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Monthly Archives: October 2011

Ten of the most haunted pubs in England

30 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by pat in England, Uncategorized

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England, ghosts, pubs

#1  The Mermaid Inn, Rye, East Sussex

Reputed to be one of the most haunted inns in England, the charming Mermaid Inn has a long and rich history with parts of the building dating back to 1156. It was once frequented by pirates and smugglers.

Guests have said they have seen people walk through walls, or been awoken by a man dressed in old-fashioned clothing sitting on their bed. It was reported that a medium actually saw figures dueling in the inn. Others have reported being woken at night by loud footsteps outside their room.  When they went to investigate, no one was there. As soon as they got back in bed…the footsteps returned.

#2 The Devil’s Stone Inn, Shebbear, North Devon

A 400 year old former fishing pub, the Devil’s Stone Inn gets its name from the nearby “Devil’s Stone”, which, legend has it, fell out of the devil’s pocket when he fell from heaven.  The Inn itself has had reports of much paranormal activity such as taps turning themself on and strange noises in the hallways at night. There is a tale of the Inn being haunted by a young girl, aged around 7 years, accompanied by a grey bearded man.

It is tradition that every year on the fifth of November, the stone is turned over by the church bell ringers to keep the Devil away from the village.

#3 Bucket of Blood, Phillack, Cornwall

Legend has it that the Bucket of Blood got its disturbing name many years ago when the landlord went to the on-site well to get a bucket of water but found there to be just blood. Further investigation found there was a badly mutilated body at the bottom of the well. Often visited by criminals and smugglers in the past, the pub now has reports of ghostly figures standing across the road and other strange phenomena.

Such an appealing name for a pub!

#4 The Royal Castle Hotel, Dartmouth, Devon

Built in 1639 on the Quayside beside the River Dart, the Royal Castle Hotel is reportedly haunted by a host of spirits. Guests have claimed seeing ghostly men fighting outside the entrance, and a spectral coach and horses are sometimes heard in the early autumn mornings coming to pick up Princess Mary, wife of William III, who haunts the hotel (some believe the coach’s appearance is the sign of an impending death).

#5 The George & Dragon Hotel, West Wycombe

A White Lady haunts this 18th century hotel. The story behind this pub’s haunting goes that the notorious “Hellfire Club” would meet in the pub before going on to do many a debauched deed. A servant girl named Susan, a young and somewhat naive barmaid, agreed to join them, only to turn up dead the next morning. Her ghost–known as “Sukie”– is said to walk the halls of the hotel, weeping. If followed she will disappear in to her old room.

#6 Grenadier, London

Once the officers’ mess for the Duke of Wellington, this pub in Belgravia is reported to be haunted by a phantom Guards officer. Well known to the locals, the story behind the haunting tells the tale of a young officer who was caught cheating at cards, and his comrades punished him with a savage beating before he fell – or was pushed – down the stairs to his death. Although the year is not known, the month is thought to be in September, as this is when the pub seems to have an rash of supernatural activity. Ghostly shadows like wisps of smoke appear, and strange happenings occur at the Grenadier, all attributed to the phantom Guardsman.

#7 The Brushmakers Arms, Upham, Hampshire

This pub is said to be haunted by a man named Mr. Chicket, who was robbed and murdered  many years ago while staying at the Inn. Many guests have since said they have seen a shadowy figure roaming the rooms, believed to be the murdered man looking for his money and possessions.

#8 The Angel Hotel, Lymington

Located in the center of picturesque Lymington, a popular sailing town on the south coast, the pub is reputed to be haunted by two ghosts.

One is the tall ghost of a seaman, dressed in a naval coat, and the other is thought to be that of a coachman, who is seen standing looking out of the kitchen window. The hotel was an old coaching Inn in the heart of the New Forest, and was used by the local shipbuilders for lodging.

#9 The Hyde Tavern, Winchester, Hampshire

Perhaps the oldest and smallest pub in the city of Winchester, The Hyde Tavern is said to be haunted by a specter that pulls the bedclothes off the visitors beds. The ghost is believed to be that of a woman who died in one of the rooms from cold and hunger centuries ago.

#10 The Ostrich Inn, Colnbrook, Buckinghamshire

The Ostrich Inn near Heathrow, dating from the 15th century has a grizzly history. As the tale is told, the Jarmans who were husband and wife landlords murdered over 60 of their wealthier guests by dropping them through a trapdoor in a bedroom, plunging them into a vat of boiling liquid and, ultimately, their deaths. There have recently been reports of strange occurences, possibly the ghosts of murdered guests trapped within the walls of the pub.

(all copyrights belong to their original owners)

Speaking of movies that depict Britain’s past, “Hope and Glory”

28 Friday Oct 2011

Posted by pat in England, London, movies, Uncategorized

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England, Hope & Glory, movies, WWII

One of My Beloved Brit’s mates in England suggested a fabulous movie, “Hope & Glory”.  It is about being a young boy in England during WWII, and this friend said it is exactly how he remembers it as a boy. It depicts family life in London during the Blitz from a child’s point of view. The school scenes are priceless.

Rent it if you get a chance. It still comes up in our conversations often when we talk about life in London years ago.

Little car, big car, and “Made In Dagenham”

26 Wednesday Oct 2011

Posted by pat in cars, England, movies, Uncategorized

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cars, England, Made In Dagenham, movies

I should have seen a pattern developing here. I was going through My Beloved Britt’s old photos again and found this adorable snap of him as a baby.  He probably could barely walk, but he is already behind the wheel of a car.

Not only does the man adore sailing, but MBB’s love continues for anything with a motor in it. Obviously from this photo and the expression on his face, this love of power and speed started when he was very young indeed.

My Beloved Brit's current automotive project

I think this particular interest in cars comes partially from one of his earliest jobs at Ford Motor Company in Dagenham, England. He was a maintenance and repair novice on the big equipment in the plant, but I think being around all those new cars rubbed off on him.

Last year, they came out with a tremendous movie “Made in Dagenham“, starring Sally Hawkins and Bob Hoskins, that we saw together. It is about the beginning of the women’s equal pay for equal work movement that spread throughout the world. MBB said the movie was spot on, a very true picture of what it was like in the early factory days of his youth at Ford’s.

If you get a chance, watch the movie.

 

Little Boat, Big Boat

24 Monday Oct 2011

Posted by pat in England, London, Sailing, Uncategorized

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boats, England, sailing

My Beloved Brit’s cousin saved many of the photos of him growing up in England, and a few years ago put them all on a disc so we could enjoy them. I love looking through them, and did just that on one of the first cool evenings of fall.

These two are especially telling.  He’s always loved being on the open water, and nothing makes him happier than being out with his mates sailing.  The boats may get bigger but the joy remains the same.

My Beloved Brit as a young boy fell in love with anything that floated. That's him and his dad.

He got older, but his love of boats just got stronger. This was a few years later on “Gandalf” in Burnham on the east coast of England. Bigger boat, lots of mates.

 

 

Voyeur: Bath and the birth of a new idea

22 Saturday Oct 2011

Posted by pat in Art, Bath, paintings, Uncategorized

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Bath, England, painting, travel

We had been touring England for a few weeks by car, and I was looking for new art inspiration without much luck.  Sometimes it just goes like that. I had worked on my wave series. I had explored branches. I was hoping something new would hit me on this trip.

We had just come from a disappointing excursion to the east coast of England. It was an area neither of us were too familiar with, and although the purple heather hills of the Yorkshire Dales were spectacular, I still hadn’t found the venue that would give my artistic inspiration a jolt.

And then we went to Bath.

We found a hotel very near the old Roman Baths in the center of town… The Pratt’s Hotel.  The rooms were clean, the staff was friendly, but it is a quirky old hotel that did, in a way, live up to its name (“you prat” in Brit speak means a foolish person, sort of a meathead).  It was an odd hotel, but it was right in town and we could walk everywhere.  We had been driving for weeks, and it was time to do some exploring on foot

My Beloved Brit was tired of touring and wanted a nap and some down time hanging out in our room.  I wanted to get out in to the city, and of course the place to start an adventure in Bath is the 2000 year old Roman Baths.

This was fascinating.  The site was not even discovered until the late 19th century, and now you can wander through many different rooms and courtyards that weave under the modern street level.  It is so enlightening to walk in the ancient romans’ shoes, and the exhibits and artifacts are captivating.

Leaving this major attraction, I wandered around town, and then, finally, back to the hotel room to talk MBB into joining me. I had found the Museum of Bath at Work, which I thought might interest him. It’s a guys’ museum focusing on the industrialization of this area of England, housed in an old 18th century building that at one point was a “fizzy pop” company.  It had lots of machines and gadgets and featured the history of industrial Bath, which he loved.  I was also engaged by the exhibits. Of course we just happened to pass The Circus, an architectural marvel, and the classic areas of Bath that are soooo Jane Austen, Bath’s most famous resident.

We had a lovely evening wandering around town, had a great meal, and then went to bed early. The hotel was comfortable and quiet, and in the morning we had a big English breakfast in the dining room in the midst of a tour group of Germans.

We spent the morning wandering along the different streets together.  Bath is just the perfect size for exploring on foot.  You feel like you are in a city but it is not overwhelming. The buildings are lovely, the town is beautifully laid out, and around every corner there is another shop or restaurant to explore.  Bath is a World Heritage City nestled in the hills of Somerset county.

We found a Marks & Spencer right around the corner from Pratt’s.  How lucky. M&S is a department store, plus they have a fabulous food section with all kinds of pre-made sandwiches and an array of every sort of packaged gourmet treat you can imagine.  It’s like Dean & Deluca gone British.

We loaded up our basket, went back to our cozy room, and had a banquet sitting on the bed with our feast spread out before us. There was everything from egg mayonnaise (egg salad) sandwiches, sausage rolls, chicken tikka and sweet puddings. How perfect.

MBB was ready for his nap but I decided I wanted to go out for a walk to work off our major pig out.  It was still bothering me that I had not found the art inspiration that I was always looking for.

I wandered in to town along the main street.

There is a park along the river called Parade Gardens that is a level down from the main road. If you are a local, you simply show your ID and you are admitted free. If you are not a Bath resident you pay a small fee in summer. How sensible.  I paid my token fee and wandered down the steps and in to the gardens.

When I came back up to the street level and looked down, I paused to watch people wander along the paths and across the grass below.

I walked along.  On each side of me were two different worlds.  The bustling city of one of Bath’s busiest streets on the one side, and the cool green of the Parade Garden below me on the opposite side, sweeping down to the River Avon.

As I strolled along the edge of the wall, I looked down towards the river through the branches of a tree that had lost nearly all its leaves.  It was fabulous.  The people below weren’t aware of me at all as I watched them come and go beneath the screen of branches.  I was mesmerized. This was it. I had stumbled on a new tableau for my art.

I realized I had left my camera back in the room.  I literally ran (or tried to) the length of the park and then the additional few blocks to my room.  The light might fade! The people in the park might all go home! I crashed up the stairs (couldn’t wait for the very slow lift) and in to the room. MBB was watching a movie and working on his computer.  I was out of breath.  “Camera! Got to go back out!” He smiled and wished me well.

When I got back to the park it was all still there. Perfect. I watched and shot for about an hour. And I got it.

I had been working on painting branches for several years.  This was new.  There were people tangled in the scene.  It was a story. I chose this photo to work from but I knew it needed editing so the figures talked to each other, and to the Voyeur (is the voyeur the person in the lawn chair, or the viewer of the painting?).

I started by blocking in the main figures and the tree. The two women walking and talking were oblivious to me and to the person relaxing under the trees.  The whole city of Bath was above their heads.  The river was beyond the trees in the background. The two women were alone just listening to each other in their private conversation.

The next big decision was how complex to make the tree without losing the figures. I loved the spider web like branches, but didn’t want to lose my stars.

A bigger problem.  I was fairly far along with my blocking, and I realized it was too blue and moody…almost menacing.  Not what I wanted at all.  This was an intimate, golden world. I went back in and warmed up all the branches.  Each branch.  Then I went in and repainted the green between the branches with more yellow tones to eliminate the blue.  Sometimes these decisions are critical at an early stage.

The painting finally had the mood I wanted.  Now it was weeks of working on detail without losing the figures that were the center of the conversation.

Voyeur, oil painting, collection of the artist

This was the birth of what I called The Encounter series, where an individual’s surroundings affected them in a unique way, and the viewer of the painting creates their own story based on their experiences and point of view.

You can see a similar extension of this concept in a later painting called Winter’s Tale, which features My Beloved Brit in a snowy scene that took place on the other side of the world from Bath, in Yosemite, on the West Coast in California.

Winter's Tale, oil painting, artist's collection

Small world. A series was born. To see more, visit my website www.patwhitehead.com

 

When do the leaves turn red?

17 Monday Oct 2011

Posted by pat in Art, Grasmere, Lake District, paintings

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art, autumn, fall color, Grasmere, Lake District

Our first sign that autumn has really arrived is the local pumpkin patch, already selling all shapes and sizes of those beautiful orange signs of pre-Halloween.

On a trip to England I asked My Beloved Brit when the leaves change in England in the fall.  We were walking through the village of Grasmere in the beautiful Lake District in late summer, and lo and behold I spied a few leaves already changing. I could smell the gingerbread in the air, as the first few leaves drifted down.

He explained to me that England didn’t really have those fall colors that I had grown up seeing in New York.  In England, one day they turn, and the next they are on the ground.  Or so it seemed to him.

I still was able to find enough color for reference for “Autumn Branches”, and every fall when I see the leaves just start to change I think of that afternoon in Grasmere, walking down the lane.

"Autumn Branches", oil painting, the artist's collection

Sail Away

13 Thursday Oct 2011

Posted by pat in Burnham-on-Crouch, England, Sailing, Uncategorized

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Burnham-on-Crouch, sailing

I was looking through my art files today thinking about what to paint next, and found this lovely photo of sailing in England. I believe I took this photo in Burnham on Crouch, on one of our first visits there together after we were married. Burnham is a small village on the East Coast of England not too far from London where MBB (My Beloved Brit) sailed many a race on the Crouch River.

This year’s sailing season is coming to an end, but the memories linger on.

A Wet Sheet and a Flowing Sea

 A wet sheet and a flowing sea,

A wind that follows fast,

And fills the white and rustling sail,

And bends the gallant mast—

And bends the gallant mast, my boys,

While, like the eagle free,

Away the good ship flies, and leaves

Old England on the lee.

“O for a soft and gentle mind!’

I heard a fair one cry;

But give to me the snoring breeze

And white waves heaving high–

And white waves heaving high, my boys,

The good ship tight and free;

The world of waters is our home,

And merry men are we.

There’s tempest in yon horned moon,

And lightning in yon cloud;

And hard the music, mariners!

The wind is piping loud–

The wind is piping loud, my boys,

The lightning flashing free;

While the hollow oak our palace is,

Our heritage the sea.

Allan Cunningham

Art on the move

10 Monday Oct 2011

Posted by pat in Art, paintings, Uncategorized

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art, oil painting, waves

I am getting ready to transport some paintings down to the Admiralty Gallery (www.admiraltygallery.com) in Vero Beach Florida for the start of their season.  This beautiful space facing the Atlantic on Ocean Drive has graciously represented me for several years now, and it is always exciting to start a new season with them.

This year I have tried a new form of expression in oils – abstraction.  But the essence of all of my paintings…nature based, energy and motion, color play…is still evident in these works. It has been liberating to do a less “realistic” color palette, but, I must admit, I miss the more immediate connection to actual representative art from nature.

We’ll see where it goes.

Dusk, 28 x 22, oil painting

As usual, all the new pieces are based on my travels.  In the wave series, which I have explored for over 7 years now, I found the inspiration at various locations from the coast of Great Britain, to Portugal and Spain, the Caribbean Islands, and Maine.  (You can see more of these works on www.patwhitehead.com) This particular piece, Wave #26, was based on waves I had seen in Florida on a reference expedition.

Wave #26, 36 x 24" oil

 

When I decided to take on abstract painting this past summer, I found that the technique that I had used on the wave series was the same here. I first decided on a composition based on something I had seen, then started to explore color and motion within that framework.

In Horizon, I had initially done a small pastel sketch of wave motion, always looking at the underlying tones of highlights and shadow.

pastel sketch reference

Horizon, 12" x 16", oil painting

 

 

It is interesting to see the underpainting steps that lead up to a more realistic “wave” painting and compare it to one of the abstract paintings.  I still struggle more with the abstracts.  There are so many more options for color. You’ll see what I mean:

Step 1, “Wave #27” – I wanted a bright undertone to these waves, and to immediately establish the motion of the surf.

Step #2 – I rough in the color palette on top of the underpainting. Because I use a mixture oil paint and linseed oil on the top layers, they can be transparent and show hints of the layers beneath.  Also, I often scratch the surface to reveal these different layers.

Step #3 – I begin to add highlights and detail–more layers.

Final – notice the strokes blending the different layers, and other colors being added to put emphasis on certain areas. At the very end I add spray detail.

Wave #27, 24 x 18", oil painting

 

When I began on the abstract, First Blush, I was concentrating on a band of pink flowers I had seen.  I made the undertones of the background dark to highlight the brightness of the pink.

Step #2 – I was still torn as to how dark I wanted the background area to be, and I was having some difficulty removing myself from the detail I often paint.

Step #3 – After many days of going back and forth, I decided I wanted to really emphasize the pink with a lighter, fresher background, and show much less detail. The emphasis was to be on the feeling of lightness.

Step #4 – I still wasn’t happy with the contrast although I loved the movement and soft tones. The solution was to go even lighter on the background, add more subtle motion in that area, and really pop the Rose Madder color.

 

Finally, I got it just where I wanted. Sometimes the real beauty is found after much struggle. And sometimes you just trip in to it.

"First Blush", 18 x 24", oil painting

 

The art of sailing

07 Friday Oct 2011

Posted by pat in Art, England, Sailing, Travel

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art, East Coast England, sailing, sketchbook

When we go to England, we enjoy exploring the country together.  But always during these visits there are those days when My Beloved Brit loves to take off sailing with his mates in one of the many regattas on the east coast of England.  He sailed for years with close friends when he lived in London BP (Before Pat), and relishes the thought of being tossed around on grey seas for hours trying to find the right bit of wind and win the race. Not my cup of tea, so to speak, but it gives me time to explore the local countryside on my own looking for art inspiration.

My Beloved Brit (center) dressed for the chill with his sailing companions.

On just such an occasion a few years ago we went to West Mersea on the east coast of England so he could participate in the Dabchicks Sailing Club’s Sail East Regatta. We had been living in the caribbean, so, as you can see, he avoided shorts (unlike those sturdier souls still living in “the grey country”) in favor of several layers of clothing.

He headed out to sea, and on his advice I searched out Cudmore Grove Country Park on the east end of Mersea Island.  This time I had my sketchbook with me and a #05 pilot V ball pen as I dove into the mist to see what I could find.

Parking the car and heading out across the open fields on foot, it was the wildness of the sky that really caught my attention.  I just tried to capture the energy of the environment with a few quick strokes.

Wandering down towards the edge of the park, I came across this tidal area with posts in odd rows.  I found out later that they were oyster beds.

Sorry the sketch is so faint.  I was working in a sketchbook that had varied colored pages, which was interesting, but is now harder to reproduce.

I continued along the shore…

… and saw these few boats clinging to the mud waiting for the tide to come back in.

Further along, a lone shed watched over the masts.  This is such a typical east coast scene with the inlets and the mud. I never get tired of it.

Back up through the fields, the blackberries filled the hedgerows.

The skies had finally cleared, so I put my sketchbook away and took out my trusted camera for a few shots of the swans heading up stream. I drove back to the west side of the island to meet my sailor, home from the sea, and join the crew for a few pints and to hear the day’s tales of glory.

Art and sailing…we were both totally satisfied with our day.

Back home in my studio, I relived the adventure in a singular painting called “The Clearing”.

 

 

Duchess of Cambridge to become Queen of Arts – Telegraph

05 Wednesday Oct 2011

Posted by pat in Art, The Royal Family, Uncategorized

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art, Duchess of Cambridge

Duchess of Cambridge to become Queen of Arts – Telegraph.

It looks like the Duchess of Cambridge may become a champion for the arts as was suspected last week (see my earlier post about her gallery visit  “Kate Middleton Visits National Portrait Gallery”).

Click on the link above to read the entire new article from the Telegraph’s October 2nd issue.

The Duchess is expected to become the official patron of several national museums and galleries and may also act as an “ambassador” for institutions that have existing Royal links, such as the V&A where Princess Alexandra is a patron.

She is also understood to be considering lending her support to a number of smaller, lesser-known arts organisations.

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