Scotland and Dracula-Love at First Bite
Love at First Bite
When we think of a blood sucking parasite we normally think of the wilds of Transylvania and the canny Count Dracula or the brand new Inland Revenue office in Glasgow’s Atlantic Square not Scotland, but the nation was very much a part of the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s classic tale. And to celebrate this a new festival is being proposed to batter home those links with north east Scotland. Did you even know that Mr Stoker was Irish and he stayed in what was then called Port Erroll, now Cruden Bay, in 1893 when he was writing the novel? His signature is still there in the guest book of the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel, but no it’s not written in blood - it’s not a tax demand!
Skateboarding Vampires
It’s a 125 years since the publication of Dracula and the newly created Festival of Darkness in Cruden will celebrate the event with screenings of classic Dracula films in October as the nights grow longer. The thirsty count lived in a rambling old castle on the edge of a cliff and it’s thought that he based the building on Slains Castle near Cruden Bay in Aberdeenshire. Indeed the room layout of the count’s lair is based on the castle interior. Some of the festival fare is tongue in cheek though with A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night an Iranian skateboarding feminist vampires story with its not very catchy title, but rather a movie summary. I’ve just watched the trailer and it is very strange indeed and it was filmed in California, but set in Iran with music sounding like Sergio Leone’s The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. Mark Kermode the film critic loved it, so that must be the kiss of death! And strangely enough I used to work with Richard the distributor of the film, in another life and another age ago. Meanwhile back in the north east they are preparing a Dracula trail exploring local castles and historic sites.
All a part of History
Well at this point dear reader you may be asking how is the lad going to pivot from Dracula to telling you about the wares of James Pirie, well the answer to that is quite simple. While Bram Stoker was soaking up the atmosphere in Port Erroll, not so many miles away an ex-baker called James Pirie, who’d tired of rising at the crack of dawn everyday to bake was three years into his China shop venture just a bit down the coast starting in 1890. The enterprise was seven years old by the time Dracula was published. So we are pretty historic too! But we are not known for draining the very lifeblood out of you, no not at all. The only draining will be of a glass of fine wine or a dram. So celebrate the anniversary of old pointy teeth with a money saving exercise that will bring colour back to your cheeks as we extend our summer sale, for just a little longer to make folks happy. The Edinburgh wine suites and whisky glasses are on special for a take a peek now, there’s no-one hiding behind the curtains waiting to take a nibble.
