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| A neighbor's front door |
Well, yesterday turned out better than I expected weather-wise. It wasn't all that rainy, and since I spent almost all day Saturday on the couch I HAD to get out of the house. I took Olga to Hampstead Heath, and she walked through the West Heath, Sandy Heath and part of the Extension. It was a longer walk than we'd done in about ten months, and she handled it fine. I'd thought our days of visiting Sandy Heath and the Extension were over, given the distance.
But I think she feels much better now that we've apparently knocked back that dental infection, or whatever is/was going on in her mouth. She still has a small, bony sort of bump on her snout, so there's some residual something going on there, but it doesn't seem to bother her. She wasn't even stiff in the evening, thanks to the anti-inflammatory meds she's still taking.
Anyway, I got some good pics from our walk but I have to save them for tomorrow, because I have all these Halloween images to use. If not now, when?
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| Ghost on Billy Fury Way |
It seems like every year, when I post on Halloween, I say something about how the British aren't traditionally into it. Halloween -- with jack-o-lanterns and costumes and trick-or-treating -- is generally considered an import from America, although of course it draws on ancient Celtic rituals. Each year that passes, though, local participation seems more enthusiastic. I'm seeing lots of Halloween decorations around town and kids have been out already in costumes.
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| House in St. John's Wood |
A few days ago, The Guardian ran a column exploring the British relationship with Halloween and the fact that it's becoming more and more popular here. It's pretty interesting. Of course, that could be because we bloody Americans keep crossing the pond and moving in!
(For the record, Dave and I didn't decorate and tonight we'll be hiding in the back of the house with the lights off, as we usually do.)
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| Cupcakes at the bakery around the corner |
Aside from walking the dog, yesterday was mostly about cleaning the house and archiving photos. We also turned our clocks back, as British Summer Time came to an end. I woke up this morning at 4:30 a.m.! It's going to take me a while to adapt.
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| A local kitchenware shop -- do spiders and cooking utensils go together? |
I also polished off a New Yorker magazine and at least thought about starting my next Charles Dickens book. You may remember that several years ago I decided I'd read a Dickens novel every autumn. I skipped last year because I was trying to get all those Newbery books finished, but now I'm back on track. This year: "Great Expectations," which surprisingly I have never read. Time to remedy that!
You won't be surprised to know that we don't " celebrate" Halloween. It was barely heard of when I was a kid, and not much going on when my boys were young either. I think the popularity of it here these days is driven by the money to be made from sale of pumpkins and all the rest of the clobber involved! The grandkids seem to take part in a small way though!
ReplyDeleteHalloween is making its presence known here, too. Interestingly, some British expats we know insisted on foisting it on their apartment block when their kids were young. Odd to take your kids trick or treating in a country where it doesn't exist. But, I'm about to pick up some candy for our friends with two kids and our Spanish neighbors and their two kids. I love the green ghost... and I want a cupcake.
ReplyDeleteFrances: Oh, absolutely. There's a lot of money wrapped up in the decorations, costumes and candy. Also, I think people who have small children these days will find that their kids know about Halloween and want to celebrate. (And many parents will want to give them that opportunity.)
ReplyDeleteMitchell: Interesting that it's now the British exporting it!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was stockbroking I once recommended a young trainee read Great Expectations in order to see how to craft a sentence. He had been through university but couldn't write a letter to save his life. Dickens was a brilliant writer. Great Expectations is a very powerful story and one of his best.
No Halloween here either. It has never featured in my life at all.
Australia celebrates Halloween much as you describe. Grumpy old people like me will decry the importation of something 'unAustralian' from Yankland. No matter. Kids have fun and businesses make a lot of money and that's what it is about.
ReplyDeleteI've tried a famous Dickens novel but I did not like it. The book felt tedious.
America has had a big impact on British society in the last century, bringing us many "gifts". Not only the Hollywood commercialised version of Halloween but also McDonalds, KFC, chewing gum, Barbie dolls, wicked treatment of kids with overdue books in school libraries, baseball caps and nylon stockings. How on earth could we have lived fulfilled lives without these enrichments?
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing we American's export a lot more of these "traditions" than we import these days.
ReplyDeleteI should move to the UK because I am not a fan of Halloween. I always say that if I want to wear a costume and act the fool I can do it any day, so why wait until the end of October?
ReplyDeleteWell, Happy Halloween from Lloyd!
ReplyDeleteI think you will love Great Expectations.
I don't decorate. If it is warm, I will go to the end of the driveway with a chair, a light and my candy and pretend to be frightened or pretend to be thrilled that a really truly actual fairy princess or super hero has shown up on my street. If it is cold or rainy, I will turn on the porch light and put on the same performance from the foyer.
ReplyDeleteI love Halloween. When I was a kid I loved dressing up, still do actually, even though I haven't dressed up in years. There's something very freeing about wearing a costume. You can be anybody. I'm set with candy and will decorate the house today. Happy Samhain.
ReplyDeleteTonight my husband and I will sit out on our porch and give out candy. I both dread it and look forward to it. The kids are so cute.
ReplyDeleteHappy Halloween, Steve.
ReplyDeleteGlad Olga is doing better.
When I read Great Expectations as a kid, I accompanied it with a bag of wine gums, the tiny scented kind. To this day that taste memory shows up when I hear the title. It just did when you mentioned it.
ReplyDeleteI don't do Halloween. It's too stressful so I finally realized a few years ago, after years of pleasing my son then his dad, who loved seeing the kids, that I'd done my share and now I'm alone, I don't!
I feel a sense of relief knowing that you and Dave don't give out Halloween candy and that you hide in the back of your house with the lights off. We do that too, and now I don't feel so guilty about it.
ReplyDeleteBecause I have no memory anymore I can't remember if I read Great Expectations. I do remember that we used to call it Great Expectations, Great Disappointments.
Great Expectations was a favorite of mine when I was in school. I hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to see these decorations. I rarely get trick-or-treaters here but this year might be different. There are few families with kids that have moved in. A friend invited me to dinner so I'm going to miss seeing if anyone comes this year.
Halloween has changed here. Not much going house to house. The Malls have taken over the party.
ReplyDeleteHalloween is not nearly as much fun as when I was a kid, but I still enjoy seeing the decorations.
ReplyDeleteDickens can be a challenge, but I've enjoyed all that I've read. I have Bleak House and Barnaby Rudge on my Classics Club list. I read Great Expectations as a teenager (and not for school!).
I've seen more elaborate house decorations here than ever before. I think the Spirit Stores are making costumes and decorations easier? Many people enjoy dressing up in and eating candy--what's not to like?
ReplyDeleteThose cupcakes look yummy! And it's good to know that Olga is getting some of her pep back.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, we often like to do Halloween up big here (I'm married to a big kid after all), but this year we both have COVID, so I guess we'll just have to eat all the candy ourselves. Darn. Ha!
We don't get trick-or-treaters ourselves (too far out of town) but we will drive down to (blocked off) main street to have a look at all the costumes as well as the 'rich part of town' where they go all out to decorate for Halloween, trying to outdo the neighbors!
ReplyDeleteI love the Halloween pix. I'd say the Brits are onto it now! That's quite a house!
ReplyDelete