Diana Wynne Jones on the Magic of Doorways

 

Portmeirion, UK

 

In Diana Wynne Jones' novel Howl's Moving Castle, the wizard Howl has a magical door. Even though his castle roves the land of Ingary, he's not limited by his home's current location. With a twist of the knob, he can push open the door, and step out into the village of Market Chipping, the seaside town of Porthaven, the capital city of Kingsbury, or even his childhood hometown in Wales. 

Although Diana Wynne Jones was born in London, England, she was evacuated to Wales during World War II. Like wizard Howl, she could call that part of the United Kingdom (UK) home. Perhaps Howl's ability to visit his hometown whenever he wished bespoke Wynne's love for the land of her youth. 

 

If so, it would seem that, like Wales, doorways also held a special magic for her. Ordinary doorways separate a home from the street or the garden. In an interview in the back of her novel, she mentioned that she usually kept interior doors in her home open, just to prevent another place turning up on the other side of them.

No place is that more likely to occur than in the Welsh village of Portmeirion in Jones' beloved Wales. Sir Clough Williams-Ellis designed the village so that every possible viewpoint could present a strikingly different scene. It remains a village that invites photographers, filmmakers, and artists to share his colorful and evocative vistas with the rest of the world.

 

If I had a front door like the wizard Howl, I would love to adjust the knob and return to the idyllic Welsh village of Portmeirion. But for now, I think it best to adopt Diana Wynne Jones' view on doors. Every time I go outside, I step into a place in which anything is possible.

A world in which I can make anything happen.

Dragon Dave

The Yeti in Snowdonia National Park

The Yeti don't get much love in Doctor Who. Sadly, the two second Doctor stories in which they figured prominently, "The Abominable Snowmen" and "The Web of Fear," went missing from BBC archives for many years. Aside from a cameo appearance in the twentieth anniversary story "The Five Doctors," the Yeti silently slipped away from Doctor Who, never to rival the popularity of Cybermen and the Daleks.  

Thankfully, one episode of the six-part "The Abominable Snowmen" still exists, and five of the six episodes of "The Web of Fear" were returned to the BBC in recent years. So by watching the fan-produced reconstruction of "The Abominable Snowmen" and the BBC-reissued "The Web of Fear," fans can get an idea of the menace the Yeti posed for the second Doctor in the 1960s. Still, with so many established alien races, and the program constantly introducing us to more, it seems unlikely that the Yeti will ever rise higher than curiosities in the Doctor Who universe.

Nonetheless, my wife and I thought of the Yeti, and "The Abominable Snowmen," when we drove through Snowdonia National Park in Wales a few years ago. For it was in this area that the second Doctor and his companions Jamie and Victoria encounter the elusive creatures. Or at least this was where the location filming took place. Transformed by the production team, the TARDIS actually lands in the Himilayas, where the heroes protect priests at a Buddhist Temple from the Yeti, and a malevolent entity called the Great Intelligence.

While shrouded in mist, Snowdonia National Park proved rich in character. Towns with seemingly unpronounceable names proved picturesque and inviting. Grass, foliage, and trees burst forth from the hard ground and stark rocky hillsides. We wondered how harsh the winters in Wales might be, given the rugged terrain, and were glad we had arrived in summer, when conditions were cool but comfortable.

I would have liked to have visited the actual spot where the Doctor Who production team filmed the Yeti. Sadly, this area lay far off the beaten track. So my wife and I confined ourselves to well-traveled roads, and enjoyed getting a taste of the area that had doubled for the remote Himilayas in "The Abominable Snowmen."

South of Snowdonia National Park lies the city of Cardiff, where the current Doctor Who production team is located. Perhaps we'll have to return to Wales someday, and see the locations the ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth Doctors have visited. I wonder if, by the time we travel there, the Yeti will have returned to Doctor Who? Fans of the Yeti can only live in hope.

Dragon Dave

Constantine's Supernatural Adventures Part 3

We visited Wales because we wanted to visit Portmoiron, the seaside resort where the 1960s TV series "The Prisoner" was filmed. We stayed in Llandudno because we wanted to explore Conwy Castle. We visited Holy Trinity Church because it was a beautiful church, and because it was raining so hard that Sunday that driving somewhere else didn't make sense. Now, having learned about Saint Asaph from an episode of "Constantine," we have another reason to visit Wales in the future. 

Taking Jesus down from the cross
on the wooden angel carved by Handel Edwards
in Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno.

At it's best, Constantine inspires and educates me. Unfortunately, the TV series has sometimes treated the supernatural lightly, focusing on spectacle over substance. Some episodes have focused on ratcheting up the action and inter-team, while retaining high levels of danger and graphic violence. They've stylized the colorful aspects of voodoo practices, and portrayed its practitioners like the stylish drug lord in "Miami Vice." We've seen John's incantations result in spectral explosions, his companion Zed's highly visual but unexplained visions, and silly team-up acts like John and his Voodoo opposite breaking into a vault in a graveyard. While they steal a body from a graveyard in full daylight (and no one says, "Hey, don't do that!"), in the next scene they are preparing to ritually burn the corpse in the dead of night. Such antics may look exciting, dramatic, and stylish onscreen, but they sap my interest in the series.

If you believe in positive aspects of the supernatural, such as God, then it naturally follows that you must believe in the accompanying negative aspects as well, such as the Devil and demons. These subjects should be treated carefully, with the seriousness and respect they deserve. They're not cool or fun, silly or inconsequential. As John himself reminds us, dabbling in these areas can significantly injure us and others. 

So, as in all aspects of life, while I like the show, I also dislike some of the things it does. At least I have my cardboard print to remind me of what I like most about Constantine. Framing it presented some problems, as it measured-out at 10"x13." I finally found an inexpensive 13"x13" plastic frame with a 1' interior depth designed for displaying T-shirts. As eight screws spaced along the interior of its four sides connect the front to the back, I had to cut small holes for the screws on the top and bottom edges. Still, it doesn't look too bad on the wall, and when I grow tired of the print, I can unscrew the case and display one of my T-shirts. Perhaps one of my T-shirts featuring Rocket Raccoon.

In the meantime, this lively, colorful poster relates to a current interest of mine, of delving more into what makes Horror literature popular. Its imagery reminds me that any important story that resonates with a large number of people must combine seriousness with fun, spectacle with substance, and levity and inspiration. As in our lives, it's getting the mix right that remains the challenge, regardless of the medium in which the story is told. Otherwise, regardless of its initial popularity, stands a good chance of being shunted into an early grave by the constant flood of stories crafted by more talented storytellers.

Dragon Dave

Constantine's Supernatural Adventures Part 2

During our visit to Llandudno, we worshipped in Holy Trinity Church. If I'm reading the Church of Wales website correctly, we could have visited another church in the city, and we would have been in the Diocese of St. Asaph. But it was raining that Sunday morning, and the wind gusts propelled us along the slick sidewalks like the insistent hand of God. So perhaps it's just as well we didn't try to venture any father from our lodging that day. 

Besides, the episode of the TV series Constantine that would awaken my interest in Saint Asaph would lie two years in my future. The series features John Constantine, an exorcist and master of the occult. He's aided by a woman with strange visionary powers, and an angel who occasionally advises him.

One of my favorite episodes so far suggested that the angel is actually John's guardian angel, and that he has watched over him all his life. His comments in that episode suggest that John's decision to investigate the occult was prompted by this the way in which his parents mistreated and abused him during adolescence. But John cuts the angel off before he can tell us more, as he doesn't want to get distracted from his current task. He wants to relieve a demon-possessed child from injuring others, and prevent the demon from fleeing to another troubled child. Unfortunately, time is not on his side. 

The Holy Trinity church had a beautiful interior, no doubt rivaling many cathedrals. One object in particular caught my attention. It came, curiously enough, in the shape of an angel.

This angel may look scary, as if it owes more to the occult than Christianity. But each portion of the angel contains intricate carvings to inspire worshippers, and bolster their faith.

Incredible, don't you think?

Dragon Dave

Constantine's Supernatural Adventures Part 1

Visits to comic book shops sometimes pay unexpected dividends. Like free postcards advertising an interesting book or crossover series, or even the occasional movie poster. One day I picked up this cardboard print advertising the TV series Constantine. It's based on the DC comic of the same name, which enjoyed tremendous popularity in previous decades under the title Hellblazer. As the title suggests, this is a story delving into dark themes, and concerns battles involving the supernatural.

I also bought a comic that contained two stories, one from the new title, and an earlier Hellblazer. In both, John Constantine uses his knowledge of the occult to fight evil. These stories and the poster led me to watch the show. 

At their best, the episodes highlight the importance of respecting the supernatural. And there's a lot to like. There's an angel that periodically advises him. There are all the artifacts from his previous adventures, and the books he has studied to gain his mastery of the occult. John knows which supernatural forces inhabit particular geographic and cultural situations, as exemplified when he encounters Coblynau spirits in a Welsh mining town in Pennsylvania. In the same episode, he also recites a prayer to reveal whether a former pastor is human, or a spirit in disguise. When the pastor begins reciting it with him, and identifies the prayer as St. Patrick's Breastplate, John knows that he can trust the man, and perhaps rely on him to help combat the forces killing those working in the mines. It became a nice story about redemption and reclaiming one's faith, when the pastor takes up his calling again, and reopens his church at the end of the episode. 

Incidentally, the name of the pastor's church was St. Asaph. There's a town named after this sixth century Christian bishop and saint, and we probably drove past it unaware on our visit to Wales a couple years ago. As it happened, we spent a weekend in Llandudno, a mere twenty-five minute drive from St. Asaph, and could have visited the town, had Constantine been on the TV at that time. 

Llandudno is a charming seaside resort, one we'd revisit in a heart beat. 

If we venture back that way in the future, perhaps we can add St. Asaph to our itinerary.

Incidentally, I found Saint Patrick's Breastplate a really uplifting prayer. Like me, most Christians have prayed one small portion of it at one time or another in worship services, but are probably unfamiliar with it. It's worth reading in its entirety, for those of you so inclined.

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links
The St Patrick's Breastplate prayer
Welsh Coblynau

The Dalek Invasion of our World

I’ve always loved the Dalek stories, particularly the serials from the 1960s and ‘70s.  Those of you who’ve followed my blog know that I used the Doctor Who story “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” as a paradigm to understanding the importance of various places and landmarks during our visit to London in 2011.  I suppose it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when the Daleks invaded our home last year, but then, one can never fully anticipate the future. 

Through the entry portal of my wife’s knitting needles, Daleks of different color schemes (and hence holding different ranks and positions within Dalek society) began appearing in our living room.  A gray Dalek was swiftly followed by black, yellow, pink (Pink?), and even a red Dalek, featuring an arm with pincers instead of a sucker from the AARU movie “Dr. Who and the Daleks.”  Instead of bending us to their will through force and oppression, these Daleks conquered us with their cuteness.  My wife forged a particularly strong relationship with one, whom she brought along on last year’s trip to Yorkshire and Wales.  He forced his way into photographs at various stops along the way, and a slideshow of these now plays whenever her laptop sits idle for too long.

A "Last of the Summer Daleks" moment outside Holmfirth.

Prospecting for future mining operations at Aysgarth Falls,
in preparation for "The Dalek Invasion of Earth." 

While I rest at our hotel near Thirsk, I am guarded by
"All Daleks Great and Small."

Another "All Daleks Great and Small" moment,
this time up above Askrigg.

"The Dalek Who Went Up a Hill,
But Came Down a Mountain."

Late last year, my wife mailed a Dalek to a friend of ours in New York, who is also a fan of Doctor Who.  He was surprised and delighted by her gift, but apparently not as much as his daughter, who discovered the Dalek when she returned home during the Christmas break.  He told us that she’s “kidnapping” their Dalek, and taking it back to rule her dorm room in Colorado.  He wrote, “I think she will be using the Dalek to intimidate the other residents.”  That’s the problem with Daleks.  Give them an invitation into your little world, and they’ll end up ruling it.

You never can tell where an act of kindness will end up taking a person.  Or, for that matter, a Dalek.

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links

The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill, But Came Down a Mountain

Strange Dreams

I’ll preface this by saying that it’s bizarre.  So, for those who like the weird and nonsensical, this one’s for you.  For those who prefer my more rational side, well…perhaps there's some rhyme to my apparent madness.

Last night I was at a church in Wales.  The church consisted of several small rooms, and people would traipse through the rooms, and each one was like an artist’s gallery or display.  Most people frowned or ignored me as they passed through my room.  I was wearing my MP3 player, listening to the Olympics, but the actual sporting event was a European-style touring car race.  Through the speakers in my particular room poured the old song “I Want to be a Clone” from Christian Alternative Rock star Steve Taylor.  A black, vaguely human figure lay on the floor.  Pasted over the head was a two-dimensional picture of Steve Taylor’s face.  And people were kneeling down to examine the face and body.  One man in particular rose and announced that he didn’t like it, that he thought it was weird.  (Hey, even my subconscious thought this was weird).  Then my MP3 player, still playing the Olympic-touring car race, suddenly squealed and went off.  A lady beside me examined it, and said that its pneumatic pressure valve had blown. And then I woke up.

I’m guessing that the Church theme is a holdover from last night’s dream (and yesterday’s blog).  We did attend a Church in Wales on this year's vacation, but it looked nothing like this.  I didn’t watch much of the Olympics this year, but last night I did watch the highlights of the most recent round of the DTM German Touring Car championship.  I haven’t listened to Steve Taylor much in recent years, but his signature song must forever be “I Want to be a Clone.”  That ties in with Dorsk 81's death in Kevin J. Anderson's novel Darksaber, which I covered in When Your Favorite Characters Die: Part 1. 

As to the failure of my MP3 player, either it has to do with 1) the pneumatic valves in modern race car engines, 2) I’ve grown bored with the playlist I loaded several years ago, but haven’t gotten around to changing, or 3) that the player seems to drain the batteries faster than usual.  The squeal could have to do with the little dogs next door, as one doesn’t just bark, but makes all kinds of squealing and mewling sounds, as if it’s being dealt a mortal blow.  Or it could have to do with Harry Harrison's novel The Stainless Steel Rat Returns, in which Slippery Jim DiGriz must transport his brother and a herd of porcuswine (a mixture of pig and porcupine) to another world. 

As for the succession of rooms, and the art display, I can only surmise that it references my pursuit of a writing career.  For before I can be published, I’ll have to continually submit query letters, book proposals, and manuscripts.  After publication, publishers will expect me to help pursue the public’s interest, and pounce on every opportunity I can to point out to Joe Public, “Here, look at my work, it has value for your life, please give it a try.”

It’s interesting how the subconscious grabs up all the different aspects of my life and tries to fit them together.  It’s as if I knocked over several puzzle boxes, but as I try to decide which belongs to each puzzle, I’ve somehow lost the pictures that show how each will fit together.  Perhaps my subconscious mind thought it was doing something important for me last night.  While last night’s dream lacks the coherence of the previous night’s one, it seems to have built upon some of the underlying ideas and thoughts I’ve been working through lately.  Whether tonight’s dream turns out to be weird or intelligible, I look forward to watching what stories my subconscious mind will cobble together from the disparate pieces of my life.

Mystified but entertained,

Dragon Dave

Fish at home and abroad

Dining on cod in Rye

One of the iconic culinary experiences of England must surely be Fish and Chips.  In several episodes of the “Lovejoy” TV series, the title character buys fish in newspaper and walks outside the shop to eat it.  In the latest novel by Jonathan Gash, Faces in the Pool, Lovejoy again extolls the virtues of fish in newspaper, this time taking it to his friend’s house in Manchester, where the two share it with mugs of hot tea.  Before we traveled there, I was curious as to how England fish compared to what we ate in the United States.  So far, on both our travels there, we’ve been able to sample it several times. 

Last year, we walked up to the counter of a restaurant and looked at the menu posted on the wall.  They offered several types of fish.  I tried asking the staff what the different varieties tasted like, but their attempts at answering me only led to deeper confusion.  A large gentleman leaned over the counter.  “Are you from America?” he asked with a gruff voice.  “Yes,” I answered.  He asked what kind of fish we were used to.  As neither of us are big fish eaters, all I could tell him was that we purchased it in the frozen section, or ate it at Long John Silvers.  

When I told him we planned to eat in the restaurant, he waved us inside.  “Just sit down wherever you like," he said in his deep voice, "and tell the waiter that I’m bringing you two nice pieces of cod.”  This, of course, wasn’t enough information for the waiter, and led to more confusion.  Nevertheless, the waiter eventually brought us two small portions of cod far larger than we usually received at home.    We found the flavor mild and pleasant, and bought cod and chips once more during that vacation.

Dining on haddock in Wales

This year, we shared an order of cod and chips one evening in Holmfirth, but it wasn’t worth writing home about.  Literally.  It wasn’t until we reached Wales, toward the end of our vacation, that we had another great fish experience.  With a greater experience of fish (Ha!), I asked how the different varieties they served compared with cod.  Again, their attempts at answers only led to greater confusion.  So Linda opted for cod, while I decided to try the haddock.  I found that I enjoyed the flavor of haddock more than cod, which, believe it or not, reminded me of white-meat chicken.  We enjoyed our dinner outside, on one of the benches lining the restaurant, and under the careful scrutiny of the sea gulls.

Perhaps it’s my imagination, but since we’ve returned from England this year, we’ve traveled to Long John Silvers more than usual.  While some may claim it’s not the greatest fried fish ever, we enjoy the way they serve (what I’ve since learned is) Alaskan Pollock.  It’s as if traveling to England, and eating those different kinds of fish, have given us a greater appreciation of what we have locally.  Visiting Long John Silvers is no easy task: the nearest restaurant, a combination Long John Silvers & Kentucky Fried Chicken, involves a forty-five minute drive each way.  Yet, it’s something we love, and whether others share our preferences or not, we’re willing to sacrifice the time and expense to travel there.  Each meal thus becomes an event, a reminder of those experiences in England with cod and haddock, as well as a celebration of the Alaskan pollock we apparently love best. 

Dining on pollock back home.

By the way, did I mention the fried clams, which, while not unique to Long John Silvers in the United States, we’ve yet to find served in England?

Mmm-mmm,

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries

Dining Out is for the Bird (and the People)

The Kipper and the Corpse

One Adventure Ends, and Another Begins

Our Peugeot outside our hotel in Thirsk

This year’s vacation in England offered us many unique experiences, and I’ve tried to share the most memorable ones with you.  Inevitably, I fell behind in my recording of important events.  By the time I finished extolling the wonders of Holmfirth, we were packing up and leaving Thirsk.  Our rented Peugeot took us all over Yorkshire and North Wales before we returned it to Manchester Airport. 

In the process, we explored five National Parks: the Peak District, North York Moors, the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, and Snowdonia National Park.  We visited Askrigg, where the building used for Skeldale House was shot for the TV show “All Creatures Great and Small,” and Portmeirion, where much of “The Prisoner” was filmed.  We visited an important building from Beatrix Potter’s life, and climbed up and down the numerous winding stairways of a thirteenth century castle. 

We visit beautiful and remote Askrigg.

Throughout our journeys, we ate some amazing food, and brought home cookies and candy to savor in the coming months. 

Then there was the long journey home.  It consisted of arriving early for our flight to Heathrow, a long layover, and an even longer flight back to San Diego.  During the latter, I watched three movies, read the second half of a Time Travel novel by Stephen Fry, and ate a chicken salad sandwich while being shaken by turbulence. 

Although I tried several times to drift off, I got no sleep.  Still, I’m always wishing I could cram more hours into each day: that one I got an extra eight!

We saw lots of horses in England.
Some larger than others.

My sleep patterns are slowly settling down.  More importantly, I’ve dived back into my dragon novel.  Refreshed and renewed, I’m working at it harder than ever, and once again enjoying the process of creating and fleshing-out my fictional world.

While I’ve enjoyed blogging exclusively about our travels over the past couple weeks, now it’s time for that aspect of my life to return to normalcy as well.  While I'll continue writing about our time in England, there are also so many books I want to write about.  By delving into what I’ve read, I remind myself of what made each story special, and am able to share that experience with you.  Of course, there are also the TV shows and movies I look forward to discussing, and important events (such as the recent passing of Ray Bradbury) to cover, but my primary aim has always been to primarily discuss the fiction I’ve read.  Those stories enriched my life in so many ways, in addition to inspiring me to attempt some of my own, and I yearn to share my affection for them with you.

No matter how wondrous, each adventure must end,
if only to make way for another.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our journey together, and that you’ll continue alongside me into the future.  I cannot foresee all that we will discover, but I promise to make those adventures as interesting and fun as I can. 

Thanks for being my travel partner,

Dragon Dave