[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-dartmoor-christmas-2017":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Once again, the Reeve family adopted Stuart and me (waif and stray) for Christmas, and Dartmoor looked pure magic. Here's an excited Frodo the poodle in a light snowfall we had on Boxing Day. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/328978_original-e960b95385.jpg\" width=\"550\">\\r\n\\r\nPhilip and Sarah Reeve had discovered a new, shorter way to get to Watern Tor, and took us there, where for the first time I got to see the original \u003Cb>Thurlestone\u003C/b>, the name of which inspired the villainous rambling isle in our first book together, \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/oliver-and-the-seawigs/\">Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/a>\u003C/i>. (\u003Ci>The name's listed in '\u003Ca href=\"https://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/watern_tor.htm\">the Perambulation of 1240\u003C/a>', which you can read about here.\u003C/i>)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/329425_original-336d6727e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nOne of the coolest things about Dartmoor are the tors, the grouping of enormous rocks at the top of hills, like some sort of giants' modern art gallery. The only thing is that up there it can be VERY WINDY.  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/329821_original-9e82a57af6.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nWe stayed for six days and went on a hike almost every day, so we got to see Dartmoor looking very different as the light shifted and clouds and fog did weird and wonderful things. I'm going to post lots of photos here, mostly for myself, so I can go back later and remember what we got up to. (But come along for the ride if you like!)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/329987_original-0d329ca693.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere are our fabulous hosts Sarah and Philip Reeve, a big cheer for them. They're very good about knowing just when to break out flasks of coffee and mince pies. :) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/334397_original-538cd232a8.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for lots more under the cut!-->\\r\nOn the first day, the landscape looked so in keeping with \u003Ci>Mortal Engines\u003C/i> that it made me laugh and I had to take a few photos of Philip looking heroic in his dystopian wasteland. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/330308_original-4267fbc11a.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nOh, did I mention that there's a Peter Jackson film of it coming out for next Christmas? (Not that I am EXCITED or anything...) Here's \u003Ca href=\"http://www.philip-reeve.com/mortal-engines-where-to-begin/\">Philip's blog about where to begin \u003C/a>if you want to do some catch-up reading before you see the movie. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"4102\"/>\\r\n\\r\nDartmoor very much inspires Philip's books and you can catch glimpses of them all over the landscape. It also makes for good panorama shots. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/330646_original-42c1accd35.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nOh look, another panorama shot of Stuart, up on Bellever Tor. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/330833_original-57b2bb342b.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nCool stone circles, too. You don't have to buy tickets like you do for Stonehenge. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/331215_original-c74a00001d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnother moody Mortal Engines shot:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/336531_original-5f7c1a0bd2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's when it all just went silly and the woods started looking like \u003Ci>Lord of the Rings\u003C/i>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/331353_original-e0e953b249.jpg\" alt=\"philip reeve\" title=\"mortal engines\">\\r\n\\r\nHere are Philip and Frodo doing their best Lothlorian elf impressions. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/331741_original-dea6701fc3.jpg\" alt=\"mortal engines\" title=\"philip reeve\">\\r\n\\r\nSnap those author photos while you can. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/331966_original-685162e020.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nShark vs Pudding: the two Sarahs looking elegant and sophisticated in our outdoor attire. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/332080_original-2eb02fdf87.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nWe did cosy indoor things, too. Here's\u003Cb> Sam\u003C/b> in front of the Christmas Day wreckage. (Frodo loves ravaging wrapping paper more than anything.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/332333_original-09503c0a1f.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nCocktails, too.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/332785_original-e0419f2fe0.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd a visit from two of my favourite Devon folk, actors \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/NicholasPegg\">Nick Pegg\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/BarnabyEdwards\">Barnaby Edwards\u003C/a>! (You might know them as Daleks in \u003Ci>Doctor Who\u003C/i>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/333254_original-1844fb7e5b.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nBarnaby recently recorded an \u003Cb>audiobook of \u003Ci>Mortal Engines\u003C/i>\u003C/b>, and I'd listened to it; it's very good. (Available at all good audiobook retailers, or \u003Ca href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mortal-Engines-Book/dp/B076PWL8S2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514831745&sr=8-1&keywords=mortal+engines+audiobook\">here\u003C/a>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/332876_original-39a6a22c26.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnother local person we got to see was one I'd never met, the excellent illustrator \u003Ca href=\"http://www.davidwyattillustration.com/\">David Wyatt\u003C/a>, who created the covers for the Fever Crumb trilogy (prequels in the Mortal Engines world). \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/333497_original-6a5fe0808e.jpg\" alt=\"David Wyatt\" title=\"Fever Crumb\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's David's original cut-away \u003Ci>Fever Crumb\u003C/i> cover, but Scholastic have reissued them with his new artwork, which ties in more with the look of the Mortal Engines quartet. My favourite of David's illustrations for for the Larklight trilogy; if you haven't read those yet, they are fascinatingly clever and wonderful. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/333645_original-831e2e6296.jpg\" alt=\"Fever Crumb\" title=\"David Wyatt\">\\r\n\\r\nMore Christmas pics... here's Stuart and morning croissants on Christmas Day:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/334018_original-18b2e765e2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nPhilip's dad is very artistic and painted this landscape as a gift for him: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/334648_original-537c3f769a.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's Sarah with the Christmas PUD:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/334141_original-bf3e112dd1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"pud\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd their friend \u003Cb>Jane\u003C/b>, who brought along her new mandolin, so we were able to have a Christmas sing-song. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/335846_original-f873d2929e.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nMore landscape shots: we were very lucky with this one as the whole place was swathed in thick fog about ten minutes later. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/335066_original-a2824ab2a3.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHikers! Philip, Sarah, Philip's sister \u003Cb>Marianne\u003C/b>, Stuart, and Marianne's partner \u003Cb>Howard\u003C/b>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/335526_original-e5f79b8a64.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's Sarah photographing some of that strange mist I was telling you about: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/335872_original-8f4bb4728b.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI love the sepia colour palette of wintry moor. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/336231_original-9963f9d9e8.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's the Dartmoor Poodlesnake, which we were lucky enough to see as it's usually hibernating this time of year. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/336809_original-23d1302411.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nSam needed to take photos of ruins for a school project, so we found some ruins. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/337064_original-950053510d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's that dusting of snow, on Bellever Tor: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/335204_original-722f82bec2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nSarah photographing icicles. (Follow her on Instagram as \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/moorland/\">@moorland\u003C/a> - she takes amazing Dartmoor photos.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/337384_original-a0ca086e34.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nSnowy tussock:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/337649_original-adb5a77a1f.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nCo-authors of the Frozen North:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/329548_original-1761cd9172.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThis year Philip acted in the local panto, and we went to visit one of his friends from it, \u003Cb>Rose Underhill\u003C/b>. Here's the amazing old farming house she lives in with her big family. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/337847_original-8c046edfad.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThat house has so many layers of history; it was wonderful poking about and seeing bits and bobs from generations of people who have lived there. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/337993_original-4fd1da3f59.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's a quick portrait I drew of her daughter, who's a fan of Philip's books and our Reeve & McIntyre books. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/338294_original-9c43ee17d6.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nLook at me being all USEFUL about the place. (via Philip's instagram, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thesolitarybee\">@thesolitarybee\u003C/a>)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/338497_original-85d2b1a7cc.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd back inside the cosy house. We spent a lot of time around this table and miss it already. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/339177_original-88f0bd98fc.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">","2018-01-01T18:50:00.000Z","dartmoor-christmas-2017",[],"dartmoor christmas 2017",1776628729353]