Solo London Journey To See My Firstborn

I took the train down to London yesterday to spend the day with my daughter and her fiance. 

We all had a fantastic day, having a good old nose around the Sea Aquarium and an impromptu, but exhilarating visit to The London Dungeons. Unfortunately, no photos or videos are allowed in the latter, but here are some pics and vids of some of my favourite bids from the London Sea Aquarium:

pIc taken of yours truly
by my daughter

The London Dungeons was a thoroughly enjoying experience. It was more of an immersive drama than a display and were full of jump-scares, disgusting fluids squirting towards and onto you, or in the case of the old woman emptying her pee pot from her bedroom window, thrown at you. The numerous, suitably garbed, actors all deserve the highest praise, as does the set maker. The tour through London's dark history places you in the world of Guy Fawkes'  horrific tortures, the Bubonic Plague, persecuted witches (probably my particular highlight), Jack the Ripper. We then made our way through the best mirror maze I have ever seen, to your death sentence at the end of a rope. A note of warning on this final event, it is physically as well as scary and certainly not suitable for people who do not like hair-raising fun fair rides as you literally experience the plunge to death of the condemned. 

Afterwards, as I forced my stomach back from my mouth, we were led into an olde worldly pub where visitors can partake of refreshments before heading back into the sunshine with the feeling of being born again.

From there, I took some tourist shots as we made our way through the London crows by Buckingham Palace before saying our teary farewells.

Then it was back on the train to Swansea for yours truly.

A Gathering for Guy (part 2)

We drove into Knighton shortly before lunch, wining and dining at the George and Dragon.  Tara, Guy's daughter, told me that she featured in The Knighton Vampires book, playing the piano in the establishment. Sadly, there was no piano remaining when I went, though the chef there served a very delicious hot meal. 

We left the George and Dragon feeling full and continued our tour of Knighton, with me snapping various locations I was told featured in Guy's book. I won't share all my pics here as they will end up featuring in the next GNS zine I hope get out in early Spring next year. But here's one more, 

of the auctioneer's car-park, which featured in the Guy N Smith short story The Baby.

What debauchery and horror took place here in the GNS tale of a demonic baby?
I guess I will have to source and purchase the short story to find out.

As dusk grew heavy that evening, we headed back out to the neighbouring graveyard. Mrs E was hoping for More Northern Lights pics (it turned out it was too cloudy) and I wanted to photograph some curiously illuminated graves I'd spotted the night before.

That done, and remembering the cool but scary shadowme pic I captured the night before, I roped Mrs E into lighting my rear for a second time as I wanted some spooky author pics for my next horror book.

Return to our lodgings, we were met by this little fellow. Sat on our door step as bold as brass. Is this a cool omen as the novel I was just taking pics for was Familiar - my supernatural tale about a toad!

A Gathering for Guy (part 1)

 We took a drive up to the Welsh/English border after work for a GNS fancon in Knighton on Sunday. Although was some beautiful views along the way, we didn't stop as we wanted to reach our converted barn airbnb we had booked for the trip before it got dark.

As we settled down for our tea that evening, Mrs E's phone kicked off. One of her apps had alerted her to huge solar activity and that an appearance of the Aurora borealis was likely visible right across the country. And so out into the night we went...

Our barn conversation was surrounded by trees and so, to get clearer view of the sky, we ended up in the graveyard opposite the long driveway to our accommodation. Mrs E is the keen astronomy photographer, so whist she set up her equipment to capture the display, I took a few snaps with my mobile phone camera and then let my imagination roam amidst the atmospheric pitch-black darkness that engulfed the graveyard scene around us. My story-weaving sensibilities did not disappoint and you should, if all things go to plan, read what my mind conjured from the night in my next GNS zine...

Whilst I often say there's no need for real camera equipment anymore as mobile phone cameras excel these days, I guess my argument is proved wrong when you compare what my Samsung S captured of tonight's northern lights compared to Mrs E's digital tripod mounted SLR!

Samsung S22 Ultra Pic

Samsung S22 Ultra Pic

Canon 6D SLR

Crossing the road back to our lodgings, Mrs E's phone-torch cast my shadow rather malevolently along our route - an effect I rather liked and would utilise on our return to the graveyard the next evening... 

Pet Cemetary

 What a lovely walk through the pet cemetery and bluebell woods 😎😎

ShadowMe3

ShadowMe4