Counting down…

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow;
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

- Alfred, Lord Tennyson

And more reviews!

Miss Collingwood is currently very happy, for there are two more reviews – and both reviewers liked Lieutenant Blackwood! Or rather, the book he appears in…:

Five stars out of five

“(…) Emma Collingwood’s new novel Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased) is a wonderful story which this reviewer will rave over (and reread) for quite some time to come. One of those wonderful stories which captivates the reader from the first line, every chapter ends with a hook to catapult readers on to the next. I literally raced through (…)”
Rainbow Reviews
Read the full review here!

Four stars out of five

“(…) The story is interesting and flows well, with an exciting finale that I particularly enjoyed. What I was left feeling, however, is that Ms Collingwood had the makings of a full-length novel in these pages and it would have been excellent to have had a much bigger read. I hope that she is intending to write more in this era because this whet my appetite for more please. (…)”

And for those among you who don’t like reading books:

(…) The illustrations (got to love men in naval uniforms!) are worth the price of the book, just on their own. (…)”
Speak Its Name by Erastes
Read the full review here!

HUZZAH!

Mandatory commercial break: you can order “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” through the online shop.

Resource/art: prize money

Have you ever organised a birthday party for kids? Tried to cut the cake without having to run for your life because little Nuttley’s piece was bigger than the one of little Danny?

See, that’s why the Royal Navy had rules for the cutting of the cake – or rather, the splitting of the prize money:

3/8 for the captain of the ship (of which he passed 1/8 on to his fleet commander)
2/8 for the officers
1/8 for the midshipmen and petty officers
2/8 for the rest of the crew.

How generous! Needless to say, these rules for the splitting of prize money were not to the satisfaction of the ordinary seamen – as you can tell from the following caricature, dated 1805 (artist unknown), before the Battle of Trafalgar:

EQUITY or a Sailors PRAYER before BATTLE. Anecdote of the Battle of Trafalgar.

“Why Starboard! how is this at prayers when the enemy is bearing down upon us, are you afraid of them?”

“Afraid! No! I was only praying that the enemys shot may be distributed in the same proportion as the prize money, the greatest parts among the Officers.”

“Why don’t you sing Amen to that, Tom.”

A good thing the Admiralty was not involved in the organisation of birthday parties…

Emma’s first review…

… and it’s a good one!

REVIEW BY ALEX BEECROFT

“(…) In the best tradition of the Victorian penny dreadful, it is a rip-roaring story without great literary pretensions, but with buckets of verve and charm. Ghosts! Mortal peril! True love of the m/m persuasion. Derring-do on the high seas… It has all of these things. Above all, it’s an entertaining short story told with great wit. (…)”

All orders that have been paid by today noon, have been posted. If you haven’t ordered the book yet but want to do so:

YE OLDE ONLINE SHOPPE

Feedback is always welcome, good or bad.

TV tip and recording-request: Collingwood on the History Channel

Unfortunately, I can’t receive the History Channel here, and I’d LOVE to see this program! It will air on 21 December, 6pm:

Trafalgar’s Forgotten Hero

Historian Max Adams pays tribute to Morpeth-born Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, the forgotten hero of Trafalgar who assumed command of the English fleet when Nelson was mortally wounded.

This is probably the BBC special that was done in 2005, and I’ve never managed to catch it. So, if anybody out there could record (edited to add: I don’t own a video anymore, so I’d need CD or DVD…) this for me, I’d be ever so grateful! Of course I’d pay for shipping costs etc., and throw in some Swiss chocolate.

So I’ve officially made port on wordpress.

I have mixed feelings about wordpress. To me, journaling has always been like an invitation for the readers to join me for 5 o’clock tea and a chat. Blogging was more like dragging a soap box to Hide Park Corner, talking to myself and hoping that some stranger might stop and listen.

But I want to interact, discuss – so many of the chats on LJ influenced and inspired my writing. Not that I expect a reply to every entry I make, that’s not it, but I need community. I don’t want to hold speeches. If somebody replies to a comment I made in another blog, I don’t even get a notification. That makes interaction terribly difficult; I have no other choice but checking daily each and every one of the links on my “blogroll” not only for updates, but also for possible replies. This means I’ll have to keep that list very small. It’s very limiting. And a bit elitist. I’m not overly enthusiastic.

That lack of interaction will certainly influence the way I keep journal – no, sorry, BLOG. LJ will remain home of fandom. I can’t see any alternatives. It’s the perfect combination between our fannish interests and reports of our daily lives. Greatest Journal is for the RPG crowd, and it has more bugs than users. Yes, there is Insane Journal, but it’s only a matter of time before somebody will cash in on the influx of new members there. Plus I want to punch that insane smiley in the face every time I see it.

The Joyful Molly has set sail and made port. LJ changes, life changes, so maybe it’s time for me to change as well. It won’t be the same, and it might not be as good, but it will still be me.

“Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” can be ordered online now!

From http://emmacollingwood.wordpress.com :

“My website has been updated!

New information on my upcoming projects, a biography (don’t ask…) and, finally, Ye Olde Online Shoppe!

Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)
A Georgian Ghost Story

HMS Privet has the reputation of being a cursed ship: every first lieutenant serving aboard her dies gruesomely. Lieutenant Daniel Leigh is determined to solve the mystery and volunteers for the place himself, putting his life in desperate danger. Little does he suspect that he will fall in love with the captain, John Meadows, and end up fighting not only for his own life, but for the soul of his lover, too.

Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased) – a Georgian ghost story featuring a cursed ship, a vengeful ghost, a haunted captain and a very daring lieutenant.

Text: Emma Collingwood
Illustrations: Amandine de Villeneuve
Editor: Alex Beecroft

Published by Books on Demand GmbH
ISBN: 978-3837009644

Price: £ 4.90
plus postage and package
(EUR 6.00 / USD 9.90 / CHF 11.10)

PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO ADD THE POSTAGE!

Find all information about ordering here!

If all works out the way it should, books will be sent to you early next week. With a bit of luck, they might even arrive before Christmas (positive thinking, friends!) – oh, and we ship worldwide!”

Resource: my Fortnum + Mason Christmas Survival Parcel arrived (and yes, it’s navy related!)

As there is no trip to London for Christmas-shopping for me this year (insert *big sigh*, *whine* and yet another *sigh* here), Miss C. suggested to use Fortnum + Mason’s online shop. Those of you who are new guests of my LJ: Fortnum + Mason as well as Hatchard’s are the two shops I always visit when in London, come rain, come snow. I usually drag tons of tea and jam home from F + M and an indecent number of books from Hatchard’s.

Ordering from F + M is risky business – oh the temptations! And I’m not only talking about the goods – I always have to use greatest restriction NOT to chose “HRH” instead of “MRS” (it’s my inner twelve year old, please forgive me).

So the Christmas Survival Parcel arrived by DHL – the only true luxury I allowed myself this year.

“Yes. Very nice. How exciting. But how on earth is your Christmas pudding related to NAVAL GOODNESS?”

Well, as you’re asking…

The goofy thing about it: I HATE MARMALADE. Give me raspberry or gooseberry jam any day, but a hearty ew! to marmalade.

So my friends get the content, I get the jar. Ship mates share.

Maybe I should suggest a Collingwood gooseberry jam. Just a thought.

“Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” on Amazon Germany

First come, first served: there is one copy left on stock – if you order now, you’ll have it before Christmas!

“LIEUTENANT SAMUEL BLACKWOOD (deceased)”
by Emma Collingwood
on Amazon Germany

I’m still waiting for my wholesale delivery; as soon as the parcel arrives, I’ll keep you posted.

Resource: Collingwood monuments

When it comes to art, I’m more in favour of paintings than sculptures. I admit that I feel a bit uncomfortable looking at realistic, three-dimensional figures (and quite obviously, my feelings are correct!).

So Greek or Roman statues are not really for me; I prefer the works of Giacometti or Tinguely. However, if you do research on the Royal Navy in the 18th century, there is no way you can avoid the various monuments erected in honour of Britain’s naval heroes.

I have come across a number of pictures which I found very informative and also touching. The artists among you might find the comparison between the draft for Collingwood’s monument in Newcastle and the actual sculpture very interesting (both by John Graham Lough).

Close-up of Collingwood’s monument in Tynemouth

What I like about the sculpture is that, beside all the hero-worship that comes with a monument, it’s still very down-to-earth, and I think it does Collingwood justice in its dignity.

Collingwood’s monument at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London

Here’s where my interests in historic funeral customs and the Royal Navy meet. The monuments of the 18th century are usually loaded with allegories and a “hero-worship” that are a bit… overwhelming to our modern eyes. Well, at least to mine. I quite like this detail of the Collingwood-monument at St. Paul’s Cathedral by Richard Westmacott II, though – it’s peaceful.

I wonder if I’d get arrested if I’d put a cabbage there in reverence or plum cake rather than flowers… please ignore me, it’s late

Detail of Nelson’s monument at Guildhall, London

Nelson-monuments are usually loaded with a “heroism” that is a bit… overwhelming to our modern eyes. However, I absolutely love this detail on Nelson’s monument at Guildhall, London, showing a plain seaman:

I think this he is the perfect representant for the Royal Navy.

And because I want to show you an example for a truly hideous monument, and because I can’t stand him, and because he looks even more like the tosser he is next to Collingwood, and because Eveiya will have a laugh, here we have

Mel Gibson as William Wallace

This – thing gets vandalised regularly. Tsss. Why might that be. Kids these days.

I know that many people think that Braveheart is a masterpiece and Mel Gibson a revelation for cinema. I think Braveheart is one of the crappiest movies ever made, an insult to Scotland and Mel Gibson an individual who needs more than one swift kick up his arse. This opinion is non-negotiable.

Phew. More might follow, for now, I hope you’ll like these.