Chapter 2 Scene 3.5

The ladies of the Kensington Gore Croquet Club are attacked in a grotto.

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Chapter 2 Scene 3.5

This is an "then all hell broke loose" scene (a phrase Elmore Leonard says you must never use) Leonard is right of course - the trouble is he says you mustn't use "suddenly" either which I find much harder. Avoiding it does seem to me a good discipline though.

One of the things that was a great movie experience for me as a child was the atack on the Nautilus by the giant squid. Someone once said that if you want a single symbol of what steampunk is go for the Nautilas in 20,000 Leagues under the sea.  And let's face it, by the loch there does have to be some sort of monster.

I was hoping for something really atmospheric for the underground quay

When it comes to secret passageways my mind never goes far past Young Frankenstein. You remember? "Put - the - candle - BACK!"








There is supposed to be a secret passage at Boleskine to the graveyard at least. I don't think it's ever been found.

My idea of a Kraken - I could go quite as far as the one in Pirates of the Carribbean

Twenty thousand leagues under the sea is one of the first movies I can remember seeing and being thrilled by. No wonder I'm a steampunk fan.

This is the toy my parents bought me after the movie. I have a precise memory of playing with it in a rock pool at Brixham

Janet at her most dramatic.Who would have thought that that nice Geraldine McKewan from Miss Marple could look like that. Her fist film role was about when I was playing with my Nautilus. There's a thought.

I wanted something really KAPOW!!! for Angel's rifle / shotgun. I'm not sure the Winchester is exactly right but there's only so much research you can do.




Well here is one of the scenes that thrilled me all those tears ago. My goodness, doesn't it look like return to the forbidden planet?

James mason and giant squid

and here is the one that stayed in my mind.

Mason ventures out

Chapter 2 Scene 3.3 (V1.0)

The ladies are surprised bt the madwoman

Chapter 2 Scene 3.3 (V1.0)

Another picture of Boleskine House. This is the front.






The house and surrounds.

I was hoping this picture of Mrs Rochester would give a clue as to what my madwoman looks like.

Chapter 2 Scene 3.1

The ladies of the Kensington Gore Croquet Club travel by car to Boleskine House on the shores of Loch Ness

Chapter 2 Scene 5.1

Here is Loch Ness. Not a monster in sight - sorry.

Boleskine House on the shores of Loch Ness. It was bought by Aleister Crowley in 1899. This gave him the right to call himself Laird Of Boleskine, which I imagine he liked enormously. In the 1970s the house was bought by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Another family live there now who ask to be left alone by occultists and other nuisance visitors. Crowley is rumoured by some to have left a half raised spirit behind him.

We're used to seeing pictures of Crowley when he was relatively old. But, at the time of my story he was in his twenties still. (There are any number of pics of him I could use in this blog.  I think he liked the camera.

The Boleskine cemetery doesn't look quite as gothick as in my story. In fact I more had my mind on my local cemetery at Shacklegate Lane. Nevertheless there is reputed to be a secret tunnel from the graveyard to the House. It has never be found though. (To my knowledge, anyway)

When I I put into my story the spirit of a young girl what I had in mind was a sequence in the 1970s computer game 'The Colonel's Bequest' by the legendary Sierra Games. This pic though makes a good illustration.







For the madwoman I had in mind an actress I saw in Sydney playing a convicted murderess in 'The Art of Success'. Her only previous acting experience had been as Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh.  She was BRILLIANT!

Alas the Sydney production of this play was immediately after September 11, 2001, As a result the audience were outnumbered by the cast.  Anyway she is mt ide of what my madwoman looks like.  I couldn't find a pic of her so make do with these ones.