In one of the more unorthodox diplomatic initiatives of recent years, a French petition is being submitted to Her Majesty the Queen of England, demanding the Crown Jewels. The petition originates from Angers, a city around 300km west of Paris, which was once capital of the historic province of Anjou. This lies at the root of the demand, as Anjou was ancestral home to the Plantagenet dynasty, the family that ruled England for much of the Middle Ages. Such distinguished monarchs as Richard the Lionheart and Henry V, hero of Agincourt, all descended from the Plantagenet line.

That line was severed in 1499, when Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, was beheaded at the command of Henry VII, the first of England’s Tudor kings. Now the citizens of Angers want compensation for this 500-year-old injustice. With interest… This would be a considerable sum, but in recognition of the difficult times we now face, they are willing to accept a substitute. Namely the British Crown Jewels. A spokesman for Angers council confessed that, while their petition had ‘little chance of success’, it was worth reminding Britons of the ‘state crime’ of Edward’s ‘unfair and horrible death’, and encouraged tourists to visit the city.

The petition already has several hundred signatures, and though we at Alchemy wouldn’t support the campaign as it stands, we certainly do approve of visiting beautiful historic cities like Angers, which boasts a wealth of stunning medieval architecture. We also like to draw attention to – and inspiration from – Europe’s rich historical heritage. Such as with our ornate Plantagenet wine glass, the perfect receptacle with which to toast England’s most esteemed medieval dynasty.
To buy your very own visit www.alchemyengland.com/buy

Goth seems better accepted now than it’s ever been – would you agree, and if so, do you think there are any potential pitfalls to such acceptance?

I would agree that the typical Goth style has become more acceptable, at least in North America and Western Europe. How many Vogue spreads have featured haute gothic fashion stylings? How often do pop stars turn up in black hair and Morticia Addams type dresses on the red carpet? More than ever. If this means young people aren’t hassled at school for dressing like Dracula or turned down for jobs because they have wacky hair and skull jewellery, I’m all for it. The world is in general a rather beige and boring place, and can’t see why a wider embrace of the dark aesthetic would have a drawback. I’m really not precious or protective of it, although many Goths are. In fact, I wish Goth was even more accepted, so that young people in the Middle East and Latin America and the rest of the world could express themselves as well without harassment.

Most agree that Goth should be fun, but can you cross a line where it all becomes too camp and trivial? Is there a serious point to it all?

Of course it’s serious. It’s a part of one’s identity, a source of pride and passion. But if you are going to go outside at the height of summer in a velvet mourning cloak and two tonnes of eyeliner, you had better be able to laugh at yourself.

What positive impact has Goth had on your life personally over the years?

Well first off the music changed my life, for the better. After seeing Love and Rockets, The Cult and the Cure on television a whole new world opened up to me – punk and new wave and noise and industrial and all the rest. That has been the soundtrack to my adolescence and adulthood and I suspect will be my funeral playlist as well. I learned to be a writer and editor by publishing a Goth fanzine, which connected me to fascinating people from all over the world. The fashion we call Goth has given me the opportunity to indulge my obsessions with death, romance, fetishism and rebellion in a way that simply reading scary stories at home by candlelight never could. Most importantly, it gave me the perfect excuse to write my first book, for which I’ll be eternally grateful. Which, if that whole “meet and marry a vampire” thing works out for me, may prove to be a very long time indeed.

Encyclopedia Gothica is published by ECW and available from all the regular book outlets.
To further explore Liisa’s world, check out her website at http://www.liisaladouceur.com/

Liisa Ladouceur, Canada’s First Lady of Goth

We’ve recently found ourselves engrossed in Encyclopedia Gothica, an A-Z of all things dark and beautiful by the Canadian journalist, poet, DJ and dedicated Goth Liisa Ladouceur. A witty insider’s guide to the scene, the book features over 600 spooky entries, from ‘Absinthe’ to ‘Zombies’, with eerie artwork by the talented Toronto illustrator Ghoulish Gary Pullin. Of course, Liisa includes an entry for the Alchemy design studios, which we took as an ideal opportunity to turn the tables, and check out just how many Goth points Liisa has…

The ‘What is Goth?’ question has become something of a faux pas in many Gothic circles – why do you think this is and what inspired you to grasp this particular nettle?

You can’t avoid it! The general public and insiders alike seem perplexed by what exactly this whole Goth thing is. I was recently stopped in the supermarket of my small hometown by a friend of the family who wanted to know if it was a religion, a cult. That was a fun exchange of ideas. Goths themselves meanwhile are obsessed with defining what is and isn’t Goth, from music to shades of lipstick. How else are you going to collect your Goth points? For me, I felt the best way to answer the question was to try and define as many elements of the subculture as I could: the bands, the clothes, the slang and in-jokes. And I certainly hope once you’ve read the Encyclopedia you have you own answer.

Most Goths seem more exercised by what isn’t Goth than what is – what do you think isn’t Goth – I’m thinking here not of mainstream misapprehensions so much as anything embraced by mainstream Goth subculture (if that isn’t a contradiction in terms) that you personally cannot abide…

I’m pretty sure that Emo is not at all Goth, so that confusion prickles me. Also, self-proclaimed “real vampires” are delusional. Both groups are free to do as they choose, but they have nothing to do with the Goth that I love.

Why do you think so many of Goth’s seminal musical icons – from Robert Smith of the Cure and Siouxsie, to Nick Cave and Andrew Eldritch of the Sisters of Mercy – have disowned the subculture so vocally?

Musicians – all artists, really – seem to despise being categorized, and I can’t say I blame them. Because once you are labelled one thing, people can’t see you as anything else, and it can be the kiss of death. Especially if – like the Cure – you pre-date a particular genre or scene, I can understand why you’d find it curious or downright offensive to be slapped with the tag. (I’m reminded here of how Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath reject the term heavy metal for their music, while being considered the ultimate metal bands by many.) I recently had the opportunity to ask Steven Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees directly why he hated being described as Goth and he answered, “Have you seen the bands who call themselves Goth on MySpace?” The man has a point.

For part 2 of the interview, please check back next week…

West London based author, E L James, a working mother of two has been breaking records with her first novel ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’, followed by ‘Fifty Shades Darker’ and ‘Fifty Shades Freed’.

It has surpassed J K Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ as the fastest selling paperback of all time in the UK, topping the best sellers lists in the US and around the world, with book rights sold in 37 countries!

The ‘Fifty Shades’ trilogy is based upon the unlikely and unconventional relationship between Anastasia Steele, an innocent, uncorrupted college graduate suffering with low self-esteem and Christian Grey, a young over controlling, enigmatic, billionaire entrepreneur who is tormented by the demons of his past.

Without giving too much away to those who haven’t read the trilogy (is there anyone left in the world?), Ana is enticed by Grey’s alternative lifestyle where there are a lot of erotic, sexually explicit scenes featuring elements of BDSM which will leave you obsessed and unable to put the books down. I’m sure most women who are currently reading or have finished the trilogy find themselves wanting to be Grey’s submissive and secretly wanting their partner, husband or whoever to use that trademark silver tie on them and be taken to the ‘red room of pain’!

With rumours of a film and merchandising rights already sold in the UK, we are sure that jewellery, underwear/nightwear and perfume etc. will be everywhere very soon! Until then why not live out your own fifty shades fantasy with our range of Alchemy ties for the men (AHTMT1,2 &3) and wear your own masks of mystery with our very own Venetian Mask pendant (P591) and Ring (R168).

You can order online by visiting our approved list of dealers at http://www.alchemyengland.com/buy

An antique vampire-hunting kit, auctioned by the English firm Tennants last weekend easily exceeded estimates when it sold for £7,500 (around $11,500 or 9,500 Euros). Consisting of a mahogany case containing such slaying staples as a crucifix, stakes, a pistol and a rosary, the auctioneer’s valuer, Oonagh Drage, observed that it was “probably a novelty thing. It’s playing to people’s superstitions.” Similar kits have sporadically surfaced for sale at auction houses since the 1970s, and now occasionally appear on online bidding sites, but remain controversial.

While few experts believe that they were ever truly sold in the 1800s to protect travellers from the undead, some, like Ms Drage, suggest that they might have been marketed as Victorian Gothic novelties. Several well-informed sceptics – like Jonathan Ferguson, curator of firearms at the Leeds Royal Armouries – have cast doubt on the idea that any of the vampire-hunting kits are authentic antiques. Yet it was Mr Ferguson who made the winning bid on the museum’s behalf. “We’ve yet to establish a firm date for our kit, but we know it will attract a lot of interest from our museum visitors”, he said.

While here at Alchemy we wouldn’t like to be seen as promoting vampire-hunting – some of our best friends are undead – anybody looking to sport a crucifix motif is spoilt for choice by our range, featuring everything from the subtle Pugin’s Cross ring to the flamboyance of the Torquemada Cross-Tegere earring. Dedicated foes of the denizens of darkness might also like to consider the Eschat Pinn or Death of a Vampire – two pendants with stake motifs that should show even the bloodthirstiest ghouls that you mean business…

Last night, London was treated to the gala premiere of The Amazing Spider-Man – the latest movie about the Marvel Comics superhero. A few hours ago the first reviews started appearing online and so far, there’s been a great response from the critics – The Telegraph are even calling it: “Twilight in spandex”.

Described as a “reboot” of Sam Raimi’s trilogy and filmed in 3D to enhance all those edge of your seat’ vertigo-inducing shots, The Amazing Spider-Man focuses on lead character Peter Parker’s coming of age. The Social Network’s Andrew Garfield plays the webbed character that’s been modernised from comic book geek to a modern teenager and direction comes from music video auteur Marc Webb.

For those who weren’t lucky enough to get to the premiere (including us!) there’s just a few more weeks to wait until the movie is officially released in the UK on 3 July. In the meantime, you can develop your very own spidey style with Alchemy’s arachnophiliac range of jewellery.

From our subtle Black Widow studs [E.169] to the more elaborate Art Deco-inspired Incy Wincy Forme necklace [P626] that’s studded with two dozen Swarovski crystals, there’s something for all fans of the eight-legged creatures!

Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods awards night returned this Monday, celebrating the best of Metal from the last 12 months! The demonic Golden Gods made right here at the Alchemy Studios, has proven to be a massive hit with both the exciting newcomers and long-standing legends at Metal Hammer magazine’s annual awards. Lifted high by the likes of Slipknot and Saxon and lauded as ‘cute’ by none other than Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliot, our accolade of iconic design is fast becoming an object of desire for some of metal’s finest. Hosted the day after Download’s 10th anniversary festival, there was a special edition to this years ceremony with an award for the Best Download Moment ever!

Awarded to Slipknot for their epic headline set of 2009, frontman Corey Taylor was presented on stage at Download last week by Metal Hammer editor Alexander Milas and Download organiser Andy Copping. As you can see from the video below, things got pretty emotional.

Alchemy1977 have teamed up with Fantom online cards to create a new online gothic card game – Skullquest. Trade and collect 48 quest cards, from skulls and dragons to witches and wizards. Collect all the quest cards and you are in with a chance of winning the Skull Cup – a finely crafted, limitedly available goblet!

Collect and connect with other Alchemy Skullquest players from across the globe and delve deeper into the Alchemy Gothic world. Fantom is a relatively new game boasting a new slant at traditional card games by creating an online world around them.

It is easy and free to join, fun to play and there are prizes that are available for many. But, only one of the true bloodline will win the Skullcup!

Start your quest here: http://alchemy.fantom.tv/

When Festivals were first born they were regarded a small and barely talked about event, with a small stage and a few local bands. As time progressed the world began to adapt to the true concept of a music celebration, without boundaries! One of the best and most recognised Festivals of our time is The Woodstock Festival, held for the first time in the summer of 69. With legendary artists included in the line up, such as Jimi Hendrix! Since then the ‘Rolling Stone Magazine’ has listed Woodstock as one of the 50 Moments That Changed The History Of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Now every city and their mother has a music festival and has become dedicated to bring you the best fiery summer festivals! Festivals have become a passion for many people, and the chance to get down and dirty in muddy fields infested with music lovers sells itself! Whether you’re a Metal-head, Rocker or Raver, whether you love to be in thick of a mosh-pit, crowd surfing, or simply chilling out with a cold beer in hand, nothing rivals the thrill of taking in live music with the company of thousands of others.

Alchemy and the best rock festivals come hand-in-hand, and is a great opportunity for you to show off your most extravagant Alchemy possessions! Luckily for all our fans we will be appearing at two of the headlining UK festivals of 2012. Are you going to be joining us? Look out for the Alchemy1977 stand to purchase your favourite pieces at; DOWNLOAD from 8-10th of June and BLOODSTOCK from 9-12th of August. Grab your wellies, rock out and dive into the highlight of the summer season!

Beautiful, innocent and pure, well loved by all who came across her, Lucy Westenra could not have been less deserving of the fate that befell her. Westenra’s frailty and weakness soon began to show; a sign of blood loss, something more sinister, of the vampire Dracula chosing her as his latest victim. Within days, and despite efforts made by her mother and the famed vampire hunter, Doctor Van Helsing, the girl was dead – but that was not to be the end of her story.

Tales of a striking woman who stalked the night in search of the blood of small children soon began to circulate – Lucy lived again, though this time as one of the sentient undead; a vampire created in Dracula’s own shadow.

Designed to hide the bite that lingers beneath, Lucy’s lavishly delicate jugular garnish conceals the punctures of the Count Dracula. The stunning Westenra choker (P593), with it’s intricate pewter work, studded with green crystals and strung on a wide black ribbon for true baroque style, accompanied in the form of the wonderfully decadent earrings (E289), create the perfect complete Lucy Westenra’s post-Whitby jewel set.

To order your very own Lucy Westenra jewellery set, you can browse the Alchemy dealer page at: http://www.alchemyengland.com/buy