HEAD OVER TO VINCENT PRICE LEGACY UK FOR THE LATEST NEWS!

This blogspot page is now an archive resource as I am now using wordpress and social media for all things Vincent Price Legacy UK related. Just click on the brand new poster designed by Graham Humphreys and you will be directed to the website. Or you can click HERE

Butch Patrick guests on FollowSpot.Live on 4 October 2020

Thank you for a Vin-tastic year!

As we usher in 2019, I just want to thank you all for making 2018 one of the best years celebrating Vincent Price’s enduring legacy. 

 

It all kicked off last spring when a group of us spent the weekend of 21 and 22 April in Suffolk and East Anglia exploring the original film locations used in Witchfinder General, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. 

 

 Lots of new friends were made during our adventures that coincided with Ian Ogilvy (one of the film’s stars) visiting London. While he wasn't able to join us (but hopes to in the future), he kindly signed the fantastic souvenir poster designed by Graham Humphreys that was given out at the end of the tour to each of the attendees. 

By popular demand, our annual walking tour of the Theatre of Blood London film locations returned in the summer, with 30 attendees (our biggest group yet) taking all manner of transport on Saturday July 28 to different parts of London as we sought out some of the most iconic sites used in the black comedy horror. 

This year we visited Kensal Green Cemetery, one of the key locations, and also returned to some of old favourites, including Meredith Merridew's house in Putney and the old shipyard in Brentwood where Edward Lionheart is plucked out of the Thames by the meth drinkers. It was a great day, blessed with great weather again (I think Vincent was looking out for us). 

2018 marked the 90th-anniversary of Vincent Price’s Grand Tour of Europe. As such, Victoria Price and myself wanted to honour her dad’s trip by exploring a bit of Europe ourselves as one of our ESC Tours excursions. Austria and Germany were our destinations and our group had an amazing time in the first week of October visiting Vienna, Salzburg and Munich, with side trips to Colmar in France and Liechtenstein. 

Highlights included Burg Kreuzenstein near Vienna (which was used in Mario Bava’s House of Wax homage, Baron Blood), the awe-inspiring ice caves in Werfen, and the Whale House in Frieberg (whose frontage was recreated as for the Dance Academy in Dario Argento’s Suspiria). Plus, we all got a private tour of the real-life Castle Frankenstein near Frankfurt. Next year, we shall continue following in Vincent’s European footsteps with a trip to Amsterdam and Paris, and we'd love you to join us. 

CHECK OUT OUR 2019 ESC TOURS HERE

 

November was a very busy time as Victoria Price returned to the UK for a number of engagements, including a first time visit to Darlington to introduce Pit and the Pendulum at the local film club there and a return to Birmingham, where she accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of her dad at the annual Cine Excess conference. This was also attended by Pete Walker, who directed Vincent in House of the Long Shadows. Our Birmingham trip also included a screening of Theatre of Blood at the Mockingbird Cinema where Victoria wowed the audience with her recollections of her dad making the film back in 1972. 

 

Back in London, Victoria conducted an inspiring talk at the fantastic Cinema Museum hosted by the wonderful Misty Moon gang and also took on another role – as an ordained interfaith/interpsiritual minister – to conduct a wonderful wedding for our dear friends Roni and Stu, who chose Somewhere Over the Rainbow, sung by Vincent, to end the proceedings. Now that was a truly touching moment that will stay with me forever. 

 

We capped off 2018 with our Yield Up the Mystery Weekender, which sought out places in Norfolk where the spiritual and the spooky connected. It took us from King’s Lynn to Norwich and onto Long Melford in Suffolk via the fabulous ruins of Castle Acre Priory, the original film location used in Tomb of Ligeia. Big thanks again to Graham Humphreys, who conjured up another fantastic souvenir poster for our attendees. 

 

  

***** COMING IN 2019 *****

So what’s coming up in 2019? Well Victoria and I are putting the final touches of our Amsterdam-Paris excursion that will take place from Saturday 25 May to Sunday 5 June. We will only be taking a small group, so if you want to join us, please sign up to the ESC Tours website. We shall release full pricing and a schedule in early January. And if you have ever wanted to spend Halloween in New York, then you’re in luck as Victoria and I will also be conducting a guided tour of the Big Apple in late October/early November. We are currently putting that itinerary together also, which will have a suitably spooky theme, so expect some ghosts, ghouls, the headless horseman and a touch of Price and Poe. 

SIGN UP HERE FOR MORE ABOUT ESC TOURS

I shall, of course, be conducting another Theatre of Blood walking tour in the summer and another Witchfinder General weekender in the autumn. I have also got a few suprises in store during 2019, with the first one coming in February. This will be the release of a brand-new limited edition EP by London band The Core featuring Vincent Price reciting Edgar Allan Poe's The Conqueror Worm (from a rare recording never released before). Only 300 copies will be available, and the EP features another amazing cover design by Graham Humphreys. 

 

This is going to be a must-have collectors item, so if you want to bag yourself a copy then do sign up to the Vincent Price Legacy UK newsletter (if you haven't already) as subscribers will be first in the queue about the release and also will get first preference to join our other Legacy events. 

SIGN UP TO THE VINCENT PRICE NEWSLETTER HERE

Thank you all for making 2018 such a Vin-tastic year. Here's to an even better 2019! Happy New Year everyone!  

Peter Fuller 

Curator 

Vincent Price Legacy UK Save Save Save Save Save Save

Happy Holidays!

Hoping you all have a fantastic festive time...

5th Annual Pieathalon | Do prunes and rice really go together in a pie?

Having penned a few cookbooks, hosted his own cooking show and demonstrated how to cook fish in a dishwasher, Vincent Price was the original foodie. And he did so love pie! So, I thought I'd follow in his footsteps and participate in this Pieathalon challenge, which is now in its fifth year.

Basically, what I had to do was choose a recipe from a pre-1990's cookbook, which would then be assigned to another pieathlete, while I would be given my own challenge.

Obviously, I had to choose something of Vincent's, so I scoured through his cookbooks and found one that sounded rather exotic: a Pineapple Meringue Pie that was served up at Hana-Maui hotel and was included in Vincent and Mary Price's acclaimed 1965 tome A Treasury of Great Recipes.

And what did I get? Well, it was really hoping for something savoury as I don't have a sweet tooth, but I ended up with another meringue-based recipe called Puddin 'n Pie from Rice Recipes Old and New Presented by Comet Rice. Poppy sent me the entire pamphlet: which you can view here: Michigan State University Libraries - Little Cookbooks: The Alan and Shirley Brocker Sliker Culinary Collection.

Prunes and rice seem an odd combination to me, but I was determined to give it a go. This was quite easy to pull together and thankfully the recipe asked for a pie shell rather ask that I make the pastry from scratch. Once I had put all the wet ingredients together (and it was rather wet looking) I realise I had enough for two pies. As I had bought one sweet and one savoury, I was sorted, and it was going to be interesting to see which one tasted better.

They both baked nicely and the texture of the filling firmed up (so no soggy bottoms, yeah!). Then came time for the meringue. Now the quantity of sugar threw me a bit, so I opted to use a gluten free sugar alternative, raw organic crystallised coconut blossom nectar, in the filling and for the meringue. Big mistake! The meringue just didn't firm up at all... so I had to suck it up and use proper white caster sugar. Bingo! Lovely peaks.

It was all back in the oven for a futher 25-minutes and then time to have a slice. I must admit my meringue layering technique needs improving, but the pie actually tasted rather good. You couldn't really taste the prune, but it has a great nutty flavour (thanks to the chopped nuts).

Once the pies had cooled down, I covered them with foil and put them in the fridge for the next day to have for morning tea. The foil was not a good idea as it pulled off all the lovely meringue. And as I didn't label them, I didn't know which was the savoury and which was the sweet. But it didn't matter. They are both delicious and remind me more of a fruit and nut slice than a traditional pie. But I shall certainly try it again. Thanks Poppy! And thanks Emily for inviting me to be a pieathlete. Now, if you want to check out how Vincent's Pineapple Meringue Pie did, check out the post here from Retro Food for Modern Times?

To look at the other pie contributions, please take a look at the blogs below:

• Apricot Meringue Pie by Eliot’s Eats
• Aloha Meringue Pie by The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook
• Chocolate Mousse Pie by Kelli’s Kitchen
• Cool Mint Cookie Pie by The Book of Cookrye
• Dutch Peaches and Cream Pie by Vintage Recipe Cards
• Frosty Vanilla Pie by The Battenburg Belle
• Kate’s Pie by Dinner is Served 1972
• Lemon Beer Sponge Pie by Homicidal Homemaker
• Marguerite Patten’s Cheese Pie by Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en
• Mock Pecan Pie by MyCustardPie.com
• Olde English Eggnog Pie by HeritageRecipeBox.com
• Peaches and Cream Tart by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• French Rasberry Tart by Tortillas and Honey
• Ritz Cracker Mock Apple Pie by Dr. Bobb’s Kitschen
• Seafoam Cantaloupe Pie by Recipes4Rebels
• Strawberry Ginger Pie by Granny Pantries
• Sweet Onion Pie by Silver Screen Suppers – The Wonderful World of Film Star Eating and Drinking
• Tansey by The Nostalgic Cook
• The Millionaire by Once Upon a Salad
• Tyler Pie by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Vincent Price Pineapple Meringue by Retro Food for Modern Times
• Weight Watchers “Almost a Pie” by BookClub CookBook
• Yul Brynner’s Walnut Pie by Vintage Cookbookery

How are you celebrating Vincent Price's 107th birth anniversary!

Shake it, baby! We are getting into the groove for birthday boy Vincent Price (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993).

Springing into a Vin-tastic 2018!

With Spring is almost upon us, here's the latest news from the Vincent Price Legacy UK.

 WITCHFINDER GENERAL WEEKENDER
April 21-April 22, 2018 

Thanks to everyone who registered to join me and some friends for a weekend away visiting the locations used in Witchfinder General, which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. We now have our van full (sorry if you missed out) but if you want to still join us and have your own means of transport, then do email me: peter @ thesoundofvincentprice.com

SAVE THE DATE 
Amsterdam &Vienna | The Two World Capitals Tour 
September 22 - September 30, 2018 

Inspired by the 90th anniversary of Vincent’s Seven Capital Tour of the Art Capitals of Europe, Victoria Price and myself invite you to join us on a cultural tour of two of the cities that Vincent visited in 1928: Amsterdam & Vienna. We’ve planned an exciting cultural itinerary, which will be attractive to both travellers who have never been to Europe before, as well as for seasoned visitors.

Our new company ESC TOURS creates unique itineraries that include both travel highlights as well as unique cultural experiences that allow travellers to get beneath the tourist experience and develop a deeper connection with each country. This two-city tour includes museums and castles, World Heritage sites, exploring parks and neighbourhoods, food adventures, musical entertainment -- and much more!! If you are interested in finding out more about this trip, please sign up following this link: https://www.esctours.com/contact/ 

You can also email us with questions at exploresavorcelebrate @ gmail.com

For those of you who have travelled with us before and consider yourselves the more adventurous type, we are also offering an Off the Beaten Track: Austria & Germany trip from 30 September 30 – 9 October. We will only have a limited number of seats for this trip, and first priority goes to previous ESC travellers. If you are interested in this trip – or both trips – please let us know vie email as soon as possible.

 THE PRICE LEGACY BOOK COLLECTION 
Victora is currently on the road promoting her inspirational memoir The Way of Being Lost: A Road Trip to My Truest Self, which is available in the US from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Indiebound. I am working with the publisher on bringing Victoria back to the UK for a book tour, where all of the Price Family Legacy titles will be getting their first-ever UK print run in November.

These will include Vincent's visual memoir, I Like What I Know, his tribute to his canine pal The Book of Joe, and all of his cookbooks, including Cooking Price Wise. I am ooking for suitable venues to host Victoria.

So, if you know of a great little bookshop, art gallery, cinema or restaurant in your area of the UK or Ireland that might be able to help, then do get in touch with me at: peter@thesoundofvincentprice.com Well that's all for now folks - hope you are enjoying the snow.

Best regards
Peter
Curator,
Vincent Price Legacy UK

VINCENT PRICE LEGACY UK
http://vincentpricelegacy.uk/ 

THE SOUND OF VINCENT PRICE
http://www.thesoundofvincentprice.com/ 

MY FIRST TRIP ABROAD
https://vincentpricejournal.wordpress.com/ 

Festive Cheers and Happy New Year

To all our subscribers, The Sound of Vincent Price and the Vincent Price Legacy UK wishes you a fab festive time over the holidays... here's to  Vin-tastic 2018!

Embrace the Price family legacy with this fantastic Holiday Book Offer!

In her upcoming inspirational memoir, The Way of Being Lost: A Road Trip to My Truest Self (which will be released in February 2018), Victoria Price shares childhood stories of time on the road with her parents, Mary and Vincent Price. These road trips together also inspired three famous cookbooks. In celebration of Victoria’s new book and the Price family legacy, Dover have a fantastic holiday promotion.

• Pre-order The Way of Being Lost by Victoria Price and you’ll receive a 20% discount code to use to buy A Treasury of Great Recipes, Come into the Kitchen Cook Book and the new reprint of Cooking Price-Wise (out now in the US and in the UK). All ordered cookbooks will signed by Victoria  and these will be the only ones to be signed this holiday season. (This offer is good for US and all international orders.)

• Victoria will also send you free gift— a full-color PDF containing photos and excerpts from an unpublished essay by Vincent and Victoria from 1993.

Plus, you'll be entered to win a Grand Prize of four signed books — A Treasury of Great Recipes, Come into the Kitchen Cook Book, Cooking Price-Wise, and The Way of Being Lost — as well as an original photograph, Blue is the Color of Distance, from Victoria’s recent art show. Total prize value US$475.

The offer and contest start today -- and will end at midnight on 12 December, 2017. For more information, just follow this link: http://www.doverpublications.com/thewayofbeinglost

Celebrate Thanksgiving with Vincent Price's Pumpkin Pie

While we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in the UK, I shall be getting into the spirit today cooking up this tasty Pumpkin Pie recipe from Mary and Vincent Price's COME INTO THE KITCHEN COOK BOOK, which was first published in 1969, and got a glorious reprint last year.

VINCENT PRICE'S PUMPKIN PIE

• 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
• 1½ cups canned or mashed cooked pumpkin
• 3 eggs, well beaten
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• ¾ cups granulated sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground mace
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground ginger

Instructions

1. Make the pie shell with a high scalloped edge, refrigerate for several hours.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. In a large bowl (with a pouring lip if you have one) combine the pumpkin with the eggs, then the cream, sugar, salt and spices. Blend well and pour into the chilled pie shell.
4. Bake for 15 mins, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 50-65 minutes more, or until knife inserted in center of the pie comes out with only a few flecks clinging to it.
5. Chill before serving. Makes about 8 servings.