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| Writer: Amberley Books (Photographs Jamie Robinson) |
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| Creator – S. C. Skillman (Celia Rees) |
I am Warwickshire born and bred and I love native historical past and native tales, particularly of the spooky type. S. C. Skillman’s earlier guide was entitled Paranormal Warwickshire, so it isn’t tough to find the place her curiosity additionally lies. I’ve used native tales in my writing. The infamous St Valentine’s Day homicide of agricultural labourer, Charles Walton, on Meon Hill in 1945 was inspiration for my third novel, Color Her Lifeless. The crime is unsolved to at the present time. Surrounded by a wall of silence, accompanied by whispers of witchcraft, carried out in a spot with its personal unusual and sinister legends, the story has a distinguished place in trendy Warwickshire people lore. I blogged about it right here in 2012 and it’s effectively coated in Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire in chapters, Tales of Warwickshire Witchcraft and Rural Crimes, with accompanying images of Decrease Quinton, Charles Walton’s residence village exhausting by Meon Hill, and the hill itself.
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| Meon Hill (Celia Rees) |
S. Ok. Skillman covers lots of my very own favorite locations and tales. Some I already knew, others I did not know in any respect. I had no thought, for instance, that J.R.R. Tolkien had an affiliation with Warwick city and will have referenced Warwick Fort in his work. Neither did I do know that the Previous Espresso Tavern in Warwick was haunted and I’ve by no means seen the carving of Previous Tom within the Market Sq.. I am going to look out for it and different apotropaic carvings subsequent time I am in Warwick.
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| Previous Tom, Swan Road, Warwick (S.C. Skillman) |
Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire ranges throughout the entire county and covers all types of fascinating native tales and legends, some from the deep previous however others occurring as just lately as 2018 with an enormous cat sighting on the golf course of the Ardencote Manor Lodge. The writer covers Warwickshire notables, from William Shakespeare to Larry Grayson. Some well-known, like Daisy, Countess of Warwick, others not so well-known like conventional toymaker, Cyril Hobbins.
I might prefer to thank Warwick Books and Sheila Skillman for an interesting night in a magical place. I am from Warwickshire, so I am biased, however it was good to be reminded of the wealthy and different historical past of this historical county. The night ended with a efficiency from a neighborhood Morris Facet, Plum Jerkum. My household come from Warwickshire and this was what my brother referred to as slivovitz, or any plum based mostly schnapps, Sheila explains that it was the title for a plum cider – one thing I’ve by no means tried. The cider was comprised of a neighborhood plum, the Warwickshire Drooper. My dad had a tree on his allotment and they’re nonetheless dotted throughout native allotments. I’ve by no means tried plum cider however they do take advantage of scrumptious jam!
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| Warwickshire Droopers |
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| Plum Jerkum Morris Facet (Terence Rees) |
Celia Rees
www.celiarees.com
Insta: celiarees1
Twitter: @CeliaRees
