York is well known for many things – Vikings, medieval history, chocolate – but there’s one cultural aspect that you might not expect: York’s thriving geeky scene. Here’s my pick of the independent pop culture shops and nerd hangouts that you need to add to your quest itinerary next time you visit. (And don't forget … Continue reading The Great York Geek Guide
Hermione Granger and the Rickly Hallows
It is exactly page 295 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The middle of paragraph 5, to be precise. HARRY and HERMIONE are mucking about with her Time-Turner and have just saved the Hippogriff BUCKBEAK from execution. SCENE: Edge of the Forbidden Forest, dusk. HARRY and HERMIONE are leading BUCKBEAK behind bushes. A … Continue reading Hermione Granger and the Rickly Hallows
Get North and Get Fed: Independent Coffee Houses in Newcastle
Have you ever visited Newcastle and Gateshead, the capital city of the North East? No? Tsk. You’re missing out. NewcastleGateshead is currently hosting the Great Exhibition of the North, an event that’s literally taking over the entire city. New interactive exhibits, installations and events are being superimposed onto existing cultural sites and re-imagined displays to … Continue reading Get North and Get Fed: Independent Coffee Houses in Newcastle
In Which I Introduce My Nemesis
Readers, I have found my nemesis. Every good character has a nemesis. Harry Potter has Voldemort. Kirk has Khan. Sherlock Holmes has Professor Moriarty. I have Bastard McFeathertush, Esq., pigeon. This all started a few weeks ago. The boyfriend and I went on holiday to Edinburgh for a few days. We had a lovely time … Continue reading In Which I Introduce My Nemesis
A Vicious Streak a Mile Wide – the Vampire Bunny of Newcastle
It’s late at night. You’re near Newcastle Central station, walking through the Georgian streets by the railway arches. Drunks fall past you, revellers in body-con dresses and white t-shirts, tramping back up towards the Bigg Market in search of a greasy kebab and trebles for a cheap price. You turn left past the castle, the … Continue reading A Vicious Streak a Mile Wide – the Vampire Bunny of Newcastle
The Independence Day Drinking Game
The American Independence Day. Despite being thoroughly British (and having my own Northumbrian occasion to mark), I’ve spent the last 2 years celebrating the 4th July with American friends. Last year, I was in the States and spent the day chilling with friends, watching The Mummy and The Mummy Returns (their family tradition) and set … Continue reading The Independence Day Drinking Game
25 Things About Being 25
It’s been a while, but say hello to the (slightly) revamped Scranshums! I’m back to regularly broadcast musings, pop culture waffling, medieval magic research and whimsy in your general direction, whether you like it or not. (Please like it, we aspiring writers need our audiences.) First off, I’ve got slightly older (inevitably) and may have … Continue reading 25 Things About Being 25
Carry On, Don’t Lose Your Head
Just because you’ve been decapitated doesn’t mean you have to stop helping your friends. On and off over the past couple of months I’ve been researching into one of my favourite magic cases about a man planning to trap a spirit inside a severed head, and today I realised – bugger – that I’ve been … Continue reading Carry On, Don’t Lose Your Head
Commonplace Cultural Differences 3: USA All the Way
I’ve recently returned from a two-week sojourn in the USA. I'd never been before, though it did feel like I had because everything looked familiar from all the TV and pop culture I’ve ingested over the years. (Honestly, I walked around a mall seeing shops and finally getting jokes I’d never got before. I was … Continue reading Commonplace Cultural Differences 3: USA All the Way
Dick Tales (with apologies to Disney’s ‘Duck Tales’)
It is a truth universally acknowledged that genitalia are funny (and that starting an article in such a way is a massive cliché, I’m sorry). Especially dicks. All through history you can find graffiti of penises, crude jokes and the like. I really don’t know why – perhaps it’s to be edgy, explore taboo ideas … Continue reading Dick Tales (with apologies to Disney’s ‘Duck Tales’)
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