Sunday 15 October 2017

Who was Herbert van Thal?


Some Brits have been telling some Americans that Halloween is no big thing here, but I used to love it when I was a kid and our pub makes a big thing of it too. Any excuse for a party.

I once had a school friend round for baked beans on toast by candle light, down the stone steps in our wine cellar. Yes, we had a wine cellar, but no wine was ever in it. The spirit of austerity and frugality (remember that?) which kept it permanently un-stocked also meant that my father refused to waste a real pumpkin for the night, so I had to make do with a turnip instead. This was the same spirit of frugality which meant that I had to make do with a steel-framed racing bike.

I loved everything to do with ghosts and ghouls up to the age of about 15. Actually I still do, but these days horror-films usually revolve around the spilling of blood, and we have enough of that in our every day lives as it is. I want escapism.

I read all the Pan Horror books as soon as they were published, and I was extremely disappointed when Sherlock Holmes proved that the Thetford Vampire was nothing of the sort. In life, Conan-Doyle was extremely superstitious and even believed in fairies, so it is odd that his hero was so logical.

I don't care about Halloween these days, of course - mainly because I am not so fascinated/confused/scared of death, and I don't need an excuse for parties.

27 comments:

  1. Herbert Van Thai is an anagram for Havn't a Brether; old Norse for 'I am Brotherless'.

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  2. Replies
    1. Do you? It turned out to be a pesky snake and the South American woman wasn't a vampire. Shame.

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    2. There's no such things as vampires even in Norfolk.

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  3. I only tuned in to read the comments. Fun. My granddaughter taught me "it's not real, don't take it seriously." I still won't go to a horror house.

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    1. I understand. Most people write much more interesting stuff than I do. H.I. used to shout at people to warn them about some dastardly plan by J.R. in the original Dallas. We said the same thing to her.

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  4. As Hallowe'en happens to be my birthday Tom I like to make the most of it.

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  5. I hope you recognise a joke made by me at my own expense when you see it...

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  6. No way.:Your father gave you a turnip for Halloween? Am I a horrible person because that made me laugh? And yikes, aren't pumpkins supposed to be wasted -- they aren't good for anything BUT jack-o-lanterns.

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    1. I have never cooked a pumpkin with candle flame alone, let alone eaten one.

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