The Squeee

If you're a Harry Potter fan in the vicinity of Macclesfield, Cheshire (UK) on Friday afternoon/evening, 16 December 2011, there's a Wizarding Winter Fair to attend. I'll be there, with all my handmade wands . :) Hope to see you there!

Wow. Someone's seriously talented to have written, sung, acted and put together this parody of "Hello" from hit musical The Book of Mormon , which is currently pulling crowds on Broadway. For that matter, tessaROXX , the woman behind this parody, is definitely worth checking out!

It's called Disqus. You can comment using Twitter, Facebook, Google and all sorts. Like a pimped version of the old system. And it's easier to reply and there's a "Like" button and everything, including on the comments themselves. Enjoy! :) Ohh, and also, there's now a Review Policy . Have seen plenty of blogs with one of them, and figured I should have one too, realistically, dabbling in reviewing as I am and all. Just didn't quite know how to word it. Waking up at 4am and not being able to fall back asleep for a couple of hours or so made me think about a lot of things, so when I got up, I know how to write it. :) Oh, and if you like to know what's coming beforehand, I tend to post about upcoming reviews on Facebook, or even just quick notes as to what's recently been seen (and will therefore be popping up here as reviews in the future). "Like" below to tune in!

Stalking the TV channel Yesterday's website in order to find out if/when they're going to show The Glass Virgin . They always seem to be showing Catherine Cookson adaptations, after all. (Wondering why you should see it? Brendan Coyle à la 1995. "OMG" doesn't quite cover it.) Also, I see now that he played Michael Collins in a 2001 miniseries called Rebel Heart . Brendan Coyle with an Irish accent playing Michael Collins - this is almost too good to be true! And it is, sort of. The bloody thing isn't available on DVD! HOW RUDE!! (You can get a used VHS from £25 but that's a bit much.) Ohh, although it's on YouTube. Hooray! That's my evening sorted! :D Erm, anyway, before I digressed, I came across a test: Who's your ideal literary hero? Can't resist a challenge like that!

We went to Staffordshire today, and happened to drive a bit off-satnav to see where we'd end up. The Squeeze spotted a garden centre and turned in, because he thought I might like to have a look there. It was Doveleys Garden Centre, just outside Rocester. (Hands up everyone who wants to add a "H" to that name!) Peculiar tree stump that looks like some kind of sculpture - looked even more amazing IRL! It also has a manor house, and you could walk the grounds, said the sign. Ach, a manor house. Can't pass by something like that! As the building itself says, it was built in 1875, so it's Victorian, and MAN is it gloomy! I couldn't help but think of Borley Rectory , actually. Then again, a lot of Victorian buildings would probably make me think of Borley, seeing as how it's a place I find particularly intriguing, and love to read about.

The Fast Show is back, online, on Thursday 10 November at 1pm , courtesy of Foster's Funny . That is all. Not like I'm counting down the days or anything. Not at all. ... I'll get me coat.

Some films are excellent, others ... well, they lose our attention so bad we can't help but to fall asleep. Here is my top list of films that have made Mr. Sandman pop round for an extra trip simply because I've struggled to stay awake while watching them and simply haven't been able to. The seven films are sorted according to the length of snoozing and the supposed "worthiness" of the film in question. And yes, there are a few on there that are so critically acclaimed they've made the IMDb Top 250 list . Two are in the top 60, one clocks in at 110 ... So, ranging from a score of 3.2/10 to 8.6/10, here goes:

Just found out there's a preview screening of Wuthering Heights '11 in Nottingham this Friday, at Broadway in town (19:30/7:30pm start, tickets are £7 + £1.50 booking fee). Not just that, it's followed by an "extended discussion", or rather, Q&A with the director Andrea Arnold afterwards. Here's the dilemma: It's a Brontë adaptation! :D See the film a week before the official premiere ftw! Be able to ask the director questions! BUT:

It's November, and the annual (inter)National Novel Writing Month has begun. The challenge is to write a 50 000-word novel in 30 days, meaning you need to average at least 1667 words every day. Sounds daunting? It's perfectly doable, actually. I've made it twice, in 2007 and 2008. Last year, I tried writing a modern day Jane Eyre , but got stuck after about 17k and decided to give up. If you want to read the first draft of that story, it's called Moorland Hall (even though the estate in the novel is actually called Moorland House - well done there!) and is on display at Wattpad . We'll see how this year goes. It's a different story, one I've been mulling over in my head for a while now, so let's see what happens. If anyone wants to add me as a writing buddy, the name's TraXy (go fig!). Are you participating? Have you participated in the past? How's the writing going? :)

This is the final post in this year's series of highlighting the Pagan holidays. It has made me think more about the days in question, even if I haven't exactly done anything in particular to celebrate them. For a Pagan, I'm seriously secular! ;) Today, we celebrate Samhain , which is also known as the Pagan new year. The time between now and the Winter Solstice is a never-never land of sorts, because the new year doesn't start tomorrow morning, it starts in December. The lore says that on this day, the God draws his final breath. He is to be re-born in December, but meanwhile, he's indisposed, so to speak.

Oh, I really couldn't resist the temptation of that title. Sam Neill has been in a few scary - or at least they're meant to be and probably are to some - things, so I thought it would be a good idea to come up with some suggestions for a Sam-tastic Halloween movie marathon, for those who are game! If you choose to watch any over the weekend, you'll have to report back what you thought of them - deal? :) Horror both on earth and in space, weird and spooky events, evil beings ... He sure has done a lot of different things over the years, the horrifically bad ones omitted. After all, we're supposed to be scared by the events depicted, not by how bad the production is. ;) In reverse chronological order:

Still haven't seen the final episode, but here's something I found at the local Co-op with which we could always our sorrows now that Spooks has finished: I have heard some spoilers. Bad things happen, apparently. No likey. Expect a post about the final series at some point when I've seen the last episode.

I'm looking for nominations in these categories: 1. Tall, Dark and Handsome and 2. OMG that VOICE!! ♥ The nominated peeps should preferably be actors, but I'll accept musicians as well. It's for a list. Like Amazing Gaze: Top 5 Brilliantly Breathtaking Blue Eyes . Darling Richard Armitage is a given on both of them, of course. ;)

So, I've been thinking about giving the blog a facelift for a while now, and only over the weekend, I realised which colour I fancied switching to. And then things kind of came together a bit. This is the result. If you're using a feed reader (such as, but not limited to, Google Reader , which is a tremendously good idea for keeping up to speed with all the blogs you follow, just a tip), you'll have to actually - gasp - click through to the post to see. But anyway. Whatcha reckon? Yay or a nay? :)

This is totally lifted off a flyer I picked up when I was on said tour this Saturday just gone. It's a fun event, and you get to learn a lot not just about Jane Eyre '11, but also bits about '96 and '06, as they were all using Haddon Hall for Thornfield Hall. Tickets are selling fast, and this is the last of these you can attend this year! My recommendation would be to dress warm, but not too warm, as you do walk around quite a bit. Costumes from Jane Eyre '11 on display at Haddon Hall Sunday 23 October 2011 10:30 am If you would like to know more about what happens when a film crew takes over Haddon Hall, why not join us for our special "Behind the Scenes" tour? Stroll through the house and find out which rooms were used in which scene. Haddon Staff, involved with the filming, will share anecdotes and trade secrets with you. There is also the opportunity to visit parts of the house not normally open to visitors. Enjoy this unique experience f

If you would like to see some footage from See Film Differently's Jane Eyre premiere at Haddon Hall, there's a little film here: Both the Squeeze and I completely managed to evade being captured on film, apparently, despite me wearing my "Team Edward Rochester" t-shirt. Nice to see the bit with Cary Fukanaga (doesn't he kinda remind you of Johnny Depp?), as that seemed to be cut off when we were actually there, due to some terrible lag in the system. Also, there's an event on next Saturday, which I'm hoping to attend. And yes, I know, I still need to type up about the screening. Things got in the way, I'm afraid. Considering making it a Sunday Matinée post, which means it's still a few weeks in the future, as it's currently occupied by the German travel diary. Or maybe I'll reschedule. We'll see. P.S. If you want to live in a place that inspired Charlotte Brontë, Thornton Hall in Thornton near Bradford is up for sale , for th

So it appears our favourite doctor in outer space is gay. If you thought of McCoy or someone else who isn't Simon Tam of TV series Firefly or movie Serenity , then you thought of the wrong guy. :P Sean Maher has come out, after 14 years hiding in the closet. He's had a partner for the past nine years and they have two children together. I knew about the kids, he mentioned them on Twitter (he's @ Sean_M_Maher by the way) before, but didn't know their origin.

My other favourite pair of blue eyes :) (I know, it should be "pairs of eyes", but that doesn't sound as catchy as a title.) There are some people whose gaze catches you and makes you stop and think "oh my word" and then you wonder how on earth it's even possible to have that particular shade. Tonight's installment will be blue eyes. Beautifully blue, brilliantly breathtaking blue. There are of course many a good-looking actor out there with blue eyes, but I'm interested in the ones where you look at them and can't help but notice their eye colour specifically . So without further ado, here's my top 5:

Or rather, have you heard of the campaign launched by some fans of Richard Armitage, to have his project about King Richard III come to fruition? If not, you really ought to check it out. :) There's a petition to sign and everything! Back in August, there was a "King Richard Week", which I forgot to mention at the time, as my parents were visiting so didn't have much time for computers. Thought it would be good to have a reminder about the project now, and perhaps find some more supporters. :) Richard Armitage has been talking about wanting to do a project about Richard III for some time now. He wants to do something historically accurate, because William Shakespeare ... well, he was paid by a Tudor, and seeing as how they defeated the Plantagenets (or something like that), trying to downplay the defeated king meant getting a paycheck. Here's the king himself to tell us what was going on, thanks to Horrible Histories :

Today, we celebrate the Autumn Equinox in the northern hemisphere, the time when night and day are in perfect balance. We're heading toward winter now, meaning nights will be longer than days, but there is no need to fear the dark. There is a need to be slightly concerned about it, if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - or "winter depression" as it's also known. (I got mine off mum, because the bleedin' thing is hereditary. Cheers, mum!) Take some vitamin D and use a light box for half an hour (or even 10 minutes) in the morning . The morning bit is really important: you're trying to stop the production of sleep hormone and get the body clock to realise it's daytime - using it at night won't work! Using it at all will really help, and also going out for a bit during the day time. Ain't no lightbulb like the good ol' sun, after all! As the days are growing shorter and the cold starts to creep in, I don't just get tired,