Suffolk and Somerset Folklore

In the summer we camped in Suffolk and visited a few local places of interest. Principal destination on my (Antonine) itinerary was Woolpit, home of the famous Green Children folklore classic. The town sign features them in silhouette and there's a small local museum with information about the history of the village - I imagine most visitors are interested in the Green Children. You can buy a level-headed booklet, which gives a convincing explanation for the mysterious events. One of the leading experts on this subject is John Clark, who has written a number of scholarly articles, see here.

We also visited Woolpit church and were surprised to find an eroded figure of a wodewose in a niche on the south wall close to the altar. More information here. See also my earlier post about the Brede Ogre in East Sussex.

Yesterday returned from a weekend trip to Somerset, staying at beautiful Walnut Tree Farm near the village of Regil. Arriving late at night by  minicab from Bristol Temple Meads I was rather disconcerted to be dropped by the tableau of scarecrows above photographed in daylight the following day.  Scarecrow festivals seem to be increasing in popularity in rural England in recent years.

While staying in a shepherd's hut at the farm I was reading The Stopping Places by Damian Le Bas, a fascinating insight into gypsy life and how it has survived into the twenty-first century. Probably the best book I've read this year - I liked the way that the writing was reigned in when it threatened to get too self-consciously poetic in the way of so many travel books. See here.

Death Line

Death Line was released on Blu-ray a few weeks ago and I finally got round to watching it last night. Many years ago I watched a much-degraded video where the many underground scenes were too murky to see much of the action - that was the only version I had seen up till now.

The new disc is very clear and highlights the impressive long tracking shot where 'The Man's' lair is revealed in all its horror. Interesting to think that this film was released (1972) before The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and its ilk. Rather than being a monster movie the film elicits some sympathy for the deformed and cannibalistic man trapped in London's underground, mainly through the performance of Hugh Armstrong (there's an interview with him as a bonus).

As ever, I'm always interested in the locations. It soon becomes clear that the film was not made at Russell Square station, where mysterious disappearances take place, but at Aldwych - a prominent sign points to the District Line (see still above) which doesn't connect with Russell Square on the Piccadilly (this must have meant a walk to nearby Temple station).

The exterior of Russell Square was used and many of the interiors (police station, student flat) were filmed at Battersea Arts Centre (an interesting snippet of local information for someone who lived close by). The bookshop and the appealing-looking pub have not been located - the director Gary Sherman thinks that the pub was in Battersea but has since been demolished. The scene inside the pub appears improvised and I later read an interview with Donald Pleasence (who really steals the film despite a short cameo from Christopher Lee) confirming that the dialogue - including British film stalwart Norman Rossington - was totally improvised and they were actually drunk at the time.

Some very thorough location research can be found here. My suspicions that some of the underground scenes were filmed at Bishopsgate Goods Yard in Shoreditch (in recent years an interesting indoor market and now extensively redeveloped) proved well founded. This is the area that stands for Museum station in the film - cut off by a tunnel collapse in the late nineteenth century and now the lair of The Man. See the British Museum Station Spectre posts below for the film's part in subterranean London folklore.

Open House 2018 and Book Sales

A couple of pictures taken at this year's London Open House. The view from the 42nd Floor of The Leadenhall Building, designed by Richard Rogers and with a terrifying express lift ride on the outside of the building - impressive to be looking down on the 'Walkie Talkie'. Also Michael Ayrton's Minotaur (see earlier posts), now installed outside Salter's Hall, which was open (although I had visited it last year) - Clothworker's Hall was spectacular inside with beautiful tapestries old and new and some excellent examples of book bindings, which the company sponsors, see here. Also visited, but not pictured, The Layered Gallery in Percy Street, which was one of the places that makes Open House worthwhile.

The historic London Stone is about to be returned to its most recent site at 111 Cannon Street in this article. John Clark has written extensively on the history and folklore of the stone, for example here.

Also, a friend sent me a photo of a table display at Treadwells, which has been the best shop outlet for Netherwood, having sold over 40 copies so far.  Secret Tunnels has also sold very well there. Now down to under 50 copies for that book, so the price may start increasing.

All books also available on the shop on The Big Cartel here.

Hare & Hawthorn in Hastings has also been selling copies of Accumulator Press books and did very well during Jack in the Green, see here. Some extra copies have now been delivered to the shop. One Netherwood was shoplifted - appropriate perhaps.