ToyVoyagers - Travelling Toys - Little Things on Big Adventures

Tonight we spent an old-fashioned evening at home with our charming guest, Billy Goat.
We began with a sing-a-long around the piano.

Even though the harpsichord is my favourite, I do enjoy the good old piano. Billy Goat has a very impressive singing voice

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I was feeling a little nostalgic after playing the old songs so Daisy and I asked Billy Goat if he would like to have a look at some charming old family photographs.

He looked a bit worried at first, but we assured him there is nothing boring about our family!

You see, Daisy’s ancestors were all actors and because of that she has loads of great old photos of them in their fancy costumes. The photos that are in the picture are from the 1800’s. Ah, I miss the good old days

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Seeing as Billy Goat is on the haunted trail we thought we would tell him about the superstitions surrounding the play Macbeth. Daisy said her father (also an actor) said that he had seen many strange and unusual happenings when he has been involved in a performance of Macbeth.

You see actors and other theatre people think it bad luck to mention Macbeth by name while inside a theatre, and prefer to call it The Scottish Play. The reason for this is that Shakespeare is said to have used the spells of real witches in his text. This made the witches very angry causing them to curse the play. Therefore, to say the name of the play inside a theatre is believed to doom the production to failure, and perhaps cause physical injury or worse to cast members. A large mythology has built up surrounding this superstition, with countless stories of accidents, misfortunes and even deaths, all mysteriously taking place during runs of Macbeth (or by actors who had uttered the name).

Here are three ways to ward of the curse:

1)Immediately leave the building the stage is in with the person who uttered the name, walk around it three times, spit over their left shoulders, say an obscenity then wait to be invited back into the building.

2) Leave the room, knock three times, be invited in, and then quote a line from Hamlet.

3)Recite one of Shylock's monologues from The Merchant of Venice

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We ended the evening with a ghost story just as we used to in Victorian times. The unique thing about this particular ghost story is that it is true!

First Daisy made us a bedtime drink in some very pretty little cups. She said these cups were what the story was all about.

Here we are eagerly awaiting the story!

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Here is the story of the pretty little cups…

One November a long, long time ago Daisy’s great grandmother Effie passed away very suddenly. Her death came as a great shock, especially to Daisy’s grandmother.

Daisy’s Grandmother lived next door to a lady who was a medium and held séances. The neighbour informed Daisy’s Grandmother that the ghost of Effie had made itself known to her during one of her seances and had said that her spirit was restless and had wanted to pass on a message to Daisy’s Grandmother.

It seemed that Effie had scrimped and saved for months to buy Daisy’s grandmother a birthday present, but had died before she had been able to go to the shop to pick it up. Daisy’s grandmother went to every shop in the vicinity of Effie’s house. She was beginning to think it was all some kind of hoax until she walked into a little gift shop that she had never been in before. She asked if a lady by a certain name had made a purchase there recently. The owner of the shop said that she had, and that she thought it was odd that the elderly lady had not returned to pick up the package as it had seemed very important to her. The lady in the shop gave Daisy’s grandmother the package and inside were a set of tiny little coffee cups, the very same ones we drank out of tonight!

The ghost of Effie never appeared again and the medium was convinced it was because she had completed her unfinished business on earth – spooky!

Well, I'm nipping out for a bite now, will write more soon

Lestat x

Boneyard Bears boneyardbears@yahoo.com.au Posted Jun 20, 2008, 6:22 am	Tonight we spent an old-fashioned evening at home with our charming guest, Billy Goat. We began with a sing-a-long around the piano. Even though the harpsichord is my favourite, I do enjoy the good old piano. Billy Goat has a very impressive singing voice I was feeling a little nostalgic after playing the old songs so Daisy and I asked Billy Goat if he would like to have a look at some charming old family photographs. He looked a bit worried at first, but we assured him there is nothing boring about our family! You see, Daisy’s ancestors were all actors and because of that she has loads of great old photos of them in their fancy costumes. The photos that are in the picture are from the 1800’s. Ah, I miss the good old days Seeing as Billy Goat is on the haunted trail we thought we would tell him about the superstitions surrounding the play Macbeth. Daisy said her father (also an actor) said that he had seen many strange and unusual happenings when he has been involved in a performance of Macbeth. You see actors and other theatre people think it bad luck to mention Macbeth by name while inside a theatre, and prefer to call it The Scottish Play. The reason for this is that Shakespeare is said to have used the spells of real witches in his text. This made the witches very angry causing them to curse the play. Therefore, to say the name of the play inside a theatre is believed to doom the production to failure, and perhaps cause physical injury or worse to cast members. A large mythology has built up surrounding this superstition, with countless stories of accidents, misfortunes and even deaths, all mysteriously taking place during runs of Macbeth (or by actors who had uttered the name). Here are three ways to ward of the curse: 1)Immediately leave the building the stage is in with the person who uttered the name, walk around it three times, spit over their left shoulders, say an obscenity then wait to be invited back into the building. 2) Leave the room, knock three times, be invited in, and then quote a line from Hamlet. 3)Recite one of Shylock's monologues from The Merchant of Venice We ended the evening with a ghost story just as we used to in Victorian times. The unique thing about this particular ghost story is that it is true! First Daisy made us a bedtime drink in some very pretty little cups. She said these cups were what the story was all about. Here we are eagerly awaiting the story! Here is the story of the pretty little cups… One November a long, long time ago Daisy’s great grandmother Effie passed away very suddenly. Her death came as a great shock, especially to Daisy’s grandmother. Daisy’s Grandmother lived next door to a lady who was a medium and held séances. The neighbour informed Daisy’s Grandmother that the ghost of Effie had made itself known to her during one of her seances and had said that her spirit was restless and had wanted to pass on a message to Daisy’s Grandmother. It seemed that Effie had scrimped and saved for months to buy Daisy’s grandmother a birthday present, but had died before she had been able to go to the shop to pick it up. Daisy’s grandmother went to every shop in the vicinity of Effie’s house. She was beginning to think it was all some kind of hoax until she walked into a little gift shop that she had never been in before. She asked if a lady by a certain name had made a purchase there recently. The owner of the shop said that she had, and that she thought it was odd that the elderly lady had not returned to pick up the package as it had seemed very important to her. The lady in the shop gave Daisy’s grandmother the package and inside were a set of tiny little coffee cups, the very same ones we drank out of tonight! The ghost of Effie never appeared again and the medium was convinced it was because she had completed her unfinished business on earth – spooky! Well, I'm nipping out for a bite now, will write more soon Lestat x
Boneyard Bears boneyardbears@yahoo.com.au Posted Jun 30, 2008, 2:12 am	Greetings Fiends! As you can see from my picture, my glorious golden locks have grown back! Huzzahs! I feel like my old self again and I know I look simply adorable! You're probably asking yourself how a vampire can be out in the daylight? Well please allow me to explain. You see my preternatural vampiric fur keeps out the sun! No hiding away during the day for me! Anyway enough about me (for now). Today I spent a lovely day in Camden with my good friend Barthélémy. It is always a pleasure to have a fellow Voyager and member of the undead come to stay! Here we are hanging out on an old wagon. Oh how I wish horse and carriage were still the preferred mode of transport! Then I took him to see a genuine haunted house! Macaria! For all you ghost lovers out there here is the history of beautiful Macaria... Following the deaths of the first three owners Macaria was turned into Camden Grammar School. During this time many students and teachers witnessed strange paranormal events. Furniture would move around all by itself and crockery would inexplicably fall from shelves and break. Many students complained of “terrible noises” during the night. After the school closed a dentist who used it as his home as well as his surgery lived there. The same noises and strange happenings continued during his time. Then one day a section of the ceiling broke away and fell on the dentist chair, killing instantly the poor gentleman that was seated in it at the time! Oh my goodness! But that was not all! The next inhabitant was a doctor. One night as he was getting into bed he felt hands grab him around the throat and hurl him to the floor. The doctor moved out a short time after that (I can't imagine why?) The council now owns it and there are still reports of lights going on and off by themselves and strange noises and things that go bump in the night. There have also been reports of zombie sightings, however I am inclined to think that the aforementioned zombies are more likely to have been council workers, who from time to time have been known to be confused with zombies. I will write again soon Lestat x
Boneyard Bears boneyardbears@yahoo.com.au Posted Jul 18, 2008, 5:41 am	Greetings my gorgeous fiends! Well, today I spent a lovely time in the charming little village of Cobbitty. My favourite place in the village is St Paul’s Anglican cemetery which is located in the dead centre of town (pardon the pun, but I couldn’t resist). Along with St Paul’s church is the Heber Chapel. The Heber Chapel was dedicated in 1828 by the Rev Samuel Marsden. Rev Marsden was known by the rather unflattering nickname of “the flogging parson” – most unfortunate. Daisy is related to the infamous Reverend, but assures me that it is only by marriage. Thank goodness for that! While 1828 is not very old by European or American standards, it is very old by Australian standards. When you consider that the first settlers arrived in 1788 and most of those were poor half starved convicts who had to build the whole place from scratch it is very old indeed. It was a lovely day for a stroll in the cemetery and as I said in an earlier entry, the sun does not cause me any harm as my preternatural fur protects me. The sun’s rays do however show my flowing locks off to their best advantage! My, I do look handsome today, don’t you think? I am not ordinarily a fence sitter, but this did seem like quite a nice spot to rest my furry little legs. Don’t you just hate it when the wind blows your hair into your mouth? Here I am catching up with an old fiend. That's all for now. Much love always Lestat x
Boneyard Bears boneyardbears@yahoo.com.au Posted Jul 19, 2008, 10:07 pm	Greetings gorgeous fiends! This morning Daisy informed me that she had a surprise for me. She said that she was taking me out to have some fun doing something I had never done before. I wracked my little teddy brain to think what it could possibly be, as I have done so many amazing things in my long vampiric life. Daisy said I would never guess and that I should hurry up and get ready. Well, I am always up for something new so I quickly brushed my glorious tresses while I pondered what adventure lay ahead. Daisy suggested that I really should dress in something a little more casual, but I told her I didn’t know the meaning of the word! Casual bah! Honestly, how many times do I have to tell that girl that one can never look too splendid! Daisy muttered something under her breath - cheeky minx, as I followed her out to the car. After a short drive we arrived at a place called a roller skating rink. I noticed on entering the establishment that there was the distinct smell of feet. Daisy said this was perfectly normal in roller skating rinks and bowling alleys. To be perfectly honest I’m not overly fond of the smell of human feet, but being the gracious creature that I am I decided to keep that fact to myself. Here I am with my beloved. Daisy said I would need to be fitted for a pair of skates. Just between you and me the thought of putting my pretty little paws into a pair of stinky skates did not thrill me, but Daisy looked so excited I didn’t want to disappoint her, after all the sweet darling means well. I was a little wobbly at first (probably because I’ve got my skates on the wrong feet!) so Daisy needed to hold my paw. Who on earth ever thought that putting wheels on the bottom of your shoes was a good idea? Really, you mortals are ridiculous creatures! It’s very difficult to maintain your dignity when your feet keep rolling out from under you! Naturally enough it didn’t take me long to get the hang of it and pretty soon I was gliding around the rink like a pro. I even popped off a quick axel. Daisy was very proud! In the end I had a very good time - stinky feet and all! Until next time Lestat x