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Thank you ever so much @sealskin2001 😊 Very kind of you to say so and I appreciate your support.

Yes indeed, it is a shame that she didn't write more supernatural tales. However, since I made this video more has been discovered about Lettice Galbraith and a mini biography has been written detailing her life. There still remains an intriguing bit of mystery surrounding her though.

Thank you very much @stewartlancaster6155 from Cumbria 😊. Very kind of you to say so. I am from Yorkshire (on the the borders of West and North of the county) so that may account for my Northern accent. Thank you for your support and kind words.

You are are most welcome and thank you so much for your kind comment😊. I'm so glad you and your wife enjoyed it. I really like the way Benson twists the comedy around the macabre in some of his tales. He was a masterful writer.

@@scarystoriesbythefireside He was indeed.😊🌞

😊👍

Thank you. I have another Lettice Galbraith on the way very soon. Just finishing up on some editing. I intend to upload more of her stories. I love her too! 😊

My apologies. This one was a bit of an experiment.

@scarystoriesbythefireside No worries, it's just most of us can stand almost anything in a story, but never hurt a dog!

Oh yes, you are so right @carolrios9216. I found it excruciatingly hard to write that part. I love dogs and it is awful to even imagine such cruelty. I should have put a warning in there for sure.

Thank you @KayBacci. Florence is my favourite city too (it even beats Leeds! 😁) Yes, it is Dame Edith from The Importance of being Ernest! I tried to turn the photograph into an illustration. When Mrs Sapson appears in the story I instantly thought of her. I even attempted to do her voice. 'A haaandbaaag'...I can hear saying it as I read that.

Thank so very much for your kind comments. I’m from West Yorkshire and I think that is responsible for my accent😁. I’m a huge Benson fan too. I became familiar with him through the Miss Mapp and Lucia tales as well. At first via the T.V. series and then from the novels. I planned to spend a long weekend in Rye last summer but unfortunately had to cancel. The main reason was to visit Lamb House. It has such history and so many great writers have occupied it. And, as you say, Rye and that part of East Sussex is so beautiful. Many great gardens to visit, including Great Dixter. Spinach is a little-known Benson story, which surprised me when I first read it because I think it's one of his best. It is very much in the Lucia and Miss Mapp vein. I’m going to try and cover all his ghost stories eventually. I’m a little slow in production right now so I need to improve and get a move on😀. Thank you once again for your support and for watching and listening.

I'm so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for saying so! I've always loved this story. There is so much lying beneath the surface in Nesbit's short tales.

Thank you so much. That's very kind of you to say so 😊. I'm glad you enjoyed listening. There's more on the way.

Thank you very much for saying so. 😊 I'm glad you enjoyed it.

That would be fabulous. I can think of a number that would transfer well to the small screen. There was a version of Mrs Amworth made in the 70's. I believe it can be found on TH-cam. I didn't particularly like it because it was set in the 70's. But I would love to see some new period adaptations. They would be great to settle down and watch at Christmas.

@@scarystoriesbythefireside Yes indeed. Mark Gatiss seems to be re-hashing M.R James stories that to be frank, were not better than the excellent BBC ones in the 70's. A really good adapter like Andrew Davies would do a fine job with Benson. Thank You for sharing.

I agree @vintagebrew1057 I'd love to see an Andrew Davies treatment of a Benson tale or two. He would know just how to transfer the period and the atmosphere of the subject matter to screen. Ah! If only. You are very welcome. Thank you for watching and listening.

Thank you so much for saying so. Glad you enjoyed it 😊

Thank you so much @kimmorgan3122. It's really kind of you to say so. It's my voice 😁 , I'm not a professional voice actor, which is why it takes me so long to complete these readings with all the mistakes I make and retakes I have to do 😂. Thanks for your lovely feedback regarding the imagery too. I do wonder how many people watch the video content rather than just listen to the audio, so it is useful know.

Thank you! 😁 Glad you liked it.

Thank you for saying so😊. That's very kind of you. I never realised that I sounded like William Hague😃. But now that you mention it🤣. He comes from just a few miles up the road from me which might account for the similarity.

Is that around Doncaster way! I think his folks ran a kennels near me. 😃

Yes indeed😃. I think he's from Wentworth. I live in a small farming village about 9 miles from Doncaster. Small world! Great to have a local lady listening and watching! 😁

🤣 Thank you.

🤣 Yes indeed, tricky critters!

@@scarystoriesbythefireside indeed, this one was quite the nervy and extremely self-possessed trickster. Too bad she didn't have anyone with whom to share the wink, but at this point I think she's quite smug being the lone gunwoman, as it were!

Yes she's certainly a confident young lady with a wicked sense of humour. I get the impression that if her character were to appear in further adventures she would be happy to remain undetected, under the radar, and continue to enjoy her particular brand of entertainment!

Yes, it could well be. 😊

Thank you very much for saying so 😊 I am fond of them too. I hadn't realised just how many female writers of the age wrote interesting and high quality supernatural fiction. It has become something of a voyage of discovery for me. 😁

That's an excellent point. The demand for this type of fiction seems to have raced ahead of supply. How many short supernatural tales were written in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods always surprises me. This certainly created opportunities for women writers to get into print, which is great because we can reap the rewards by being able to read their work today, which might not be the case had things been otherwise.

Hi @beebee8018 , hope all is good with you and yours by the sea🌊😊 My apologies, this one was a bit a bit experimental but it doesn't seem to have worked. I tried narrating it myself but that just didn't seem right either.

My apologies. This was a bit of an experiment. 😊

🤣 You got me. Well spotted.😀I agonized over whether to correct the pronunciation or not, wondering if it would be noticed and because I'd heard it pronounced that way in other recordings...I should have done a retake for sure.

@scarystoriesbythefireside I just feel like so many on TH-cam pander to Americans. God forbid they may have to think? Sorry but of it's a British channel, it should be pronounced in the British way. Who's language is it anyway? 😄😄😄

Yes indeed, this is an English story, set in England and told by Edwardian English Ladies. Berkeley Square is and should be pronounced "bɑhrkli"😁. It's my mistake. I should have sought to correct it before uploading. I'm getting a bit lazy in my old age. 😀

Thank you! 🤗 I've always liked this one too. Most of her stories are intriguing and have hidden depths.

🥦🥬🥕 I know, there is a bit of a “5 a day” theme going on here. The titular Spinach also says that he had planned to bury the body in the garden and cover it with a vegetable bed before things went awry for him! It makes me think that Benson may have been pitching the story to a Gardening publication of the 1920’s 😁.

Yes, indeed, @extracurricularkitty3605 , that is an excellent point. They certainly wouldn't be able to get away with that in the 21st century! A more click-alluring title like "antisocial teen makes bad decisions" would probably be what Salinger's publisher should run with today. (When I saw that, my immediate thought was, "I would really like to read about that." If I came across it on a TH-cam thumbnail, I would definitely watch it!)😂 I suppose they were lucky back then in that some held such a captive audience, already waiting eagerly for their next offering. When I first came across this story, though, the title had the opposite effect; I was rather intrigued and curious about what it was about. I'm still working through the Benson cannon, but I love me some Benson too! Conan Doyle should really have come up with a better title than "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton"…a title which conveyed just a little insight into what we were getting ourselves into perhaps.😊

​​@@scarystoriesbythefireside@scarystoriesbythefireside Thank you for your intelligent response. I am subscribed now (I forgot) and will be tuning in to you on a regular basis. It's so hard to find decent spook stories on TH-cam due to the big thing being the (to me) amateurish, formulaic and uninspired 'creepypasta' being the big thing these days. **Yawn** is my response to those types of tales. I'm sure they're not ALL bad, it's just that they all seem to rely on being in the first person (for their supposed spooky flavor), and even the naming conventions they all use bore me. They name their stories like this: "I do freelance work for the government paranormal agency, and here's my scariest case" or: "I am a paranormal investigator, and X (or Y) happened, or: "I hunt cryptids, now X (or Y) is my life" Ugh, just makes me yawn reading the titles. Thank you for providing a more classic spooky experience, and high quality narration. 👍🏽👍🏽 I see what you mean about the title "Spinach" though, because it does make one wonder about the ghostly connection that spinach might have to the story.

Thank you so much! The sub and those very kind words are much appreciated.😊 I know what you mean about those modern creepy stories. Many of them are told in the same, or at least a similar way, and follow a rigid formula. And those types of titles are certainly hackneyed now. I have to admit that in setting up this Chanel, my initial intention was to create similar types of videos. Without copying or following that particular static style, the stories would be my own compositions and (hopefully) be presented in a novel way. Then, I got caught up in narrating these public domain works and found I enjoyed it. I’m still learning (as you can probably tell😂), and at some point, I would like to write some stories and turn them into videos for the Chanel. Just to add a bit more variety. I’m also trying to increase my output, but that’s another story…I’ve been editing the audio file for another E F Benson tale for ages and am still only halfway through! Yes indeed, “Spinach” is intriguing for that very reason. I think some great ghost stories have some terrible titles. “The Phantom Coach,” for instance…it’s almost like a spoiler.😁

❤ Thank you very kindly for saying so. Welcome aboard 😍🧡

Me too 😊

Thank you too and great to have you aboard as well 🧡🤗😊

Thank you again @zenamorgan1754. Some of these less famous old tales are really compelling. ❤

Mine too. I love the mischievous young niece. 😊

😂 It's not the greatest that's for sure.😊

Thank you very kindly 😊

I'm so glad you enjoyed it and thank you ever so much for saying so. A happy new year to you and yours in your haunted cottage on the emerald isle ☘☘☘☘ ☘💚💚💚

Thank you ever so much for the kind feedback. 😊 I will certainly continue with the introductions.

That is a shame. My first car was a Corolla 😙

Thank you ever so much for the very kind and encouraging comment. It makes me want to get cracking on another one as soon as possible. 😊

Thank you. Kind of you to say so😊

Yes indeed, I always found that one particularly unnerving...like so much of Poppy's work. Thank you.

I'm really glad you enjoyed it and thank you ever so much for your kind comment. 😊

Thank you. You are so kind @jackyhawkins1895😊 Benson tales are classic and timeless. 🤗

You are so welcome😎. Thank you as always for your kind words Bee🐝 bee🐝🤗

Who is the sulky looking man😊? Good voice ….

😁 He does look a bit sulky doesn't he. He is another Intelligently Artificial character 😊. Thank you 🤗

He is a rather good looking sulky looking character… With big hands……🤭🤗.

😁 Yes he is a handsome chap...and his hands are big! ✋🖐😂

That is really kind of you to say so, @bluefriend1723 🤗 I'm trying to become more consistent (and frequent) at uploading these stories, which may increase the subscriber count. I love making this content, and it is gratifying to know you enjoy the uploads, too. Thank you so much for watching/listening and for your support. 😊

You can't beat a bit of Benson! Thank you for your kind words and for listening. 🤗

Hey @tonyeden8381😁. I hope all is good with you...And thank you for the kind comment.

😁 Thank you @ruth_southernstar

Thank you @PippaAT Very kind of you to say so and you are most welcome 😊

Yes, I know what you mean, it's certainly not a good story. I wish I'd given the narrator better material to work with. Some of Rhoda Broughton's tales are quite atmospheric but I picked a weak tale here. I made an attempt at reading it myself and you would have laughed at my version of an entitled Victorian aristo😂. The narrator is better suited for general fiction perhaps. 🤗

Thank you so much and Welcome aboard! 🤗 I really appreciate your support. The season of the traditional Christmas Ghost Story is approaching and I'm hoping to increase the upload frequency as we head towards the new year. 😊

Yes, the creep factor is undoubtedly heightened in Lovecraft shorts compared to the more subtle and cerebral tales of James, Benson, etc. I get the impression that the writer enjoyed himself while writing this. It's very dark, and the teller of the tale is disturbing enough himself!😂 Who in their right mind would choose that "hobby" to alleviate boredom and "devastating ennui"! Thank you once again for your kind comments. I've made a list of stories to work on for the festive season, and another Lovecraft piece is on that list. I love your description; "This is as cold as the earth that keeps the body six feet under for eternity." That is beautifully written😍.

@@scarystoriesbythefiresideThank you. We are so lucky to live in a world of ‘speech sound’ and able to ‘read and write the written word’ of communication. The cu-configuration of perspective. I look forward to your next spooky representation. The film that scared me so much when I was a kid, is the 1963 black & white film starring Julie Christie, “The Haunting”. I do not know where you get your visuals, but this is one of your best so far and your ‘wordiest’

"The Haunting" is still one of my favourite horror films! I can remember staying up to watch it when I was a kid and being so creeped out that I bottled seeing it through to the end😨. I watched it again, years later, as an adult, and found it remained frighteningly powerful and effective. Shirley Jackson's seminal exemplar of the modern horror novel has never been rendered better since. The cinematography is perfect, and the location, Ettington Park, is inspired. I screened "The Innocents" (another favourite) on Saturday night for the first time in years. That was filmed two years earlier, and it is still a beautiful and disturbing example of the genre. The opening credits and song had me shuddering from the get-go! 😬 When I started, I used stock images and footage for the visual content and then converted them using design software. I'm relying more on "text to image" AI tools now. The results seem much better. It feels like "cheating" sometimes, but some skill is involved in describing the image style and effect needed. Another E F Benson is coming sometime this week. I'm still trying to improve my efficiency. I'd love to be able to upload once a week.😊 Thank you as ever for your encouragement and support. 🤗

⁠@@scarystoriesbythefireside Nothing you are doing here is Cheating. We all look for simpler ways to achieve things. It is just unfortunate that AI exists now and its ramifications. As for the film the Haunting, I know I said it scared me as a kid, well for years into my adult life it creeped me out So much I dared not go upstairs on my own after watching it! 😊! That creepy wall paper with the male voice murmuring and the doors BREATHING and Julie dancing around by the statuettes and that door to the child’s nursery when it is OPEN! WoW! what cinematography and sound! I have a problem trying to find your channel. When I type ‘Scary Stories’.. there are many other Scary Stories titles that come up on TH-cam and I think your title is probably preventing you from being seen as much as you deserve. Keep up the good works. 👁️🗣️👤

The Haunting certainly leaves its mark and stays with you and I can empathise because I have similar feelings of unease whenever I watch it again…which is rarely for that reason alone!😨 It is such an atmospheric piece of cinema. It was the film Robert Wise made in between West Side Story and The Sound of Music! You are right, I should have named the channel more imaginatively. Scary Stories is way too generic sounding and I keep wondering about renaming it. Thank you, I’ve been working on a new one and would have had it uploaded last week but I came down with a stinker of a bug/head cold🤧. Hopefully it should be going live by Thursday. Fingers crossed.😊

Thank you @jackyhawkins1895😍 Welcome aboard and I appreciate the encouragement and support. 😊