La vieille dame dans sa chaussure

Photo prise dans l'Isle of Wight, à Blackgang Chine, l'un des plus vieux parcs d'attractions au monde. Il y avait une section dédiée aux comptines pour enfants. Vous avez peut-être reconnu la vieille, vieille dame qui vivait dans une chaussure. Enfin, la chaussure qui était sa demeure, j'ai été nono, je n'ai pas pris en photo la vieille dame, de front, mais vous pouvez la voir de sa fenêtre. Ceux de ma génération se rappellent peut-être les annonces de prévention des incendies. J'ai fait l'association tout de suite.

Rifles and Revolvers

This picture was taken in the Isle of Wight, in one of the boutiques of Blackgang Chine, the oldest theme park in the UK. They sold very realistic looking rifles and revolvers. I did not buy a single one. Because we were already fully packed and I was worried we would have no room in our baggages. I also thought they looked a tad too real. Like the old toy guns from my childhood. But boy, I regret it to this day. I would just love to play cowboys and desperados with Wolfie and I think I really missed a good opportunity there. Sure they were costly, but they looked like really good quality toys. Oh well, maybe next time.

The Pequod

I took this picture in Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight. Remember when I blogged about Moby Dick's Revenge? Well, right next to Moby Dick, you could see the Pequod. Or, as they called it, Captain Ahab's Pequod. As for the infamous whale, the legendary whaling ship was rather inaccurate if you compared it to its description in the novel, but it was cool to see the ship that fascinated me nearly as much as Ahab's nemesis when I was a child. And if nothing else, it was Wolfie's first introduction to this classic.

The Halloween Ghost

I saw this ghost in the souvenirs shop of Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight. It was one of the earliest sign of Halloween I saw this year and the nicest Halloween ghost I have ever seen. The Halloweenest ghost I have ever seen, in fact. I love the colour and the bats on it. Sadly, as it was fragile and we had a long journey back, I did not buy it. It would have been so perfect among our Halloween decorations. Maybe I should have just taken the risk. Because it is one fine ghost. I will try to find it online I think.

Long John Silver

There are many things I really enjoyed in Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight, the oldest theme park in the UK. Among them, the pirates section (I cannot remember the real name it had right now). A lot of what I saw there seemed to have been taken directly from my childhood's imagination, but there was at least one classical character. You probably have recognised Long John Silver from Treasure Island. Although I always imagined Silver to look far more cunning. This one looks a tad dumb. I showed himto Wolfie, who did not seem impressed. All the same, it was pretty cool to meet him there so to speak and I wished I could have been a child again just for that afternoon.

Moby Dick's Revenge

One of the many cool atractions of Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight was a place called Moby Dick's Revenge. It had Moby Dick, strangely turned blue, next to the Pequod (hey, they did their research, at least sometimes) and you could enter by his mouth. You'd get sprayed by water jeysers, otherwise okay. It was just a cool place that got Wolfie quite amused. For me, it was an opportunity to tell him about the novel, which I first read when I was 12. My very first work of serious, classic literature, which fascinated me for years. It still does. I need to reread it one day.

An Outlaw from Blackgang Chine

During our time in the the Isle of Wight, one of Wolfie's and mine favourite places to visit was Blackgang Chine, the oldest theme park in the UK. They had an old Western town which really made me forget my age a moment (although Wolfie was less enthusiastic): I felt like I was stepping in an old western of spaghetti western I was so fond of as a child, which inspired many of our Western games. I found the bankrobber (pictured) particularly convincing. I envied the young kids who shot at him using toy revolvers and rifles, bought at the general store. They had everything there: (toy) guns (some very realistic), cowboy hats (well of course), bandanas, etc. I asked Wolfie if he wanted anything, he was not really interested. I guess I truly wanted one for myself. So we never captured the outlaw. Maybe next time.