Many people ask me what my introduction to mystery and intrigue was. Why am I drawn to twisted tales? I believe it comes from my childhood. I grew up in a place surrounded by mystery and intrigue.
I grew up in a haunted house. Old Tree Cottage was constructed in the 18th century as two separate buildings. Half the building contained the stone masons, the other half the coffin makers. The garden itself was the original cemetery for the area.
Was the house haunted? I believe it was. There were many strange occurrences there. Under the fireplace was a hollow concrete block. The entrance to a mystery, a hidden tunnel, maybe. I remember, as a child, my father tried to break through the concrete to see why it was hollow. He describes a feeling coming over him which was terrifying. He never attempted to break the stone again.
There were also the guests that we shared out life with. Many an evening, we would all sit in the lounge, listening to noises upstairs. It sounded as if someone was walking around up there.
Jewellery used to go missing on regular occasions. My mum would always ask for it back. Sure enough, in a couple of hours, the items would be returned to the most random of places.
As a child, there was never a feeling of malice in the house. On the contrary, I always felt that the house had a heart and was looking after us. So the strange noises never frightened me.
The house itself was in a village known for smuggling and crime. Dymchurch is a small seaside village that is steeped in history and intrigue. Established in the 16th century, Dymchurch was the headquarters for law and order. It derives its name from Deme, a medieval English word for a judge.
With its vast stretch of coastline, it was popular with smuggling. Having made the short trip from mainland France, smugglers landed in Dymchurch. There, they could scatter across the Romney Marsh, avoiding detection. This was the inspiration for the Dr Syn books.
Just a short drive by car from Dymchurch sits Dungeness. An area so desolate and deserted that even nature has packed its bags and left. The area looks like it is an apocalyptic landscape.
The area is popular with many music and TV producers as the ideal backdrop for many a drama. Pink Floyd’s 1981 Album Cover, A Collection of Great Dance Songs, contains a picture of Dungeness. Prodigy filmed their video for Invaders Must Die there.
Television series have also made use of the desolate area for filming. The Poison Tree (2012) was filmed there. Grand Designs (2016) filmed an episode there. Eastenders (2007) used Dungeness as the location for a special.
Standing on those windswept dunes was my favourite past-time as a child. Here, my imagination started, and ideas on Dystopian novels started flooding in.
I dream of retiring there to write novels.
These three locations have been the inspiration for my reading and writing. Dungeness, especially, is why I am working my way through the second round of edits for my dystopian novel.
They provided me with a world of mystery and wonder. What about you? Where does your inspiration come from? Tell me your ghost stories.
Until next week stay safe.
Sam 😊
Quote of the week
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with the first step. - Lao Tzu
Books I'm reading
- They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper - Bruce Robinson
- The Humans - Matt Haig
- The Illustrated Man - Ray Bradbury
Articles this week
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