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Warning: Some of the information below is based on facts others are merely fiction…for the time being.

1835. England, the Parliament outlawed bull-baiting and bear-baiting sports in which dogs fought to death against other animals. Gamblers turned their interest to dog fighting, a popular and profitable sport. British dog-fighters created crosses between the English Bulldog and various types of Terriers. This led to the best fighting dogs: Bull Terriers. They had the size, strength, aggression and ferocity to fight to the death.

Alchemy England are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. The alternative jewellery and gift brand is known all around the world for its high quality gothic, steampunk and metal wear, but did you know that it was born in a small bedsit in Leicester?

Weddings for goths, steampunks, rockers and punks have never been more popular. Never mind conventional white gowns and traditional hymns, if you’re planning an alternative wedding, you’ll want to do things a little differently from the norm.

Ostara is the one of the eight pagan festivals throughout the Wheel of the Year. Each season is celebrated and regarded as equally important. It is also a way to understand the natural world and its changes and become more in-tune with the environment. This is one of my favourite times of the year – if I could choose!

Photo by Marija Buljeta
Clothing from The Gothic Shop

While black is the obvious staple of any discerning Goth’s wardrobe – it’s best viewed as the starting point. The canvas on which to adorn with striking flashes of different hues to bring in your unique meaning and personality to the fore. While every colour on this great earth can be woven in to your dark attire, there are a collection of essentials that are quintessentially Goth. Have a read below what each colour represents and choose to weave these meanings into your outward attire.

It’s time for Vikings fans, devotees of the Dark Age era and history buffs to break out the battleaxes and launch the longships, as, starting on the 20th of February, the historic English city of York will be playing host to the 33rd annual Jorvik Viking Festival. The largest event of its kind in Europe, the Jorvik Festival attracts re-enactors, experts and traders from all over the world. Jorvik is the Norse name for York, back when it was the Viking capital of England. It’s also the name of the interactive museum and archeological attraction who run the festival.

For many of us, Christmas is all about spending time with family. Being more realistic, it’s often more about sitting around the TV with people we seldom see. So, what do you do if you want to watch something dark and spooky, but everyone else insists on something seasonal? We asked our resident horror expert Gavin Baddeley if there was anything that ticked both boxes, and he assured us that there was. Take it away Gavin…

Have you ever tried an Ouija board? I have the feeling many of you have, yet, I don’t know how many of you have actually dealt with the consequences. I tried the Ouija board when I was around 15 years old. I haven’t touched one ever since.

Halloween is just a few screams away so what better time to explore the story behind one of Alchemy’s spookiest new creations.

My guitar teacher once told me that he never composed any music when he was happy. When he was happy he’d be out there in the world enjoying himself. But when he was sad…that was a whole different experience.