Christmas Fayre

Friday already? It doesn't seem like two minutes since I emptied my mind onto the keyboard but somehow it's been over a week.

Last weekend we were at the Christmas Fayre at Fleming Square in Blackburn. Surprisingly the weather held out, which was my one concern after the week we'd just had of snow, which turn to ice overnight and got covered in more snow the following day. Luckily by Friday the worst of it had cleared and we were left with beautiful blue skies interspersed with fits of warm sunshine.

The Christmas buzz was starting to grow in me by this point, something I had been struggling to summon up as I prepared my Christmas stock, but there is something about wraping up warm on a crisp day like that, seeing kids with face paint babbling about the conversation they'd just had with Father Christmas with my hands folded round a glass of mulled wine that somehow brought me into the spirit. So much so that I was inspired to get my Christmas present off my husband...there and then. While I was gone the market had some unexpected visitors; Carol Thatcher and Jack Straw. I'm kinda sad I missed them as I would have loved to see their faces when they reached my stall and worked out what they were looking at...it would have been priceless.

However I'm not too sad as I now have a fantastic new Christmas gift...what is it?...well, I rushed off to go get myself a little black star microdermal implant on my temple - just at the end of my eyeliner flick. I so wish I had a photo to show you...I will post one soon.

As for the rest, I will be at the Christmas Fayre again tomorrow. I will also be on Radio Lancashire first thing in the morning spreading the word of Sock Horror to all those that are up and listening to the radio at that ungodly hour of the morning!

So I'd better run and get my arse in gear for tomorrow!

Dearest Sock Horror aficionados

I am delighted to inform you that the latest trappings of Horrors and Fluff have been added to our website.

Unfortunately the pickings are few...I fear the doldrites are cottoning on to our hunting techniques and avoiding our regular haunts. As a consequence we have an excersion planned for later in the week to travel further a field and explore new territory. Hopefully our new district will provide us with an abundance of the blighters.

Till then...stay safe and beware your socks!

Madame Horror

Leave my toasty toe toppers be!

I regularly give myself a rap over the knuckles regarding my approach to bloging. It is something I enjoy but struggle to find the time to complete. When I do find a few moments to compose an entry it turns into a list of notices that is slightly out of date and therefore probably of little note to most people. They are also generally quite lengthy and cumbersome to read.

So, I am setting some new priorities. Today I am going to jot down everything worthy of note at the minute…this may take some time as there are many topics for me to get off my chest, and then I will be free to make lighter entries of worth, hopefully on a more regular basis.

The followers amongst you will know that Halloween saw us at the Whitby Goth Festival. Whilst there, we held a raffle for one of our caged Sock Horrors. The lucky winner was Grant, pictured below with his prize ‘Hilomili’.

The 15^th of November was the Thought Bubble Sequential Arts Festival, organised as part of the 11^th annual Leeds International Film Festival. Sock Horror was one of the exhibitors to be found at the event which was held in Savilles’ Hall opposite the Royal Armouries.

The Thought Bubble team organised an excellent event with record numbers of people queuing to get in and meet their favourite comic book artists. There were many exhibitors, signings and presentations throughout the day, and it was great to see so many of you turn up there. We had a great time, met some real characters and were exposed to some great new comics and artists.

An artist of note for me was Dan Barrit of Ragadabah Art with his zombie ridden vistas of Leeds. His attention to detail is immense and well worth a look if you know Leeds at all as you can easily pinpoint the landmarks and buildings that are overrun by plagues of zombies and the chaos that ensues.

On a different note, I am pleased to be able to say that we have just 2 copies left from our first print run of our latest book Sockmosis; Survival of the Fittest. We have been in procession of these copies for just 4 weeks and we have already had to place another order. It is heartening to know that our message is getting out and the threat we face at the hands/feet/horns/digits of these creatures is no longer getting swept under the carpet. The next shipment should be with us shortly… and definitely in plenty of time for you to receive your copy before Christmas!

If you have not already ordered your copy of the Sockmosis survival manual you can do so here:

When worlds Collide

Survival of the Fittest

Alongside the delivery of books, we’re expecting to get our hands on another parcel any day now. This is something new that we’ve never done before, but after several requests and much investigation we have decided to branch out a little. I won’t say just yet, other than I’m excited to see the results and even more so to see your reactions!

We have also been feverishly busy restocking our outlets as people have already started their Christmas shopping, so you can find a fresh consignment of Horrors at a store near you. Just checkout our links page to find out where you can get your hands on Sock Horror.

As a consequence of all this activity you will find that our website (and other online stores) is decidedly low on trappings. I am currently surrounded by Sock Horror skins and the Fluff creature components, and am busy putting the finishing touches on many a creature with the plan to have the website updated with new stock over the weekend. If you can’t wait that long please remember that I do take commissions…at no extra charge. Just message me with your requests and I’ll be quick to get back to you to discuss the possibilities.

If all this activity isn’t enough for you, you will find us busily preparing for the Christmas fairs that we are attending, hosted by Chilli Lime Deli in Fleming Square, Blackburn.

The fairs will be held every Saturday in December and we have a pitch booked at all 3 events. There are going to be a variety of stalls and something for everyone; plenty to take your fancy and inspire you for Christmas, live music, mulled wine and a selection of hearty food to fill your belly in the icy weather.

OK, I think I’ve kept you for long enough. Thanks for reading to the end; I hope I didn’t ramble on too much. As a treat for sticking with me I’d like to furnish everyone that places an order before Christmas with a free gift. All you have to do is put the quote ‘Leave my toasty toe toppers be!’ in the comments section of your Paypal invoice and I’ll do the rest!

Stay safe…and chant to the doldrites – Leave my toasty toe toppers be!

Madame Horror

So the Goth weekend is over for another 6 months

... and I personally, do not know where the time went!

We arrived in Whitby on Thursday afternoon to be met with a great big black cloud and hailstones. This brought a smile to my face as I remembered all the times we’ve nearly been blown off the cliff or washed down the hills with the torrents, our full skirts acting as sails in the wind and our carefully sculpted hair destroyed in an instant. This is the Whitby we know and love.

We set up our wares in the smaller room of the leisure centre, spent some time getting to know the stall holders we would be spending the next three days with and then retired for a few drinks in our hired cottage.

We had a great time with Sock Horror on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and had fun getting to know those of you that could come to visit us there. It was lovely to chat to the people we had met on previous occasions and show off our latest creations and great to introduce new people to the concept of Sock Horror.

This year we also hosted a raffle to win one of our Caged Sock Horrors: Everyone that bought a Fluff Creature or Sock Horror was entered into the draw and the winning ticket drawn on Sunday evening. The lucky winner is Grant Walker...well done Grant.

Other news from the weekend:

For me the Whitby Goth Weekend is more than just an opportunity to flaunt Sock Horrors. It is about getting together a lot of the mates I’ve made over the years. We’ve been going to the Goth Weekend for 13 years now (and that makes me feel really old!) and as you can imagine we don't always go for the music, although this year the game was raised and bands we were excited to see were there; Voltaire and the Resurex in particular but also Christian Death and Specimen. Over the years we have built up a load of traditions; one of our favourites is the ‘Tat competition’.

The Tat Competition is nothing to do with who has the best tattoos (although we do regularly compare those), but is a game that we play over the weekend. Each person in the group has to go shopping for the best (or worst, whichever way you look at it) piece of tat. The most dreadful ornament you can find in the shops of Whitby for under £5. The one item that you would hate to have in your home or that makes you wonder who on earth thought someone would want one of those.

At the end of the weekend we get a stranger to judge our entries and chose which item is the most hideous; this usually involves placing them all on a table in a restaurant and getting the waiter to decide. This year we were lucky enough to stumble across Voltaire as we were leaving our cottage, needless to say we asked Voltaire if he would be our critic, and he and his girlfriend helped us out. What a funny man, he had us all in stitches as he narrowed down the selection and provided his verdict. Fortunately we got it all on camera...which we will post on youtube. Thanks Voltaire!

So, what does the winner get? Well, he or she gets to display the entire group of entries in their home for a whole year! I guess it’s a double edged sword but it’s all good fun (and scary how quickly you stop seeing the offensive objects around your home and stop explaining to visitors that said objects are not really of your tastes but are displayed as part of a competition!) At the end of the year all the items are collected together and made into a trophy for the next winner, who auctions off the trophy on eBay; the funds of which are donated to S.O.P.H.I.E.

I will post another blog shortly about the whole affair once we have listed the trophy.

Whitby Goth Weekend!

That's right; we're on our way to the Whitby Goth Weekend tomorrow; and I have a feeling it's going to be a blast.

I'm so ready for a holiday. I'm looking forward to the drive over the Yorkshire moors and the moment your eyes first alight on Whitby Abbey in the Distance. I love spotting my first Goth of the weekend and gradually seeing the swathes of black descending on the sleepy shipping village. I'm looking forward to seeing Specimen and Christian Death, Voltaire and the Rezurex, but more than anything I'm looking forward to spending a weekend with my long time mates reminiscing about the old days and the first WGW we came to.

I am also really excited about the Sock Horror stall that is taking place in the Leisure Centre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend. We have gone all out this year, bringing more of the roadshow and the critter cage!

We also have loads of new creatures for you to gawp at and all new designs including; Hunting Trophes, Caged Horrors and the much awaited and seriously hot off the press 'Sockmosis; Survival of the Fittest' (the second collection of essays from the Sockmosis series).

I look forward to seeing many of you there...don't be afraid to say hi!

Stay safe

Madame Horror

Fevered

A few short days seperate us from the pilgrimage to Whitby...and don't I know it!

I have buried myself in Horror stuffings, body bag parts and toe tag assembly and so far it appears all I've managed to do is melt my sewing machine. I could have you believe that my sewing machine has liquefied through over use and resulted in ultimate melt down; but in reality my halogen lamp was too close (you could say that it was actually touching it) and scorched the plastic casing.

Well at least it FEELS like I've done enough sewing to cause my sewing machine to melt. I've definitely put it through it's paces recently.

Here at the Sock Horror Headquarters we have been perfecting the art of sock taxidermy over several years. We pride ourselves on our ability to inbibe our creatures with life and restore them to their former glory.

Ocasionally the creatures we hunt or find do not remain unscathed; usually as a results of their confinement or capture method. This means that we are not always able to reinstate them as they would be found in nature.

Fortunately, after perfecting the technique, we area ble to offer these creatures mounted on wall plaques as hunting trophies reminiscent of the deer heads you might find in hunting lodges and old country pubs.


The first is available through Etsy and the Specialist cetegory of our website, and more will be added shortly.


I would welcome your thoughts on out new venture.

Stay safe...BEWARE YOUR SOCKS
Madame Horror

October is my December and Halloween my New Year

October is my favourite month, and although it sounds stereotypical of me, a Goth that loves Halloween, I can't help that child-like feeling when all the goodies start appearing in the shops and everything is available in black and orange.

I find myself drawn to the eerie bits of plastic and skull decorated accessories like a moth to a flame and am unable to exercise control over what gets piled in my shopping basket... I've been eating chocolate eyeballs all week!

For me this is the holiday season. The first of October marks the beginnings of the rituals and first flurry of activity. My most beloved annual occasions are all squeezed into this month; the ever expanding Halloween Ball and the obligatory Whitby Goth Festival.

...and I'm starting to feel the customary strain and urgency of getting ready for everything laced with the excitement and eagerness to make it better than last year.

It's just 3 weeks to Whitby and the Sock Horror road show, and a frightening 2 weeks until the Halloween Ball and I have so much to do; my head is filled with ideas and I've so many lists of jobs to complete that I don't know what to tackle first.

Interesting times...

The Sock Horror Investigation Team have had a very intensive few weeks filled with copious amounts of research and intense debate, but we are coming to a point where we can see the fruits of our labour and show you some of our developments.

Prof Doodlemonkie and myself are delighted to be able to anounce the release of our second series of essays titled Sockmosis: Survival of the Fittest, which are currently in print and will be available from all good book stores (and obviously ourselves) within the next few weeks.

Here is a sneaky peak at the new book. If you would like to learn more about Survival of the Fittest or our other publications please visit our Website.


In addition to the new book we have some new creatures for you. These will be added to the website over the next few days so keep a look out for these deadly sock liberators:


I would also like to thank all those who came fo see us at Preston today.

Grab 'em while you can...

New Horrors available

At last the latest Horrors are available though our store.

There will be more going up later this week. Please also check out our Etsy store as more creatures will be going up daily.

Also don't forget that we are at the Fresh market in Preston this coming Sunday the 28th.

This time the market coincides with 'It's PRESTon the Move' which will include fun runs, Grandprix and cycling activities along with Bataala Samba band, The one voice chior and free draw graffiti event.

www.preston.gov.uk/Blog.asp

Be sure to get there early!

It's an epidemic!

Grab your garb and join the hunt!

The last 2 weeks has seen me feverishly laying traps in a bid to snare some fresh meat...luckily the catch has been fruitful and I'll be presenting some new specimens to you soon.

As a taster, here is one of the lucky ones...

Well how good was Infest this year?

I just wanted to drop you all a short note to say hi and thanks to all of you that came to visit us at Infest and spend some time learning about Sock Horror. We met some great people, made new friends and really enjoyed spending time with you all.
I think it's safe to say that Sock Horror was appreciated at infest and consequently the website will be a little depleted while I try and build up stock again. Please keep checking in to see what new creatures evolve and feel free to contact me if you wish to request a custom Sock Horror or Fluff Creature.

Also, as some of you have been asking when the next Sockmosis essays will be available, I would like to confirm that we are currently in the process of compiling the second volume which should be available in the next month or so.

Thanks, and remember...BEWARE YOUR SOCKS!
Madame Horror

PAD relaunch

The 1^st of August saw the opening of the ‘Our Preston...Our City’ exhibition at PAD gallery in its new location on Market Street in Preston.

I wasn’t participating in the exhibition on this occasion but as a resident artist, and knowing Preston well, my interest was piqued. As we came to the gallery it was obvious that there was a good turn out as people were spilling out onto the pavement enjoying the refreshments and a good smoke in the warm evening air. We managed to make our way inside but the throng of people was so strong it was hard to view the artworks properly; we either had our noses pressed so close we couldn’t see or there were clusters of people obscuring our line of sight.

Thankfully as time wore on and the crowds dispersed we were able to wander round freely and examine the exhibits to our hearts content; and what a collection there was! There was a stunning variety of art and a wide range of disciplines and approaches. One piece in particular has stayed with me and I’m kicking myself that I don’t remember the name of the artist...I’ll have to make a point to find out and I’ll post it here...but it was a small, almost overlooked picture, with a large black mount and dominating black frame; but when you came in close you realised the black and white image was the view from a surveillance camera in the centre of town. I loved how you had to get in close to see this one properly; almost like you were spying on the scene yourself.

Alongside the exhibition were the offerings from the resident artists. I found myself drawn to many items and creating a mental wish list I WILL be sharing with my husband; an adorable charcoal leather clutch, ceramic sculptures resembling poppy seed heads, abstract bowls with rivulets of blue glass...oh I could go on!

In all it was a grand success (I saw many a red dot denoting a sale) and a great opportunity to get to know some other local artists and collectors.

New Stockists....MALIGAYA

Let me share with you how this came about...

I am not from Preston, and although it's only 30 minutes down the road from me and a far superior town centre to Blackburn it's not somewhere I generally spend my time; unless of course it's dark outside and there is beer involved. Never-the-less there is much more going on, being a city, and therefore a more likely place for the seed of Sock Horror to germinate. So, armed with all the wares I could assmeble, my assistant (who I couldn't have done without) and I descended on Preston for FRESH; The contemporary Arts Market.

Our presence was demanded at 8:30 on Sunday morning and we were slightly hung-over due to a raucous birthday bash the night before, quite why we had to be there that early is beyond me as that time on a Sunday morning doesn't exist for the majority of people. Needless to say we didn't see a soul (other that the other stall holders) until 10:30 when the rest of the town centre was open. However, as always we had numerous visitors to our stall who had so far been unaware of the doldrites as the reason for their laundry melancholy that were quickly educated and consequentially totally enthused with disseminating our story.

OK, so me and my good friend were feeling a little fragile and were taking it in turns to trudge to various establishments for life preserving supplies, so our next encounter took us by surprise...our of the blue a man appears at our stall, and speaking at a speed slightly too fast for our slow brains to preocess and slightly brusquer that our weak selves could respond to he demanded "when you're done come and see me; I have a shop around the corner - Maligaya" and then he was off.

Now I said our brains were slow, but the next few hours show me how painfully dim-witted we were. We instantly forgot the name of the shop (I'm very sorry...I was determined to call it Malachi for some reason), but we spent the rest of the afternoon in a quandary over what we had done to invoke the wrath of this man...had we parked in front of his shop? Were we obstructing something? So it was with some trepidation that we packed up the car and made our way round there. In we crept but he was nowhere to be seen - not to matter though because our eyes were instantly drawn to the abundance of wares to drool over. No joke, we were acting like a couple of pirates who found an abandoned cave filled with booty; piling item after item into our arms. The reason of our being there almost forgotten we made our way upstairs to be met by the man who visited our stall and was actually bearing one of the broadest smiles I'd seen in a long time.

The quick part of my brain deduced that we weren't in fact in trouble and after a little chat we determined that Maligaya actually wanted to stock Sock Horror. It turns out that one of the customers to our stall had subsequently paid a visit to Maligaya and had been so enthusiastic about Sock Horror that he had instantly run round to ask us to come and visit him, however, because he was short staffed he didn't have the time to introduce himself properly and consequently we got confused and interpreted his haste as annoyance.

Well, the upshot is that Maligaya are now proud stockist of Sock Horror creatures and publications and I am failing to find a deeper modicum of self-control having discovered a new establishment to spend my hard earned pennies in.

Maligaya is situated on Friargate in the heart of Preston and is open 7 days a week for your purchasing pleasure.

I've been playing with wordle...what fun!

Sock Horror in jail

While WE here are fully aware of doldrites tenacious ability to secrete themselves in the most unconceivable places it appears there are still some people blissfully unaware of their antics.

It has been brought to my attention this week that on BBC Radio4's Midweek programme one of the guests was a certain Ray Materson, an artist who filled his time making detailed embroidery panels out of coloured threads pulled from socks. Apparently the conversation touched on there always being odd socks, but they all missed the startling revelation that, even in the secure environment of an American prison wing, Doldrites can come and go unnoticed and steal prisoners' socks.

The upside of this story is that although doldrites were at work in Ray's wing they almost certainly were exposed to his masterpieces and had to confront traumatic scenes of thier siblings reduced to thier most base state...great job Mr Materson, particularly as he had to work in secret because his work was technically "contraband" being something made from something else which was not its original purpose...extra credit to ya!

Dastardly scoundrels

I have learnt this week just how far someone will go to own a Doldrite and the irony of this snippet of gossip is just too bizarre....

Sock Horrors; those lovable creatures that creep, those troublesome tykes that steal your socks, have ultimately become prey to their own antics.........2 prized specimens were in residence in the display window of hex peircing studio which was broken in to over the weekend. This act of larceny wasn't a bid to cleen the studio out, no they merely wanted the window contents.

So, to those lawbreakers who fell victim to the lure of Sock Horror and decided they needed to own these specimens.............may you live a long life and never find a pair of socks again!!!

Blood and bone....and all of it mine!

Those of you who are abreast of my antics will be wondering how we fared last weekend at Whitby Goth festival, and I certainly have some exploits to share with you, not to mention as the title suggests an incident of blood and bone.

For me Whitby Goth Weekend started at 3am Friday morning. This was the time we dragged ourselves out of bed, bundled ourselves into the car and started out journey to Whitby. The drive was pleasant enough and the moment we spotted the Abbey on the cliff top over the moors we knew we were ready for a weekend of fun. We got to the leisure centre in plenty of time, set ourselves up with ease and did the rounds catching up with all our friends from previous years.

This was the last moment of calm and tranquility. The weekend quickly picked up pace and soon resembled the carnival we have come to love and look forward to every year; great music, loads of dancing, burlesque and pageantry; eye liner, glitter, hairspray and corsets; storm troopers, Frankenstein and a gaggle of skeletons; drinking and merry making, Captain Cooks' cannon balls (they're the greatest), shopping shopping and more shopping; cobbled streets, thunderstorms and shooting elk. What more could you ask for from a festival?

There were two major differences though this time; the first was my in-laws (as mentioned in a previous blog) who really threw themselves into the whole affair. They looked fantastic and were constantly pestered on the streets to have their photographs taken. I'm sure they were in their element and loved every minute.........in fact i know very well that they have secured their place for October and are already planning what they will wear.

The other incident of note was me breaking my toe. Yes, it's true. I spent the whole weekend walking round in big solid boots and chunky heels to then manage to break my bones. Although I had had a drink at the time I am not assenting that this is the reason for the episode. No, it was a highly polished floor, a mat with no rubber backing and a stone step that are to blame and no the fact that it was 5 am Sunday morning and the end of a long and raucous evening. It was amusing at the time hearing the cracking sound resonate off the kitchen walls and making sure everyone could see where the skin was broken and how funny my toe looked but not so amusing the following day when I had to hobble round the town looking for some flip flops to spend the rest of the weekend in.

Overall, the weekend was a great success. The Horrors flew off the stall with returning customers and new initiates taking on the terror of the Sock Horror army and a good time was had by all. Our stall and accommodation is booked for October and our countdown calendar has been reset.

Whitby Goth Weekend

The time has come, once again, to assemble the curios of Sock Horror and begin the pilgrimage to Whitby and the Gothic Festival, and what a treat we have in store for you.

This year, as previously the Sock Horror carnival will be in the Leisure center on Whitby west cliff from 10 to 5 on both Friday and Saturday (25th and 26th April). Please do come along and pay us a visit.....we have a very special iron in the fire that will hopefully give you something to gawp at and probably leave me very tounge tied with flushed cheeks (if everything falls in to place).

I know a good few of you will be making your way to the festival so please feel free to come along and introduce yourself*. For those of you that are at a lose end this weekend then I suggest you throw caution to the wind and join the party. Information on the event, including bands, bazaar and the many fringe events can be found here and there are still some tickets available here

I look forward to catching up with all of you and sharing our findings on the fight against Sock Horror.

To all of you that are not able to make it please bear with me as I won't be able to respond to any messages until the 30th April.

Stay safe
Madame Horror

*friends of Doodlemonkie knowing the special hand signal - your packages are ready and waiting

Horrors flaunt brands as scars

I'm so excited by this that I stayed up way past the witching hour several nights in a row to complete the task of branding the Horrors, but we have got there and I'm as pleased as a pig in muck with the results.

After many many moons of hand making colour coordinated neck tags that bear our trade name for each and every Horror we now have custom made swing labels that just look the dogs' bollocks and carry many of the emblems you would associate with Sock Horror. These include our characteristic 'Sock Horror' font, our prized seeker logo and of course a small smattering of blood.

What more could a girl wish for?

Well, these swing labels are more than just an identifier of origin; they are tomes (in the smallest sense of the word) of information - each one helping to describe the world of The Doldrums and the factions in effect there. There are in fact three different versions to collect; focusing on Doldrites, Icons and Gores in turn. No longer should you be bamboozled by the terminology in the descriptions of the Horrors; no more will you have to wonder about their origin and desires.

'Hooray!' I hear you cry.

And it doesn't stop there………with the advent of these ingenious labels there has been a re-mastering of the autopsy toe tags. Where before the simplicity of the toe tag was its virtue and merely stated the creatures' name, the new Autopsy Toe Tag now contains much of the information found in my personal journal as determined in my preliminary examination upon capture of the cretins (all of which is lovingly hand written) and informs you (the collector) of their breed, which faction they belong to, which island and region of The Doldrums they came from and when and where they were found or caught.

In addendum to these original features there are other characteristics that will easily identify a creature as part of the Sock Horror domain;

* The tush tags denoting our web address can only be found on our originals

*The unique eyes with their bold colours and distinctive cross emblem are exclusive to Sock Horror

*And of course where else will you find your favourite creature preserved in a specially made zip up body bag?....well only Sock Horror of course

Why not visit our website and see for yourself the Horrors that flaunt these brands as scars:

Talent Database

I have just this last week listed Sock Horror on the talent database:


 

And much to my delight we have earned a feature!

Please go along and have a browse, show your support to all the great talent you can find there.

A Gothic Family Holiday

Me and my husband are now seasoned veterans of Whitby Gothic Weekend. We have been going since our university days; in fact i think this will be our eleventh year and many of those we made the pilgrimage in both April and October.

I hear you cry 'how can a festival hold that much interest? Are you not bored after going to the same place so many times?' and to you I give an understanding nod and know that you have never been.

The home of Bram Stoker' Dracula at Halloween.........how on earth could be not fall in love with the place when it is completely overtaken by alternative types? The whole town embraces the festival and strings bats and spiders from every possible inch of space and even the second-hand shops tailor their window displays to show off their black velvet dresses, top hats and cravats; pubs advertise snakebites and restaurants change their menu descriptions to reflect the darker side of the palette. Besides all that it's the archetypal quaint fishing village with cobbles streets and shambles, but for miles around the most dominating feature of Whitby is the ruins of the Abbey perched on the top of West Cliff gazing out to sea.

But mainly we go to catch up with our mates, the people we only get to see at these events. Friends we made at university who moved on to live their lives in different towns. It's a great excuse to rent a large cottage on a cobbles street at the foot of the steps to Whitby Abbey, stay up all night catching up on each others escapades and behaving like we never left the place.

In recent events I have taken Sock Horror along and set up stall at the magnificent bazaar - as I am doing this time, and have had just as much fun educating people in the world of The Doldrums and the lore of lost socks.

This year however will be a new experience for several reasons. For the first time in many years we are descending on Whitby with depleted numbers; instead of the customary 12 or 14 of us that go as a group there will only be 4. I wonder how this will change our enjoyment of the event. But perhaps more notable is that it's going to be a real family event. When I say this I do not mean there is a miniature Madame Horror or Uncle Roblin for us to take along, quite the opposite.......we are going with Uncle Roblins' parents...........

They are not Goths. The whole thing passed them but without so much as a whisper, yet here they are throwing themselves into the preparations with such vigour I'm in awe. Gone is the curly blond hair to be replaces with a sleek razor edged style shot with pillar box red streaks. For months they have been trawling the country for unique items of clothing as only befits Gothic gentry (for the Internet is not their forte) and have deliberated over the perfect skirt shape to sit on the crinoline purchased last month and mused over whether a lace or ruffle parasol would finish the outfit more definitively. Morning suits have been specially tailored, pocket watches purchased and even armour rings bearing pentagrams have been chosen to adorn their fingers. In truth they are going to be more prepared for the coming event than we who have wardrobes full of Gothic couture and nothing to wear.

Is it right that you can be upstages by your in-laws in a lifestyle you have been carving yourself for so long? Oh I'm in no doubt that we will have fun; there is many a weekend we sit up chatting till 5 in the morning, but still I have the sneaky suspicion I will feel like a parent opening a new world to two impressionable teenagers.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Dom the Fluff creature

Dom is a fluff creature with glittery black fluff growing from his glittery silver self.

When Fluff gets sucked into The Doldrums (the land of Sock Horror) it starts to grow and graze. Doldrites love fluff creatures and look after them with great care; there is even a caste of Sock Horror who's life revolves around tending the herds of fluff that roam the fabric fields.

This particular Fluff creature was caught by Doodlemonkie

Sock Horror, www.SockHorror.etsy.com, www.doodlemonkie.etsy.com

PAD Gallery

Sock Horrors are now in residence at the PAD Gallery Preston.

After coming across our exhibition the members of PAD gallery felt so strongly about informing people about these creatures that they suggested we exhibit in their gallery.

PAD gallery now hold a selection of Sock Horrors and are soon to stock Fluff creatures and our first publication; Sockmosis: When worlds collide.

Found on Church Street in the centre of Preston, PAD gallery displays an eclectic mix of art and hand crafted items from the cream of Lancashire artists. It also holds events and workshops on many disciplines and techniques.

For further information please visit their website:

PAD gallery

Introduction

Whether you know it or not you are a target. I would put my life on it that you have already been a victim…….many times over!!! Just think back; how many odd socks do you possess? Where do you suppose they have gone? Your mistake, like mine for many years, is to assume they are wedged under the bed or lurking under the wardrobe to be found at a later date.

In truth they have been stolen and whisked away to the land of the Doldrums. The architects of these crimes lurk where your back is turned, creep where you are not looking and frequently make the journey into your homes, into your bedrooms and to where you sleep to complete their endeavors.

I have come to call them SOCK HORRORS as they are evolved from socks, of that I am sure, but they ARE truly horrific.

Up until now, I have shared my findings with very few. However, I do have a small band of loyal acolytes, all of whom assist in the hunt and capture of further specimens.

My closest companion in this quest is Professor I. Doodlemonkie – a specialist in lore and fable, who is now my official diarist and scribe. I teased this hermit out of his early retirement by simply presenting him with my findings to date; then, he was instantly converted to the cause, working furiously (an, from that initial day forward, mostly barefoot) to distill our discoveries into one tome.

Together, we have made a pact to discover everything about these fascinating – but very deadly – creatures, and present our case to the world.

Together we can prevent their reaching legion.

Sincerely

Madame Horror