George and the Dragon

Happy Saint George's Day everyone! Saint George is of course patron saint of England, even though he was not English and never set foot here. He is also and especially famous for slaying a dragon, which makes it all the more interesting for those, like me, who love old legends and monsters. Anyway, him being patron saint of England means that a lot of pubs here are named George and Dragon. It gave them a nice name, if nothing else. I took this picture in one, the George and Dragon in Marlow. I could make it a yearly tradition: put a picture of a pub called George and Dragon every 23rd of April. Preferably a different pub every time. This is a nice image, the dragon looks bat-like and demomic, interestingly enough.

About Diamonds

Who said that local magazines were only about coffee shops, church sales and makeup. They can have quite interesting articles on hot topics. In this specific case, hot ice. I mean of course diamonds. So anyway, in February's editionof Round & About, they talk about diamonds. The excuse is Valentine's Day, nevertheless I learned a few things about mined and synthetic diamonds. Well, about diamonds in general. It's quite fascinating really. Anyway, did you ever buy diamonds? I think I only ever did it when I bought my wife her engagement ring.

Spies in The Compleat Angler

Today is an interesting date for amateurs of spy thrillers, especially fans John Le Carré. In Call for the Dead, George Smiley receives this letter on the 3rd of January: 

"Dear George, 

    It is essential that I lunch with you tomorrow at The Compleat Angler at Marlow. Please do your best to meet me there at one o'clock. There is something I have to tell you.

Yours,

Samuel Fennan"

So it is on this date that was supposed to take place the meeting, but Samuel Fennan died before. The Compleat Angler is still in business and both the hotel and the town of Marlow are perfectly atmospheric places for a spy thriller. I can't be there today (don't think I could afford lunch there anyway), but I always wondered if something might happen there.

Christmas Gin

During my last time at the Christmas fayre, I had the chance to taste the products of The Marlow Distillery. The town doesn't only have a brewery, it also had a distillery that makes dry gin. Among them, a Christmas gin that is now sold out, which is a shame as it is really a delight. It tastes spicy and festive. I suspect Santa Claus has a few on his big night out, to get through the job. I'd leave him a shot if I could. Anyway, I am not a connoisseur, but I might buy their products one day.

Roasted Nuts for Christmas

 I love the products of  Rebellion Beer. I love their beers all time of year, but especially come Christmastime, because they really have perfectly seasonal ones. So yesterday, we went to a day out at the petting zoo, our first Christmassee day out, and I saw they were selling Roasted Nuts. Roasted Nuts is available all year round now, but it truly is a Christmas beer in my eyes. So I had half a pint, because that was the only format they were selling it into. On a cold day like yesterday, it's a pleasure.

The Marlow Donkey (the railway line)

I took this picture in one of our latest trips to Marlow. Before the Marlow Donkey was a pub near the train station, which was bigger than the one they have now, it was the affectionate nickname given to the branch line. I love all things trains and their history, big or small, so I wanted to share it here. If you increase the image, you might be able to read about the line's history.

Christmas in the Jewellery

Is it too early to talk about Christmas? I guess not, although I try to avoid the topic until December, or at least until very late November. Well, it gets hard, as Christmas comes earlier and earlier. So anyway, you may remember that I blogged last year about a jewellery in Marlow that had really nice decorations. They did it again this year, with this big teddy bear and sort of slide of presents. It's very cute. Last time we went into Marlow, I took this picture so I could share it here.

True scary stories in the library

I took this picture in October last year (I think) in the Marlow Library. The town of Marlow is a lovely place to go to any time of year, but especially round Halloween, when it is really atmospheric and eerie at places. I haven't been there in month, so I don't know if they are already in a spooky mood in its library, but I am and I have started my Halloween reads, which consists of a lot of ghost and horror stories. I don't imit myelf to fiction, but also to alleged real life hauntings and alleged true stories of the supernatural. Not that I believe in them, I am a skeptical person, but they give you a chill nevertheless and can be a great source of inspiration when you try to write horror stories yourself. And there is just something about reading ghost stories in an old library such as the Marlow one.

Fizzy Fest

 I blogged about a month ago about the Fizzy Fest, a of prosecco festival that will be held in the very English town of Marlow in mid-July And not just any prosecco festival, but "the prosecco superior festival". Sunds very posh and a bit snobby, but I'm all for it. Anyway, it has a cool promotional poster, it looks more like a gathering of educated English ladies of good families, but hey, they might let me in if I go there with my wife. And if not this year (we may have other engagements), then the next, because I suspect it will be a success.

The (mysterious, iconic) Compleat Angler

I took this picture a few months ago, when one of our visit in the little town of Marlow. You can easily recognise The Compleat Angler, a posh hotel on the bank of the Thames. I have developed an obsession for it since I seen it briefly mentioned in John Le Carré's debut novel Call for the Dead. You can read the quote here, among other places in this blog. What got me obsessed about it is that I had visited the hotel a few times before I read the book. I have been wanting to revisit it since. I have seen it a couple of times, but I haven't been inside. At least I could take one snapshot. No sign of any spy, unfortunately. Maybe next time.

"New" Frankenstein from Marlow

We went to Marlow a few days ago and, like last time, we stopped at the Marlow Museum, which is tiny, but always a pleasure to go to. And, like last time, I bought another copy of Frankenstein.Well, not the original, but another adaptation for children. At £7.99, it is borderline a bargain. Almost. I<m sure I could have found a cheaper price, but it makes it special that I bought it in the town where Mary Shelley lived and finished writing her famous novel. And as May has been rather dark and gloomy these days, so I am already getting into a Halloween mood.

Prosecco in Marlow

 The things you learn sometimes on the local news. SO I read yesterday that the small and very English town of Marlow (which is not very far from where we live) was going to host the first ever Prosecco Superiore festival in the UK. That's pretty cool. It's going to be called "Fizzy Fest" (not sure about the name, to be honest). I also learned in the article that the UK has the largest consumption of prosecco after Italy. It's news to me, but not surprising. I for one enjoy prosecco. I am not all that much into fizzy drinks, except beer, but prosecco is drinkable and generally much cheaper than champagne (although the one at this festival is most likely pricy, given that it is superior). So yeah, the Fizzy Fest has a website so I will check it from time to time and who knows, I might even attend. I am a Philistine when it comes to wine and bubbly wine, but I am curious and eager to learn.

A portrait of Frankenstein's Monster

Here's a bit of literary horror news: the first ever image of Frankenstein's Monster in print is going to auction. You can see the image in the article and, well, it's not the one you are used to and, to be honest, is not very impressive, as in not very scary. Let's be honest: it's not the unnatural abomination that the creature was meant to be. Only the long black hair is truly faithful to the source material (although I don't think they were meant to be curly). In fact, I thought the monster looks more pathetic, even a tad comical than anything else. But people at the time might have had different standards, and it is easier to describe terror than give it a face for all to see. Anyway, that was the piece of Gothic horror news I wanted to share and there's only seven months until Halloween... Yes, I'm already thinking about it.

Frankenstein, the Classic Illustrated

We went to Marlow fairly recently, as a family outing. Marlow is known for a number of things, among them it is where Mary Shelley briefly lived and this is where she finished writing Frankenstein. We briefly stopped at the Marlow Museum as it was about to close down and saw that there were some book adaptations of the original novel. Among them, this Classics Illustrated comic book edition. At only £7.99, I thought it was a bargain and I had to buy it, even though I already have the original novel. Of course, I already read it and, while it's not perfect, I really enjoyed it. Mainly for the gory images, which give a nice visual accompaniement to the original story. Which is surprisingly faithfully rendered here, minus a weaker text. I think I will read it again in the weeks leading to Halloween. Because yes, I am already thinking about it.

Preparing Saint Patrick's Day

 I took this picture last time we went to Marlow. One of their high street's pubs, the Duke of Clarence, was already advertising for Saint Patrick's Day. Now that's a pub after my own heart! Preparing for Saint Paddy's more than a month in advance. And it looks like they are starting the celebrations with a brunch, so they will start drinking before noon. How perfectly Irish. I am not sure if I will be around there come the time, but short of a typical Irish pub (how I miss the one we used to have), this might be the next best thing. Time to start planning, anyway.

Labyrinth (the beer)

I try as much as I can to drink products from Rebellion Beer, as it is one of the closest mocrobreweries I have from home and because they brew some really nice ales. And I didn't want to end January without trying their beer of the month. It's called Labyrinth and it is inspired by Greek mythology, like every beer of the month in 2025. I guess I will have to buy one every month. Anyway, Labyrinth is the kind of dark, flaboursome ale I enjoy and has a cool Minotaur on its label.

Spy Meeting at the Compleat Angler

 Today marks a special kind of anniversary, which I mention it every year as a sort of tradition. January is kind of an uneventful month, so this is a good excuse as any to give it a bit of atmosphere and mystery. Anyway, he following quote is from a letter you can read in John Le Carré's Call for the Dead and is addressed to George Smiley. It is dated on the 3rd of January:

"Dear George, 

    It is essential that I lunch with you tomorrow at The Compleat Angler at Marlow. Please do your best to meet me there at one o'clock. There is something I have to tell you.

Yours,

Samuel Fennan" 

I have been a few times to The Compleat Angler in the past, as we live fairly close to Marlow. I don't think I can be there tomorrow, but I so wish to make a pilgrimage of sorts there on that very date, at one o'clock sharp. I'm sure nobody else would think of doing this. But maybe, just maybe, there might be spies around.

The Marlow Christmas/Winter Bookmark

As you may know, I sort of collect bookmarks. I collect books too, of course. But anyway, I love buying or finding bookmarks (as they are often free) for different occasions and use them for different occasions too. So last time we went to Marlow, a picturesque little town, I found this seasonal bookmark, which I bought immediately. It's rare to see a single English town that looks that snowy during Christmastime, but if there was snow over Marlow, it would very likely look like this. It just puts you in the mood for the season. I haven't decided yet of the first book I will use it on (your suggestions are welcome). But all the same, I have a cool new bookmark for Christmas.

Gingerbread Jewellery

 It is sitll far too early for Christmas, but I hope you won't mind me publishing of Yuletide today. Anyway, we went to the little town of Marlow recently and its main street was already full of Christmas decorations. Some businesses were rather impressive. This was the case of a jewellery shop. I could not resist and I had to take a picture. I am not a big fan of gingerbread as food, I mean I can eat it, but it is not my go-to sweet. But I love the atesthetic of gingerbread men, gingerbread houses and the likes. It's old-fashioned and not tacky. Anyway, here it is, I hope you enjoy.

About Mary Shelley and her offspring

Well, with all the excitement of being home in Montreal for the holidays, I forgot that the 30th of August was the birthday of Mary Shelley. She is of course the author of Frankenstein. I was reminded of this by by Mary Does Marlow.I went to one of her special activities in Marlow,where the original Mary Shelley finished writing her famous novel. I got this sticker. I know it is a bit late, however I find it important to commemorate her birthday, as it marks my countdown to Halloween, which pretty much started now.