Autumnal Walks and Neolithic Stones...

Yesterday, I took a lovely stroll across the countryside with one of my closest friends, Domi. Domi and I have known each other since primary school so there's something very special about our friendship. She's seen me at my worst, comforted me through the sad times, berated me during the silly times, and stuck beside me for all of the fun times. There's never a dull moment with her and we both enjoy being outdoors around nature.

The Isle of Wight has some of the loveliest walks you could imagine. The air is so fresh and you cannot help but feel rejuvenated when you trek through the forests, listening to the sound of copper leaves crunching beneath your boots.

I've always been a country girl and I find walking extremely soothing. On this particular occasion, our aim was to reach the Long Stone in Mottistone, which is on the south-west coast of the Isle of Wight.

The only thing about undertaking walking adventures with me is that I tend to stray off the path sometimes...and this has varying degrees of success. For example Domi was not too thrilled by the fact that—after I'd taken something of a detour from the path—she was faced with no other alternative than to slide down this hill.

The lovely thing about walks around the Isle of Wight is that you can have a panoramic view of forests and bracken one side of you, whilst also having stunning views of the sea on the other side.

Of course, as is the usual way, Domi and I decided to do some outdoor yoga exercises. I have to say, doing yoga in jeans is very unforgiving and I don't recommend it! However, I was able to do a few simple positions.

When we were finished with the yoga, we attempted to do a few jumping photos. Our timing was off - and I can't work out whether my photographer for this was either good or terrible as a result! Either way, Domi and I had a good laugh at our attempts to take some 'cool' photos.

We eventually reached our destination for this particular adventure: Mottistone Long Stone. The walks up to the Long Stone are fantastic and there's something rather mysterious about this Neothilic stone. No one exactly knows what it was for or how it was used—but we do know that it's the oldest stone recorded on the Isle of Wight. The Long Stone sort of reminds me of the Isle of Wight's equivelant to Stone Henge and I think it's quite special that we have something which is 6,000 years old so close our homes.

According to legends, St. Catherine and the Devil once had a contest to see who would have control over the Isle of Wight. The tallest segment of the Long Stone, which stands impressively at over 4 metres high, was said to have been thrown with great stamina by St. Catherine all the way from the eastern Down. In contrast, the Devil's stone, which measured just 2.9 metres high, fell short and he subsequently lost. As a result, the two stones came to rest in their current positions, with St. Catherine's standing regal and proud above the Devil's meagre stone. It is said that this is symbolic of goodness triumphing over evil.

Sadly, the area surrounding the stone has been damaged over the years and it's thought that the stone was moved from its original resting place during the Saxon times.

People believe the stone was used for gatherings during the Saxon period. Apparently, the Saxon word for meeting was 'moot' so many people think that the village of Mottistone's name was actually derived from the term 'meeting stone'.

The Long Stone is said to have been built on a ley line, which apparently means it has special energies surrounding it. Being around a ley line is meant to be uplifting and very positive—so I had a touch of the Long Stone to see if I could feel any energy pulsing from it.

Of course, whilst we out and about around the Long Stone, we also couldn't resist basking in all of the autumnal beauty surrounding us—and having a little fun with all of the fallen leaves!

Thank-you, as ever, to all of the wonderful people who have taken the time to read this post. May your day be as magical as mine was yesterday.

Seasonal Frights and Terrifying Bumps in the Night: Thorpe Park - Fright Nights

Last Sunday, on what has become something of an annual tradition, I took a trip with a few friends to experience Thorpe Park's famous Fright Nights for the fourth year running. Although this meant another early morning and a long journey, I was extremely excited by the prospect of facing two new horror mazes: Containment and The Big Top.

(Fright Night selfie - I am the diddy one on the right)

Since none of the horror mazes opened until 3pm, we spent the morning going on as many different rollercoaster rides as possible. My friends weren't particularly keen on the water rides but I managed to get them on the Rumba Rapids, as you can see below!

 

(Marie, Jason, Rob, Em and I posing for the camera - our boat got stuck in a very convenient place!)

As soon as 3pm hit, we lined up and mentally prepared ourselves for Containment—which was one of Thorpe Park's newest horror mazes. The premise of Containment is that you and your group have to race against the clock to solve various puzzles which are locked in four different rooms. If you solve all of the puzzles, you stop the virus from spreading and are 'cured'. It's not quite that simple, though, as you are joined by live actors throughout the maze—and they do not want you to crack the codes!

The actors in Containment were just brilliant, especially the crazy dentist who immediately picked out my friend, Em, and sent her to the corner of the room. As we got into deciphering numbers, the dentist was soon dragging me off to his 'chair' for an inspection because I was "doing too well" at cracking the codes. Sadly, he got to us before we could finish inputting the numbers.

 Em sporting her 'Outbreak' band after her dentist ordeal

Containment was a good maze on the whole but I would have liked things to be hammed up more. For example, when we didn't finish cracking the code in the final room, it would have been awesome if red lights and alarms had gone off—and we'd been ushered into a 'decontamination' room. The maze needed something extra at the end as it was a little anti-climactic when we were immediately released.

However, we did like the fact that the 'Outbreak' bands meant that other actors around the park were more likely to single us out and pick on us! We'd paid extra money to go in Containment and the added interactions made it worth it!

NB: Containment is limited capacity. We had to book a slot and pay in advance—but this is fairly simple to add on to your ticket if you're paying online! 

After Containment, we queued up for The Big Top. At first, upon entering, I have to say my expectations were not particularly high for this horror maze. After watching several families leave the first tent laughing, I can't say that I thought it was going to be particularly frightening. The Big Top is deceptively clever though and there are a few excellent twists and hidden scares lurking within the abandoned carnival!  I really enjoyed this maze...and the final tent definitely had me running anxiously towards the exit! Deliciously disorientating and disturbing, The Big Top far exceeded expectations!

Unfortunately, being clumsy and only 4 ft 9 in height, I did manage to do myself an injury whilst running out of The Big Top. During the final section of the maze, I managed to face-plant a plastic door sheet which bruised my nose and forehead. It's not really a proper Fright Night until I've done something graceless...but at least I didn't lose a shoe this year! (There's something very wrong about having to approach a chainsaw-wielding maniac to collect your shoe from them...)

Since The Blair Witch Project didn't open until 7pm, we decided to head for Cabin in the Woods next. Although I've experienced this maze twice before, I still think Cabin in the Woods is one of the scariest horror mazes at Thorpe Park. There's something quite terrifying about being told that whichever door you choose will determine what fate you face within the maze. I also like the fact that there are several different doors and rooms to choose from—as it keeps the maze interesting. This year, to my credit, I only hid behind my companions a few times during the jumpiest parts...

As soon as it was dark enough, we queued for 'The Blair Witch Project' horror maze. This maze, unlike any of the others, is set outside in a small pocket of woodland. As with every other maze, there are live actors who are ready to jump out and terrify anyone who dares trek through the pathways and creepy cabins! There's one or two surprises along the way and this maze is definitely a favourite. Although it was only given a 'two' on the scare-factor scale, it actually seemed more realistic to me than any of the other horror mazes. It's easy to believe that horrors are close by when you're stumbling through the forest in the dark—and my overactive imagination had a field day!

Sadly, I was too ill to enjoy My Bloody Valentine this year and couldn't manage the 60 minute long queue. Whilst my friends endured all the terrors which lurked within that scare maze, Marie and I found a nice stone area to perch ourselves on whilst I recovered. The hour we spent waiting went quickly, with highlights which included a group of men stopping by to call us 'beautiful'—and, of course, a mini-trek to get Marie some much-needed coffee. 

Although I didn't experience it this year, I've been told that My Bloody Valentine was extremely impressive—particularly for my friend, Em, who was singled out and separated from everyone else in her group. She was forced down terrifying tunnels and had to endure the maze completely on her own. (Inevitably, at some point during our annual trips, Em finds herself targeted by live actors—usually because she has a tendency to laugh, dance or sing at them when nervous!)

I wish I could have joined my friends for more frights last Sunday but I was just in too much pain to attempt the Saw Horror Maze. This time, when my friends disappeared into the crowd of people queueing, I went on a mission to find some paracetamol. Although this was not the most successful mission I have ever undertaken, the staff were extremely helpful and did their absolute best to make me feel comfortable. It's the little touches, with friendly and caring members of staff, which make all the difference. I have to offer a heartfelt thank-you to the kind members of staff at Thorpe Park for being so supportive.

Overall, I couldn't fault the staff or actors at Thorpe Park. The actors in each maze stayed in character, playing their part with a terrifying menace, and the rollercoasters at Thorpe Park never fail to impress. We were also really lucky and didn't experience any long queues this year, which meant that we had time to fully enjoy all of our favourite rides.

If I could put one item down on the wish list, though, it would be that Thorpe Park's restaurants and fast food chains included more menu choices for celiacs. I enjoyed the jacket potato from 'Peckish' but it would have been nice if other food places within the park had also had celiac-friendly options.

On the whole, I would definitely recommend Thorpe Park's Fright Nights to anyone over the age of thirteen who wants a chillingly spooky Halloween treat! The money spent is well worth it. Another excellent year, Thorpe Park. Well done.

(Also, a big thanks to my friend, Rob, who kindly allowed me to use the pictures he'd taken of Thorpe Park for this blog.)

Homemade Gluten and Dairy Free Apple Crumble

It's late afternoon over here and the sun is lost behind a mass of thick charcoal clouds which deliver a menacing promise of more rain. It's on these rainy days that I feel inspired to enter the kitchen to create something warm and homely to line my stomach. There are very few things which I enjoy more than cooking tasty treats with my mum on a damp, blustery day—and I hope you find this recipe just as fun (and tasty) to try!

This recipe is perfect for anyone who has celiac disease and wants a warming treat on a winter's evening. The added benefit is that it's also suitable for vegans.

Ingredients: 

Serves 4

For the topping: 

6oz gluten free plain white flour (I used Dove's Gluten Free Plain White Flour)
1oz ground oats (I ground up Juvela's Gluten Free Rolled Oats but any gluten free oats are good)
1oz ground almonds
3oz dairy free sunflower spread (Pure Sunflower Spread works well)
4oz unrefined muscovado sugar

For the filling:

2 medium/large sized cooking apples
1 tbsp of water
2oz of muscovado sugar or honey


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Place flour and sugar into a bowl with ground oats and almonds.
3. Rub in the margarine lightly with your fingertips, until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
4. Peel and slice apples into a saucepan, adding water and a little sugar (depending on personal preference—I like my apples tart so I added 1oz).
5. Stew apples on a medium heat before spooning onto the bottom of a baking dish.
6. Place the mixture on top of the stewed apple, spreading across evenly until all of the fruit filling is covered.
7. Put in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the crumble is crisp and the apple is hot.