Some Of The Best Festivals Ever - Part One - 80's Rewind Henley and Download Donnington

80's Rewind - Henley On Thames

What a fantastic weekend! This is how I like to spend my weekends, sat out in a huge field with the sun blazing down surrounded by a large group of friends, chilling with a beer and having a lot of laughs whilst listening to live music. Perfect!.

Well as the name of the festival suggests the whole theme is around 80's music and to have some of my favourite bands from my love struck, angst, teenage years brought back some wonderful memories and a great excuse to dress up (and I mean dress up) in the old eighties gordy and decadent outfits. More is more in the eighties, that meant more hair (big back combed effigy piled sideways on one's noggin... lots and lots of makeup, a Madonna beauty spot, fingerless gloves, leg warmers and bright nail polish...) and that was just the men!!!

Yes we all made an effort and making each other up gave us something to do in between sets. Some of those playing were Carol Decker of T'Pau who actually runs a pub in Henley these days made an appearance, as did Heaven 17, ABC. I'm not entirely sure why Chesney Hawkes was there, but I found it highly amusing whilst singing "I am the one and only" nearly half the crowd put on Chesney face masks...

I was in awe when Midge Ure sang "Vienna" which is one of my all time favourite 80's song. As was Tony Hadley singing "Gold". The whole crowd joined in and it is times like these I feel an affinity with the world. (I know, a bit deep, but that's how I feel when I'm in a big crowd all singing our hearts out.)

Anyway, I was really looking forward to Boy George, unfortunately I realised I didn't know the majority if his songs and asked a friend if he was going to be on for a while and if I had time to visit a portaloo. I really only wanted to hear Kama Chameleon and my friend thought that this would be his encore song. So off I trot to the loos only to my horror the moment I sat down said song came warbling out of Mr Georges mouth so I heard him live albeit through the echoing reverberation of a plastic box... Hey ho.

Rick Astley was good until he opened his mouth to speak, I'd never heard him talk before so it was a bit of a shock to hear this horrendous broad northern accent belt out insults to the crowd after each song. Ben from Curiosity not only killed the cat, but his entire set of songs. In fact I think a cat scraping it's claws down a blackboard would have been more entertaining and Hazel O'Connor is now just an old mad box of frogs!

Highlights had to be Jimmy Sommerville, Marc Almond, 10cc (I cried when they played "I'm not in love") and an impromptu sing along from our gang. We Sang Queens Mr Fahrenheit and we got quite a few others singing along too which was fabulous.

Last weekend was incredible. I can tick off another ambition achieved from my list of things I want to do before I get too old and suddenly discover one day that I enjoy crochet and listening to Terry Wogan on Radio Two!

Download Rock - Donnington

Download is the ultimate rock festival of the year and as a rock chic it was the one festival I hadn't done after Reading, V and Glastonbury. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience because firstly the camping wasn't 10 miles away in another county! And because the festival isn't as large as the other aforementioned there was plenty of tent space, although two guys came in and asked to put their tent up next to ours stating that there was plenty of room, however they didn't tell us they were erecting Balmoral Castle next door to us!! This grated me a tad because there were huge expanses of Field further up the field, but hey ho!

We spent most of our time at the Tuborg Tent, which was in effect the Thrash Stage. I preferred it here because you could see the artists on stage and I like to hear new talent and emerging groups. Plus the fact when the sun became too much we could sit in the shade, oh yes and the Guinness bar was right behind us. Voivod and Face Cage are two bands to look out for.





We ventured to the larger stages for acts that we really wanted to see. For me it was Pendulum, Prodigy, Static X (who sang Queen of the Damned track Cold), Black Stone Cherry (who I'm going to see in October) and Slipknot... The showmanship in that band is awesome. The drummer was on this hydraulic stage that twisted and turned and he was actually drumming upside down at some points. I would love to be in a band like that. Can you imagine the fun they have? I first saw them ten years ago at Reading and thought they were strange, but mesmerising and I still hold that belief to this day.





I have a new digital camera which I am still working out how to down load photos on to this computer. When I've figured it out I will post piccys. Damn technology!!!

Two Amazingly SCARY Plays

Ghost Stories - Duke of York Theatre - London

What a fantastic Play. Immediately as you walk into the Theatre it has been decorated with plastic sheets yellow and black tape and industrial lights with lots of eerie base noise and dripping water in the background. Clearly we were meant to be in some deserted mill or building site. 

The play was based on three ghost stories narrated by a professor of parapsychology. Some of the photos he showed on a slide show were creepy as was the first story about a father hearing his daughter’s voice as she followed him around a deserted building he was caretaker of. The Second one I was expecting what happened. The usual car in woodland then breaks down at night. The third story wasn’t particularly scary, but it was disturbing, the viewer makes of it what they will. My take was that the baby was Spawn of Satan and could manipulate those around him. The twist at the end though was truly amazing and one I hadn’t suspected at all. 

Spoiler alert: All three stories were actually connected as the professor was the one in the coma dreaming these horrors and specific sentences used were in fact the staff talking around him. It brings to the forefront the question of what is reality exactly and whose reality is real and who’s is fake. Or my favourite, how do you know that this is reality?

Woman In Black- The Lowery - Salford

I know now that this play has been made into a film and I will say no more about that, but going to the theatre and seeing something genuinely frightening, live with a group of other people prepared to be scared out of their wits is truly something special and this play certainly delivered the unexpected screams that made everyone jump!

The basic gist of the story was a man is employed by his solicitor boss to go and close a deal on an old foreboding house in the country. He gets there at night, naturally, when it's all creepy and mysterious and the house appears empty except for the odd moan, groan and creaking door. 

As our reluctant story teller investigates the house further it becomes apparent that the previous occupant was killed in a tragic horse and carriage accident and hasn't accepted their death or moved on blah blah blah.

But for me it wasn't the actual story or plot that particularly blew my socks off in a ghostly paranormal or unexplained breeze but the sudden rocking chair, the lights going out, the thunderstorm effects and as the lightening flashed around the stage and audience the ghostly apparition of the ghost women dressed in a Victorian black dress appearing intermittently that gave me the serious heeby jeebies... In fact I have a shiver run down my spine and arms just writing about it!!! Yurgh!

For Some More Spooky Tales Click Here

Inspirational Fun Days Out - Castle Heddingham Battle

As we have just had the Easter weekend and I always like to do something constructive with my time off. As I have always said no work and no play makes Ali a very dull girl indeed and I'm sure no-one wishes to read blogs about how many words I've written for my next novel or how many submissions I've made that day for my latest completed novel!!!







So I found an events page for 'Essex at Easter' advertising a Medieval Siege and Battle Re-enactment day at a local Castle Heddingham near to Braintree. I have always wanted to see a battle re-enactment from British history and as I have a huge fascination with castles (having written three books about a bunch of fictional witches living in castles around the UK My book website 'plug plug').

As I arrived we could see people from The Medieval Siege Society Ltd (oh yes it's BIG business) dressed in some very realistic costumes carrying various weaponry such as swords, bows, spears, which to me was all very exciting, because although my imaginary covens live in modern Britain they have withdrawn from society and live as they did in the past. So to see what I had envisioned in real life was exhilarating.

We walked around the Castle inside, which I must say was impressively preserved and decorated with wall hanging and rugs. There was archery to try and a traditional camping area where we could look at the crafts and chat to the serious re-enactment fans who lived for the full weekend as they would've one in the middle ages.








No cheating either with a gas stove tucked away in the tents somewhere. They ate traditional food and drink cooked over old log fires. They had a falconry display, a jester and some minstrels playing traditional music. I was very impressed and recommend stepping back in time for a little insight into our illustrious history. Plus it gave me inspiration for writing further about the Romanov Witches coven in my next Beyond Series of Books.

Cities of Old Are The Best

As a supernatural writer I love all things old, dark and creepy... So a visit to York was inevitable and I have to say was one of the best city breaks I have been on for sinister, ghostly ambience, I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone else.

Yorvik Viking Centre:- An Interesting museum where you climb aboard a car and ride through the Viking Village of old York. You listen to conversations and interestingly they add the life like man sat on his porcelain throne at the bottom of his back garden… Yes Vikings had back gardens. Interesting. The place smelt of old York too, which wasn’t very pleasant, but I love museums.

Ghost walk:- York is such an old city that it cannot be visited without going on the obligatory ghost walk around the older parts of the city including The Shambles, which I loved, very atmospheric and reminding me of Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter movies. The stories were pretty much standard as I have heard on other ghost walks, vengeful spirits who have been wronged in life and death… blah, blah blah, but entertaining evening none the less. I love walking around old cities on a crisp dark evening whilst listening to ghost stories.

The Golden Fleece:- As you know I like all things supernatural so I had to visit the most haunted pub in York, The Golden Fleece, which has been investigated by the Most Haunted Team on a couple of occasions. It does have a very gothic and spooky feel to it, especially when they have a real human skeleton sat at the bar and every night they change it’s sitting posture and pour it a drink. Creepy and intriguing, God I love scary things and places. Am I weird? Probably… Do I care? Not really…

Details of Alison's Supernatural Books

Cornish Fairy Gardens and Satanic Locations

I loved Cornwall so much I returned. Went to Carnglaze slate caverns which was interesting, but slightly disappointed as I was expecting something along the lines of the Caves of Drac. There was also a cute little fairy garden and village you could walk around. When I returned home I was straight off to the Garden Centre to get myself some wild looking plants and some fairy and Dragon Statues. I was mightily dissappointed that they didn't have anything like that and this place is massive!


You can buy little manquins made from coat hangers, smelly candles and pointless other stuff to make you house the envy of your neighbours, but sadly not a fairy or dragon in sight. Rubbish. Even tried to google some pictures of fairy gardens and all I got was a stupid site selling fairy liquid!






In complete contrast we went to see Roche Rock. A great spooky and sinister location that was used to film the third omen film. Very atmospheric and would love to use this location in one of my books. I was even brave enough to climb up the rickety ladders to the top. Cracking Views.

Writing Inspiration From Cornwall

I love my caravan holidays in Britain. I try to get away at least twice a year. Coastal getaways in cute little caravans are my idea of vacation heaven. No fighting in queues at airports or long delays. I enjoy foreign holidays, but the hassle of getting there means I only go away if I REALLY REALLY want to see that country.

Anyway, last week we jumped in the car and headed to Cornwall, a county I have never visited before so was excited with anticipation of what to expect and I wasn't disappointed. We stayed near a tiny fishing town of Perranporth. The locals were very friendly and the beaches were spectacular, in particular Cartock beach, although I did end up with third degree burns. Damn my fair skin!

The Highlights:

TRERICE: This was a beautifully preserved Elizabethan Manor house. I arrived whilst it was still daylight and the gardens were outstanding, but the real tour of the house began as it turned to dusk. We were guided through the Orchards where they had candles hanging from the trees, which gave a romantic atmosphere. Then the tour turned to the great Hall with a roaring fire, mulled wine and savoury biscuits. To add to the ambiance foliage from the gardens had been scattered over the stone floors and candles dotted around the room and in the Minstrels gallery.



Once dusk had fallen to night, we were instructed not to utter a single word from there on. The whole house was lit only by candles and we were led to a drawing room and what I found so hypnotic were the paintings as the candles flickered I could have sworn one painting of a female smiled at me and another of a man winked at me! Spooky!

We were then led to the minstrels gallery and as I looked over into the hall we had just been sat in, two women dressed in Tudor clothes were giggling as they swept the floors by the fire. Now I found this bizarre because I felt like I was the Voyeur, none more so as we entered a bathroom. The bath filled with bubble bath and clothes and towels strewn on the floor we then entered a bedroom and as my eyes became accustomed to the light I looked at this body in the bed and thought"is this a dummy or real" so me being the curious creature I am walked towards the bed. I was seriously considering poking the bulk under the covers with my finger when the whole thing moved and began snoring! I nearly jumped out of my skin, then had to stifle an attack of one my famous giggling fits. I LOVE BEING SCARED. Whatever floats your boat right?




What I loved about this tour was the attention to detail the staff had put into this night time tour and instead of it being another Most Haunted style ghost hunt they had cleverly flipped it on it's head so that we were to experience what it must be like for a spirit to watch the living going about their daily lives without anyone being able to see or hear them. Fantastic!

Book Review Come Closer by Sara Gran

Afternoon All,

Today I have a book review of a demon thriller called Come Closer by Sara Gran. The book begins with the narrator having trouble with tapping pipes and she seems to be quite a suppressed character, always doing things to please other people instead. Creepily all these strange perverse behaviours like stubbing cigarettes out on her husbands leg and blacking out only to find the local shopkeeper dead and the narrator has blood spots on her blouse.

The strange behaviours become increasing disturbing and violent until it reaches a terrifying climax.

I really enjoyed this book as there is something very sinister about demon possession and the thought of not being in complete control of your own body and knowing that some else is taking you over must be really frightening. Anyway there were a couple of questions that left me thinking that either the author had forgotten to tidy up a few loose ends or that she has purposely left it open ended so that you the reader can draw your own conclusions (personally I don't like this, if your going to tell a story then tell the whole story please.)

The loose ends were as follows:
1, Did her husband have the affair with her family doctor and was the shrink in cahoots with them? (as he tried to persuade her to leave her husband and he knew things about her that only her husband should know.) OR

2, Were the shrink and family doctor fellow demons, who were persuading her to eat more salt because this would speed up the possession process.
This was all too ambiguous for me.

3, If Naamah is this all powerful demon as was hinted throughout the book then why didn't she use her power and strength to bump off a few psychiatric nurses and escape the lunatic asylum? OR

4, Maybe the author plans to bring out a sequel that will continue Naamahs mischief further.
I hope so, this book was short and snappy and easy to read.