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ollieofthebeholder · 2 years ago

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to find promise of peace (and the solace of rest): a TMA fanfic

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Chapter 34: November 2016

The chirruping of her phone woke Melanie with a start. She was momentarily disorientated by her positioning and the light visible through the window until she remembered she hadn’t fallen asleep in her own bed the night before. Truthfully, she hadn’t meant to fall asleep at all, but evidently she’d been more exhausted than she previously thought.

Before she bothered with her phone, she crossed over to the window. The fresh taper she’d lit the night before had melted down to nothing, the wax pooling and coating the holder it had been placed in. Next to it sat a plate with three squat buns arranged neatly upon it. Three glasses of wine stood next to it. As was the case every year, none of them had been touched.

Melanie’s shoulders slumped. Sometimes she didn’t know why she bothered.

Then again, she’d made her living chasing down ghosts and hauntings, and she’d spent most of her childhood and young adulthood either running down or running from terrifying supernatural entities that wanted very much to kill her, or worse. And if Gerry wasn’t enough of a proof that the dead could conceivably come back for a visit at least, nothing would be.

Still, it would be nice if they actually would.

Her phone chirruped again, and Melanie turned from the window with an aggrieved, “All right, all right!”

It was her text alert, which meant it wasn’t too terribly urgent…yet. Probably it was Martin wanting to know if she’d had better luck than he had this year. Possibly it was Gerry with a lead for her to hunt down. There was an extraordinarily slim chance it was Jon sending her a link to the latest news about the surviving members of Sinner’s Gin, but things had been rather quiet with them in recent months, so it was highly unlikely. She flipped the phone over and unlocked it.

Sure enough, there were two text alerts from Martin, but before she looked at them, Melanie took a moment to study her phone’s background. The lock screen was an ever-shifting mix of album art and promo pics from Ghost Hunt UK—right now it was a relatively minimalist stylized black horse’s head on a blue canvas-looking backdrop—but the background, which wouldn’t be seen unless she unlocked it herself, was of her family. It was the last picture they’d taken together before Gerry’s death, an impulsive shot taken under the sign for the Tube stop where they’d reluctantly parted ways, Melanie’s chin tucked over her brothers’ shoulders and all of them laughing.

Now, though, Melanie really let herself see the details she’d spent so long avoiding—the pallor of Gerry’s skin, the dark circles under Martin’s eyes, the bitterness in her own smile. Martin fussed over both of them, so them both being out of town on wild-goose chases had told on his mental health more than she’d acknowledged in the past. She’d been having trouble with the Ghost Hunt UK team even before Aldershot, in a lot of ways, if she was being honest. And Gerry…had he known then how sick he was? He’d sworn to them both that he hadn’t really believed anything was wrong until his first seizure, but it was possible he was just saying that to keep Martin from feeling guilty about not knowing somehow. Had he known in the very moment he’d promised to come to them the second his boots touched English soil again that he was likely to end up dead inside of six months? Was that why he’d promised to send for them?

She shook her head impatiently. Whatever the case, she told herself firmly, it was in the past. She wouldn’t say the past can’t hurt us, because it absolutely could, but they couldn’t change it, so what was the use of obsessing about it? It’d just make her angry. Melanie was really good at being angry, but she hated being angry at her brothers, which usually made her angrier. She took a deep, steadying breath and tapped over to Martin’s messages.

Neither of them mentioned soul cakes or the spirits of the dead. Instead, it was a pair of questions, sent about five minutes apart.

[Hey, do you want me to invite the rest of the crew from the Archives to come with us today, or would you rather it just be Gerry and me as usual?]

[Or do you even want to do anything this year?]

It actually took Melanie a few minutes to realize what Martin was asking about, and she smacked herself on the forehead as soon as it hit her. How she could have forgotten, she had no idea, but she had. Quickly, she texted him back. [Just us, but maybe the others can join us for ice cream after?]

[Deal. Meet you at the usual place and time. Jon says I can cut out early.]

Feeling a little better than she had right after waking up, Melanie set her phone back down and set to cleaning up the previous night’s offerings before she let her new furry overlords out of their isolation chamber.

As it happened, she encountered Martin a bit earlier than the usual place and time—they both got to Notting Hill Gate at the same time—so she accepted his hug and grabbed his hand as they jumped onto the train. Two stops later, they hopped off to find Gerry waiting for them with a smirk and a very battered bag over one shoulder.

“Hey, Neens,” he said. His voice was the warmest thing about him—the hug he gave her was ice-cold. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks.” Melanie hugged him back, then stepped back with a grin. “Come on, we’re burning daylight.”

“I warn you both,” Gerry said as they emerged into the fading daylight, “I am going to be absolute rubbish at this.”

Martin snorted. “As opposed to every other year?”

“Yeah, well, I’m considerably more out of practice than I was the last time we did this.”

“We didn’t do it last year either,” Melanie said. “Or the year before. Last year we were both…going through some stuff.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Martin agreed. “And the year before that it rained most of the afternoon, so we went to the movies instead. So we’re all in about the same boat.”

“Good.” Gerry grinned. “Then we can all make fools of ourselves together.”

They all had their birthday traditions; Melanie’s was just the only one that carried back to before they’d even met. And it was always the years that they didn’t do one tradition or another that everything blew up in their faces. There was a part of her that ascribed Martin having survived Jane Prentiss’ attack—to say nothing of Gerry’s return—to the fact that they’d taken their traditional picture in Regent’s Park on the eighteenth of April, even if Gerry hadn’t been there for it. It was honestly hard to tell sometimes which of their traditions and rituals actually kept them safe and which were just…comforting.

She’d take both, though.

After twenty years, they knew the paths of Hyde Park well enough that they knew exactly where to go and where to avoid. They stopped at the bench they considered their bench—the one they met at in years when their trips on the Tube didn’t line up—to change. Well, Gerry and Melanie changed, at least, a process which took both of them a considerable amount of time. Martin could simply tie his over his shoes, although he had to turn the key on the left one a couple of times.

“You can’t possibly have grown in the last three years,” Gerry said, grumbling under his breath and tightening his buckles.

“It must’ve shifted in the bag.” Martin held the skate level with his eyes and sighted down the bottom. “God, I hope the teeth aren’t wearing out.”

As she did every year, Melanie paused, half-bent over in the act of tying her laces into a double knot, to marvel again at the way their personalities shone through even in something as simple as roller skates. Hers were the white quad skates with purple wheels Martin and Gerry had jointly given her for her twenty-first birthday, well cared for and sized perfectly for her feet. Gerry’s were a pair of battered black roller blades; he could only just balance on them and frequently fell against the others, but he was stubborn and refused to buy quad skates because he couldn’t find them in black. And Martin’s were a pair of vintage metal skates he’d found when they were thirteen and carefully, lovingly restored to the point that he could wear them.

It helped mitigate the disappointment of the previous night, every year, to have her brothers alongside her as they skated the paths of Hyde Park, stumbling and laughing and teasing each other. Martin’s skates rang cheerfully with every step, and once they got going, they could get a decent speed going—as long as Gerry didn’t fall, which happened a lot. He wasn’t as winded as he’d been in years past, which was good…well, probably good anyway…but he seemed even clumsier than usual. Still, Melanie’s spirits were higher than they’d been since…Aldershot.

As the shadows lengthened, they came up to Melanie’s favorite part of the path—a straight stretch that went on for a good ways, rarely traversed on the best of days and certainly not this late in the afternoon on a gloomy Thursday, with a sharp turn at the end leading to the wide patch of cement where she’d learned to skate twenty-five years previously. She elbowed Martin and grinned up at him. “Race you?”

Martin laughed. He, too, looked more carefree than she’d seen him since Gerry’s death. “You’re on.”

Gerry waved at them. “Go on. I’ll catch you up. Ready, steady, go!”

Melanie took off as fast as she could. Martin’s longer legs put him at a bit of an advantage, but she’d tried roller derby one summer, and while they’d deemed her too small to actually compete, she’d at least retained the basics of speed. She just had to hope they didn’t run into a park officer. Focusing ahead on the end of the path in the gathering dark, she charged ahead like she could outrun everything that had bothered her in the last two years.

Unable to hold in her delight, she flung her arms wide to either side and crowed like a rooster as she let herself glide along the path. She heard Martin’s bright gurgle of a laugh and didn’t even care that it sounded like it was right next to her.

Hang gliding, parasailing, skydiving, even bungee jumping—just because of the nature of the lives they led, and how close they came to the Fourteen, she knew she’d never be able to risk any of them. Roller skating like this was the closest she would ever get to flying under her own power.

She reached the turn in the path and leaned into it as hard as she could, overbalanced, and went skidding on her (thankfully padded) elbows across the path before spinning to a stop. Even that seemed funny to her, and she flopped over on her back, laughing as the helmet thudded against the concrete.

Martin’s face appeared upside down over hers, his curls peeking out under the edges of the helmet. “Are you all right?” he asked, sounding like he was barely containing his own laughter.

“I win.” Melanie smirked up at him, and Martin gave in to laughing. “Help me up, would you?”

She held up her hands, but Martin had other ideas. He grabbed her under the arms, making her squeak with surprise, and hauled her to her feet. Only then did he take her hands, from behind, and start skating slowly forward.

Melanie started laughing again. She couldn’t help it. The joy of the evening had got to her, the delight of being a kid again, at least for a little while—carefree and happy and loved…

“Neens?” Martin had stopped moving, and somehow he was in front of her. He took her cheek in one hand and swiped his thumb against it. “Melanie, what’s wrong, are you hurt?”

Melanie hadn’t realized she’d started crying, but now that she did, she couldn’t stop that, either. She fell against Martin’s chest, nearly knocking him backwards, and clung, burying her face in the soft wool of his jumper and copiously bedewing it with tears.

“I miss her so much,” she whispered.

Martin wrapped his arms around her and held her close, stroking her back and murmuring to her the way he had when she’d woken up from nightmares after they found out about Ivy Meadows, the way he had when they’d sung what they had thought would be their last farewell to Gerry. The way he had after her eighth birthday party when she’d tried to hide so her father wouldn’t think she was ungrateful, even though he hadn’t understood that she didn’t want a skating party, she’d just wanted to go skating, the way she always had with her mother on her birthday every year.

Martin had understood. He’d always understood. He’d always known what to say, what to do, to make it…maybe not all better, but at least bearable.

After a few moments, she heard him crooning softly and realized it was the song he used to ward off the Lonely. She didn’t know if it was subconscious or intentional, but she clutched him a little tighter all the same. If the Lonely was encroaching…she didn’t want to meet it.

After several long minutes, she took a deep breath and straightened up, pushing away from him. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be silly.” Martin squeezed her hands before letting her go. “Feel better?”

“A little,” Melanie said honestly. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, trying not to get the Velcro stuck in her eyebrows, and looked around. “Where’s Gerry? Hasn’t he caught up to us by now?”

Martin stiffened. “Now that you mention it, no. Christ, where could he have gone? It’s a straight shot.”

“You keep those glasses on your face,” Melanie said firmly. From the slight shift of his shoulders, she knew she’d been right—he’d been thinking about Looking to spot Gerry’s glow. “He can’t be far. Hang on.” She stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled.

There was a surprisingly long pause before an answering whistle came, and in straining to listen for it, Melanie heard shouting. A chill ran up her spine, and she looked up at Martin again. “You don’t think he…”

“He wouldn’t.” The look on Martin’s face clearly said that he not only knew he would, but that he probably had.

Without another word, they began skating back up the path towards where they’d come from. Sure enough, there was a minor commotion, someone on a cell phone gesticulating wildly while someone else knelt on the ground. She could just make out Gerry, barely visible in the gathering gloom, standing off to one side. To his credit, he looked incredibly shaken.

“I didn’t mean to,” he said, as soon as Melanie and Martin were close enough that he noticed them. “I swear, it was an accident, he just bumped into me—”

“Of course this isn’t your fault,” an elderly woman said soothingly, reaching out to pat his arm.

Gerry jerked back, looking panicked, and lost his balance, toppling over backwards. He held out both hands, palms out, when Martin reached for him. “No, don’t, don’t touch me—”

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” Martin, as he always did, went instantly into caretaker mode, positioning himself between Gerry and the crowd and talking in a low, gentle voice. “Melanie, see if they need help.”

Even though Melanie knew it was useless, she did as Martin instructed, kneeling down next to the hysterical teenager frantically pressing on the prone body’s chest and offering to take over. She kept it up until the paramedics arrived and took control, then went over to join Martin in comforting the teen, who turned out not to know the dead body personally except as someone who regularly turned up to feed the pigeons but felt responsible for not being able to save him.

“It’s not your fault, love,” Melanie said gently, and she carefully didn’t look at Gerry as she said this. It wasn’t his fault either. “You did everything you could. You gave him the best chance you could.”

Twenty minutes later, once the paramedics had received permission to call it and the teen’s friends had led her away, Martin touched Melanie’s arm. “You still want ice cream?”

“Yes,” Melanie said firmly. “You still okay to call the others and have them join us?”

“If you want them. Ger, you ready?”

Gerry nodded. He’d managed to calm down and right himself, and he’d already changed back into his regular shoes, but he still looked miserable and guilty. He took Martin’s hand on one side and Melanie’s on the other, and they made their way out of the park.

Melanie tried not to think about the fact that his fingers, where their bare skin touched, were only barely colder than her own.

#ollie writes fanfic #to find promise of peace (and the solace of rest)#tma fanfic #melanie king #martin blackwood #gerard keay #death tw #grief tw #misuse of Terminus powers

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thecursedhellblazer-arc · 4 years ago

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{ For The Sleepy Ones }

( Repost & Fill In! )

Name: John Constantine

Ethnicity: White British

Residence: London, UK / Atlanta, Georgia, USA (verse dependant)

Average hours of sleep: John’s sleeping patterns are very much irregular. While he tries to get at least three or four hours of sleep every day, it’s far more frequent for him to spend days and days without ever closing his eyes and then passing out for almost twenty-four hours. During the periods when he sleeps more regularly, he usually gets 4-6 hours of sleep.

Type of bed: When he is exhausted, anything can do. Be it a floor, or grass, or a ratty mattress, or one of his friends’ couch (usually Chas’s), or an actual bed. John has spent quite some time living in the streets, so he is used to sleep in uncomfortable places. The bed he has in his flats (or in his cabin) is old but decently comfortable.

Amount of blankets: Usually he goes just for sheets. If the weather is particularly cold, then one blanket is added.

Amount of pillows: When he has any, usually one.

Type of clothing: He sleeps either naked or in his underwear.

Do they sleep with company? Depends. Usually he sleeps alone, unless he has found someone to share his bed (or who has offered theirs to him) for the night. This usually implies that they one or more rolls in the hay first and not all his one-night stands spend the night. When he’s dating someone, he is definitely more content when he can share the bed with his partner, even just in a platonic way.

Do they sleep with plushies? No. He didn’t even as a kid, because it would just be an excuse for his father to get mad at him (not that Thomas needed any). While being an apprentice under Nick Necro, though, at times he had Francis (his undead pet rat) sleeping with him.

Do they sleep better with company? It depends on the company. If it’s someone he can trust, he might feel safer, but otherwise he tends to be more restless if there’s someone else sharing his space. He knows that there’s a high chance that he might have nightmares and wake abruptly, even screaming, or tossing around and, if there is something he definitely doesn’t want to do, is having to explain what happened. The one place where he can easily sleep with company, it’s the back of Chas’s cab, while his best friend is in the front, driving. He would never admit it, but it’s perhaps the place where he feels the most comfortable and safest.

Does it matter where they sleep? It depends on the circumstances. A bed somewhere warded is preferable, but at times he gets so exhausted that, as long as he can sleep, everything works. As for the possible consequences, be it a very sore back or getting attacked/captured, he’ll deal with them once he wakes up.

Frequent dreams, nightmares? John has nightmares almost every time he sleeps. The subject changes depending on what’s haunting him the most in that period. The most recurring are his childhood, Astra, the ghosts of his dead friends and lovers, losing the few people he has left.

What do they do if they cannot fall asleep? He usually has a smoke and drinks, to see if he can get himself drunk enough to pass out. When he isn’t feeling like trying to get some sleep, he takes long walks around or works through his books and artefacts. More rarely, he places himself on the couch with a beer and watches whatever is on television.

Deep slumber or naps? John tends to be a light sleeper, but he definitely prefers the times when he can stay dead to the world at least for a while. Naps aren’t really his things, also because most of the times he wakes up from them feeling even worse than he was before nodding off.

When do they wake up? Depends on when he goes to sleep. Could be early morning, afternoon, or even the middle of the night.

When do they sleep? He usually goes to bed in the middle of the night or the early hours of the morning, but, again, it varies depending on what he’s dealing with, his mood, where he is.

What could wake them up? John has a well-practised wake-up routine. First thing, a cigarette. Smoking soothes his nerves and helps him reconnecting with the real world. Next, bathroom and washing his face with icy cold water. Then kitchen, where he drinks a gulp of milk straight out of the carton and then coffee (black, strong, no sugar). If he can be bothered with it, he grabs something to it. If his night has been particularly bad, he throws in a shot of gin in too.

Tagged by: @rapxir (( Thanks, Katie :333 )) Tagging: @thegreenxrcher @paradiseturnedhell @adventurepunks (Nick) @cosmosfated @laughter-in-white @awaywardboy-andhisangel (Dean?) @darkdabbling @xstabcastx (Ava) @pi-jessicajones - & whoever wants to steal it ! (Tag me if you do!)

#* Exorcist Demonologist and Master of the Dark Arts * ::about::#* My reality is eleven tenths perception. * ::headcanons::

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newmusickarl · 5 years ago

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Album of the Week – Nothing is True & Everything is Possible by Enter Shikari

With the previous week proving quite disappointing for new releases, the last seven days has seen some of the best music of the year all come at once. I will try and cover as much as possible, starting with the return of my Album of the Week, brought to you this time by St Albans’ genre-bending masterminds, Enter Shikari.

I’m not ashamed to say that following their debut album Take To The Skies, I initially wrote Enter Shikari off as a bit of a flash in the pan. Although I adored that record, their unusual trance-metal fusion did not appear at the time to have the legs for subsequent records. Since then, the band have only gotten better with each record and needless to say their sixth album, Nothing is True & Everything is Possible, is their most ambitious, cohesive, and damn right masterful release to date.

Split into several definitive parts and produced entirely by enigmatic frontman Rou Reynolds, the record features the band’s usual genre-defying acrobatics, flicking between rock, metal, pop, dance, grime, and everything else in between. However, this time they are also backed by some soaring orchestral arrangements, most notably on the brilliant Elegy for Extinction, giving the record operatic grandeur throughout. In addition, releasing the record amidst a global lockdown has only enhanced the poignancy of Rou Reynolds’ urgent lyricism, most notably on modern living… which features an incredibly apt refrain of “We’re apocaholics, drinking gin and tonics, lying in the flowers, counting down the hours.”

Most importantly though, Nothing is True… is packed wall-to-wall with career highlights for Shikari, from the infectious bounce of lead single The Dreamer’s Hotel to the catastrophic futuristic rave of T.I.N.A. However, it is Marionettes parts I & II that offer up the Shikari boys’ finest moment to date, a 6-minute epic that welcomes the listener with some widescreen, cinematic horns before ascending into a powerful, drum and bass infused, spoken word epic. It is simply incredible and proof that Enter Shikari are without a doubt one of the finest British bands working today. Sorry I ever doubted you!

Best tracks: Marionettes I & II, modern living…, The Great Unknown

Other album recommendations: Earth by Ed O Brien (EOB), Duality by Duke Dumont, A Muse In Her Feelings by dvsn and White Out by George Ogilvie

Tracks of the Week:

If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) – The 1975

Having been one of the first people in the world to hear this song when the Manchester pop outfit dropped it on the first night of their UK tour earlier in the year, it was obvious it was an instant classic. Now the studio version is out in the world and it is destined to be a hit. Boasting an infectious chorus and pulsating with 80s cool (complete with saxophone solo), this is likely to be the biggest track of 2020.

Oh Please – Tom Grennan

After a disappointing first single from his forthcoming sophomore album, Oh Please is a welcome reminder of Tom Grennan’s talent. Boasting a string-driven groove and a catchy tribal breakdown midway through, it’s a track that will no doubt only get better with each listen. Welcome back Tom!

PDLIF – Bon Iver

Justin Vernon’s first single release since 2019’s I,I album, PDLIF (or Please Don’t Live In Fear) feels like a very timely release. Featuring Vernon’s signature distorted vocals, some twisted instrumentation, and a haunting melody at its core, it’s short but oh so sweet.

In Birdsong – Everything Everything

One of Manchester’s finest exports have returned with a bang after a seemingly endless hiatus, with new track In Birdsong. Propelled by some glistening synths and Jonathan Higgs’ incredible vocals, it’s a triumphant comeback.

Alive in the Resplendent Flames – One True Pairing

Four highlights from Tom Fleming’s debut solo album have been reimagined as acoustic numbers on his new Zero Vulnerability EP, with Alive in the Resplendent Flames proving to be even more stunning when stripped back to its bare bones.

#enter shikari #marionettes #nothing is true and everything is possible #album of the week #the 1975 #if you're too shy (let me know)#tom grennan #bon iver #everything everything #one true pairing #new music #best new music #tracks of the week

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britneyshakespeare · 7 years ago

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arctic monkeys & francoise hardy

oh boy!! hard ones. fuck my life.

arctic monkeys:

hhhhh…. i can’t just say all of humbug. so. i’m gonna say it’s a tie between secret door/pretty visitors/the jeweller’s hands and the rest of the album is an honorable mention. those three songs in particular. i feel like secret door is somewhat not-as-talked-about as far as this album goes, but i really think it’s one of the most enchanting songs alex has ever written. pretty visitors has been talked about to death, but i’ll just say i agree with the general consensus: It Rocks. and the jeweller’s hands is just haunting and perfectly crafted and builds momentum up perfectly. but then again the whole album does. but. ahem. i have to move on.

blonde-o-sonic shimmer trap. this was one of my FAVORITE songs from the moment i started listening to them when i was 13 it’s just so… PERFECT. it lives up to its weird ass title, it has the kind of swaggering, meandering coolness in energy that earns it. but this one’s also quite popular so i feel like people know what i mean.

teddy picker. oh BOY do i love teddy picker. one of the first songs that got me into em, i used to watch the little baby monkeys music video all the time (and i don’t usually care much for music videos; i just loved how non-performative it was… something about its realness and mundanity attracted me to it… that makes it sounds like some pretentious art piece that i think i’m sophisticated enough to like but it really is just. i mean. it’s a studio vid. there was no effort in it i just thought it was cute). yeah. it’s one of my FAVORITE song alex has written, again, especially from the early days. a lot of what i love about early monkeys is present here. also it was one of the first guitar riffs i learned how to play by myself. actually almost all of the guitar riffs i learned when i was 15-16 were monkeys. that and the beatles because i had the chord book for their entire discography. really my music taste has been Basic White Girl Who Likes Rock, Plays Acoustic Guitar for a long time now.

francoise:

not very surprising but mon amie la rose/the rose. not often are an artist’s best songs their biggest hits, especially their early big hits, but i really think that’s different for francoise. her personality was very self-aware in what she wanted to be from basically the get-go, though, so it’s not very surprising. she knew who she was going to be as an artist. but yeah, a wonderful engaging poem that i constantly wish i had written myself. and the translation of it is every bit is solid.

jazzy retro satanas. i’ve always liked gin tonic (1980), probably… more than most people do. but i can see some of the flaws other people have with it. it’s sort of a lumbering album, and some of my favorite songs on it, i’ll be tired of after listening to too much. but jazzy retro satanas is probably the most laudable song on their from a critical standpoint. i think it’s one of the best upbeat songs in her catalog. i also love minuit minuit, jukebox, and bosse bossez bossa (even if it has literally nothing to do with bossa nova and is a little stupid in its existence. i like that song. come at me, users of allmusic.com).

tiny goddess. i namedrop this song all the time but it really is one of my favorite covers ever; the original by nirvana (uk) is certainly wonderfully crafted but it just sounds like it was made to be performed by a francoise type. and she does it exceptionally.

Ask for my 3 favorite songs of any band/artist

#sorry this took so long #i thought i had plans and then they were cancelled!#pavlovers #dianswered

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greatdaysoutuk · 7 years ago

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Planning a trip in York? Find out our tips!

Here, with used Mercedes dealers, Lookers, we run through exactly what you need to see and do in this northern gem. The little romantic and historical city of York is a must for any tourist – whether you currently reside in the UK or are travelling from further afield. This hotspot, which was voted The Times’ best place to live in the UK in 2018, provides the setting for a beautiful getaway. The compact walled city is half the size of Leeds and is less than two hours away from both the northern heights of Newcastle and the southern lows of London.

Attractions to Visit

York offers a unique ambience, with a host of historical buildings breaking up the modernised brilliance:

York Minster If you’re a religious person, take in one of its daily masses, while for those who just want to bask in the glory of such a magnificent building, you can purchase an admission ticket to tour all it has to offer. It’s also worth checking out the York Minster website to see if they have any activities or events on at your time of visit. A trip to York wouldn’t be complete without taking in the York Minster. One of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals, the Minster has stood at the centre of Christianity in the north of England since the seventh century and glistens via its exquisite handcrafted stone and unbelievable medieval stained glass.

Shambles Previously home to butchers, the street is now bursting at the seams with a bright mix of independent retailers which allow you to shop ‘til your heart’s content. Be sure to read up on the past story of the Shambles before your journey so you can fully appreciate all that the street has to offer. With so much history packed into such a small space, it’s no surprise that another attraction to visit happens to be steeped in historical stories. Shambles is one of the world’s most famous streets, with a host of timber buildings dating back to the 13th century packing the narrow pathway.

York Maze Are you a fan of rides, attractions and shows? Well, the York Maze is the place for you! Created from over a million maize plants, this award-winning spectacle is the UK’s largest maze and offers a fun-filled day out for all the family. Packed with over 20 difference rides, attractions and shows, let yourself get lost in its beautiful glory, or take in some of its wonderful events, including pig racing! Check online before you book and see exactly what seasonal activities they have available for you.

Are there any exciting activities to participate in?

York Boat Okay, most cities have a tour bus for you to go sightseeing on and York is no different. However, for a little bit of variation, why not hop on the York Boat so you can see what the city and its countryside has to offer? There are many different boats operating throughout the day and if the sun is out, you can normally take advantage of the open top deck that’s on offer on most vessels. If you don’t like following suit, you can even hire your own self-drive hire boat on the River Ouse and explore at your own pace. It’s important to note that all journeys are subject to river conditions and because of this, trips in December and January are sparse.

York City Walls If you head to York, it’s a must that you walk the city’s walls. These well-preserved delights mark the longest stretch of medieval walls in any English city. The walk is likely to talk approximately two hours to complete, as it runs for three kilometres. However, if you’re not a keen walker, or your legs simply won’t allow, you can walk shorter sections. If walking is something that interests you, be sure to also check out the array of walking tours the city has to offer.

The best places to indulge? If it’s a quick bite to eat that you’re looking for, look no further than Greek Street Food Souvlaki York. Voted number one on Trip Advisor, the Silver Street eatery offers fast Mediterranean food to tickle your taste buds — the gyros have gained special mention from many reviewers. For the fancy wine and dine experience, head to Arras Restaurant at the Old Coach House. The official website states that it bucks the trend and captures the imagination of the public with its tongue-in-cheek take on British banquets. Originally set up in Sydney, Australia, the company’s owners felt the need to return ‘home’ to the UK and the extravagant Arras Restaurant found a place in the heart of York in 2007. If you want to sit in, but you don’t want to splash the cash, try Circles Café and Gin Bar. While it goes without saying that there is an array of gins on offer to wash down your food, the establishment in East Lodge provides a nice and simple snack menu. Why not pop in and enjoy their homemade delicacies and light bites while overlooking the city and the River Ouse?

Drinking hotspots? There’s pretty much a pub for every day of the year in York. From quirky cocktail dens to watering holes in haunted basements, you’ll be sure to find the atmosphere you’re looking for here. Starting off, if it’s a ‘real pub’ experience you’re wanting, try Ye Olde Starre Inne. This public house is one of the oldest established drinking spots in the city and offers its own unique experience. If cocktails are more up your street, check out the Evil Eye Lounge situated in Stonegate. The quirky bar transforms from an East Asian restaurant and internet café in the day to one of the trendiest night-time haunts that has allegedly been frequented by stars such as Johnny Depp. Check out its QR code menus too, which are hidden in the walls!

So, there you have it. A quick run-down of some of the top spots to visit on your next trip to the lovely city that is York! Happy travels!

#york #tourism #article #daysout #yorkshire #family attractions

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mixtapesforthetapeless · 7 years ago

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January 2018 The Unlikely Candidates “Violence” Active rock act out of Texas is building off the space that Imagine Dragons has carved for themselves. Heavy percussions, big choruses and overdriven vocals creates a nice atmospheric tone that would be perfect for sync to a dirty crime movie or dark ‘binge-worthy’ TV show.

Louis Futon “Rewind” DJ/Producer, Futon combines a couple of fun vocalists to build out a positive forward track with a happy tone with catchy melodies and nice layering of horns, keys and drums.

Fall Out Boy “Champion” FOB continue to develop the second phase of their career with “Champion”. Ready-made stadium anthems with a braggadocious tone that hits where a lot of rock doesn’t – self-confidence, think Kayne’s ego meets Queen’s ability to create unity.

LEON “Think About You” Swedish indie diva, LEON creates a lush ballad with a beautifully toned piano track that matches somber but stable vocals that makes for a great and easily listenable track.

Steve Moakler “Siddle’s Saloon” Moakler, PA naitive and Nashville songwriter creates a nice picture of a family’s old haunt. An upbeat track about going to a place for the good times and the bad. It can remind you of your favorite watering hole and if you don’t have one, it makes you wish you had one.

Bebe Rexha “Meant To Be” Yeah, yeah yeah, FGL, who guest on this track aren’t The Beatles nor are they the most progressive songwriters in Nashville but they can write a catchy hook and this song has that. Just play it once and in the dark part of the night, you’ll hear Tyler’s voice rolling around in your head.

Old Dominion “No Such Thing As A Broken Heart” One of the recent breakthrough country acts, compiled of songwriters, Old Dominion’s first single from their sophomore record is a solid track that delivers a solid, if a little thin, message of continued positivity. Think of it as a well written country song version of those cat posters.

The Gospel Youth “Mood Like English Weather” Ever since the breakthrough of the UK band, You Me At Six, English pop-punk has shown a great respect for early 2000’s emo/pop-punk. Well-built riffs, catchy vocals and hard driving choruses. The debut album from The Gospel Youth is no different and is a welcome reminder of a formidable time in my musical youth.

Gin Wigmore “Cabrona” Gin, a very underrated pop singer who’s raspy timbre differentiates her from her fellow female pop rockers. Gin has a great ability to combine multiple musical styles in to a simple fun tune.

JD McPherson “Let The Good Times Roll” McPherson, a passionate fan of early rock and roll, creates new music that feels old but without feeling retro. Built on simple backbeats, his music is a solid soundtrack to drive to.

#new music #spotify playlist #Spotify #spotify music #playlist #music #music blog #music review #Mixtape #rock #pop punk #pop #country #hiphop

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samanthachowiln3001 · 5 years ago

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Viaduct Tavern Research

The Viaduct Tavern was opened in 1869 and was named after holborn Viaduct, which was opened the same year. It is the last remaining example of a 19th century Gin Palace left in the city, and has been beautifully decorated in keeping with its history. The original toll booth is still in situ. Apparently the pub was so rough, the landlord had to sell beer tokens from the booth to the costumers to keep money away from his bar stuff!

The immediate location surrounding the Viaduct Tavern is steeped in history. It is situated just across the street from the present Old Bailey, which is built on the site of the old Newgate Prison. The exit stop where any executions were held from Newgate Prison, now marked with a small fountain, is visible from every window in the property. Some reports say the pub is also built on the site of Newgate Prison and/or the old Giltspur Street Comptoire, a detours prison in use between 1700 and 1853, but evidence has some to light that this claim is doubtful. The absence of graffiti carved into the brick, the size and locations of the “cells” and the location of the pub itself makes this very unlikely to be the case.

However the Viaduct Tavern does have a great atmosphere, and has had much history in its own right as a former Gin Palace with an opium den located on the first floor. One of the large paintings in the bar has a hole in it- it was done by the drunk ww1 gunshot/ bayonet of a soldier during the first world war in a scuffle! Many other things have happened here and it is certainly worthy of investigation by the club.

The pub is just across the road from the Old Bailey. Its interior design was based on a very flamboyant Victorian opera house. The Viaduct is built on the cellars/foundations/cells of the Giltspur Street Compter, an old remand prison, which took the overflow from Newgate Prison across the road. The Cells are now used as the pubs cellar, if you ask the bartender nicely they may even let you take a look.‌ The bartender then started telling me about someone who had died in that cell, and that in his opinion most of the paranormal activity at the pub was focused in this cell. The barmen also told me the staff didn't like to be down in the cellar at night on their own because sometimes the lights went off and the doors locked themselves and noises were heard, terrible noises of pain.

In 1996, a manager was tidying the cellar one Saturday morning, when the door suddenly slammed shut and the lights went out. Feeling his way to the door, he found that no matter how hard he pushed it just would not open. Fortunately, his wife heard his cries for help and came down stairs to investigate. She found that the doors, which would not open from the inside, were unlocked and easily pushed open from the outside. The paranormal activity on the upper floors is attributed to a murdered prostitute. The Landlord says several mediums have visited the tavern and all either saw or felt the spirits. One saw a face in an upstairs window, others claim to have seen or sensed a spirit nicknamed Fred haunting the cellar.

It is also prone to suffer from bouts of poltergeist activity. “Poltergeist” is derived from two German terms Poltern meaning “to knock” and Geist meaning “Spirit”

Built on site of Old Newgate prison, where hundreds of executions and hangings took place, the original debtors cells are still in the cellar of the pub! There are rumours of the first floor being an opium den when this pub was opened, a highly popular taboo during the Victorian era. The upstairs is an area that most of the pub staff will not go up to alone... a woman in white has been seen here on more than one occasion. The pub itself retains original features from its perios, including the deep red walls with mirrors surrounding, giving a very dark yet oppulant vibe. Also still intact behind the bar is the token booth installed by the landlady many years ago. She didn't trust her light fingered staff, so had her patrons buy tokens from her at the booth so they could buy there gin and ale. Staff have many stories here of being touched, hearing loud bangs and footsteps from upstairs, poltergeist activity in the cellars and some rather unusual activity in the toilets!!

Buzzfeed Unsolved Network:

‌people loved gin for a long time you'll see why they love gin there's a reason why gin was popular among poor Londoners due to the fact that legislation in the 19th century caused gin to be cheaper than beer gin palaces were designed to be as opulent as could be with rose and gold details large windows and gas lamps illuminating the palace the tavern had a diverse clientele including the working-class lawyers and government officials as well as criminals due to the nearby prisons.

debtor's prison that was demolished in 1854 across Newgate Street loomed the notoriously dreadful new game Jail living conditions were horrific inside Newgate with some prisoners sleeping on the floor while more nefarious criminals were locked in cells underground as a result of these horrendous conditions sickness and disease ran rampant throughout the facility.

located just outside the doors of viaduct tavern was the former gallows of Newgate Jail where public executions were held at 8 o'clock in the morning as the bells of the nearby st. sepulchers rang executions became sort of a morbid social event with crowds of rowdy and drunk people gathering to watch as a form of entertainment or fascination some people would even arrive the night before to ensure a good view in fact one pub that still stands today across the street from viaduct called magpie and stump would have viewing rooms that people could rent out and even offered an execution breakfast.

two most active areas of the building starting with the upstairs loft in 1982 the daughter of the landlord was reading the paper one Sunday afternoon in the upstairs loft as she was sitting on the couch she reportedly heard footsteps coming quickly up the stairs the door of the room swung open and the

newspaper was grabbed out of her hands and thrown on the floor the door swung shut and she could hear footsteps descending the stairs afterward the landlord's daughter searched the pub and couldn't find anyone around in 1999 two electricians were working upstairs at the tavern when one claimed he felt a tap on his shoulder without a sign of anyone a few minutes after this odd experience the two reportedly witnessed a roll of carpeting rise into the air and fall back to the floor some believe that a murdered prostitute is responsible for these strange occurrences regardless of the source it would seem that there is indeed a poltergeist of sorts lurking in the loft above the tavern. the most haunted part of the building is undoubtedly the tavern cellar in the 1980s a landlord was in the cellar when the lights suddenly went out the cellar door slams shut behind him and he then heard quote there's just us two down here now end quote. some paranormal experts believe that running water tends to carry energy with it and therefore catalyze paranormal activity and this is exacerbated by underground sources of

water one of the rooms in the cellar flooded frequently until they finally realized that there was an underground stream below the cellar. the most famous part of this cellar and the tavern in general is the cell room it’s long been part of the taverns lore that the cells located in this cellar are the

last remaining cells of the former Newgate jail across the street however historical records don't seem to indicate that the tavern itself claims that the cells were associated with the guilt spur Street compter located just next door some believe the cellar cells are merely a storage space for the pub regardless these cells are definitely wedged between two famous London prisons and are reportedly the most active part of the tavern.

Viaduct Tavern Bibliography:

Ghostclub.org.uk. (2020). [online] Available at: https://www.ghostclub.org.uk/viaduct.htm [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020].

www.twilightghosthunts.com. (n.d.). THE VIADUCT TAVERN GHOST HUNT - UK Ghost Hunting with UK Ghost Hunting | Halloween Ghost Hunts | Book a ghost hunt. [online] Available at: https://www.twilightghosthunts.com/events/43-the-viaduct-tavern-ghost-hunt [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020].

www.ghost-story.co.uk. (n.d.). The Viaduct Tavern, London, England. [online] Available at: http://www.ghost-story.co.uk/index.php/haunted-buildings/haunted-pubs/364-the-viaduct-tavern-london-england [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020].

Amy’s Crypt. (2018). Haunted Viaduct Tavern, London. [online] Available at: https://amyscrypt.com/viaduct-tavern-london-haunted/ [Accessed 2 Nov. 2020]

BuzzFeed Unsolved Network (2017). London’s Haunted Viaduct Tavern. YouTube. Available at https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKUYVu2qZuk [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020]

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casaamarilla · 5 years ago

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345: A Gin Maker in Colombia

Hailing originally from Brighton in the UK, Vincent Pollard's journey has brought him to Colombia. After more than a decade as a mixologist in Toronto in some of the city's most exclusive haunts, Pollard finds himself now in Bogotá, but moving on to Cartagena, we catch up with him on Ep345 of the Colombia Calling podcast to hear a little more about his life here. First and foremost, Pollard has been busy and has put together a very slick book of tantalizingly interesting cocktails entitled: Behind Bars: High Class Cocktails Inspired by Low Life Gangsters. You can find this in UK bookstores and on Amazon. Each cocktail is inspired by a character in a gangster flick. And if the cockail doesn't take your fancy, you can enjoy an education in gangster movies as there are some obscure examples cited. Then, we talk to Pollard about his forthcoming project of creating a gin here in Colombia. It's called Selva Gin and will be on the market very soon, take a look at www.selvagin.co for more information. Tune in to an enjoyable conversation with someone doing interesting things here in Colombia.

Check out this episode!

#podcast

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kandrsdarkangelsbookblog · 5 years ago

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*** RELEASE TOUR ***

Title: TILL I KISSED YOU

Author: MICHELLE FERNANDEZ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50573152-till-i-kissed-you

Genre: Security | Contemporary Romance

▪️Friends to Lovers

▪️The Chase

▪️Damaged

▪️Angst

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON https://amzn.to/2NXziIe

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0845SNHBQ/

Multi-Platform universal https://books2read.com/u/mqvVw9

Kobo US https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/till-i-kissed-you-3

Amazon AU https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0845SNHBQ/

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0845SNHBQ/

Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0845SNHBQ/

'ONE KISS, ONE DANCE WAS ALL IT TOOK.'

~BLURB~

Picture-perfect Phoebe Powell is anything but. Her ex-fiancé’s betrayal four years ago left her broken inside and now love has no place in her hardened heart. Her greatest burden is a secret that haunts her and keeps men at arm’s length. But in spite of that, Phoebe relishes her work—and she’s damn good at her job. As Reporter of the Year her focus is on her career. Phoebe will do anything to get the promotion that’s waiting in the wings, even if it means putting her life at risk.

Dylan Marshall, former Navy SEAL turned special-ops agent, has had his eye on Phoebe Powell for the last year. She’s sexy, confident, and all-around feisty. His kind of woman. But she’s off-limits. They’re just friends. Dylan isn’t afraid to test boundaries, but this is one line he will not cross. That is, until Phoebe’s life is threatened. Now he’ll do anything to keep her safe, even as their connection draws them closer and their attraction becomes more difficult to deny.

Maybe just one kiss…

Can Dylan scale the walls around her heart and chase Phoebe’s demons away, including the imminent threat closing in on her?

Is Phoebe’s deeply kept secret too disturbing to ever move on from, let alone share it with Dylan.

#FriendsToLovers #Chase #Damaged #Broken #NewRelease #Romance #MichelleFernandez #TillIKissedYou #Phoebe #Dylan

*** START THE SERIES HERE WITH BOOK 1 ***

TILL I FOUND YOU (Book 1)

Universal Link --> https://books2read.com/TILLIFOUNDYOU

Amazon AU --> https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07V54LS2P/

Amazon US --> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V54LS2P/

Amazon UK --> https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V54LS2P/

Amazon CA --> https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07V54LS2P/

Universal --> https://amzn.to/2Yc1iKt

***Author Bio***

Michelle Fernandez lives in Southern California with her husband, children and two pups. She must have her morning coffee everyday and loves having her Gin & Tonic with extra limes on the weekends. When she's not writing, she's laughing it up with friends and family or simply relaxing!

She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and an avid reader of multi-genres. Adult Romance, Romance Suspense and Military Romance are her most favorite genres and loves happily ever afters... who doesn't? Which is why she started writing in the first place. It started as a hobby. One chapter turned into ten, then a novel was born.

Till I Found You is her first novel. The damsel heroine and the alpha gentleman hero are who she loves to write about. Making up worlds and characters for readers to fall in love with, is the most rewarding for her.

She hopes that her words give the reader all the 'feels' as it does for her when she writes about them and makes them as authentic as she possibly can.

*** Social Media Links ***

✶ Facebook: https://bit.ly/MFernandezFB

✶ Instagram: https://bit.ly/MFernandezIG

✶ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/MFernandezGR

✶ BookBub: https://bit.ly/MFernandezBB

✶ Website: https://www.authormichellefernandez.com

♥︎*•.¸ღ•*˚🖤˚*•ღ¸.•*♥︎

＊〜＊K’s Review＊〜＊

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2Q3QLGC1YV0W2

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tipsycad147 · 5 years ago

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Garden Gnomes

By shirleytwofeathers

Origin: Teutonic

Emblem: Mushrooms, especially fly agaric or fly amanita

Plant: The presence of galbanum (freula galbaniflua) allegedly invites the protection of gnomes.

Iconography: The standard garden gnome depicts an older male with a long beard and peaked red hat. He wears a big belt over leggings, a blue tunic, and boots. Sometimes they wear gardeners’ aprons.

The name “gnome” stems from the Greek word “genomos” which means “earth dweller”. They are said to be one of the elemental spirits defined by Paracelsus, as representative of the Earth Element.

Gnomes are subterranean spirits now most associated with garden statuary. They resemble tiny people. Paracelsus described gnomes as two spans high. (A span is the width of an outstretched human hand,) Unlike dwarves or kobolds, gnomes are not mine or cave spirits but tend to live beneath human gardens. They have a reputation for emerging at night to do a little helpful garden work. Garden gnomes allegedly bring luck.

Gnomes tend to be quiet, private, taciturn spirits, but they respond well to gifts and offerings. They can be persuaded to become loyal allies, guardians, and helpers. Female gnomes may be especially taciturn; they are rarely depicted. However folklore indicates that their are entire gnome communities with male and female gnomes of all ages. Gnomes maintain good relationships with birds, rabbits, foxes, hedgehogs, and squirrels.

Originally, gnomes were thought to provide protection, especially of buried treasure and minerals in the ground. Gnomes were regarded as good luck charms by our ancestors and would often be found living in the rafters of barns where they would help watch over livestock. They are still used today.

Garden Gnomes vs “Actual” Gnomes

Modern garden gnomes are based on the legendary “Gnomes” of myth, mysticism, and fairy tales. Gnomes have historically been described as small (from a few inches to a foot or two in height) stout beings who live in Nature – usually underground. European magicians and other mystics considered gnomes the most common and important elemental spirits of the ‘Earth’ element (the other three classical elements being: ‘Water,’ ‘Fire,’ and ‘Air’).

Gnomes were said to wear conical hats and to be able to move through the earth itself as easily as we humans walk upon it, yet if any of these underground dwellers were caught out in the daylight it was said that the rays of the Sun turned them into stone.

Sometimes gnomes were said to have magical powers to protect or punish people – or to reward them with happiness. Gnomes are also said to be guardians of secret underground treasures – especially gold! Even in modern times gnomes are said by some –such as the highly influential mystic Rudolph Steiner – to be involved in the hidden processes of plant life. In fact many farms, including prize-winning wineries, follow principles based on these beliefs.

Garden Gnomes Today

More modern descriptions of gnomes usually emphasise their bright red pointed hats, solid coloured clothes, and the long white beard of the typical male. Though sightings of female gnomes are rarely reported, gnome women are generally thought to be beard-free.

The name ‘gnome’ is said to come from the Latin word ‘gnomus’ which is thought to possibly come from the Greek word ‘gnosis’ meaning “knowledge” (i.e. of hidden treasure), but is more likely rooted in the word ‘genomos’ meaning “earth dweller”

A garden gnome adds a bit of whimsy and a connection to the old world, where farmers believed the good luck charm could help their fields yield more produce and protect them from thieves, pests and other problems. They were also thought to help gardeners in the night, which we all could use!

The earliest gnome statuary was produced in Thuringia, Germany, in the early nineteenth century and was based on German folklore. Gnome statues potentially welcome and attract real gnomes, as well as Flower Fairies or other benevolent spirits. The earliest statues were carefully wrought, hand-painted terra-cotta and were exceptionally popular.

By the 1960’s, cheaper plastic and resin versions were mass-produced. The old terra-cotta ones are now extremely valuable and are family heirlooms. Garden gnome statues tend to evoke very visceral responses. Some people adore and collect them. Others loathe them so much that they feel justified destroying or removing other people’s property.

Gnomes are the subject of modern entertainment as well as old folktales. The animated children’s television show The World of David the Gnome was highly unusual in that it depicted both male and female gnomes. The gnomes in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are garden pests, not helpers.

Some Handy Garden Gnome Trivia:

Gnomes are banned from the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show. We think that’s a crying shame, personally.

There are three categories of mass-produced gnomes: Worker gnomes, who always carry tools like fishing rods, shovels, or hammers; at-ease gnomes who typically carry a pipe and cultural gnomes who have a musical instrument in hand. Rock stars.

Gnomes have a life expectancy of 400 years.

Their main enemies? Mean humans who destroy the environment and trolls – obviously.

Male gnomes always wear red caps.

The world’s oldest garden gnome, called Lampy, has been living at Lamport Hall in the UK for 125 years and is worth a cool £2 million, or €2.4m!

In the 1980s, the Gnome Liberation Front stole gnomes and sent the owners photos of them from landmarks around the globe.

Gnomes are generally vegetarian and eat foods like nuts, mushrooms, peas, beans, potatoes, applesauce, fruit, berries, tubers, spices, vegetables, and preserves for dessert.

They like to drink mead dew made from fermented honey, fermented raspberries, and spiced gin as a nightcap.

Gnomes kiss by rubbing noses. They also use nose rubbing as a greeting equivalent to human handshaking.

Forest Gnomes:

There are gnomes that live in the forest in the Philippines. You can tell where they live if there’s a hill of dirt that’s a bit higher than everything else. And when you go by them, you’re supposed to be really, really respectful and say:

“Excuse me. I’m just walking by. I don’t mean any harm.”

Even if you’re not doing anything, or no one said anything, or you’re not sure. You’re just supposed to do it. If you don’t, there could be blow back as per the following:

“There was a story on the Philippines news channel, about a kid who had huge swollen lips. You could hardly see his eyes. He was speaking to reporters and he said that he was walking by the hills and his friend told him that you’re supposed to say sorry and he said, “No, I’m not. I don’t care. I don’t believe in that stuff.”

Then the next day he woke up with a tumour on his face. Not so much as a tumour, but as his lips were super swollen. It looked like someone blasted air into his lips. Like super Botox.”

Walking Gnomes

The following story is very interesting in the fact that this is one of the few stories from Mexico where inanimate objects, that are not haunted, come to life. The Mexican culture does not traditionally include creatures such as gnomes but instead, it consist of larger creatures and ghosts. This is because the country did not originally have gnomes until places, such as the United States introduced them to there.

“In Mexico they believe that garden gnomes come alive at night. The proof they have of it is that my grandma used to own gnomes and her neighbours used to own gnomes in Mexico. And the garden gnomes the next day would be found in different places and a lot of stuff was broken and sometimes my mom and her sister would wake up at night, and they would hear things, but when they looked outside, they would never see the gnomes there. So there’s that story that they become alive at night in Mexico.”

“Recently I was talking to one of my cousins who told that story to some friends whose parents were also from Mexico. And this friend told my cousin that he actually believes that story, because one night the garden gnomes were not where they had placed them. They found them inside the house one night in the house and they were rolling in the hallway. Since then, they got rid of the gnomes, or at least they tried to. They threw them away but the next day they were in the same place they had put them before.”

The Secret Lives of Garden Gnomes

From Neopets.com, here’s a story about what Gnomes do at night. I’m pretty sure this is a made up story, but I thought it was fun, and who knows? Maybe it isn’t altogether fictional. You be the judge:

The reason Garden Gnomes come alive at night is because they don’t want anyone to see them moving around. This is pretty practical, considering the fact that if any regular person saw them talking and moving, they’d want to put them in some sort of abnormality museum!

But what do garden gnomes do at night? Well, I was watching out my window at the gnomes in my garden one night, and I saw one, a Bruce gnome, have them all line up in a row as he paced back and forth in front of them, a small twig in his hand like he was the instructor of a military camp.

He was telling each gnome which direction to go in order to pick up free food. You see, garden gnomes thrive like ants. They all go off to find food that people may have dropped accidentally or on purpose, and sometimes they even venture into houses and borrow food with no intention of returning (also known as stealing, but they take such small portions most people never even notice).

After retrieving food they rush back to their home centre (which is usually a tunnel in the ground leading into a large, dug out room, since gnomes are not claustrophobic) and report to the leader, in this case the Bruce gnome. He then tallies their lot and tosses the foot morsel into another room in their tunnel, where they store their food. They act sort of like chipmunks, storing food and hunting for it, of course, gnomes are not carnivores though.

And, to their enormous pleasure, when they have collected a lot of food, they sit down at have a feast! Yes, a feast! It’s a feast of little sweets, candy peas, popcorn pieces, and sometimes even whole flower cakes (although they take more than one gnome to carry). But besides eating, what else do gnomes do? Well, I’m glad you asked.

You wouldn’t suspect this, but when they have leisure time, gnomes enjoy swimming. They are very pleased to find a Neogarden where someone owns a pond. They jump right in, clothes and all, and swim and dive around in the cool water for hours at a time. And when they want to dry off, they take a large leaf and wrap themselves up in it, drying off quickly.

Aside from swimming, gnomes also enjoy crafts. They may take green blades of grass and weave adorable little baskets or even blankets. They can also take pieces of bark off of trees and sticks and carve them with sharp stones into little sculptures. Gnomes are very talented in the artistic field, and if you see a stick carved into a Meepit, you know who did it.

Aside from swimming and crafts, another thing gnomes enjoy is sports. They might play their own version of soccer by kicking around a rounded stone, or even play basketball by throwing a rock into a hole. This not only provides exercise, but gives them lots of time together to just have fun.

But when they aren’t playing and having fun, what do they do? Throughout the whole day, they sleep, and at night they either have fun or look for food, so there’s only a little bit of time left for something else-note-taking! This is sort of like their education, which is actually an education of…what else? Neopets!

Note-taking is when gnomes grab their oversized pencils and paper, which they “borrow” from Neopets, then marching through the sleeping pet’s house and going to their bedroom, where they climb up on the bed and observe the neopet’s sleeping habits. They are trying to find out where Neopets came from. Maybe all Neopets evolved from Myncis!

Another sort of educational activity that gnomes practice is counting. It isn’t counting like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, though, no, no no! It’s counting in a different way. The gnomes version of counting may be why your plushies eye was missing when you woke up.

Gnomes will trample in when you are catching some Z’s (it seems all of their educational activities are while Neopets are slumbering) and then they will be assigned a number (by there leader, the Bruce gnome) and then they shall go “counting” which, in other words, is another type of stealing. They have to pick up ten, for example (or however many their number is) trinkets, like plushie eyes, toothpicks, or buttons, and bring them back to their tunnel, storing them in a safe place. What they do with them I do not know, but I suspect they might make furniture or something of the sort using what they found.

One last thing I found out is that gnomes are a fan of bright colours and patterns. In the early morning, I saw them getting ready for bed and they were wearing long pants and long sleeved shirt PJ’s of hot pink, bright purple, lime green, and sunny yellow colour. Some had stripes, some had polka dots, and some even had swirlies! Gnomes are very interesting, no?

Now you know what gnomes do when you aren’t looking, what their secret life is all about. If you look out your window at night, you might be able to see them moving and hear them talking in their high pitched voices. But be warned-if they see you watching them, well, I won’t go there…

Sources:

House and Garden

Encyclopedia of Spirits

Love To Know

Folklore USC

Just Say Gnome

https://shirleytwofeathers.com/The_Blog/powers-that-be/garden-gnomes/

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sashagilljournalist · 5 years ago

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The New Kid in Town - Black Sheep Coffee

There can never be a shortage of coffee shops in Oxford. I am constantly on the hunt for a new haunt, being someone with a desperate inability to work without the humdrum of café chitchat and the growling of the coffee bean grinder in the background (so much so that I downloaded a loop of ‘low-fi café sounds’ as my official study soundtrack). Is there some alchemy at work that makes the smell of freshly brewed coffee the antidote to procrastination? I believe so.

Black Sheep Coffee is the new kid in town – its branch has recently opened on George Street right next to Debenhams. The company itself is was listed amongst one of the top growing independent businesses in the UK. It is easy to see why, they are passionate about their craft and take their coffee very seriously.

I was invited to one of their first ‘Coffee Masterclasses’ in their Oxford branch, which promised coffee tasting, tips on the perfect home-brew, and (what this millennial was undeniably most excited about) a crash course on latte art. It was impossible to say no.

The night started off with a bang, in the form of an espresso martini – one of the few cocktails the Oxford branch will soon be rolling out. I have had a few (too many?) espresso martinis in my time, and this one hit the spot. Not cloyingly-sweet, the perfect ratio of crema to liquid, imbued with their speciality-grade Robusta. The other cocktail I had the pleasure to enjoy was the Gin Bramble – deliciously fruity and topped with a foam of whipped aquafaba – vegans, rejoice! Other cocktails of note, which will soon be on offer to the public, including a spicy Chili Mezcal Margarita and a warming Baileys Latte.

The coffee tasting highlighted the key differences between the brews they offer. As someone who cares enough about coffee to shun anything emblazoned with ‘instant’, but not enough to note the differences between a ‘fruity’ or ‘whole-bodied’ bean, it was thoroughly enlightening. I learned that I much preferred darker roasts, and their Blue Volcano Roast hit the sweet spot – it was like milk chocolate, and thoroughly enlivening (which, while idealistic for a study session, was perhaps unhelpful to a good night’s sleep when consumed at 7 p.m.).

The latte art section was undeniably the element of the course I was most excited about. Whenever I frequent a coffee shop, I am enraptured by the grand coffee machines, that often command a substantial portion of the countertop. We were taught how to grind, brew, and whip up microfoam good enough to make a masterpiece to christen any cup of ‘joe. The method lies in the hand-work – swish, and flick (cue: wingardium leviosa). I managed a latte-foam-quasi-heart. Which, if you were otherwise served in such an establishment you would be appalled by, but I was vehemently proud of my wispy, not-really-there latte art.

For the last trick of the day, we were taught the perfect method to treat their coffee grounds to brew yourself the ultimate slow drip. It is a method of extreme calculation and proportion. And while I was initially sceptical (I usually dump a whole load of scalding water onto coffee grounds), I see why it is so methodical. Our resulting brew was beautiful – so easily drinkable despite being consumed as-is – completely black, without any milk or sugar to hide behind. I ordered myself a Chemex immediately. This is to be my new morning ritual.

If you feel stifled by the sheer volume of people inhabiting your favourite coffee shop, I urge you to branch out. There is so much more on offer, and Black Sheep Coffee is a welcome addition. With a brilliant range of coffee and such enthusiastic staff members, it will be difficult not to enjoy your time there. Order yourself your (delicious) poison of choice, and prepare to be absolutely infatuated.

Disclaimer: I was offered a place in their coffee masterclass in exchange for my honest opinion

Originally Published in The Oxford Student, 31st Jan 2020

#food #drink

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dakotahiggins-blog1 · 6 years ago

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Birmingham is home to some of the best clubs, bars and restaurants in the country. It is truly one of the great party cities. Here at GoHen, because we didn’t want you to miss out on any of the great cocktail bars which Birmingham has to offer, we compiled a list of some of the top hangouts about. So next time you’re in the brilliant city of Brum, be sure to check them out!

The Cuban Embassy

The ideal haunt for rum lovers and the perfect venue if you’re looking for Latin American flair. The Cuban Embassy is a fabulous independent venue with a passion for live music, great food and most definitely, rum. They boast a selection of over 120 varieties of the finest Caribbean liquor and pride themselves on their wonderfully authentic Cuban cocktails. With a fantastic atmosphere, Latin music performances and extensive drinks range, The Cuban Embassy is a truly unmissable establishment.

You must try: Havana Style Mojito

Address | 23 St Mary’s Row, Birmingham, B13 8HW