Up until Google came along, Pocklebridge didn’t appear on any maps. We took down the signs during the war to confuse the Germans and we never put them back up, so our station remained anonymous, tucked away on a side spur that trains rarely use. We don’t have many amenities so road signs only appear […]
The Fisherman, the Mermaid, and the Brick Heart of Venice
If you know where to look in Venice, you’ll find a special brick heart. But what does it have to do with a fisherman and a mermaid? Before we get to the brick heart, let’s take a look at the legend. A Fisherman gets more than he bargained for A young fisherman named Orio used […]
The Venetian Legend of the Beggar and the Levantine
If you head away from the hustle and bustle of the Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square), you’ll head into the stranger, more magical part of Venice. It’s in the tangle of narrow streets and courts that you enter the realm of Venetian legend. One such legend characterises the Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo in […]
Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable Review
I’m going to start this review by pointing out that I was never originally a fan of Damien Hirst. As with a lot of the Young British Artists, I found his earlier work crude and needlessly controversial. And yet. I found myself deciding on Venice as a holiday destination when I saw previews of his Treasures […]
The Eyes That See (Free Creepy Short Story)
The swing band in the corner fought for attention over the din of chatter in the hall. Women in furs quaffed champagne as their menfolk told dreary jokes and ignored the exhibits. Gabriel scowled at them – no appreciation for history at all. He’d assembled the finest pieces ancient Egypt could offer, and they were […]
Explore the legend of the Laidly Worm of Spindlestone Heugh
Tales of dragons, known as worms, abound in English folklore. Last week, we looked at the Lambton Worm in County Durham. This week, we’ll head north up the coast to Northumberland to meet the Laidly Worm. The story concerns Spindlestone Heugh, near the mighty fortress of Bamburgh Castle. The tale concerns the beautiful Princess Margaret, […]
