Curious Histories: A Strange Christmas Special

Curious Histories lands at a new venue for its Christmas show: upstairs at Hove's famously cosy Poets Ale and Smokehouse. Isla MacFarlane and Steve Bustin will present two off-the-wall stories for your delectation.

We are delighted that our festive fundraiser will benefit one of our favourite small local charities: Food and Friendship. Twice a week, at their lunch clubs, they take leftover and unwanted food donations and cook them up into tasty hot lunches for elderly and learning disabled adults in the city, hosted at the Hove Methodist Church Hall, just around the corner from the pub.
Our talks:
Before Dracula: How Vampire Fiction Cut Its Teeth

Vampires were rampaging through literature long before Dracula washed up at Whitby Abbey. The Count’s colourful ancestors include slavery abolitionists, female vampire hunters, suave aristocrats and soul-searching suburbanites. Vampires have been lurking on the fringes of literature for hundreds of years. They have a lot to tell us about the world that created them. Isla MacFarlane's talk follows these smart-talking blood suckers from forest folklore to horror staple.

Washing Socks By Night Since 1796:
The Weird History of ‘While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night’

Steve Bustin reveals the social and musical history of the well-known carol - for several years in the nineteenth century the only Christmas carol legally permitted to be sung in church. On the way, we'll take in pub carolling (and why every pub had its own tune for While Shepherds Watched), wassailing, the Puritan Christmas, and why the terrible poet who wrote the song perhaps didn’t really write it. And maybe end with a weird singalong?

Our speakers:

is well known on the spoken word circuit around Sussex as an effervescent speaker and lover of garden history. In his day job he’s a business communication specialist and public speaking coach.

Isla MacFarlane is a journalist and professional writer who has, for many years, had a voracious interest in all things vampirical.

FAQs

How do I find out more about Curious Histories?

You can follow us here on eventbrite, or join our public facebook chat group.

How do I get to the Poets Ale and Smokehouse?

It's in the Poets Corner area of Hove, on Montgomery Street. The nearest train stations are Hove and Aldrington - both just a 5-10 minute walk away. Buses 2, 5A, 5B, 46 and 49 stop on the corner of Portland Road, a short hop from the pub, or take the 1, 1X, or 6 to Hove Street, a 10 minute stroll from the venue.

What refreshments will be available?

Buy your drinks in the bar downstairs before the event and at the interval - you can bring them up to the show.

How does this Curious Histories event support good causes?

We're delighted to say that profits from the show will be going to Food and Friendship. It's a small and intensely local charity which provides lunch clubs for the elderly and those with learning disabilities in the city. Many of its guests suffer reduced social networks due to bereavement, restricted mobility, health conditions such as dementia, and sensory impairments. Food and Friendship's lunch clubs provide a vital social lifeline that helps people feel connected to their community and improves their mental wellbeing.

Are there ID or minimum age requirements to attend the talks?

The event will be held in licensed premises, so sadly minimum age is 18.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

No, we will have a list of names on the door.

What if I've bought a ticket but am unable to come?

If you're not able to come, you are welcome to offer your ticket to someone else. If you can't give your ticket to another person, drop Curious Histories a line - if the event is sold out we may be able to re-sell it for you.

Will latecomers be admitted?

Talks will begin at 7.30pm, but there will be some places reserved for latecomers.

Is there wheelchair access to the venue?

Unfortunately, the nature of the building makes wheelchair access to the upper floor of the pub impossible.

Host or Publisher Curious Histories @ St John's