Podcasts about christmas fair

The unaccounted-for dildos.A Series in 17 parts, By Blacksheep. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. At St Michael's church hall, Jenna was making the most of her day off from work. That was the good thing about being part-time. Getting Mondays off. The downside? Monday was the day her husband started writing his sermon. In desperation, she'd agreed to help the ladies of the Mother's Union out at the church hall. It was more interesting than listening to Simon read out long paragraphs. The MU ladies were elderly, but fun to talk too. And boy, did they love to gossip. As a vicar's wife, she'd become privy to all sorts of information. However, Jenna wasn't one for such tittle-tattle, and would just politely humor the nosey old dears."Excuse me, a stressed-looking delivery man said, knocking on the church hall door. Parcel here for St Michael's Mother's Union?""Hi! I'll take that off your hands," Jenna said. "I have a feeling this is the box of long overdue advent calendars everyone's been moaning about.""Nothing to do with me," the man replied. "Blame the guys at the other end. We're short-staffed.""I understand," Jenna replied, signing for the parcel. "You're doing a wonderful job. Have a wonderful Christmas!""Uh; cheers," the man muttered, not used to compliments."No use selling these at the Christmas Fair seeing as that was yesterday, and we're four days into December." Jenna said, as she set the box on a table. "What can we do with thirty advent calendars? I know. I could extract all the chocolate pieces, recycle the packaging; put the chocolate in a big bowl and the children could help themselves at next week's service;“She opened the box and got a shock at what was contained within."Holy; she;“"I say, Mrs. Morris, whatever's that?"Jenna jumped as one of the Mother's Union members returned from the hall kitchen."Er, hello Mrs. Grimes it's a;“"A horse's saddle? What ruddy great twerp donated that?""Um;“"We've had some strange donations over the years, but this! It takes the biscuit! Just look at this!" She rummaged in the box and pulled out a riding crop, mask and blinkers. "A job lot of horse tack! Did Frankie Dettori donate it?""Perhaps?" Jenna replied, trying to keep a straight face as the elderly woman held up an enormous purple dildo, shaped like a horse penis, and looked at it in utter confusion."This must be for giving liquid medicine to horses.""Last year, someone donated a bus stop sign, a chamber pot and a false leg," another woman piped up. "The bus stop sign was really popular. We got fifty quid for it.""How ridiculous!" Mrs. Grimes replied. "We can't sell this at the Advent tombola. No horsey folk round here. You might as well take it down to the charity shop; or mail it to Aintree racecourse;“"Er; I'll stick to the charity shop, Mrs. Grimes. Think of the postage cost.""Ah, yes. Good thinking. Right, well, I'll leave it up to you then.""I'll get rid of it," Jenna said, then spotted an invoice. Unfolding it, her eyes widened. "Shit; I must get this stuff to Norman before anyone else sees it and realizes what it actually is!" She chuckled. "I bet Gladys is behind it! Absolutely shameless!"Jenna admired the old lady. "I hope I can have fun like that if I live to be as old as her. She's got the right attitude."Hurrying out of the church hall with the big box, she didn't look where she was going and bumped into someone."Oh, I'm so sorry!" she spluttered, as the box fell to the ground, some of its contents tumbling out."That's quite alright, you look loaded up," the man replied. "Ah! Simon's dear wife. Nice to meet you again, my dear!" He shook her hand."Oh; Reverend Fletcher! If you're looking for Simon, he's at the vicarage, writing his;“ She froze as he bent down and picked up a horse mask and dildo."My, my. Is this a Secret Santa for the good vicar, eh?" Reverend Fletcher chuckled."It's not mine," Jenna replied quickly. "It was delivered to the hall by mistake.""I bet it belongs to the organist, am I right?" Reverend Fletcher gave her a wink, but behind the jolly old man facade, lay a less pleasant character, and Jenna was immediately on her guard. She reached into her pocket."I've no idea who this stuff belongs to, but it's not Gordon, I can assure you," Jenna replied. "Either a mix-up or a prank. We do get people donating adult-themed items to church jumble sales for a laugh."Reverend Fletcher wasn't fooled. "Oh come, come, dear Mrs. Morris. I think it's just the sort of thing the organist; and that little; filly who was helping him play the organ, would enjoy! I didn't get a chance to speak to the filly; do you know her name?"Jenna didn't give anything away. "Reverend Fletcher, Gordon's private life is none of my business. And if you're hinting he was doing something inappropriate during the Sunday service, well you're mistaken.""Is that so?" The old vicar pulled out his smartphone and showed her the video he'd filmed."Now I may be old, but I know fellatio when I see it, my dear. Is your good husband aware of what the church organist is getting up to?"Jenna tried to remain composed. "Reverend Fletcher. I had no idea this had occurred, and neither has Simon. I will inform him immediately and he will have words with Gordon. Thank you for bringing this safeguarding concern to my attention. We will ensure this never happens again. Now, if I could ask you to delete that piece of video footage.""I think not," Reverend Fletcher replied. "I think I'll hang on to it for now. Unless of course, you know the name of the lass in the video? I'd quite like to meet her.""I've no idea who she is," Jenna replied. "Never seen her before. Gordon tutors many people. He's single and it's no secret that he's had a lot of dates. Look, there's a privacy issue here, Reverend. It's in your best interests to delete that video;“ She racked her brain, wondering how to deal with this escalating situation. What a creep this man was!"First time he'd ever done that whilst playing the organ, I'm willing to bet? Lucky fella. Some men have all the luck. During the church service too. I've dreamed of something similar happening to me. Do you know, I woke up this morning, with the most powerful hard-on I'd had in years;“"Did you really?" Jenna replied, an idea forming in her mind."Yes. In fact I'm getting hard again, just talking about it." He wasn't lying. Jenna noticed the bulge tenting up his black trousers.God, that's impressive, she thought. This man was horrid, but was pitching one hell of a tent. I wonder if; well I have to try. I can't have anyone trying to harm Gordon or Miya. It was time to take one for the team."Reverend Fletcher," she began, running her hand down his face. "Forget the little thing playing Gordon's organ. If you were to attend our Wednesday service; I could worship you in ways that'll make you thankful God made you a man. I give you my word."The reverend's eyes widened in wonder. The vicar's wife; actually trying to seduce him? This was too good to refuse."My God; I'll be there! What do you have in mind?" He was almost salivating with arousal."Well you'll have to wait and see, won't you? But first;“ she snatched the phone from his hand and deleted the video."No!" He exclaimed. "Oh okay, fair enough, you win. Can I have it back now?""No Reverend. I'll just hang on to it until after the Wednesday service. Just two days. I'm sure you can manage without a smartphone for two days. You have a landline phone at home don't you? Because you phoned Simon from it last night.""Yes I do; but the smartphone is the only way I can access the Internet! I don't have a laptop or tablet at home. I use that smartphone for everything! It's got private stuff on there. My internet banking app!""Don't worry, I won't look at anything. We'll just log out of the app and everything will be just fine. There. All done! If you need to go online, the library is open. I promise you'll get it back after the Wednesday service. You'd better be there.""Mrs. Morris; please!" Reverend Fletcher yelled.Jenna hurried to her car as fast as she could. So far, so good. She'd spared Gordon and Miya any embarrassment."Of course, the dirty old goat could've uploaded the video to PornHub, made backups. I've got to pay a visit to Gladys' grandson Dwaine. He's an absolute tech ace. He'll be able to check if that video is truly deleted; and if it's floating around porn land;“She sped out of the church hall car park. "Good thing I recorded all that on my own phone too." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and switched it off."I am still curious to see that cock of his," she said to herself as she drove through the town center. "The Devil makes work for very frustrated, horny men;“It had been far too long since she'd brought salvation to a different man of the church.A Christmas Miracle.It was Christmas Eve, and the fourth Sunday of Advent. At St Michael's church, the morning service was being led by Reverend Fletcher; who unknown to him, was about to give the most stimulating sermon of his life;"What's this old padré doing here again?" Gordon muttered, as he noticed Fletcher head up to the pulpit."Jenna told me that she'd personally invited him back in order to do the sermon today. Because Simon's sermons are so boring," Miya whispered."Ah! That makes perfect sense!" the organist replied. "Good old Jenna, always thinking of ways to make this church more enjoyable, eh?""Yup, that's my cousin. Full of Christian mercy!"They both giggled, unaware of the real reason Reverend Fletcher was here. And the service, for him was about to get a lot more interesting."Brothers and sisters, it gives me great;“ the reverend paused as he felt something - or someone fumble under his purple vestments."pleasure, to be addressing you all today."And then the sound of the zip on his trousers being pulled down.He twitched nervously, trying to retain his composure.As the congregation sat in the pews, lost in prayer and contemplation, a single bead of perspiration trickled down the Rev. Fletcher's brow. It wasn't from the Advent candles burning nearby, but from the passion that burned within him. He now knew that today's sermon would be unlike any other he had ever delivered, and it wasn't just because of its unique message of love and acceptance. The old vicar didn't dare move from the pulpit, as all eyes were on him. He'd just have to tough it out;In the cramped space inside the pulpit, Jenna was impressed as she pulled down the old man's white boxer shorts, revealing the thick, meaty length of him, already half-hard with anticipation. Quite a tasty-looking cock, she had to admit. She wrapped her lips around the tip, feeling the warmth and weight of him fill her mouth. Reverend Fletcher's voice grew hoarse as he continued to read, his hips starting to move involuntarily, pushing himself deeper into her mouth.The Reverend Fletcher was old, really old, but his cock was something to behold. It was as if time had stopped at his groin, leaving him with a magnificent, thick shaft that seemed to defy the laws of nature. Jenna couldn't help but continue to be amazed as she sucked him harder. As bad as this chap had been, his impressive cock deserved her full attention.Over at the organ, Gordon was impressed by this far more interesting sermon."Well he might resemble something from the Pickwick Papers, but he writes a much better paragraph than our Reverend Morris! I guess it's because he's older and more experienced?""Yeah, I liked that bit where he said there should be only good vibes at Christmas and Jesus being born in a stable because the NHS waiting lists were too long. That was funny!" Miya whispered back."The old boy looks to have high blood pressure," Gordon mused, noticing the sweat running down the vicar's forehead. "Reminds me of something; hell, it's bloody freezing in this church, but he looks like he's been sat in a sauna."Reverend Fletcher's voice trembled slightly as he continued to enthrall the congregation with a Christmas-themed sermon like no other. They assumed his wavering composure was normal for him."This guy is on fire," Miya said, also captivated. "He knows how to entertain an audience!""Looks to me like he's rather entertained himself! Look how he's gripping the pulpit there - his fingernails have turned white. And the way he's thrusting slightly; looks like he's humping the thing!""Gordy, you have a naughty mind!""Hmm, I wonder where I get it from?" He stared at the old vicar again. "It might be just me, but he doesn't look well;“In front of the pulpit, Reverend Morris was listening intently to his mentor's words. I truly learned from the best, he thought. Thanks to Horatius, I am able to write wonderful sermons! It was so nice of Jenna to invite him to conduct our morning service. He glanced at the seated congregation, and saw no sign of his wife anywhere.That's odd. I swore I saw her sitting at the front before. She's missing this amazing sermon. Maybe she had to go to the ladies;As Reverend Fletcher's climax approached, his heart raced with an unfamiliar urgency. The words on the page of his sermon began to blur, and he felt a warmth spreading through his body. He looked down, only to see Jenna the vicar's wife, her lips wrapped around his cock, her eyes locked on his. It was then that he realized his heart condition had worsened, and the pleasure of the moment was quickly replaced by fear.With a loud gasp, he slumped forward onto the pulpit, his weight pulling Jenna away from him. She looked up at him, concern etched on her face, as he struggled to catch his breath. And then, with a final heave, he staggered towards the pulpit steps, then collapsed on the floor, motionless.Someone screamed."Oh my God! Call 9 9 9!"Norman the churchwarden quickly pulled out his phone and called an ambulance. Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion for a few moments.It was then that Gordon sprang into action, leaping over the shelf at the side of the organ like a gazelle. His black, open-fronted gown billowed behind him like a superhero's cape."I'm a trained first-aider," he yelled. "He's gone into cardiac arrest!"As Gordon began performing CPR on Reverend Fletcher, Miya watched in stunned amazement. Some small children at the front of the church started crying, and were led away by anxious parents."Please God, don't let him die," Reverend Morris begged, praying quietly, as they waited for the ambulance to arrive.The entire church was in uproar, and the churchwarden struggled to calm the panicking congregation."Ladies and gents please, I must ask you to sit quietly or if you wish to leave, please can you do so in an orderly manner. In the chaos, Jenna managed to creep out of the hollow in the pulpit, unseen, and hurry off."Oh this is a nightmare," Reverend Morris sobbed, wiping away tears, as the organist continued giving chest compressions. "On Christmas Eve as well, and the defibrillator we had installed got stolen just a few days ago!"Seconds later, Jenna suddenly appeared at his side. "Oh Simon," she panted."He's breathing!"A chorus of cheers erupted.The sound of a siren outside the church was heard. Norman directed the paramedics into the church."Dear God, have our prayers been answered?" Reverend Morris asked his wife.Jenna bit her lip. "I sure hope so." She turned away. I don't want to have that on my conscience. The fact I killed a man by giving him a blowjob, she thought.As the paramedics carried the stricken Reverend Fletcher into the ambulance, everyone turned their attention to Gordon."Where's our organist?" Norman said. "The guy's a bloody hero!"Gordon was sat on the organ stool, resting, after his successful first aid."That was amazing, what you did just then," Miya said, her arm round his shoulders.He shrugged. "Just basic first aid," he muttered modestly."But you were so calm.""Inside I was screaming. I don't think I've been as afraid as that since; can't remember when. You know, being confronted with the harsh reality of death - right here in the church.""But you got his heart going again. He'll be okay.""Aye, let's hope so. Could still have another heart attack, or end up with brain damage if starved of oxygen for too long.""No Gordon, he'll be fine." Miya continued. "He's a vicar. God will keep him safe."He wasn't sure if she actually believed that or if she was just saying it to make him feel better. It did make him feel better, though."Mmm, you're right." He pulled her onto his lap and hugged her."I think my hero organist deserves a reward. How about a kiss for starters?" She flung her arms around him and kissed him full on the lips. The kiss developed into a full-blown snog, and just as Gordon was getting into it, they were interrupted."Here he is!" Norman shouted. "Oh; are we interrupting?"Gordon broke the kiss and looked embarrassed. "Er;“"Just giving my guy a hero's reward," Miya replied."Well done, Gordon," Reverend Morris said, shaking his hand. "Your quick actions there may just have saved Horatius' life."He's not just a talented organist," Miya interrupted. "He's my Gordy-pie!"Later;Reverend Fletcher slowly opened his eyes. There was an oxygen mask on his face and his vision was a little blurry."Uh;“"Horatius. It's me, Simon.""Who are you?""Your friend and former student, Simon Morris.""Are you really? Well that's jolly lovely! I didn't know I had a friend called Simon Morris.""What's up with him?" Jenna asked, cautiously approaching his bedside."Erm, he seems a bit confused. Maybe it's the after effects of what's happened to him.""Who's that?" Reverend Fletcher mumbled, straining his eyes to look at Jenna."This is Jenna, my wife.""Oh how nice for you, she looks a lovely lady.""He appears to have developed retrograde amnesia," Jenna said. "I wonder if it's just temporary?" Secretly, she was relieved."It's the strangest of things," Reverend Fletcher continued, becoming more aware of his surroundings. I can't remember what happened. But I was in a church of some sort. I was reading something. Then I saw the face of an angel. A beautiful angel, kneeling before me; very beautiful, a bit like your wife. Then, nothing but a bright, white light. It must've been the light of Heaven. But obviously God wasn't ready for my soul just yet. And so, he sent me back to Earth.""A near-death experience?" Reverend Morris said."I truly have seen the light. I've been given a second chance. A chance to become a better person, and live my life to the full. It's a miracle!""A Christmas miracle!" Jenna smiled.Outside in the hospital corridor, Gordon was anxiously waiting, along with Miya."Well; how is he?""Doctor says he should make a full recovery. But he'll need a pacemaker. He's been damned lucky, and your quick actions today saved his life. Apparently he's suffered from a dodgy ticker for years.""When he was reading the sermon, I got the feeling he wasn't well, Gordon said. "He was sweating profusely and trembling. And his voice was shaky. All classic signs of an imminent heart attack."Reverend Morris nodded. "There's one thing that the paramedics did mention, and it may be inappropriate to say this, but; well, when they removed his robes and examined him, he had a raging erection."Gordon burst out laughing. "Ah well that explains the heart attack then. Not enough blood to go round. It had all rushed to his knob! Well I suppose if the worst had happened and he'd snuffed it, he would've died happy, eh? Dying with a raging hard-on, not a bad way to go.""I wonder what on earth gave him an erection?" Miya wondered."Good speech? It was a very passionate sermon. Reminds me of that scene from the first Police Academy film. Ever seen that? The scene where the prostitute gives oral to the old copper whilst she's hiding in a podium. Only the old copper sees another bloke crawl out of the podium and thinks he did it.""I remember that film," Reverend Morris replied. "Ha-ha yes, that was a funny scene. I don't think that happened to the good Horatius Fletcher, although he claimed he saw the face of an angel before he collapsed."Jenna, stood beside her husband, just smiled and said nothing.Later still;"What a day," Gordon said, as he and Miya arrived back from dining out at the Scabby Horse, a country pub dating back to the 17th century."That restaurant was lovely. I've really enjoyed our first Christmas Eve together. It's been magical."Gordon removed the Santa hat he'd been wearing. "I'm so glad. After the trauma of this morning, then having to speak to the local press, it was a relief to finally relax!""Uh-oh," Miya groaned, noticing a car pulling up in front of the house. "Don't relax just yet. Mum's just arrived. She'd better not cause a scene! Oh why can't she just accept us? Your mum was really nice when I met her the first time."Catherine Leesmith was a fun-loving eighty-two year old, who'd welcomed her son's much younger girlfriend with open arms."Don't panic, maybe she just wants to talk," Gordon replied. "Good evening Mrs. Dickinson!""Oh my God! I watched BBC Northwest earlier." She turned to Gordon. "You were on the news. You; saved that vicar's life. Well done!""Well, I kept him alive until the paramedics came, yes." He awkwardly shuffled his feet.Miya's mum walked right up to him. "Gordon. I've said; some things. Things I regret. And whilst I still think the age gap between the two of you is far too wide, I;“Gordon and Miya held their breaths."I can see how happy you are together, so if you're happy, then I'm happy. You're a good man, Gordon. You've certainly brought out the best in Miya."Gordon smiled. "Thanks so much, Mrs. Dickinson.""Kathleen.""Um, right. Kathleen. Er, Miya, tell your mum the good news!""You're not pregnant are you?""No Mum! I've just passed my driving test!""Oh congratulations, love! All thanks to Gordon as well I suppose?""No, I'm not taking any credit," he said. "She did this all on her own and worked damned hard. I provided encouragement, that's all. Right, come in and let's all have a cuppa; or if you want something stronger, we've got mulled wine, gin, beer; anything you like."Miya hurried in first, thrilled that her mum had finally accepted her boyfriend."Gordon, I think Santa will be delivering a four-wheeled present tomorrow morning. I know you and my husband have been planning it for a while.""Oh yes," he replied, tapping his nose. "Shush. She doesn't suspect a thing."They all entered Gordon's house, and Miya's mum couldn't help but admire her daughter's boyfriend; or man-friend, as she preferred to call him.He's not my type, but quite attractive. And he has charisma, there's no doubt about that. There's something about him. He does cut a dashing figure in a suit and organist gown;At the ParsonageReverend Morris and Jenna decided to have an early night."I've always believed that you see something; otherworldly at the point of death," he said as he climbed into bed. "I just can't stop thinking about what Horatius Fletcher said. You know, about seeing an angel. Sorry to keep going on about it.""An angel must appear to reassure dying people that everything will be alright. Or in some cases maybe it takes the form of the dying person's loved one?" Jenna replied."Hmm, yes. Hard to fathom when you've never experienced it yourself. Oh well. At least we know Horatius will be okay. Not much of a Christmas for him, being stuck in hospital, but at least he's alive.""Yep," Jenna smiled, snuggling up to her husband.And with any luck, she thought to herself, he'll never fully regain his memory. He doesn't remember anything about filming Miya and Gordon, or how I took his phone and got Dwaine to erase it. He doesn't remember me inviting him to do the Sunday service either; or me sucking his cock. If he does eventually remember, people will just think he's round the bend;"Merry Christmas Jen.""Merry Christmas Simon."They kissed.The vicar fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but Jenna wasn't quite ready to fall asleep just yet. When she was sure that her husband was well and truly in the arms of Morpheus, she slipped out of bed and picked up her smartphone off the bedside table. She hurried into the bathroom and shut the door. Switching on the phone, she opened a password-protected secure documents folder."Oh Gordon. I really do miss sucking that delicious thick cock of yours," she sighed as she fingered herself whilst watching the video of Miya and Gordon that Reverend Fletcher had filmed. So it hadn't been completely deleted after all. Dwaine had still been able to recover it using his expert coding skills; and transfer it to Jenna's phone. (For entirely personal use of course)!By Blacksheep. For Literotica

The Leader of the Opposition Keith Azzopardi was in the studio, who promised to ‘tell it straight' and be honest with the electorate, answering questions from listeners on topics ranging from affordable housing to treaty talks and congestion on the roads. Eager shoppers have taken to Morrisons supermarket, to stock up on Christmas food. A special air freight full of festive items arrived late last night. The items were unloaded just before midnight last night and were on the shelves first thing this morning. Shelina Assomull had more details to share.And, following the success of the Governor Sir Ben Bathurst has presented cheques to a selection of local charities. Our reporter Kevin Ruiz was at the presentation and spoke to the Governor, who said plans are already underway for next year's event. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

State of the Bay explores California's AB 56, hears the latest on Oakland's mayoral turmoil and budget crisis, and catches a glimpse of the Bay Area's Great Dickens Christmas Fair.

Fluent Fiction - Hungarian: Discovering Magic at Budapest's Christmas Fair Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hu/episode/2024-12-16-08-38-20-hu Story Transcript:Hu: A karácsonyi vásár Budapest szívében ragyogó fényekkel és forralt bor illatával vonzotta a látogatókat.En: The karácsonyi vásár in the heart of Budapest attracted visitors with its sparkling lights and the aroma of mulled wine.Hu: A hagyományos fából készült standokon kézműves termékeket kínáltak.En: Traditional wooden stands offered handmade products.Hu: Bence, Eszter és Áron izgatottan érkeztek az osztálykirándulásra a vásárra.En: Bence, Eszter, and Áron arrived excitedly at the fair for their school trip.Hu: Bence lelkes történelemrajongó volt.En: Bence was an enthusiastic history fan.Hu: "Milyen érdekes lehet a régi, magyar karácsonyi díszek története!En: "How interesting the history of old Hungarian Christmas ornaments must be!"Hu: " - mondta, miközben a forgatagban körülnézett.En: he said, while looking around in the crowd.Hu: Eszter mosolyogva megjegyezte: "Csodás itt, de nézd azt a divatos boltot, Bence!En: Smiling, Eszter remarked, "It's wonderful here, but look at that trendy store, Bence!Hu: Ott is körülnézhetnénk!En: We could look around there too!"Hu: "Áron csendben sétált mögöttük, elmerülve a környezet szépségében.En: Áron walked quietly behind them, immersed in the beauty of the surroundings.Hu: Szeme megakadt egy táblán, amely az 'Art Corner'-ra mutatott.En: His eyes caught a sign pointing to the 'Art Corner'.Hu: Egy pillanatra elgondolkozott, vajon elmenjen-e saját útján.En: For a moment, he contemplated whether to go his own way.Hu: A piac forgataga fokozódott.En: The market bustle intensified.Hu: Bence próbált odafigyelni a céljára: egy gyönyörű, kézzel készített karácsonyfadíszt vásárolni otthonra.En: Bence tried to focus on his goal: to buy a beautiful handmade Christmas ornament for home.Hu: Eszter közben egy másik standhoz húzta.En: Meanwhile, Eszter pulled him to another stand.Hu: "Szuper a választék!En: "The selection is great!"Hu: " - mondta, miközben színes kendőket nézegetett.En: she said while looking at colorful scarves.Hu: Áron eközben lassan eltávolodott tőlük, szívében a vágy, hogy közelebbről szemügyre vegye a művészeti standokat.En: Meanwhile, Áron slowly distanced himself from them, with a longing in his heart to take a closer look at the art stands.Hu: Nem akarta megszakítani a barátai beszélgetését, inkább csendben elindult.En: He didn't want to interrupt his friends' conversation, so he set off quietly.Hu: Bence azonban észrevett egy csodás karácsonyfadíszt egy hagyományos kézműves standon.En: However, Bence noticed a beautiful Christmas ornament at a traditional crafts stand.Hu: Szíve hevesebben vert az izgalomtól.En: His heart beat faster with excitement.Hu: "Ez az!En: "This is it!"Hu: " - gondolta magában, majd Eszterhez fordult.En: he thought to himself, then turned to Eszter.Hu: "Itt maradok egy kicsit, megveszem ezt a díszt.En: "I'll stay here a bit to buy this ornament.Hu: Találkozunk kicsit később!En: See you a little later!"Hu: " Eszter bólintott, majd követte Áront.En: Eszter nodded and then followed Áron.Hu: Áron az 'Art Corner'-hez érve csodálattal nézte a kiállított festményeket és szobrokat.En: Reaching the 'Art Corner', Áron admired the displayed paintings and sculptures.Hu: Eszter hamarosan csatlakozott hozzá.En: Eszter soon joined him.Hu: "Milyen szép alkotások!En: "What beautiful creations!"Hu: " - mondta, majd meglepődve látta Áron szeretetét a művészet iránt.En: she said, then was surprised to discover Áron's love for art.Hu: "Nem is tudtam, hogy ennyire szereted ezt.En: "I didn't know you loved it so much."Hu: "Bence sikerrel vette meg a vágyott karácsonyfadíszt.En: Bence successfully bought the desired Christmas ornament.Hu: Szerényen mosolygott, amikor újra összetalálkozott Eszterrel és Áronnal.En: He smiled modestly when he met up again with Eszter and Áron.Hu: "Képzeljétek, megvan a tökéletes dísz!En: "Imagine, I got the perfect ornament!"Hu: "A nap végén Bence megtanulta, hogy fontos a barátság és a személyes célok egyensúlya.En: At the end of the day, Bence learned the importance of balancing friendship and personal goals.Hu: Eszter megismerte Áron rejtett szenvedélyét, Áron pedig bátorságot szerzett, hogy megossza érdeklődését.En: Eszter discovered Áron's hidden passion, and Áron gained the courage to share his interests.Hu: A karácsonyi vásár nemcsak élményt, de újfajta megértést is hozott számukra.En: The karácsonyi vásár brought not just experiences, but also a new kind of understanding for them. Vocabulary Words:sparkling: ragyogóaroma: illatmulled: forraltenthusiastic: lelkesornament: díszcrowd: forgatagtrendy: divatosimmersed: elmerülvebeauty: szépségcontemplated: elgondolkozottintensified: fokozódottfocus: odafigyelnigoal: célselection: választékdistanced: eltávolodottlonging: vágyinterrupt: megszakítanibeating: vertexcitement: izgalomadmired: csodálattaldisplayed: kiállítottpaintings: festményeksculptures: szobrokcreation: alkotáspassion: szenvedélymodestly: szerényenbalancing: egyensúlyaunderstanding: megértéstcaptured: megakadt

Today's episode of the podcast was recorded live from Bayside School for their 9th Edition of the Annual Spinathon, kicking off a week of fundraising events.Minister for Education and the Environment John Cortes dives into the announced 25 Year Environment Plan in greater detail. Johnhenry Mauro, orgnaniser of the GBC Open Day Treasure Hunt but speaking in his capacity as Head of Year 13, told us about the Bayside School's plans for the week, involving many charity fundraising events.The Christmas Concert at the school is happening this coming Wednesday - Kate Madden who is Head of Music at Bayside told us more about this year's show.We were treated to a live performance by Alba Payas, Elena Tricker and Mrs Teweksbury.Acting SENCo Dale Moreno heads a Christmas Fair to raise money for the SEN department, with students and LSAs making their own Christmas decorations for sale.Head Student Sarah Bensadon told us about her involvement in the week's events.The seasonal Christmas hamper tradition has been carried on for decades, and Bayside School play a key role in the distribution effort. Fr Charles Azzopardi is at the helm of the project and emphasised the difference that it makes to local hampers at this time of year. And Head Teacher Gaynor Lester told us about how the spinathon was going. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Herlinda Heras and Kevin McGee Kevin McGee from Anderson Valley Brewing Company joins Steve Jaxon and Herlinda Heras on Brew Ha Ha today. AVBC is the official brewery of the 2024 Great Dickens Christmas Fair at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Kevin McGee has been on this show a few times, most recently this episode on May 2, 2024. Anderson Valley Brewing Company has been in business for 37 years. Their entire property is now licensed as a beer tasting room. There is a disc golf course on the site now. They like to offer an experience a little more memorable than just drinking a beer. His family bought the company in 2019 and they also relaunched the Healdsburg Beer Company. Visit Russian River Brewing Co. on 4th St. and at their Windsor location. Click the logo to visit their website for hours, menus and beers on tap. Kevin tried making wine at home but without success. His wife suggested he try beer, so he changed his business plan in 2007. At the time it was hard to sell the beer, but Guy Fieri's restaurant was one of the first customers. AVBC was the first brewery to use only solar energy. They also have a completely self-contained water system that draws water from wells on the property and returns all their used water to the ground on site. The Great Dickens Christmas Fair This year AVBC is the official brewery of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, from November 23 through December 22, from 10am-6pm.

The unaccounted-for dildos.A Series in 17 parts, By Blacksheep. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. At St Michael's church hall, Jenna was making the most of her day off from work. That was the good thing about being part-time. Getting Mondays off. The downside? Monday was the day her husband started writing his sermon. In desperation, she'd agreed to help the ladies of the Mother's Union out at the church hall. It was more interesting than listening to Simon read out long paragraphs. The MU ladies were elderly, but fun to talk too. And boy, did they love to gossip. As a vicar's wife, she'd become privy to all sorts of information. However, Jenna wasn't one for such tittle-tattle, and would just politely humor the nosey old dears."Excuse me, a stressed-looking delivery man said, knocking on the church hall door. Parcel here for St Michael's Mother's Union?""Hi! I'll take that off your hands," Jenna said. "I have a feeling this is the box of long overdue advent calendars everyone's been moaning about.""Nothing to do with me," the man replied. "Blame the guys at the other end. We're short-staffed.""I understand," Jenna replied, signing for the parcel. "You're doing a wonderful job. Have a wonderful Christmas!""Uh; cheers," the man muttered, not used to compliments."No use selling these at the Christmas Fair seeing as that was yesterday, and we're four days into December." Jenna said, as she set the box on a table. "What can we do with thirty advent calendars? I know. I could extract all the chocolate pieces, recycle the packaging; put the chocolate in a big bowl and the children could help themselves at next week's service;“She opened the box and got a shock at what was contained within."Holy; she;“"I say, Mrs. Morris, whatever's that?"Jenna jumped as one of the Mother's Union members returned from the hall kitchen."Er, hello Mrs. Grimes it's a;“"A horse's saddle? What ruddy great twerp donated that?""Um;“"We've had some strange donations over the years, but this! It takes the biscuit! Just look at this!" She rummaged in the box and pulled out a riding crop, mask and blinkers. "A job lot of horse tack! Did Frankie Dettori donate it?""Perhaps?" Jenna replied, trying to keep a straight face as the elderly woman held up an enormous purple dildo, shaped like a horse penis, and looked at it in utter confusion."This must be for giving liquid medicine to horses.""Last year, someone donated a bus stop sign, a chamber pot and a false leg," another woman piped up. "The bus stop sign was really popular. We got fifty quid for it.""How ridiculous!" Mrs. Grimes replied. "We can't sell this at the Advent tombola. No horsey folk round here. You might as well take it down to the charity shop; or mail it to Aintree racecourse;“"Er; I'll stick to the charity shop, Mrs. Grimes. Think of the postage cost.""Ah, yes. Good thinking. Right, well, I'll leave it up to you then.""I'll get rid of it," Jenna said, then spotted an invoice. Unfolding it, her eyes widened. "Shit; I must get this stuff to Norman before anyone else sees it and realizes what it actually is!" She chuckled. "I bet Gladys is behind it! Absolutely shameless!"Jenna admired the old lady. "I hope I can have fun like that if I live to be as old as her. She's got the right attitude."Hurrying out of the church hall with the big box, she didn't look where she was going and bumped into someone."Oh, I'm so sorry!" she spluttered, as the box fell to the ground, some of its contents tumbling out."That's quite alright, you look loaded up," the man replied. "Ah! Simon's dear wife. Nice to meet you again, my dear!" He shook her hand."Oh; Reverend Fletcher! If you're looking for Simon, he's at the vicarage, writing his;“ She froze as he bent down and picked up a horse mask and dildo."My, my. Is this a Secret Santa for the good vicar, eh?" Reverend Fletcher chuckled."It's not mine," Jenna replied quickly. "It was delivered to the hall by mistake.""I bet it belongs to the organist, am I right?" Reverend Fletcher gave her a wink, but behind the jolly old man facade, lay a less pleasant character, and Jenna was immediately on her guard. She reached into her pocket."I've no idea who this stuff belongs to, but it's not Gordon, I can assure you," Jenna replied. "Either a mix-up or a prank. We do get people donating adult-themed items to church jumble sales for a laugh."Reverend Fletcher wasn't fooled. "Oh come, come, dear Mrs. Morris. I think it's just the sort of thing the organist; and that little; filly who was helping him play the organ, would enjoy! I didn't get a chance to speak to the filly; do you know her name?"Jenna didn't give anything away. "Reverend Fletcher, Gordon's private life is none of my business. And if you're hinting he was doing something inappropriate during the Sunday service, well you're mistaken.""Is that so?" The old vicar pulled out his smartphone and showed her the video he'd filmed."Now I may be old, but I know fellatio when I see it, my dear. Is your good husband aware of what the church organist is getting up to?"Jenna tried to remain composed. "Reverend Fletcher. I had no idea this had occurred, and neither has Simon. I will inform him immediately and he will have words with Gordon. Thank you for bringing this safeguarding concern to my attention. We will ensure this never happens again. Now, if I could ask you to delete that piece of video footage.""I think not," Reverend Fletcher replied. "I think I'll hang on to it for now. Unless of course, you know the name of the lass in the video? I'd quite like to meet her.""I've no idea who she is," Jenna replied. "Never seen her before. Gordon tutors many people. He's single and it's no secret that he's had a lot of dates. Look, there's a privacy issue here, Reverend. It's in your best interests to delete that video;“ She racked her brain, wondering how to deal with this escalating situation. What a creep this man was!"First time he'd ever done that whilst playing the organ, I'm willing to bet? Lucky fella. Some men have all the luck. During the church service too. I've dreamed of something similar happening to me. Do you know, I woke up this morning, with the most powerful hard-on I'd had in years;“"Did you really?" Jenna replied, an idea forming in her mind."Yes. In fact I'm getting hard again, just talking about it." He wasn't lying. Jenna noticed the bulge tenting up his black trousers.God, that's impressive, she thought. This man was horrid, but was pitching one hell of a tent. I wonder if; well I have to try. I can't have anyone trying to harm Gordon or Miya. It was time to take one for the team."Reverend Fletcher," she began, running her hand down his face. "Forget the little thing playing Gordon's organ. If you were to attend our Wednesday service; I could worship you in ways that'll make you thankful God made you a man. I give you my word."The reverend's eyes widened in wonder. The vicar's wife; actually trying to seduce him? This was too good to refuse."My God; I'll be there! What do you have in mind?" He was almost salivating with arousal."Well you'll have to wait and see, won't you? But first;“ she snatched the phone from his hand and deleted the video."No!" He exclaimed. "Oh okay, fair enough, you win. Can I have it back now?""No Reverend. I'll just hang on to it until after the Wednesday service. Just two days. I'm sure you can manage without a smartphone for two days. You have a landline phone at home don't you? Because you phoned Simon from it last night.""Yes I do; but the smartphone is the only way I can access the Internet! I don't have a laptop or tablet at home. I use that smartphone for everything! It's got private stuff on there. My internet banking app!""Don't worry, I won't look at anything. We'll just log out of the app and everything will be just fine. There. All done! If you need to go online, the library is open. I promise you'll get it back after the Wednesday service. You'd better be there.""Mrs. Morris; please!" Reverend Fletcher yelled.Jenna hurried to her car as fast as she could. So far, so good. She'd spared Gordon and Miya any embarrassment."Of course, the dirty old goat could've uploaded the video to PornHub, made backups. I've got to pay a visit to Gladys' grandson Dwaine. He's an absolute tech ace. He'll be able to check if that video is truly deleted; and if it's floating around porn land;“She sped out of the church hall car park. "Good thing I recorded all that on my own phone too." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and switched it off."I am still curious to see that cock of his," she said to herself as she drove through the town center. "The Devil makes work for very frustrated, horny men;“It had been far too long since she'd brought salvation to a different man of the church.A Christmas Miracle.It was Christmas Eve, and the fourth Sunday of Advent. At St Michael's church, the morning service was being led by Reverend Fletcher; who unknown to him, was about to give the most stimulating sermon of his life;"What's this old padré doing here again?" Gordon muttered, as he noticed Fletcher head up to the pulpit."Jenna told me that she'd personally invited him back in order to do the sermon today. Because Simon's sermons are so boring," Miya whispered."Ah! That makes perfect sense!" the organist replied. "Good old Jenna, always thinking of ways to make this church more enjoyable, eh?""Yup, that's my cousin. Full of Christian mercy!"They both giggled, unaware of the real reason Reverend Fletcher was here. And the service, for him was about to get a lot more interesting."Brothers and sisters, it gives me great;“ the reverend paused as he felt something - or someone fumble under his purple vestments."pleasure, to be addressing you all today."And then the sound of the zip on his trousers being pulled down.He twitched nervously, trying to retain his composure.As the congregation sat in the pews, lost in prayer and contemplation, a single bead of perspiration trickled down the Rev. Fletcher's brow. It wasn't from the Advent candles burning nearby, but from the passion that burned within him. He now knew that today's sermon would be unlike any other he had ever delivered, and it wasn't just because of its unique message of love and acceptance. The old vicar didn't dare move from the pulpit, as all eyes were on him. He'd just have to tough it out;In the cramped space inside the pulpit, Jenna was impressed as she pulled down the old man's white boxer shorts, revealing the thick, meaty length of him, already half-hard with anticipation. Quite a tasty-looking cock, she had to admit. She wrapped her lips around the tip, feeling the warmth and weight of him fill her mouth. Reverend Fletcher's voice grew hoarse as he continued to read, his hips starting to move involuntarily, pushing himself deeper into her mouth.The Reverend Fletcher was old, really old, but his cock was something to behold. It was as if time had stopped at his groin, leaving him with a magnificent, thick shaft that seemed to defy the laws of nature. Jenna couldn't help but continue to be amazed as she sucked him harder. As bad as this chap had been, his impressive cock deserved her full attention.Over at the organ, Gordon was impressed by this far more interesting sermon."Well he might resemble something from the Pickwick Papers, but he writes a much better paragraph than our Reverend Morris! I guess it's because he's older and more experienced?""Yeah, I liked that bit where he said there should be only good vibes at Christmas and Jesus being born in a stable because the NHS waiting lists were too long. That was funny!" Miya whispered back."The old boy looks to have high blood pressure," Gordon mused, noticing the sweat running down the vicar's forehead. "Reminds me of something; hell, it's bloody freezing in this church, but he looks like he's been sat in a sauna."Reverend Fletcher's voice trembled slightly as he continued to enthrall the congregation with a Christmas-themed sermon like no other. They assumed his wavering composure was normal for him."This guy is on fire," Miya said, also captivated. "He knows how to entertain an audience!""Looks to me like he's rather entertained himself! Look how he's gripping the pulpit there - his fingernails have turned white. And the way he's thrusting slightly; looks like he's humping the thing!""Gordy, you have a naughty mind!""Hmm, I wonder where I get it from?" He stared at the old vicar again. "It might be just me, but he doesn't look well;“In front of the pulpit, Reverend Morris was listening intently to his mentor's words. I truly learned from the best, he thought. Thanks to Horatius, I am able to write wonderful sermons! It was so nice of Jenna to invite him to conduct our morning service. He glanced at the seated congregation, and saw no sign of his wife anywhere.That's odd. I swore I saw her sitting at the front before. She's missing this amazing sermon. Maybe she had to go to the ladies;As Reverend Fletcher's climax approached, his heart raced with an unfamiliar urgency. The words on the page of his sermon began to blur, and he felt a warmth spreading through his body. He looked down, only to see Jenna the vicar's wife, her lips wrapped around his cock, her eyes locked on his. It was then that he realized his heart condition had worsened, and the pleasure of the moment was quickly replaced by fear.With a loud gasp, he slumped forward onto the pulpit, his weight pulling Jenna away from him. She looked up at him, concern etched on her face, as he struggled to catch his breath. And then, with a final heave, he staggered towards the pulpit steps, then collapsed on the floor, motionless.Someone screamed."Oh my God! Call 9 9 9!"Norman the churchwarden quickly pulled out his phone and called an ambulance. Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion for a few moments.It was then that Gordon sprang into action, leaping over the shelf at the side of the organ like a gazelle. His black, open-fronted gown billowed behind him like a superhero's cape."I'm a trained first-aider," he yelled. "He's gone into cardiac arrest!"

The unaccounted-for dildos.A Series in 17 parts, By Blacksheep. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. At St Michael's church hall, Jenna was making the most of her day off from work. That was the good thing about being part-time. Getting Mondays off. The downside? Monday was the day her husband started writing his sermon. In desperation, she'd agreed to help the ladies of the Mother's Union out at the church hall. It was more interesting than listening to Simon read out long paragraphs. The MU ladies were elderly, but fun to talk too. And boy, did they love to gossip. As a vicar's wife, she'd become privy to all sorts of information. However, Jenna wasn't one for such tittle-tattle, and would just politely humor the nosey old dears."Excuse me, a stressed-looking delivery man said, knocking on the church hall door. Parcel here for St Michael's Mother's Union?""Hi! I'll take that off your hands," Jenna said. "I have a feeling this is the box of long overdue advent calendars everyone's been moaning about.""Nothing to do with me," the man replied. "Blame the guys at the other end. We're short-staffed.""I understand," Jenna replied, signing for the parcel. "You're doing a wonderful job. Have a wonderful Christmas!""Uh; cheers," the man muttered, not used to compliments."No use selling these at the Christmas Fair seeing as that was yesterday, and we're four days into December." Jenna said, as she set the box on a table. "What can we do with thirty advent calendars? I know. I could extract all the chocolate pieces, recycle the packaging; put the chocolate in a big bowl and the children could help themselves at next week's service;“She opened the box and got a shock at what was contained within."Holy; she;“"I say, Mrs. Morris, whatever's that?"Jenna jumped as one of the Mother's Union members returned from the hall kitchen."Er, hello Mrs. Grimes it's a;“"A horse's saddle? What ruddy great twerp donated that?""Um;“"We've had some strange donations over the years, but this! It takes the biscuit! Just look at this!" She rummaged in the box and pulled out a riding crop, mask and blinkers. "A job lot of horse tack! Did Frankie Dettori donate it?""Perhaps?" Jenna replied, trying to keep a straight face as the elderly woman held up an enormous purple dildo, shaped like a horse penis, and looked at it in utter confusion."This must be for giving liquid medicine to horses.""Last year, someone donated a bus stop sign, a chamber pot and a false leg," another woman piped up. "The bus stop sign was really popular. We got fifty quid for it.""How ridiculous!" Mrs. Grimes replied. "We can't sell this at the Advent tombola. No horsey folk round here. You might as well take it down to the charity shop; or mail it to Aintree racecourse;“"Er; I'll stick to the charity shop, Mrs. Grimes. Think of the postage cost.""Ah, yes. Good thinking. Right, well, I'll leave it up to you then.""I'll get rid of it," Jenna said, then spotted an invoice. Unfolding it, her eyes widened. "Shit; I must get this stuff to Norman before anyone else sees it and realizes what it actually is!" She chuckled. "I bet Gladys is behind it! Absolutely shameless!"Jenna admired the old lady. "I hope I can have fun like that if I live to be as old as her. She's got the right attitude."Hurrying out of the church hall with the big box, she didn't look where she was going and bumped into someone."Oh, I'm so sorry!" she spluttered, as the box fell to the ground, some of its contents tumbling out."That's quite alright, you look loaded up," the man replied. "Ah! Simon's dear wife. Nice to meet you again, my dear!" He shook her hand."Oh; Reverend Fletcher! If you're looking for Simon, he's at the vicarage, writing his;“ She froze as he bent down and picked up a horse mask and dildo."My, my. Is this a Secret Santa for the good vicar, eh?" Reverend Fletcher chuckled."It's not mine," Jenna replied quickly. "It was delivered to the hall by mistake.""I bet it belongs to the organist, am I right?" Reverend Fletcher gave her a wink, but behind the jolly old man facade, lay a less pleasant character, and Jenna was immediately on her guard. She reached into her pocket."I've no idea who this stuff belongs to, but it's not Gordon, I can assure you," Jenna replied. "Either a mix-up or a prank. We do get people donating adult-themed items to church jumble sales for a laugh."Reverend Fletcher wasn't fooled. "Oh come, come, dear Mrs. Morris. I think it's just the sort of thing the organist; and that little; filly who was helping him play the organ, would enjoy! I didn't get a chance to speak to the filly; do you know her name?"Jenna didn't give anything away. "Reverend Fletcher, Gordon's private life is none of my business. And if you're hinting he was doing something inappropriate during the Sunday service, well you're mistaken.""Is that so?" The old vicar pulled out his smartphone and showed her the video he'd filmed."Now I may be old, but I know fellatio when I see it, my dear. Is your good husband aware of what the church organist is getting up to?"Jenna tried to remain composed. "Reverend Fletcher. I had no idea this had occurred, and neither has Simon. I will inform him immediately and he will have words with Gordon. Thank you for bringing this safeguarding concern to my attention. We will ensure this never happens again. Now, if I could ask you to delete that piece of video footage.""I think not," Reverend Fletcher replied. "I think I'll hang on to it for now. Unless of course, you know the name of the lass in the video? I'd quite like to meet her.""I've no idea who she is," Jenna replied. "Never seen her before. Gordon tutors many people. He's single and it's no secret that he's had a lot of dates. Look, there's a privacy issue here, Reverend. It's in your best interests to delete that video;“ She racked her brain, wondering how to deal with this escalating situation. What a creep this man was!"First time he'd ever done that whilst playing the organ, I'm willing to bet? Lucky fella. Some men have all the luck. During the church service too. I've dreamed of something similar happening to me. Do you know, I woke up this morning, with the most powerful hard-on I'd had in years;“"Did you really?" Jenna replied, an idea forming in her mind."Yes. In fact I'm getting hard again, just talking about it." He wasn't lying. Jenna noticed the bulge tenting up his black trousers.God, that's impressive, she thought. This man was horrid, but was pitching one hell of a tent. I wonder if; well I have to try. I can't have anyone trying to harm Gordon or Miya. It was time to take one for the team."Reverend Fletcher," she began, running her hand down his face. "Forget the little thing playing Gordon's organ. If you were to attend our Wednesday service; I could worship you in ways that'll make you thankful God made you a man. I give you my word."The reverend's eyes widened in wonder. The vicar's wife; actually trying to seduce him? This was too good to refuse."My God; I'll be there! What do you have in mind?" He was almost salivating with arousal."Well you'll have to wait and see, won't you? But first;“ she snatched the phone from his hand and deleted the video."No!" He exclaimed. "Oh okay, fair enough, you win. Can I have it back now?""No Reverend. I'll just hang on to it until after the Wednesday service. Just two days. I'm sure you can manage without a smartphone for two days. You have a landline phone at home don't you? Because you phoned Simon from it last night.""Yes I do; but the smartphone is the only way I can access the Internet! I don't have a laptop or tablet at home. I use that smartphone for everything! It's got private stuff on there. My internet banking app!""Don't worry, I won't look at anything. We'll just log out of the app and everything will be just fine. There. All done! If you need to go online, the library is open. I promise you'll get it back after the Wednesday service. You'd better be there.""Mrs. Morris; please!" Reverend Fletcher yelled.Jenna hurried to her car as fast as she could. So far, so good. She'd spared Gordon and Miya any embarrassment."Of course, the dirty old goat could've uploaded the video to PornHub, made backups. I've got to pay a visit to Gladys' grandson Dwaine. He's an absolute tech ace. He'll be able to check if that video is truly deleted; and if it's floating around porn land;“She sped out of the church hall car park. "Good thing I recorded all that on my own phone too." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and switched it off."I am still curious to see that cock of his," she said to herself as she drove through the town center. "The Devil makes work for very frustrated, horny men;“It had been far too long since she'd brought salvation to a different man of the church.A Christmas Miracle.It was Christmas Eve, and the fourth Sunday of Advent. At St Michael's church, the morning service was being led by Reverend Fletcher; who unknown to him, was about to give the most stimulating sermon of his life;"What's this old padré doing here again?" Gordon muttered, as he noticed Fletcher head up to the pulpit."Jenna told me that she'd personally invited him back in order to do the sermon today. Because Simon's sermons are so boring," Miya whispered."Ah! That makes perfect sense!" the organist replied. "Good old Jenna, always thinking of ways to make this church more enjoyable, eh?""Yup, that's my cousin. Full of Christian mercy!"They both giggled, unaware of the real reason Reverend Fletcher was here. And the service, for him was about to get a lot more interesting."Brothers and sisters, it gives me great;“ the reverend paused as he felt something - or someone fumble under his purple vestments."pleasure, to be addressing you all today."And then the sound of the zip on his trousers being pulled down.He twitched nervously, trying to retain his composure.As the congregation sat in the pews, lost in prayer and contemplation, a single bead of perspiration trickled down the Rev. Fletcher's brow. It wasn't from the Advent candles burning nearby, but from the passion that burned within him. He now knew that today's sermon would be unlike any other he had ever delivered, and it wasn't just because of its unique message of love and acceptance. The old vicar didn't dare move from the pulpit, as all eyes were on him. He'd just have to tough it out;In the cramped space inside the pulpit, Jenna was impressed as she pulled down the old man's white boxer shorts, revealing the thick, meaty length of him, already half-hard with anticipation. Quite a tasty-looking cock, she had to admit. She wrapped her lips around the tip, feeling the warmth and weight of him fill her mouth. Reverend Fletcher's voice grew hoarse as he continued to read, his hips starting to move involuntarily, pushing himself deeper into her mouth.The Reverend Fletcher was old, really old, but his cock was something to behold. It was as if time had stopped at his groin, leaving him with a magnificent, thick shaft that seemed to defy the laws of nature. Jenna couldn't help but continue to be amazed as she sucked him harder. As bad as this chap had been, his impressive cock deserved her full attention.Over at the organ, Gordon was impressed by this far more interesting sermon."Well he might resemble something from the Pickwick Papers, but he writes a much better paragraph than our Reverend Morris! I guess it's because he's older and more experienced?""Yeah, I liked that bit where he said there should be only good vibes at Christmas and Jesus being born in a stable because the NHS waiting lists were too long. That was funny!" Miya whispered back."The old boy looks to have high blood pressure," Gordon mused, noticing the sweat running down the vicar's forehead. "Reminds me of something; hell, it's bloody freezing in this church, but he looks like he's been sat in a sauna."Reverend Fletcher's voice trembled slightly as he continued to enthrall the congregation with a Christmas-themed sermon like no other. They assumed his wavering composure was normal for him."This guy is on fire," Miya said, also captivated. "He knows how to entertain an audience!""Looks to me like he's rather entertained himself! Look how he's gripping the pulpit there - his fingernails have turned white. And the way he's thrusting slightly; looks like he's humping the thing!""Gordy, you have a naughty mind!""Hmm, I wonder where I get it from?" He stared at the old vicar again. "It might be just me, but he doesn't look well;“In front of the pulpit, Reverend Morris was listening intently to his mentor's words. I truly learned from the best, he thought. Thanks to Horatius, I am able to write wonderful sermons! It was so nice of Jenna to invite him to conduct our morning service. He glanced at the seated congregation, and saw no sign of his wife anywhere.That's odd. I swore I saw her sitting at the front before. She's missing this amazing sermon. Maybe she had to go to the ladies;As Reverend Fletcher's climax approached, his heart raced with an unfamiliar urgency. The words on the page of his sermon began to blur, and he felt a warmth spreading through his body. He looked down, only to see Jenna the vicar's wife, her lips wrapped around his cock, her eyes locked on his. It was then that he realized his heart condition had worsened, and the pleasure of the moment was quickly replaced by fear.With a loud gasp, he slumped forward onto the pulpit, his weight pulling Jenna away from him. She looked up at him, concern etched on her face, as he struggled to catch his breath. And then, with a final heave, he staggered towards the pulpit steps, then collapsed on the floor, motionless.Someone screamed."Oh my God! Call 9 9 9!"Norman the churchwarden quickly pulled out his phone and called an ambulance. Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion for a few moments.It was then that Gordon sprang into action, leaping over the shelf at the side of the organ like a gazelle. His black, open-fronted gown billowed behind him like a superhero's cape."I'm a trained first-aider," he yelled. "He's gone into cardiac arrest!"

It's very merry episode of Fragments - The Lincoln Crying Christmas Ceremony 1564 It's December 1564, the place Lincoln – and as today where there's a little ceremony to switch on the Christmas lights, or open a Christmas Fair, lo the Common Council of Lincoln had a similar event to mark the beginning of Christmas The Crying Christmas text is mostly extant, with just a few edges lost in places - we've left the gaps in place, reimagining the event in the present day with a knackered PA that cuts the speakers off. So, sit back and enjoy the speeches of the three senators performed by Alex Scott Fairley, Emma Kemp, and Liza Graham. Hosted and produced by Robert Crighton, with additional sound effects from www.zapsplat.com Our patrons received this episode in November 2024 - well not very early but it is Christmas. The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is supported by its patrons – become a patron and you get to choose the plays we work on next. Go to www.patreon.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/beyondshakespeare - or if you want to give us some feedback, email us at admin@beyondshakespeare.org, follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @BeyondShakes or go to our website: https://beyondshakespeare.org You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel where (most of) our exploring sessions live - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLa4pXxGZFwTX4QSaB5XNdQ The Beyond Shakespeare Podcast is hosted and produced by Robert Crighton.

Tulla will be hosting its first ever Christmas Fair this coming weekend, which will include designer knitwear, candles, and soaps. On Sunday, the Courthouse in Tulla will be the venue for the Fair. It is the brainchild of Fran Torpey, who lived in Dingle for over 30 years but is now living in Tulla. To talk more about this, Alan Morrissey was joined in-studio by Fran Torpey. Photo (c): Clare FM

Jonathan Scott was live from the Convent Christmas Fair... complete with tinsel and festive antlers!He was joined by Father Christmas, and the following guests at this popular annual event:Co-organiser Eleri SurreySarah Carreras from Mayfair on MainLydia from the Convent cafeteriaPatricia Parody from Carelink Seamus Byrne from Cultural ServicesNadia Murphy from Crafted With Love Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today is World Diabetes Day - a day observed to increase the awareness of diabetes, a chronic condition that affects millions of people around the world. The World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Federation organise the event, which focuses on diabetes prevention, health risks, and managing and living well with condition. Kayron Pozo, Susan Edwards and Robin Sheppard-Capurro told us their experiences of living with the condition.Gibraltar face San Marino tomorrow in the penultimate game of their UEFA Nations League campaign. Gibraltar beat San Marino 1 nil at home last month, Head Coach Julio Ribas says he can only hope for his team to put on their best performance. Our reporter Jose Mari Ruiz is there ahead of the big game.The Convent Christmas Fair is happening next Friday, with 31 stalls offering a variety of stalls, gifts and of course mince pies and mulled wine! We're excited about broadcasting live from the Convent in a future episode of the podcast. Organiser Eleri Surrey told us what we can expect.And, Patrick Murphy and Daryll Pallas make up one half of 'Cedar' - the local band were founded in 2023, and it's been up, up and up since! They've already performed live in Gibraltar, Spain and the UK, and have just announced a new support tour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Charles starts your day with The Morning Show, weekdays from 7-10am on Radio Life & Style - proudly sponsored by Excellerate Security. Broadcasting live from the heart of Ballito, The Morning Show serves up a curated mix of contemporary music and classic hits from across the decades, alongside interviews with tastemakers & influencers, plus a healthy dose of local news & views from the booming KZN North Coast. Listen live on lifeandstyle.fm, download our free Radio Life & Style app or find our shows on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all good platforms. ........................................ *About our Sponsor - Excellerate Security: Top estates, shopping centres, and business parks in Ballito and throughout KZN trust Excellerate to keep them safe... Shouldn't your business too? Visit www.excellerateservices.co.za to find out how their security services can help your business excel today. Excellerate Security - your success is their priority. Radio Life & Style on Facebook · The Morning Show Sponsor: Excellerate Security

Mike Charles starts your day with The Morning Show, weekdays from 7-10am on Radio Life & Style - proudly sponsored by Excellerate Security. Broadcasting live from the heart of Ballito, The Morning Show serves up a curated mix of contemporary music and classic hits from across the decades, alongside interviews with tastemakers & influencers, plus a healthy dose of local news & views from the booming KZN North Coast. Listen live on lifeandstyle.fm, download our free Radio Life & Style app or find our shows on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all good platforms. ........................................ *About our Sponsor - Excellerate Security: Top estates, shopping centres, and business parks in Ballito and throughout KZN trust Excellerate to keep them safe... Shouldn't your business too? Visit www.excellerateservices.co.za to find out how their security services can help your business excel today. Excellerate Security - your success is their priority. Radio Life & Style on Facebook · The Morning Show Sponsor: Excellerate Security

 Penny Lamont from the Wagga CMRI Committee joined Jamie & Leigh to run them through this year's fair, and also talk about the amazing work of the Children's Medical Research Institute.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SPONSOR: Support the show & get Factor for 50% off at https://www.factormeals.com/CHUBBY50 & use code CHUBBY50 BONUS EPISODES: https://www.Patreon.com/chubbybehemoth    This week Sam and Nathan discuss head bumps, Grinch encounters, and gout flare ups. A red haired waiter made Sam flinch. Sam tells us about the Christmas Fair he went to today. Nathan tells us how he wins. Sam and Shane built a fart nest in Austin.      Nathan Lund and Sam Tallent are Chubby Behemoth

Myra Gleeson speaks with Transition Students from St Mary's School about their upcoming Christmas Fair being held on Wednesday 13th December from 10.30am until 12.30pm in the Sports Hall Baldoyle. All Donations to Baldoyle's Meals on Wheels.   (part 2) school interview

A special edition of Gibraltar Today was broadcast from the Convent Christmas Fair. There were more than 30 stalls, many of them charities, selling lots of Christmas goodies. It's a great event to get you in the Christmas spirit! This year the Fair is raising funds for three main beneficiaries: Fr Charlie's Soup Kitchen, who do excellent work next to St Theresa's Church, helping lots of people, and more because of the cost of living crisis of recent years.St Vincent de Paul Society, which is part of an international Christian voluntary network dedicated to tackling poverty by helping people in need. And, the Society for the Visually Impaired - a charity helping anybody living with sight loss or sight difficulties.We caught up with one of the organisers Eleri Surrey, the Governor Sir David Steel, as well as some of the charities that took part. These included Executive Chairman Albert Poggio and Deborah Huxley from Calpe House, Nadine Delgado and Gina Pitto from the Blood Cancer Gibraltar Branch, Round Table International Regional Chairman Nicholas Gomez, and Bianca Yeo from Cancer Relief. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna talks to Therese Withers about the St. Patrick's Christmas Fair and the joy of supporting small artisanal businesses.

The holidays are in full swing at the Polish Heritage Center! Bring your family and join the festivities of the Christmas Fair on Saturday, Dec. 9. The Heritage Center, 13909 North F.M. 81 in Panna Maria, welcomes vendors and shoppers for a delightful day of crafts and refreshments from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Space is available for vendors. Reserve your spot for by calling 830-310-8612.Article Link

Sean doesn't understand why a Christmas Fair is charging a €12 entry fee. Richard is looking for the boy who saved him from drowning in 1955. Gregory's flue protector was blown off in Storm Debi and damaged his limousine.

Christmas has arrived in Torbay, where the Newfoundland and Labrador Craft Council has lit up the trees for their annual craft fair. We reach the group's executive director to see how it's going. (Anthony Germain with Rowena House)

We're back with the October Issue of 3-2-1 with Lizzi & Zanne. If you watched on Instagram we broadcasted on Halloween so we are dressed up for the occasion! We covered so many great topics! Our Halloween night special that included:  - How to be stylish when you have to wear a costume  - The silver trend of chrome accessories - a highstreet edit  - Instatrends and should you get on board with?!  - A love of the new shearling gilet trend - a highstreet edit  - the casual styling of Victoria Beckham after watching the Beckham Netflix documentary   - An anecdote about black lipgloss  - Favourite dark red lipsticks  - Biotin and The Inky List Exfoliator head scalp - for fine hair and hair loss  - What to expect from the Chanel exhibition at the V&A   - What to expect at the Spirit of Christmas Fair in London this week This plus much, much more! thanks for tuning in! You can follow LIzzi at @lizzi.richardson & Zanne at @allthingszanne __________________ Lizzi Richardson | UK Style & Fashion Content Creator & Podcaster for ageless styling | Here for you honey on style dilemmas & style tips. Connect if you love city style, office style, fashion trends & sustainable choices.  Always more on www.lovedbylizzi.com   • Instagram @lizzi.richardson 

The Christmas Fair beings tonight at the Mackay Showgrounds!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Charles starts your day with The Morning Show, weekdays from 7-10am on Radio Life & Style - proudly sponsored by Excellerate Security. Broadcasting live from the heart of Ballito, The Morning Show serves up a curated mix of contemporary music and classic hits from across the decades, alongside interviews with tastemakers & influencers, plus a healthy dose of local news & views from the booming KZN North Coast. Listen live on lifeandstyle.fm, download our free Radio Life & Style app or find our shows on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all good platforms. ........................................ *About our Sponsor - Excellerate Security: Top estates, shopping centres, and business parks in Ballito and throughout KZN trust Excellerate to keep them safe... Shouldn't your business too? Visit www.excellerate.co.za to find out how their security services can help your business excel today. Excellerate Security - your success is their priority. Radio Life & Style on Facebook · The Morning Show Sponsor: Excellerate Security

Mike Charles starts your day with The Morning Show, weekdays from 7-10am on Radio Life & Style - proudly sponsored by Excellerate Security. Broadcasting live from the heart of Ballito, The Morning Show serves up a curated mix of contemporary music and classic hits from across the decades, alongside interviews with tastemakers & influencers, plus a healthy dose of local news & views from the booming KZN North Coast. Listen live on lifeandstyle.fm, download our free Radio Life & Style app or find our shows on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all good platforms. ........................................ *About our Sponsor - Excellerate Security: Top estates, shopping centres, and business parks in Ballito and throughout KZN trust Excellerate to keep them safe... Shouldn't your business too? Visit www.excellerate.co.za to find out how their security services can help your business excel today. Excellerate Security - your success is their priority. Radio Life & Style on Facebook · The Morning Show Sponsor: Excellerate Security

Shukri discusses his love of the Charles Dickens Christmas Fair by describing his experience with the event, and the historical background of the Dickens and Renaissance Fair. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/classxpodcast/message

On Wednesday's Morning Focus, Alan was joined by Hilary Tonge who is the Founder of the Ennis Women's Shed and Fiona McSweeney who is the Craft Project Manager. They discussed the upcoming indoor Christmas Fair the Women's Shed will hold this Saturday which will feature an array of entertainment such as Christmas stalls, the visit of Santa Claus, a raffle and prizes. The pair complimented the work of crafters in Clare who will also be present on the day. The indoor Christmas fair will take place from 11am to 6pm on Saturday 10th December at unit 7 Tracklands Business Park Ennis directly across from Shanahan's Paints.

Members of the grade six Entrepreneur Club have been busy for the past few weeks making their own products, and building a marketing plan.

Adria and Allie give this week's details and say goodbye.   Family Events ● December 1st Candy Cane Lane at Woodland Park ● Friday December 2nd - Saturday December 3rd at 10am Santa Shoppes at Elks Lodge ● Friday December 2nd Christmas Fair at 530pm at Jack Barker Memorial Park ● Saturday December 3rd at 9am check in begins for Jingle All the Way 4k at Show Low City Park ● Saturday December 3rd No Snowman Stroll in Downtown Show Low ● Saturday December 3rd at 3pm Photos with Santa at The Morning Rose ● Saturday December 3rd at 6pm Show Low Shines Christmas Parade ● Saturday December 3rd at 10am Annual Cup Of Cheer at St Mary's of the Angels Catholic Church Adult Events :) Upcoming Event ● December 10th WM Symphony Orchestra Christmas Concert ● December 12th Sirens and Sleigh Bells   #AZWM #ARIZONAWHITEMOUNTAINS #AZWHITEMOUNTAINS #ARIZONASBACKYARD Recorded at the Birdman Media Studios. If you would like an event featured on MOUNTAIN TALK, just drop an email to info@birdman.media, and we will work you in. It is best to do so at least 2 weeks before your event. The following are the sponsors of the ARIZONA WHITE MOUNTAINS Podcast show; please visit them and support them when you can, as they make this show possible. Premier Sponsors: Arizona's Mountain Home Hunters Summit Healthcare Town of Pinetop-Lakeside City Of Show Low The Hub   Alberito's Buffalo Bill's Tavern and Grill Darbi's Cafe Firehouse Subs The House Restaurant La Casita Cafe The Lion's Den The Lodge Sports Bar & Grill The Maverick Magazine The Morning Rose Nexus Coalition for Drug Prevention Pour Station - White Mountain Purified Water Solterra Senior Living St. Anthony's School Sutton Weed & Pest Control White Mountain Tees WME Theaters

We're officially kicking off the 2022 season of Christmas Past with a Thanksgiving family gathering, a return to a beloved Bay Area tradition, and a visit to the Cratchit family in London. Cozy up by the fire and welcome the festive season with the entire Christmas Past family. Many thanks to Denise Lamott, Therese Porter, Kevin Patterson, and everyone at The Great Dickens Christmas Fair for making this episode possible. Music in this episode "The Winter Fall by PrabajithK" — Mild Relaxation, via Pixabay "Relaxing Piano Music" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech "Peace and Comfort" — Dee Yan-Key, via Free Music Archive "This Christmas" — Hot Music, via Pixabay Buy the Christmas Past Book! Order your copy today. And remember...it makes a great gift! Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million IndieBound Share a Christmas memory  Be on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from.  Keep in touch christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com Facebook page Facebook group Twitter Instagram Website

Michelle Blake and Gaby Lyle join Mike to discuss the Christmas Fair 2022 Radio Life & Style on Facebook · The Morning Show Sponsor: Excellerate Security

Michelle Blake and Gaby Lyle join Mike to discuss the Christmas Fair 2022

Manx-born Ruth Rice founded the charity Renew Wellbeing following the breakdown of her own mental health, some 12 years ago. Renew Wellbeing helps churches to create safe spaces where basically it's OK to not be OK - all are welcome, no one is judged or labelled - but everyone is gently encouraged to find their own pathway to mental and emotional health - through hobbies and interests, relaxation and quiet time, professional help if its needed, and through making new friendships. Ruth has been sharing her personal A to Z of wellbeing - things that have helped her emotional health - and might help us too. This week she finishes off the alphabet - but she'll be back on the programme in January, with something brand new - and VERY Manx! And Methodist Local Preacher Caroline Salmon (pictured) has an invitation to a day in Peel Methodist Church on Saturday 26 November -and explains why she's proud to be a Christian feminist!! Plus there's music, and another packed notice board - it's Christmas Fair time again!! Email items for the notice board to: judithley@manxradio.com

Standing strong "After The Storm" this fair promises to deliver a ray of sunshine to the community and their traders, after the storm on the 27th and 28th of May in place of the Easter country fair.

Standing strong "After The Storm" this fair promises to deliver a ray of sunshine to the community and their traders, after the storm on the 27th and 28th of May in place of the Easter country fair.

Northview Christian Church pastor Jeff Bream gave us details on their Live Nativity and Christmas Fair this Friday and Saturday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carmen Chalmers, creator of Support the Makers this year has seen a massive surge in makers selling what they have created at their kitchen table. Carmen is a passionate champion for independent makers. She began with the local Christmas maker's markets in Bellfield, which will still go on this year, but the enterprise has snowballed into an Instagram with thousands of followers and the creation of an online marketplace. The Makers' Market at Bellfield is on the 5th of December.The Christmas Workshop at the Skylark is on the 7th of December.The website is  https://supportthemakersuk.com/ support_the_makers on instagramthe dog's instagram is @arlo.thelhasaapso

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Claire Vennis and Joff Lacey take a pre-lockdown look into The Dandy Cat. They talk to owner Karina Swann about the stylish modern gentleman’s emporium.  Karina also mentions The Dandy Cat are in the midst of creating their own gin! Watch this space for more information, hopefully later this year. Sarah Green from the Watoto Trust also visits the P pod to talk about the trust and their online Christmas Fair, which goes live this Saturday November 7th until November 30th.  With 47 stall holders go to  www.watototrust.org for more information. Jon Walker brings the latest news from the Petersphere and Suzie goes a-Wilde Walking on Iping Common.   Music this week comes from Laura Loh with her new single My Heart Knows Better. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 4 Ep. 14Circus freaks/side shows "When you're born, you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front row seat." -- George Carlin    The “freak show,” or “sideshow,” rose to prominence in 16th century England. For centuries, cultures around the world had interpreted severe physical deformities as bad omens or evidence that evil spirits were present; by the late 1500s, these stigmas had translated into public curiosity.                   Businessmen scouted people with abnormalities, swooped them up, and shuttled them throughout Europe, charging small fees for viewings. One of the earliest recorded “freaks” of this era was Lazarus Colloredo, an “otherwise strapping” Italian whose brother, Joannes, protruded, upside down, from his chest. The conjoined twins “both fascinated and horrified the general public,” and the duo even made an appearance before King Charles I in the early 1640s. Castigated from society, people like Lazarus  capitalized on their unique conditions to make a little cash -- even if it meant being made into a public spectacle. Whether it was a person with dwarfism acting as a jester or clown for an individual monarch, or a person with a unique physical impairment displaying her body for the eyes of a curious and gawking public, freaking—exploiting the perceived peculiarities of your own body for an audience—was a means of support for some disabled people who might otherwise have died or struggled to survive. But until the 19th century, freak shows catered to relatively small crowds and didn’t yield particularly healthy profits for showmen or performers. It was in the mid nineteenth and early 20th centuries that freak shows had become a viable commercial enterprise in England and the U.S. alike. America and England both had men who would come into prominence by employing (or exploiting depending on whom you talk too)these types of folks for profit purposes. In England it was a man named Tom Norman. TOM NORMANTom Norman was born on 7 May 1860 in Dallington, Sussex and was the eldest of 17 children. His real name was Noakes and his father Thomas was a butcher who resided at the Manor House in Dallington. According to his autobiography he left home at the age of fourteen to seek fame and fortune on the road and before long he had found employment as a butcher’s assistant in London. Tom first became involved in showbusiness a year later when he went into partnership with a showman who had a penny gaff shop in Islington, exhibiting Mlle Electra(not a typo). However, as is often the case with Tom Norman, the facts are difficult to piece together from the legend and the first record we have for a showman called Norman from this time can be traced to the Agricultural Hall in Islington, the venue for The World’s Fair. Some of the showmen on view that day included the famous Tommy Dodd and his wife, "The smallest people in the world;" and a giant boy aged seventeen. Other showmen presenting attractions were Williams's Ghost Show; Chittock and Testo's dog and monkey circus and Mander’s Huge Collection of Wild Beasts. However, both The Era newspaper report and the handbill for the event note the presence of Norman's performing fishes, which reputedly could not only talk but also play the pianoforte; and Norman’s French Artillery Giant Horse. In his autobiography which was incomplete before his death in 1930, Norman states that he was fifteen when he first appeared at the World’s Fair. Therefore, the Norman mentioned could either have been a showman whose name Tom Noakes went on to use, or he was actually 13 years old when he first left home.By the 1870s the young aspiring showman had been involved in a number of careers including exhibiting Eliza Jenkins, the Skeleton Woman, a popular novelty show at the time, the Balloon Headed Baby and a whole range of freak show attractions as he stated in his autobiography:“But you could indeed exhibit anything in those days. Yes anything from a needle to an anchor, a flea to an elephant, a bloater you could exhibit as a whale. It was not the show, it was the tale that you told.”Perhaps one of the more gruesome shows he was involved with, was 'the woman who bit live rat heads off. 'In his autobiography Tom Norman describes the act a the most gruesome he had ever seen:“Dick Bakers wife, who used to be with me and gave I think now, the most repulsive performance, that I have ever had or seen, during the whole of my long career. it consisted of Mrs Baker, putting her naked hand into a cage, fetch out a live rat and proceed to bite its head off.”The effect on the audience was such wrote Tom that:“More than once, have I seen a member of either sex of the audience, fall forward in a faint during this extraordinary performance.”Tom Norman’s ability to tell the tale was the scene of one of his greatest compliments when in 1882 he was performing at the Royal Agricultural Hall. Unaware that the great showman P. T. Barnum(well get to him don't worry) was in the audience, Tom informed the crowd that none other than the greatest showman on earth had booked the show for its entire run. Upon meeting Tom Norman, Barnum pointed to the large silver Albert chain which he wore and said 'Silver King eh'. Despite being found out, Tom Norman took this as a compliment and from then on he became known as The Silver King.Throughout the 1880s his fame as a showman grew and by 1883 he had thirteen penny gaff shops throughout London including locations such as Whitechapel, Hammersmith, Croydon and Edgeware Road. He still continued to travel with his shows and Norman’s Grand Panorama was a highlight of the Christmas Fair for the 1883/84 season in Islington. It was at this time that Norman came into contact with Joseph Merrick through a showman called George Hitchcock who proposed that Norman took over the London management of the Elephant Man. This episode in Norman’s life is shrouded in controversy as Sir Frederick Treeves, the surgeon who reputedly rescued Joseph Merrick or John as he calls him, blackened the character of Norman in his autobiography published in 1923. There are differing accounts of the way Merrick was treated by Norman. Treeves maintains that he was treated poorly by Norman and simply exploited. There are others who claim that Norman treated Merrick extremely well and that Merrick was never healthier or happier than with Norman. The Elephant Man was managed by Tom for only a few months and after the London shop was closed by the police, Joseph Merrick was taken back by the consortium of Leicester businessmen and placed in the hands of Sam Roper, a travelling showman.Tom Norman’s career continued after the Elephant Man and over the next ten year he became involved with managing a troupe of midgets, exhibiting the famous Man in a Trance show at Nottingham Goose Fair, Mary Anne Bevan the World’s Ugliest Woman, John Chambers the Armless Carpenter and Leonine the Lion Faced Lady. In January 1893, the following advertisement appeared in The Era newspaper and seems to imply that Tom was thinking of leaving England for the Worlds’ Fair which was being held in Chicago. The advertisement appeared for the following weeks and although no details are available as to their final outcome they do give us a glimpse into the type of shows Tom Norman was exhibiting at the time. “Wanted, to Sell, 10ft Living Carriage, Light, One-horse Load, already Fitted for Road, £25, worth £35; also Novelty Booth, good as new, Size, 9ft by18ft, with Novelty and Four New Brass Lamps, with Filler and Oil Drum, by Mellor and Sons, £4; also Piano Organ, nearly New, scarcely soiled, TenTunes, by Capra, suit Waxworks or any Shop Exhibition, £7, worth £18; also Two Fat Paintings, Best on the Road, by Leach, Size 9ft by 10ft, ditto One, same size of Skeleton Girl, all good as new; also Two others of Fats, size 6ft by Thornhill, with large Case to carry the lot, £5, cost £20; also 9ft Square Booth for Performing Fleas, with Two Grand Oil Paintings for same, price £1; also Aerial Suspension for Child 15s; also the Largest Silver Albert in England, made expressly for me, £3, cost £6. The whole of the above to be sold together or separate. Can be seen any time. Reason, I am leaving for Chicago. Apply any Morning before 12.0 to TOM NORMAN, Silver King, Pearce's Temperance Hotel, Elephant and Castle, SE”.In 1896 Tom met and married Amy Rayner at the Royal Agricultural Hall and their marriage lasted until his death in 1930. At that time Tom was travelling his famous Midget show and the Ghost show he had bought from John Parker. Their first son Tom was born in 1899 and was soon followed by Hilda, Ralph, Jimmy, Nelly, Arthur, Amy, Jack, Daisy and George.Soon after the birth of his first son, Tom became an auctioneer and the first show he sold belonged to Fred and George Ginnett. His career as an auctioneer prospered and some of the most famous shows he sold included Lord George Sanger and Frank Bostock's.He advertised in both The Era and The Showman newspapers as the recognised Showman’s Auctioneer and Valuer throughout 1901 and early clients in 1902 included W. T. Kirkland who had concessions at Southport, Morecambe and New Brighton. He instituted the annual Showman and Travellers’ Auction Sales in London, Manchester and Liverpool from 1903 onwards and negotiated sales for showman such as Walter Payne, Edwin Lawrence and many others. His most famous sale to date place in 1905 when he organised the disposal of Lord George Sanger’s Zoo at Margate. This was followed by what Tom Norman described as the crowning point in my life as regards the auctioneering business, when he was called upon by Sanger to auction the whole of his travelling circus effects. The following tribute published in 1901 demonstrates the esteem in which he was held by the fairground fraternity:'Mr Norman believes in catering for modern tastes - brilliancy; brightness, cleanliness and order are Tom’s strong points'Tom Norman continued to travel with his shows and maintained his penny gaff shops in London while basing the auctioneering side of the business at his family home the Manor House Dallington. Although Tom did not reveal in his autobiography the reasons for changing his name, he obviously maintained links with his place of birth in order to base this part of his business activities there.In the period leading up the First World War, Tom was now the father of ten children, nine surviving and his sons Tom, Ralph, Jimmy, Arthur and George had inherited their father’s showmanship. Ralph Van became known as Hal Denver and travelled throughout Europe and America as a wild west performer, George and Arthur found fame as clowns in many of the world’s greatest circuses and Tom and Jim Norman remained on the fairground.By 1915 the family were firmly based in Croydon and Tom was starting to dispose of some of his business concerns when his eldest son Tom Jnr enlisted. The shops for sale included Tom Norman's New Exhibition with waxworks and novelty museum and the Croydon Central Auction Rooms. Tom slowly retired from the fairground business and although he maintained his auctioneering concerns, he mainly concentrated on buying and selling caravans and dealing in horses for circuses and pantomimes. After the end of the first World War, Tom became restless again and appeared at the Olympia Circus in 1919 with Phoebe the Strange Girl and exhibited at Birmingham and Dreamland, Margate in 1921. Tom also returned to the venue where he had first started, The Royal Agricultural Hall and worked there throughout the 1920s although he was living in semi-retirement at the family base in Beddington Lane, Croydon.Tom Norman left behind a comfortable professional birthright to become one of the leading travelling showmen of his day. The benevolence he showed to his fellow showmen, his association with the newly formed Van Dwelling’s Association and his role in the United Kingdom Temperance Association demonstrate the injustice done to his reputation by inaccurate accounts of The Elephant Man. He died in Croydon on 24 August 1930, while according to his son George Van Norman, making plans to travel to a large auction show around the country.The following tribute was published in the World’s Fair.'There are very few showmen who have not met the famous showman’s auctioneer, “The Silver King”, He has been a conspicuous and charismatic figure in our business for the past half a century and has conducted more showman’ sales than any other auctioneer in the country... During his fifty years with us, he has endeared himself to all section from the humblest to the highest. He was a charming personality with a commanding appearance that left a lifetime impression upon anyone that he met. All his life he has been a showman and as such he died.'So that's England's great showman, the man who really helped bring freak shows to prominence ther. But as i mentioned earlier, the U.S. had one as well. He was brought up earlier and I'm sure you all know who it is.. Good old Phineas Taylor Barnum, better known as P.T. Now, now i'm sure most of you know at least a little about him, or have at some point as a kid been to a circus with his name somewhere in the title. Some of you younger listeners may have missed out on the joys of the circus. Were gonna take a loom at his life and how he rose to prominence.P.T. BARNUMBarnum was born in Bethel, Connecticut, the son of innkeeper, tailor, and store-keeper Philo Barnum (1778–1826) and his second wife Irene Taylor. His maternal grandfather Phineas Taylor was a Whig, legislator, landowner, justice of the peace, and lottery schemer who had a great influence on him.Barnum was 15 years old when his father died, and the support of his mother and his five sisters and brothers fell largely upon his shoulders. After holding a variety of jobs, he became publisher of a Danbury, Connecticut, weekly newspaper, Herald of Freedom. Arrested three times for libel, he enjoyed his first taste of notoriety.In 1829, at age 19, Barnum married a 21-year-old Bethel woman, Charity Hallett, who was to bear him four daughters. In 1834 he moved to New York City, where he found his vocation as a showman. He began his career as a showman in 1835 when he was 25 with the purchase and exhibition of a blind and almost completely paralyzed slave woman named Joice Heth, whom an acquaintance was trumpeting around Philadelphia as George Washington's former nurse and 161 years old. Slavery was already outlawed in New York, but he exploited a loophole which allowed him to lease her for a year for $1,000, borrowing $500 to complete the sale. Heth died in February 1836, at no more than 80 years old. Barnum had worked her for 10 to 12 hours a day, and he hosted a live autopsy of her body in a New York saloon where spectators paid 50 cents to see the dead woman cut up, as he revealed that she was likely half her purported age. It was very common for Barnum's acts to be schemes and not altogether true. Barnum was fully aware of the improper ethics behind his business as he said, "I don't believe in duping the public, but I believe in first attracting and then pleasing them." During the 1840s Barnum began his museum, which had a constantly rotating acts schedule, which included The Fat Lady, midgets, giants, and other people deemed to be freaks. The museum drew in about 400,000 visitors a year.THE AMERICAN MUSEUM During the 1840s Barnum began his museum, which had a constantly rotating acts schedule, which included The Fat Lady, midgets, giants, and other people deemed to be freaks. The museum drew in about 400,000 visitors a year.[14]P.T. Barnum's American Museum was one of the most popular museums in New York City to exhibit freaks. In 1841 Barnum purchased The American Museum, which made freaks the major attraction, following mainstream America in the mid-19th century. Barnum was known to advertise aggressively and make up outlandish stories about his exhibits. The façade of the museum was decorated with bright banners showcasing his attractions and included a band that performed outside. Barnum's American Museum also offered multiple attractions that not only entertained but tried to educate and uplift its working-class visitors. Barnum offered one ticket that guaranteed admission to his lectures, theatrical performances, an animal menagerie, and a glimpse at curiosities both living and dead.One of Barnum's exhibits centered around Charles Sherwood Stratton, the dwarf billed as "General Tom Thumb" who was then 4 years of age but was stated to be 11. Charles had stopped growing after the first 6 months of his life, at which point he was 25 inches (64 cm) tall and weighed 15 pounds (6.8 kg). With heavy coaching and natural talent, the boy was taught to imitate people from Hercules to Napoleon. By 5, he was drinking wine, and by 7 smoking cigars for the public's amusement. During 1844–45, Barnum toured with Tom Thumb in Europe and met Queen Victoria, who was amused and saddened by the little man, and the event was a publicity coup. Barnum paid Stratton handsomely - about $150.00 a week. When Stratton retired, he lived in the most esteemed neighborhood of New York, he owned a yacht, and dressed in the nicest clothing he could buy.In 1860, The American Museum had listed and archived thirteen human curiosities in the museum, including an albino family, The Living Aztecs, three dwarfs, a black mother with two albino children, The Swiss Bearded Lady, The Highland Fat Boys, and What Is It? (Henry Johnson, a mentally disabled black man). Barnum introduced the "man-monkey" William Henry Johnson, a microcephalic black dwarf who spoke a mysterious language created by Barnum and was known as Zip the Pinhead . In 1862, he discovered the giantess Anna Swan and Commodore Nutt, a new Tom Thumb, with whom Barnum visited President Abraham Lincoln at the White House. During the Civil War, Barnum's museum drew large audiences seeking diversion from the conflict.Barnum's most popular and highest grossing act was the Tattooed Man, George Contentenus. He claimed to be a Greek-Albanian prince raised in a Turkish harem. He had 338 tattoos covering his body. Each one was ornate and told a story. His story was that he was on a military expedition but was captured by native people, who gave him the choice of either being chopped up into little pieces or receive full body tattoos. This process supposedly took three months and Contentenus was the only hostage who survived. He produced a 23-page book, which detailed every aspect of his experience and drew a large crowd. When Contentenus partnered with Barnum, he began to earn more than $1,000 a week($31,000 in 2020). His wealth became so staggering that the New York Times wrote, "He wears very handsome diamond rings and other jewelry, valued altogether at about $3,000 [roughly $93,000 in 2020 dollars] and usually goes armed to protect himself from persons who might attempt to rob him." Though Contentenus was very fortunate, other freaks were not. Upon his death in 1891, he donated about half of his life earnings to other freaks who Barnum retired in 1865 when his museum burnt to the ground. Though Barnum was and still is criticized for exploitation, he paid the performers fairly handsome sums of money. Some of the acts made the equivalent of what some sports stars make today. Between 1842, when he took over the American Museum, and 1868, when he gave it up after fires twice had all but destroyed it, Barnum’s gaudy showmanship enticed 82 million visitors—among them Henry and William James, Charles Dickens, and Edward VII, then prince of Wales—into his halls and to his other enterprises.  Barnum did not enter the circus business until he was 60 years old. He established "P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome" in Delavan, Wisconsin, in 1870 with William Cameron Coup; it was a traveling circus, menagerie, and museum of "freaks". It went through various names: "P. T. Barnum's Travelling World's Fair, Great Roman Hippodrome and Greatest Show on Earth", and "P. T. Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth, And The Great London Circus, Sanger's Royal British Menagerie and The Grand International Allied Shows United" after an 1881 merger with James Bailey and James L. Hutchinson, soon shortened to "Barnum & Bailey's". This entertainment phenomenon was the first circus to display three rings.[25] The show's first primary attraction was Jumbo, an African elephant that Barnum purchased in 1882 from the London Zoo. The Barnum and Bailey Circus still contained acts similar to his Traveling Menagerie, including acrobats, freak shows, and General Tom Thumb. Barnum persisted in growing the circus in spite of more fires, train disasters, and other setbacks, and he was aided by circus professionals who ran the daily operations. He and Bailey split up in 1885, but they came back together in 1888 with the "Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show On Earth", later "Barnum & Bailey Circus" which toured the world.Barnum was one of the first circus owners to move his circus by train, on the suggestion of Bailey and other business partners, and probably the first to own his own train. Given the lack of paved highways in America at that time, this turned out to be a shrewd decision that vastly expanded Barnum's geographical reach. In this new industry, Barnum leaned more on the advice of his partners, most of whom were young enough to be his sons.Barnum became known as the "Shakespeare of Advertising" due to his innovative and impressive ideas.     Barnum went on to write his autobiography and do something interesting, more interested in publicity than profits, he made his biography public domain. This meant that anyone who wanted to publish his biography could do so without having to secure rights for it. In his 81st year, Barnum fell gravely ill. At his request, a New York newspaper published his obituary in advance so that he might enjoy it. Two weeks later, after inquiring about the box office receipts of the circus, Barnum died in his Connecticut mansion. The Times of London echoed the world press in its final tribute: “He created the métier of showman on a grandiose scale.…He early realized that essential feature of a modern democracy, its readiness to be led to what will amuse and instruct it.…His name is a proverb already, and a proverb it will continueThose are the stories, for the most part of two of the major players in the freakshow game. There were more, and maybe we will revisit the rest of the stories and the other folks involved at a later date but for now we are going to move on to what you all want…some of the coolest  freaks there were!!!LAZARUS COLLOREDOWe mentioned this fellow a bit earlier and it was time to bring him back. Born in 1617 in Genoa, Italy, Colloredo would exhibit himself all across Europe during his lifetime. Colloredo is among the earliest—and most extraordinary—recorded cases of parasitic twins. We found this description of Lazarus by Danish anatomist Thomas Bartholinus, as detailed in the 19th-century book, Kirby’s Wonderful and Eccentric Museum: “I saw, saith Bartholinus, Lazarus Colloredo, the Genoese, first at Copenhagen, after at Basil, when he was twenty-eight years of age, but in both places with amazement. This Lazarus had a little brother growing out at his breast, who was in that posture born with him. If I mistake not, the bone, called xyphoideus, in both of them grew together; his left foot along hung downwards; he had two arms but only three fingers upon each hand: some appearance there was of the secret parts: he moved his hands ears and lips, and had a little beating in the breast. This little brother voids no excrements but by the mouth, nose, and ears, and is nourished by that which the greater takes: he has distinct animal and vital parts from the greater, since he sleeps, sweats, and moves when the other wakes, rests and sweats not. Both received their names at the font; the greater that of Lazarus, and the other that of Johannes Baptista. The natural bowels, as the liver, spleen, &c. are the same in both. Johannes Baptista hath his eyes for the most part shut: his breath small, so that holding a feather at his mouth it scarcely moves, but holding the hand there we find a small and warm breath. His mouth is usually open, and wet with spittle; his head is bigger than that of Lazarus, but deformed; his hair hanging down while his face is in an upright posture. Both have beards; that of Baptista is neglected, but that of Lazarus very neat. Lazarus is of a just stature, a decent body, courteous deportment, and gallantly attired: he covers the body of his brother with his cloak, nor would you think a monster lay within at your first discourse with him. He seemed always of a constant mind, unless that now and then he was solicitous as to his end, for he feared the death of his brother, presaging that when it came to pass, he should also expire with the stench and putrefaction of his body; and therefore he took greater care of his brother than himself.”Well then! That sounds like a fucking insane thing to see!!TARRAREThe walking manifestation of one of the seven deadly sins prowled the cobbled streets of 18th-century Paris, seeking only to indulge his endless hunger. Earlier in life, his dietary needs started out robustly, but were otherwise innocuous. However, things would soon take a sinister turn so far as this overzealous diner was concerned. According to contemporary accounts and existent medical records, his quenchless appetite continued growing to the point that his legendarily gluttonous gorging caused this ravenous Frenchman to ingest live animals and maraud morgues for sustenance. He was once even suspected of kidnapping and devouring a toddler.The crack team at Ripleys.com was able to speak with a doctor who specializes in science-based nutrition in search of a possible diagnosis, but first, let’s chew the fat on the life of this legendary cannibal and his strange circumstances of existence. Be warned, this is not for the weak of heart—but if you think you can stomach it, then strap in! PARIS, CIRCA 1788With a large, lip-less mouth stretched wide beyond human regularity and filled with stained teeth, he ate corks, stones, entire baskets of apples—one at a time in quick succession—and live animals (his favorite was snake) for the morbid amusement of repulsed onlookers that were challenged to satiate his seemingly interminable appetite.Like most modern competitive binge-eaters, Tarrare was diminutive in stature, weighing no more than one hundred pounds—prior to eating, at least. Despite all of his daily intake, he never seemed to keep any of the weight on. When empty, his stomach was loosely distended to the point that he could wrap it around his waist as if it were a belt made of his own, still-attached flesh. When full, it was inflated like a balloon—not unlike a pregnant woman in her final trimester. His hair was fair and soft, while his cheeks, when not engaged at capacity—allegedly able to hold so much as a dozen eggs—were wrinkled and hung slack to create premature jowls.Prior to life as a successful street performer, the individual is known only by his stage name, Tarrare, lived in destitution as part of a traveling caravan of criminal misfits. Born in the rural countryside surrounding the epicenter of the booming silk-weaving trade in Lyon, France in approximately 1772, his rapacious appetite was readily apparent from an early age. As the legend goes, a young Tarrare was capable of eating his own bodyweight in cow meat within a 24-hour period. Sadly, this boundless craving forced him out of his family’s home as a teenager, as they could no longer afford to feed him.After several years of touring the country as a vagabond begging for food, for a time Tarrare became the opener for a snake-oil peddling mountebank before taking off to Paris to perform as a solo act. With success came risk. Tarrare once collapsed mid-performance with what was later discovered to be an intestinal obstruction, requiring his audience to carry him to the nearby Hôtel-Dieu hospital. After being treated with laxatives, a grateful Tarrare offered to demonstrate his talents by eating the surgeon’s pocket watch. The surgeon agreed, but only under the condition that he be allowed to cut Tarrare open to retrieve it. Wisely, Tarrare declined.It was during the French War of the First Coalition when respected military surgeon Dr. Pierre-François Percy first made the acquaintance of the inexplicable Tarrare, now a soldier for the French Revolutionary Army. Barely twenty years old, this peculiar patient proved to be quite extraordinary. Unable to subsist off of military rations alone, Tarrare began doing odd jobs around the base for other soldiers in exchange for their rations and, when that proved to be insufficient, foraged for food scraps in dunghills. Despite all of his scrounging, Tarrare succumbed to exhaustion and was admitted to a military hospital under the care of Dr. Percy.There, even being granted quadruple rations failed to satiate his hunger. Tarrare began to eat out of the garbage, steal the food of other patients, and even chow down on the hospital’s bandage supply. Psychological testing found Tarrare to be apathetic, but otherwise sane.Percy’s report described Tarrare as having bloodshot eyes and constantly being overheated and sweating, with a body odor so rancid that he could be smelled from twenty feet away—and that’s by 18th-century French military surgeon standards. Woof. The smell only got worse after eating. Percy described it as being so bad he literally had visible stink lines.After eating, Tarrare would succumb to the itis and pass out. Percy observed this after preparing a meal made for fifteen to test Tarrare’s limits, which he predictably porked down. Percy continued this experiment by feeding Tarrare live animals: a cat—which he drank the blood of and after consuming, like an owl, he only regurgitated its fur—lizards, snakes, puppies, and an entire eel.Months of experimentation passed before the military discovered a way to put Tarrare’s unique ability to use: Tarrare was commissioned as a spy for the French Army of the Rhine. His first mission was to secretly courier a document across enemy lines in a place that it could not easily be detected if caught: his digestive tract. After being paid with a wheelbarrow full of thirty pounds of raw bull viscera—which he ate immediately upon presentation directly in front of what we can only imagine to be the incredibly revolted generals and other commanding officers—Tarrare swallowed a wooden box containing a document that could pass through his system completely in-tact and be delivered to a high-ranking prisoner of war in Prussia. As one might expect, an individual who smells like a foot and compulsively eats from the garbage would likely attract attention—not exactly the ideal, hallmark makings of a spy.Compound this with the fact that Tarrare did not speak any German and he was quickly caught, beaten, imprisoned, and forced to undergo the psychological torment of a mock execution before being returned to France.Again under the care of Dr. Percy, the trauma Tarrare endured left him incapable of continuing his military service and desperate to find a cure for his condition. Laudanum opiates, wine vinegar, tobacco pills, and a diet of soft-boiled eggs were all employed, but Tarrare was still forced to walk the streets fighting stray dogs for discarded slaughterhouse cuisine, drink the blood of patients who were being treated with bloodletting, and was even caught consuming cadavers from the hospital morgue multiple times. Eventually, a toddler went missing from the hospital and Tarrare, the suspected culprit, was chased from the premises before disappearing into the city.Dr. Percy is contacted by a physician of Versailles hospital at the behest of a patient on their deathbed. Sure enough, it was Tarrare, now brought to death’s door by what he professed to be a golden fork he had swallowed two years previously and was now lodged inside of him. It had been four years since Percy had last seen Tarrare, who hoped he could save his life by removing the fork. Unfortunately for Tarrare, it was not a fork that was killing him, but end-stage tuberculosis. Within a month, he passed.A curious colleague intended to inspect Tarrare’s corpse. However, fellow surgeons refused to partake and it quickly became a race against the clock as the body began to rot rapidly. Findings from the autopsy revealed that Tarrare possessed a shockingly-wide esophagus which allowed spectators to look directly from his open mouth into his stomach, which was unfathomably large and lined with ulcers. His body was full of pus, his liver and gallbladder abnormally large, and the fork was never recovered. So, what was the cause of Tarrare’s insatiable hunger? In short, we don’t know for sure. When contemporary medical procedures of the time included drinking raw mercury to clear out head demons (probably), should it come as a surprise that Tarrare received no suitable diagnosis or treatment in his own lifetime?However, some interesting theories have been suggested over the years. Ripleys.com was able to speak to Dr. Don Moore, a chiropractor certified in science-based nutrition and owner and operator of Synergy Pro Wellness, to get his take on things.Now, granted, there is a possibility that Dr. Percy’s personal documentation in the years following Tarrare’s death were exaggerated or falsified, but they were considered credible enough at the time of their publication to be featured in reputable medical texts such as The Study of Medicine, Popular Physiology, and London Medical and Physical Journal. Plus, Dr. Percy is considered the father of military surgeons, was Chief Surgeon to the French Army, a university professor, inventor of important battlefield medical implements, and is considered an all-around highly reputable guy. So, given we accept the above tale as an accurate representation of Tarrare’s symptoms, what does Dr. Moore have to say about it?“It can be broken down by category: He didn’t suffer from psychosis, so he was completely aware and cognitive. But that doesn’t rule out hyperactivity of hormones and dysfunction of components of the brain. His sensor that would let him know he was full was damaged. If he underwent a brain study, he would have probably been identified as having had an enlarged hypothalamus.” The hypothalamus regulates the body’s temperature and is responsible for causing the sensation of hunger. Given Tarrare was constantly overheated and in dire search of food, it’s a perfect fit. Dr. Moore also suspects a possible case of pica, which causes the eating of non-edible objects.As for why Tarrare never weighed more than one hundred pounds, Dr. Moore adroitly theorizes, based on his habitually eating raw meat: “He most likely had a parasite as well. The fact that he was of normal size means something else is being nourished, and the fact that he was constantly hungry leans towards him feeding a secondary organism. A parasite like a hookworm or roundworm, perhaps.”  FANNIE MILLSThis next one...i had to put in for obvious reasons! As far as freak shows go, Fanny Mills was one of the most unusual performers to ever step foot inside the sideshow tent. Known as the “Ohio BigFoot Girl,” Fanny seemed normal in every respect…except for her massive feet. Fanny was born in Sussex, England in 1860, and then immigrated with her family to Sandusky, Ohio. The condition that brought her notoriety was Milroy Disease, a rare disorder that causes lymphedema, in which the lower legs and feet swell with lymph fluid. Neither of Fanny’s sisters were born with the disease.Fanny was a petite woman who only weighed 115 pounds. Her feet, however, were 19 inches long and 7 inches wide. She wore a size 30 shoe made of three goatskins.Fanny started touring the country in 1885 as “that girl from Ohio” with the “biggest feet on Earth.” She traveled with a nurse named Mary Brown, who helped her get around. Her promoters advertised her to unwed men as “a boon for poor bachelors,” offering $5,000 and a well-stocked farm to any respectable man who would marry her.“Don’t permit two big feet to stand between you and wedlock tinged with fortune,” the ad read. Fanny eventually married William Brown, Mary’s brother, in 1886.She retired from show business in 1891 because of an illness, and died later that yearGRADY STILES JR.This guy is another famous guy. But you may not know his whole, incredibly crazy story! He’s the mutha fuckin lobster boy!!! The Stiles family was suffering from a peculiar physical condition known as Ectrodactyly, which is a rare congenital deformity that makes the hand look like lobster claws as the middle fingers are either missing or seemingly fused to the thumb or pinky finger.The family has been afflicted for over a century with ectrodactyly, a condition commonly known as the Lobster claw. It is an uncommon inherent distortion of the hand where the center digit is missing and the hand is parted where the metacarpal of the finger ought to be.This split regularly gives the hands the presence of lobster hooks in spite of the fact that cases run in seriousness. Frequently this condition happens in both the hands and the feet and, while it is an acquired condition, it can skirt an age. While the term ectrodactyly sounds medicinally clean when contrasted with ‘Lobster Claw Syndrome’.While many have viewed Ectrodactyly as a handicap, for the Stiles family it came with an opportunity. The physical condition stayed within the family and any newcomer to the family came out with unusual hands and feet.But one member from the family, Grady stiles Jr., would give the Stiles’ family a different reputation when he became a serial abuser and murderer.The home of Gardy Stiles, or popularly known as the lobster boy was an unpleasant place to be. During the carnival season in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Grady was one of the many sideshow performers who people came to gawk at some time in wonder and sometimes out of rudeness.Grady never concerned himself too much with the opinions of onlookers, he was only there to put on a show, his audience was impressed or not. Grady was born with a severe deformity that gave him the name, The Lobster Boy.GRADY STILES JR. A.K.A THE LOBSTER BOY (CREDIT: YOUTUBE)Lobster Boy was born in Pittsburgh in 1937, at that point his father was already part of the “freak show” circuit, adding his kids with the peculiar physical condition to the act.Because of the deformity Grady couldn’t walk and was confined to a wheelchair, his legs were almost flipper-like and unable to bear weight this resulted in him using his upper body to maneuver around usually in a wheelchair.All of the locomotion provided by his arms turned Grady into a rather strong man despite his downfalls but he didn’t only utilize his to make his life easier for himself but also to make other’s life harder.For most of his life, Gary primarily used a wheelchair — but also learned to use his power to use his upper body to pull himself across the floor with impressive strength.As Grady grew up he would become immensely strong, something which will cost his family later in life.At age 19 Mary ran off to join the carnival, escaping her old life, oddly enough she felt she belonged best there. Despite the fact that she was surrounded by people with shocking abilities and deformities but for her this was normal.Mary Theresa wasn’t there for the same reasons the performers were but the carnival always needed staff to keep the shows running. It was here that she met Grady Stiles.Mary Theresa didn’t see the monster in Grady as others had, she quickly fell in love with Grady and the two were married within no time. Together they had two children and, like his father before him, introduced the children with ectrodactyly to the family business.Grady added his children into his sideshow with him traveling as an act known as the Lobster Family, of the many issues that were in the family, money wasn’t one of them. The family would make $50,000-$80,000 per season and Grady was considered the major star of the show.There were no gimmicks with the lobster family no tricks or illusions, What the crowd saw is what the crowd got.Once the winter set in the show’s closed down and many of their performers including the Stiles family resided in Florida until the new season came around.Despite the pleasant weather and more free time, Grady still didn’t hesitate to inflict physical and emotional pain on his family.If Many only would have known when she was younger what she knew after marrying Grady perhaps it would have made a difference.Mary recollected that Grady was the best anybody could be, a genuinely honorable man however as soon he poured the liquor in his body, something in his brain changed and he would abandon a nobleman to a harsh spouse and father. He turned into a much more alarming man, a genuine beast, more noteworthy than the one others considered him to be. He was a real nightmare come to life.Marry was impacted in ways that she would never forget. She remembered that her husband was a great guy when he woke up in the morning by 8:00 am and started drinking by 10 and would be miserable for the rest of the day.In 1973, Grady-Mary’s marriage hit its first end when Mary decided that she couldn’t take the abuse any longer after Grday launched himself at her, took her to the floor, ripped her pantyhose, reached his clawed hand and ripped out the intrauterine device, a device used to prevent pregnancy, and used her hands to choke her – something they were seemingly designed to do well.Mary was so disgusted, horrified, and emotionally wounded that she wisely left him.The worst was yet to come after Mary was gone, Grady started drinking even more and when her teenage daughter, Donna fell in love with a young man that he didn’t approve of, he didn’t take the decision very well.Donna and Jack Lane were in loved and wanted to marry but Grady forbade the marriage threatening to kill Jack numerous times. Donna was unhappy with her drunk and abusive father and wanted an escape.Donna told Grady that if he didn’t approve the underage marriage, she would live with Jack anyway. This further enraged Grady who prided himself in the way he dominated his family and controlled them.Grady was home when Jack came home to see him on the night before Jack and Donna were to be married, thinking that maybe Grady has changed his mind and is now happy with our marriage.Instead of agreeing, Stiles picked up his shotgun and murdered his daughter’s fiance in cold blood. HE sat there while his daughter came and said ‘I told you I would kill him.’Grady went to trial where the defense attempted to get the jury to pity Grady and his condition. The defense played heavily into the fact that Grady had an unfortunate life driven to drinking and violence by the incessant struggles he faced.Grady even managed to shed some tears in the courtroom, his daughter Donna took the stand and told him that “she would see him at his grave.”The jury took three hours in deciding that Grady was guilty of third-degree-murder, Grady received a sentence of 15 years but not in prison but 15 years of probation.The state believed that their prison system even in their handicap accessible facilities weren’t equipped to handle the specific need for Grady Stiles: no prison could deal with his handicap and to restrict him to jail would be merciless and irregular discipline. He additionally, at this point, had procured liver cirrhosis from drinking and had emphysema from long stretches of cigarette smoking.So Grady got to serve his sentence from home where he continued to drink heavily and beat his children.For reasons that no one — either in the Stiles family or outside of it — has been able to understand, his first wife agreed to remarry him in 1989.Mary who left Grady earlier came back in his life again in 1989 and surprisingly enough forgave the monster for all his wrongdoings.As earlier Grady was decent for a while but after some time the monster in him came back to haunt the lives of Mary and her children. The violence surged back to the surface as did copious amounts of sexual assault.A couple of years after she remarried Stiles, she paid her 17-year-old neighbor, Chris Wyant, $1,500 to murder him. Mary Teresa’s child from another marriage, Glenn, helped her imagine the thought and complete the arrangement.One night, Wyant took a .32 Colt Automatic he had a companion buy for him. He went into Stiles’ trailer, Grady was watching television in his underwear, Wyant put 2 round in the back of his head at the point-clear range, killing him instantly.Freedom But with A CostPolice arrested Mary, her son Harry and the killer Wyant. The jury convicted Wyant of second-degree murder and sentenced him to 27 years in prison.Not one of them denied that they had intended to kill Grady Stiles. During the trial, his wife spoke at length of his abusive history. “My husband was going to kill my family,” she told the court, “I believe that from the bottom of my heart.”Unfortunately for Mary’s child Glenn, self-defense isn’t applicable when hiring a hitman and Glenn was convicted of first-degree murder and was given life-sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years.At least one of their children, Cathy, testified against him as well.Mary was also charged with first-degree murder and her conviction was reduced to manslaughter and she was sentenced to 12 years behind bars.She unsuccessfully appealed her conviction and began to serve her sentence in February of 1997. She had tried to get Glenn to take a plea bargain but he refused. The court sentenced him to life in prison.Just as a significant portion of his living family was being tried for his murder, Grady Stiles’ body was put to rest. Or unrest, as it were: Lobster Boy was so disliked, not just in his family but within the community, that the funeral home could not find anyone willing to be pallbearers.That's a story that most people don't know about the Lobster Boy!!ELLA HARPERMost sources indicate that Ella Harper was born in Hendersonville, Tennessee around 1870 – although there are some conflicting reports. It has also been revealed that Ella had a twin brother, who died quite early. What is not argued, however, is the fact that Ella was born with an unusual orthopedic condition resulting in knees that bent backwards.  The nature of this unusual affliction is exceedingly rare and relatively unknown, however most modern medical types would classify her condition and a very advanced form of congenital genu recurvatum – also known as ‘back knee deformity’. Her unusually bent knees, coupled with her preference of walking on all fours resulted in her moniker of ‘The Camel Girl’.In 1886, Ella was the star of W. H. Harris’s Nickel Plate Circus, often appearing accompanied by a camel when presented to audiences and she was a feature in the newspapers of every town the circus visited. Those newspapers touted Ella as ‘the most wonderful freak of nature since the creation of the world’ and that her ‘counterpart never did exist’.The back of Ella’s 1886 pitch card is far more modest in its information: I am called the camel girl because my knees turn backward. I can walk best on my hands and feet as you see me in the picture. I have traveled considerably in the show business for the past four years and now, this is 1886 and I intend to quit the show business and go to school and fit myself for another occupation. It appears that Ella did indeed move on to other ventures, and her $200 a week salary likely opened many doors for her. For quite some time no further information was available on Ella following 1886, but recently a genealogist managed to not only trace Ella’s family tree, but also provide some information regarding her life after sideshow.On 28 June 1905 Ella Harper married a man named Robert L. Savely. Savely was a school teacher and later a bookkeeper for a photo supplies company.  A 1910 Census shows Ella and her husband living in Nashville, Tennessee with Ella’s mother and it also revealed that Ella and her husband had adopted a 3 month old child, but that the child passed away only 18 days later.We also now know that Ella died of colon cancer on 19 December 1921 in Nashville, Tennessee and that she was buried at Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville. A simple gravestone marks her plot, but she is surrounded by family.LEONARD TRASK THE WONDERFUL INVALIDSome human marvels are made, not born. Often their manufacture is accidental and painful, such is the case of Leonard Trask. Born on June 30, 1805 in Hartford, Maine Trask suffered a major neck injury in his 20’s when he was thrown from his horse. The story was that a pig ran under the hooves of his horse and, after being thrown from the back of his steed, Trask spent several days crawling back home. Despite the serious injury, Trask continued to work as a farm hand until his spine began to bow.Soon, Trask’s chin was pressed into his chest permanently, and subsequent injuries only exasperated his misery. In 1840 he took a nasty fall and in 1853 he was thrown from his wagon and broke 4 ribs and his collarbone. On May 24, 1858 Trask was involved in a high-speed coach accident, in which he and several passengers where thrown to the ground. In the accident, Trask struck his head and opened ‘a gash in his head five inches long’. The injury was severe, and he was not expected to survive, but he did and was even more disabled and miserable as a result of the injury.Through much of his adult life, his wife took care of him, and despite his physical limitations he fathered seven children with her. Unable to work, Trask was eventually able to spin his status as a medical curiosity into small career as a human oddity attraction to the general public. As “The Wonderful Invalid”, Trask was able to capture a small measure of fame. His 1860 self-published story A Brief Historical Sketch of the Life and Sufferings of Leonard Trask, the Wonderful Invalid, which included accounts of his activities like ‘Mr. Trask at the Circus’ and ‘Mr.Trask Going to Drink’ that were both amusing and sad.At the time of his death on April 13, 1861 Trask’s condition was still not officially diagnosed despite seeing more than 22 doctors during his lifetime. Today Trask would be diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis, a condition that affect less than 0.2% of the general populationJOSEPHINE MYRTLE COARBINFor all intents and purposes, Josephine Myrtle Corbin was a normal girl. Her birth was not marked by anything out of the ordinary, and her mother claimed to have had a typical labor and delivery, apart from the baby being momentarily in the breech position.The doctors who examined the baby after birth reported her to be strong and healthy, adding that she was growing at a good rate. A year later she was found to be nursing “healthily” and “thriving well.”Overall, Myrtle Corbin was a perfectly healthy, active, and thriving baby girl. All in spite of having four legs.Perfectly Ordinary (Almost)After being born with four legs, two normal sized ones on either side of a pair of diminutive ones, the doctor who delivered Myrtle Corbin felt it necessary to point out the factors they felt could have resulted in her deformity. First, the baby’s parents, the doctors said, were about 10 years apart in age. William H. Corbin was 25, and his wife Nancy was 34. Second, the doctors noted that the couple bore a striking resemblance to each other. Both of them were redheads, with blue eyes and very fair complexions. They actually looked so similar that the doctors felt it necessary to explicitly point out that the two were not “blood kin” in their medical reports.Despite the two factors the doctors listed, it seemed that the young girl was simply an oddity – her parents had had seven other children, all of whom were perfectly ordinary.Later, it would be determined that she was born with dipygus and her condition was likely the result of her body’s axis splitting as it developed. As a result, she was born with two pelvises side by side.With each pelvis, she had two sets of legs, one normal sized, and one small. The two small legs were side by side, flanked on either side by two normal legs, though one with a clubbed foot.According to medical journals written by the physicians that studied Myrtle Corbin throughout her life, she was able to move her smaller inner legs, though they weren’t strong enough for her to be able to walk on. Which, of course, didn’t really matter, as they were not long enough to touch the ground.In 1881 at age 13, Myrtle Corbin joined the sideshow circuit under the moniker “The Four-Legged Girl From Texas.” After showing her to curious neighbors and charging them a dime each, her father realized her potential for publicity and for cash. He had promotional pamphlets made up and began placing ads in newspapers for people to come see her.The promotional pamphlets described her as a girl with “as gentle of disposition as the summer sunshine and as happy as the day is long.” And, indeed, that appeared to be true.Throughout her time as a sideshow attraction, she became wildly popular. Eventually, rather than bringing the curious onlookers to her she began traveling. By visiting small towns and cities and performing for the public, she ended up earning up to $450 a week.Eventually, famed showman P.T. Barnum heard about her and hired her for his show.For four years, she continued to work for Barnum and even inspired several other showmen to produce fake four-legged humans for their own shows when they couldn’t get her. At 18 years old, Myrtle Corbin retired from the sideshow business. She’d met a doctor named Clinton Bicknell and fallen in love. At 19, the two were married.About a year later in the spring of 1887, Myrtle Corbin discovered she was pregnant. She’d gone to a doctor in Blountsville, Ala., complaining of pain in her left side, fever, headache, and a decreased appetite. Despite her unique anatomy (she had two sets of internal and external reproductive anatomies), doctors did not believe there was a reason she couldn’t carry to term. Though she became gravely ill during the first three months of her pregnancy, resulting in her doctor performing an abortion, she ended up giving birth to four more healthy children in her life.After performing in the sideshow and giving birth to her children, Myrtle Corbin’s life was rather normal. Though her case continued to pop up in medical journals around the country, she maintained a quiet existence in her Texas home with her husband and children.Eventually in 1928, she died as the result of a streptococcal skin infection. Though antibiotics make the condition easily treatable today, in the 1920s there was no such treatment available.SEALOStanislaus Berent  was an American freak who performed at many freak shows, including the World Circus Sideshow in 1941 under the stage name of Sealo the Seal Boy (often stylized to just Sealo). He was known for his seal-like arms, which were caused by a congenital medical condition known as phocomelia. In 2001, Mat Fraser's play inspired by Sealo called Sealboy: Freak debuted. Berent was born November 24, 1901 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  He was brought up as a Polish Catholic and suffered from an extremely rare congenital disorder known as phocomelia, which caused his "seal arms".  He had no arms; his hands grew from his shoulders. Sealo started off his career as a newspaper seller, then was discovered by freak scouters.He  was a regular feature at Coney Island's freak show from circa 1920 to 1970[4] and was exaggerated as a human with a seal body on some promotional sideshow posters. Despite his genetic disability, Sealo was still able to carry out feats like sawing a crate in half and shaving with a straight razor on his own, as well as moulding animal figurines out of clay. His partner on-stage was Toby, a chimpanzee. Sealo had trouble getting up and down the performance stage due to his weak legs. He would spend the time in which he was not performing on stage selling pitch cards. After performing, he preferred resting at hotels to sleeping at the fairground. He performed at the World Circus Sideshow in 1941. He also toured around the world and performed at many other freak shows.Sealo's freak show career lasted for thirty-five years; he retired in 1976 and moved to Showmen's Retirement Village in Gibsonton, Florida. He returned to his hometown of Pittsburgh afterwards when his health started to decline.  He spent his final days at a Catholic hospital and died in 1980.GEORGE AND WILLIE MUSEThe Muse brothers had an incredible career. The story of the two black albino brothers from Roanoke, Virginia is unique even in the bizarre world of freaks and sideshows. They were initially exploited and then later hailed for their unintentional role in civil rights.Born in the 1890’s the pair were scouted by sideshow agents and kidnapped in 1899 by bounty hunters working in the employ of an unknown sideshow promoter. Black albinos, being extremely rare, would have been an extremely lucrative attraction. They were falsely told that their mother was dead, and that they would never be returning home.The brothers began to tour. To accentuate their already unusual appearance, their handler had the brothers grow out their hair into long white dreadlocks. In 1922 showman Al G. Barnes began showcasing the brothers in his circus as White Ecuadorian cannibals Eko and Iko. When that gimmick failed to attract crowds the brothers were rechristened the ‘Sheep-Headed Men’ and later, in 1923, the ‘Ambassadors from Mars’.As the ‘Men from Mars’ the two traveled extensively with the Barnes circus. Unfortunately, while they were being fed, housed and trained in playing the mandolin, they were not being paid.In the mid 1920’s the Muse brothers toured with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. In 1927, while visiting their hometown, their mother finally tracked them down. She fought to free her sons, some 20 years after their disappearance. She threatened to sue and the Muse brothers were freed.The brothers filed a lawsuit for the wages they earned but were never paid. They initially demanded a lump-sum payment of 100,000. However, as time passed the Muse brothers missed the crowds, the attention and the opportunities sideshow provided. Their lawyer got them a smaller lump-sum payment and a substantial contract with a flat monthly wage. The pair returned to show business in 1928.During their first season back they played Madison Square Garden and drew over 10,000 spectators during each of their performances. They made spectacular money as their new contract allowed them to sell their own merchandise and keep all the profits for themselves. In the 1930’s they toured Europe, Asia and Australia. They performed for royals and dignitaries including the Queen of England. In 1937 they returned to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for several years and finally ended their career in 1961 with the Clyde Beatty Circus.The brothers returned to their hometown and lived together in a house they originally purchased for their mother. Neither brother married, though they were well known for their many extravagant courtships.George Muse died in 1971 and many expected Willie to quickly follow his brother. Those people were wrong as Willie continued to play his mandolin and enjoy the company friends and family until his death on Good Friday of 2001.He was 108 years old.These are just a few of the many many many circus freaks throughout history. We purposefully did not cover guys like The Elephant Man and other more popular ones as we wanted to bring you some interesting ones you may not know about, except maybe the lobster boy but that shit is crazy! There are some more interesting stories and Coney Island deserves its own discussion...can you say….BONUS episode!!!              

Author, business founder, speaker, and wildly successful nerd, Aaron Hillegass shares his story of cool change with a comedic bent. Be prepared to take some notes, because this conversation is full of wisdom and great ideas about how to design your life, and why you should “not follow your dreams.”You’ll learn why you don’t want to be the “pot holder lady in the Christmas Fair of life.”

Our Amplify Producer, Craig Gilbert, has been holed up in his makeshift bedroom studio talking to a host of exciting artists of national and international renown.These conversations cover career and process as well as offering a few exciting ideas to explore from home during this time of Social Distancing.On the podcast today is Nick Bagnall. Nick's theatre work includes:Between 2015-2020 Nick was the Associate Director at the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse where he directed: Sweeney Todd (2019), A Clockwork Orange and The Big I Am (Everyman Company 2018 season), The Conquest of the South Pole and Romeo & Juliet (Everyman Company 2017 season); The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Everyman and Shakespeare’s Globe); The Odyssey: Missing Presumed Dead (Everyman and ETT); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Everyman) and The Electric Hills (Everyman).Other theatre credits include: The Last Days of Troy (Royal Exchange, Manchester/ Shakespeare’s Globe); The Death of King Arthur, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Henry VI I, II and III (Shakespeare’s Globe); I Am Not Myself These Days (Edinburgh / UK Tour); Britannia Waves the Rules (Royal Exchange, Manchester); A Christmas Fair, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Milton Rooms, Malton); Fragile (Belgrade Theatre); Betrayal (Crucible Theatre); A Separate Reality (Royal Court); By Jeeves (Landor); Billy Liar (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Guys and Dolls (Arts Theatre, Cambridge); Entertaining Mr Sloane (Trafalgar Studios); Burning Cars (Hampstead Theatre); Mongoose (Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh); Promises and Lies (Birmingham Rep); Bolthole, ‘Low Dat (The Door / Birmingham Rep) and The Ruffian on the Stair (Old Red Lion)If you’ve enjoyed today’s podcast, please consider donating to our Curtain Up Appeal, to ensure we can keep creating new work for audiences to enjoy: https://www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/support/curtain-up-appeal/​

Live from the Scariff Bay Community Radio studio at the Derg Alliance Building Hosted by Jim Collins and John S Kelly 00.00 Introduction and News headlines 10.45 Sgt Declan O’Keefe presents East Clare Garda Focus 30.25 Claire Henchy from Scariff Community Council  47.00 Trish Walsh organiser of Christmas Fair in O’Callaghans Mills Saturday  Chronicle is kindly sponsored by James M Nash and Co and Derg Kitchen Design

Once again we were LIVE from the Christmas Fair at Westwood with Iford School. A fun hour of broadcasting, full of festive cheer and great chat from the team. A very fluid show with people popping in and out to take part all afternoon. Love the confidence of all of our children and their ability to create such a wonderful show in all situations.

The Country Living Magazine Fair is returning to Harrogate Convention Centre, packed full of workshops, shopping opportunities and festive crafts!

It's Christmas Past's first live show! Join Tim Babb from Can't Wait for Christmas and Brian Earl for an hour of games, music, and conversation, recorded outside the Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco. This is the first time the Dickens Fair has hosted a live podcast recording.  About the fair The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is a one-of-a-kind holiday adventure into Victorian London -  an elaborate party with hundreds of costumed players performing and interacting with patrons in over 120,000 square feet of theatrically-lit music halls, pubs, dance floors, and Christmas shops. It's a twilight evening in Charles Dickens' London Town - a city of winding lanes filled with colorful characters from both literature and history. Enticing aromas of roasted chestnuts and hearty foods fill the air. Cries of street vendors hawking their wares ring out above the bustling crowd. Dozens of lamplit shops are filled to overflowing with Christmas gifts. The Dickens Christmas Fair is a treasured Bay Area tradition since 1970 and a splendid way to celebrate the holidays. Special thanks This live show wouldn't have been possible without the hard work and boundless Christmas spirit of Denise Lamott of Denise Lamott public relations, and Kevin Patterson, the director of the fair (who appears in this episode). Thanks also to the wonderful musicians who appear in this episode: The Coventry Carolers, The Brothers Luper, and The Paddy West School of Seamanship. Announcements There's still time to get tickets for Christmas Land in Los Angeles on December 15 A Christmas in July convention is in the works for 2020 in Nashville...and I'll be there! If you leave a review I’ll send you a Christmas card containing a Christmas Past sticker. Write me at christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com for details. Send your Christmas memory for the 2019 season. Record yourself on your phone’s voice recorder app and send it to the email address above

PM Sunday live broadcast on Sunday the 1st of December 2019 from O'Callaghans Mills. Join local Mills correspondent Pat O'Brien and host Jim Collins as they take in  the atmosphere and talk to many of the stall holders who were participating in the  Christmas Fair at the Community Centre.  Many thanks to all those who spoke to us on the day and congratulations to all in the Mills for organising a great event which was very well supported Outside Broadcast unit sponsored by Michael Long Construction

Emma and son Toby talk with Dave Jemitus about Byfleet Primary School Fair Saturday 30th November.

Welcome to our first episode in 2019. As we say in France plein de bonheur et surtout santé -happiness and health. Above all health as this is the most important as someone in a nearby commerce said to me today without that we have nothing. In this episode I take a moment to reflect on 2018 and why I believe it is important. A quick thought to New Years Resolutions - A Word - or Nothing It's your choice . We chat why organising your house is good for the home and the mind. Our free gift to you is The Survival Guide to the Cote d'Azur [Free Download is available from the Cote d'Azur Living] with details on : To relocate or not to relocate? Moving to France, from vision to mission • Buying a house Settling in: focus on healthcare Thanks to Rachael Dickens the English Osteopath (Episode 18) and Susanne Formant, Pippa Gomis-Maile and Nice Homes for their input into the first edition.  I chat about the Christmas Fair and how many amazing people collaborated and input into making that event a success. We raised a lot of money for charity (French Riviera Animals, Cancer Research UK and Mimosa) so this was a great end to the year.   Special thanks to all the volunteers and helpers who made the Christmas Fair a success: The stall holders, the KidooTeam, Steph P , Helen Mackenzie - mackenzieservices.fr Worth a listen / Read "Tidying Up” on Netflix or read the  KonMari Method Barbara Wilson "Creativity Cycling" .. available on Amazon co written with Tracy Stanley Tracy Leonetti http://www.womenofcontribution.com/the-pay-it-forward-series-notes-to-my-younger-self-tracy-leonetti/   Previous podcast episodes to listen to: Ambassador Llewelyn in (episode 34) Barbara Wilson in (episode 33) Dorothy Foster in (episode 34) Tracy Leonetti (EPISODE 11) Rachael Dickens the English Osteopath (Episode 18) Gavin Sharpe (episode 47 ) Faye Villalba Episode (9 and 19) Lizzy Parks (episode 6) Lucy Di Mora Photo Booth (episode 29) Sea Glass in (episode 43) Mel from The Clever Kitchen (episode 44) Mimosa Matters (episode 16) Link to these here : http://www.rivierafirefly.com/podcasts/ Thanks for listening anf being part of this journey in 2018 and here's to 2019. Good luck in 2019. May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, Thanks for listening - that’s a wrap.   Our sponsor KidooLand.  In 2018 we expanded and  opened The Loft a great addition to the annexe. This episode was brought to you by KidooLand The Little English School on the French Riviera. Running classes and holiday camps for children age 0-16 years and workshops for grown ups too including Yoga, Pilates and conversation! #anglais In Vallauris Sophia Antipolis with AdoLand visiting the Côte d’Azur www.kidooland.com   www.rivierafirefly.com Copyright 2017, 2018, 2019  

In this week's episode we look back on a packed week in the beginning of our lead up to Christmas. Including production practice, Bikeability, an ocarina assembly and, of course, our fabulous Christmas Fair, run by our amazing Friends of Westwood School.

What a fantastic time we had at our school Christmas Fair. Brilliantly organised by our Friends of Westwood School and with more profit made than last year it was another festive treat for the whole community. Of course Westwood Radio broadcast live both into and out of the fair online to the world. My HUGE thanks to Emily, Benedict, Megan, Luke, Matthew and of course, some returning broadcasters - Ellie, Izzy and Josh, we loved having you back! Here's a show full of festive fun, what we want for Christmas, our wishes and festive facts.

Christmas is a time for celebration and what better way to start the festive season than with a trip to the Country Living Christmas Fair at Harrogate Convention centre... Stray FM's Pete Egerton has been finding out more.

In the run up to our inaugural Christmas Fair, we’ll be introducing you to our various partners. Next up is is Hilly Mazija from Le Bon Bean. KidooLand will be holding an inaugural Christmas Fair on Sunday 2nd December from 10h30 to 15h30! KidooLand’s traditional English Christmas Fair, will be full of activities for children, plenty of stands selling lots of different Christmas gifts and a variety of Christmas decorations. We also hope to be able to draw on the best of French Christmas culture by offering vin chaud for Mums and Dads and crepes for hungry tummies of any age Let us know you are coming by SIGNING UP HERE – it helps us enormously for planning  Bon Bean Chocolate makes artisan chocolate from organic, direct-trade ‘heirloom’ cacao beans, known for their high quality and rich taste. Cacao is a superfood, naturally rich in anti-oxidants, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, essential fatty acids, zinc and copper (to touch upon a fraction of it’s nutritious bounty). Our chocolate contains no less than 70% cacao. Bon Bean Chocolate is 100% focused on delivering this abundance of goodness to our customers in great tasting chocolate. In order to get the best from the bean, we ensure that the farms we collaborate with grow their beans without the use of harmful pesticides and fertilisers. Our expert chocolatier then crafts the beans using as little heat treatment and harsh processing to produce the bioactive cacao that is our raw material and is the basis for our chocolate bars. We keep our list of ingredients short and simple but we need to add a little something sweet for flavour. In our opinion, the most healthful and natural sweetener for the body and teeth is coconut sugar with a lower glycemic index and some other nutritional benefits besides! Voilà: the end result is gourmet artisan chocolate that’s good for you too ! The Kidooland Christmas Fair is a chance for Bon Bean Chocolate to showcase its first batch of designer chocolate bars. We are delighted to share this special occasion with Kidooland and also in aid of Mimosa Matters whose cause is a worthy one also close to our hearts.

[It's opening night for the annual Christmas pantomime at Harrogate Theatre and Country Living Magazine are at the Convention Centre for the Christmas Fair.](https://www.strayfm.com/the-box-office.php)

    THIS EPISODE In this Riviera Firefly episode  Antonia talks with Rhonda Nicholl and chats Sea Glass and how she set up her business Sea Riviera. Sea Riviera will be at the KidooLand Christmas Fair on Sunday 2nd December 2018. Sign up to come to the event it’s free and in support of Mimosa and the fight against cancer: https://www.facebook.com/events/336209883852372/ #kidoolandfete #kidooland #mimosa #christmasfair #seaglass #cancer KEY POINTS What to expect from the programme Why Rhonda came to the South of France, how she turned the need for mindfulness into a business a benefit to the environment  Setting up on Etsy marketplace Working the markets and craft fairs Roquebrune Cap Martin, Vence, Cagnes sur mer The love of cycling eg Nice to Antibes takes an hour Read: My life in the countryside Julia Ruffman Quick fire questions IMPORTANT  LINKS MENTIONED ON THE RIVIERA FIREFLY PODCAST Website  https://www.etsy.com/shop/SeaRiviera Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SeaRiviera/     Riviera Firefly podcast is your online show where we chat about  living on and visiting the French Riviera and the Côte d'Azur.    We cover topics such as education for children and adults, Places to visit, Health and lifestyle, hobbies and leisure and have lots of fun here in the Alpes Maritimes. We also talk to inspiring local entrepreneurs and small businesses about how they started their careers in France, dealing with administration and what brought them here in the first place. Topical issues such as Brexit and what this means to expats will also be covered .   Our sponsor KidooLand.  In 2018 we expanded and  opened The Loft a great addition to the annexe. This episode was brought to you by KidooLand The Little English School on the French Riviera. Running classes and holiday camps for children age 0-16 years and workshops for grown ups too including Yoga, Pilates and conversation! #anglais In Vallauris Sophia Antipolis with AdoLand visiting the Côte d’Azur www.kidooland.com

In this latest episode of Westwood Talk I look back on two weeks of learning in school, the success of the Christmas Fair, a visit from our friend Russell Prue of Anderton Tiger Broadcasting and the launch of Westwood Oral History Project. Lots to catch up on!

Another fantastic breakfast show from our talented broadcasters once again. Including features on our visit to BBC Wiltshire, the Five Sentence Challenge, Christmas Fair and, of course, top tunes. With new presenters too, this was another show not to be missed!

Kevin Patterson is the executive director of the annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair. For more information, visit DickensFair.com

Kevin Patterson is the executive director of the annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair. For more information, visit DickensFair.com

Just the first short episode so we can keep you wonderful guys up to date while we see our friends and family over the next couple of weeks. While we are doing this why not send us some feedback so we can find out what you guys want from us in the new year! Feel free to send us an email at PreviouslyInEurope@gmail.com or follow us on twitter @PrevInEurope If you can please leave us a review on iTunes and if you can't do that tell a friend, this stuff really helps us out

Broadcast LIVE into and out of our Christmas Fair, this was a fantastic piece of work by our young broadcasters.

Need a unique Christmas gift? Check out the 2 YORKS craft fair on Thursday 8th December. Private Tomlinson from the Welfare Team tells Chris Kaye what you can expect from the event at Pinhill Mess.

Come with me and you'll see a world of Charles Dickens' imagination. While you sleep his characters will infect your imagination. We'll be in, the London of Mr. Dickens creation. What you'd see would delight beyond expectation. But you can also fall deep asleep during our first ever episode recorded on location. Trigger warning this was recorded on locations with songs and chatter in the background, if that might wake you up this might be a show to skip. Thanks to the Great Dickens Christmas Fair and Denise Lamott If you want to keep Sleep to Strange as a free podcast for everyone then become a monthly patron http://www.sleepwithmepodcast.com/patron Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play |  Android Amazon Links http://www.sleepwithmepodcast.com/shop If you don't have Amazon Prime sign up here    If you don't have Amazon Prime in UK sign up here http://amzn.to/29giJFd   Commission a song from Jonathan Mann for any special person or event in your life or as a theme song! http://www.jonathanmann.net or on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/20JlNTzzMgzfJpFmyoPCY1 Become a fan on Facebook On Twitter @dearestscooter https://twitter.com/dearestscooter Spotify Playlist Show Edited by Karl W heme music by Christopher Postill @ Theme music by Christopher Postill @ Sounds Like An Earful Podcast Studio Sleep With Me podcast art created by Always Trending Up Scott & Jennifer The "Mystery Bard" is played by Jonathan Mann who also writes the lullabies. Sleep With Me is written by Drew Ackerman and "performed" by Dearest Scooter

This rather long recording was made whilst wandering around the 2015 Harrogate Christmas Fair with Mark, Qing, Mark's mum, and dogs Archie, Rosie and of course guide dog Vance. #GuideDog #vance #christmas #fair #harrogate #yorkshire #sausage

Recorded at Molineux Monday 16th November 2015 This week we meet 3 more of the cast of Last Night a DJ saved my Life which is at The Wolverhampton Grand this week, Dan Harper tell us about Mystical Theatre's Christmas Fair that takes place in December, Annette Campbell share some songs with us, Will Adamson lets us know about a special Speedway event at The Cleveland Arms and Matt Brachmanski shares some of the secrets of Mind Coaching. 

With Mark Lawson. Director Paul Thomas Anderson reflects on his film The Master, which has already won numerous awards and is heavily tipped for Oscar success. In the week that Green Day release the third in a trilogy of albums and Peter Jackson announced that The Hobbit will be divided into three parts, Mark asks whether three is the magic number for films, novels and albums, with Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Toby Litt and David Hepworth. Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars in the film Smashed, a comedy drama which examines the strains experienced by an alcohol-dependent married couple, when the wife decides to get sober. Critic Mark Eccleston gives his verdict. Playwright Jim Cartwright, best known for Road and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, has just written his first play in 12 years. A Christmas Fair is a commission by The Milton Rooms in Ryedale, Yorkshire, and is a community project staffed by volunteers. Jim Cartwright discusses the play and what it was about the Yorkshire venue that appealed so much to him. Producer Stephen Hughes.