#hurst castle

[stinkyalpacakingdom]

[dansnaturepictures]

29/01/2023-Shore Lark and more at Hurst Spit and a look at Keyhaven (Part 1 of 2-The story of the trip)

We came to Hurst Spit to look for the Shore lark today and were amazed to see this well decorated and special bird flitting around in the stones in quite the camouflage, a smashing bird. We got some great views of it to begin with on the stones then saw it fly, seeing it again in dashing sunshine further up. What a bird to see, it’s only the second time I’ve ever seen one after Hayling Island in October 2016 and it’s the milestone 130th bird of my year and what a fitting species for that. I feel so amazed to reach this figure inside January, the first time I ever have got here inside a month in a splendid start to my birding year. Shore lark as only the second I’ve ever seen adds to my first ever Sabine’s Gull and only my third ever Scaup - a nice thing to get one of all three - in a strong crop of top birds I’ve seen this month. This stunning Shore lark is one of my birds of the year so far. I took the second picture in this photoset of the Shore lark and with quite a high photo yield today I have done a second post with ten more pictures I took of the Shore lark as I took loads of it and the link to that post is here: https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/707814653679550464/29012023-post-2-of-2-ten-more-pictures-i-took. 

On the stones flitting around it’s reminiscent of the types of views we’ve been so lucky to have of Snow Buntings over the years. In 2016 weeks after Shore lark was a life tick for me Snow Bunting was so I always associate the two with each other even if I’ve gone onto see Snow Buntings a lot more. It was great to speak to many others watching this bird today including people we know/have seen before and it was good to see some of them engaging other people in the bird including warning unaware walkers that might have been on course to unintentionally disturb the bird. At this spot also it was good to see some scrumptious looking Brent Geese I took the sixth picture in this photoset of some, marvellous multi-coloured Shelducks, shining Dunlin groups I took the seventh picture in this photoset of some, Grey Plover and Redshank in nice light. Here we also saw; lots of Mute Swans, possible Wigeon a way out, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Black-headed Gull and Meadow Pipit. We had a little look at nearby Keyhaven before the end having not been here for a while where the sight of a flock of Brent Geese almost doing a murmuration flying together in the air, doing a bit of a circuit then flying right over our head was a sight to behold. What a breathtaking moment watching these wondrous birds and hearing their evocative honks I was so immersed and fixated on them in that moment. This natural winter spectacle has long been something I’ve adored and one of the things that epitomises winter for me, them doing this at Farlington Marshes in my childhood hooked me on the species in those crucial days of my birdwatching interest growing, but I thought a few weeks ago I’d not had the moment where I saw this and really had them right over for a while so it was good to feel the splendour of seeing it. It was good to see them a few times on the little walk here in the air and coming onto the sea wonderful time spent with a favourite bird of mine. I took the ninth picture in this photoset of the big group flying.  Also at Keyhaven we were treated to some stonking views of Ravens on the path, nearby and flying into the air like a jet, seeing their epic scale and regal features, majestic corvid beauties which it was an honour to see so well hearing one bark too. It was good to see Little Grebes a key bird across this weekend as well and Pied Wagtail, with Mallard, Shelduck again I’ve had a top weekend for seeing these and Buzzard in a tree seen here too. Lichen, teasel seed heads, more nice cleavers lately and gorse in flower were lovely to see at Keyhaven, with nice leaves in the stones of Hurst Spit. There were some stunning coastal views at both sites today, with marsh, mudflat, stoney habitats and fields blending seamlessly. Hurst Castle was a beautiful focal point of the landscape glowing in the winter sunlight, being so close to the Isle of Wight near the castle the closest you can be to the island from land making out the features we often see from afar at Lymington-Keyhaven Nature Reserve in focus close up was great with the Needles made out well. At Keyhaven the sun lowering created beautiful and enticing sky scenes. I took the first, third, fourth and fifth pictures in this photoset of views at Hurst Spit, eighth of a view from there with dark sky and tenth and final picture in this photoset of the sun going down at Keyhaven.

On the way here it was nice to see a Buzzard in a tree by the railway line as I saw on Thursday, Roe Deer again and a waxing gibbous moon I believe, a Buzzard soaring soon mobbed by a crow at dusk over a field on the way back with Starling seen at home this morning. A fantastic packed and wild weekend again, I hope you all have a good week.

[allinonedemo]

Los Angeles Landscape Concrete Pavers

Design concepts for a medium-sized, traditionally landscaped backyard with partial sun in the spring.

[carcinomas]

Pond Los Angeles Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in spring.

[patchworkgirlfriend]

Los Angeles Traditional Landscape Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in spring.

[maxexplores]

Concrete Pavers Backyard Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in spring.

[nadiajustbe]

@callonpeevesie

THANK YOU.

Honestly, no contempt for movie-only fans, but this guys can be... pretty funny with about zero understanding of the book characters besides what they read once in a TikTok comments. Movie is so different from the books that they're just NOT comparable, when you don't want do point out the difference or/and make a joke. Really, Howell Jenkins is not your "that's my girl" perfect fantasy guy with an American accent, just...have him and leave peacefully, no one tries to take him from your bare hands. Movie is beatiful and charming as it's own story. You can love the story without trying to justify it in book-only (or mixed) fans, trust me, we're good/nonneg.

(Sometimes I'm also sure that the guys who says so either didn't read the book or have read it once five years ago and also the same guys who try to point out Howl's "red flags" like the worst person in the world. Just. Reread it. Pls. Not everyone has to be perfect, in fact, no one is perfect. That's not that big of a deal, that's what good about book Howl)

YES THEY DID MAKE HER A VILLAIN IN THE MOVIE. Moreover, they mixed her and Ben (and partly the King) into a character called ms. Suliman, wich is...what was wrong with ms. Pentstemmon? You have already made her into an old Howl's mentor, that's basically her just evil. I know this name is difficult to pronounse, but let's be honest — we can all just call her "ms. P" and move on. And also yeah, Howl loves ms. Pentstemmon as a mentor (and maybe even partly mother-like) figure, she was the first person to meet him in the new world, the only person to get his "painfully ordinary name" right AND she is the one who gave him everything he wanted to learn. He would make her a hero, but def not a villain.

OH YES. Everytime I heard this part of the quote I thought it was about her "seeing" the story and narrating it this way — after all, it's her POV written there, but If they mean that it's how she would tell the story, like, to someone else? Using fist person pronoun? God, no. She was already a unreliable narrator, putting as much of her personal thoughts in a third person POV, trying not to give readers any info about her feelings for Howl. They think If she had a chance to actually tell she wouldn't be even more unreliable??? They think she would sit there and sincerely say:

"Yeah I accidentally charmed Howl's suit to attract ladies and though it worked really really good on me but turned out he was just hot and I was so angry because of it, that I threw a bucket of weed killer onto his head and almost unalived him..."

HOWL is the one who's gonna tell that, in every possible detail, lovingly and mockingly using Alice in the Wonderland references no one understands. Sophie is the one who's gonna avoid it at all costs. She would be, in fact, so pissed because of her long denial phase I doubt she would touch on this at all, resulting people asking where all this live story Howl was talking about at.

She would add that he gave him a flower field and she appreciated it as much as she could with all his "horrible ways" (because don't tell me she wouldn't use the opportunity to of her retelling mock Howl as much as he mocked her in his, describing all the layers of dust on his bed and repeatedly noting that he couldn't play the guitar.), but would not mention that her first thought of "apprecation" was "This flowers smells like Howl right from the bathroom)

(Probably the "annoyed but loving" expression was the main thing to convince the audience that she in fact DOES really loves this horrible man, and there was a love story. Like she tries but she can't hide it. The main problem of Sophie throughout the book is that she really down bad for this man and not like something can change it. Is she gonna tell about it in all the details? NO LOL.)

She is the girlfailure and girlboss. Howl, in contrast, is just a failure. And a loser. Don't let him trick you with his cool wizard carer, it doesn't change anything. Too bad she loves him. Too bad they actually do suit each other in their flawed insanity.

But yes. The book is how Sophie narrates the story, def not how she would tell it. This is two really different things.

Don't think I'm finished on "Movie is how Howl tells the story..." statement. Because it's fundamentally wrong.

Look, I get it when you want to say that the hmc movie is its own story with an original plot — because it is, mostly, the only things that remain are the concept and some hits given here in there that lead to nowhere. However, movie is absolutely not how Howl would tell the story. It is, in fact, pretty opposite of it in some aspects.

Even when talking about Howl self-image, wich started it all, I think people keep forgetting how self-aware Howl can be. He knows he's vain and cowardly and an absolute loser and he doesn't want to be respectful whatsoever. He even tells Michael that, quote

“I know I’m slapdash, but there's no need for you to copy me"

And the whole ending sequence is just him being honest with Sophie and telling her the truth about who he thinks he is and his weaknesses. He pretty much states all he flanks are weak — he knows it, and it is true. Would he try to make it all more romantic and cool and so he would make himself seem less of a loser? Yes, absolutely. Would he make it by erasing absolutely everything about his character being unique and standing out turning it into a whole-blown "love peace not war" story? Absolutely not.

He may not mention him getting with another women every week, that's true. But he wouldn't leave out his stupidly-"romantic" nature while he was doing so, and he would not leave the guitar courting stuff out just because it's connected to it, gosh, he thinks it's cool.

Yes, he is quoting Shakespeare and John Dohn and he is poetic and sometimes overly romantise thinks to make it more dramatic, but that does not mean he's gonna achieve it by leaving out all his shenanigans whatsoever. Also, note, he does not want to be seen perfect by everyone, just by ones he thinks is important to him or his life or his stupid decisions. After all, he was the one who started the rumors about Wizard Howl being a heart-eater. He was the one to ask Sophie to blaken his name — to show him in the worst light possible.

"He wants to be seen perfect by everyone" is such a... mediocre analysis of his character, honestly, it might work with appearance, in Ingary at least, but personality wise. He want to be seen so only when it benefits him and people he thinks highly of. When he thinks that too high thoughts about him would bring him into trouble, give him unwanted attention or make him actually works, that his last wish ever. That's the whole subplot of the book — Howl does not want to be seen too good by the king because it's gonna lead him somewhere he doesn't want to be. Hell, he even denies doing something just because he wanted to help, saying that he "did it for money".

(it doesn't mean he wants people to see him as someone great, it's just that's pretty selective and his "perfect" persona is as fake as his "horrible wizard one)

Movie!Howl might be Book!Howl propaganda, but definitely not ALL of him. Some parts, some scenes, some moments might work (and that's actually the most accurate thing out of all statement), but I don't personally think this is the EXACT way Howl would tell his character.

Him telling about Sophie is the whole other thing. He LOVES Sophie for how crazy and stubborn and nosy and moody she can be — there's NO WAY he's not gonna give weed killer a half an hour or screen time just to talk about what haos of a woman his wife is. Yes, some of them might not fit into his "perfect picture" but he loves Sophie, and he loves what she does with this "perfect picture" and he's gonna give another hour on them bantering just because Sophie is being Sophie. He's NOT gonna leave out everything he loves about Sophie making her kind-hearted quiet protagonist with one mean line, the ones she was supposed to be the opposite, the caricature of.

There's also no way he would make Michael into a... white about six years old child? He may see him younger than Sophie does due to them growing up in a different environments, true, but 1) not that much 2) the whole thing about Michael is that he's the most responsible adult-like person in the whole Castle, despite being the youngest of all them, and Howl also KNOWS that. Also there's no need to change his skin or hair colour, as well as making him having no role in the story. I don't think he'll mention Michael trying to catch a star because of his nephew's homework — this is embarrassing, after all, but there's so MUCH more of Michael than that.

He's not gonna may ms. Pentstemmon a villain of any kind. Letting alone mixing her with Ben for some reason (who to hell is ms. Suliman, seriously?? W H Y). He highly respects her, to the point he's ready to attend her funeral even If it's gonna make him dead. If anything, he's gonna show her figure even more heroic than she is, maybe adding a whole sequence with her heroicly fighting with WoTW and loosing with an epic SGI. But making her a villain? No. Just not. There's no reason for that.

There's also no WAY he wouldn't mention Wales. He LOVES his country, he outright states it with "I love Wales but Wales doesn't love me" quote. Yes, there's jokes about Megan being a war metaphor, but Wales is not just Megan — it's also Mari, Niel, his old rugby team, his childhood and teen years, his memories and his experience. He would not make that portal If there was no things he wants to go back for — it's such an obvious weakness of his that WoTW notices it right away. He may not mention getting drunk before a fight, but he's gonna mention Wales.

(also I think people exaggerate Howl's hate for Megan. Yes, their relationship are far from perfect, but they still talk, she lest him go into her house announced and her family is what triggers him to fight with his evil ex in the first place. They may not be on a good terms but they DIDN'T cut off their connection. And "hate" is def not the word for that. Don't forget his first reaction to Sophie being in danger in CITA is "send her to Wales to his sister". He sees Wales as safe and reliable place, this is his first solution for dangerous situations. Even when he's not the biggest fan of his sister herself.)

He's also not gonna leave the sister subplot simply cause it was funny. He may change WoTW because he doesn't like her but he's not gonna make her live with them and feed her with a spoon, for the God's sake, that's disgusting. Him making himself Ingarian is the last thing he would do. He would NEVER.

(he's also not gonna leave out Shakespeare quoting in the sake of "romantise sequence you guys are talking about.)

Also, he could not care less about the war. I've seen a war with my own eyes, and... this is really, eh, too optimistic image of it I might say. Somehow realistic in showing it, but not by the way it provides solution, honestly. "Let's all just create love and King's gonna cancel war" IT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS. NO.

When he did attend war in CITA, he literally have won it by bringing IBUPROFEN onto the war field. Ibuprofen and bandages. What a "all-giving" reckless hero, really.

Book!Howl is a caricature to everything Movie! Howl is, and otherwise would not tell the story providing cliches he himself is the opposite of. He's a loser and an idiot and we love him for that.

It's two completely different stories. There's no need to connect them. Please.

[nerdyrevelries]

Okay, so I have had this idea for a crack pairing, and I need to share it. 

The year is 1816. Napoleon has been exiled on Saint Helena and mainland Europe is once again safe to travel. Caroline Bingley, her sister Louisa Hurst, and her brother-in-law Mr. Hurst decide to summer in the Carpathian Mountains, which have been relatively untouched by the recent conflicts. While there mingling with the local nobility at a ball, Caroline meets Count Vlad Dracula. The two marry after a short courtship where others applaud the suitability of the pairing of Caroline’s fortune and Count Dracula’s land and title.

Caroline arrives at her new husband’s castle for the first time and finds it a mess, but Caroline Dracula is not to be daunted. With all the experience of a woman who has been assisting her brother in his estate running for years prior to his marriage, Caroline sets about getting the castle in tip-top shape. New furniture and upholstery is ordered, stonework is repaired, and styles are updated. If the Count is adverse to these updates, Caroline is not inclined to notice. She is mistress of the house now, she need not consult her husband in its appointment. 

Dracula is puzzled by the reactions of his new wife. When she encounters his wolves, she refuses to be frightened and simply cites her prior experience with her brother’s hunting dogs as she tells the wolves to heel, and they actually listen to her. If he crawls about the walls, she chides him for his behavior, saying that he is displaying a lack of manners. No matter what he does, though either a self-centered obliviousness or a prideful and bossy manner that refuses to accept that she might be less than prepared for anything, Caroline will not be frightened by Dracula. The Count is at a complete loss for how to handle her.

Anyway, time passes, hijinks happen, and eventually Count Dracula falls in love with his Countess and ends up changing to conform to her. The two possible endings that I see for this are that either Caroline remains completely oblivious to what her husband is for her entire life or she becomes a vampire and the two of them terrorize the country as equals. 

The end.

[aliteraryprincess]

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

I was tagged by @bookcub. Thank you! ❤️

Number of books you’ve read so far: 56

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024: So I'm not actually done with it yet, but Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath by Heather Clark. It's fantastic! I'm a little less than halfway through (it's over 1000 pages), but I already know it's going to be my top book of the year, unless something really, REALLY special comes along.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett with The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic as a close second.

New release you haven’t read yet but want to: The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black, which is the sequel to The Stolen Heir. I just haven't gotten my hands on it yet.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: The Trouble with Mrs. Montgomery Hurst by Katie Lumsden! It's coming out in July, and I'm anxiously waiting for my pre-order to arrive. I read her debut book The Secrets of Hartwood Hall last year and loved it.

Biggest surprise favorite new author (debut or new to you): I don't consider an author a real favorite unless I've loved three or more of their books, but I think Devony Looser will end up being a favorite. I read and adored Sister Novelists: The Trailblazing Porter Sisters Who Paved the Way for Austen and the Brontës, and now I need to get my hands on the rest of her books.

Newest fictional crush: I don't have one.

Book that made you cry: Nothing has actually made me cry yet, but Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura made me pretty emotional.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): My copies of the brand new Norton Anthology of English Literature 11th edition! They are so stunning, and I adore them. And I got them for free as desk copies! I can't take a picture right now, but I'll post one soon. I'm truly in love with them.

Book that made you happy: The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic. Just it's existence makes me happy! I never thought we'd get another All for the Game book!

What books do you need to read by the end of the year? Hahahaha...too many. But for the absolute must-get-to ones: The Doctor's Wife by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Ariadne by Ouida, Sensational Victorian: The Life & Fiction of Mary Elizabeth Braddon by Robert Lee Wolf, and The Moors and the Fens by Charlotte Riddell. They're all for my dissertation.

I'm tagging (no pressure, of course): @oldshrewsburyian, @thequeerlibrarian, @dauen, and @appleinducedsleep.

[logi1974]

Südengland 2023 - Tag 10

Ladies and Gentlemen! 

Heute fahren wir nach Yarmouth und schauen uns dort schon einmal den Fähranleger an, über den wir die Isle of Wight wieder verlassen werden.

Der Ort ist äußerst überschaubar und direkt neben dem Fähranleger liegt die alte Festung Yarmouth Castle. 

1545 überfiel eine französische Flotte den Solent vor der Isle of Wight. Heinrich VIII. beschloss aus Angst vor zukünftigen Überfällen, die Verteidigung entlang des Kanals zwischen Hampshire und der Insel zu verstärken.

Er baute Hurst Castle auf dem Festland, um die westliche Zufahrt zum Solent zu bewachen, und Yarmouth Castle auf der Insel. Die Festung wurde innerhalb kürzester Zeit erbaut. 

Es wurde im September 1547 fertiggestellt und war das letzte Fort, das von Heinrich VIII. als Teil seines Küstenverteidigungssystems gebaut wurde, zu dem auch die Schlösser Deal und Walmer auf dem Festland gehörten.

Yarmouth unterschied sich sehr von anderen „henricianischen“ Forts;  es war die erste Burg, die den neuen „Pfeilspitzen“-Artillerie-Bastion-Stil annahm - ein kurz zuvor in Italien erfundenes Bastionsdesign.

Es handelt sich um ein einfaches Quadrat, das abgewinkelt ist, um auf der Nord- und Westseite nach außen in den Solent zu ragen. Eine dicke Ringmauer schützte einen offenen Innenhof. Die Landseite wurde durch eine einzelne Bastion in der südöstlichen Ecke geschützt. 

Die Spitze der Pfeilspitze ist auf beiden Seiten durch Kanonenöffnungen geschützt. Die Pfeilspitzenbastion wurde aus einfachem Mauerwerk gebaut, aber das Design wurde später in anderen Burgen angepasst, um stärkere, mit Erde bedeckte Steine ​​zu verwenden.

Ein weiteres ungewöhnliches Merkmal in Yarmouth ist, dass es keinen zentralen Turm wie in Henrys (Heinrichs) anderen großen Burgen gibt.

Doch Yarmouth Castle wurde nicht nur gebaut, um sich gegen einen Seeangriff zu verteidigen. Der größte Teil seiner Feuerkraft konzentrierte sich auf die Solent- und Yar-Mündung, um sich vor einer Landung zu schützen. Aber wenn Eindringlinge woanders landeten und von der Landseite aus angriffen, brauchte die Burg zusätzliche Verteidigung.

Um dieser möglichen Bedrohung zu begegnen, umgab ein Wassergraben den Süden und Osten, der vom Meer gespeist wurde, und die pfeilköpfige Bastion bot flankierendes Feuer entlang des Wassergrabens.

In den darauf folgenden Jahrhunderten wurde Yarmouth Castle stark verändert. Die nördliche Hälfte des Hofes wurde mit Erde aufgefüllt, um eine Geschützbatterie zu errichten. 

Dadurch wurde der ursprüngliche Innenhof verkleinert, der jetzt kaum mehr als eine schmale Gasse zwischen der Batterie und dem landseitigen Eingang zu sein scheint.

Auf dem verbleibenden Platz befinden sich Reihen von Wohngebäuden, die im späten 16. und frühen 17. Jahrhundert hinzugefügt wurden. 

Es gibt Lagerräume, Garnisonsunterkünfte und das Haus eines Meisterschützen. Die Küche für das Haus des Meisterschützen ist in die Pfeilspitzenbastion eingebaut!

Die Burg wurde um 1670 umgebaut, als im Südflügel ein neuer Eingang eingefügt wurde und das ursprüngliche Osttor außer Gebrauch kam. 

Der Wassergraben wurde zugeschüttet und sein östlicher Teil in einen Garten für ein elegantes neues Haus verwandelt, das heutige George Hotel, das von Sir Robert Holmes, dem Gouverneur der Insel von 1668-1692, erbaut wurde.

Holmes war ein umstrittener Charakter, der das Gouverneursamt nach einer Marinekarriere erwarb, in der er mehr als einmal getadelt wurde, weil er niederländische Schiffe und Städte ohne Autorität angegriffen hatte. 

Während seiner langen Amtszeit als Gouverneur der Isle of Wight wurde Holmes beschuldigt, Lohnforderungen für seine Männer gefälscht und die Ladung von Schiffswracks illegal beschlagnahmt zu haben.

Die Burg war bis 1885 bewohnt, wurde dann aber nicht mehr genutzt und wird heute von der Denkmalpflege der English Heritage verwaltet.

Besucher betreten eine schmale Gasse hinter dem modernen Fährterminal. Zwischen einem indischen Restaurant und einem Fish & Chips Lokal geht es durch die Eingangspassage aus dem 17. Jahrhundert und in die Überreste des ursprünglichen Innenhofs. 

Zur Linken befindet sich ein kleines Magazin, in dem Fässer mit Schießpulver gelagert wurden. Dieser Bereich war ursprünglich als Unterkunft gedacht, wurde aber 1632 zu seiner heutigen Nutzung umgebaut.

Im Boden befinden sich Schleusenkanäle, die es dem Meerwasser ermöglichten, sich mit dem Wassergraben zu verbinden. Rechts vom Eingang befindet sich das Haus des Kanoniermeisters mit einem eigenen kleinen Salon und einer Halle.

Ein Durchgang führt von der Halle zum kleinen Küchenbereich, der in die landseitige Bastion eingebaut ist. Dies ist eine ziemlich skurrile Kammer mit einem Kamin und Kochgelegenheiten, wie man es auch bei einer “Küche” erwarten würden.

Nur gibt es hier zusätzlich noch Waffen, die sorgfältig ausgerichtet waren, um strategisch platzierte Salven abzufeuern, um den Landgraben zu verteidigen. Wie die Anwohner mit der Gefahr umgingen, dass Funken aus dem Küchenbrand Schießpulver entzünden konnten, ist nicht überliefert!

Zurück im Innenhof kann man eine Treppe zur Batterie hinaufsteigen, die etwa die Hälfte des Geländes einnimmt. Hier sind mehrere große Kanonen montiert, die alle in den Solent zeigen.

Die beste Stelle, um wirklich einen Eindruck von der Burganlage zu bekommen, befindet sich überhaupt nicht innerhalb der Burg, sondern am Pier von Yarmouth, der sich direkt neben der Burg weit in den Solent hinein erstreckt.

Wenn man auf den Pier hinausgehen, sich umdreht und zurück blickt, kann man sehr gut sehen, wie die Burg in den Kanal hineinragt und wie die Verteidigung angeordnet ist.

Für uns geht es jetzt wieder zurück nach Shanklin, denn wir müssen noch packen und unseren ganzen Kram irgendwie wieder in das Auto bekommen.

Good Night!

Angie, Micha und Mr. Bunnybear (Hasenbär)

[divine-godling]

WIP TITLE: Now I Devour

GENRE: Dark, high fantasy.

POV: 3rd Person Limited

TRIGGER WARNINGS: major character death / child abandonment / mommy issues / daddy issues / fathers falling into their grief / horrible ways to raise children / missing people / abandonment issues / murder / blood / bodily harm / self - harm / blood magic / betrayal / terminal illness / graphic descriptions of violence.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: new adult to adult

TROPES: found family, the ultimate betrayal, "I had to do it", deep seated anger, strangers to allies to friends to lovers to enemies.

SYNOPSIS: Hate was something that Soraya Reeves learned from an early age - hate for her mother, who left her and her twin when they were three, hate for her father, who lost himself to lure of greed given to him by the crown, and hate for her twin, Idalia, who doesn't seem to care about the state of the kingdom. Most of all, Soraya hates the witch that visits her dreams.

When Idalia disappears with no trace, Soraya rushes to tell her father about the strange witch visiting her dreams with warnings of Idalia's imminent death. Her father waves off her words, laughing with his lords. Soraya decided to go save Idalia herself.

But searching for her sister proves nearly impossible without having any clues as to where Idalia is.

When she sneaks from the castle, against her father's wishes, Soraya meets Cyrus and Aratrika, traveling hands for hire willing to help her find Idalia. Together, they search around Asteria in hopes that there are any signs of Idalia's whereabouts. But searching for someone who disappeared without a trace leaves little to use when searching for them.

Soraya is not deterred, determined to find her sister, even though many tell her that Idalia does not want to be found, desperate to get away from a kingdom she never wanted to rule. But Soraya can't bring herself to let her already broken family fall apart even more, even if that means forcing Idalia to stay in the one place she hates the most.

THEME SONG: "Forsaken" by Adam Hurst

GOALS:

Write 50k words.

1,667 words written daily.

MAIN CHARACTERS: Soraya Reeves / Idalia Reeves / Cyrus Sawyer / Aratrika Lalle / Atari Namanni

[songstresstinyteacup]

An alternative to “Is the weight of it all finally too much?”

Okay, so this deals with implied suicide attempts, and panicky Sibella. Do with that as you will!

Of all the things Sibella had expected to see when she arrived at High Hurst castle that day, Monty pulling a soaking wet and half-frozen Phoebe D’ysquith Navarro from the river beyond the gardens wasn’t one of them.

Monty passed off Phoebe to Marietta and Gorby, stalking inside and forcing Sibella to whirl around to try and keep up with him as Miss Shingle and Gorby began escorting Phoebe back inside.

Sibella hadn’t even had the time to shed her coat and gloves.

“Monty! Monty, whatever’s happened?” Sibella inquired, heels slamming into the ground as she tried to keep pace with him.

Monty turned around, and Sibella saw so many emotions in his eyes.

Anger.

Grief.

Concern.

Fear.

“Phoebe tried to end her life today, Sibella.” Monty’s voice was hoarse and thick with tears, tears Sibella could see he was desperately trying to hold back.

Sibella’s heart plummeted through the floor.

“What?” Her words were breathless.

Phoebe.

Her Phoebe.

Phoebe had tried to die.

Monty threw his arms up, sleeves soaked clear up to his elbows, running damp fingers through snow-speckled hair, frustration in every movement.

Then Monty stepped aside and motioned Sibella into the library, and when she did as bid, he shut the door.

“Wh- I don’t- Oh Monty.” Sibella felt her own tears welling up.

Monty was silent, eerily silent, and then after such a long pause he spoke.

“I think Phoebe found out. I think she knows what I did to her brother.” Monty’s voice broke as he all but collapsed at his desk in the library.

Sibella’s heart sank even further.

Sibella had suspected for quite some time that Monty’s meteoric rise from displaced heir to Earl wasn’t simply a streak of good luck, and she had thought Phoebe had suspected too.

Maybe Phoebe had suspected, but perhaps Phoebe hadn’t believed as Sibella had, and when it came to Phoebe’s grief for her brother, Sibella knew it still ran strong.

Oftentimes Sibella would look over at Phoebe in the gardens and catch her staring teary-eyed at the bee colonies she’d had moved from Salisbury to the castle, staring at them as if enough willpower would make Henry appear.

If Phoebe had learned that Henry had been killed by Monty, had no way to deny it to her own brain, Sibella knew she’d be distraught, but never dreamed that Phoebe would attempt to harm herself.

Sibella was snapped from her spiraling thoughts by the sound of Monty crying, and she moved to wrap her arms around him, bending as far as her corset would allow to try and soothe him.

“She’ll be alright, Monty. I’ll make sure of it.” Sibella kissed the top of his head and then took off from the library to their wing.

It made the most sense for Phoebe to be placed in her boudoir, close to the bath to warm her after Monty had calmed down, if she weren’t already in the bath.

So when Sibella finally reached the boudoir door she didn’t bother knocking, simply pushed in the door and closed it behind her.

The room was warm, almost stifling under Sibella’s coat and gloves, and in a chair by the fire sat Phoebe.

She was wrapped in no less than three blankets, but she trembled like a leaf in a storm anyway, and Mary was there trying to hand her a cup of tea but Phoebe just stared ahead.

Mary seemed to jump when she noticed Sibella, placing the teacup back on the saucer and bobbing a curtsy.

“Miss Hallward! I do apologize!” Mary offered a skittish smile, but it didn’t meet her eyes.

Sibella offered a genuine smile back, a small, sad one.

“Leave us, Mary.” Sibella commanded, pulling off her first glove.

Mary blanched, and looked from Phoebe back to Sibella.

“I’m sorry, Miss, but I was instructed to stay with her ladyship no matter what.” She stammered and Sibella huffed.

“I shall stay with the countess. You may go.” The blonde tried once more, but Mary didn’t budge.

“Take Miss Hallward’s coat and gloves and go to lunch, Mary. I’m alright.” Phoebe’s voice was almost foreign, so resigned and far away, but Mary obeyed.

After the door had closed, Phoebe sighed so heavily her entire frame seemed to crumble, head dipping down.

“Phoebe. What on earth possessed you to try such a thing?” Sibella walked toward the fire and picked up the cup from its saucer and held it out to Phoebe.

The smaller woman didn’t take it, shivering so violently Sibella could hear her teeth chattering, so Sibella extended it again.

“I didn’t try anything. I was trying to tell Monty that.” Phoebe grit out between shivers.

“Was the weight of it all finally too heavy? Phoebe this isn’t like you!” Sibella hissed, tipping Phoebe’s chin upwards with one finger, eyes blazing with anger.

Phoebe shot up, almost knocking her head into Sibella’s as she tried to take a step and tripped over one of the many blankets Mary had wrapped her in.

Sibella caught her immediately, helping untangle the blanket from Phoebe’s feet and looking her over.

“I swear to you, Sibella, I would never do that! Especially not now!” Phoebe was adamant, glaring at Sibella even though she still trembled with cold.

Sibella blinked.

What did Phoebe mean by “not now”?

Phoebe caught her gaze.

“I was walking by the river because it’s Henry’s birthday today. Every year the only thing my brother wanted was a walk by a river with me. I tripped and fell in. Monty only saw my back.” Phoebe’s words were quick, and for a moment Sibella panicked.

Had these statements been planned?

Had Phoebe planned in case one of them caught her?

Sibella hardened her gaze, looking at Phoebe in the way she knew made Monty squirm and hoped it would do the same to Phoebe.

It didn’t.

“Have you forgotten I’m a D’ysquith, Sibella? I’ve had years of experience in posturing.” Phoebe’s voice was like steel, and Sibella noticed for the first time that she’d stopped trembling.

Sibella softened her eyes, looking at Phoebe.

Very well, she could use tears and terror in equal measure.

“Darling, I just-“, Sibella took a deliberately unsteady breath, “I can’t lose you.”

The blonde looked down, and when she looked at Phoebe again there was a light misting of tears in her eyes.

Phoebe seemed to wilt.

Good.

“It was an accident, Sibella. That’s all.” Phoebe’s voice was softer, but still firm.

Phoebe grabbed her blankets and moved to the bed, opening them up and motioning for Sibella to join her.

Sibella did, sniffling as she moved to further illustrate her distress, and when she was pressed into Phoebe’s side, freezing water soaking into her own dress, Phoebe closed the blanket around them and lay back, taking Sibella with her.

They said nothing, Phoebe looking at Sibella, and then Phoebe’s freezing hands were in Sibella’s, guiding, and Sibella all but froze in place when Phoebe pressed Sibella’s hand to her own abdomen.

“That was what I wanted to tell Henry. Now I’m telling you. I would never hurt myself, or my child.” Phoebe’s voice was husky and low, even as tears welled up in both of their eyes.

“Oh, darling.” Sibella crashed her lips into Phoebe’s, kissing her hard.

An heir.

“Does Monty know?” Sibella inquired breathlessly as they pulled apart.

Phoebe shook her head, swallowing hard.

“I tried to tell him after he pulled me out. I didn’t even know he’d followed me out there, but he’s too frightened and angry.”

Phoebe’s shivering began anew, and Sibella rose.

“What are you-“ Phoebe began as Sibella pulled her to her feet, keeping one hand firmly on Phoebe’s waist.

“Let me draw you a bath, I won’t have you catching your death, especially not now.” Sibella breathed, and Phoebe thought for a moment, then nodded.

Sibella led Phoebe into the bathing chamber and deposited her onto the chaise with such gentleness that Phoebe began to get misty-eyed again.

They would tell Monty later.

He had to understand.

[edwardian-girl-next-door]

~ Henry William Lowe (Hal) Hurst, "Josephine Dale Lace"

Josephine Lace (known as José) (1869-1937) was a glamorous Johannesburg socialite, often seen around town in a carriage drawn by zebras. She was supposedly a mistress to King Edward VII as well as other several influential British noblemen. She briefly pursued an acting career, but eventually gave it up for matrimony -- or rather matrimonies. She was married twice to the same man, John Dale Lace, a South African gold and diamond magnate, who also adopted her illegitimate son Lancelot from a previous relationship. As if her life couldn't get more colourful, José also survived being shipwrecked at Galway Castle. She died in 1937.

art cr: wikimedia commons

info cr: wikipedia, theheritageportal

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1858 – Birth of Irish revolutionary, Thomas Clarke, at Hurst Castle, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, England.

“I have lived to see the greatest hour in Irish history.” –Thomas Clarke As seemed often the case, Clarke’s father was in the British army. At a young age, Clarke took up the nationalist cause, joining the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). In 1883, he was sentenced to penal servitude for life for treason (planning bomb attacks in England.) He served fifteen years. Following his release in 1898…

[grandmaster-anne]

Sir Tim Laurence, head of English Heritage, on the challenges of conservation in the 21st century

By Henry Mance | Published 27 May 2022

English Heritage’s chair is Sir Tim Laurence, a former naval officer who happens to be married to Princess Anne. Laurence is a non-fusty, patrician figure. “Most people call me Tim. Even the gardeners call me Tim,” he tells me, over coffee at the Marble Hill café. In royal terms, he has a low enough profile that he even travels by Tube. (Don’t expect to see his wife: “I don’t think she’s been on an Underground for a long time, if at all. She has security issues which I don’t. I’m expendable.”)

While some English people feel threatened by the new historical narratives, particularly around slavery and empire, Laurence — sitting near the top of the Establishment — is not.

“History is what happened,” he says, upper lip duly stiffened. “Telling the story of Marble Hill without making the link to the slave trade and to mahogany would be wrong, in my view. We’re telling it like it is [ . . .] The transatlantic slave trade was one of the most appalling things in British history,” he adds.

“But there’s another important side of it, which is: it shouldn’t dominate. This place is all about how you build a beautiful house, what was going on at the time, the design of that wonderful garden, and making all of that available to the local community.”

The National Trust has been lambasted by some rightwing commentators for its approach; a recent article tried to depict English Heritage as a non-woke competitor. Laurence closes ranks: “We’re very close to the National Trust. I’ve been a National Trust member practically since I left school.” Like many British people, he tempers his revulsion at the slave trade by pointing to Britain’s role in ending it. “I’m extremely proud that my background is in the Royal Navy, and the Royal Navy battled for 60 years to try and stop it.” Some of the backlash to historical research “has become too extreme”.

English Heritage’s underlying challenge is financial. Since 2015, it has been an independent charity; it no longer receives a block government grant. Only about 20 of its sites — led by Stonehenge and also including Tintagel Castle in Cornwall — make a profit. The other 400 or so are either free to access or tickets don’t cover their cost. So it relies on its 1.2mn members, its cafés and gift shops, and grants from the lottery and others.

Covid has been “a really tough time”. Visitor numbers are expected to be near 5mn this year, down from 6.2mn pre-pandemic. “We need people to come back,” says Laurence. Foreign tourists in particular. “We do make quite a lot out of inbound tourism, so that’s a worry.” The charity has missed its target of breaking even in 2022, and is now aiming for 2025.

Despite financial constraints, he wants English Heritage to expand. “We’re not very strong on the industrial revolution, and we’ve got a couple of cold war bunkers. I would hope my successor would look to acquire more sites, probably more contemporary sites.”

For the moment, many English Heritage properties are either in ruins or threatening to become so soon. Last year part of Hurst Castle(opens a new window), an English Heritage property built in the 1540s on a shingle spit in Hampshire, collapsed into the sea after years of erosion.

“We haven’t absolutely got a long-term plan,” says Laurence. “Part of the problem is because the shingle from the spit comes from the shoreline along Christchurch Bay, and gradually over the decades Christchurch Bay has been concreted in with more and more habitation, so the shingle supply is not coming in at the same rate. So we’re fighting against the tide there. But we will go on trying to protect it as long as we can.”

Critics say that English Heritage is itself eroding its greatest asset, Stonehenge, by backing a motorway tunnel. Unesco has threatened that the site will lose its world heritage status if the project goes ahead. “I very much hope when Unesco look at it, when it’s finished, they say, ‘Actually, from a heritage point of view, this is a vast improvement on what was there before,’” says Laurence. But losing the status would probably be only symbolic: “Would it really make a difference to the people wanting to go there?”

In general, Laurence argues that the focus on heritage should not impede developments: “People are very anxious about change,” but “you’ve got to modernise.” He thinks people are “a bit over-precious” about the transformation of Liverpool’s docks for Everton’s new football stadium. (The docks have lost their Unesco heritage status.)

At Marble Hill, there were objections — ranging from “those who felt we shouldn’t be talking about Henrietta at all, because she was a harlot” to those who wanted a smaller café and assurance that there would not be regular concerts.

Such resistance is part of England’s history. When the land for Marble Hill was acquired piecemeal in the 1720s, some locals initially refused to sell “because they were frightened of this incomer”. The lesson of our heritage is that conservation works, but it’s also that someone had to work to create these sites in the first place.