London Necropolis Railway

 

In Victorian times, people were obsessed with death and the macabre. There was also a train specifically for the dead, not really the norm, and it was officially designed as a funeral train. It was called the London Necropolis Railway, which was first opened in November 1854. 

Made to transport the deceased, acting as a funeral train service to carry mourners and then reach the destination for burial. It was started by the London Necropolis Company or LNC at the time, and be used from Waterloo Station in London to the company's cemetery in Brookwood, Surrey. It was also designed to work as a funeral service train for "centuries to come"! 

However, this nice idea endured many years of transporting the dead and the mourners until WW2. During which, the railway track was so severely damaged by air raid bombings that it was considered unworthy of any use. The remains of the track was taken up and then the train itself simply ceased to be used for funerals. It seemed that gothic piece of history shut down and is now a museum piece and a memory at Brookwood when a placard and small railway fragment display detailing of the London Necropolis Railway was created in 2007. 

Even the cemetery owned by the LNC has become overgrown.

Shadow Girl     

The haunted Versailles

 

This is a fascinating ghost story, a documented event that is still a mystery to us 123 years later. It began in the year 1901 when two English women visited France. They both travelled to the gardens of Versailles after enjoying a nice trip to Paris. The two friends worked at St Hugh's College in Oxford as academics. Charlotte Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain visited Paris and then planned to see the Grand Trianon, although they found it was closed, so they then decided to see the Petit Trianon.

Both women had a guidebook, although things started to look strange. They found themselves lost in a place without any signposts and appearing different to the map, which made them wander into a shadowy wooded area of the gardens. They noticed empty small buildings and people that seemed like "in a tableau vivant" or the scene was unnatural looking and almost dreamlike. Both women felt an intense emotion that was oppressive, perhaps like the sensation of being near a thunderstorm. It was heavy, and the atmosphere was depressing. They noticed a couple of gardeners but wearing old fashioned clothes including tricorn hats. They asked the men for directions and were told to walk straight ahead.  

Soon everything looked flat and two-dimensional; without any life, as if everything around them was a scene on a tapestry or a picture book. They continued walking, both feeling unnerved by the creepy change of surround. They passed an eerie looking man sitting in a garden kiosk staring at them, and he made them feel very nervous, until another man rushed over to them to rescue them. He warned them away from the kiosk, and directed them to a path, and then he was gone. The women said later of him that he wore buckled shoes, was red faced and dark eyed. 

The women crossed a small bridge that led to a garden lawn by the palace. There was a beautiful lady sat drawing a picture on a sketch pad. She was blonde and wearing an 18th century style dress, the lady made eye contact with Charlotte but this made her feel quite nervous. Later on, Charlotte said that she believes this lady was Marie Antoinette's ghost. 

Soon the two women arrived at the Petit Trianon. A cheerful footman appeared and showed them the door to the entrance. It was inside they found the place full of tourists and everything felt real again as though it returned to normal. The women were so disturbed by their experience at the gardens around the Petit Trianon that they recorded it all. This became known as the "Moberly-Jourdain Incident". Some put this down to a haunting of events before the French Revolution, where Marie Antoinette enjoyed staying. Others believe the two English women had a timeslip. However, sceptics and others believe that the women either hallucinated or came across people in costumes. Other explanations have been put forward to but still the subject is fascinating.

Shadow Girl             

End of Summer moon chat

This is a list of names given to the full moon. Various traditions and ancient cultures have names a full moon that occurs at different times of the year. While there are lots of websites and books dedicated to listing them all, I shall plunge in and say that I go with less known names. 

August is mainly called a Sturgeon Moon or Fish Moon, as it was a time when fish appeared in abundance in lakes and rivers across North America. In old Europe, the Celts gave the August full moon two names, either or, Lynx Moon and Dispute Moon. Anglo Saxons called the August moon the Grain Moon. In Old England, this moon was still Grain Moon and then Lightning Moon, Barley Moon and Fruit Moon. 

Some websites put Corn Moon as the name by English people from the Middle Ages, but this is wrong, because there was no corn in England or anywhere in Europe back then! Corn is from the Americas and none of it was introduced into Europe until well after the 1600's. Some writers could have this fact confused with the Green Corn Moon name from the Cherokee tribe. Corn Moon of June, which is one of the names given by Native Americans. 

The August full moon was also called Swan Flight Moon by the Inuit, Flying Up Moon and Red Moon. 

Shadow Girl

Too much sunlight

The days are long and light is very bright. I prefer the shade to be honest as well as cool Summers under grey skies. I love Summer nights too. I've not posted for a while, as I've been managing other work ties and also doing side projects. I shall draw open the curtains and step out into the garden for some tea and return to this nook.

Things I plan to discuss here:

1. Mysteries

2. Character portraits of a dark nature.

3. The supernatural.

4. Eerie places.

5. Bizarre and insane but true facts.

The weekends have been lovely. I spent the past year delving into the computer world of AI, which has taken up my time. Not to mention hobbies related to computer gaming, a bad habit of mine. No longer do I over indulge. Soon I shall fully wake up. 

Shadow Girl

Into the shadow

This is all I will do now. It was fun. Now I shall slink back into the shadowlands. 

Goodnight. 

Sleep Paralysis

"The Nightmare" by Johann Heinrich Fussli

On this subject, sleep paralysis explains why people fear this time of day or night. It's the time of just waking or being woken up by a sense of dread, a physically painful time as this is reported when chest is tight and unable to breath. It's as though someone's chest is being sat on. People have also felt unable to move and can't even speak properly. During this time of waking up, people can encounter something with them that may look human, animal or supernatural. It's believed by doctors that sleep paralysis is the natural way that stops you acting out your dreams, usually. Some may end up not having this sensation while others experience sleep walking but those are different topics. This is what happens while asleep. Although when people wake up their bodies may still be locked in that paralysis. It lasts a very short time although it can feel like ages if the feeling is scary. People that often experience this will notice they can't move their arms or legs, and haven't got control. The waking stage is often different to be fully awake as people feel disorientated and even feel as if they've been inside a dream for real and suddenly back to reality. Usually it happens amongst children and young adults. One of the biggest causes is insomnia. Some during sleep paralysis will hallucinate and think there's something with them in the room. They might even hear strange noises. A part of this may include tingling sensations or even pins and needles. People often panic while having sleep paralysis. There are many myths and legends and stories in folklore related to sleep paralysis, including the incubus and succubus, night hags, demons, aliens and ghosts. 

Shadow Girl    

Duskwood

Duskwood is a spooky location under perpetual night and shadow. It's full of sinister creatures and wild beasts. While there are humans living there, it's also a bleak location and a place of nightmares. There's also ghosts, ghouls, skeletons, ogres, wolves and spiders found throughout Duskwood. This is  one of many regions from the World of Warcraft franchise. Duskwood can be found in the continent of Azeroth, and it's not far from a dead volcano, which is a fertile crater of huge trees of significance. It's importance is because of a portal there to the Emerald Dream. Within the region of Duskwood are many sombre areas. Paths lead to different directions, through frightening corners and locations, such as the Tranquil Garden Cemetery, the Rotting Orchard and the Darkened Bank. Villages within Duskwood include Darkshire and Raven Hill. These are still inhabited by people who cling in the hope that the region would be lifted of it's curse. Sadly Duskwood had once been a beautiful lush place teeming with life, was colourful, fertile and the days were full of sunshine. It was once called Brightwood, and then an evil was cast over it. This happened when a priestess named Velinde Starsong arrived, sweeping away demons with a magical scythe. What happened next was a mystery because she simply vanished, leaving behind the scythe, which was claimed by a man named Jitters who didn't know anything about it and summoned an army of werewolves named Worgen, creating a carnage of death. In terror, Jitters fled still carrying the scythe, bringing about the darkness that now envelopes that entire zone. He tried to rid himself of the scythe but found Dark Riders had come and spilled innocent blood in the village. It's not known if the Dark Riders own the scythe or not. Now the trees are dying, it's covered in a dark mist, and the soil is barren, as the sun no longer shines there, and it's overtaken by monsters and other sinister creatures.  

Shadow Girl