#Jack London State Historic Park

[jonfarreporter]

Charmian London, a remarkable woman few people really knew.

When taking a walk around the grounds at Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen it’s easy to be awestruck by the natural beauty of what was once the famous author’s home. Yet what few people know is that behind London and his vision was his 2nd wife, Charmian Kittredge London.

“She was instrumental not only in ensuring his legacy but also in helping and contributing to his writing,” said poet/historian Iris Jamal Dunkle.

Dunkle’s recent book, ‘Charmian Kittredge London, Trailblazer, Author, Adventurer’ speaks of a woman who was a part of her times and yet ahead of her times.

Dunkle’s work inspired the officials and staff at JLSP to shift the spotlight from exclusively Jack London to highlight Charmian as one of the 20th Century’s most under-appreciated women of significant influence and accomplishment.

As noted when she spoke recently with The Sonoma Valley Sun. “I had never even met a writer until the day I walked into the museum at the House of Happy Walls at Jack London State Historic Park, back in the sixth grade.”

“Suddenly, walking through the exhibits, said Dunkle, I saw how one could spend a life traveling the world and writing about it.”

I fell instantly in love with Jack London and vowed to read everything he had ever written,” said Dunkle.

Dunkle was impressed by London’s insightful writing and his way of capturing the essence of people and perspectives.

Yet it was when Dunkle came upon a collection called, ‘Our Valley of the Moon in poems and pictures,’ which included an iconic photograph of Jack London riding on horseback on Sonoma Mountain. “And to my surprise, beneath it was a clear attribution, said Dunkle. “Charmian London.”

Intrigued, Dunkle had a quest set before her. “When I reached out to several scholars to see if they knew Charmian had been the photographer, each of them gave me the same answer: they had never even thought to ask who had taken this famous photograph!” Exclaimed Dunkle.

In her six-year endeavor of research for the nearly-300 page biography, Dunkle was both surprised and dismayed at what she uncovered.

“From far away, London was an individual genius writer. But up close, in the extensive research I did says Dunkle, the ugly truth, the brushstrokes, that made that illusion so beautiful from afar are fully visible.”

“Each adventure London sought and experienced, said Dunkle, each book he wrote was aided by another force of nature: his second wife, Charmian Kittredge London.”

Charmian Kittredge was unique among the women of her time in that she was college educated. “Not a finishing school or a ladies seminary,” said Dunkle but a progressive college for women, Mills College in Oakland,” added Dunkle.

Despite the fact that Charmian lost her mother when she was little, her father insisted she be educated and have skills. Learning stenography, (shorthand) Charmian worked her way through school in the Mills College administration offices. “She became extremely efficient and invaluable,” said Dunkle.

The most upsetting aspect to Dunkle’s lengthy research was the fact that “Charmian was maligned by London scholars and biographers like Irving Stone who painted Charmian as someone who was an overbearing disruption than a helper,” said Dunkle.

Yet what Dunkle uncovered was a remarkable woman who traveled the world, had a high-paying job. “Charmian worked at the largest shipping firm in San Francisco before she met Jack in 1900 and started dating him in 1902,” said Dunkle.

Illuminating important disregarded if not overlooked facts, Dunkle said. “Charmian began her own writing career in the 1890s publishing non-fiction essays in Sunset magazine and The Overland Monthly.”

“One of my most important discoveries, added Dunkle, however, was that Charmian was not just Jack’s secretary (as had been previously assumed). Charmian helped write several of Jack’s books and acted as his editor beginning with his novel,’The Sea-Wolf.’”

With this revelation, Dunkle became undaunted even when resources at Huntington Library in San Marino, CA was missing important bits and pieces.

Referring to her exhaustive research as “clandestine,”

Dunkle surmised. “After being granted such access, Irving Stone’s betrayal with his unfair biased view in the biography he wrote about Jack London, Charmian became more guarded. Most likely, Charmian burned letters, documents, etc.”

Pointing out how much harm is done when facts are distorted or dismembered, “Charmian more than deserves to be honored,” said Dunkle.

“Charmian refused to adhere to the gender norms of her day,” said Dunkle. “She was an avid horseback rider who thought riding side-saddle absurd.” “Charmian was an equal to Jack, (they were definitely soul-mates) unafraid, athletic and adventurous,” added Dunkle.

Volunteers at Jack London State Historic Park like Mary Oswald are pleased with the new focus on Charmian. “As the old saying goes, behind every great man there’s a woman.”

“I agree,” said Sonoma resident Jude Cameron, who stopped in at the exhibit. “Perhaps in this situation with Jack and Charmian, it was more about a woman beside him as an equal.”

To learn more about the exhibit of Charmian at Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen, visit the JLSP website.

Praised by the Jack London Society, and Sonoma State University’s former chair of the Communications Studies Department, Jonah Raskin said of Dunkle’s work.

“Riveting…this biography sets the record straight as straight as it can be straightened…Despite her flaws, or perhaps because of them, Charmian is indeed the kind of woman whom one would love to have known.”

To learn more about Iris Jamal Dunkle’s biography: ‘Charmian Kittredge London, Trailblazer, Author, Adventurer’ visit her website.

[asterlizard]

Visited the Jack London State Historic Park back in June (Actually only the eastern area, we didn't have time to do the western side, maybe next time! There's a Pig Palace!!)

The weather was rather pleasant despite summer being just around the corner. I think it was a good time to come, since the area was still verdant. Also those gnarly trees almost look like wild creatures.

We spontaneously joined a guided tour detailing the history of Jack London (and not glossing over the rough areas of his life) and got to walk down a nature trail through the park, and learn how the site was important to the London family.

When we were done with the tour and returned to look inside the house and its historical items, there was an old lady playing gentle piano pieces for the browsing tourists (idk who she was exactly, but it added a nice ambiance to the moment)

Once we were done, we went back to Glen Ellen to grab a bite to eat, and had a ham and cheese sandwich at a cozy French restaurant. I would like to have done more at Glen Ellen, but again we were short on time.

Pleasant experience overall!

[fromafarblog]

Literary Tour of NorCal (Part II): Jack London

I roadtripped through Northern California in December 2023 to learn more about some of my favorite authors, including John Steinbeck, Jack London, John Muir, and Jack Kerouac.

Day two of my literary tour consisted of a drive up to Sonoma County, specifically to Jack London State Historic Park, where Jack London and his wife Charmian lived from 1905 until London's death in 1916, and where Charmian continued to live until her death in 1955. The estate is extremely well preserved, a far cry from the commercialism of Cannery Row. The kiosk attendant suggested that I start my tour with the House of Happy Walls Museum. The museum was established by London's wife Charmian in the wake of his death, in order to educate visitors on his life and books. The Museum is curated nicely, and includes a peek into Charmian's upstairs living quarters, where she lived for some time after London's death. In the museum shop, I met Raleigh. Raleigh has been living in Glen Ellen, where the State Park sits, since the early 60s. He even told stories about working as a grounds keeper for Albert Kahn, a contemporary of Steinbeck's and fellow socialist. He met Kahn, who was famous for his pro-union reporting when Kahn picked him up hitchhiking. As groundskeeper, he also met some of Kahn's famous friends, like neighbor Hunter Thompson.

A trail map greets visitors from the parking lot. From here, visitors can travel to the House of Happy Walls, Jack London's grave, and the ruins of Jack London's former mansion.

A placard outside the House of Happy Walls which was built by London's widow to house his works.

Views from the House of Happy Walls were spectacular.

After visiting the museum, I decided to head down to London's grave and the ruins of his Wolf House. London began building the Wolf House in 1911 but a fire destroyed and halted construction in 1913. I was hoping to see the ruins, but because I was alone on the trail save for a mustachioed man in a football jersey and a kettle of approximately nine vultures flying overhead, I decided to turn back before becoming a ruin myself.

Jack London requested that his ashes lie next to those of the children of an Irish immigrant who lived on the land before he and Charmian moved in.

I counted more than nine vultures as I approached the ruins of the Wolf House, and so I decided to turn back before seeing them for myself. Fun fact, a group of vultures is called a "committee", "venue" or "volt". When flying, a "kettle". When feeding on a carcass, a "wake".

The land on which London's Beauty Ranch sits is, well, beautiful.

A short walk from the House of Happy Walls sits the cottage where London and his wife spent most of their days after the Wolf House burned down. The cottage is modest, but the views are expansive and magnificent. Within the cottage are portraits and artifacts from the London couple's travels. The land surrounding the cottage demonstrates London's commitment to sustainable agriculture, an obsession picked up from his visits to Asia and which occupied him when he wasn't writing or traveling.

Jack London's cheeky photographs hang in the hallway to his office.

Jack London's office.

Jack London often slept in a bedroom next to the office so as not to disturb visitors when he worked late at night.

The land abutting Jack London's cottage is now a privately owned vineyard.

[ausetkmt]

The Guardian: ‘Colonialism lingers’: Belize shrugs off coronation amid calls for reparations

When Dr Harold Young, an eminent Belizean political scientist, takes visitors on a journey around Belize City, the first stop is an unremarkable building, whose basement entrance is partly shrouded by creeping pink bougainvillea.

Its padlocked gates and broken windows back on to a parking lot in the city’s historic centre. Most passersby ignore the innocuous plaque outside. Belize, a country of 400,000 citizens, is geographically located in Central America but a part of the English-speaking Caribbean. A former British settlement and then colony, it is one of the region’s eight remaining Commonwealth realms – independent countries where the monarch remains the head of state.

Belize is the only Commonwealth realm King Charles has never visited.

But for those who are aware, the building serves as a horrifying reminder of the brutality of British rule here. “It’s the last remnants of a holding dungeon for slaves,” Young says. “Before they were put out for sale.”

Unlike the island states in the Caribbean, where plantation slavery underpinned the colonial economy, enslaved labour in Belize revolved around the logging of mahogany at camps in the country’s interior.

The major settlements in British Honduras, as it was known until 1973, were thus sparsely populated, and the remnants of violent enslavement are now mostly absent from public view.

The building’s story has been passed down for generations, and is noted in certain tourist literature. But the historic plaque outside, while acknowledging its use in the mahogany trade, presents its connections to slavery merely as “local folklore”.

As Young describes it, the building is a symbol of a broader identity crisis here, associated with the intimacy of colonialism itself and wounds that have not healed well into independence. History is still not fully told. Crimes remain unacknowledged.

“That colonialism,” he says. “It still lingers.”

But as the United Kingdom prepares to crown its new king, the citizens of Belize are laying the groundwork for a similarly historic event: they could be the first nation to remove Charles as head of state.

In November last year, the recently elected centre-left government announced that a people’s commission would review the country’s constitution – written at the time of its independence in 1981. A year earlier, a resolution in parliamentcalled for reparatory justice from the United Kingdom “on behalf of the former slaves and their descendants”.

Asked what relevance the coronation has to the lives of Belizeans, Briceño was honest: “There is no excitement,” he said. “We are so far away from the UK … You don’t see people taking out their Union Jack flags or anything.”

Briceño is unable to travel to the event in London, although Belize’s governor general will attend. There will be no public holiday here.

Walking around Belize City’s historic downtown, where an old Post Office building still bears the insignia of Elizabeth II and an occasional red post box is spotted on the street, it is hard to dispute Briceño’s frank assessment.

“It is time that the head of state, both ceremonial and legally, be Belize and Belizian,” says Orson “OJ” Elrington, an attorney and member of the constitutional commission. . He admits he did not know the coronation was due to take place within a week. “It is more than just symbolism. Ultimately it is the last stage of our decolonization. It is the last stage of true independence.”

Belize is not alone in pushing forward constitutional reform efforts. Following the Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley’s decision to use her party’s parliamentary supermajority to transition the country into a republic, discussions over the future of the British monarchy have accelerated throughout the region.

Now, officials in seven of the remaining realm countries in the Caribbean have indicated they will seek to follow the same path – thoughtimetables, procedures and government commitment vary in each country. Belize is the only remaining state in the Caribbean where, as in Barbados, the monarchy could be removed without a referendum. Briceño has committed to holding a referendum on the recommendations of the constitutional commission – but he did not rule out the possibility of removing the monarchy with a vote in parliament.

“Referenda come at the end of a long process, so change elsewhere [in the Caribbean] will not come overnight,” said Dr Kate Quinn, associate professor in Caribbean history at University College London. “And the outcome of referenda in general is unpredictable. There’s a danger that they become polls on the government of the day rather than the issues on the card. If the issue of moving to a republic becomes strongly associated with one party over another, they can be scuppered by partisan politics.”

Such debate is far from new to the English-speaking Caribbean and did not begin with Barbados’s decision in 2021, nor the death of Queen Elizabeth last year. Carried by a wave of Black nationalism and socialism, three former British colonies, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and the newly independent Dominica, removed the monarch as head of state throughout the 1970s. Alternatives to the crown had been debated in popular circles long before even then.

Quinn, who is part of a research project, The Visible Crown, examining the history of the Caribbean’s relationship with the monarchy, points to groups like the early Rastafarians in Jamaica during the 1930s, whose belief in the divinity of Haile Selassie was itself viewed as an act of sedition.

Still, symbolism and imagery of the current moment – from the impending coronation to recent royal tours – matter, particularly as relations between the English-speaking Caribbean and the UK fall to new lows in the aftermath of the Windrush scandal and both the government and the monarchy’s recent refusals to go beyond passive expressions of regret and offer a formal apology for the atrocities of slavery.

In Belize, the couple were forced to abandon plans to visit a Mayan village in the country’s south, following protest. William’s connections to a conservation charity involved in a local land dispute and plans to land their helicopter on a nearby football field without consultation were deemed offensive.

“There’s only so much the fig leaf of public relations and exercises in ‘soft power’ can cover,” said Quinn. “These images and videos were widely shared on social media, and undoubtedly were a gift to the republican cause as well as to the case for reparations.”

Bryton Codd, a 28-year-old government policy adviser and a founder of the Young Leaders Alliance of Belize, was baptised here. Towering and charismatic, he has conflicting emotions as we walk around the rows of mahogany pews inside. At the front is a bench that seated Queen Elizabeth during her visit in 1994 – pointed out with pride by a staff member showing us around.

Codd remembers the royal visit of last year with a calm disdain. “From my perspective it was a colonial celebration,” he says. “There should have been a deeper discussion on broadening the conversation on reparations, acknowledging the atrocities of our colonial past and for them [the royal family], condemning the actions of their ancestors.”

His organisation is represented in the People’s Constitutional Commission here, along with the National Union of Students, a recognition of the need for younger voices to have a say in the country’s reform efforts. Belize is a young country: the median age is just 25.5 years.

Like many, Codd articulates a perceived intergenerational divide among attitudes to the monarchy.

“My grandmother was from the colonial era. She grew up singing God Save the Queen,” he says, “But I don’t even know the words.

“There has been a paradigm shift in terms of the culture of young people today. We are independent thinkers. We challenge the status quo.”

Codd is attuned to the need to keep people informed and educated about the work of the PCC, which held its first private workshop meetings last week. He is mobilising an information campaign over WhatsApp, preparing bite-sized chunks of pertinent discussion to share with hundreds of his young members.

The review extends well beyond the future of the monarchy, into issues like enshrining human rights, reforming the judiciary and changing the country’s electoral system, currently based on the Westminster system, meaning most members of the ruling party also serve in government cabinet.

Beyond the Caribbean, the coronation of a new monarch has so far done little to outwardly shift the needle in remaining realm states.

For the three largest, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, all former British dominions with majority-white populations and established republican movements, the dynamics of the debate are different by historical design, and the political will mired in other issues.

In Australia, for example, the recently elected Labor prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has long articulated his support for a republic. But his government’s priority in its first term is a referendum on a constitutional amendment to formally recognise Indigenous Australians and establish a permanent Indigenous advisory body to parliament.

Albanese has said any vote on the future of the monarchy would occur if his government wins a second term after 2025. He has appointed a new minister overseeing Australia’s transition to a republic.

The sentiment is similar in New Zealand, where parliament has the power to remove the monarchy without calling a referendum. In the immediate aftermath of the Queen’s death, the former prime minister Jacinta Ardern predicted the move would happen but laid out no timeframe.

Charles’s position as head of the Commonwealth of Nations, the broader political association of 56 states, mostly former territories of the British empire, has also been cemented for the immediate future. In 2018, Commonwealth leaders voted at the request of Queen Elizabeth to install Charles as her successor, ensuring that, for the time being at least, the crown remained symbolically atop of what is essentially a voluntary club of member states with little political or economic sway.

“The Commonwealth’s obituary has been written so many times, but it’s never been true,” said Dr Harshan Kumarasingham, a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Edinburgh. “Somehow it keeps surviving. And one of the reasons is that it does continue in the fabric of British society, and in the societies of all the member states.”

Nonetheless, said Kumarasingham, there is nothing to guarantee Charles will remain its ceremonial head throughout his reign if a significant number of member states raise dissent at a heads of government meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for 2024 in Samoa. .

In Belmopan, Belize’s capital city, Briceño acknowledges that should Belize move away from the monarchy, the country would remain in the Commonwealth of Nations, as Barbados has done.

There are no guarantees, however, and despite Briceño’s optimism he realises that there are still challenges to dispel the many myths that surround transitioning into a republic. Primary among them is a fear that departure from the crown would re-intensify an ongoing border dispute with neighbouring Guatemala, which has long laid claim to swathes of territory in Belize. (There are no guarantees of British military assistance in the current constitution.)

But above anything else, Briceño says, the constitutional reform effort must overcome a broader apathy in Belize, where 42% of citizens live in poverty and the climate crisis poses an ever-evolving threat.

“I just don’t think it [the monarchy] is up there in the minds of people at the moment,” Briceño says. Aside from the pressing issues of the economy, crime and climate, Briceño focuses repeatedly on the need for reparations.

“The United Kingdom became great on the backs of the colonies and they do have a responsibility to have some form of reparations. They will never be able to pay back what was plundered and probably the millions of lives that were lost.”

But, he adds: “A public apology is a start.”

[goingplacesfarandnear]

Experience Sonoma Like a Local

Experience Sonoma Like a Local

A late afternoon stroll in our Sonoma “neighborhood” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com You know the refrain: “It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.” Rare is the place that is equally precious to visit and reside. Fortunately, our family has decided to reside in such a place, and I get to visit:…

[danbily]

This moss covered rock is the final resting place of one of the greatest American authors of his time.  As you know, snow has closed down my flying for the remainder of the WNY winter.  My daughter, Gretchen, recently made this pilgrimage from the Bay Area to the the Jack London State Historic Park in Sonoma County.  This can be done as an air adventure as well.  Gretchen has lived in the Bay Area for years and has visited most if not all of the important sites.  This one is unique and was granted her five star ”must see” status.  It is out of way but well worth your time.  With a plane, this is a simple Class D airport with much to offer the GA pilot.  Go fly the West Coast and find out for yourself!  

[bunimalsfiberdolls]

along the trial to Jack London’s gravesite

[charlie-pippin-faraday]

question – has the fact nina's from cleveland ever been confirmed in the show or is that just a weird thing that appeared on the wiki?

I'm probably not the right person to ask about this; I don't pay attention to any of the behind the scenes stuff or anything that the writers/creators/people involved with the show say. I think I've only ever seen it on the wiki but like that could've also come from one of the writers or whatever saying something way back when, I don't know. I really can't tell you.

If your question is do the characters ever say it in the show, then no, they don't. They never say that explicitly on the show. Admittedly they don't say jack shit about where ANY of them are from specifically except for KT, who says she's from Pennsylvania, and Jerome. This one requires a little more digging, but it is a pretty concrete location: when Jerome hires the private investigator to find his dad the investigator actually gives him his own mother's address, which is obviously where he lives ("That is my mother. I know where she lives because oh yeah! I live there too."). And you can see on the envelope that the address is in London. Do we know how far that is from the school? Not really. The school is in some ~vague~ location in England with our only reference being that it took Eddie a four-hour train ride to get there from the airport, presumably Heathrow in London. We don't know where the school is, but we do know that Jerome lives somewhere in London. Any of you who are British can probably zoom in on that zipcode and get even more specific on where in London he lives, which also hilariously looks to be on Poppy Street.

The only other person we get ANY clues on where they live is Eddie. Now, they never confirm this or say this at any point, but there are so many clues in his room pointing to the fact that he lives somewhere in the NYC area that I, personally, will not be accepting any other headcanons.

First of all, he's got a concert poster that straightup just says New York.

He also has a New Jersey license plate on his wall, and he's got a poster with a BUNCH of notable locations/streets that are in New York. Let's take the time to go through them, shall we?

Let's start with what we can see on the bottom of the poster:

Bleeker St - admittedly misspelled here; Bleecker Street is a famous street in Manhattan close to Greenwich Village and Soho, it's got like nightlife and stuff

Woodycrest Ave - in the Bronx by Yankee Stadium

Greenwich St - obviously in Greenwich Village, right next to the water (Hudson River), close to the apartment building you see in Friends

E 101st St - immediately to the east of Central Park

13th St Residence - a little more obscure, but looks to be student housing for NYU also near Greenwich Village

E 36th St - two streets away from the Empire State Building

Dyer Ave - this street actually intersects with 36th Street, meaning it's downtown near the Empire State Building

Now to the middle of the poster:

Mt Morris Pkwy - there's actually not a street specifically named this, but there is a Mt Morris Park W, which is a street in the Mount Morris Park Historic District bordering what I believe used to be called Mount Morris Park and is now Marcus Garvey Park, in Harlem

Horatio St - in the West Village in Manhattan, once again very close to the Hudson River and some prominent piers

Meyer Block - a block of the city that includes Meyer Hall of NYU

And the remaining ones on the top of the poster:

Broom St - also misspelled; Broome Street is a notable street in Lower Manhattan

Cabrini Blvd - in the Manhattan neighborhood of Hudson Heights, next to the George Washington Bridge, which is a pretty iconic bridge that crosses the Hudson River into New Jersey, located near the Bronx and is also close to Yankee Stadium

W 3rd St - in the middle of Greenwich Village/Lower Manhattan, smack in the middle of NYU, right next to Washington Square Park

And finally, his laptop background in S2 is straightup just a photo of the New York transit system. This boy is from somewhere in the tristate area and I will not be hearing otherwise.

Sorry, I got very offtrack. The answer is no, they never say in the show that Nina is from Cleveland, and there's not much physical evidence to put her there or anywhere else for that matter. But I think generally the consensus among the fandom - or at least this is the case for me personally - is that we accept it because eh, why not? Her location in America is completely a blank slate. So if someone says Cleveland and you've got no objection to it, why not? There's nothing that explicitly says she's not. Besides, she seems like someone who'd root for an underdog/be from an underdog city, which is a bit of the Cleveland vibe.

[iodos84]

Mushrooms, Jack London State Historic Park. Glen Ellen, California, 2014.

[myhauntedsalem]

Where are the Seven Gates of Hell Located?

Many over the past few centuries tell that the Seven Gates of Hell or each located on one of each of the continents. The seven traditional continents are (from largest in size to smallest): Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. That Means That there is one Gate of Hell for each Continent respectively.

But over the years many strange tales have arisen concerning their specific location and what happens to you if you dare to find them. Truth or fiction the tales often grow with each telling. Many forums, blogs and message boards are filled with the evil's and misconceptions of what a doorway to hell is really like and where it might be found.

The Gate to Hell in Africa many say is located in Egypt. The exact locations said by many would be gate searchers is thought to be located directly under the left paw of the great Sphinx. This Horrific Gate is known to be Called the Gate to The Underworld or After Life, the great hall of records. To this date no one has entered it or found it.

It is situated near the small town of Darvaz. The story of this place lasts already for 35 years. Once the geologists were drilling for gas. Then suddenly during the drilling they have found an underground cavern, it was so big that all the drilling site with all the equipment and camps got deep deep under the ground. None dared to go down there because the cavern was filled with gas. So they ignited it so that no poisonous gas could come out of the hole, and since then, it's burning, already for 35 years without any pause. Nobody knows how many tons of excellent gas has been burned for all those years but it just seems to be infinite there.

The Gate of hell in Asia is located in Aokigahara, also known as the Sea of Trees, is a forest that lies at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan. The caverns found in this forest are rocky and ice-covered annually. It has been claimed by local residents and visitors that the woods are host to a great amount of paranormal phenomena. It is an old ancient forest reportedly haunted by many urban historical legends of strange beasts, monsters, ghosts, and goblins, which add to its serious and sinister reputation.

Some in the world will tell you it is one of the actual seven gates to hell! The location is said to haunted by demons as well as ghosts. These demons or those that make you take your life. I found these forest to be very disturbing and in my mind what a hideous place of beauty for a infernal hole to hell to be in.

Near or under the Great Temple Mount In Israel. One if the possible gates to hell is called Satan's Front Door. Some scholars will argue that this door was once in Rome and Moved to the Holy land when Israel Became a State 14 May 1948. It is Believed it took 2 thousand legions of demons and Devil's to move the great gate because it is the most powerful and strongest doors that Satan has for gaining souls. When it Was Rome their were two gates of hell on the continent and it is believe that the great Caesar's had it originally moved there when they found it in The Holy Land originally.

In 1867, a team from the Royal Engineers, led by Lieutenant Charles Warren (later the London police commissioner of Jack the Ripper fame) and financed by the Palestine Exploration Fund (P.E.F.), discovered a series of tunnels beneath Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, some of which were directly underneath the headquarters of the Knights Templar.

Various small artifacts were found which indicated that Templar's had used some of the tunnels, though it is unclear who exactly first dug them. Some of the ruins which Warren discovered came from centuries earlier, and other tunnels which his team discovered had evidently been used for a water system, as they led to a series of cisterns.

The Gate to Hell is by many thought to be located in Europe. And it is hidden in Pere Lachaise Paris Cemetery Paris. It is said to be a great grand gate with very notable significance. this gate is said to be the one that all great heads of state must enter through when they die. And through this gate World Leaders must be judged by the Devil first and not God. Many tales tell of vampire-like entities guarding the entrance. Some believe that the Underground catacombs of Paris are the true gates but many beg to differ.

Some searchers believe that the actual Hellfire Caves Buckinghamshire, England is a indirect gate to Hell. Some call it a side door to the dark underworld of Satan.

West Wycombe Caves, also known as Hellfire Caves, located in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England, are most well known as a meeting place for members of The Hellfire Club. The caves were extended by Sir Francis Dashwood (later Lord le Despencer) between 1748–1752. They provided work for unemployed farm workers following a succession of harvest failures, and lie close to Dashwood's country house, West Wycombe Park (now owned by the National Trust). The chalk mines that were extended to form the caves had existed near High Wycombe for a considerable time. The mines are said to have a prehistoric origin, and were presumably created to extract the flint found in the chalk to make hand tools. Locally, flint is used as a building material.

The entrance to the caves is built from flint, and St Lawrence's church, above the Inner Temple, is also built using flint. Due to the extensive alterations made by Dashwood, all evidence of the caves' earlier history seem to have been destroyed. The underground "rooms" are named, from the Entrance Hall, through the Circle, Franklin's Cave (named after Benjamin Franklin, a friend of Dashwood who stayed with him at West Wycombe), the Banqueting Hall, the Triangle, to the Miner's Cave; finally, across a subterranean river named the Styx, lies the final cave, the Inner Temple. An alternative viewpoint was advanced by Daniel P Mannix in his book about The Hellfire Club. This theory suggests that the caves had been deliberately created by Dashwood according to a sexual design.The design begins at the 'womb' of the Banqueting Hall, leading to rebirth through the female triangle, followed by baptism in the River Styx and the pleasures thereafter of the Inner Temple.

This theory is not mentioned in National Trust literature and is allegedly refuted by the Dashwood family.The flint mining theory is also questionable because the Chiltern Hills flint bed overlays the chalk escarpment and does not have to be mined except by means of small open flint dells of which there are many on the area.The caves were refurbished and made suitable for visitors during the 1950s by the late Sir Francis Dashwood, 11th Baronet.

They are now open as a tourist attraction, with life-sized waxwork figures in period costume illustrating the life of the caves in the 18th century. The caves have attracted over 2 million visitors since 1951.

The Gate to Hell in South America is located in Rio de Janeiro. Harbour of Rio de Janeiro is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. The actual open gate yo hell is said to be near where the world famous "Christ the Redeemer" Statue stands. Some say the entrance is in an underwater cave or hidden near the top of Corcovado Peak. Locals believe that during the festival of Carnival the gate swings open to trap those that or unaware of it's location who deserve to be taken to hell alive.

The gate has also been thought to be located at Machu Picchu, Iguazu Falls, Angel Falls, the Nazca lines are thought by some to point the way, Galapagos, along the Amazon which is thought to originate or flow into the river Styx, Patagonia, Andes .

The North American Gate is said to be located at or very near the Tomb Of the great Voodoo - Hoodoo Queen, Marie Laveau. Many say it is the doorway to the home of the eternally tortured and living dead. Many old tales tell of strange monsters issuing from the infernal gates. Vampires zombies and a host of Ghede and strange half dead beings.

[maddie-grove]

Little Book Review: Sin Eater

Author: Megan Campisi.

Publication Date: 2020.

Genre: Alternate historical fiction (?).

Premise: Strap in, y'all, because this is complicated. May Owens, an orphaned teen laundress in Fake Elizabethan London, is arrested for stealing a loaf of bread. Expecting to be hanged, she's instead sentenced to be a Sin Eater for life. This means hearing confessions from the dying and then eating foods that symbolize their sins off their coffins. There are various other unpleasant requirements--speaking to no one except when hearing confessions, being forced to wear a non-removable collar, getting one's tongue tattooed, social ostracism, eternal damnation if one doesn't do everything right--but it does come with free room and board. Then the Sin Eater who's supposed to be mentoring May gets tortured to death. Why? A deer heart (symbolizing the murder of royalty) appeared on the coffin of a deceased lady-in-waiting, and the mentor wouldn't eat it because the lady-in-waiting had confessed to no such thing. Can May figure out what the hell is going on, adjust to her weird new life, and address a bunch of lingering childhood trauma?

Thoughts: Sin-eating, as depicted in this novel, never existed in Britain. Campisi was inspired to write this novel by a real-world tradition that started in and near Wales as early as the seventeenth century, but died out completely by the 1920s. Accounts vary as to how socially stigmatizing it was to be a sin eater; at best, they were poor, disreputable people doing a low-status job, and, at worst, they were feared and despised as people who had traded away their immortal souls and possibly consorted with demons. However, it was definitely not an island-wide, state-sanctioned role that people were officially sentenced to; it didn't require body modification, nor was it solely assigned to women.

In short, Campisi has created a fictional tradition that technically could have existed in Elizabethan London (as it doesn't involve magic or technology that didn't exist at the time), but demonstrably did not. This puts her in an interesting position that most historical fiction and fantasy writers don't find themselves in, because she has the following options:

Write a straightforward historical novel that just happens to have this one weird, fictional thing going on, with no further explanation. This would probably be the easiest option, but she either has to put an awkward author's note at the beginning or run the risk of readers thinking she knows jack shit about Elizabethan London.

Write an alternate history novel in which she explains how her version of sin-eating came to be in Elizabethan London. (Off the top of my head: Welsh people brought the tradition to London and other parts of England after migrating, but it only caught on in a big way as a response to the Black Death, during which time it developed distinctly English characteristics. The pious Henry VI was the first monarch to officially recognize it; however, the crueler official requirements didn't come about until the reign of Henry VIII, for reasons similar to the passing of the Tudor Poor Laws. Edward VI tried to ban it, but Mary I brought it back with a vengeance. Now it's allowed, but only because Elizabeth I branded it as an Anglican thing.) I think this makes for an interesting setting, but it is a lot of work for a story that's really just about one regular girl and some Tudor drama.

Write a story that takes place in a world that's similar in some ways to Elizabethan England (geography, level of technology, etc.), yet is substantially different. Maybe there's a young reigning queen, but she's not the often-disfavored daughter of a king with six wives; instead, maybe she had seven brothers who all died untimely deaths. Maybe the country's been torn apart by decades of religious conflict, but sin-eating is at the heart of the conflict instead of Fake Catholicism vs. Fake Protestantism. This might actually be the most organic way to handle things, but it does put the book in a weird place, genre-wise; people who want to read straight-up historical fiction won't be into it, and people who want to read fantasy might be put off by the lack of magic.

Any of these are better options than what Campisi chose, which is an unholy union between #1 and #3. Sin Eater is set in a world that's almost identical to Elizabethan London, except that (a) Campisi's version of sin-eating exists and (b) everybody has slightly different names. Instead of Queen Elizabeth, we have Queen Bethany, the daughter of King Harold II and his second wife Alys Bollings. She had an older sister named Maris, daughter of Harold II's first wife Constanza of Castile, who was a Eucharist. Harold II's third wife was named Jennette Cheney, whom you might think had a son named Edwin or whatever, but no, she had no children. What. You might also think that Jennette had a brother named Titus Cheney, who married Harold II's sixth wife and widow Katryna Park or whatever, but also no. He was named Titus Seymaur (no relation?) and he was married to Katryna...Parr. Confused yet? Because God is always called the Maker, and clergy are always Maker-men who preach sermons in Maker-halls, but Judas is still Judas and Eve is still Eve. Also, Roma people are called "eg*psies" (honestly, if you're going to make up a stupid word, at least use the opportunity to make it not a slur); it's something of a relief that the Jewish characters are just Jews. Oh, and the whole thing takes place in Angland.

This is some of the most irritating, distracting world-building I've ever encountered. It doesn't help that the only reason for the fake Tudor drama is a rather tired, mean-spirited mystery involving Queen Elizabeth/Bethany's secret baby and Katryna/Katherine Parr's long-lost daughter. And it's a shame, because when the story focuses on May--a lonely, angry, scared girl struggling to do the right thing and make a place for herself in the world--it's emotionally compelling. Her mixed feelings towards the fellow outcasts who start squatting in her home are particularly well-done, as are her encounters with religious outsiders. The mechanics of sin-eating are also fascinating; I liked seeing May visit dying people of various ages and stations in life. I think a person without my exact pet peeves would enjoy this novel a lot more, but it still wouldn't be great.

Hot Goodreads Take: There are many criticisms of this novel that I agree with, such as bad world-building, a weak mystery, a sophomoric understanding of religion, and gratuitous unpleasantness. (I love the dark, I love slippery things, but there was no reason for the tongue tattoo except to drive home that this whole thing sucks for May. I did not need to be further convinced!) There are also criticisms that I get, even if I don't feel the same way; for instance, I like the weird, bitter heroine, but I understand that she's not for everyone. On the other hand, one reviewer states, "I also didn’t care or need to know about the author’s childcare arrangements that she acknowledges at the end of her book." Like...cool, reviewer, but I don't think you understand the point of acknowledgments. They're to thank people. Are you going to complain that you "don't care that the book was manufactured in America, as the copyright page says"?

[authorgraves]

Jack London

(Jan. 12th 1876 - Nov. 22nd 1916)

Brief Bio:

Born into a somewhat troubled family, Jack had to seek labor as a boy of 13, and had many professions before attending high school.  During his education he met Ina Coolbrith, and later went on to study at Berkeley.  At age 21 he joined the Klondike Gold Rush, where he caught scurvy and went home in defeat, determined to make a living as a writer.  He became a prolific author of novels and short stories.  He married twice, and made a failed attempt at being a war correspondent in 1904.  He was also an honorary member of the Bohemian Grove.  In 1905 he bought a ranch in Sonoma County and built a mansion on its grounds.  The ranch proved to be a financial failure, and the mansion burned down two weeks before he moved in.  He eventually died, some suspect by morphine injection, in a cottage on his ranch in 1916.

Notable Works:

To The Man On Trail (1898 story)  

The Call Of The Wild (1903)  

White Fang (1906)  

To Build A Fire (1908 story)  

John Barleycorn (1913 memoir)

The Grave:

London was cremated and buried on the grounds of his ranch.  His wife shortly followed.  The spot was marked by a stone from his mansion.  Not far from his grave is a small plot where are buried some pioneer children he featured in one of his stories.

Jack London State Historic Park

2400 London Ranch Rd.

Glen Ellen, CA 95442

Surrounding Area:

London's ranch in Glen Ellen, CA was made into the Jack London State Historic Park.  It features his grave, the remains of his mansion, and the cottage where he died.  Being a state park and a California Historical Landmark, you will have to pay an admission fee to see this grave, but it is definitely worth it.

Further Reading:

Jack London Project Gutenberg

Jack London State Historic Park website

Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon website

"The game of life is good, though all of life may be hurt, and though all lives lose the game in the end."

[tokyotwosome]

England: ”This Earth of Majesty”

7/26/19 - ENGLAND. The mother to the modern world’s business tongue. A country within the United Kingdom within Great Britain and none of us can make any sense of what the heck the difference is. This wondrous place is an island I’d always dreamed of visiting from the first time I picked up The Chronicles of Narnia. Or Pride and Prejudice. Or Harry Potter. The list goes on. From its rich history, its captivating architecture, and the many famous humans that have walked these streets, England is not a country to be missed.

We arrived in London on a Friday evening. The summer in the U.K. is much like Seattle; the sun is fickle and the rain needy. Seeing the countless parks throughout the city, not to mention the luscious greenery throughout the countryside, it’s no wonder it rains so much here. On Saturday morning, we met up with a friend to do a proper tour of the city. For the day, we purchased a “London Pass” which gets you into over 75 attractions as well as access to the Hop on Hop Off bus. We swiftly made our way to the top of the double decker, not caring that the open-roof was a bit damp and paying notice to the “mind your head” signs up the stairs. As we embarked through the city, a man with a microphone prompted us to grab headphones and listen to his countless facts about London. 

Did you know that there are actually two Londons? Greater London refers to the American definition of “London”. This is where the Queen hails and is generally what we think of when referring to London. There is also “The City of London”, a square mile within Greater London that can be easily identified by its dragon statues which guard its borders. The City of London is separately governed, collects separate taxes, enforces separate laws, has their own separate flag, and even elects their own Lord Mayor. Queen Elizabeth isn’t even allowed to enter the City of London without permission from the Lord Mayor. It’s all very scratch-head worthy. 

There’s a laundry list of sites to see in London. There’s Big Ben (currently under construction), Westminster Abbey (filled with famous and infamous corpses), Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge (much cooler than London Bridge), the Churchill War Rooms, Shakespeare’s Globe, and loads more. One would need to devote an entire week to site seeing just to manage it all in. Needless to say, we didn’t get to see everything, but we managed to get some good ones under our belt. 

Our first stop was at the Tower of London, just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Tower Bridge on the north bank of the River Thames (pronounced “Tems”). The Tower of London is less of a tower and more of a series of towers that feel more like medieval grounds from something out of a storybook. Within each tower holds its own treasures and stories. There was original armor, crown jewels, the bloody tower (where two princes were believed to have been killed by their uncle so that he could have the crown for himself), prison cells (where names and images have been carved into walls)...and so much more. You could spend all day at this site alone, but we hurried on off to lunch after building up an appetite..must have been all the murder stories that did it. Speaking of murder - walking across the Tower Bridge, we found the street where many Jack the Ripper scenes were filmed. They even offer evening tours of all his murder spots (a big no thank you from me). 

The food in England is a journey in and of itself. If you ask for pie, don’t expect something sweet. A traditional English-style breakfast consists of toast (seemingly the most important food group), beans, mushrooms and/or tomatoes, an over-easy egg, a hash brown, bacon (which is actually more ham-like), and sausage (tastes more like fake meat to me). We can’t tell you how many times we ate the same English-style breakfast, but it really was quite hearty. Brunch will sometimes include all-you-can-drink. And let’s not forget Sunday roast! Tea was also a staple for most, if not all, of our breakfasts - I like mine with two sugars and milk. In terms of stereotype foods, we didn’t see a crumpet in sight.

While London is a must-see when in England, it’s certainly not the highlight of the country. We rented a car and made our way north, with our final destination being Scotland. We’d arranged to have overnight stays in aribnb’s along the way, taking recommendations from our very own Rick Steves. The street signs were comical, seeing ones like “mind the gap” and “queues likely”. Getting used to the different terminology is a journey of its own. First stop was Stow-on-the-Wold; a quaint little market town with sandy-colored buildings, friendly town folk, and shops around every corner. We still aren’t sure what a Stow or a Wold is, but while we passed through, it was clear why it was a place outsiders wanted to visit. After spending a few days in the city, it was refreshing to be in a small town. We managed to only go down the wrong side of the street towards oncoming traffic once, so that’s a bonus! 

Shortly following our pit-stop to Stow-on-the-Wold, we found our airbnb in a place known as Derbyshire, arriving promptly at 3:00 PM. A woman answered the door and greeted us by saying, “you’re positively punctual”. She sounded like Mary Poppins and I could’ve swore she was about to break out in song next and a bird would likely land delicately on her finger. That was when I really realized we weren’t in Kansas anymore. She took us upstairs to our room in her large, historical cottage. The backyard view reminded me of something out of a Jane Austen novel. I could imagine Mr. Darcy coming to our door by horseback. We had dinner at a local gastropub, just up the street. The server told us about a place to visit the following day, which we promptly agreed we’d do. 

The next morning on our way out of town, we stopped by the recommendation from our server; a nature walk toward an abandoned water mill. During our walk, Rob stopped and asked that I take a picture of him in the grass. At the time, I had no idea why. Turns out he was envisioning a scenic view out of Gladiator and just HAD to reenact it. Making our way down a long drive, we saw a flock of pheasants that we thought were chickens. When we finally did make it to the water mill, we took in the beautiful views and imagined what sorts of things must have taken place throughout history here; a common thought through such a historical place. When we thought there wasn’t a living soul in site, a couple of women on horseback road passed. Such a slow, easy going lifestyle here. 

Our next destination was what is known as the lake district; more specifically, a town called Keswick (pronounced Ke-sick). Keswick was by far our favorite stopping point. It had a German feel with British flavor. Lots of nature, lots of shops, and lots of kind people. This is a popular spot to visit in the summertime for Brits throughout the country. While rain was to be expected, we lucked out for the day we spent there and enjoyed a pleasant nature hike. 

The day following our trip to Keswick, the weather took a turn for the worse. We were so fortunate to have such a beautiful day for our one day spent there. After our time in the lake district, our next stop was Scotland. Truly, Scotland is deserving of its own blog, so stay tuned for that next! Instead, I’m going to fast forward to when we trained back to London. 

We’ve gone full circle and made it back to the city. Our train arrived at Kings Cross Station - so naturally we visited platform 9 3/4. After taking our obligatory Harry Potter photo, we decided to try to squeeze in any last minute sightseeing we may have missed. That’s how we ended up at the Churchill War Rooms. The underground tour is the original housing spot for Churchill and his men during WWII. They have kept the rooms in mostly the same condition with a full audio tour to really envision what it must have been like during the war. Trying to imagine being trapped down there while bombs continued to go off upstairs was a very humbling experience. For me, having been to the war museums in both Pearl Harbor and Okinawa, seeing the war through the British lens was a new perspective. On one of the original maps in the discussion room, you could even see a drawing of Hitler someone had done. A really remarkable site and I would highly recommend to anyone who visits London. Speaking of sights in London, did you know that all museums are free in the UK? That led us to the Natural History Museum! Among other things. 

On 8/3/19, our 5-year wedding anniversary, we decided to treat ourselves to high tea. We had reservations at a delightful little spot in the city. The theme was Peter Rabbit and ohhhh was it good! We had mini-sandwiches, biscuits, jams, and treats to the max. Everything you see was edible, including the flower pots. I don’t think I stopped smiling once. When we had finished, we were stuffed beyond belief. Then the server comes over with a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY dessert. We couldn’t NOT eat it...so we stuffed our little bunny bellies. Another successful wedding anniversary outside of the states - once an accident, now a tradition. <3

If you’re considering a trip to the UK, I’d say go Nike and just do it! Some of our expectations were met and others were shattered, but that’s the joy of travelling. A place is never how you think it’s going to be, but seeking the different is what is exciting. Stay tuned for the next blog where we’ll share our adventures in Scotland - my new crush. Thanks for sticking it out and reading along!  

[tripindicatorlondon-blog]

Best London Attractions 2019

The cosmopolitan city of London is full of stunning architecture, old-world traditions and modern culture blending together to offer something for every traveler. Thore’s classic icons include Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, beautiful parks such as Hyde Park and St. James, as well as plenty of charming British pubs. Not sure what to see and do when you're in town? From boat cruises on the Thames, biking tours, walking tours, and day trips to the outlying areas, these London tours will give you a taste of all that city has to offer. Watching the traditional changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace is a must when in London, and on this 4.5-hour you’ll get to experience this event, as well as other quintessential British traditions. The package combines three major attractions: the changing of the guard (including fantastic photo opportunities), a tour of the State Apartments and traditional afternoon tea. The guided tour passes through St. James Park before stopping to watch the guard ceremony with soldiers dressed in traditional uniforms, followed by entry into Buckingham Palace for an audio tour. After, travelers will head to a luxury hotel (Rubens at the Palace or St Ermin’s Hotel in central London) for traditional afternoon tea, scones and sandwiches. 

Experience the movie magic of Harry Potter with a behind-the-scenes look at Warner Bros Studio with the seven-hour, Making of Harry Potter Tour. The popular film series about magic and wizards grossed around $7 billion, with much of the movies taking place in and around London. The comfortable Mercedes coach bus departs London Victoria to Warner Brothers Studios where you’ll spend four hours exploring the studio and viewing some of the films’ most memorable sets. Experience Professor Dumbledore’s office, Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic, plus the famous Platform 9 ¾ and the original Hogwarts Express train, as well as a number of costumes used in the production. Bring your own snacks or lunch – it’s not included in the price. For a fun, and slightly spooky nighttime activity, consider the Jack the Ripper Tour with “Ripper Vision,” an hour-and-45-minute walking tour that follows the mysterious story of serial killer, “Jack the Ripper.” In 1888, a series of violent (unsolved) murders occurred in the Whitechapel district that is still the subject of much speculation as to who the killer was. The story has also been turned into several popular films, and visitors to London can explore the eerie, dimly-lit streets retracing the clues and murder scenes as the guide tells the tale. Although several Jack the Ripper tours exist in London, the “Ripper Vision” adds another element to help transport guests into that time period with visual slides that are projected onto the walls. Afternoon tea is a British tradition, and to make this casual, elegant experience even more relaxing, you can combine it with a sightseeing cruise of London’s Thames River, the main waterway that flows through the heart of the city. Board a window-lined vessel for an hour-and-a-half voyage from Tower Pier to Westminster that includes traditional tea service with pastries, scones and sandwiches. 

The boat will float past iconic sites like the Tower of London, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye, as well as Shakespeare’s famous Globe Theatre. On the return, feel free to wander the outside deck for photos and listen to informative commentary from the staff. London has some spectacular parks that are perched among the city’s most famous attractions and a guided bike tour is a fun and relaxing way to cover a lot of ground quickly and experience these lovely public spaces. The four-hour, morning or afternoon bike tour begins in Central London where bicycles and helmets are issued, followed by a leisurely ride through Westminster to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben with narration from the tour guide followed by bustling Trafalgar Square. Next, the ride heads to all four Royal Parks: Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Green Park and St James's Park. Before returning to the start, riders can visit the Princess Diana Memorial at Kensington Palace. If you’re looking for a great way to meet fellow travelers, learn some history of London and have a pint or two, consider the Soho Legends and Pub Tour. The 2.5-hour walking tour takes place in SoHo, London’s trendy entertainment district where many famous musicians and celebrities have lived and worked. It begins in Picadilly Circus where the group of no more than 12 will gather – making it easy for guests to mingle. The tour will stop at several colorful pubs along the route and guides will provide an inside scoop into pop culture icons as they lead the way to clubs where people such as Marilyn Monroe, Jimmy Hendrix, Keith Moon and Paul McCartney frequented. If you’re interested in exploring some of the world-famous attractions outside of London, consider booking the Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford Day Trip. The full-day tour departs from London in an air-conditioned bus, spans about nine hours and includes three of England’s architectural gems. 

The first stop is the Queen’s official residence: Windsor Castle for audio tours and a chance to see the changing of the guard followed be free time to explore the streets of Windsor. Next up is a visit to the mysterious UNESCO site of Stonehenge, followed by a walking tour of the city of Oxford. Along the way, the guide points out historical landmarks and other attractions and provides an in-depth commentary. Food and beverages are not included, but you can pick something up in Windsor. Sample traditional British fare as well as some creative new culinary works with the 3.5-hour, London Food Walking Tour. The tour begins near the London Bridge as a foodie guide leads the way to local pubs, market stalls, artisan stores and bakeries. Travelers will visit the colorful, Borough Market with more than 100 different stalls selling chocolates, sausages and other tasty treats. Get the inside scoop on current food trends and

Visit here :  london tickets

[wine-porn]

Deep deep garnet with intense eucalyptus *almost* to the point of unpleasant. A vigorous decant brought everything back down into manageable levels of mint and spicy oak with hot, edgy fruit trailing. How long have you loved these wines? Do you have soft spots in your heart for labels you scrimped and saved to afford 20, 30 years ago and represented a coveted spot in the cellar? These are STILL BEAUTIFUL WINES, and though the screen-printing has gone away, sadly, these Jack London bottling stand apart from the normal Kenwood offerings and even the Artist Series. They have always been cut from special cloth, not conforming to the plushness consumers expect from Artist Series or the vapidness of the 10-15 dollar crowd-pleasing offerings. I have had HUNDREDS of the wolf-head bottles and they are always leaner, more classically nuanced, and not superfluous. In the mouth, prickly pear and rhubarb strawberry etch their grooves on wet sandpaper and charcoal, gritty and dry, achingly acidic and tannic, a nice solid wallop of fat cherry dances through the center, gently preparing all listeners for the thunderous finish screaming with tannin. I love these wines. No, it's not $150 cab--but then neither are you. 2010 @KENWOODVINEYARDS #CabernetSavignon #JackLondon #Sonomawine 14-5 (at Jack London State Historic Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtCvhOgAr6u/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1lcuy99kqu4dk

[davemerritt]

Titanic, Jersey and a brand new home

It’s New Years Day 2019 and much like everyone else, I like to look back over the last 12 months to just remind myself of all the things I’ve done in just a few short months. Simply put, I’ll pick out a few highlights from each month to reminisce over.

January. Always a weird one I find, but often can throw in some nice events. You come out of Christmas not knowing what the new year will bring or what you’ll achieve, but I like the uncertainty. Two things to mention in the first month of the year was that I was lucky enough to get a ticket to watch Yeovil VS Man United in the FA cup at Huish which was actually electric, despite a 4-0 less it was a great evening out and something I’ll remember. A massive thing for myself in January was auditioning for an FMTC show, more specifically ‘Titanic’ that was to be on in May. Easily one of the most nerve wracking things I’ve ever done, but I managed to secure the role of ‘Jim Farrell’. More on this show later.

February and a couple of nice little highlights. First proper gig of the year was Don Broco in Cardiff and I was back on stage again, playing ‘Hugo’ in ‘the Vicar of Dibley’. This was a brilliant role to play with a fantastic bunch of people, especially the incredibly talented Tina who was our Geraldine.

March and it snowed. A lot. Several times. I loved it. We always head to the David Beech awards in March and this year Tri Art walked away with ‘Best Youth Production’ for the stunning ‘Les Mis’. We also got the Vicar of Dibley crowd together again for a fun gala event and Jess and I went to an evening with Brian Blessed in Salisbury where we were fortunate enough to meet the man afterwards, what a life and what a fantastic evening.

April was a good month. I took Ed to Wookey Hole because he’d never been), Jess and I found a little National Trust gem in Great Chalfield Manor, I saw my first ever live rugby match watching Bath at Twickenham (it had nothing on football, sorry), there was a lovely day out with Jess’s work as we took part in a pets as therapy dog walk around Prior Park, The Star Awards took place, a group of us headed to the Mayflower in Southampton to watch the professional version of Titanic: The musical in preparation for our own production and Lower than Atlantis put on an incredible show at Komedia in Bath.

May. Titanic. I truly would never have believed that I would have ever been in an FMTC show, but after months of rehearsals we put on what was the most incredible show at the Memorial Theatre. I have never been so proud of what we achieved as a group of people, but also of myself. I’ll never forget the show, nor the people or the journey. Hands down one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. I must of course mention the Slam Dunk festival, which in 2018 moved to a new outdoor home. I was dubious at first, but it turns out it was a huge improvement to the now overcrowded university space and one of the best years yet. I was lucky enough to be given tickets by my brother to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London this month, and I have to say it was probably the best thing I’ve seen on a stage. I know lots of fans disagree, but I was simply blown away by the production and urge anyone to go and see the show if they can. To make May even better, myself and Jess visited a sales office for a house that was yet to be built too… June and Scott had his stag do down in Weymouth. This was great fun and involved Ed purchasing an OAP trolley, drag queens and superhero outfits. June always means the End of Year Show at work, and of course who could forget the World Cup this year. June also saw a little proud moment for me as I put on show some of my photographs from the past few years at the Merlin Theatre. It was so exciting to see my images on the walls of the venue they were from as well as getting them off my computer and opening them to a new audience.

July and handsome Scott got married on a hot summers day and I was lucky enough to be his photographer. July also saw a fun garden party for G’s 18th and the continuation of the heatwave that, despite insane temperatures, was actually fantastic.

August and some rest bite from work saw a few days out with Jess’s family in lieu of a full blown holiday away which actually worked so well with Dave buying a minibus to ship us all around in. Nunney Street Fayre took place on the annual bank holiday and we climbed the church roof to gain a new view of the village, Tri Art’s show this year was ‘In the Heights’ (I highly recommend it) and we had a little charity football tournament in the style of ‘The real world cup’. The best part of August though had to be my holiday to Jersey. I haven’t been away in so long and a small handful of us took the ferry to the island where we camped under the stars, visited lots of historical landmarks and drank lots of wine. A wonderful few days away with fantastic friends.

September is my birthday and it’s always improved when Cheese Show falls on the same day. With the end of the heatwave saw rainy days and this continued through to the carnival, but Frome did itself proud again and lined the streets as we advertised our two upcoming shows of ‘Joruney’s End’ and the Christmas show which this year was going to be ’The Nutcracker’. The new term at work began, and I became a student again as I began my course to become a qualified teacher.

October and the nights draw in which means making time for warming winter gigs. Two I went to this month were the awesome Hands Like Houses and a stellar comeback for Lonely the Brave as Jack (of Grumble Bee fame) becaMe the new lead singer for the Band. I was lucky enough to see him and the band play their first show together, but not before catching a matinee in the west end seeing ‘School of Rock’ with Kirst.

November this year saw one of the best gigs I’ve been to in a long time, with State Champs blowing the room off the Bristol O2. We were also making the final preparations for the upcoming Nutcracker shows at the Merlin and Jess and I spent a lot of time packing up our lives from Newington Terrace.

December. Jess and I finally had the keys to our first ever owned home and we couldn’t be happier. Our new little house is beautiful and we couldn’t be more proud to have spent our first Christmas here. I cooked for 7 of us as we piled the whole Merritt family into our new living room.

So that was 2018. A year of real highs and a lot I have to be thankful for.

2019 has lots already booked in including my next show starring in ‘Allo Allo’, potentially auditioning for FMTC’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Jess and I need to put the final touches into our new home, I need to buy my Slam Dunk ticket for May, I’m taking Jess to see American Idiot in Southampton and dad turns 60 this year.

I don’t have any real resolutions, but I’d like to read more novels, get back into running and take a real holiday with Jess

Album of the Year // Tough call this year, but I think ‘VI’ by You Me at Six was an underrated great piece of music

Game of the Year // Spider-Man. An essential PS4 exclusive.

Movie of the Year // A whole host of great movies came out this year, but I’d have to say that Mission Impossible Fallout was one of the best. The biggest disappointment for me was that Fantastic Beasts 2 couldn’t get anywhere near the original masterpiece.

Thanks 2018 and Hi 2019.

Bring it on.