The Guinness Book of World Records

Extraordinary Places...Close to London comprises 30 chapters (with another 17 locations close by that may be of interest to travelers). Within the pages, there are short stories of kings and queens, witches, ghosts and Vikings. The book gives a brief history of the village or town and also what a visitor can expect today.

Following is a short excerpt from Extraordinary Places...Close to London.
The Guinness Book of World Records (1998) has Pluckley in Kent, England, as being “the most haunted village in the country.” There are perhaps 12-16 ghosts that are said to appear in and around the village depending on who is telling the tale, but the village has a rich history beyond the ghosts. At least 50 men from the village participated in the Jack Cade Rebellion of 1450 when the rebels, unhappy with the taxes imposed upon them, met with King Henry VI and their leader, Jack Cade. Most men were later pardoned for their involvement and returned to the village unharmed but others were hung, drawn and quartered. In 1610, two local men, Martin Davye and Thomas Fell had an argument that spilled into the churchyard. Davye struck Fell who later died of his injuries. Davye was charged with murder but claimed “benefit of clergy” which meant that he could read and write Latin and was therefore considered an educated man. Because of this claim, the sentence was reduced to manslaughter.

Pluckley has been the home of many influential and powerful families over the centuries, from the Tilman’s who left for America to the Bettenhams and Dering families. The Betttenham and Dering families had a long-standing disagreement concerning the ownership of the coat of arms that was displayed in the church. Each family had a crest depicting a saltire (an x-shaped animal barricade) as the emblem. Both families claimed theirs was the original design and they fought bitterly over the issue for years. Another conflict arose because both families wanted to sit in the most important pew in the church. On one occasion, physical violence broke out between two women from the respective families and Rector John Copley had to intervene.

Pompeii

One of the first things that struck me when I visited Pompeii a few weeks ago was the pure size of the place. The site is absolutely huge and, instead of staying just a day, I could have stayed a week or more to explore the fantastic ruins. I could clearly imagine how the people lived, went about their everyday lives, and bought and sold their wares. Evidence of the extensive traffic can be seen in the deep ruts in the thoroughfares. One can only imagine the amount of traffic that caused such deep indentations in hard stone.

Between 1860 and 1875, a gentleman called Giuseppe Fiorelli, Director of Excavations at Pompeii began an extensive program to preserve the body forms that were left after Vesuvius erupted. Under mountains of ash, the bodies lay where they had died in 79 AD. Fiorelli used a method that is still in use today. It begins by pouring liquid plaster into the cavity left in the compacted ash by the body. The plaster dried quickly providing a near perfect form of the deceased – whether human or animal - absolutely fascinating!

Unfortunately, I did not have time to visit Herculaneum, a sister city of Pompeii that was also destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted, but I understand from other travelers, it’s well worth a visit too. Perhaps next time!

Please note: "The ascent to the edge of the crater costs 6 Euro. It closes between 3 PM and 6PM depending on the season. It is recommendable to visit the Vesuvius on working days, as locals like to visit it on weekends and this can lead to traffic jams."

Tattered Book Cover Event

After publishing five non-fiction books, I was ready to write my first novel. I had this great idea of writing an historical novel based on an ancient Scottish legend. One hundred thousand words later, I knew I needed help, and found it in Laura Pritchett. Every writer should have an editor who is honest and kind, gentle with criticism, and generous with praise. However, Laura is no pushover, and challenges me over and over again – which is what I need.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of getting together with Laura at The Tattered Book Cover in downtown Denver for the release of How the West Was Warmed. Laura, together with several of the forty plus writers who submitted essays, attended the launch of the book. The event hall was packed with more than seventy-five people who afterwards lined up for a copy signed by the contributors. It was a fun event and a great way to spend a snowy afternoon.

The Woman Writer by Sylvia Kent

Sylvia Kent has written an account of Britain’s oldest society dedicated to women’s writing through its 116-year existence.

Although the Society of Women Writers and Journalists was created very much with women in mind, the concept was the brainchild of a man – an enterprising London philanthropist and newspaperman – Joseph Snell Wood. From its introduction on 1 May 1894, the Society has attracted the company of many of the world’s most famous women writers, journalists, poets, playwrights and associated creative people involved in the wider world of literature, film, music, theatre and entertainment. More than 200 women flocked to its first meeting and membership continued to expand year on year.

Given the small number of women in journalism at the time, almost every practising woman journalist must have applied for membership. Certainly the great names of Victorian media were there, such as American playwright, Pearl Craigie, Lady Sarah Wilson who reported from Mafeking on the Boer War, and Alice Meynell, who nearly became the first female Poet Laureate. Luminaries such as Vera Brittain, Marie Stopes, Richmal Crompton, Margery Allingham, Rebecca West, Radclyffe Hall, Elizabeth Longford, Nina Bawden, Jacqueline Wilson and numerous other well-known authors became members. Our Life President is Baroness Williams of Crosby.

· The first in-depth history of the Society of Women Writers & Journalists.
· Published to commemorate the centenary in 2010 of former President Joyce Grenfell’s birth.
· Explores the lives of some of the Society’s most famous members.
· Illustrated with 100 mono and colour photographs.

Sylvia Kent is a columnist working for Newsquest and a freelance writer. She is Archivist/Press Officer for the SWWJ, Vice-President of Brentwood Writers’ Circle and a Patron of the Essex Book Festival 2009/10. Sylvia has had six books published whilst supporting other writers, particularly in the field of local history, and is a Trustee at the Cater Museum, Billericay, Essex, England. http://www.sylviakent.blogspot.com/

The Woman Writer
The History of The Society For Women Writers & Journalists
Sylvia Kent
Published on1 November 2009 at £12.99
paperback original ISBN-10 9780752451596

Available from all good bookshops, Amazon and The History Press.
Direct sales – telephone 01235 465577 or http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/
For information about talks or interviews, please contact
Kerry Green at The History Press on 01453 732 512

Local Brewery in Norfolk, England

On a recent visit to Acle, Norfolk, I had the pleasure of sampling a local beer that was being displayed at a small country market (in the Parish churchyard of St. Edmund no less.) I had to stop and visit with Jason who displayed a fine list of local brew. He gave me a brief history of the brewery.

The Tipples Brewery of Norwich offers ten fine beers with another five that are produced for special occasions. Some of the beers have intriguing names such as "Lady Evelyn which is one of three beers named after ghost stories from the Norfolk Broads. It’s made with a single type of malt so the ale a very pale golden hue. It gets a generous hop addition which lifts the delicate malt flavor. At 4.1% ABV, the beer has a crisp, dry finish which lingers long after the glass has been drained. This beer is available year round."

Another favorite is Topper which is a stout with lots of great flavor and I must not forget Moonrocket with has a heady 5% ABV. A new beer is scheduled for release called Black Forest at 6.3% it is flavorful, strong dark ale.

There are simply too many beers to describe here in detail, but if you’re in Norfolk...try visiting the breweries in Acle and Norwich. For more information go to: http://www.tipplesbrewery.com/

Argo Gold Mine, Idaho Springs, Colorado

The Argo Gold Mine is a must to see if you are visiting Colorado. For years and years, I have driven by and only last week ventured inside. There is a great presentation about gold, silver and other precious metals which is followed by a self guided tour. The mine celebrated its 116th anniversary this year and although much of the 4.16 mile mine is now closed, it is still a fascinating place to visit. The finale is a lesson in gold panning. To actually see flecks of gold in the bottom of the pan as I hit “pay dirt” was very exciting...and I got to keep it! By the way, there is also a museum and a gift shop at the mine.

The mine’s success began with Samuel Newhouse, a young Englishman who, with two other men began the tunnel with $100,000 seed money. An issue of the Idaho Springs News reported on February 10, 1893:

“The object of the corporation is to run a line of railroad west from Denver, through tunnels and over the range to the coast.”

The following excerpt is from the Denver Post, September 24, 1930.

“Samuel Newhouse, one of the great mining men of Colorado and other Rocky Mountain states, died Monday evening at his apartments in the Chateau De Marnes, near Paris, France...he was 77 years old.

For 51 years, the name of Samuel Newhouse in mining circles has been one to conjure with, and since the boom days of 1879 in Leadville he made many millions in Colorado, Utah and Idaho. For many years he had been a resident of Salt Lake City but was a resident of Denver from 1888 to 1896.”

For more information you may visit: http://www.historicargotours.com/history.html

The Auditorium (Formally the RLDS Auditorium)

Photo courtesy: Nancy Bishoff

A regular visitor to my blog is Nancy Bishoff and her husband Al. Both are originally from Missouri and had their graduation class at the Auditorium (formally the RLDS Auditiorium). When in Missouri, they often visit the site because it brings back such pleasant memories. Nancy feels the Auditorium is a “must see” for anyone visiting the area.

The following information is from wikipedia:

“Construction of the Auditorium was a massive undertaking, illustrating the vision of church Prophet/President Frederick M. Smith who provided the building's inspiration. Groundbreaking began in 1926 and the building was only completed in 1958.The Conference Chamber was originally supposed to be about 66% larger than it is today. It seats nearly 6,000.Construction was virtually halted during the Great Depression when the church struggled under a massive debt.

The Auditorium houses an Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ with 6,334 pipes. It is listed in the top 75 largest pipe organs in the world at TheatreOrgans.com. World Conferences of the church are traditionally held here every two years in the World Conference Chamber. It is also the site of an annual performance and broadcast of Handel's Messiah by the Kansas City Symphony and the Independence Messiah Choir. In addition to its use by the church, the Auditorium is made available for high school graduations and cultural events in the surrounding area. Numerous dignitaries have spoken in the Auditorium, from Independence native, Harry S. Truman, who spoke during his presidency, to the former Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Most recently, former United States President Bill Clinton gave the keynote address at the Auditorium commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Truman Presidential Library.”