The history of Blackadder to be shared at Penarth Book Festival (From Penarth Times)

The history of Blackadder to be shared at Penarth Book Festival

8:50am Monday 15th October 2012 in News

FANS of Blackadder will get the chance to hear all about the series when the Penarth Book Festival welcomes Jem Roberts, author of The True History of the Blackadder, on Monday, October 29.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the very first episode of Blackadder, Jem Roberts has compiled The True History of the Blackadder: The Unadulterated Tale of the Creation of a Comedy Legend.

It tells the complete history of the entire series and will be published on October 11. The book, which promises to be 'the very first in-depth examination of a British institution like no other', was written with the help of writers Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, producer John Lloyd, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed and Rowan Atkinson himself.

The hugely popular cult historical comedy Blackadder provided regular TV viewing for most of the eighties, with four series between 1983 and 1989 plus a number of one-off specials.

Roberts will be visiting Penarth on Monday, October 29, at 4pm to talk about the book and it is hoped he will reveal a little more about the recently discovered 'lost' episode - a Christmas Special written but never filmed, that features Edmund Blackadder as the Bethlehem innkeeper.

In another first for the festival, the venue will be the beautiful Mezzanine Gallery in All Saints Church, Victoria Square in Penarth.

"We are absolutely delighted that Jem has agreed to support the festival, and the Gallery will be the perfect setting," said Cathy Farr, one of the festival organisers.

"It is beautiful, with lots of space and a lift for those who can't quite manage the stairs.

"The Blackadder event will also help to set the standard for the whole week as we have some really wonderful events and authors including Owain Arwel Hughes, Catherine Fisher and Dr Chris North, of The Sky at Night.

"There will be debate, discussion and even a workshop on how to write your own autobiography, " she added.

* With something for book lovers of all ages, the first Penarth Book Festival is being sponsored by Penarth Town Council, HSBC and TWL Voice & Data.

* Information on tickets and events can be found on the website www.penarthbookfestival.org.uk

* Tickets can be bought on the Ticket Hotline 07787 848337, and at the Windsor Bookshop in Penarth.

 

IN the build-up to Penarth Book Festival, a children's writing competition attracted more than 150 entries.

Winner of the Year 7 category was Maxine Pwele of Stanwell School, with her story Forgotten...

 

THERE'S a house on the island. If you were to go there you'd notice a chilling wind that sends shivers down your spine. The house's history has many twists and turns, but I know them all. For I'm the restless spirit you sensed when you arrived, the thing you didn't quite see. I'm watching....listening and waiting....

The Masons lived here for almost 2 years. There were the parents, Mandy and Roger, the twins, Chris and Olaf, also known as Chalk and Cheese.
Chris was a straight A student, great at sport and the most popular boy in school. Olaf was the complete opposite, skinny and fragile, with poor grades, a general outcast. But he didn't seem to mind, he'd play for hours on end with his baby brother Charlie. All in all the family lived quite peacefully for a year.

Until the wolf came....

One night the family were having dinner. Mandy heard a creaking noise. She looked around the table. Everyone was here. So who... or what was coming down the stairs?

The blood drained from Mandy's face as she saw the gleaming orange eyes of a wolf, creeping around his lair...

This event scarred Mandy even though she'd tried to forget. But the eyes wouldn't go away. With time the other family members were also convinced their house was haunted and they became very scared.

Only Olaf seemed unfazed, he'd known long before the others that this was a wolf's lair. Sometimes when sunlight illuminated his attic bedroom he'd caught glimpses of the wolf's shadow in the hall; he was not afraid.

After months of terror, a decision was made. Mandy rang up friends from the mainland who owned a little yacht. They came to help with the move.
Soon everyone was in a boat, either the yacht or the Mason's little vessel.

Suddenly Charlie burst into tears, screaming and shouting. At that moment Olaf realised what he'd left behind. The photo of him with his father, holding a pike he'd caught last summer. So while the others were worrying about Charlie, Olaf leapt out of the boat and into the house....

Back in his room he lifted the twelfth floorboard. There it was, the most precious thing... Suddenly Olaf heard water splashing outside. He ran to the window and saw, horrified, two boats leaving the island.

Olaf ran down and out just to see two shapes vanishing. He shouted in vain. "Well, they'll come back for me...I won't be forgotten..."

He headed upstairs to keep lookout. But just as he reached the staircase he saw the staring, orange wolf's eyes, the same eyes that had scared his mother. Now those eyes were angry...and hungry.

The wolf attacked Olaf, ripped his clothes. He screamed. It was a fight to the death, Olaf was getting weak. In desperation Olaf picked up a broken chair leg and hit the wolf's head. He heard a whine, then everything went black.

When he awoke, Olaf's numb legs were covered in an old wolf's skin. He wished he could be in his mother's arms, a little thing like that could make such a difference. All he felt was blood on his hands. Blood?

Olaf stared as the wolf's blood dissolved him into dust. He tried to scream but couldn't. Within seconds Olaf was gone.

I was swept up into the air, whirled around, until I became the chilling wind that sends shivers down your spine. I'm the restless spirit you sensed when you arrived, the thing you didn't quite see. I'm watching...listening and waiting.