"YOU HAVE LEFT THE WORLD MUCH BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT, AND IF YOU ASK ME, NOBODY COULD DO ANY BETTER THAN THAT."
A year ago today we not only lost one of the finest authors of our age, but a truly inspiring man who continues to spread understanding and love. Terry Pratchett used words to point a mirror at humanity, forcing us to examine the world around us. Growing up, there was always one of his books stashed somewhere, much to the annoyance of my teachers and he taught me to think, to question and the importance of a hard boiled egg. In times of need what started out as an escape to Discworld often ended up as words of comfort and help. This was especially true when it came to his last book 'The Shepherd's Crown' and for that I am grateful.
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The Van Gogh Museum has uploaded high resolution files of their ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world) collection and made them available to download, for free! Click here to be taken to them :)
Some of my favourite can be seen below. On the anniversary of Catherine Howard's execution I thought I'd share with you an amazing gift I received from Vicki several years ago in the form of a Deridoll. When she first gave it to me I couldn't stop squealing with delight at every little detail, from the patterned felt used for the gown to the small fabric puffs in the sleeves. Inspired by a pic of me in my Catherine Howard guise, it was obvious that Deri had spent a lot of effort on getting the details. She even finished the cuffs with black thread, a nod to the beautifully blackworked cuffs Vicki made me (viewable here).
During an exploration by Martin and me in Higashine today we discovered an ancient and beautiful tree. The locals have propped up branches to aid the tree and to me it looked like an old man with a walking stick! This huge zelkova tree is around 1,500 years old and a Designated National Monument in Japan. Natural wonders such as this are thought to be where Kami reside. Kami are natural spirits that are worshipped in the old Shinto religion of Japan. Elements found in nature, animals and sometimes those who have passed on, Kami are both revered and sometimes feared too. Rather than being separate to nature, Kami are the manifestation of the natural forces - both negative and positive. The specific Kami for trees are Kodama. Here is the video of us by the tree: And here is another video on Kodama: I am very grateful that so much essential travel information is in English, and find it hard to imagine the response would be very positive in England if the case was made for us to translate our signs, announcements and tickets into another language for the ease of foreigners. In Europe I find even my basic Italian often gives me some assistance since it is so close to the Latin roots, but to be somewhere with very little common ground, offers a very new experience. I cannot begin to imagine how difficult Martin’s first trip here mush have been, and I have a new respect for my Victorian character Minerva Powtalotte, a Japanologist loosely based on Isabella Bird who travelled all over the world, including to Japan in 1878, just after the borders were reopened in 1868.
I am sat on a train whizzing to Higashine, so have a while to reflect on the journey to Japan from England. For me it was remarkably easy, in no small part to Martin who helped everything run smoothly. You may (or may not) know that several years ago I fell off a horse, smashing my right elbow and it has never fully recovered. This causes me constant pain and makes normal traveling difficult, since the shoulder and arm can’t take much weight. However, not one to pack light (How else can I ensure I have an outfit for all occasions?!), Japan was causing me somewhat of a problem. Feeling a little foolish, I admitted my worries to Martin, which he of course found hilarious, before insisting that I pack however much I like, even using space in his own suitcase if I wanted. Reassuring me that it would provide him with a good opportunity to exercise, he said that as long as I could carry my side bag (which in reality he often carried too), then he would deal with my suitcase.
The flights themselves were thankfully unremarkable, and the stopover in Beijing a pleasant break. Whilst there I took the opportunity to try my hand at calligraphy. It took roughly 25 hours from leaving home to arriving, but what a great opportunity! Our journey to Japan is complete and we have landed in Tokyo. It hasn’t quite hit me yet that I’ve actually made it. I have been wishing to visit for so long, and to really be here is strange, exciting and slightly overpowering all at once. Tomorrow we make our way to the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture, but for now we are safely ensconced in a Tokyo hotel and off to sleep.
I was delighted to be asked back by Heathcliff Heroics once again for their wonderful Halloween story telling at Hever Castle over the half term holiday. However unlike last year (when I was a witch with two rats in tow), this time I attended as a member of the Royal Ghost Finders Society, RGFS for short. I was accompanying Mr Harry Price as Miss Minerva Powterlotte. It's been a while since I got to wear my beautiful Victorian bustle dress, so I was delighted to give it a chance to shine once again. I always get so many wonderful comments when I wear it, and children and adults alike love to see all the marvellous details. Made by the talented Gini Newton, it holds a special place in my heart. Arriving at the castle Saturday morning, I was once again amazed by the effort that had been put in to setting the scene, with the theatre transformed into a haunted house, complete with graveyard. I was very grateful to be lent a short cape since the temperature is dropping fast, and although the outdoor theatre protects us from the wind and rain, the cold and damp still gets in. Unfortunately my trip to Japan will cut my visit short this time, but I still have two days left in which to scare, entertain and Heathcliff Heroics will be there until Sunday. If you want to see what I got up to last year, click here. |
AuthorAn adventure loving historian with a soft spot for armour and motorbikes. Archives
May 2020
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