Sam Pope
@sampopewriter.bsky.social
Writer of gothic, ghostly tales. Polar history buff and devotee of Eleanor Anne Porden. Find out more at www.sampopewriter.com and www.eleanorporden.com
Christmas is a perfect time of year for ghost stories! Come to a special evening of terrifying tales at Curio Bookshop in Oxford, where I and Catrin Lawrence, will be your storytellers. Be prepared for a delightful evening of chills...and not because of the weather!
wegottickets.com/event/682550...
wegottickets.com/event/682550...
November 27, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Christmas is a perfect time of year for ghost stories! Come to a special evening of terrifying tales at Curio Bookshop in Oxford, where I and Catrin Lawrence, will be your storytellers. Be prepared for a delightful evening of chills...and not because of the weather!
wegottickets.com/event/682550...
wegottickets.com/event/682550...
Thank you so much, @oxonlibraries.bsky.social,
for displaying Lindy with these excellent scary stories for Halloween! It made my day seeing this!
@foxandinkbooks.bsky.social
for displaying Lindy with these excellent scary stories for Halloween! It made my day seeing this!
@foxandinkbooks.bsky.social
October 22, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Thank you so much, @oxonlibraries.bsky.social,
for displaying Lindy with these excellent scary stories for Halloween! It made my day seeing this!
@foxandinkbooks.bsky.social
for displaying Lindy with these excellent scary stories for Halloween! It made my day seeing this!
@foxandinkbooks.bsky.social
Night after night, something has been moving our mini-pumpkins in our garden. We set up a camera and caught the culprit! (S)He comes every night, multiple times a night, and either carries or noses them down to the other end of the garden!
September 2, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Night after night, something has been moving our mini-pumpkins in our garden. We set up a camera and caught the culprit! (S)He comes every night, multiple times a night, and either carries or noses them down to the other end of the garden!
This cat is adorable. Used to live in a cat café til we adopted her two years ago (she'd been there the longest as black cats are unpopular). She's gorgeous and funny BUT she's a typical black cat: daft as a brush. She's started trying to haul herself out of windows and we found her on the ...
August 15, 2025 at 10:23 PM
This cat is adorable. Used to live in a cat café til we adopted her two years ago (she'd been there the longest as black cats are unpopular). She's gorgeous and funny BUT she's a typical black cat: daft as a brush. She's started trying to haul herself out of windows and we found her on the ...
Not the biggest fan of the named Coke bottles as I always feel I'm stealing someone else's but in France it's been fun to pretend I'm Anaïs.
August 12, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Not the biggest fan of the named Coke bottles as I always feel I'm stealing someone else's but in France it's been fun to pretend I'm Anaïs.
My beloved Captain is visiting us for a couple of days while he has dental work done and my lovely Anise is not thrilled. AT ALL.
April 24, 2025 at 3:51 PM
My beloved Captain is visiting us for a couple of days while he has dental work done and my lovely Anise is not thrilled. AT ALL.
Someone's happy it's the weekend. #cats #crazycats
April 11, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Someone's happy it's the weekend. #cats #crazycats
William Porden #wotd - Camera Lucida: "a special device...which projects an optical superimposition of the subject being viewed onto the surface upon which the artist is drawing. The artist sees both scene and drawing surface simultaneously, as in a photographic double exposure" (Wikipedia)
April 8, 2025 at 5:18 PM
William Porden #wotd - Camera Lucida: "a special device...which projects an optical superimposition of the subject being viewed onto the surface upon which the artist is drawing. The artist sees both scene and drawing surface simultaneously, as in a photographic double exposure" (Wikipedia)
Nice morning commute
March 26, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Nice morning commute
Am dreading trying to get up off my nice, comfy sofa after running the #OX5 today @blenheimpalace.bsky.social to raise money for @oxhospitalscharity.bsky.social! Stiffening up rapidly now but all for an excellent cause, and beautiful weather for the day. We were part of The Runner Genes team!
March 23, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Am dreading trying to get up off my nice, comfy sofa after running the #OX5 today @blenheimpalace.bsky.social to raise money for @oxhospitalscharity.bsky.social! Stiffening up rapidly now but all for an excellent cause, and beautiful weather for the day. We were part of The Runner Genes team!
Anise wonders if she's included in this book but I had to disappoint her. She's too young and, really, the back garden isn't very dangerous.
March 14, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Anise wonders if she's included in this book but I had to disappoint her. She's too young and, really, the back garden isn't very dangerous.
I walked a different way home today and came.across this chap, only a couple of metres away. Not sure if he's the one I usually spot further downstream or a different one. Very brave; didn't fly away!
March 4, 2025 at 3:34 PM
I walked a different way home today and came.across this chap, only a couple of metres away. Not sure if he's the one I usually spot further downstream or a different one. Very brave; didn't fly away!
Picked up this postcard today from Westminster Archives!
March 1, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Picked up this postcard today from Westminster Archives!
This heron has so much patience (or perhaps too much time on its hands!). It was there in the fog at 9.30am and still there in the sun at 3.30pm.
February 28, 2025 at 4:05 PM
This heron has so much patience (or perhaps too much time on its hands!). It was there in the fog at 9.30am and still there in the sun at 3.30pm.
#NewYearsEve and I'm in the Weston Library writing poems, which is a new venture for me. I thought I'd give it a go having recently taught a lovely group of Japanese students about poetry (one even attempted a villanelle!). Happy New Year to you all; wishing you peace for 2025.
December 31, 2024 at 12:48 PM
#NewYearsEve and I'm in the Weston Library writing poems, which is a new venture for me. I thought I'd give it a go having recently taught a lovely group of Japanese students about poetry (one even attempted a villanelle!). Happy New Year to you all; wishing you peace for 2025.
Day 23: Lappets - these were decorative hanging parts of a headdress or garment. They were often worn in a pair, or as a singular long strips and were a popular form of women's headwear until the early 20th century. They're still a feature of religious garments.
December 23, 2024 at 8:45 PM
Day 23: Lappets - these were decorative hanging parts of a headdress or garment. They were often worn in a pair, or as a singular long strips and were a popular form of women's headwear until the early 20th century. They're still a feature of religious garments.
Day 22: Warming pan - A more straightforward word today. A warming pan in a bed acted like our modern hot water bottles and was placed amongst the sheets to take the edge off the cold. Embers from the fire would be placed inside the pan in a vessel similar to this in the photo.
December 22, 2024 at 6:58 PM
Day 22: Warming pan - A more straightforward word today. A warming pan in a bed acted like our modern hot water bottles and was placed amongst the sheets to take the edge off the cold. Embers from the fire would be placed inside the pan in a vessel similar to this in the photo.
Day 20: Sight hunting. In her travel diary, Eleanor refers to going 'Sight Hunting' with Miss Appleton. This was the Georgian equivalent to our 'sightseeing'. I rather like the idea of hunting down sights! When Eleanor visited France in 1816, 1818 and 1821, women commonly travelled to the continent.
December 20, 2024 at 3:07 PM
Day 20: Sight hunting. In her travel diary, Eleanor refers to going 'Sight Hunting' with Miss Appleton. This was the Georgian equivalent to our 'sightseeing'. I rather like the idea of hunting down sights! When Eleanor visited France in 1816, 1818 and 1821, women commonly travelled to the continent.
Day 19: Cotillon. A French country dance that was popular in 18th-century Europe and North America. It was rather similar to an English country dance and was the forerunner of the quadrille and square dance. The English called it a Cotillion. Apparently, The French word originally meant "petticoat"
December 19, 2024 at 3:20 PM
Day 19: Cotillon. A French country dance that was popular in 18th-century Europe and North America. It was rather similar to an English country dance and was the forerunner of the quadrille and square dance. The English called it a Cotillion. Apparently, The French word originally meant "petticoat"
Tag meant ‘torn cloth” and bobtail 'contemptible rascal'. When visiting the Jardin du Roi in Paris, Eleanor and her group were allowed in earlier than the normal 3pm, thanks to Mr H. Elliot's letter from the Prefect of Paris introducing him as Secretary to Viscount Palmerstone, secretary at war
December 17, 2024 at 11:43 AM
Tag meant ‘torn cloth” and bobtail 'contemptible rascal'. When visiting the Jardin du Roi in Paris, Eleanor and her group were allowed in earlier than the normal 3pm, thanks to Mr H. Elliot's letter from the Prefect of Paris introducing him as Secretary to Viscount Palmerstone, secretary at war
In 1793 Gilbert Pidcock bought it before Stephani Polito took over. Both ran travelling circuses and used the Exeter Exchange to house their animals in the winter. Famous visitors to the Exchange included Wordsworth and Lord Byron. When Polito died in 1814, his employee Edward Cross took over.
December 16, 2024 at 12:12 PM
In 1793 Gilbert Pidcock bought it before Stephani Polito took over. Both ran travelling circuses and used the Exeter Exchange to house their animals in the winter. Famous visitors to the Exchange included Wordsworth and Lord Byron. When Polito died in 1814, his employee Edward Cross took over.
It was built in 1676, on the site of the demolished Exeter House. Originally, there were shops on the ground floor (eg milliners, drapers, hosiers) and upstairs there were rooms which housed exotic animals (lions, monkeys, tigers, etc) to rival the Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London.
December 16, 2024 at 12:12 PM
It was built in 1676, on the site of the demolished Exeter House. Originally, there were shops on the ground floor (eg milliners, drapers, hosiers) and upstairs there were rooms which housed exotic animals (lions, monkeys, tigers, etc) to rival the Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London.
Day 16: Exeter Change. This one stumped me. Why would Eleanor and her party see an Exeter Change in Paris, of all places? And what IS an Exeter Change? Apparently, the Exeter Exchange (popularly known as Exeter Change) was a building with an arcade on the north side of the Strand in London.
December 16, 2024 at 12:12 PM
Day 16: Exeter Change. This one stumped me. Why would Eleanor and her party see an Exeter Change in Paris, of all places? And what IS an Exeter Change? Apparently, the Exeter Exchange (popularly known as Exeter Change) was a building with an arcade on the north side of the Strand in London.
Day 15: L’ambigu comique - literally "Theatre of the Comic-Ambiguity". Eleanor visited on Sep 6 1816 and was "very much pleased with a little piece called the two statues, and with the rapture of a very numerous audience." The theatre burnt down in 1827, was rebuilt but eventually demolished in 1966
December 15, 2024 at 12:38 PM
Day 15: L’ambigu comique - literally "Theatre of the Comic-Ambiguity". Eleanor visited on Sep 6 1816 and was "very much pleased with a little piece called the two statues, and with the rapture of a very numerous audience." The theatre burnt down in 1827, was rebuilt but eventually demolished in 1966