https://tennesseeapartments.com/tennessee-celebrity-homes
Celebrity homes in Tennessee offer a glimpse into the lavish lifestyles and unique tastes of some of the entertainment industry's biggest stars. From sprawling estates nestled in the rolling hills of Nashville to secluded retreats in the mountains of East Tennessee, these properties showcase the opulence and luxury that define the homes of the rich and famous.
One of the most iconic celebrity homes in Tennessee is the former estate of country music legend Johnny Cash. Known as "Casa Cash," this sprawling property is located in Hendersonville, just outside of Nashville. The estate features a main house, guest house, and recording studio, all situated on over 100 acres of picturesque land overlooking Old Hickory Lake. Casa Cash served as a creative sanctuary for Cash and his family, inspiring many of his greatest hits and providing a serene retreat from the pressures of fame.
Another notable celebrity home in Tennessee is Blackberry Farm, a luxury resort and private estate nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Owned by superstar couple Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock, Blackberry Farm boasts over 4,200 acres of pristine countryside, complete with luxurious accommodations, gourmet dining options, and world-class amenities. The couple's private residence on the property offers stunning mountain views and unparalleled privacy, making it the perfect escape for busy celebrities seeking relaxation and tranquility.
In Nashville's prestigious Belle Meade neighborhood, country music power couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill own a magnificent estate known as "Chateau de Gracieux." This sprawling mansion features French-inspired architecture, lush gardens, and panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. With over 750 acres of land, including a private lake and equestrian facilities, Chateau de Gracieux offers the ultimate in luxury living for its celebrity owners.
Music mogul Taylor Swift also calls Tennessee home, with several properties in the Nashville area. One of her most notable residences is a historic mansion located in the affluent suburb of Belle Meade. Built in the 1930s, this grand estate boasts classic Southern charm and elegance, with sprawling grounds, manicured gardens, and a private pool. Swift's love for historic homes is evident in the meticulous restoration and renovation of the property, which she has lovingly preserved while adding her own personal touches.
In addition to traditional estates, Tennessee is also home to some unique and unconventional celebrity residences. Pop icon Justin Timberlake owns a stunning penthouse condo in downtown Nashville, offering panoramic views of the city skyline and easy access to the vibrant nightlife and cultural attractions of Music City. The sleek and modern interior features state-of-the-art amenities and luxurious finishes, reflecting Timberlake's signature style and impeccable taste.
Country music superstar Dolly Parton is another Tennessee native who owns a one-of-a-kind property in the Great Smoky Mountains. Known as "Dollywood," this sprawling theme park and entertainment complex attracts millions of visitors each year with its thrilling rides, live shows, and family-friendly attractions. Parton's personal residence on the property is a cozy log cabin nestled in the mountains, providing a serene retreat for the beloved singer-songwriter when she's not entertaining fans on stage.
In recent years, Tennessee has become an increasingly popular destination for celebrities seeking privacy, natural beauty, and a slower pace of life. With its picturesque landscapes, vibrant music scene, and rich cultural heritage, the Volunteer State offers a welcoming and idyllic setting for celebrities looking to escape the spotlight and enjoy a taste of Southern hospitality.
Whether it's a historic mansion in Nashville, a secluded retreat in the mountains, or a chic urban condo in downtown, celebrity homes in Tennessee reflect the diverse tastes and lifestyles of their famous owners. From country music icons to Hollywood A-listers, these luxurious properties offer a glimpse into the glamorous world of celebrity living and showcase the best that Tennessee has to offer.

** ALL WEEKEND (FRI 5/31 - SUN 6/2) *\*
Pride Tea Party Snapdragon Tea, 115 Harvard Dr. SE We're celebrating the wonderful diversity in the LGBTQIA+ community! We welcome kids of all ages, and provide children’s menus upon request. Special gluten free/vegan/vegetarian menus available upon request. Reservations required
6:30 PM Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Flix Brewhouse, 3236 La Orilla Rd. NW The rebellion begins. With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts. Experience the fifth Harry Potter movie on the big screen - along with some Butterbeer! (tickets)
** BOTH SAT 6/1 AND SUN 6/2 *\*
Sat 10 AM - 8 PM, Sun 10 AM - 6 PM Wild West Frontier Festival Wildlife West Nature Park, 87 E. Frontage Rd., Edgewood Ready to step back to the 1880's where the frontier was free, towns had merchant shops, boutiques, saloons, gambling, gold miners, gunfighters, a Sheriff and a jail. If that sounds amazing and fun, then come down and visit Jamestown. Come and see the exciting shows, campfire songs, leather crafters, gold panning, horse rides and petting zoo, all Wild West gunfights, saloons, food markets, chili competition, bbq cooking, Country Barn Dance, old fashioned chuck wagon dining. Western wear is encouraged but not required, clothing shops, local entertainment, local breweries, kids games and some for adults too (tickets)
12:30 - 3:30 PM SOLARIS - Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 sci-fi masterpiece as part of our Arthouse Classics Series! The Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Ave NE Check out the trailer. Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky - 1972 - 166m - Russia - In Russian with English subtitles. Ground control has been receiving mysterious transmissions from the three remaining residents of the Solaris space station. When cosmonaut and psychologist Kris Kelvin is dispatched to investigate, he experiences the same strange phenomena that afflict the Solaris crew, sending him on a voyage into the darkest recesses of his consciousness. With Solaris, the legendary Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky created a brilliantly original science-fiction epic that challenges our conceptions about love, truth, and humanity itself (tickets)
3 - 6 PM New Mexico Take Over Alley Kats Tap Company, 222 Truman St. NE Level up as a dancer and connect to our expanding New Mexico dance community! The New Mexico Takeover Weekender is your passport to an immersive dance experience, featuring the best of salsa (Cuban, On1, On2), Bachata, and Zouk. Learn from New Mexico’s Finest: Get exposure to the top local instructors who are ready to share their passion and expertise. Expand Your Dance Horizons: Whether you're a beginner or an advanced dancer, enhance your skills across various Latin dance styles. Connect and Collaborate: Join a growing community, uniting dance enthusiasts and dance schools from all corners of New Mexico. Immerse Yourself: Enjoy an immersive learning environment that enriches your mind/body connection and opens up new avenues to dance. Experience a Movement: Beyond just technique, this weekend is about growing together, embracing diverse dance forms, and creating a united dance community in New Mexico. Get your pass now and be part of this unforgettable weekend of dance, learning, and community
** Fri 5/31 *\*
Fri 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM Painting and Pastries with a Purpose Flying Roadrunner Bakery, 303 Romero St. NW Join Create U 505 and NM House Rabbit Society for a relaxed acrylic painting class! Proceeds benefit NMHRS and all the foster buns in their care. Ticket includes 9"x12" canvas, all supplies, instruction and one freshly baked pastry. The theme of the painting is "Bunnies & Berries"
Fri 6 PM 90’s Game Night Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd. NE Come play some of your favorite 90’s board games! We will have nostalgic 90’s board games available to play all night long. Come kick off our 30th anniversary weekend with fun games the whole family will love! *This is a family friendly event. All minors must be accompanied by an adult
Fri 7 PM RIG Coffee & Garage - Season 3 Premiere Rust is Gold Coffee, 3732 Eubank Blvd. NE Premiere of Season 3 of the Coffee & Racing webseries on YouTube, highlighting our adventures at Biltwell 100. Join us for a live screening and music performance by featured artist Benny Bassett Music. Drink specials, giveaways, and a quick Q&A
Fri 8 PM Movie In The Park - Inside Out ABQ Food Park, 6951 San Antonio Dr. NE Free Entry! Reserve tickets now! *Movie will start at sunset. Please be patient as show time may vary* Join us for a magical movie night under the stars. We'll be screening Inside Out, the perfect lead-in to the upcoming release of Inside Out 2 in theaters. Bring your blankets, chairs, and appetite for a memorable evening. Arrive early to get your face painted by Local Locas Facepainting and truly become a part of the fun. Please refrain from bringing outside food or drinks as we have a diverse selection of food options available
Fri 8 PM Strange Mix Insideout, 678 Central Ave NW Dj Brad Cole will be playing a “Strange Mix” of Music Videos. A nostalgic return to the darker side of Alternative Classics, 80’s 90’s Dark Wave, New Wave, Industrial, EBM, Electro, Punk, Glam. Artists like NIN, The Cure, Peter Murphy, Ministry, Nick Cave, David Bowie, Joy Division, VNV Nation, Sisters of Mercy, Love and Rockets, The Clash, TKK, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Violent Femmes, New Order, Depeche Mode, Miss Kitten, Front 242, Gary Numan, Erasure, Duran Duran, Bauhaus. $10 cash, $12 CC
Fri 8 – 11 PM AfroBeats Night- 420 Friendly Herban Oasis Apothecary, 2308 Eubank Blvd. NE 420 friendly AfroBeats night! Where we smoke and vibe to some of our favorite AfroBeats, Konpa and reggae music! Dab bar closes at 10 pm, lounge closes at 11! Bring a friend
Fri 8 – 11 PM Soul & Rocksteady All Vinyl Night Tractor Brewing, 1800 4th St. NW At Barrio Hi-Fi Collectivo, music isn't just a sound-it's a way of life. We believe in the power of music to transcend boundaries, unite communities, and uplift the human spirit. With each electrifying set, we strive to create moments of pure joy and connection, spreading love and positivity to all who hear our beats. With a passion for cumbia, soul, disco, boogie, reggae, classic ska, funk, 80's R&B, 90's freestyle and everything in between, our Collectivo brings the groove wherever we go. We are Selector RootzRocka, Dj La Ruda and Dj ThreeDeuceLuce. We are excited to bring you a night of all vinyl selections! We continue our monthly free event to share our love of music and vinyl!
Fri 8 PM - 12 AM Black & Gold Kick-Off Party Hotel Andaluz, 125 2nd St. NW $10 pre-sale $12 at the door. Theme: Black & Gold. Get ready to dance the night away at our salsa and bachata social & join us at a new venue! A collaboration between Pachanga Productions & Metta Dance Collective. DJ Gabriel Goza & DK Karla will keep your gold and black shining on the dance floor. You’ll find the dance floor at the Ibiza Bar & Patio located on the 2nd floor in the SW corner. Hotel Andaluz offer 20 valet spots, arrive early and snag one! The parking lot adjacent to the hotel charges $1 for every 30 min, and of course there’s always street parking. Food and drinks available at the venue
Fri 9 PM – 12 AM Triple Nickle Band Dirty Bourbon, 9800 Montgomery Blvd., Ste 4 We are stoked to be back! Always a great time at this awesome venue! Show starts at 9pm, but might wanna show up a bit early to grab a seat, a drink, and warm up those dancing boots!
** Sat 6/1 *\*
Sat 8 AM June Volunteer Cleanup Historic Fairview Cemetery, 700 Yale Blvd. SE We are an all-volunteer organization who needs your help keeping our cemetery clean and weed free. Please bring tools, gloves and sunscreen. Trash bags, water and snacks will be provided. This month's cleanup will be headed by Gail Rubin!
Sat 8 AM – 12 PM Downtown Growers' Market Robinson Park, 810 Copper Ave NW Every Saturday from 8 am - NOON! This vibrant community event connects local farmers, growers, artisans, wellness makers, and hot food vendors with the local community from mid-April to early-November. Bring friends / family or come solo to enjoy fresh food made on sight, a variety of seasonal produce, unique arts and crafts, live music, and special programming all in the heart of downtown
Sat 8:30 – 10 AM Polly's Run 2024 Tiguex Park, 1800 Mountain Rd. NW Polly’s Run, a non-profit road race, is an annual 5K Run/Walk and Kids’ K road race honoring Polly Rogers and all the loved ones we have lost to pancreatic cancer. The purpose of the race is to raise awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research (register)
Sat 9 AM – 12 PM Family Fit Fun Fest North Domingo Baca Park, 7520 Corona Ave NE Bring your whole family to our 3rd annual Family, Fit, Fun Fest to learn about keeping fit and healthy - mentally, physically, and emotionally. Interactive Community Booths - Learn new skills and discover ways to keep your mind and body healthy and active as you visit interactive booths lead by community partners, which will include hands-on activities, games, puzzles, and brain teasers, interactive lessons in martial arts, dance, mindfulness, information on youth classes, clubs, and teams, opportunities to meet local health care providers, mental health, nutrition, eye care, and dental care for your whole family. Live Demonstrations & Performances - Watch a variety of community partners perform live karate, taekwondo, tap dance, yoga, cheer, jump rope, Ballet Folklorico, and more. Then join them, as you try some of the moves for yourself in step-by-step demonstrations. Obstacle Courses, Appearances & Food Trucks - Climb to the top of a rock-wall, make your way through an obstacle course, try the football toss or the baseball toss, shoot a hockey puck, or score a goal at interactive stations around the event! Meet and take photos with local sports teams and/or mascots and stop by the Menchie's Froyo Mobile for a sweet treat (RSVP for a confirmation email with more details)
Sat 9 AM – 1 PM SUMMER AT THE MARKETPLACE - a patio pop-up event! Poulin Marketplace, 8600 Pan American Fwy NE, Ste B We’re hosting “Patio Pop-Up Events” to bring you one-of-a-kind items from the amazing artisans in our community. A rotating offering of local artisans display their goods between 9 AM and 1 PM every Saturday, June thru July, excluding July 6. SIP delicious and refreshing summer specialty drinks. Try our new seasonal house-made blackberry syrup. Enjoy the glorious summer weather in the shade of our solar-powered patio. SHOP offerings from local artisans and Poulin Marketplace’s curated home + decor collection. BE INSPIRED by our space and stylings for creative ideas to transform your home!
Sat 11 AM Special Olympics NM Summer Games UNM Track Field & Soccer Complex, 1800 Avenida Cesar Chavez SE We will be throwing the largest Foam Party NM has ever seen!
Sat 11 AM - 1 PM Saturday at the Refuge Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, 7851 2nd St. SW Enjoy live performances from Conservation Carnival. Participate in exciting ranger-led activities. Get creative with arts and crafts. Explore the beauty of the refuge with free shuttle rides. Bring your family and friends for a fun-filled day in nature!
Sat 11 AM – 2 PM Read with a Bird! Color Wheel Toys, 6855 4th St. NW, Bldg D Stop by for all ages story time provided by Birds of a Feather Parrot Rescue. There will be a contained bird present to visit with while you hear a bird story! Storytimes are at 11 am, 12 pm and 1 pm. You can also work on a free bird craft in our workspace. Birds of a Feather Parrot rescue is asking for a $5 donation per family - all proceeds help them take care of surrendered birds and get them into long term loving homes. Do you have toilet paper or cardboard tubes? Pool noodles or popsicle sticks? If you have some to spare, bring them with you - the parrot rescue uses them to provide bird enrichment for their feathered friends
Sat 11 AM - 7 PM Pride Bake Sale Fundraiser for Santuario de Karuna Vegos, 2904 Indian School Rd. NE Featuring Pride rainbow themed goodies including SDK Signature treats: Sugar cookies, chocolate peanut butter cups & of course our best selling Banana Bread! Plus rice crispy treats, Cosmic Brownies and more! Come have a delicious lunch or dinner and enjoy some baked goodies as well! We will be out on the Patio! We will also have a new batch of the new St. Francis bags that are a must have! Reminder: Vegos has moved from Carlisle to Indian School
Sat 12 PM Show Your Colors Green Jeans Food Hall, 3600 Cutler Ave NE Join us for a Pride Kickoff Party where we celebrate self-expression and unity within our community. This event is not only a celebration of diversity but also a fundraiser for local non-profits, where every contribution helps support our shared values. We will have music, drag performances, and more. Let's come together, show our true colors, and kick off Pride season!
Sat 12 – 6 PM Caribbean Celebration Manzano Mesa Park, 501 Elizabeth St. SE Join New Mexico Entertainment Magazine and Corrie Griffith of Big Happy Productions as we present the Caribbean Celebration in honor of Caribbean-American Heritage Month. The event features the culture through cuisine, music, clothing, and more, with performances and music by: Boomroots Collective, DaJarney, DJ La Ruda, Dre Z Melodi, Elovated Roots, Selector RootzRocka, Vibestrong (tickets)
Sat 12 - 9 PM Canteen's 30th Anniversary Party Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd. NE What’s the 411? We are turning 30! We have been making fly brews since ’94 and we are celebrating by bringing you fresh 90’s fun all day long! Our 30th anniversary party is going to be all that and a bag of chips with live music all day, games, giveaways, and 90’s themed merch. Food, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. This is a family and pet friendly event! We hope you stop by to celebrate with us, we appreciate the support of our customers and community. Canteen Prize for the best 90's costume! Anyone born in 1994 gets a prize! Mug Club Appreciation- 12-1pm: Mug club members stop by for a Mug club special prize! Le Chat Lunatique 1-2:30pm, Squash Blossom Boys 3-4:30pm, Doso Dirtbags 5-6:30pm, Carli’s Angels 7-9pm
Sat 12 – 10 PM Pride Celebration Bow & Arrow, 608 McKnight Ave NW Special Beer Collab Launch @ omegayeast. @ adobedisco 7-10pm
Sat 1 – 10 PM Pridezilla 2024 Tractor Brewing - Wells Park, 1800 4th St. NW Two stages roaring with local talent, benefitting Teen 'Mpower ABQ, all ages, $10 suggested donation. Emcee Nick FurioStylz. MegaBabe, Clark Libbey, Lexie Jay with Sunshine Ray, Twisted Mojo, Shoulder Voices, Sin Limite, A Band Named Sue, The Directory, Mint Green Elephants, Blame It on Rebekkah, Whatevs, Saint of Trains, True Story House Duo, Cult of Chaz, Amy Rosette, Andrew Torn, Papa Fierce, Tony Travis, Qari Booth, Leonine, Manda Baca, Dr. Doomsday (more info)
Sat 2 – 5 PM Live Music and Adoption Event OutPost 1706 Brewhouse, 301 Romero St. NW, Ste 205 Live music with Nashville singesongwriter Lani Nash and an adoption event for Cross My Paws Animal Rescue
Sat 3 – 6 PM Community Job Fair Kirtland Park, 300 University Blvd. NE We welcome all community residents and their families to come to this picnic and enjoy a day of fun. There will be food, awesome games, prizes, activities, and fellowship, as well as a drawing for gift baskets for adults and seniors. Bring your blankets, lounge chairs, and umbrellas to enjoy a fun afternoon in the park. Local businesses will come out to search for potential employees, so bring your resumes. For more info, Isshin Ryu Club 505-910-8801
Sat 3 – 8 PM Evening in Paradise 2024 Paradise Hills Park, 10111 Chaparral St. NW Hosted by Commissioner Walt Benson, this delightful and free event promises a fantastic time for the entire family, featuring a vibrant showcase of local music and entertainment that will captivate audiences of all ages. Explore the creativity of talented artisans displaying their unique crafts, enjoy whimsical face painting for children, and experience the thrill of soaring through the air on the exciting zipline. As the evening winds down, stick around for the kickoff of the BernCo Movies in the Park series. We are thrilled to present a special screening of the 2023 movie, "Wonka," under the stars
Sat 4 – 7 PM ALL REZ Kickoff Celebration Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, 500 University Blvd. NE *Registration on our Eventbrite page is not required but appreciated* The Maxwell and Axle Contemporary are proud of their partnership with Diné photographer Rapheal Begay and independent curator Lillia McEnaney. ALL REZ: Kéyah, Hooghan, K'é, Iina / Land Land, Home, Kinship, Life is a traveling, site-specific, experimental photography exhibition and museological project. While the Maxwell will feature an installation opening on May 4, 2024, of Begay's photography documenting his perspectives of these cultural themes within the landscape, the traveling portion of ALL REZ will begin June 6, 2024, and take Begay's photographs back to his home community in the Axle Contemporary mobile artspace. The interior of the truck will be transformed into a welcoming space for reflection and conversation with the artist about his photographs and the cultural content held therein. As an exercise in creative place-making with the goal of fostering active storytelling, ALL REZ centers the voices and experiences of Dine community members, offering a reciprocal process of exhibition-making. At the ALL REZ: Kickoff Celebration, enjoy a unique public event in which we will have the actual Axle Contemporary Truck at the museum before it goes on its journey into and throughout Diné Bikéyah (Navajo Nation). Light fare, refreshments, and music in the museum courtyard! Rapheal Begay is a visual storyteller based in the Navajo Nation. Informed by cultural teachings and land-based knowledge, he activates landscape photography and oral storytelling traditions to document and celebrate the Diné way of life. Housed in a custom retrofitted 1970 aluminum delivery truck, Axle Contemporary is an art gallery on wheels that activates unusual venues, such as schools, restaurants, grocery stores, and city streets, thus, expanding artists' reach to diverse communities. Lillia McEnaney is a museum anthropologist, independent curator, and freelance arts writer based in Santa Fe
Sat 6 – 9 PM Gone Country Saturdays with DJ Dollabill Ponderosa Brewing, 1761 Bellamah Ave NW Kick off the evening with free dance lessons at 5 pm, followed by family-friendly music until 9 pm
Sat 6 – 10 PM Pride Kick Off & Night Market Black Wall Gallery, 2125 San Mateo Blvd. NE Music, Art, Food, Fun and Celebration AND THE FIRST NIGHT MARKET OF THE SEASON!
Sat 7 – 9 PM Rise - Pride Concert St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 5301 Ponderosa Ave NE Join Encantada: The Band of Enchantment for our annual Pride concert as we Rise Up and Rise Above the challenges of our time. NM premiere of RISE: a gay games anthem. Free concert
Sat 7 - 11 PM Pride on the Sky Deck Marble Brewery, 111 Marble Ave NW Join us for another Pride on the Sky Deck - A Drag Show Benefitting Equality New Mexico and celebrating our LGBTQ+ community! Come down to the Marble Sky Deck patio for a night of Drag hosted by Vanessa Patricks with music by DJ Justin Cristofer. Tickets cost $15 per person, 100% of proceeds go to Equality New Mexico. 21+ ONLY. Must have a valid ID
Sat 7:30 PM Nightscapes: Urban Photography Meetup On The Plaza In Old Town Many people don't think about nighttime being a good time to do photography since there's a lack of light. However, armed with knowledge about your camera's settings and the properties of light, nighttime photography can be a lot of fun. You'll learn about the best camera settings for nighttime photography. We'll also explore the kinds of light available to us and how to use that light to make some awesome photos. As always, there are exercises that will help you put your new knowledge to work (register)
Sat 7:30 – 10 PM West Coast Swing Social Dance CSP Dance Studios, 1624 Eubank Blvd. NE Join Strictly Swing NM for a fun night of West Coast Swing dancing! Great music and a fun group of dancers. There will also be a little bit of Country Two Step and Night Club Two Step to mix things up. Come out and dance with us! No partner necessary. @ CSP Dance Studios. $10
Sat 8:30 PM Movies in the Park: WONKA Paradise Hills Park, 10111 Chaparral St. NW The smell of popcorn is in the air as we're warming up the old projector to resume our Movies in the Park series! This is a great opportunity for families & friends to enjoy the great outdoors while enjoying some of their favorite movies. There is no cost to attend, and movies will always start at sundown (weather permitting). The first movie to kick off our summer series is "Wonka," which will play outside at Paradise Hills Park at the end of our #EveningInParadise event (more info)
Sat 8:30 PM – 1 AM SABOR Latin Night - EDUCATORS' NIGHT! Bama's 1865, 6007 Osuna Rd. NE DJ Gabriel Goza will be serving you the saucy Salsa, Bachata, Cumbia, Merengue y Mas! Ample Parking, Safe Environment, Beautiful Venue, Good Food, Good Music, Good Vibes. 21+ / $10 cover / NO COVER BEFORE 10 PM
Sat 9 PM sumthin sumthin Backstage at Revel ABQ, 4720 Alexander Blvd. NE Galaxy Presents: sumthin sumthin w/ support from Galaxy, Geezy, Wyatt Lawson. Coming from the small surf town of San Clemente, California, Conrad Woodul, better known as sumthin sumthin has become one of the most highly admired artists within electronic music in just a few years. His passion for music was born at age four; creating drum sets in his kitchen with pots and pans and kitchen utensils. A few years later he picked up the electric guitar followed by the piano, teaching himself how to write and compose music before taking lessons. After playing in bands for some time he decided he wanted to have full control over the music he was creating and found his way into producing electronic music. Beloved by both the underground and the mainstream, his ability to bridge lightness and darkness is evident throughout his discography and cements sumthin sumthin as a one-of-a-kind artist. This duality has led him to releases on Alison Wonderland's FMUOASL and San Holo's bitbird labels, as well as appearances at Electric Zoo, Lost Lands, and Ember Shores, among others (tickets)
Sat 9 PM – 12 AM Latin Dance Party on the Patio with DJ Tony Juno, 1501 1st St. NW Salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton, Cumbia, Meringue. 21+ (tickets)
Sat 9 PM – 1 AM Pride Social: NM Weekender Take Over Maple Street Dance Space, 3215 Central Ave NE $12 pre-sale $15 at the door. 2 rooms: Salsa & Bachata/Zouk. Theme: rainbow. Flow between styles and hear from DJ Ritmo in the salsa room and DJ Karla in the Bachata/Zouk room. Dress in all your favorite colors for a rainbow party!
Sat 10 PM - 2 AM Kanye Party Insideout, 622 Central Ave SW I miss the old Kanye party @ insideout505 Cover at door. Hosted by Still Sad. 21+

I started a sort of allotment at the end of my garden this year, I now want to plant some bushes to block out the view of it but also eventually to help keep my 2 dogs out. It hasn’t got to be 100% impenetrable as their pretty well trained more of a clear mark of do not cross for them. I believe im in zone 9 I’m on the outskirts of London in an east facing the garden, most of the border will be full sun apart from an areas full shaded
My garden is rather long 120ft around 70 ft of that is a cottage themed garden already established when we moved in. I want to try and keep with the cottage theme with this border which is the priority but I’d also like if it could produce some form of fruit ?
I’ve prepared a 3.6 m x .80m bed for the hedges but it can be extended, I’m then planning on a trellis arch with a gate over the path and another shrub/hedge on the other side which is around 0.7x 0.8m and almost entirely shaded.
To be truthful I am a bit clueless, growing veggies seems to be easier than finding an appropriate hedge. I’m getting so lost in evergreens and deciduous & surviving frost. Any suggestions for a climber for the trellis would also be appreciated. So far I’m thinking blackberries might work

Disclaimer: I'm bringing it here before any shutdown of AMH because lately, there's random stuff being posted there and a lack of control.

*Deals from 2020 onward might still be possible in some ways.
1927:

• Fox Film and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer were planning to merge before being called off.

1929:

• Warner Bros Pictures, Inc. called off a merger with Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation.

1956:

• Suitors including what would become Associated Artists Pictures had been bidding for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's back catalog. MGM would eventually enter the TV market themselves.

1957:

• Associated Artists Pictures almost closed a deal to buy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's shorts library (including the Tom and Jerry shorts) but shut it down due to the (unspecified) price tag.

1958:

• National Telefilm Associates announced plans to buy Associated Artists Pictures, which at this point was a subject of litigation. It would be United Artists who would buy them.

1971:

• 20th Century Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer considered merging.

1982:

• Orion Pictures looked at buying Embassy Pictures and Allied Artists before settling in on Filmways.
• Warner Communications tried in July to buy back the rights to Metro-Goldwyn-MayeUnited Artists' pre-1950 WB library for the first time. The negotiations fell apart because of dozens of unresolved points, probably relating to the oldest Warner Bros. films. The second time was successful 14 years later with the Turner merger.

1984:

• Reliance Insurance attempted to take over Disney.

1985:

• Turner attempted to take over the Columbia Broadcasting System for $5.4 billion.
• Viacom was looking to buy 50% of MGM/UA from Turner.

1987:

• Carolco Pictures attempted to buy Orion Pictures and Media Home Entertainment.
• NBC considered buying the Turner Broadcasting System.

1989:

• MCA offered to buy Disney.
• Bill Cosby tried to buy a stake in NBC.
• Jim Henson attempted to merge his company with The Walt Disney Company for $150 million.
• Before Time Warner, Paramount Communications, which just rose up from Gulf+Western planned to merge with Time Inc before the latter went with Warner Communications.
• Viacom itself even planned to merge with Gulf+Western, 5 years before making a full-on successful buyout.
• Viacom was even in talks with MCA Inc., the owner of Universal Studios, according to the same article.
• Ted Turner somehow tried to repurchase Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, this time including the United Artists side.
  • News Corporation, which also owned 20th Century Fox, also bid for MGM/UA.
  • Qintex (which would later become Seven Media) also planned to buy MGM/UA for A$1.5 billion.

1991:

• In March, Brøderbund ended merger talks with Sierra On-Line, and given that date, it most likely started plans in the previous year.
• Turner's New Line Cinema looked into buying Orion, which the interests of Republic Pictures, Savoy Pictures, the American Broadcasting Company, and Polygram would also follow.

1992:

• MCA and Hallmark were originally the buyers for Hanna-Barbera but got outbid by Turner, which merged with Time Warner.

1993:

• In September, QVC tried a hostile $9.6 billion bid for Paramount Communications before a lawsuit came in, and lost to a $9.85 billion bid from Viacom in February.

1994:

• Bell Atlantic planned to buy Tele-Communications Inc. for $33 billion. TCI would later head for AT&T 5 years later.
• Time Warner Communications tried to buy NBC from General Electric for $2 to 2.5 billion.

1995:

• News Corporation, MCA, Time Warner Communications and Cinergi placed bids for Carolco Pictures before Le Studio Canal+ took over.
• Brøderbund bid for the original The Learning Company, before SoftKey bought them and adopted their name. They would buy Brøderbund in 1998.

1996:

• Before fatefully settling its eyes upon Sierra On-Line and Davidson & Associates (Blizzard, Animation Magic, and Knowledge Adventure), Comp-U-Card International, or more unfortunately named, CUC's Walter Forbes had considered a larger company that consisted of not just Sierra and Davidson, but also Brøderbund and LucasArts.
• After having Broadway Video's family library for dinner, Golden Books planned to buy out Nelvana.
• Microsoft nearly acquired Davidson & Associates (Blizzard) on the first try, but they lost to Comp-U-Card. In December 1997, CUC merged with HFS, and the new company was renamed Cendant, which would suffer a big accounting scandal.
• British Telecom, who owned a partial stake since 1994, bid $22 billion for MCI.
• For a year, Polygram attempted to buy out Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Samuel Goldwyn.
  • News Corporation and Morgan Creek also bid for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

1997:

• GTE, which eventually merged with Bell Atlantic to become Verizon 3 years later, bid $28 billion for MCI. Eventually, Worldcom kicked in.
• GoodTimes Interactive planned to buy MicroProse for $250 million before letting Hasbro Interactive take it in. Coincidentally, both GoodTimes AND Hasbro Interactive would be bought out by Infogrames (later Atari SA) in 1999 and 2001, respectively.
• Epic Pictures had offers to be bought by Artisan, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Disney before PolyGram succeeded to buy it. PolyGram would eventually sell it to Metro-Goldwyn-MayeOrion over a year later.

1998:

• Microsoft tried to acquire Davidson & Associates (Blizzard) for the second time from Cendant, but they were beaten by Havas, which was owned by Vivendi.
• Viacom's Paramount Pictures offered to buy French art house studio CiBy 2000 for 500 million francs, or roughly $80 million in USD. The founder's widow, however, refused, and the catalog was dispersed between TF1, MK2, and several companies. Thirty-two years later, Paramount would get almost half of an indie film studio: Miramax.

1999:

• MCI Worldcom tried to buy Sprint for $129 billion. After a 2001 scandal, Worldcom (name since 2000) was renamed to MCI Inc., which would get bought by Verizon in 2006. Sprint merged with T-Mobile US 14 years after MCI went to Verizon.
• Global Crossing offered to buy US West for $37 billion before Qwest outbid them. Coincidentally, the rest seems to have been a big wave of all coming together, as Global Crossing (after a bankruptcy in 2002) would get bought by Level 3 in 2011, which itself would be bought in 2016 by CenturyLink WHO MERGED with Qwest back in 2010.
• Artisan Entertainment and Canal+ were speculated to pick up PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.
• Two years before the release of the Xbox, Microsoft approached Nintendo about buying them. The deal was that they would make the hardware for Nintendo, but the latter's executives "laughed their asses off."
  • They also tried to buy Squaresoft, Electronic Arts, and Midway around this time.
• CanWest Global attempted to acquire NetStar (which consisted of TSN and Discovery Canada), but was vetoed by ESPN. CTV would eventually buy it.
• Francis Ford Coppola planned to buy United Artists from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

2000:

• Activision and partial owner Nintendo bid for Rareware until Microsoft bought them out 2 years later.
• Netflix offers to be bought by Blockbuster for $50 million, but they decline.
• Warner Music Group tried to buy British music label EMI for $20 billion but canceled the merger after pressure. Info here. After EMI's bankruptcy in 2011, Warner would buy Parlophone from it for $765 million, about 40% of EMI's record label.

2001:

• Sesame Workshop was put up for sale, with speculated buyers being Viacom, AOL Time Warner, The Walt Disney Company, and Classic Media.
  • The Jim Henson Company was also up for sale to The Walt Disney Company, Viacom, HIT Entertainment, AOL Time Warner, Haim Saban, and Classic Media.
• Chris-Craft (involved in the United Paramount Network) offered to be bought by Viacom for $3.1 billion until News Corp came in.
• Before NBC came in, the bidders of Telemundo were Viacom, The Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation (later absorbed into Univision), The Walt Disney Company, and AOL Time Warner.

2002:

• Viacom and USA Network were originally speculated to buy Fox Family Worldwide before it was sold by News Corp to The Walt Disney Company.

2003:

• Emtv tried to sell The Muppets to Sesame Workshop and ClassicMedia.
• Before Lionsgate took the shot, Marvel and Miramax were placing a bid to pick up Artisan.
• Viacom, Liberty Media Corp, News Corporation, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Barry Diller were also bidding to buy Universal Studios and its theme parks.

2004:

• Comcast tried to buy Disney for $66 billion.
• Take-Two Interactive Software considered buying Vivendi Universal Games for $1 billion, which was below what Vivendi Universal wanted. Vivendi Games, after its parent company stripped itself of Universal Studios to make NBC Universal, would merge with Activision Publishing four years later to create Activision Blizzard, now part of Microsoft.
• In June, an unnamed financier offered $10 million for TheFacebook, the first of many attempts over the next three years.
  • Friendster also offered to buy them, according to documents seen by SAI Global.
  • A couple of Google execs visited Facebook's office to see if there was a way to work with Zuckerberg or perhaps even buy his company.
• 2 years after Kirk Kerkorian put Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer up for sale, Time Warner emerged as a bidder for the studio. The bid wasn't unexpected, as Ted Turner was the largest shareholder. After all, his Turner Entertainment Group had risen to success through its ownership of the pre-May 1986 library, which had been acquired by the bidder when they merged with Turner eight years prior.
• Casey-Werner was looking to sell itself to a large media company but would later decide against selling. The potential suitors were General Electric/Vivendi's NBC Universal and the first incarnation of Viacom, which owned CBS.
• Channel 4 considered merging with Channel 5 for nine months before calling it off. Five would later get bought by RTL Group.

2005:

• Viacom offered to buy out TheFacebook for $75 million; the deal would have Mark Zuckerburg earn $35 million "on the spot".
  • MySpace's CEO Chris DeWolfe also visited Mark and his team to buy them.
  • NBC Universal's NBC execs stopped by "for a peek" this year.
  • In the fall, Mark Zuckerberg flew to New York to meet with Viacom CEO Tom Freston. Tom would pitch all sorts of synergies to Mark between MTV and Facebook.
• Before creating an alliance consisting of Pandemic Studios and BioWare, Elevation Partners planned to buy out Eidos Interactive before SCi (no, not Sony Computer Interactive) stepped in and bought them in May. The Pandemic and BioWare alliance would get bought by Electronic Arts 2 years later, with the former studio shutting down two years later.
• Five months before Viacom purchased Dreamworks SKG, there were rumors that NBC Universal would buy the then-independent studio for $2.5 billion. Dreamworks Pictures already used Universal's film distribution and home entertainment divisions to distribute their products.

2006:

• In January, News Corporation's Ross Levinsohn wanted to buy Facebook but was worried the deal might not keep up its growth.
  • Viacom sent the company a $1.5 billion offer--$800 million in cash up front, the rest a payout later. In this case, it's said it "almost sold."
  • In June, Yahoo! offered $1 billion, only to... lower it to $850 million after announcing horrible Q2 earnings.
    • In the fall, they suggested they would pay $1 billion or more.
  • In the middle of the year, AOL's CEO Johnathan Miller wanted to buy the company, convincing Time Inc.'s CEO to come in on the deal they took to their parent company Time Warner. A detailed plan would have AOL sell MapQuest and Tegic, while Time Inc. would sell IPC. Together, they'd offer $1 billion-plus.
• At least according to the YouTuber Hook: before Google came in, the bidders for YouTube were News Corporation, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and even Viacom, the last of which, after the Google purchase, would coldly claim YouTube infringed copyright, losing in the long end, and, after a CEO change, bought VidCon.
• In November, National Transcommunications Limited (or NTL for short) approached ITV plc with a merger bid. However, it would get blocked when British Sky Broadcasting (now Sky UK) bought roughly 18% of ITV for £940 million ($117.3 million in US dollars).
  • RTL Group, who owned Channel 5 at the time, also bid at one point; the plan would have seen RTL acquiring Sky's stake in ITV plc (with the aim of further acquisitions of shares in the future) in exchange for BSkyB taking full control of Channel 5.

2007:

• Google offered to buy Facebook.
  • Microsoft also offered to buy a small stake in the platform at a $15 billion valuation, then have the option, every six months, to buy another 5 percent. The complete takeover would've been well within five to seven years. While it never happened, they did buy 1.6% of the company for about $250 million, a deal which set their value at $15 billion.

2008:

• A reverse merger deal between DHX Media and Entertainment One was considered.
• Microsoft offered to buy Yahoo! for $47.5 billion until the latter let Google display its ads on the site.
• There were later debunked rumors of Viacom buying Take-Two Interactive, around the time of the next one:
• Electronic Arts even tried to buy Take-Two Interactive until September.
• France Télécom (present-day Orange) planned to buy Swedish telco TeliaSonera for $40 billion, but both could not come to an agreement.
• Square Enix planned to buy Tecmo, but the latter insisted on a merger of equals with Koei.

2009:

• Lionsgate announced plans on February 1 to buy Summit Entertainment, but 2 days later, the plans fell through. Lionsgate would end up purchasing Summit in 2012.
• Before Comcast came in, Time Warner and News Corporation were originally interested in buying NBC Universal from General Electric and Vivendi.
• News Corporation, Time Warner, Amir Malin's Qualia Capital, and Lionsgate Entertainment were bidding for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Holdings during its bankruptcy. Time Warner already owned the pre-May 1986 MGM library, had enough cash reserves, and co-produced the Hobbit films with the studio. News Corporation's 20th Century Fox, meanwhile, was Metro Goldwyn Mayer's home entertainment distributor at the time.

2010:

• News Corporation made a plan for the takeover of British Sky Broadcasting (already owning 39.1% until then) in June for 700 pounds per share for the remaining 60.9% shares until two turning points came: the removal of regulatory approval from Vincent Cable in December, and the more infamous 2011 News of the World phone hacking incident, which caused the bid to fall to its face.
• In a part 2, two more bidders, Reliance Entertainment (about $1.8 billion) and Relativity Media (about $1.6 billion) went onboard for MGM Holdings. But by November 3rd, MGM Holdings filed bankruptcy and emerged almost a month later when the Federal Bankruptcy Court approved the reorganization plan.

2011:

• AT&T tried to buy T-Mobile US for $39 billion.
• Hulu found itself in an unsolicited offer that was said to involve Google and Yahoo!. Ultimately, none of the bidders offered an amount satisfactory to its owners.
• World Wrestling Entertainment and the UFC were in separate talks to buy G4 until UFC went into a deal with Fox and WWE built its network.
• Before Mattel chipped in, the other bidders planning to buy HiT Entertainment from Apax Partners were The Walt Disney Company, the second incarnation of Viacom, rival Hasbro, ClassicMedia (which would be bought by Dreamworks Animation, which is now a Comcast company), Chorion, and Saban Brands.

2012:

• CBS was also rumored to buy Sony Pictures from Sony.

2013:

• Facebook's Instagram attempted to buy Snapchat for $3 billion in cash due to the latter's introduction of Stories. 3 years later, Instagram made their own Stories.
• Yahoo! considered buying either Netflix or Hulu until they fatefully decided upon Tumblr for $1.1 billion.
  • DirecTV and Time Warner also bid for Hulu.
• Time Warner was stated to be one of the buyers of THQ until its bankruptcy in the same year, followed by Nordic Games buying its trademark in 2014.
  • ZeniMax Media also made a $26.3 million bid for THQ's Relic Entertainment before Sega came in.
• Dish Network considered buying Sprint for $25.5 billion.
• RTL Group's Fremantle attempted to buy out All3Media.
• Microsoft was negotiating to purchase HTC, a fact revealed by former Nokia chairman Risto Siilasmaa during an interview with the Helsingin Sanomat, or Hesari. Microsoft would later buy Nokia's mobile phone business that year.
  • On the topic of mobile phones, Lenovo planned to buy Blackberry Limited, but the Canadian government blocked the deal due to security concerns because prominent members of governments around the world have used Blackberries themselves. They would later buy Motorola Mobility from Google in January 2014 for $2.91 billion.

2014:

• 21st Century Fox offered an $80 billion bid for Time Warner, but a potential CNN spinoff was one of the reasons why it became unattractive and fell.
• Hasbro planned to buy DreamWorks Animation to form Hasbro-Dreamworks, two years before Comcast went in.
  • SoftBank was also planning to buy Dreamworks Animation for $3.4 billion.
• Comcast tried to buy Time Warner Cable for $45.2 billion but faced a ton of madness to the point of abandonment.
• BT, ITV plc, Channel 4, Comcast (through NBCUniversal), Endemol, Time Warner, Viacom, Scripps Network Interactive, Saban Capital Group, and a joint bid of BSkyB and Discovery Communications were all bidders reportedly interested in acquiring Channel 5. Viacom won.

2015:

• There were some fears of Yahoo! buying Dailymotion from Orange, which were soon quelled by Vivendi's purchase of the site.
• Apple had considered buying TimeWarner.

2016:

• Before Viacom bought Telefe from Telefonica, Time Warner and the Cisneros Group were bidding for the network.
• 21st Century Fox tried a $32.5 billion bid for Sky until they were bought by Disney. Comcast eventually kicked in and bought Sky.
• Vivendi attempted a bid to buy out Ubisoft for $6.4 billion before ending the hostile takeover bid 2 years later. Today, Ubisoft is partially owned by Tencent.
• Disney somehow planned to merge with Time Warner before AT&T went into negotiations.
• Activision Blizzard's CEO Bobby Kotick somehow considered buying TimeWarner before AT&T took it.
• National Amusements sends a letter to both CBS Corporation and Viacom asking them to merge back. It's declined... for now.
• ITV plc placed a £1 billion ($1.3 billion USD) offer to buy eOne, which they rejected. Hasbro bought them for $4 billion in 2019.
• The Walt Disney Company planned to buy Twitter but decided not because there were a substantial amount of bots.
  • Microsoft, Salesforce, and Google were also said to bid for Twitter.
• Viacom tried to sell a stake of Paramount Pictures to Dalian Wanda, but it fell through, thankfully.
• Spotify was rumored to be looking into buying SoundCloud. It would be complementary as Spotify targets signed artists, and SoundCloud targets indies.

2017:

• 22 companies comprising but not limited to Viacom, Miramax, Ronald Wayne Burkle's Yucaipa, Lionsgate, A&E, Sony, and MGM all placed bids for The Weinstein Company.
• Viacom was going to take in Scripps Networks Interactive before Discovery Communications came through with a $12 billion outbid.
• Comcast, Sony, and Verizon were the other bidders for 21st Century Fox's assets. Comcast's bid persisted until July 2018, leaving it to The Walt Disney Company in March 2019.
• Tribune Media announced its sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group, but 15 months later, they were sued for a breach of contract. They would merge with future CW majority owner Nexstar Media Group for $4.1 billion.
• Hasbro attempted to buy Lionsgate.

2018:

• Viacom, CBS (both would re-merge in 2019), Verizon, Comcast, Amazon (later would buy MGM in 2022), Sony, and Hasbro again were speculated to buy Lionsgate, and there were rumors that a combined CBS-Viacom would buy out the studio, with Vice Chairman Michael Burns implying in an interview with CNBC that Lionsgate, CBS, and Viacom all merge.
• Google was eyeing Epic Games before starting their own cloud service called "Project Stream", later named Stadia, which lasted until 2023.
• Endeavor, All3Media, ITV plc, DHX Media, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, and Fremantle were all in the running for Endemol Shine Group. Banijay would merge with them two years later.

2019:

• Univision was speculated to be bought by ViacomCBS in articles like this, before Televisa (sort of) came in 2 years later, to form TelevisaUnivision.
• Before Viacom re-merged with CBS, there were rumors of the latter entity buying Starz from Lionsgate.
• Before ViacomCBS kicked in, the bidders for a 50% stake in Miramax were the second incarnation of Viacom, Lionsgate (which had the home video rights to Miramax, at least in the United States), and Spyglass Media Group, who had been the owner of The Weinstein Company's library a year ago. Spyglass was the first to exit talks, followed by Lionsgate a month later. After two months, Viacom went out of the discussion until the re-merge with CBS Corporation meant they would resume buyout talks with Miramax.
• ViacomCBS was also speculated to buy Discovery pre-announcement of the Warner Bros Discovery deal two years later.
• Continuing on with the post-merger 'nundrum, ViacomCBS was also rumored to buy Sony Pictures and even Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
• Xerox planned until 2020 to buy out Hewlett-Packard for $33.5 (later $35.0 in the second bid) billion. Hewlett-Packard indicated it would make its counteroffer for Xerox.

2020:

• Microsoft not only (and this was very publicized) tried to buy Tiktok, but almost tried to buy out Capcom, Nintendo, and even Warner Bros. Games.
• Apple and Netflix were rumored to buy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
• Take-Two Interactive was going to buy Codemasters for $994 million and assign it under 2K, before being trumped by Electronic Arts with a billion-dollar bid.
• ViacomCBS initially planned to sell Simon and Schuster to Penguin Random House but ended up in a blockage two years later.
  • Before that announcement, News Corp (HarperCollins) and Vivendi (Editis) were said to be the other bidders for S&S.

Around this time, Lionsgate made an unsolicited offer to merge Starz with ViacomCBS' Showtime.
2021:

• Comcast had some plans to buy Activision Blizzard, at least according to Puck.
• In a better-known attempt, they considered spinning off NBCUniversal and merging it with Electronic Arts, which sadly never materialized.
• Comcast was speculated to merge with ViacomCBS after the announcement of the Warner-Discovery deal, which would only get churned down to SkyShowtime for specific regions.
• Bagdasarian Productions has been reported to have put itself up for sale for about $300 million, with Paramount Global (who has home entertainment rights and Nickelodeon aired the latest show) being the most likely bidder.
• Microsoft was interested in acquiring Zynga before it was sold to Take-Two Interactive Software.
• Microsoft was also seriously planning to buy out some of over a hundred developers and nine publishers, and also considered Sega, Square Enix, and IO Interactive in an April 2021 slideshow given out this year's ruling by the FTC on ActivBliz.
• Lionsgate was planning for as long as into the next year to buy STX.

2022:

• Fox Corporation and News Corp were going to merge, only to get called off.
• There were the marathonical rumors of Apple, Disney, and even Amazon buying out Electronic Arts.
• The Washington Post was looking to buy Wordle before The New York Times Company became the buyer.

2023:

• Playtika tried to buy Rovio for $813 million before Sega Sammy took the helm.
• Comcast was speculated to buy out World Wrestling Entertainment before Endeavor Group came in.
  • They were also rumored to buy the remaining 67% of Hulu from The Walt Disney Company, until it became the other way around.
• Legendary, Fremantle, and GoDigital Media Group were bidding to buy Entertainment One from Hasbro until Lionsgate won the bidding.
• In the finale of the Simon and Schuster sale, the other bidder besides Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts was News Corp's HarperCollins.
• Paramount Global planned to sell BET to people including Byron Allen, Shaquille O'Neal, and 50 Cent, until deciding that the networks were a core asset.

DRAG RACE!
Chronologica struts the runway wearing a stormtrooper outfit, including the face covered by a helmet.
Hello world! Welcome back to Season 6 of Drag Race. And welcome back to my favorite diva Rachelle Mirage! Rachelle, where’s your hometown?
“Cambridge, Massachusetts.” Rachelle smiles teasingly. Chronologica laughs.
What about you, Floss? Where you from?
“Yeah, Cambridge, Mass sounds about right!” The judges laugh.
And our Nymphe D’Azote! Where are you from, Nymphe?
“Bonjour.” Nymphe puts a blue butterfly clip into her hair and smiles at the camera. “I’m from Lyon in France.”
Right. So! For our main challenge this week, our racers gave us a talent show performance to prove their worth and showcase who they really are. And on the runway, they’re telling us where they came from.
“So the theme is Cambridge?” Floss jokes.
“What?” Nymphe looks confused.
It’s TIME!
~
Category is…Hometown Glory.
HerShe Kiss arrives in an outfit straight out of 2002- a Juicy Couture style pink jumpsuit, but glittering for the Gods- every inch of it covered in rhinestones, with blond locks in rollers (as if she’s getting her hair done) and a mobile phone in her hands, HerShe spins around to reveal her behind stoned with the words ‘KISS’ on them.
HerShe Kiss: “Every detail is personalized to the T. It’s HerShe, baby!” HerShe blows a kiss.
Carly Shay Jepsen struts onto the stage in a light-up, neon green miniskirt and bodice, with a neon yellow bra, bright yellow heels and a toxic green wig. Her face is painted with the ‘Glow in the Dark’ style face paint, as she excitedly skips around.
“Atrocious.” Nymphe looks at Carly in fear.
Anne Dior Kashaut arrives in a fitted train conductor look- a plumed feather hat and matching coat in red, a patterned shirt and tight pair of pants, and a blood red boot- as she whistles through the main stage. As she walks, her train- a literal recreation of the Lankelz Railway, formed into a train, follows her.
Vroom vroom, bitch.
Mrs. Vicki Anderson enters the werkroom dressed up as a campy take on the American Bison- with horns, fur and a fitted cute cinched corset in the same colors as her ‘fur’. She puts her hooves up as she makes her way to the end of the stage, giggling with a ‘Mooooooo’.
“Do… Bison moo?” Rachelle asks.
“Do I look like a damn Bison expert?” Floss yells.
Rachelle laughs.
Shayla Moon arrives dressed as a giant, ancient snow monster- an abominable snow person with head to toe blue fur covering her body and a monstrous face mask.
Shayla Moon: “Fort Lauderdale is known for its ‘Snowbirds’- people visiting from the cold cities during winter, to come to Florida… and party.”
Spinning around, Shayla drops the monster suit to reveal a two piece fringe, light up look in multicolored pieces, with a long, flowing wig- and all the body on show as they dance around the main stage.
“Shake that ass, bitch!” Floss snaps her fingers.
Nakomis Lotus struts out in a bodysuit reminiscent of an oil spill, her body neck to foot covered in a slick black substance. She has a wet black wig reflective of a similar color to the tar like substance, as she slinks through the main stage, leaving behind footprints in black.
“Who’s going to clean that?” Nymphe asks.
Francesca La Fataliá arrives with a blood red Venetian Plague mask covering her face, with its long, pointed nose. She wears a Victrian style high-neck dress, hitting the floor and covered in black feathers. She carries various herbs in a glass canister in her hands, before taking off the mask to show her painted, plagued green skin and makeup.
“She’s the Queen here to clean up that oil spill mess.” Floss jokes.
“Wait-” Nymphe looks confused.
The others chuckle.
~
Hi Racers. I’ve made some decisions. This week, everyone’s getting critiqued. Now is a great opportunity to learn what the judges are looking for from you, so listen up!
First up: 2007’s Carly Shay Jepsen! Welcome!
“I will speak on fashion, no? The overall look tonight and the look in the performance were both undercooked and plain.” Nymphe shrugs. “The whole concept you’re going for feels like you have not been able to cook it fully, deliver at the level you could’ve. At Drag Race, I want something polished.”
“I see Nymphe’s point- but to me, that’s part of your charm, right Carly?”
Carly nods, clearly not quite sure about Chronologica’s point.
For me, your talent show- was messy, sure, but really fun and entertaining. It was charming and this runway- I am not going to make excuses for it, but for me, you’re fun!”
“I am here to have fun.” Carly grins.
The polish can come. But, keep your core- your heart.
Carly grins.
The whitest chocolate, HerShe Kiss! Welcome back to the main stage.
“It feels good to be back, and I feel… delicious.” HerShe smiles.
Now, I do want to say something.
HerShe looks concerned.
I was wrong this week. I thought you were kinda… going boring, and you did a fabulous job.
“Ahhh!” HerShe smiles.
This was hot. And surprisingly enough, your runway- whilst I look at it and say ‘That’s hot’, it’s also showcasing a bit of comedy.
“That’s hot.” HerShe says, picking up her phone doing her best Paris Hilton.
Chronologica chuckles.
Nymphe shakes her head. “What about this look says LA?”
“It’s a take on the vapid, hot, celebrity.” HerShe smiles. “Like, too hot to handle, but also, dumb.”
“I can clearly see dumb.” Nymphe nods. “Okay.”
HerShe Kiss: “Was that a compliment?”
Hellodis, it’s Nakomis Lotus. All the votes are in…you made it on TV, girl!
“YES!” Nakomis smiles.
“I haven’t seen Big Brother. Your jokes didn’t land. Next.” Nymphe gestures a hand, as if sweeping Nakomis away.
Nakomis frowns.
“Baby.” Floss frowns. “What was going on?”
Nakomis looks at Floss.
“I feel like you tried a lot. I believe that you are capable of doing a lot- but this week, I was like, damn, you tried to do two conflicting things, instead of one, positive…” Floss sighs. “Choice.”
Anne smiles.
“I thought I could do a lot more than this.” Nakomis says. “I wanted to do something different, and I do get your points, apologies my dear judges.”
It’s not over- you know these games. It’s about the fight.
Nakomis nods. “Thank you.”
Princess Serenity Shayla Moon! Hi, baby.
“Hey hey hey!” Shayla smiles.
“The details of your talent show were too small for us to see exactly what you were doing.” Nymphe closes her eyes. “I didn’t think it was the best choice for a stage performance with the audience at such a distance.”
“Totally will take that feedback on.” Shayla smiles.
In my stormtrooper helmet, I have magnifying vision-
Shayla chuckles.
So for me, it was fun. And let's talk about this look…
“Are you cold?” Nymphe asks.
“I am never cold, because a whore doesn’t get cold, she heats up.” Shayla winks.
Floss, Rachelle, Chronologica and the racers all laugh- besides Anne and Nymphe.
This is a fun concept and idea. Showcase a bit more, and you will go far.
Shayla grins.
Next, let’s talk about our Lady of Loss, Francesca La Fatalia. How do you feel about being on Drag Race?
“It feels ...Fitting.” Franesca smiles,
“I LOVED the talent show.” Rachelle looks excitedly. “You can really tell, you are here, you know your references- your talent show was YOU.”
“This is my home.” Francesca says, holding onto her outfit. “I felt at peace.”
“Truly, I could tell that.” Rachelle says. “And for me, this look is insane.”
Francesca bows.
“What you’re wearing reminds me of a lot of monarchs I’ve seen without a lot of original thoughts.” Nymphe holds her faerie wings around her chest. “You should really make sure that the designs you bring are yours, not someone else’s ideas.”
“Well, the plague doctor is a reference to Venetian culture. This is a hometown glory runway, and I have chosen to reflect upon it with a dark cultural reference. So, yes, I do believe this is my idea, however, I’ve made it my dragged up version- from the shoulders, to the makeup, to the gown.” Francesca responds, looking at Nymphe.
“Hmm..” Nymphe purses her lips in satisfaction. “Okay. I do appreciate your insights. This is a good and polished look.”
Time to cash in on Anne Dior Kashaut. We’re glad you’re here.
Anne smiles. “Hi judges! So happy to be here, I thank you for this opportunity.”
The other Queens look around confused.
Carly Shay Jepsen: “Who the hell is that?!”
Nymphe monologues. “Pour quelqu’un d’origine française, votre esthétique est vraiment décevante et surjouée. Vous n'avez pas l'expérience du concours que vous prétendez avoir, et vous ne resterez pas très longtemps dans cette compétition. C'est fastidieux, pour être honnête, Et je ne suis pas content que vous soyez là. Vous devriez rentrer chez vous avant de vous embarrasser avec et votre manque de talent.”
Anne laughs. “I’m really thankful to be here. I am taking this as an opportunity to learn and develop, and I want to show more. I get that feedback- but I promise I am not overplayed. I really can do a lot here, so please- give me all the feedback.”
I feel like- this was actually not a FUN talent show, you know?
“Okay.” Anne nods.
For me, and I go back to the talent show last week- this can be a fun activity, a physical sport- HOWEVER, you didn’t drag it up enough. Add some bells and whistles. I was worried about other talent shows, and they ended up delivering- however, you did something similarly- and lacked those things.
Anne smiles.
I will need a bit more. This look though- it’s very pretty.
“I will take all this feedback, and promise to deliver.” Anne grins.
And last but not least, from the Peace Garden State, Mrs. Vicki Anderson! Welcome to the show.
“I’ve been waiting for the show, this is my sixth time auditioning!” Vicki laughs.
SIXTH?
“...Yes.” Vicki smiles.
I didn’t remember any of your past tapes, so that says it all.
Vicki looks surprised.
Well, I am happy you’re here, now!
“As am I.” Vicki responds with a grin.
“Your performance was serviceable.” Floss says. “This is a damn talented group. Here, I think you did…not bad, but nothing to stand out.”
“Noted.” Vicki grins.
“You can sing better than the girl from last week.” Nymphe gives Vicki a flat look. “But that’s not saying much.”
Vicki nods.
“Stand out, or step out.” Nymphe shrugs. “Point blank.”
Thank you, racers. Whilst we deliberate, you may untuck backstage in the Fae Lounge. Sponsored by Princess Papaya Glitter Blueberry Drinks.
~
The racers enter the Fae Lounge.
Carly Shay Jepsen: “First week DOWN, and damn, I’m feeling- pretty good!”
“Okay, okay-” Carly turns to the side. “Can you bring us shots to celebrate? Mr Producer…”
“Shots?!” Shayla says dramatically.
“We gotta celebrate, guys!” Carly smiles. “Week 2 group, we’re HERE!”
Carly is handed glasses, and begins to pour, splashing alcohol onto the floor.
“Dear God, let me pour, you’re making a mess.” Francesca says, grabbing the bottle of Tequila as Carly laughs.
“Oh, I do love a shot…” Nakomis says, pursing her lips. “However… maybe I shouldn’t..”
“SHOTS!” Carly yells, as the racers all take a hit of the tequila.
Francesca makes a face. “This is dis-”
“I LOVE my Princess Papaya, Glitter Blackberry Drink.” Shayla raises the bottle. “It’s SO fantastic!”
“It’s actually, ugh- blueberry?” Vicki looks at Shayla.
“OH MY GOD!” Shayla yells, before getting up and running around, as Vicki, HerShe, Carly and a half amused Francesca chuckle.
“I LOOOOOVE my-” HerShe flicks back her hair, smiling. “Princess Papaya Glitter Blueberry drink, baby. It tastes like a winner.”
“YES, FUCK YEAH!” Carly snaps her fingers, as HerShe smiles.
“I feel really happy, with this actually.” HerShe looks excited, sitting down. “Because truly- I came in wanting to deliver, and I had some speed bumps…”
“Certainly Chronologica thought so.” Anne adds, listening in with one headphone in her ear.
“But I came over the other side.” HerShe tears up. “And I want to say, it feels nice, it feels validating, it-” HerShe nods. “I feel hot.”
“I do also want to shout you out, Mama Fatal…” Carly turns to Francesca, who looks slightly surprised as the others clap.
Nakomis sits in her seat, not speaking, but half claps.
“Thank you.” Francesca nods. “Don’t call me Mama Fatal. I’m not that old.”
“Oh, but you remind me a lot of my mother though!” Carly yells.
“I will kill you.” Francesca responds.
Carly shrugs. “Do it, babe!”
“It was nerdy- which to be honest, I didn’t expect out of you.” Shayla starts. “But this is insane- this look, wow?”
“And she made it.” HerShe snaps her fingers. “I listened.”
“WOAH.” Vicki smiles. “That’s..”
“I always make my drag. And it’s layered, there for performance purposes…” Francesca starts. “I just came here to show my drag. To me, that’s fitting, to be in the top.”
“You deserve, Mama Fatal.” HerShe winks.
Francesca rolls her eyes.
“It’s not like she actually is a murderer, right?” Carly jokes. “As much as tries!”
“Tell that to the bodies in my backyard.” Francesca responds.
Carly stares into the camera.
“You know-” Anne looks at Francesca. “I think you did deliver, stylistically. Which is good, as did you, HerShe, with your cheap jumpsuit covered in dollar store rhinestones.”
HerShe looks at Anne.
“But there are others I don’t care for here, visually and personality wise- and certainly..” Anne puts her hand on Nakomis thigh. “That is most clear with you.”
“Wait a minute, don’t go in-” HerShe raises her hand. “Nakomis-”
“Nakomis.” Anne sputters out. “Not only have you failed to deliver in a talent show, you have failed to deliver stylistically. This look is a reflection of poor quality drag, ugly drag, if we are being honest-”
Nakomis stares blankly at the camera in shock.
Nakomis Lotus: “Where is this coming from? Why does she think she can have her La Marias moment? What have I even done to her??”
“Do you even have actual titles?” Nakomis looks squarely at Anne. “Do you actually, or do you just talk mad shit?”
“Drag Miss Luxembourg pageant.” Anne scoffs.
“I’ve never heard of that show, and I do loop in with European artists.” Francesca adds.
Anne huffs.
“You suggested the idea, girl. You told ME it was a good idea, and I wonder, now, along with your attitude here, if that was sabotage-”
“SABOTAGE?” Annne laughs, standing up.
HerShe smiles.
HerShe Kiss: “Oh, Anne picked the wrong fight here…”
“If I wanted to sabotage, I'd leave you be. Because the idea of your drag, in it’s ugly, poor references, it’s atrocious name- what in God's name is a Nakomis, Du rattenartiger, hässlicher, langweiliger Künstler, ohne jegliches Können, ohne TALENT, Platzverschwendung, ich werde dezimieren, ich werde zerstören-”
“Girl, we can’t understand you.” Vicki frowns.
“I could actually sabotage you. Put glass in your makeup-”
Francesca La Fataliá: “Who puts glass in someone’s makeup?” Francesca looks confused. “That isn’t even a….” Francesca shakes her head. “No. Bad idea.”
“I didn’t. So learn your words, and prepare for a lip sync. You’ll need it.” Anne rolls her eyes, walking off.
“...Wow, that was unnecessary.” HerShe says, laughing.
“...More shots?” Carly smiles.
“YES!” Shayla cheers.
Nakomis Lotus: “I do not understand why Anne is so nasty. It’s…”
Anne looks into the mirror, smiling.
Nakomis Lotus: “Kinda giving un-self-aware and tryhard. It’s like she’s trying hard to get airtime by being an ‘iconic villain,’ when in reality she just looks desperate.”
~
Welcome back, racers, I’ve made some decisions.
Vicki, you’re safe.
“Thank you!” Vicki curtseys.
Shayla Moon.
Carly Shay.
You are… safe!
Carly Shay Jepsen: “Woo! Not the first out!”
…
Nakomis.
…
Anne.
You’re SAFE.
Anne looks surprised, then grins. “Thank you!”
…
HerShe looks scared, whilst Franscesca purses her lips into a smirk.
That means…
Francesca La Fataliá.
HerShe Kiss.
I’m sorry my dears…
You are the TOP TWO of the week.
“YES!” HerShe cheers.
Francesca bows.
But that’s not all.
“A TWIST!” Shayla gasps.
This week, you will not only lip sync for the win- but an IMMUNITY POTION that you can use this season… to save yourself… or another from elimination.
Shayla Moon: “This is my Sailor Moon Crystal, and I WILL have it.” Shayla cracks her knuckles. “...I need to steal it. Or seduce the winner for it.”
The time has come… for you to lip sync FOR THE WIN!
**Eaten Alive by Diana Ross starts to play**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8NTqc14uIY
Good luck… and don’t fuck it up!
HerShe Kiss: “I am here, ready to go, to lip sync for my win, to do ALL I can.” HerShe smiles.
Francesca La Fataliá: “It’s time for me to lip sync. This is what I do. HerShe? It’s time to get Eaten Alive.”
~
Next Time!
Racers, it’s time for a dance challenge.
“Lady Gag.” Ethan says, as Gag joins her team.
Ethan Angel-Eye: “I hate the choices I am forced with.”
“Perform better.” Shiseido looks at Molly.
“Okay, try and actually move, you aged monster.” Molly says, wearing an immunity potion around her neck.
“...Wait a minute.” Vicki stares at Molly. “That’s-”
~
Stats
Voting
Spreadsheet

Tried to post on other places but pretty sure it's gonna get deleted because it's meme related
I have been following the Kitty tweets mostly for entertainment, they are fun, but I think I see a theme. So here is my tinfoil hat theory.
1.It's not about GME anymore. The game powerup logo, batman tweet says - now we have a symbol, that is a warning, fear etc.
Braveheart meme, dying gamestoooop rallying cry - Wallace dies at the end of movie, but inspires with his death.
Finally, the diversion tweet, magic, the prestige, kasas city shuffle. Everyone is looking at GME stock again, but that's the diversion, kansas shuffle

1. So what is it if not GME ?? He is, saying he is very careful what he says so listen. He is posting SIGNS. What signs do many of the tweets have in common?

Candman says "Be 🐝 my victim" with the bee emoji after the word be =BB
It's Britney Bitch BB
Goosebumps- Bear Beware BB
Busta rhymes -Busta Bust BB
Breaking Bad, and Jason Borne in Boston might be a stretch, but
BLACKBERRY. There is some dd out there about solid fundamentals for BB..
Not a bagholder, I only played amc in 2021.
My positions : shares and june/July calls
Just lottos, not full porting on some meme tweets, but this a casino, so I'm gonna gamble.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk

For context - my girlfriend and I wanted to make drinks to go with the semis/finals, and prepared for the EXPECTED top 4 teams… however, oxygen and resolve threw a wrench in those plans.
But with some quick adjustments, I present to you themed cocktails for the EU top 4!
(In order)
Potion of vitality - pineapple, mint, rum, club soda
William’s basil gimlet - gin, lime, basil, simple syrup
Os-kiwi melon Joyo-hito - kiwi, melon liqueur, blue curacao, rum, club soda
The gintlemate - blackberries, gin, cointreau, lime, club soda
Fittingly, the potion of vitality was our favorite :)

My harvest hymn — with added Chinese chemicals
By Jeremy Clarkson (The Sunday Times, April 28)
Many of us will remember that Mungo Jerry song featuring the line, “Have a drink, have a drive. Go out and see what you can find.” And of course we all realise you can’t even think that any more. And nor, really, is it considered acceptable to follow up with: “If her daddy’s rich, take her out for a meal. If her daddy’s poor, just do what you feel.” Times have moved on.
Of course lots of lyrics now feel as if they’re from another aeon. "Clair" by Gilbert O’Sullivan especially. But you might think it’s impossible for the lyrics in a harvest festival hymn to become out of date. “We plough the fields and scatter. The good seed on the land. But it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand.” Absolute timelessness. It was true ten thousand years ago and it’s true now.
No, it isn’t. God doesn’t water the land any more. The coal-fired Chinese power stations do that. And he doesn’t feed it either. That’s handled by CF Industries, which makes all the chemical fertiliser that farmers use on their fields.
We don’t even scatter seeds any more, because that’s wasteful onanism. We drill them into the ground, at precise intervals and at a precise depth using a computer-controlled, £40,000 seed drill. That’s towed behind a £250,000 Case tractor, which was built in the factory where they used to make Tiger tanks. Not much Goddishness going on in any of that.
There isn’t even any ploughing any more. In the olden days farmers would turn the top layer of soil over using a plough so that the weeds were buried. And because they were deprived of sunlight they died. It was a lovely, natural, rosy-cheeked way of creating the perfect seedbed for the following year’s crop.
But then along came Little Miss Thunberg and her merry band of Packhamites, who decided that 1,500 billion tonnes of carbon is stored in the planet’s soil. And that if you turn this soil over with a plough, all of it will be released into the upper atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. Which is bad. So the lovely, natural method of killing weeds had to stop. And instead farmers had to use chemical sorcery from Monsanto, BASF and the Zhejiang Xinan Chemical Industrial Group.
Farmers didn’t mind, if I’m honest, because ploughing is extremely expensive. You simply would not believe how much diesel is needed to drag a two-tonne land anchor through a muddy field. Using weedkiller instead is much cheaper.
Or rather it was. But weedkiller prices have gone up dramatically in recent years. And from where I’m sitting it doesn’t really seem to work any more. Every year Kaleb goes into the fields like a rural Terminator, hosing down the weeds with his ungodly chemical sorcery and then, a few weeks later, Cheerful Charlie walks me through the same fields, pointing out the brome and the black-grass, which is easy to spot because it’s purple and green and completely immune to anything the world’s chemists can throw at it.
So this year Charlie said we should become medieval and plough the fields instead. Selfish? Well, yes, this will shoot a tonne of CO2 into the troposphere and that’s obviously bad. And I’ll use four times more diesel than I would if I used weedkiller. So that’s not good for the environment either. But here’s the kicker: I wouldn’t be pumping any chemicals into the soil.
So that’s the choice — soil or sky? You have to hurt one of them if you want to eat. I went for the sky and rented a plough.
I settled on an eight-furrow monster for two good reasons. Number one: the bigger the plough, the faster you get the job done. And number two: none of Kaleb’s tractors would be powerful enough to pull it, so we’d have to use my 270bhp Lamborghini. Which would annoy him. Even admitting that it’s better than his tractors gives him a hot flush. Sometimes he vibrates with fury when he goes near it.
The only drawback to this cleverly wrought large plough plan was that, because Kaleb refuses to drive my tractor, I’d have to do the ploughing.
This is something I’ve done before. It was on Top Gear about 200 years ago and I did very well. Partly this was because my competitors in the ploughing competition were James May and Richard Hammond. And partly because one of the two judges was a really good friend of my mum.
In real life, though, things were different. I couldn’t hitch the plough to the tractor without help. I couldn’t do a three-point turn when it was attached. And I couldn’t make the tractor move when the furrows were in the sodden soil. All four wheels just sort of spun. So I had to lift the plough slightly, which meant I wasn’t ploughing. Or wiggle the steering wheel, which made big holes and, when it worked, caused me to set off in a new direction. It began to look as if a drunk, blind man with no arms was doing the ploughing.
All the time I was watching the fuel gauge plummet like the depth gauge in a holed submarine, and wondering if it might be cheaper, easier and kinder to the environment to use chemical weedkiller instead.
This is farming. Only last week I discovered that approximately 18 billion slugs have come to live in the fields where I’ve planted spring barley. If I adopt a live-and-let-live rewilding attitude and do nothing they will eat the lot and, next year, there will be no Hawkstone lager. As that makes no sense, I therefore have to pepper the field with slug pellets, which will kill them. Great. But these pellets will also kill all the worms. So what’s the answer? There isn’t one.
Similarly, I have signed up to the government’s eco-friendly grant scheme and will be planting things that aren’t food in three fields. They’re good for the soil and they’re good for my bank balance. But it means I’m not growing stuff people can eat. I know one chap who has taken 60 per cent of his farm out of food production and he’s not alone. So yippee. All that stored carbon and all of that fixed-in nitrogen.
But what if you want some bread? You’ll have to get a loaf made from wheat that was grown abroad. And how’s that good for global warming? And will it have been grown under the same stringent rules that we have here? Or will it have been fertilised with human faeces? You face a choice then. Do you want net zero in the UK? Or do you want to eat a Mexican’s turd?
Do you want lager or worms? Do you want healthy soil or a healthy sky? Do you want bees or orangutans? These are the questions I’m facing every single day. It’s a multiple-choice world of no right answers.
Which brings us back to another harvest festival hymn.
All things bright and beautiful. All birds that must be plucked. No matter what we choose to do, we’re well and truly.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Kaleb Cooper: ‘I’ve taught someone triple my age to do a better job’
The Diddly Squat farmers Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper are back for a third series. We put our wellies on to meet the odd couple of the Cotswolds
By Ben Dowell (The Times, April 29)
During filming for the forthcoming third series of Clarkson’s Farm, Kaleb Cooper drove into work and saw Jeremy Clarkson vacuuming a blackberry bush. While the spectacle was “something I am never going to forget”, the sandy-haired, cherub-faced youngster was so unimpressed that he didn’t even get out of his car to ask what was happening.
These two have grown into one of television’s best double acts. For the show’s executive producer, Peter Fincham, there is an “element of Jeeves and Wooster” about them, a delicious odd couple relationship that is all the more gratifying because the team didn’t need to cast Cooper. He was already working on Diddly Squat Farm when the show started.
Cooper is a farmer to the tips of his muddy wellies and has taught Clarkson most of the practical business of farming his 1,000-acre establishment near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, as well as how hard the job is and the risks farmers take for little financial reward. Cooper may have just completed a sell-out national stage tour building on his popularity and more than two million Instagram followers. He may have been invited to No 10 to meet Rishi Sunak (more on that later), but everyone on the show — the producers, one of Cooper’s “Chippy” friends I spoke to and Clarkson himself — are clear: the 25-year-old hasn’t changed one iota since the show started airing in 2021.
“I think it’s very easy to be grounded if you don’t leave Chipping Norton,” Clarkson says. His girlfriend, Lisa Hogan, who has become another star of the show, agrees. “How Kaleb comes across is exactly how he is. He is very thoughtful and kind and very bright. His use of language is also very easy on the ear. We could have had a monosyllabic tractor driver and that wouldn’t have worked but we were lucky we had Kaleb.”
He has written two books as well: The World According to Kaleb and Britain According to Kaleb, with a third (Life According to Kaleb) on the way. These ruminations are often spoken into a Dictaphone (supplied by his publishers) during the 18 hours he spends each day alone in his happy place, his tractor cab. The books now sit on the shelves that a ten-year-old Cooper and his carpenter father put up in the local bookshop. Though, of course, one of the running jokes in the show is that he has only read one other book in his life apart from his own, and that was one of Clarkson’s.
There is another moment in the new series when Clarkson and Cooper (who are in competition with each other across the eight episodes) are working a field when they spy someone in the distance on another tractor drilling “his” field. He is Andy Cato of the electronic pop duo Groove Armada, and Cooper seems totally nonplussed, not least because he doesn’t know who or what Groove Armada is. The same probably goes for many of his near-neighbours, who include Joe Wicks, Simon Cowell, Natalie Imbruglia, David Beckham and Amanda Holden. When Cooper bumped into David Cameron (now Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton) in a local eaterie, he wasn’t quite sure who he was either. Strangely Cooper is now as famous as at least a few of these people. His appeal extends across the globe — Andy Wilman, Clarkson’s old Top Gear producer who edits the show, tells me that he rarely hears an English accent in the farm shop as tourists flock to see their agricultural idols.
Since Clarkson’s Farm aired, Cooper told his theatre audiences, he has been offered snazzy haircuts from top-level salons, perhaps to stop the constant mickey-taking from Clarkson. But he still goes to the same local hairdresser.
Brilliant moments are not always captured by the cameras and while the team may wake up with plans, farmers and the show’s fans will know that the weather often has other ideas. “Cheerful” Charlie Ireland, the farm’s land agent and adviser, does pop by a couple of times a day, as he does in the series, often to pour cold water on Clarkson’s latest schemes. But many of these moments are not filmed. Is that annoying?
“Sometimes you think, ‘Oh, that would be really good, that’d be funny on TV,’ but actually [the cameras] are not there,” Cooper says. “But you don’t say these things, to make it up for the TV. I may have taken drama in school, but I got a U in it, so actually I’m not an actor.”
Clarkson agrees: “It is [effortless] because I don’t have to pretend to be someone else. With The Grand Tour, Richard Hammond isn’t as stupid as he’s made out. I’m not as bombastic as is made out and James May isn’t quite as boring as he’s made out. And so you’re playing a caricature, you’re playing a role, you’re there to provoke and be stupid. Here, we haven’t got any of that. So we’re just ourselves. You get up and you just have to be yourself, which is incredibly relaxing. And in that regard it is effortless. Farming is not effortless. Make no mistake, the television side of it is a piece of cake because I don’t have to think, ‘Oh I’d better say something idiotic now.’”
“You do that anyway,” Cooper says.
The two bicker in exactly the same way off camera as they do on. At the press conference for the new series they quarrelled with good humour about their dogs. Cooper says Clarkson’s pair of fox-red labradors (named Sansa and Arya after Game of Thrones characters) are “posh man’s dogs” who “never do a thing he says”. Clarkson maintains that Cooper just locks his dog in his tractor cab. They also bicker about the goats Clarkson keeps. Clarkson likes their eyes and thinks they do a good job mowing his grass. Cooper thinks he should breed and slaughter them in the conventional way and sell goat meat in the farm shop.
There is a similar clash of approaches over the pigs. Cooper doesn’t get as emotional as Clarkson and Hogan when things go wrong (and they do go wrong with the pigs this series). When Clarkson holds aloft a newborn piglet, Cooper calls him a “proud parent”, which feels part mickey-take, part genuinely warm compliment — a common theme in their complex relationship.
Clarkson is learning to be more steely and is, Cooper says, actually now a “good pig farmer”. Is the younger man pleased that Clarkson has come on? Or is there a bit of him who would still enjoy showing him the ropes?
“I think there’s a bit of a proudness of teaching someone maybe triple my age … to go out and do a better job … Hopefully I’ve taught him a lot about it. But he’s taught me so much equally about the television industry.” In fact, Cooper says, he has learnt so much that he cannot watch TV now because he knows how it all works behind the scenes.
He is a voice for farmers, showing us how hard the job of people who put food on our table is, and demanding that we respect it. Cooper has arranged two bursaries of £3,000 plus a work placement for young farmers and is keen that more enter a profession where the average age is 59. When he met Sunak last May he was more interested in the PM’s hair than anything, principally because he didn’t expect much from him.
“Let’s put it this way. If someone invited me tomorrow to go to a farm … if I go to that farm and that farmer says to me, ‘Kaleb, you know what, this week I’m gonna plough that field,’ I know for a damn fact that that farmer is going to go out there and plough that field because he said he’s going do it. If the prime minister or anyone from politics goes to me, ‘Kaleb, I’m going to do this next week,’ they’re not going to do it, are they?”
While he doesn’t have much faith in our legislators making life easier for hard-pressed farmers or for supermarkets to pay them more, he must be pleased that people, especially city folk, now know about farming thanks to him, I say.
“Yeah, everyone knows what a tramline is now, right? And let’s face it, I always say this: it doesn’t matter what phone you’ve got, what car you’ve got, what house you’re living in, what matters the very most is what’s coming across your plate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And therefore that is the most important thing to me.”
Cooper is open to offers of shows such as I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! but thinks he probably won’t have the time with all the work he has to do. Clarkson called him “easily the most entrepreneurial person I have ever met” and he is laser-focused on his ultimate goal of having a farm one day, which will have to be local, despite the “extortionate” price of land in the area.
“I want to farm here,” he says. “I don’t want to move away from my family and everything I know. This is where I was brought up and this is where I’m going to stay.”
But the show will be with us for a while. It is hugely popular — series four is being filmed and while viewing figures aren’t available, it is believed to be Prime’s most popular programme in the UK by, well, a country mile.
Cooper is engaged to his partner, Taya (mother to their three-year-old son and ten-month-old daughter), but doesn’t know when he will have time to walk down the aisle. He knows he will “have a great party”, and isn’t yet sure if Clarkson will be his best man. But one thing’s for sure, Clarkson has already found his.
The new series of Clarkson’s Farm is on Prime Video from May 3.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
No Sun column this week, but the Guardian (!) has published a long interview with Clarkson: "'Dismissing global warming? That was a joke': Jeremy Clarkson on fury, farming and why he’s a changed man". Let me know if you have problems viewing it.
Clarkson's columns are regularly collected as books. You can buy them from his boss or your local bookshop.

I've always been a girl who loves animals, and now that I have two pet rabbits, both adoped within the last year, I am extra excited about the return of Nui Cobalt's Critters collection! This collection isn't entirely sweet cuddly woodland creatures, but it does have a lot of those, including three of my all-time favorite Nui Cobalts: Little Brown Rabbit, Little White Rabbit, and Lilac Rabbit. When Forest posted in the Facebook group asking which Critters we'd like to see return, or which animals we'd love to see emerge as new Critters, I waxed rhapsodic about the Rabbits and suggested a bunch of other colorings of rabbits that could become amazing perfumes... so I'm hopeful that we might even get a new Rabbit this year. I would just about die of happiness if she really did make a Blue Otter Rabbit after my sweet bun Hazel. She also teased a Ladybug scent for this year, which would be SO CUTE!
Anyway, the Critters are due back this Friday, with the newsletter announcing them on Thursday, and I am excited. As usual, I thought I'd post my thoughts on all the past Critters I've tried in case that might help you formulate your wishlist. And if you've tried any of these, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Was your experience similar to mine?
My preferences: I especially love snuggly scents, incense, golden amber, cardamom, black tea, beeswax, non-gourmand vanillas, and white florals (particularly tiare, honeysuckle and tuberose; sadly I am allergic to lilies and jasmine doesn’t work on me). I don't like hay, overly sweet gourmands, excessive musk, dragon’s blood, leather, patchouli, labdanum, or any really dark scents in general. To my great devastation, Nui Cobalt’s apricot and pear notes don’t tend to work on me, though I haven’t given up hope and I continue to try new blends with those notes occasionally.
Most of these perfumes were provided as press samples by Nui Cobalt in exchange for an honest review.
​

Rabbits

Little Brown Rabbit [Nutmeg and tonka bean nuzzle up against fluffy marshmallow, cottonflower, pink pepper, and a trace of carrot seed] (this perfume is so popular that it is also in the Continuous Collection and available all year 'round!) - This is one of my absolute top perfume oils. It comforts me on hard days, it cozies me on laid-back evenings, it cheers me on rainy days. My husband recognizes it immediately and honestly I think he finds it cuddly too when I'm wearing it, and it's also his primary frame of reference when he sniffs a new sample I'm trying - "that smells a bit like Little Brown Rabbit" is high praise from him. Wet, it's very strongly nutmeg and caramel, almost mapley, but also with just a bit of pepperish bite from the carrot seed - this is as gourmand as I'm willing to get. Once it dries, the caramel dissipates and it becomes the most marvelously snuggly scent. Having a bad day? Little Brown Rabbit can cheer you up. Having a cozy day? Little Brown Rabbit will make it that much better. Wanting to unwind in the evening? Little Brown Rabbit is my go-to snuggly evening scent. And I think it's the absolute must-try from Nui Cobalt.
Little White Rabbit [Nutmeg and tonka bean nuzzle up against cottonflower, white peppercorn, clove, vanilla marshmallow creme, pale blue cashmere, carrot seed, and honeyed almond] - When the news broke that NCD was releasing a new little rabbit variant two years ago, I was SO excited (little did I know that it would seemingly become an annual thing!), and I blind-bought a full-size (something I never do). Especially because Little White Rabbit adds that wonderful cashmere note to Little Brown Rabbit, this one was a no-brainer for me, and my trust was easily rewarded. Nui Cobalt has outdone themselves with this, their most snuggly of perfumes. I expected this to be a lot like LBR only less mapley and perhaps more cashmere-y (and yes, it is both of these things), but truly, LWR feels even more like it's built on a base of Spidersilk vanilla (Starlight and Spidersilk: [Slender strands of cotton flower hung with trembling dewdrops, cold crystalline musk, and tiny black vanilla beans]), with some of the LBR spices (the peppercorn and carrot seed, but I don't sense any cloves) plus the comforting warmth of the cashmere and almond of Silver Fox (see below), another favorite of mine. And then finally, the marshmallow ties it all together into a pillowy cloud of coziness. It's frankly astonishing. Love at first sniff even just from the vial, and on my skin it blossoms into the most comforting scent. Do I love it even more than LBR? I still can't tell, even years later. I love them both. One final note that may be helpful to some of you: the cottonflower is pretty strong with this one, which is part of why it reminds me so much of the Spidersilk vanilla, but if you're not so much a fan of "clean" laundry-like scents, this one might not be quite your cup of tea - go for LBR instead.
Lilac Rabbit [Nutmeg and tonka bean nuzzle up against toasted marshmallow, carrot seed, summerweight cotton, allspice, and pale lilac in a smooth fur accord] - Oh friends, I hoped and pleaded for another new Rabbit last year, and the universe (and Nui Cobalt) answered! I'm not actually all that fond of lilac and I think I have ended up destashing all of my perfumes with lilac notes, but I was willing to risk it for the chance of a floral Rabbit. Lilac Rabbit is gorgeous - but really, did you expect it to be anything else? I get primarily marshmallow, allspice, and cotton. It sits exactly halfway between the other two Rabbits, with the allspice and peppery carrot seed spices of Little Brown Rabbit (but without the maple quality), and also with the silky, slightly soapy fabric aspect of Little White Rabbit. There is perhaps just a touch of musky lilac, but it doesn't really read to me like a floral perfume. Lilac Rabbit is comfortable. The closest metaphor I can think of is a day when you're wearing a new outfit, one that fits perfectly and really suits you, but it's also completely comfy, with no itchy spots or seams that dig in, and it moves with you. It's like a day where you feel perfectly yourself, fully at ease, and completely put-together. This new Rabbit is everything I could have possibly dreamed of, and it immediately became one of my favorite spring & summer scents.

Squirrels

In past years, they've offered a complete set of all the Squirrels, which was how I tried them all a few years ago. (They've since been discontinued, but sometimes discontinued things return again, or perhaps you might run into one in the swaps, so I'll include all my Squirrel reviews here.) All of the Squirrels are built on the same base of almond + apricot + benzoin, and then each one has different additional notes. Like the Spidersilk variants (all built on the same Spidersilk vanilla base but with different additional notes - my reviews HERE), the Squirrels each have an entirely different vibe. Interestingly, the actual proportion of almond to apricot also seems to vary by Squirrel, perhaps because of the interactions with the different added notes, or perhaps because they actually use different proportions in the Squirrel base for each one. It means that they don't feel anything like near-exact copies of each other, but each have a really distinct identity.
Black Squirrel [A playful blend of almond and spiced apricot, grounded in rich benzoin and copaiba balsam, deepened by black oak, black currant, vanilla bean, and myrrh] - When I first put it on, it's very strongly and exclusively almond - a warm almond that reminds me of baking almond cookies, and it must be the vanilla that helps to make that association. The almond veers slightly towards cherry. As the oil warms on my skin, the apricot emerges and then overtakes the almond. It's apricot skin, soft and velvety, rather than the fleshy fruit of the apricot. These two notes, paired with the woodiness of the balsam and (presumably) black oak, makes this a very bookish scent, perfect for the dark academia aesthetic of my wardrobe in autumn. It's not really an incense-heavy perfume; the myrrh just grounds it and gives it a beautiful dark richness. On me it's not terribly fruity (though I know some folks get mostly dark stone fruits; isn't skin chemistry fascinating!) It's the longest-lasting of the Squirrels, too - the second time I wore it, its throw was a bit too high at bedtime so I washed my wrists, and even so, I could still smell Black Squirrel the next morning!
Flying Squirrel [Raw almond, spiced apricot, and rich benzoin borne aloft by lavender, cotton flower, and tart kumquat] - This one reminds me a lot of Napping in a Flower [Tender ripe apricot, Bulgarian lavender, spiced summer honey, plum blossom, daylily, honeysuckle, and ylang], which makes perfect sense since they share a lot of the same notes, but without the honey and honeysuckle that made Napping too candle-y on me. Husband said this reminds him strongly of Little White Rabbit - he said it's the spices that make that association for him, and I suspect he was also picking up on the shared cotton flower and almond notes. I'm finding it easier to compare Flying Squirrel to other NCD scents than to describe it on its own; its combination of notes feels quite erratic and the concept doesn't feel terribly unified. I couldn't classify this as a "cozy" perfume even though it does have a strong cotton flower note, nor is it citrusy enough for me to think of it as a fruity perfume (even though it has the strongest apricot of all the Squirrels), or herbal enough for it to go in my lavender section (in fact, I'm hoping that some aging brings out the lavender more). If you like Napping in a Flower or Little White Rabbit - two perfumes that are really nothing alike! - you'd probably enjoy this one too.
Grey Squirrel [A playful blend of almond and spiced apricot, grounded in rich benzoin and copaiba balsam, softened with cotton flower, cashmere, and teakwood] - This one gives the effect of eating an almond cookie while snuggled in a wool blanket. This one is super cozy - the autumn cousin of my beloved wintertime snuggly scents (Silver Fox, Snow Cat, Chionophilia, all of which also feature almond and fabric notes - see their full notes lists and my comparative reviews HERE). Grey Squirrel stays pretty static, not morphing like Black Squirrel, and the apricot is only barely present.
Red Squirrel [A playful blend of almond and spiced apricot, grounded in rich benzoin and copaiba balsam, warmed with red musk, red sandalwood, and smoldering amber] - This one is pretty heavy on the red musk, and was in fact partly responsible for me finally figuring out that I don't personally enjoy red musk. The almond, apricot, and sandalwood combination does give this a rather gourmand-adjacent feel to it, more so than the other Squirrels. It's a very rich and warm perfume. It's funny how actually "red" this scent feels - it feels like the experience of watching a bonfire die down, even though there's no smoke note at all. "Smoldering" indeed.
White Squirrel [A playful blend of almond and spiced apricot, grounded in rich benzoin and copaiba balsam, cooled with aloe, white musk, and smooth white amber] - Even without looking at the notes, it was easy to identify the white amber in this one, even though Nui Cobalt only infrequently uses white amber as a note. White Squirrel is very like Grey Squirrel, equally cozy but lighter and airier, with that white amber instead of cashmere. White Squirrel is cooler, more standoffish than Grey Squirrel - that "cool" effect must be the aloe - more a wintertime snuggly scent rather than an autumnal cozy scent. Even the now-familiar almond + apricot base feels daintier and even less foody here in White Squirrel.
Overall--

• Grey Squirrel and White Squirrel are the snuggly ones. Wear Grey Squirrel for cozy blanket vibes, and White Squirrel to be even daintier.
• Wear Red Squirrel for sexy outdoorsy gourmandy vibes (is that a thing? I think Red Squirrel makes it a thing)
• Black Squirrel is the dark academia sibling, and Flying Squirrel is the playful cousin

All the other Critters

Akhal-Teke [Fine ecru suede, raw silk, pearl musk, white amber, precious Hawaiian sandalwood, and creamy pistachio] - As someone put it, "super shiny horse". Silky yet fuzzy and soft, sophisticated yet snuggly. I recognize that pearl musk + sandalwood combination from Cancer [Cotton flower, steamed rice, soft sandalwood, vanilla orchid, coconut milk, and pearl musk] and I love it here too. All of these notes, suede + silk + pearl musk + white amber + sandalwood together, are gentle and just the epitome of softness, yet with just enough body and presence to be soft-on-purpose, assertively soft if that makes sense. This is not a wallflower scent. On to more specifics about the literal smell. At first, the nutty pistachio is pretty present, but it melds beautifully with the gentle suede. The silk and white amber give an elegance. I also definitely get the pearl musk and sandalwood, which take more prominence in the drydown when the pistachio dissipates a bit. This is my favorite stage - just soft, gentle, creamy, and absolutely lovely. Akhal-Teke has low throw but high longevity. I should note that after a year of aging, the pistachio amped quite a lot, overpowering that gorgeous pearl musk/sandalwood base that I loved so much. I'm hoping someday Forest might make one that's basically just pearl musk and sandalwood, without any gourmand elements!
Black-Capped Chickadee [Dogwood saplings, cedar resin, the tang of young stone fruits: still tiny and green, sugar maple, pine nuts, and barely-thawed soil] - I'm not one for dirt notes, so I completely passed this one up for several years, but enough really glowing reviews finally convinced me to try it. In the vial, it smells of wood, honeyed fruits, and hay. On my skin, it's soil, slightly nutty and incensey, with plush fruit and some very cedar-forward wood notes - and yet it's surprisingly dainty, and a perfect encapsulation of a black-capped chickadee. There's something about this scent that reminds me of snow-covered pebbles, and also of Shakespeare's poem "The cloud-capp'd towers" from The Tempest. After much sniffing and pondering, I finally figured out why I made that snowy association - the fruits read to me like cranberry, making this feel like a wintery scent. As for "The cloud-capp'd towers," I think I'm getting that Shakespearean reference from the combination of daintiness and dirt.
Blossom Bat [Humid rainforest blossoms laden with nectar, dense moss, passionfruit, black fig, and bamboo] - This was an order freebie that I wouldn't have picked out for myself, but it's so fun, and it went straight into my "Aloe and dewy" section of my summer perfumes, next to Waimea Mist and Aloha from the Big Island summer collection. Blossom Bat is velvety flower petals against a lush background of aquatic notes. I don't often enjoy moss notes (they often turn into honeydew melon on my skin), but here the moss contributes to the especially verdant feeling.
Blue Jay [Sturdy blue spruce and young oak support the bold elegance of white peony, angelica, blackberry bramble, and rhubarb] - In the vial, it's extremely fruity with a hint of trees. On my skin, it matches the description much more closely: evergreens and forest floor, brightened by fruity sweetness and a hint of floral. If you loved None of Your Beeswax [Thorny brambles of blackberry, elderflower, violet, fennel seed, sacred benzoin, and unfiltered honey] from the Bees collection, do give this one a try - Blue Jay is like None of Your Beeswax's summer cousin. I once wore this to a community theater production of Into the Woods and it was perfect.
Copper Fox [Warm chai with steamed almond milk nestled in sumptuous cashmere, crimson musk, sarsaparilla, and budding birch] - I once went on a quest to find the perfect chai perfume, and of course I had to try Copper Fox! Immediately on application, Copper Fox is root beer, spicy root beer - there's that sarsaparilla in a big way. As it quickly dries, the overwhelmingly root beer-ness of it backs off somewhat, and it becomes much more chai spices + the woody birch (and still with an undercurrent of root beer). Chai latte this is not - it's all the spices of chai (cinnamon and black pepper especially, and probably a bit of ginger as well) without any sweetness or milky creaminess. I should note that at this point my skin has a slight reaction to this perfume; this perfume ended up being part of my discovery that like many others, I too have a slight skin reaction to cinnamon. It didn't hurt a bit and the redness went away fairly quickly, but be forewarned, if you're a person that has a reaction to cinnamon, this might be a blend worth steering away from, or at least planning to wear in a scent locket or in your hair instead of on your skin. Finally, several hours later, Copper Fox has a third stage, and to me the most lovely: chai spices backed by gentle almond and cozy cashmere (and at this stage it's clearly a "Fox" like Silver Fox).
Elf Owl [A bright concoction of liatrix, yellow sandalwood, beach-tumbled teak, solar musk, crushed coriander, and a scant pinch of pale cinnamon] - With the teak and cinnamon, and of course the obvious cue of the "solar musk", I was expecting this to be in the same family as Nui Cobalt's Sun, Heliophilia (Love of Sun), and Sunrise on Spidersilk (comparative review HERE!). Those sun-themed perfumes can be a bit too sharp and masculine on me (I tend to prefer snuggly scents or white florals), but as a great lover of owls (and a huge fan of Nui Cobalt's Snowy Owl [Dried coconut flakes, pale woods, frozen tuberose, vanilla orchid, and fluffy feather musk], with which it admittedly shares not a single note), I absolutely could not pass up Elf Owl. I'm so glad I didn't. This actually isn't in the sun-themed family, nor, of course, does it match the highly white-floral Snowy Owl. Instead, Elf Owl turns out to be much closer to Squash Blossom [Cocobolo wood, orris root, carrot seed, sunflower petals, mandarin zest, and acorn squash baked with brown sugar] from the Autumn 1 collection, though much less vegetal. It's a very well-blended perfume and nothing in particular stands out. The overall effect is gentle: gently floral and slightly vegetal, with vanilla and baking spices but without any sugary sweetness. (Liatrix, for anyone who doesn't know what that note is--I had to look it up myself!--is a "sweet, coumarinic, herbal, tobacco-like floral and offers a pleasant vanilla-like scent".)
Fennec Fox [Blush sandalwood, amber resin, antique Egyptian cotton touched with saffron, spiced peach preserves, and sweet cedar resin] - It's gentle, warm, and spiced, with that snuggly feeling that you get with anything that has NCD's cotton note. If you really look, you can distinguish the wood, saffron, and peach, but they meld together extremely well. Surprisingly, I actually get quite a lot of the same sand note as in Flying South [Pink lemonade, warm sand, tiare blossoms, and a flowy cotton sundress] even though sand is not listed. I wear Fennec Fox in autumn on days when I don't feel like a pumpkin.
Glasswing Butterfly [A diaphanous veil of coconut water, elderflower, moonlit gardenia, silver musk, green lavender, and a slender twist of lime] - Nelophilia (Love of Glass) [Elderflower, silver musk, coconut water, cardamom, silk tree, lime blossom, and smooth hinoki wood] is one of my favorites from the Valentine's collection, but it's been discontinued for some time. So I was delighted to see this one because its notes read like a combination of Nelophilia and Queen Bee [Creamy white gardenia and fluffy whipped honey], both among my favorite NCD perfumes. It's not quite - it's not the same almost-spicy gardenia as in Queen Bee - but it is absolutely divine. Glasswing Butterfly is basically Nelophilia with all its smooth, cool, rainy, white floral nature, but here the cardamom is more present (YES! I love cardamom), and with a bit more floral. After a year of aging, it became quite a LOT more white floral; the heady gardenia came out with a KICK, and it's nearly but not quite indolic.
Honey Badger [Black amber, raw honey, smoked maple wood, and cardamom-infused cream] - I mean, duh, I had to try this one just for the cardamom cream. This is somehow so recognizably a NCD scent. Honey straight from the comb, dripping and golden, rich and sweet, backed by maple wood (but not really maple syrup) and a whiff of cardamom spice. Not nearly enough cardamom for my taste - but then, we all know what I'm like! I'm so glad I tried this one. Since its notes list starts with "black amber," I expected this to be quite a dark scent, but while it's quite rich, it's not ominously dark. Husband really likes this one, which is always a special success.
Hummingbird [Darting from oleander to orange blossom with ripe nectarine, hibiscus tea, and traces of tuberose] - White florals with orange and nectarine fruit notes, chirpy and cheerful. It's a juicy but not sugary scent. I love it for warm spring days - it's an absolute staple of my springtime perfumes - though I find it a little cloying in very hot weather.
Opossum [A bold nocturnal potion of Hatian amyris, soft black suede, red patchouli, freshly-turned earth, copal resin, and Peru balsam] - I get suede, red musk, and brown patchouli; meanwhile Husband, sniffing my wrist, gets pine and petrichor. Yet the combination of all these things is surprisingly gentle, not a shouty, in-your-face kind of scent. Absolutely none of the notes we're picking up on are my thing, but just about all of them very much are Husband's thing, so guess what - he immediately snaffled this one.
Orchid Mantis [Ripe Philippine mango, dragon fruit, tamarind, Indonesian teak, clove bud, sandalwood, tuberose, and a touch of ylang] - This one is bit too sweet for me on application - at first it's all sugary mango - but as it warms on my skin, the other notes creep in: more fruit (but less sugar), a bit of sharp clove for balance, and hints of woodiness and florals. As it dries, those hints of clove and woodiness amp further (and at this point, all my husband smells is cinnamony clove). For some reason, this is one of the very strongest of my NCD scents, with high longevity and even higher throw.
Raccoon [Sepia cashmere, guaiac wood, Egyptian amber, Copaiba balsam, golden musk, a twinkle of coriander, blonde oudh, resinous Himalayan cedar, and myrrh] - It's so well-blended that I can't pick out a single note individually, but something about this feels so quintessentially NCD. Right on application, it makes me think of Cheat Code [Windswept teakwood, cedar, coriander and tea are grounded in black tonka with a hint of fine leather], another one I had trouble describing, and it has a similar level of elegance and polish. Meanwhile, Husband smelled a bit of cola or sarsparilla, and noted an almost chocolatey undertone. As it dries, the cashmere and musk come forward, quite woolly and plush and just a touch animalistic. It seems a similar cashmere musk as in Arctic Fox [Soft amber nestled in sumptuous cashmere, steamed rice milk, winter white musk, and snow-covered fir trees]. If Arctic Fox worked for you, you absolutely must try Raccoon. Since Arctic Fox doesn't work on me (my skin amps that cashmere to unpleasant levels), Raccoon ultimately won't win a place in my collection either - which is a bummer because that opening is so pretty. I'll have to stick with Cheat Code for my polished, sophisticated vibes.
Robin's Egg [Dainty forget-me-nots and lily of the valley, a dollop of whipped blueberry creme, and a cozy birch nest tucked into a flowering dogwood tree] - This one has the same amazing blueberry as Grey Cat [Dry smoked vanilla, fluffy marshmallow creme, fresh blueberries, the gentlest touch of lavender and a warm cup of Earl Grey], House of Transcendence [Top notes of wild blueberry and morning fog, a heart of pale lilac and cashmere, with a base of orris and white amber], and Choreophilia [Wild violets, warm Earl Grey, Dominican blue amber, orris root, a handful of blueberries, and a touch of lime marmalade]. This iteration of the blueberry note is juicy and floral. After a few years of aging, Robin's Egg has become even more gorgeous and creamy, with that stunning blueberry and a vision of dainty blue flowers. This one is discontinued and I'm really sad about that (but you could maybe find some in the swaps if you ask around).
Silver Fox [White tea with honey and rice milk, almond macaron, soft grey cashmere and cool woodland musk] (this perfume is so popular that it is also in the Continuous Collection and available all year 'round) - Stunning. Sophisticated yet snuggly. The cashmere is the most prominent, followed by fir, the sweetness of white amber, and NCD's gentle whipped honey note. I also wouldn't have been surprised to read that copal was a note - there's just that little bit of resinous almost-smoke. When it dries, the sweetness goes away and the fir comes forward. This was a freebie with one of my orders - I hadn't actually bought a sample of this for myself, worried that I wouldn't like the rice milk (which, as it turns out, I don't actually smell), but it has since become one of my favorite wintertime scents.
Sugar Glider [Raw cotton, sugar cane, flannel flower, macadamia nut, pearblossom, palest musk, and dandelion puff] - So here's the thing, I'm wary of gourmands (in fact I always sit out most of the April Fool's gourmand collection). Sugar is listed in the notes description in the very second place, but I am a sucker for cute woodland animals, so that's how I ended up with this sample. After a first sniff in the vial, I got a little nervous about it, because it smelled very sugary, but I figured I'd wear it once, review it for you all, and then in a worst-case scenario, destash it to someone who does love sugary dessert scents. But wait! There's something strangely intoxicating about this one, and it's not really a gourmand. Immediately when I put it on, it reminded me a bit of the Sweettart-ness of my beloved Somniphilia (Love of Sleep) [Lamb's wool accord, orange blossom, barely-budding lavender, melissa, green fig, clary, cloud musk, and weightless vanilla marshmallow meringue]. I was pleasantly surprised that Sugar Glider is not at all dessert, instead more sugar + wood, and really rather cuddly. And then when it dries down, it reminds me so strongly of the blue raspberry note in Dewdrops on Spidersilk [Cerulean strands of cotton flower bejeweled with dewdrops, cold crystalline musk, tiny black vanilla beans, frozen blue raspberry, and gentle incense], except it's not "blue" (nor is it raspberry, but neither is "blue raspberry"). How did they achieve this effect? I have no idea, but it's so addictive: such a delicate, cheerful, springtime scent. It really does remind me of the experience of picking a perfect white fluffy dandelion and making a wish as you blow it. Definitely a springtime favorite.
White-Tailed Deer [Soft brown suede, golden musk, wild forest berries, and roasted chestnuts dusted with maple sugar] - I am always hesitant about suede, but was very happy when this was included as a free sample because I'd heard lovely things about it but wouldn't have purchased it for myself. It's an interesting one because my experience is of it is very different depending on distance. When I'm just smelling it as it wafts around me, it's such a warm, cozy scent, the suede mingling with chestnut and brown sugar. When I bring my wrist directly up to my nose to sniff, the suede does get a bit overwhelmingly leathery, and overtakes the other notes. Once it dries, though, that unpleasantly smoky leatheriness dissipates (even right up under my nose), leaving only the highly autumnal coziness behind. It is indeed very "golden" - or maybe a really rich, warm brown. I don't get any berries at all. It reminds me of the very stylized acorns and hedgehogs that fellow autumn-lovers love to idolize. (And for some reason, Husband gets saffron!)

Personally...

Robin's Egg, Sugar Glider, and Elf Owl are some of my TOP favorite perfumes for spring; Fennec Fox for fall; and Silver Fox for winter. Black Squirrel is my favorite of the Squirrels (in fact I ended up destashing all the others since I continue to have some issues with NCD's apricot note) - it's so beautifully dark-academia. And in my opinion, the three Rabbits are absolute must-tries (and I hold so much hope for a new Rabbit this year!). If you try nothing else from this collection, try whichever of the three Rabbits most calls your name - they're all different but all absolutely stunning.
What are you hoping for this year? Any particular animals you're keeping fingers crossed for? Do we think it'll be mostly woodland creatures this year, or perhaps we'll get some oceanic or other Critters too?

Hey Guys,
First time posting in here.
Im designing some german themed cocktails and would love some feedback or input on what you think about them.
​
Black Forest Martini
Ingredients: 35 ml cherry schnapps, 15 ml crème de cacao, 50 ml vodka, 20 ml cream, garnished with a cherry.
Description: Inspired by the Black Forest cake, this cocktail combines cherry and chocolate flavours, topped with a creamy finish.
Apple Strudel
Ingredients: 35 ml apple schnapps, 15 ml cinnamon liqueur, 30 ml vanilla vodka, 100 ml dry apple cider, garnished with a slice of apple and a cinnamon stick.
Description: This cocktail mimics the beloved apple strudel, offering a delightful mix of apple and cinnamon.
(Maybe too sweet- use dry apple cider)
Berlin Mule
Ingredients: 50 ml Jägermeister, 150 ml ginger beer, 15 ml lime juice, and a dash of blackberry juice.
Description: A German twist on the classic Moscow Mule, this version uses Jägermeister for herbaceous depth and a splash of blackberry juice for an additional layer of flavour, enhancing complexity and appeal.
Rhineland Spritz
Ingredients: 50 ml Riesling, 100 ml sparkling water, 25 ml elderflower liqueur, garnished with a twist of lemon.
Description: Light and refreshing with a floral touch, this spritz is perfect for relaxing on a sunny afternoon.
(Maybe in the Summer)
Heidelberg Sour
Ingredients: 40 ml Kirschwasser (cherry schnapps), 30 ml lemon juice, 20 ml simple syrup, a dash of egg white (or wonderfoam) for froth.
Description: A sour cocktail with the bold flavour of cherry, balanced by the tartness of lemon
Neuschwanstein Dream
Ingredients: 35 ml pear schnapps, 15 ml blue curaçao, topped with 150 ml lemon-lime soda, garnished with a slice of pear.
Description: A visually striking and sweet cocktail, named after Germany’s fairytale castle.
Lübeck Marzipan Martini
Ingredients: 50 ml vodka, 25 ml amaretto, 25 ml white crème de cacao, 20 ml cream, garnished with a marzipan candy.
Description: Inspired by the famous marzipan from Lübeck, this martini is smooth and sweet, with a distinct almond flavour that marzipan lovers will adore.
Saxon Sour
Ingredients: 40 ml Korn (German grain spirit), 10 ml elderflower liqueur, 30 ml fresh lemon juice, 15 ml simple syrup, and a dash of egg white.
Description: A German take on the classic sour, featuring Korn, a traditional clear spirit, with a hint of elderflower for a floral note, creating a smooth, frothy, and refreshing cocktail.
Berlin Nights
Ingredients: 25 ml Jägermeister, 25 ml blackberry schnapps, 30 ml lime juice, topped with ginger beer.
Description: This cocktail combines the herbal kick of Jägermeister with the sweet and tart flavor of blackberry, balanced with the zest of lime and the spice of ginger beer for a deep and refreshing nightcap.

I haven't seen anybody post about this yet so I'm happy to be the bearer of good news! Nocturne Alchemy put up a "Pop-Up" this morning that seems like it's basically a Thoth's Archive of returning scents which will be up for some time. The explanation says (in all caps, yikes): "WHILE THIS IS CALLED A 'POP-UP,' IT IS UP FOR SEVEN WEEKS, BEGINNING FRIDAY, APRIL 19TH, AND ENDING FRIDAY, JUNE 7TH. THESE WILL NOT BE RETURNING AND ARE A ONE-TIME ARCHIVE OF SWEETS, TREATS, AND EXCLUSIVE PERFUMES. DECADENT AND DELICIOUS DESSERTS AND TREATS AWAIT!"
There's three new scents and a bunch of returning ones, all within their theme of "Pâtisserie & Gelateria" - we have sorbets, ice creams, and cakes! Arae Decantery is definitely decanting these, but you may not want to wait for decants (Ice Cream & Summer Rose has already sold out).

New scents

*NEW* Pyramid Clafoutis – Blackberry-Strawberry-Black Cherry Blend, Blood Orange-Pear-Apple zest Blend, Vanilla Cake Accord, Vanilla Bean essence, Pink Sugar Accord, Bastet’s Amber Absolute, White Musk, Vanilla Sugar and Vanilla Crème
*NEW* Ice Cream & Strawberry Custard – Bastet’s Ice Cream (Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute, and Vanilla Sugar), Strawberry essence, Strawberry Crème Accord, Vanilla Custard Accord, Bastet’s Musk Absolute, Studio Limited Original Bourbon Vanille, Green Apple zest, and Bavarian Custard Accord *naturally slightly opaque due to pure natural vanilla notes*
*NEW* Pyramid Hummingbird Cake – Pineapple essence Accord, Ripened Banana Accord, Banana Confit Accord, Pecan Crème Accord, Apple skin, Caramelized Brown Sugar, Vanilla Cake, Vanilla Bean essence, Studio Limited Moonstone Absolute, Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting Accord, Cinnamon Rum Accord, Vanilla-Butter Accord, and Bastet’s Musk

Baby Dino Sorbet Collection

Baby Dino Passion Fruit Sorbet – Passion Fruit seeds, Passionfruit steam distilled, Peach, Pineapple, Strawberry, Orange, Coconut, Bastet’s Musk, Vanilla fleck and Crystalline Absolute
Baby Dino Blue Raspberry Sorbet – Blue Raspberry accord, Raspberry, Peach, Strawberry, Cotton Candy, Bastet’s Musk, Vanilla Bean whole and Crystalline Absolute
Baby Dino Pineapple Peach Sorbet – Pineapple accord, Pineapple rind, Peach, Vanilla Bean, Coconut Rind, Bastet’s Musk and Crystalline Absolute
Baby Dino Lemon-Lime Sorbet - Lime expressed, Key Lime skin, Mandarin, Apricot, Lemon, Coconut, Bastet’s Musk, Vanilla fleck, and Crystalline Absolute

Bastet’s Summer Ice Cream Collection

Coconut Cream Ice Cream – Sri Lankan Coconut Pulp, Coconut Cream, Coconut Milk, Coconut Butter accord, Vanilla bean fleck, Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar
Banana’s Flambe Ice Cream - Banana’s flambe accord, lightly smoked Banana accord, Rum, Vanilla bean fleck, Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute, and Vanilla Sugar.
Mango Vanilla Ice Cream – Mango skin, Bali Mango accord, Mango Pulp, Mango Crystal's accord, Vanilla bean fleck, Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar

Bastet Pyramid Café

Pyramid Cake - Vanilla Buttercream Frosting accord, Vanilla Bean liqueur cordial, Vanilla Cake Batter accord, Moonstone Vanilla Absolute, Madagascar Vanilla, Bourbon Vanilla Absolute, Tonka Bean Absolute, White Cake accord, Creamed Vanilla Bean, crème fraiche accord, lemon extract, honey-vanilla crème and Bastet’s Ice Cream (Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar).
Pyramid Honey Cake - Orange Blossom Honey, Crème Fraiche, Lemon crème butter (vegan) accord, Buttercream Frosting accord, Powdered Sugar accord, Bastet’s Amber absolute, White Cake accord, Vanilla-infused-almond essence, Pink Sugar Frosting accord and Madagascar Vanilla Bean essence
Pyramid Ice Cream Cake – French Vanilla Bean essence, Crystalline Vanilla Orchid absolute, Bourbon Vanilla essence, Buttercream Vanilla Ice Cream accord, Bastet’s Ice Cream accord (Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar), Cocoa Cookie Dough, Vanilla Crème, Brown Sugar accord, Caramel crème and Bastet’s Musk
Pyramid Spice Cake – Coffee Cake accord spiced with Cinnamon Sugar, Nutmeg, Allspice, Clove, and Ginger, Vanilla Pudding accord, White Cardamom absolute, Almond Cake accord, Vanilla Cake accord, Pistachio dust accord, Vanilla Bean Cordial, Musk with an essence of Cherry (on top)
Pyramid Cake Caramel Carrot – Carrot Cake accord, Carrot Seed, Cinnamon/Clove/Nutmeg essence, Raisin accord, Caramel accord, Caramel Crème accord, Egyptian Sugar, Carrot juice accord, Coconut milk, Peach skin, Italian Orange zest, Maple Sugar accord, Vanilla Bean Cake accord, Crystalline Vanilla and Musk
Pyramid Cake Raspberry Van – Raspberry Seed, Raspberry essence accord, Vanilla Bean Cordial, Crystalline Vanilla infused Raspberry Sugar, Bastet’s Ice Cream essence, Vanilla Cake accord and Lemon zest infused Cotton Candy accord
Pyramid Cake Red Velvet – Cocoa Absolute, Cacao Absolute, Chocolate Cake accord, Chocolate Frosting, Bastet’s Amber absolute, Bastet’s Musk absolute, Toffee Almond accord, Coconut Shred, Tonka Bean, Santalum White and Vanilla Bean Musk

Five special Summer blends using NA/NV Studio Summer accords and the ever-decadent Bastet’s Ice Cream

Ice Cream & Summer Apricot – NA Summer Apricot accord, Apricot skin, Apricot seed, Vanilla Bean Absolute, eNVie parfum saphir (Egyptian Amber & Musk Resin, blue balsamic amber, sweet papyrus oil from Cairo and Siam benzoin) and Bastet’s Ice Cream (Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar).
Ice Cream & Summer Lavender – NA Summer Lavender accord, French Lavender, English Lavender, Crystalline Vanilla Absolute, eNVie parfum saphir (Egyptian Amber & Musk Resin, blue balsamic amber, sweet papyrus oil from Cairo and Siam benzoin) and Bastet’s Ice Cream (Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar).
Ice Cream & Summer Gardenia & Coconut – NA Summer Gardenia accord, Hyacinth accord, Narcissus, Coconut Pulp, Toasted Coconut, Coconut Milk, Buttercream, Heliotrope, Vanilla, Lime zest, eNVie parfum saphir (Egyptian Amber & Musk Resin, blue balsamic amber, sweet papyrus oil from Cairo and Siam benzoin) and Bastet’s Ice Cream (Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar).
Ice Cream & Summer Peach – NA Summer Peach accord, Peach skin, Ripe Peach accord, Tonka, Crystalline Vanilla Absolute, eNVie parfum saphir (Egyptian Amber & Musk Resin, blue balsamic amber, sweet papyrus oil from Cairo and Siam benzoin) and Bastet’s Ice Cream (Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar).
Ice Cream & Summer Rose – Bastet’s Ice Cream (Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar), Egyptian Rosewater, Romanian Rosewater, Summer Bulgarian Rose, Saffron, Agarwood essence, Vanilla Sugar, Vanilla Musk and eNVie parfum saphir (Egyptian Amber & Musk Resin, blue balsamic amber, sweet papyrus oil from Cairo and Siam benzoin).
​
Which ones have you tried and loved? Drop in some reviews if you're able! Will you be ordering?

Hey, was wanting to buy any themed sauriums/ looking for missing Saurs in my collection. Or willing to buy any themed ones I don't have
Looking for: -BlackberryPop -GummyShark -orangeMs -pinata -Tiramisu Theme(Carmel,penny,pelt) -DragonFruit
Ones I have: -StrawberryMs -BlueberryMs -oreo -CandyShark -VaperWave -Fox -Matcha

- Tl;dr if you’re a returning visitor to Japan, I highly recommend that you consider the outskirts such as Shikoku (in my earlier post here) or Tottori/Shimane – I personally find the more ‘outside’ routes more rewarding, and considerably less crowded as well.
- This is a continuation post from Part 1 here (Day 0~9).
- Refer to link here for a map covering Day 10~12 here(labelled Part 1), Day 13~23 here(labelled Part 2).
- This post covers between Hiroshima (Day 10) to Kinosaki Onsen (Day 18).
- This trip occurred during Mid-November to Mid-December (autumn season).
Day 10 – Kintaikyo Bridge (Yamaguchi), Simose Art Museum and Miyajima (Hiroshima)
Started off the day with a breakfast at the hotel, before taking the Shinkansen over to JR Shin-Iwakuni station for just 15 minutes [NOTE: only the Kodama type stops here], and transferring to a local bus (not covered by JR pass) to see the bridge. There is an admission fee of 310 yen to cross the bridge and back. Spent just about 1.5 hours strolling and relaxing around the area.
After that, before noon I headed over to the Simose Art Museum, a new art museum that popped up between Iwakuni and Hiroshima back in April 2023 (yes, its THAT new). Accessibility to the museum via public transport is limited – you will either need to time your bus connection well, or face walking ~2.5km from the nearest station (JR Kuba/Otake) over. Shuttle buses to/from the museum direct are only available on the weekends (I visited on a Tuesday); consequently I had to walk (or eat a 1h penalty/wait for the next public bus). The museum feels modern with its mirror-like exterior, but exudes a traditional, wooden vibe on the interior. I suppose its main call to fame is its “8-colored boxes” exhibition hall situated above a shallow pool, facing the Seto Inland Sea, which is most certainly memorable (or Instagram-worthy). There is both English translation and audio guides if you are unable to read Japanese. The museum was enjoyable though I wished they would consider improving public transport accessibility to said museum if they want to draw more tourists in. Admission tickets are (relatively) steep at ~1.8k yen. I would suggest rationing 1.5~2 hours here in order to enjoy your time here.
After that, I decided to walk back to JR Kuba to hop over to Miyajima. When I took the ropeway up to Mount Misen, it was just past 1530. Getting up to Mount Misen this late was a major mistake in hindsight for two reasons – first, the ropeway service back to ground level ends at 1630, meaning that there’s not enough time for me to head all the way up to the top. Secondly, there was a really LONG queue for people to get off Mount Misen. It took nearly 45 minutes of queuing time to get on a return ropeway down to base. In short, if you want to get up to Mount Misen, do it early and cater more time for it (probably 2-3 hours). That aside, I was able to watch the sunset at Itsukushima Shrine (night version here).
Day 11 – Peace Memorial Park, Yamato Museum, JSDF Maritime Museum (Hiroshima)
After finishing some paperwork to forward my luggage to my next destination, I went to the Peace Memorial Park which was a 10 minutes walk away from the hotel. I think it drives home the point for nuclear abolition rather well overall. The main museum, A-bomb dome and the memorial cenotaph was crowded as expected, though other parts of the park were just as well presented (but with significantly lesser tourist footfall) such as the Peace Memorial Hall and the Children’s Peace Monument. My thoughts is that you’ll probably have to dedicate about 2-3 hours if you want to properly comb through the entire park at a moderate pace. I spent the morning here for reference.
For the afternoon, I took a highway bus from downtown Hiroshima to Kure (you could do it via JR but the highway bus was more accessible for me) to visit the Yamato Museum and JSMDF Kure Museum. If you’re into military or naval history, this should be right up your alley. The Yamato Museum details Japan’s naval history in Kure, and has that mega-scale Yamato battleship which is pretty impressive. Whereas for the JMSDF museum, it details JMSDF’s contribution such as anti-mining efforts and and various joint exercises around the world. The highlight though was being able to enter the life-sized submarine replica and see how cramped submarines can be first-hand. No visit to Kure is complete without trying the JMSDF curry; I thought it was … alright, not exceptional, but not terrible either – good for a taster at least. Kure is about half an hour away from Hiroshima, and can be done as a (half)-day trip.
In essence, Hiroshima isn’t limited to just Miyajima and the Peace Memorial Museum - I feel that devoting an extra one or two days to explore the peripheral areas (Kure, Onomichi etc) would enhance your experience more in that area!
Day 12 – Kurashiki (Okayama), Yuushien (由志園) (Shimane)
This day is meant to be a ‘repositioning day’ from Hiroshima to Matsue (since I’ll need to travel 2.5 hours across the San’in mountains). Hopping on the Shinkansen over to Shin-Kurashiki and local rail to JR Kurashiki, I decided to spend the morning strolling along the historical quarters and visit the Ohara Museum of Art which was not bad. As always, coming early here means you get to beat the crowd and get an unobstructed view of the canals. There’s also a mini-denim street.
Taking the Yakumo train, by the time I reached Matsue and deposited my luggage at the hotel, it was already 1500. Nevertheless, I managed to squeeze in a visit to Yuushien (由志園) which had just started its autumn illumination at night (day version here). Taking a bus over, I spent the evening walking in the garden and watch the illumination; it was pretty, and also relatively chill [crowd levels are definitely much manageable over here].
Day 13 – Adachi Museum of Art, Izumo Taisha, Ancient Izumo History Museum , Inase Beach (Shimane)
NOTE: Days 13 ~ 16 is covered by the Sanin-Okayama Pass for JR-related trains
The plan for the day was to start off at the Adachi Museum of Art in the morning, before breaking wesstwards towards Izumo Taisha and exploring the area before circling back to Matsue for the night.The Adachi Museum of Art is renowned for its well-curated garden, and in my opinion it certainly lives up to its title. Besides that, there is also an extensive art gallery which I would say is on par with some of the better ones in my opinion (think Benesse Art Museum). Access to the museum via public transport is doable via JR Yasugi and hopping on the shuttle bus which departs at fixed timings, however, do note that the bus has a maximum seating capacity of 28; if it fills ahead of time you’ll be forced to wait for the next bus (hourly departure). For the return trip to JR Yasugi, you will need to grab a ticket near the counter to book a slot for the shuttle bus (free).
I then took the Yakumo limited express train over to JR Izumo, and swapped to a bus towards Izumo Taisha. There were a lot of rabbit statuettes littered around the temple, a nod to the folktale The White Hare of Inaba. Considering that it was a public holiday in Japan (Labor Thanksgiving Day) and its innate popularity, it was rather crowded; I decided to queue for one of the smaller shrines and got a goshuin for my effort. I do want to mention that those binded rice straws (Shimenawa) at the front of the temple are extraordinarily thick– seeing is believing. There was still some time before sunset so I decided to walk over next door to the Shimane Museum of Natural History which provided a run-down on the history of Izumo. If I recall correctly, admission is half-priced for foreign visitors so it might be worth a visit even on a budget. The main thing that stuck with me for this museum was the very long temple replica, as well as a full-blown jade/bronze armoury. Lastly, I took a walk over to Inase Beach to visit the sunset; there was a tori gate perched on an outcrop with a donation box stuck near it. Although the sea breeze was chilly, watching the sunset was something worth visiting; its one of those visuals that would stick with me long after this trip fades away from memory.I took the local Ichibata tram that courses along the northern stretch of Lake Shinji back to Matsue to retire for the night.
For dinner, I chanced upon a local cafeteria called Bamboo where I ordered their daily special – kimchi beef nabe, and some karaage. The husband and wife owner duo offered to provide me a free serving of zosui [porridge] using the leftover soup base from the nabe at no extra charge which I gratefully accepted. With my basic command of Japanese, I was able to have a meaningful conversation about some of the tourist hotspots, as well as some of the town happenings – they mentioned that one of the temple nearby was celebrating 神在祭 (lit. gods are present festival) tomorrow and I noted that down. I just find the hospitality rather heartwarming and just want to give them a shoutout here.
Day 14 - Sada Jinja, , Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum, Matsue Castle (Shimane), Misasa Onsen (Tottori)
Started off with a visit to Sada Jinja, a relatively remote shrine in the outskirts of Matsue. Unfortunately, the main event that the cafeteria owner mentioned would only take place at night, but nevertheless, there were those bazaar stores open for me to explore and buy some finger foods etc. Grabbed a goshuin for my effort, and a corn cob.Taking a return bus to central Matsue, I stopped by the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum where they detailed this one foreigner that made significant effort integrating into 1900s Japan society and contributed enough to be worthy of memorializing. There was a rather popular soba restaurant nearby (Kamiyo Soba) serving nameko [mushroom] soba which I thought was pretty delicious. After lunch, I walked over to explore Matsue Castle, one of the few remaining original castles left standing in Japan. The size of it is pretty impressive when you look at it in person.
Finally, I headed over to JR Matsue to board the Ametuchi sightseeing train. As with other sightseeing trains, there was a bar where you could buy some snacks and drinks to consume. Two particular aspects that stood out to me was the comfy, wooden design feel that was present throughout the train, and was how well they integrated various local crafts into the train, such as the tiles that are on the tables. The sightseeing train coasted along the Sanin line facing the Sea of Japan which made for an enjoyable sightseeing ride. As with previous sightseeing trains, you could book this sightseeing train easily via the JR West website. JR pass (or the Sanin-Okayama Area Pass) covers the base fare.
The train runs from JR Izumo all the way to JR Tottori, though I stopped at Kurayoshi to head to my final destination for the next two nights – Misasa Onsen. The main reason for choosing this particular onsen town was that I wanted to climb up Nageire-dou the next day, which was a 20 minutes bus ride away. However, I made a major blunder by not engaging a local guide to climb with me ahead of time (since the regulations are that hikers need to go in pairs in interest of safety). I casually remarked this to the chauffer that picked me up to the ryokan, and he went above and beyond to call various people to make it happen. Although it was ultimately unsuccessful [since it was so last minute – entirely my own fault], I was really moved by his efforts – it really speaks to the otomenashi experience that ryokans provide, a unique aspect to Japan.
Onto to the actual ryokan – Mansuiro (万翆楼). The room was pretty traditional with tatami mats and futons, but it was comfortable overall. I would like to give special mention to their dinner service which was delectable, showcasing their local cuisine such as crabs, beef sukiyaki and pear wine (!). Another nice subtle touch is how they labelled each dining room with the assigned guest name. I would highly recommend them if you do pass by this area. Also, I would also mention that this particular ryokan is ‘rare’ in the sense that it accepts solo pax bookings; most ryokans would only accept a minimum of 2 pax in order for them to accept your reservations.
Day 15 – Misasa Onsen, Kurayoshi Figurine Museum, Nijisseiki Pear Museum (Tottori)
Had a scrumptious breakfast at the ryokan (look at the quantity of it – I struggled to finish them). Even though I knew that I wont be able to climb Nageire-dou, I decided to go over to view the temple from a distance [and try my luck and see if any solo strangers were there too]. Unfortunately, at ~9am, there were very few trekkers, and I didn’t feel right butting into those couples so I decided not to push my luck further and leave. I managed to get a shot of the remote temple from the observatory point.
With that minor setback, I decided to head over to the nearby town of Kurayoshi via bus to spend the day. Some notable attractions in brief as follow:
- Kurayoshi Figurine Museum: As a repurposed school building, this is a good place to visit if you have interest in anime or figurine collecting. At the point of visiting, there were some exhibits detailing how they made those nenedroids. Even if you aren’t into anime, there are also other figurines such as military(tanks/jets), and animals that you could view, which should be adequate to cater to a wide demographic. There were also some hands-on activities like creating your own nenedroid faces. I took about ~2 hours in this place.
- White Wall Warehouses: as what the name implies, it’s a bunch of historic white-walled building. Its okay if you’re already in the vicinity, though I wouldn’t purposely make a dedicated stop for this. (~10-20 minutes walking along the canals)
- Kurayoshi Line Railway Memorial Hall: a small free museum showing the history of the now-defunct Kurayoshi railway line. I suppose the main draw is that you are able to get up one of the old train replicas similar to those at the Kyoto Railway museum. There's also another SL replica outside of the memorial hall.
- Nijisseiki Pear Museum: a pear museum showcasing the history of pear cultivation in Tottori, as well as the various pear types around the world. You get to sample free pears, though I wanst able to do so because it was Kansai Culture Appreciation Day and admission was free, thus said samples were already gone by the time I visited. (~1-1.5 hours)
Overall, a pretty enjoyable time in Kurayoshi. The figurine museum and the pear museum are the main highlights for me.
Returned to Misasa Onsen late afternoon. I spent the remainder of the day exploring the onsen town before dinner, and one particular interesting location was the Misasa Violin Museum, showcasing how violins are made and some history on violin-making. You could even test-run their violins with purchase of a drink (at ~400yen) though I declined since I couldn’t play it. I enjoyed spending the evening walking along Mitoku River and soaking at an ashiyu. There is an open-air river onsen that is free to all, though I was too shy to do so.
Day 16 – Tottori Sand Dunes, Tottori (Tottori), JR Amarube (Hyogo)
Another great breakfast at the ryokan before checking out. As with most ryokans, they offered to drop me off at JR Kurayoshi so that I could catch my next train to next-door Tottori. After dropping my luggage at the hotel, I went straight to the sand dunes for a paragliding session. Usually most people would associate the sand dunes with the museum (and rightfully so), but I was feeling a bit daring and decided to try something out of character. For 10k yen, you are taught the basic commands (left/right) and postures, landing/emergency drills before you get to do your paragliding attempts (4 in total, three solo attempts and one tandem with the instructor). Although not explicitly mentioned in the website, there was actually an English-speaking instructor that was present at all times so I do not think you need to worry if you can’t speak a lick of Japanese. All in all, a great way to view the dunes from above.
After that, I spent some time traversing along the sand dunes and visited the sand museum. It appears that the themes vary on a yearly basis and this year’s focus was on Egypt. I thought the level of detail on each of those sculptures was pretty impressive. Lastly, I made a stop at Amarube Station (or known as the ‘station in the sky’); while I cant say that I am a rail geek, I admire the engineering design that has been in place since the 1910s. Getting to and from the station via JR was a pain though, with train frequency few and far in between, but I still felt it was worth spending an hour just exploring the area and taking some photos. Returned to Tottori for the night to retire at Green Hill Morris Tottori, which in my opinion is a great value-for-money business hotel at ~7.7k yen/night with decent rooms and good breakfast spread.
Day 17 – Hakuto Shrine, Uradome Coast (Tottori), Kinosaki Onsen (Hyogo)
NOTE: Days 17 ~ 21 is covered by the Kansai Wide Area Pass for JR trains and Kyoto-Tango (for Amanohashidate).
Started the morning with a subsidized sightseeing taxi at JR Tottori to bring me to some of the tourist hotspots such as Hakuto Shrine (with a heavy rabbit theming) and Uradome Coast(which was extremely windy/rainy on that day). For 3k yen, you get to have a taxi to bring you around based on the selected route of your choice, and the taxi driver would explain some background information of the place to you (mostly in Japanese, ymmv). These sightseeing taxis are a good way to get around places in Tottori especially if you rely on public transport. I do note that they operate on a first-come-first served basis (no reservations allowed), so it is a good idea to get there right after the tourism centre opens in the morning. The entire tour lasted for about 3 hours.
After that, I took the limited express Hamakaze over to Kinosaki Onsen. There are only two trains per day (one early in the morning, and another just after lunch) so its not a good idea to miss it. Although I arrived at the ryokan earlier than the check-in time, I was able to drop my luggage first to explore the town. After checking in, I was handed a onsen pass to try out the 7 public baths at no extra charge (its baked in as part of the accommodation cost). I managed to try out 4 of them, with the remaining 3 to be done the next day. I spent the evening and night walking around town. My personal thoughts on Kinosaki Onsen as a whole is that while it is heavily geared to foreigners with English translations almost pervasive throughout the area, it manages to retain its own traditional identity rather well. Additionally, I feel that if one wishes to try out all 7 public baths in the area, spending at least 2 nights here is a good idea especially as 1 or 2 of them would be closed on a certain day during the week for maintenance.
Onto the ryokan for the next two nights – Morizuya. The innkeeper is a cool middle-aged man with a good command of English and here, the otomenashi experience was great – with the little things such as offering to help take photos for personal keepsake, showing the various facilities within the building and the room. My room was on the third floor, and at first glance it looks like the run-of-the-mill traditional ryokan room with tatami mats. However, the balcony view from the room is the million dollar view facing the main road that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Dinner was served with Tajima beef and crab legs. I should mention that Morizuya is again one of those few ryokans that accept solo travellers, so kudos to them.
Day 18 – Kinosaki Onsen (Hyogo), Amanohashidate (Kyoto)
Decided to day-trip over to Amanohashidate via Kinosaki. Breakfast at Morizuya was splendid. Getting over to Amanohashidate is not as straightforward as I needed to make a transfer at JR Toyooka via the Kyoto-Tango railway (covered by Kansai Wide Area Pass).
My day trip was as follow:
Amanohashidate at 0930 Bus to Ine to catch the boatride Return bus to Motoise Jinja Kasamatsu Park Nariaiji Temple Rent a bike and cycle across the sandbar to the other end Amanohashidate Viewland return to JR Amanohashidate
- The boat ride at Ine was alright, though it was nothing special overall. Seagulls are pretty aggressive so I think it’s a good idea not to bring any food stuff with you.
- Having experienced both ends of Amanohashidate, Kasamatsu Park was definitely less crowded (since it wasn’t that readily accessible via public transport), though the view of the sandbar was about the same (Kasamatsu Park vs Viewland). IF you have time for just one, settling for Amanohashidate Viewland is adequate. Nariaiji Temple was not bad though and is probably worth the visit over to Kasamatsu Park.
- There is a bike rental store near the sandbar entrance, with rentals at ~400yen for about ~2 hours. If you are not feeling well on that day you could also opt for a boat ride to get to the other end of the sandbar(iirc 600+ yen). Cycling across the sandbar took me about 30 minutes (with some stops along the way to take photos etc).
- If your time is really limited dropping Ine is a necessary evil (since it takes almost an hour on bus to get there from JR Amanohashidate, one-way).
Returned to the ryokan for dinner – great as usual. Additionally, I managed to try out the remaining public onsens.
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If you’re still reading, thanks for powering through! Due to word limit I cant post the Kobe/Osaka leg here, but I'll add them in a separate post in the coming weeks.