Daphne du Maurier

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sat October 24th, 2009, 7:34 pm

You're not the only one (im)patiently waiting.

You must snap us a pic of Jamaica Inn (and make it spooky) and share it with us here. Please?

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Sat October 24th, 2009, 8:04 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]You're not the only one (im)patiently waiting.

You must snap us a pic of Jamaica Inn (and make it spooky) and share it with us here. Please?[/quote]

Are you kidding? I'm not going near the place at night! Bodmin Moor and all the spooks that live (die?) out there? Not me Guv!!! Check it out on the internet - no night photos though - no-one's brave enough to go there to take the pictures, not since what happened long ago!

It is said that there was one such brave photographer about 80 years ago, who, after having a drink at the bar with the locals, wondered why they all disappeared and hurried out before nightfall. After they had left, he downed his last pint and ventured out to take some pictures of the sunset over the Moor. All that was heard by the landlord, as he locked the doors, closed the shutters and retired to his rooms, was a terrible scream which was carried away on the howling wind.

The next day, all that was found by the locals who ventured out to look for him, was his Box Brownie camera terribly mangled and chewed up! When they developed the film, the only thing they could identify on the hazy image was what appeared to be a single fang covered in blood! Of the photographer himself, there was no sign.

Since that time, no-one has dared to take a picture of Jamaica Inn at sunset.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Sat October 24th, 2009, 8:24 pm

I hadn't heard that story about Jamaica Inn before! If you did that now, you'd probably be in danger of being mown down by the traffic on the A30, which ruins the creepy atmosphere somewhat, but it must have been really spooky before the road was built!

Have you been to Dozmary Pool, Ken, just down the road? When I went it was more like Dozmary Puddle, very disappointing, not deep enough for the Lady in the Lake at all!

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sat October 24th, 2009, 9:15 pm

Oooh, thanks Ken. A perfect story leading up to Halloween. I had nooooo idea it was really so spooky out there.

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Sun October 25th, 2009, 12:07 pm

[quote=""Madeleine""]

Have you been to Dozmary Pool, Ken, just down the road? When I went it was more like Dozmary Puddle, very disappointing, not deep enough for the Lady in the Lake at all![/quote]

Ah, but there's a good reason for the lack of water in the Pool! The story goes that Jan Tregeagle a wicked and harsh judge was visited by the Devil to be called to task for his wicked ways and for enriching himself at the expense of the poor.

"The devil, who had a sense of humour, gave Tregeagle a limpet-shell with a hole in it, telling him he might work out his redemption by emptying the Dozmary Pool; for, said he, "you can't expect to have all the good things of this World without paying for them, either in money or marbles."
Tregeagle looked at the limpet-shell, so small that a thimbleful of water would overflow it, and then at the hole in the bottom, but he cared little for that as he could stop it up with his finger. It was a hopeless task, yet he was comforted by the thought that, in the matter of the hole, by stopping it with his finger, he would score points off the Devil. Then he commenced baling the water from the Pool. When he wished to rest, however, the Devil's imps spurred him on and on until he shrieked and roared so that all the people round about him shook in their shoes. "To roar like Tregeagle" became a saying when one was groaning under deserved punishment. The unhappy man is still working at his task, and it is said there is not so much water in Dozmary Pool - as aforetime."

I wonder if he had anything to do with the missing photographer?

Miss Moppet · Post by **Miss Moppet** » Sun October 25th, 2009, 7:47 pm

[quote=""Ken""]

I wonder if he had anything to do with the missing photographer?[/quote]

I say the imps did it.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sun November 29th, 2009, 1:23 am

Interesting comment I've just had from one of my friends at Amazon. She says that the MC in Julius was losely based on her relationship with her father and that Julius' creep relationship mirrored her's with dear old dad. I haven't read any bios yet on the family but I had heard the relationship was a bit...well....not too healthy. Any comments?

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Sun November 29th, 2009, 1:13 pm

Rings a bell, Misfit, so will have to investigate.

Edited to say that apparently there were rumours about this, but that was all they were...rumours! DduM did, however, I believe, have an affair with Gertrude Lawrence.

Ludmilla · Post by **Ludmilla** » Thu January 21st, 2010, 2:23 pm

I finally picked up Frenchman's Creek, and it's great fun so far. I'm loving Dona's conversations with the servant, William. Priceless!

annis · Post by **annis** » Thu January 21st, 2010, 5:03 pm

We were talking on another thread about houses which inspired DDM novels
http://www.historicalfictiononline.com/ ... php?t=2928
and there's a piece here (with photo) about the one which was the setting for "Frenchman's Creek"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/cult ... -sale.html

"Frenchman's CreeK" is one of the few DDM historical romances (maybe the only one?) and was also inspired by her courtship and marriage. "Frenchman’s Creek itself is an inlet on the Helford river where Mr and Mrs ‘Boy’ Browning spent their honeymoon. The youngest major in the British Army sailed to Fowey in the Summer of 1931, just to meet the author of "The Loving Spirit". But it took him until April the following year to effect that meeting. Apparently it was love at first sight and they were married three months later."