.

Academics

Best subject: Divination

Favorite subject(s): Astronomy, Divination, and Charms

Favorite teacher: Onai

Worst subject: Potions

Least favorite teacher: Shah “asTroNoMy is nOT dIVInaTIOn”

Quidditch: Seeker in seventh year (voluntold to play by Raegan)

As a student:

Teacher’s pet without even trying to be

Late to almost every class and has too much missed Potions homework to count

Miraculously avoids most trouble (it’s not miraculous, her friends just take the detentions for her)

Future

Career: Astronomy Professor and Seer

Diana goes back and forth for a long time on her career choice - wanting to stay true to herself and help others at the same time. So, she winds up following in her father’s footsteps, and becomes the new Astronomy professor once Shah retires. She also takes over for Professor Hecat as the Head of Ravenclaw house (quite fitting). On the side (and when she eventually leaves Hogwarts for good), Diana is known to help local residents by offering Divination services such as tarot readings and osteomancy - and her predictions, when they come.

[spineless-lobster]

Okay but like SO MUCH of the Captain’s life was surrounded by war. Assuming he was born before WWI he could’ve seen action, even if he didn’t he still would’ve been affected by it as a child/teenager.

WWI lasted 4 years

Then there was the roaring 20s, which honestly probably wasn’t that bad for him. But then we get into the 30s with the Great Depression, and although technically there wasn’t any war; the Great Depression was a shitty time for everyone (unless you were like, ultra rich).

Then we move into WWII where of course he served both at home and presumably overseas, which… we can imagine what that did to him.

WWII lasted 6 years

Now we’re in postwar Britain (even just for a bit because he had to get his medals from somewhere) and I’m assuming, like many others, the Captain had a very hard time adjusting to civilian life. (I mean, look at him) And if he has any lasting trauma from the war he was left high and dry because mental health was barely a concept back then.

Assuming he died in his late 40s or early 50s, and 10 years of his life were during a war, that means potentially up to A QUARTER of his life happened during wartime. Which might not sound like a lot but considering how long it takes a country (never mind the entire world) to recover from a massive conflict such as WWI only for it to happen again 21 years later must’ve been horrid for everyone’s psyche.

Anyways I’ve been really feeling Captain angst recently. And I’ve been thinking about this and how everyone else had other aspects in their life (Pat had a wife and kids, Thomas travelled the world, Fanny found comfort in her pets, etc.) while a lot of the Captain’s life was only war and this “stiff upper lip” attitude.

My poor boy :(

[therizinosaurus--cheloniformis]

A (not so concise) History of Pet Rocks

Introduction:

Keeping pet rocks is a hobby and way of life for thousands around the globe, with many of our minerals playing a huge part in our lives, as companions, working animals and as parts of the natural world that we can bring into our own homes. Hopefully, through this document, you will be able to learn about the fascinating history of Pet rocks.

Domestication:

Though records are scarce and inconclusive, it is believed that pet rocks were first domesticated very early on in human history, with some early evidence dating from 34,000 BCE. Rocks have been formative in the development of human history, with pet rocks helping early humans to cook, hunt and providing companionship. We have cave paintings depicting the practice of giving a pet rock to an outcast as the only item they were allowed to bring with them, showing just how essential they really were.

Ancient Egypt:

Pet rocks have been cherished companions for centuries, with record of them being kept in the modern sense stretching back all the way back to the Egyptian period, with tomb-paintings depicting the practice of ‘Petrany’ which directly translates to ‘stone-keeping’ being present from the year 3100 BCE. We have also found mummified bodies that have their pet rocks mummified, and placed next to them, suggesting the Egyptians greatly respected and cared about their pebble pals. The great pyramid of Giza has inside of it a perfectly-polished pebble thought to be the hunting partner of the Pharaoh Kufu. In literature, the Egyptians seemed to believe that pet rocks could take all of a family’s diseases into them, but only of treated well.

Ancient North-America:

Roughly at the same time, in North-America, stories remain of a tribe that bred pet rocks. These pet rocks were used as memory-storers, and would be taken to important meetings and occasions, with the owners believing that they would capture the memory, and not let it fade in the minds of the people who had the rock, and so they were often traded between important individuals as a method of information transferral. They were also treated as sacred, with myths that told of a sacred pebble who only moved when no eyes were set upon it, eventually helping to kill a mischievous spider who had been terrorising the local children.

Ancient Africa

Going back to Africa, some cultures in southern Africa used pet rocks extensively as hunting partners, throwing the minerals at prey that they wanted to catch. This was especially efficient as the rocks were trained by a person who had trained in the training of rocks for years, and would only reveal their ‘trainer secret’ as part of their last words to their one and only apprentice. Obviously, this made them very valuable, and so they would very often be the first to be taken prisoner if fighting broke out between tribes.

Ancient Britain:

In ancient Britain, rocks were highly revered, and the ‘henges’ we see today are a remnant of these. They believed that minerals were able to make prophecies that would tell them about the future, and the henges were created as pens for the rocks, which were taken care of by the community as a whole, and required the intricately designed stone-circles to create their prophecies, which they would say through highly-drugged up druids (or the village drunk, whichever was closer).

Ancient India:

In ancient India, Pet rocks were present in almost every household, and great tales were composed of travellers with their pet rocks by their sides exploring and defeating great evils. An interesting side-note is that all babies born would be given a pet rock at birth, and a common idiom that still survives in the modern indian vernacular is ‘born with the golden pebble’, to signify someone born into wealth.

Ancient China:

In ancient China, Pet rocks were considered incredibly sacred, and entire temples were constructed to honour especially important minerals, usually made of Jade. A fun fact, however, is that these temples were tiny, made to the scale of the pet rocks, and people would bring their own pet rocks to the temple, and have a mechanical conveyor belt take the rocks through the temple, to allow the minerals to worship.

Ancient Greece:

A bit later on, the ancient Greeks also had a close-nit relationship with pet rocks, with the god Apollo often being represented through a ‘lithos’, or a large rock that would sit in the opisthodomos of another god’s temple, and was believed to protect the town from plagues. As well as this, the poet Xenes wrote an epic poem names ‘The Lithikos’, telling the story of the rock that touched Demiphoos while he was being turned into a god by Demeter, named Lithik. It tells the story of the rock slowly gaining power and prestige, being raised as a son by the mother of Demiphoos, Metaneira, driven mad by grief, but driven out of the kingdom by Keleos, father of the boy and king of Eleusis, slowly amassing an army of rocks from the forest, and befriending the very sea through his charm and reasoning skills, and defending the Eleusian mysteries from harm until his presumed death, caused by being carried away by a massive bird. Most of the original text has been lost to time, with only fragments and medieval analysis remaining.

The Romans:

The Romans, ever flamboyant, made owning an extravagant pet rock a status symbol. Minerals were collected from distant, far off lands, and polished to perfection, and sold at exorbitant prices to the rich. This even lead to the extinction of a certain type of pet rock, which was previously found in the mountains of North-Africa. Less desirable rocks were kept by the Plebeians, and utilised for a variety of daily tasks, such as grinding grain. Pet rocks were an essential part of the Roman military, being throw at the enemy by skirmishers, and specially trained minerals would be used in slings in the same situation. Pet rocks were also one of the only possessions that a slave was allowed to own, and, if freed, the slave’s ex-master would sponsor the pet rock’s feed for a year to symbolise the slave’s freedom. Roman emperors also had a penchant for pet rocks. Caligula famously gave his pet rock Faustus 80 acres of land, a farmhouse, and 10 slaves. When Faustus was lost, a empire-wide search was started, and he ordered every house to be searched. Faustus was eventually found in the house of an orphan taken in by a group of dancers. The entire house, including the 4 children were publicly hanged, then their bodies stoned to death. A Roman Poet, Lamargus, who greatly admired Xenes also wrote an epic poem about Pet rocks, it was called ‘The Petrifex’, and told the story of another rock that had been in the fire alongside Lithik, and its travels across Italy, and into space, where it encounters a race of divine rocks, blessed by Minerva, taking over a planet, and gifting it to Venus. This poem was greatly lauded by Augustus’s sons, who made it into a play and had it put on yearly during the Bacchanalia until their deaths.

The Middle Ages:

During the Middle Ages, the common Peasant was inexplicably interlinked with the pet rock. Most commonly granite, these were called ‘stans’, middle english for rocks, and a village would usually have a ‘stanery’, where peasants could leave their rocks to be taken care of if they were going to be away. If a peasant did not pay their taxes, a common yet barbaric punishment would be to take away their stan, and have it encased in the foundations of a building for good luck. During the expansion of Christianity, Pet rocks were used to illustrate the trinity - as they were pets, workers, and weapons all in one. Henry the Eighth famously sentenced one of his friends to death by Rock, specifically his pet rock Brutus. His friend, one Franklin M. Thomas of York, was locked in a cell with Brutus, and starved to death.

The Renaissance:

During the Renaissance, Pet rocks were harnessed in art and the emerging field of science to their full potential. Paintings were made to depict Pet rocks, as they made ideal subjects. A rather famous example of this is Caravaggio’s painting, ‘The Little Rock’, depicting Lithik being carried off by a bird in stunning detail. Many rulers of italian city-states had their pet rocks painted by famous artists. A strange bit of history to come out of this era, is the fact that a mineral was pope for 12 years, while the cardinals decided who would be the new pope. This pet rock is currently on display in the vatican, having been dropped in 1783 by a group of cardinals who were playing hot potato with it, and sadly cracking ‘in twain’.

The Victorian Period:

In the Victorian period, the divine connotations of the pet rock slowly gave way to a much more physically-based reputation. Pet rocks were seen as ideal companions, with a minimal of mess, and they were cheap to keep. Though even the poor could afford a calcite companion, the rich tried to use the humble pet rock as a status symbol once again, calling back to the famous pebbles of Roman times. They searched far around the newly being discovered world, with rock-catchers stealing rare minerals from deep in the Amazon, deep underwater, and deep in the sahara, and selling these to willing buyers for ridiculously high prices. An interesting by-product of this was a man named Robert Weldworth, a famed rock-catcher who would sell exquisite specimens he had collected from around the world to the British nobility. However, Weldworth had not actually collected any of his pet rocks from the places he had said they had been collected in, but taken them from a workhouse garden in Coventry. Having been found out, Weldworth escaped with the money, and hid in a hamlet in Bordeaux, before being killed by a bullet meant for a deer while out foraging in the woods. Many famous Victorian writers prized their pet rocks, and considered them their muses. A notable example of this is Charles Dickens, who had a Basalt called ‘Swear’, and who was the inspiration for the character of Little Dorrit.

The World Wars:

During the World wars, Pet rocks were immensely important to the war effort, keeping families company while the men were away fighting, and greatly increasing morale both out at war, and back in the towns and cities. One particularly famous Pet rock was ‘Jumping Jack’, a mineral used as a mascot for the RAF during the second world war, famed for being able to ‘jump’ after being flicked due to his shape. Crudely-drawn pictures of Jack can be found around the world, often saying something about the Germans encased in swear words, Jack helped the soldiers smile throughout the war. A Pet rock was also given the Victorian Cross after the war. ‘Dolomite Dave’ bravely stopped a German in their tracks, after they had entered the British and French trenches, by hitting the German in the face, protecting the soldiers who had saved him from a shell-hole in a stunning display of bravery.

The Modern Day:

Pet rocks have remained important into the modern day. During the cold war, they were kept around cities to warn of a nuclear attack, and in shelters to keep the residents company if the worst were ever to happen. The pet rock skyrocketed in popularity in 1975, possibly to its highest level in history to date. This was due to Gary Dahl, who was someone who worked in advertising at the time. He decided to capitalise on pet rocks, which had always been kept by a small, and insular community of people, and, by packaging the pet rocks, collected from Rosarito Beach in mexico en masse. This caused an uproar in the Petrany community at the time, who tried to protest the mineral abuse that was going on through polite complaint letters and quiet indignance, but it was all to no avail. Dahl refused to back down, and had sold millions of pet rocks to the public by January 1976. What was worse, was that the pet rocks he shipped were wild-caught, and so made for terrible pets - the instruction manual supplied with the rocks was barely enough for a normal member of the public to take care of the minerals they bought properly, even promoting the use of pet rocks as weapons. Sadly, this led to an extinction of the Rosarito-Beach varieties of Sandstone and basalt. Another effect this commercialisation of Petrany had was that it led to many members of the public releasing their rocks back into the wild, causing the number of feral rocks to increase greatly, and rock rescue centres to become greatly overburdened. At this time, a prominent figure in the petrany community, Howard Dash, editor of ‘The Petrany Periodical’ - a popular magazine - started the RSPCM (The Royal Society For Prevention Of Cruelty To Rocks) to help prevent such events from occurring again.

Since the 70s, the pet rock community has greatly evolved, improving the practice for caring for their pet rocks, using cutting-edge research and experimentation to help pet rocks live happier lives than ever before.

[melanielocke]

Book recommendations: Chain of Thorns hangover

Since I think a lot of you have finished Chain of Thorns by now I figured I'd make a book recommendation post with books that I think will appeal to people who are trying to get over Chain of Thorns. Most of the books here I've talked about before, but I made the selection that I think will appeal the most to ChoT readers.

First up: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Why this book?: It has thorns in the title. Also the main couple, the humor and the story would appeal to fans of TID in particular. Nathaniel reminds me of Will somewhat.

Sorcery of Thorns is a second world fantasy set in Austermeer. Elisabeth Scrivener grew up in one of the country's great libraries, where grimoires are kept, living books that contain magic spells used by sorcerers, and she wants nothing more than to become a warden, a sword wielding librarian who keeps the books but also protects the world from these books since some of them can be quite dangerous.

When Elisabeth intervenes in an act of sabotage and slays a very dangerous grimoire, she is implicated in the crime and taken to the city's capital by Nathaniel Thorn, a sorcerer she distrusts, and his demon servant Silas. She has no choice but to work with Nathaniel to uncover a conspiracy targeting the great libraries.

Nathaniel and Elisabeth are one of my favorite m/f couples. Nathaniel is bi, and the author has said she likes playing with feminitiy and masculinity in her m/f couples. Elisabeth is essentially a "lady himbo" who likes swords and armor, and is taller and more muscular than Nathaniel, with Nathaniel being a bit more feminine at times (in the sequel novella he wears a lady's dressing gown).

The third major character is Silas, an aroace demon who works for Nathaniel as a servant and gives him his magic in exchange for some of his life. I love him as a character and his dynamic with the other two, and Elisabeth has a very beautiful platonic relationship with him.

Mysteries of Thorn Manor is a sequel novella that just came out. It is essentially an extended epilogue with a new story where Elisabeth and Nathaniel get trapped in Thorn Manor and have to figure out how to appease the house. It is an adorable little book but with the tiny size it's difficult to find a good spot for it with the other books.

Next: A Marvellous Light & A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Why this book?: horny queers in the Edwardian era, book 2 also features a rude pet parrot (keep in mind, this book is adult and has some pretty explicit sex in it)

I've discussed this series before here, but I hadn't read a Restless Truth yet when I wrote that. The series is a trilogy, with currently two books out and the third coming November this year.

Each book focuses on a different couple, but you do have to read them in order since they're also trying to get to the bottom of a magical conspiracy in each book.

Book 1 focuses on Edwin and Robin, which is essentially a himbo/librarian couple. Robin is the himbo in this case, who works a government job and is accidently assigned to a post related to Britain's secret magician society. Usually, this post is held by non magic people with magic relatives, like his predecessor who mysteriously vanished. His magic coworker Edwin decides to wipe Robin's memory and replace him, but then Robin gets cursed by people who think he knows where a magic artefact his predecessor hid is, and Robin and Edwin have to break the curse and figure out what he's after.

Edwin is a magician, but he is a very weak magician. He makes up for this by being clever and very precise with his magic, and inventing new techniques, and this is very different from what I'm used to which is main character (or magic love interest) is the one who most powerful ever.

Book 2 is a sapphic book focusing on Maud and Violet and they are based on the rake/wallflower trope.

Maud is Robin's younger sister, who travels on a ship a la Titanic from America to the UK with an old lady who is important for the magic conspiracy. Only the old lady dies the first day and Maud has to turn to Violet, a scandalous young actress who is a magician specializing in illusions. Compared to book 1, book 2 is even more sexual, but in a hilarious way. Maud was raised a proper Edwardian lady, but is now first experimenting with her own sexuality and I loved the way this was portrayed. There's also a side character (who will be the love interest in book 3), who writes porn as a side hustle and Maud has to purchase his entire supply of porn to secure his cooperation.

The relationship between Violet and Maud also starts with Violet thinking, oh this girl is seeking to explore her own sexuality, let's help with that. No way I'm catching feelings.

The third book, coming in November, will focus on Jack Alson (lord Hawthorn) and Alan Ross who were side characters in book 2 and Hawthorn also appeard in book 1, but also feature Violet & Maud en Edwin & Robin.

Third: A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth

Why?: Urban fantasy, ensemble cast with lots of queer characters, complex plot in a longer series

I think this is more similar to the modern day shadowhunter books, since it is set in the present, but I think it will appeal to fans of tlh too.

The series has 5 main characters, and in the first book they have to figure out why ironborn (half fae) are dying, which no one else really seems to care about.

Arlo is an ironborn, with her mother being part of the royal family of unseelie spring, which is the ruling family over all fae right now. As an ironborn, she's threatened to be cast out of the fae world, her memories erased, if she doesn't have enough magic. She's very soft, but also determined, and seeking a path for herself and I think overall she's the main character of the series.

Nausicaa is an ex fury who was cast out from the furies because she killed a bunch of people she wasn't supposed to. She's very morally grey and kind of an asshole, but in a funny and likeable way, and she develops a weak spot for Arlo, who becomes her love interest.

Vehan is the prince of seelie summer. He's sweet and very naive and doesn't realize his mom is evil. He feels very isolated because his best friend, Aurelian, who is also in love with, seems to be pulling away from him and he feels like no one really cares about him. He is determined to solve the ironborn murders in book 1 because no one else wants to try.

Aurelian is Vehan's bodyguard and he's kind of the brooding guy. He's very protective of Vehan, but also pulls away from him because of a secret he's keeping to protect Vehan. They have been best friends for long, but he was essentially forced to become Vehan's guard so now their relationship is difficult.

Celadon is the final main character and he gets his own POV from book 2, and will be very important in book 3 I think (he's on the cover). He's a prince of unseelie spring and Arlo's cousin, and he's very popular. There's a fandom of him called the "Celadom". Vehan in particular is a big fan and has posters of Celadon in his room. Celadon is also Arlo's best friend, which is how he's introduced in book 1.

Book 3 is coming out this September, and the cover was just revealed this week

Then: A Blade so Black by L.L. McKinney

Why this book?: demon slaying (well, nightmares in this case), great cast of characters

Like A Dark and Hollow Star, this would likely appeal more to fans of the modern day shadowhunters as it's set in modern day Atlanta, and follows Alice who was chosen to battle nightmares, monsters that come from Wonderland into our world.

She's trained by her attractive mentor Hatta, but when he is poisoned she has to travel deeper into wonderland to find a cure while also maintaining her school, and keep her very protective mother from figuring out what's going on.

The third book is coming out in April, I think only in US hardcover (while I have the UK paperbacks so that sucks), but I'm still curious to see how this story ends.

It's fast paced with lots of action, but also balanced with Alice' homelife as a teenager and her trying to figure out how to disappear into Wonderland for a week without her mom finding out.

And last: The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

Why this book?: high stakes, great cast of mostly queer characters, funny and chaotic characters

I've talked about this book before. Several times. But it's just that good. So here I am, trying to convince you once more why you should read the Sunbearer Trials.

The main character is Teo, a jade transgender demigod son of the goddess of birds.

"I am a being of chaos, fueled by spite and antidepressants"

Every 10 years, the sunbearer trials are held, with ten semidioses participating. The winner becomes the new sunbearer and replenishes the sunstones so the sun doesn't die out. The loser gets sacrificed.

Usually, only gold semidioses are chosen to participate. These are the children of the most powerful gods, who can shoot fire out of their hands or move earth, things like that.

This time, there are two jade semidoses chosen to participate. Teo, and Xio, the son of the god of bad luck who has no powers. Meanwhile, Teo can talk to birds. Together with Teo's best friend Niya, the gold daughter of the earth god, they will have to fight to survive against much more powerful semidioses.

@alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @astriefer @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @beyondlifebeyonddeath @ikissedsmithparker

[internationalmovers]

Bringing Your Pet to Great Britain: A Complete Guide for Pet Owners

Moving to Great Britain with a pet? Whether you're bringing a dog, cat, or ferret, it’s essential to follow the correct steps to ensure a smooth journey for your furry friend.

Using a trusted pet transport company like JCS Pets can simplify the process. Their expertise in approved routes ensures a smooth entry for you and your pet.

Essential Steps for Bringing Your Pet to Great Britain

The following guidelines apply to pet dogs, cats, and ferrets entering England, Wales, or Scotland. They also cover travel for assistance and guide dogs. Note that specific guidance applies if you’re traveling to Northern Ireland, if you have other types of pets, or if you’re entering the UK from Ukraine with pets.

Important: Certain dog breeds are prohibited in Great Britain unless they hold a valid Certificate of Exemption. Always confirm if your pet qualifies before making travel arrangements.

Step 1: Check Your Route

Ensure your entry route into Great Britain is approved for pet travel. If you’re traveling within the UK or from Ireland, approved routes are not required. Those with guide or assistance dogs may have additional route options available.

Step 2: Microchip Your Pet

Before getting the rabies vaccine, your pet must be microchipped. This is a critical step to verify their identity and match vaccination records.

Step 3: Vaccinate Against Rabies

Your pet needs to be vaccinated against rabies. Ensure that at least 21 days have passed since the initial or most recent rabies vaccination before they enter Great Britain.

Step 4: Obtain a Pet Travel Document

You’ll need to secure a pet travel document from your veterinarian. The specific document depends on the country you’re traveling from, so be sure to ask your vet which paperwork applies to your situation.

Step 5: Tapeworm Treatment for Dogs

If you’re bringing a dog, they’ll need a tapeworm treatment administered by a vet between 24 hours and 5 days before arrival in Great Britain.

Step 6: Complete a Declaration Form

You must fill out a declaration if you’re not planning to sell or transfer ownership of your pet. This form ensures that your pet is entering the UK as a family companion.

Additional Considerations: Balai Rules

If you’re rehoming, selling, or transferring ownership of your pet, or if they’re arriving more than five days before or after you, additional regulations (known as Balai rules) apply.

Balai rules also apply if you’re bringing more than five pets unless you’re attending an event like a competition or show. Ensure you still meet the requirements for microchipping, rabies vaccination, and tapeworm treatment under these circumstances.

Authorizing Another Person to Travel with Your Pet

If your pet will be traveling with someone else, provide written authorization for their journey.

Working with a professional pet transport service like JCS Pets can make this process easy, offering peace of mind and confidence that your pet is in safe hands.

What Happens If You Don’t Follow These Rules?

Failure to meet the necessary requirements may lead to your pet being placed in quarantine for up to four months or refused entry if arriving by sea. Any associated fees are the owner's responsibility, so double-check all steps to avoid unexpected charges.

Why Choose JCS Pets for Your Pet Transport Needs?

JCS Pets specializes in international pet transport, focusing on the welfare and comfort of your pet throughout the journey. With a deep understanding of UK pet entry regulations, they ensures that every document, vaccination, and route is fully compliant, reducing stress and making the transition smoother for you and your pet.

By following these guidelines and using a trusted pet shipping service like JCS Pets, you can ensure your pet’s journey to Great Britain is smooth, safe, and comfortable.

[robertleechestateagents]

Amazing Facts About Reigate

We may all think that we know Reigate like the back of our hand but maybe not… here are a few interesting, if not surprising, facts about our beloved town.

On the Rocks

If you were a teenager in the 80’s, Reigate was the not the hub of excitement that it is today. There was no Mishiko’s or Joules but if you were in the know the place to go was On the Rocks, a subterranean nightclub in caves beneath the one-way system – where the Reigate Kebab Shop now stands. The entrance was to a small wine bar but it gave no clue to what was going on below. My own, vague, memory is watching a band while drinking Singapore Slings, it was dark and musty but quite an experience! The club later became Batchelors but sadly was shut down in 1994 due to health & safety reasons and it is believed that these particular caves had to be filled due the traffic going up to the M25.

Churchill Loved Reigate

Throughout history, Reigate and the North Downs have played an important part in the defence of Great Britain. Just 20 miles south of London, this stronghold has the strategic advantage of extensive views southwards, stone, chalk and sand quarries, underground tunnels and hidden byways disguised by plenty of tree cover. This was all familiar territory to Winston Churchill, who became Prime Minister soon after the start of World War II. Over several decades he visited the town, including the grand Georgian manor house on Church Street which is now home to Jack Wills and his signature can also be seen in the guest book of Reigate Priory. The Churchills were often weekend party guests at the Priory, then owned by the former Admiral of World War One, Earl Beatty and his wife.

After the war,m Winston left his legacy in the form of his pet blue & gold macaw Charlie, who rumour had it; lived in an aviary off Flanchford Road until the ripe old age of 105!

The Unusual Church on the Heath

The iconic windmill on Reigate Heath is actually a church. Part of At Mary’s Parish the windmill is thought to be the only one in England consecrated as a church. Regular monthly services are held in the Mill Church during the summer months on a Sunday evening, as well as occasional services throughout the year. The church also holds a popular afternoon Christmas Carol Service each December.

Reigate Heath’s Murky Past

Reigate Heath has had an eventful history; 200 years ago it was a wild unfriendly place, covered with gorse and heather. Woe betide the hapless traveller who ventured into the area on their way from Reigate to Dorking. Highwaymen and brigands lay in wait and it is rumoured that the chimney of a local tavern, ‘The Skimmington Castle’, was used as a look-out post by the robbers to spot their victims approach.

But anyone who was caught and convicted as a highwayman was guaranteed to meet their end on the Heath too. A gibbet was erected at a site now called ‘Galley Hill’, which was named after the gallows which once stood there. Local legend has it, a former landlord of the nearby Black Horse pub in West Street, was hung there after being convicted of highway robbery.

Reigate’s very own Natural History Museum

Behind a wall at the beginning of Croydon Road is one of the UK’s oldest natural history societies. Founded in 1857 the Holmesdale Natural History Club holds a fascinating collection of natural history, archaeology, local history and geology collections. Exhibits range from medieval drainpipes and giant fossil ammonites to an extensive collection of Victorian and Edwardian stuffed birds and locally produced Roman tiles – complete with the footprint of a local Roman dog.

For more information including opening times visit www.hnhc.org.uk

Reigate’s 13 Most Famous Residents

Dame Margot Fonteyn – prima donna ballerina, was born in Reigate in 1919

Spike Milligan – writer and comedian, used to live at Woodhatch in Orchard Way

Norman Cook – Superstar DJ raised in Reigate and attended Reigate Grammar School

David Walliams – TV personality, Author attended Reigate Grammar School

Guy and Howard Lawrence, together as a band known under the alias Disclosure, both born and live in Reigate

Newton Faulkner – English singer-songwriter and musician born in the town

George Best – Manchester United and Northern Ireland football player lived his last years near Reigate

Melvyn Hayes – aka Gloria in It Ain’t Half Hot Mum was a resident of Glovers Road

Cliff Mitchlemore – presenter of the BBC Holiday programme,

Jane Slaughter – Tracey the barmaid from Eastenders.

Phil Tuffnell – Cricketer lives near Reigate

Max Chiltern – British racing driver born and lived in Reigate

Ray Mears – English woodsman, author and TV presenter attended Reigate Grammar School

Want to find out more about how the Robert Leech Reigate team can help you with your property needs visit here.

Content source - https://www.robertleech.com/amazing-facts-about-reigate/

[petnews2day]

Minister Poots confirms delay to pet travel checks

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/SYXUC

Minister Poots confirms delay to pet travel checks

DAERA Minister Edwin Poots MLA, today announced a delay to the introduction of pet travel checks at NI points of entry until at least 1 October 2021. As a result of the Northern Ireland (NI) Protocol, pet travellers moving from Great Britain (GB) to NI are now required to adhere to the pet travel rules […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/SYXUC #PetTravelNews

[rockythebullterrier]

New pet travel rules coming for journeys from Great Britain to Northern Ireland

Pet owners in Great Britain now have clear guidance on travelling with their pets to Northern Ireland. The UK government has outlined requirements for bringing dogs, cats, and ferrets from England, Scotland, and Wales to Northern Ireland, addressing questions about pet passports and necessary documents. Earlier this month, the UK government published its policy paper on the Windsor Framework. The…

[rabbitcruiser]

National Hug Your Hound Day

Give your own hound a big hug on Hug a Hound Day, consider adoption, or volunteer at a dog shelter to make sure these dogs get the love they deserve.

Dogs have been standing alongside man since the dawn of history, being one of the first, if not the first, animal that we ever domesticated. Since then they’ve been warm and loving companions, loyal workers, and stalwart defenders of our homes and families. Hug Your Hound Day reminds you that your four legged companion deserves recognition, and the importance of building the bond between you by understanding how life is when you see it from four legs.

History of Hug Your Hound Day Hug Your Hound Day was originally created by Ami Moore, the “Dog Whisperer of Chicago” to remind people of the importance of having a long and lasting bond between you and your pet. She has a long history and amazing qualifications that have led to her being one of the world’s most famous dog experts. Trained as a Native American Medicine Woman, and carrying a list of qualifications so long you’d need three cans of alphabet soup to spell them out, Ami sought to increase the health and happiness of canines through the creation of Hug Your Hound Day.

Ami has specialized in working with canine behavior and problem solving, and even worked to pioneer the concept of positive reinforcement using electronic dog training equipment to motivate a dog’s natural drive to follow a strong leader. Through the development and use of her techniques, she’s helped to curb unwanted behaviors in dogs all over the world. From destroying furniture, jumping on guests, even dealing with curing separation anxiety and socializing them so they’re no longer aggressive to people and other dogs. Hug Your Hound Day is about learning how to make your relationship with your pet that much better, and Ami Moore is the world’s leading expert on safe and humane techniques.

How to celebrate Hug Your Hound Day First, give that lovable ball of fur and teeth a hug and tell them how much you love them. Then take some time thinking about how their world looks from down low, surrounded by us lumbering two-leggers with everything built too high for them. From that point you can start figuring out what kind of problems they have, anything from potty issues to chewing through the dry wall, and seek out ways to help curb them. Most negative behaviors are signs of an unhappy pet, and Hug Your Hound Day is all about making sure your canines are happy and healthy!

Source

[servants-hall]

Wigan character actress unrecognisable in new All Creatures Great and Small role

After two hours in make-up, a veteran Wigan character actress will be virtually unrecognisable in her latest TV role.

via: Wigan Today

Viewers will have to look closely to realise that Granny Binks, in episode 1 of the new series of All Creatures Great and Small, is being played by Ince’s own Pam Shaw.

But she says she had a hoot filming her scenes up in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and working alongside Nicholas Ralph, who plays vet James Herriot in the much-loved Channel 5 drama which returns to our screens at 9pm on October 5.

It’s wartime and Granny Binks lives in a hovel with grandson Wesley whom she has raised in his parents’ absence. The RSPCA gets involved – and then the vets - when concerns are raised for the welfare of Wesley’s dog Duke when in fact Wesley is starving himself to feed his beloved pet.

Pam, whose previous screen appearances include Alien Autopsy, Shameless, Britain’s Got The Pop Factor and Eric and Ernie, said she was given the Rolls-Royce treatment.

She added: “It was lovely. I got executive travel to and from the location in Thirsk where we filmed; I was very well looked-after all round. Nicholas Ralphs was very friendly too.

"It took four or five days because we had to keep coming back because of bad weather. But it was a great experience. It was a challenge to get the part and I was pleased when I did.”

Pam will also be appearing in the upcoming Andrew Buchan comedy thriller series Passenger, some of which has been filmed at Haigh Woodland Park, and has also recently shot a Morrison’s cafe commercial.

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Big Group Resorts In Isle Of Wight, England Publication Online

As you just stroll along the winding roadway, pick up afternoon tea at the icing-pink Old Thatch Teashop, put into a hearty Sunday roast at The Village Inn as well as swing by Pencil Home for a memento. The enchanting poets Keats as well as Longfellow made use of to get their creating stationery right here, therefore the shop's name. The Isle of Wight is hailed as the "dinosaur capital of Britain" many thanks to the impressive range of fossils that have been-- and also continue to be-- uncovered, going back countless years. Kids as well as adults alike can appreciate walking throughout Compton Bay at reduced tide, where dinosaur footprints appear. There are different useful assisted strolls and talks, so you can actually suss out your flint from your fossil.

Unfortunately there are no garage readily available for guests of the very best Western New Holmwood Hotel. Here, you can choose in between vacationing in the island's major communities or recharging your batteries in seaside resorts as well as serene towns. Luccombe Estate Country House Resort, Villa Mentone Hotel and also Lakeside Park Resort & Health spa are the best resorts with a jacuzzi in Isle of Wight. Island of Wight, like various other island locations, is famous for sea-based delicacies and specialities. Nevertheless, it is the seasonings and also flavours of the UK that make it attract attention.

What Facilities Are Most Prominent For Vacation Services On The Island Of Wight?

A fantastic fresh ready morning meal was given our Lodge as well as we ate on our terrace. Direct accessibility via the Garden right into Northwood Park was a nice bonus. The hosts were terrific, really valuable as well as absolutely nothing was too much trouble. Providing sea views, a terrace and complimentary WiFi, Pebble Lodges lies in Gurnard, 24 km from Blackgang Chine and 7.5 km from Carisbrooke Castle. Aimee is an internal Elderly Traveling Editor at Rough Guides as well as is the podcast host of The Harsh Overview to All Over. She is additionally a freelance traveling writer as well as has actually written for numerous online as well as print publications, consisting of a manual to the Island of Wight.

If you are taking a trip with a pet on the Isle of Wight - 14% of services are pet-friendly.

Commonly, selecting the hotel is just as essential as choosing the real holiday destination as well as this list helps to highlight some of those that provide an absolutely remarkable experience.

This popular holiday location is simply off England's South Shore, as well as is actually very easy to get to.

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Be cautious, there is a danger of Place Hall moving you to a Mediterranean desire.

Do not miss out on the resort's buzzy, laidback seafood restaurant, The Oyster Shop, which overlooks its garden, where you'll likewise find a tiny swimming pool. This is a 2nd glamorous hotel stay opportunity on the Island of Wight. It offers attractive rooms and also superb food, in addition to a terrific area in the village of Yarmouth.

Best Western New Holmwood Hotel (cowes, Island Of Wight): Place And Also Distance

Resort room in a high-end hotel with an outstanding score of 89% based on 1430 reviews. Hotel area in a deluxe resort with an exceptional ranking of 94% based upon 12 reviews. Resort area listing in a 3-star resort with an exceptional ranking of 88% based upon 1554 reviews. The Isle of Wight is an unique vacation location that has actually held long-lasting appeal for centuries. The Royal Hotel ticks great deals of boxes, with its gorgeous outside, wonderful sea sights, buzzy bar and wise restaurant, however it's the range of the resort which has actually chosen the category for us. [newline] With its 52 areas as well as collections, there's great deals of option when it concerns room setup, and the family collections are very roomy.

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Unsurprisingly, the vistas are terrific; ditto the neighborhood coastal strolls and also cycling. Numerous of the areas are dog-friendly and there are six electrical bikes offered for hire to guests. The Garlic Ranch uses a wide range of wonderful self-catering holiday accommodation; from cottages and converted stable blocks, to a collection of five family enjoyable yurts. All the alternatives are wonderfully preserved as well as spotlessly clean, with private auto parking and also very easy accessibility.

Pink Beach Holiday Homes

The most effective animal friendly resorts in Island of Wight are The Wight Mouse Inn, One Holyrood and also The Royal Hotel. One Holyrood, The Belmont and The Royal Hotel are amongst the best hotels with a swimming pool in Island of Wight. Services and centers consist of a dining establishment, a sauna as well as an elevator. Capitalize on the balcony in this hotel in Shanklin.