The Tomb of Sarah | F. G. Loring | A Bitesized Audio Production
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- Опубліковано 22 тра 2021
- Published three years after Bram Stoker's 'Dracula', 'The Tomb of Sarah' is a classic short vampire tale. During renovation of a west country church it becomes necessary to move one particular tomb, for the safety of the building. Unfortunately it happens to be the one tomb with an inscription warning against disturbing the occupant...
A new, original recording of a classic public domain text, read and performed by Simon Stanhope for Bitesized Audio.
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Frederick George Loring (1869-1951) was an English naval officer and author of magazine journalism and short stories, of which 'The Tomb of Sarah' is the best-remembered today. He was born on the Isle of Wight, the son of Admiral Sir William Loring. The navy was clearly in his blood, as his grandfather and great-grandfathers had also served. He followed family tradition and joined the Navy and rose through the ranks, eventually retiring as a Commander in 1909. During his naval service he took an interest in the fast developing area of wireless telegraphy and became a specialist in wireless systems. After leaving the Navy he worked for the Post Office as Inspector of Wireless Telegraphy, in charge of systems and operation until 1930, and subsequently as a director of the International Marine Radio Company.
Loring's naval career also includes an episode linked to an intriguing "real life ghost story". He was serving as Lieutenant on board the Royal Navy flagship HMS Victoria when it was in a collision with HMS Camperdown in the eastern Mediterranean on 22 June 1893. HMS Victoria capsized and sank within 20 minutes of the collision and barely half the 700 crew survived. Amongst those lost was Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon, the Commander in Chief of the British Mediterranean Fleet, who was in command of the ship at the time. His bizarre orders, overriding the concerns of his juniors, were subsequently believed to have been the main cause of the disaster; he was last seen on the bridge going down with the ship and his reported last words were: "It's all my fault". Subsequently a legend arose that on that same afternoon, 22 June 1893, Sir George's wife Lady Tryon was entertaining some friends at her home in Eaton Square, London. Just after 3.30pm several of her guests mentioned that they had just seen Sir George enter the room, survey the party in silence, and then leave. Lady Tryon's alleged response was: "You must be mistaken, my husband is in the Mediterranean...". She received news of his death the following morning. Of course, at this distance in time there's no way of verifying the truth or otherwise of this story - I've not been able to find any contemporary evidence for it - but the legend gained currency over the decades following the incident and has been repeated in numerous "true ghost story" articles and books. What F. G. Loring made of it is unknown...
'The Tomb of Sarah' was first published in the Pall Mall magazine in December 1900. It has been much anthologised ever since.
The title card for this story is a detail from 'The Vampire' by Philip Burne-Jones, from 1897 (the year 'Dracula' was published). It is modelled by the actress Mrs Patrick Campbell, one of the most popular stars of the late Victorian and Edwardian stage, especially noted for her work with George Bernard Shaw, including originating the role of Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion.
Recording © Bitesized Audio 2021. - Розваги
I wonder if the phrase " your making enough noise to wake the dead", stems from the historical belief in vampires in Eastern Europe?, As ever a pleasure to listen to beautiful pronounciation of the English language in your narrations. Thank You for this chilling tale, even at fireside I felt a slight chill !!!!
Thank you Irena, I appreciate your kind comments! So glad to know you enjoyed it
Wonderful eerie story with the best narration. Great voice. Superb👏👏👏💐💐💐
Love traditional vampires! This is such a good story. Love the way you do sounding frightened- perfect. Thanks!
Yes, you can't beat a traditional tale of the un-dead.... it's my first vampire story narration (unless you include Benson's 'The Room in the Tower', which has hints of it, but I really think of that more as a ghost story)... Glad you enjoyed it!
Yes... Thank you!
Thanks for your support KiKi
This story is a nice return to the traditional vampire story, set in the early scientific era in Britain, when the era’s “neo-occultists,” who have more than just a passing fancy in “psychic phenomena,” know, apparently, just how to communicate with and receive needed action with, and receive action from, urbane Rectors-who would probably and just as well stick to recitations from The Book 📕 of Common Prayer, and be done with it!
I was raised Episcopalian, so this story-and all the stories with the “remodel the church and let loose the monster-“ trope, are not all together unfamiliar, at least as to surface considerations from a non-British US American.
I enjoy the authenticity that you bring to these old stories, and am delighted to have found your channel a few months ago.
I listen to you narrate F. Marian Crawford’s “The Upper Berth” for many days as a regular item in my playlist.
Thank You, Mr. Stanhope, for a unique and classic offering in the modern era.
-TheFirefishe
Wonderful story to accompany me on my walk this afternoon. Thank you.
Thank you. That was very well done. The best channel on the internet
Thanks Tammy, very kind of you to say so!
'There is something strange about this', said the vicar.
Really? 🤔 🤣
This is brilliant, thanks so much.
Your narration is impeccable, Kindest Wishes to you, all you love and followers Worldwide Xxx 🙏🏼 ❤️ 🗺️ 🍀 🏴🕊️💐🥂
Ha! Yes indeed, he was certainly on to something there.... Thanks for your kind comments Janet, appreciated
@@BitesizedAudio 🤷🏼♀️😂👍🏼💖🍻
Thank you!
Great!!!! Thank You!
The way you said "sleep and peace" was perfect. I was tempted!
Moi aussì
Absolutely loved that one!! Bloody marvellous, love Simon’s expressive voice, I was completely gripped from start to finish🧛♀️💕
Glad to know you enjoyed it! Thank you for all your kind comments, much appreciated. Best wishes
Fantastic gothic tale. It reminded me of the scene from 1979's Dracula when Van Helsing finds Mina in the tomb. I imagined her while I listened to the story. Thanks again Simon for another good one.😊 And btw I love the title pic too.
Thanks Shannon. Glad you enjoyed it. I should have said in the notes (I'll add it in) that the title card is a detail from 'The Vampire' by Philip Burne-Jones, from 1897 (the year 'Dracula' was published). It's apparently modelled by the famous Victorian/Edwardian actress Mrs Patrick Campbell, who originated many roles for George Bernard Shaw... she was the original Eliza Doolittle, for example. You may notice I've not included a portrait of the author on this title card, as I usually do... unfortunately I wasn't able to find one, at least not one verifiably him and in the public domain.
@@BitesizedAudio Thank you so much for the info on the picture Simon. I really appreciate it. Cheers!😊
A very well-written story, brilliantly read - thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks Denise!
Thanks,for another great story
Glad to know you enjoyed it, thanks Dale
Thank you...still frightful after all these years.
A real humdinger of a horror story. Great reading.
Thanks Geoff. I like "humdinger", a very expressive word!
So many vampire tales but this one is unique and focuses more on the humans and their struggles than the vampire's doings. Well done!
The Undead seems to be a recurring theme of late Victorian thriller. So much so that even when Stephen King decided to explore the domain he set his story inside this timeframe. Vacillating between the fear of the Rising Dead & being buried alive, the Victorians were an interesting lot.
Yes indeed. It's interesting how many Victorian rituals surrounding death continued for many decades, even to this day. Thanks Ipsita M
I don't normally enjoy anything with vampires, but this was quite good. Thankyou.
I always love the sound of your voice and the superb way it always conveys attmosphere. Another treat. Thank you.
Very kind of you to say so, thank you Ruth!
Perfect story & perfect performance. Thanks for posting. I await future stories with anticipation.
Caught me by surprise cool thnks
Always like to surprise the listeners when I can! Thanks Johnny
Best vampire story I have ever listened to. More descriptive and seemingly true as told. Narration was excellent with the shivering of fear and loathing in the voice. Awesome video all way round. Thank you once again for the on the edge of my seat telling of a very old tale. More please.
Thanks Keeley, glad you enjoyed it! More on the way...
Another excellent reading. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is among my favourite fictional books alongside the lord of the rings and others and it’s diary style of storytelling I find particularly entertaining.
Thanks for sharing this story. I might have to bring bedtime forward by several hours 😁
I hope it doesn't keep you up! Best wishes, thanks for listening
I particularly enjoy the vampire tales...
... Bitesized indeed.
Thank you for an absolutely thrilling 40 minutes of amazing entertainment! So this is where the origin of the word familiar Comes from, a lot of movies and modern TV shows have humans that have animals that are part of them. It’s nice to know that this is not new! You have surpassed yourself yet again! 🌹
The term ‘familiar’ has been around since the Middle Ages, widely used in witch trial transcripts for example.
Ah yes, nothing new under the sun, as they say. So glad you enjoyed it, thanks Maria
@@BitesizedAudio That’s the phrase I was looking for! And Shirley Bassey had a song out when I was a kid about history repeating!!!✨
@@Gauchoextatico My God as early as that! Thank you for that!
Oh lovely always,perfect timing..must make a cuppa and listen.My Sunday afternoon pleasure..Thank you💛💛
Wonderful to hear these stories brilliantly realised! Many thanks!
Thank you! Another great short story. Much appreciated.
You're welcome! Thanks Hannah
Narration and performance top class as always!
Sincere thanks Sir
Thank you so much for a new story, I just love them and always wait for more.
Loved it! Thank you!
Glad to know that! Thanks Whitney
Hmm, l enjoyed that.
Many thanks! 😊
I'm glad! Thanks Christopher
Many thanks, Simon. A real pleasure to listen to you once again. Congratulations upon reaching so many new subscribers. Marvellous ✨🌹✨
Thank you Christine. Lovely to hear from you, I hope you're keeping well. Best wishes
As always besitufulli narrated and another great story. Thank you
You're welcome, thanks Christine
I read this in a volume of short stories I found in the university library!
Thanks for reading, very Gothic! I like the old-world equivalent of "found footage", i.e. the found/acquired journal, something MR James did well. There is some great, evocative prose here. Yes, I do like "The Oracle of the Dog" and "The Wrong Shape" and think they're good Father Brown choices which I'm looking forward to. Some other stories it would be good to hear you read: From detective fiction, another Father Brown: "The Mirror of the Magistrate", and Poe's "The Purloined Letter", which in my estimation is one of the greatest short stories of any genre ever written. Also, from the annals of the supernatural, MR James' "Casting the Runes", with that unforgettable villain Carswell. Also from MR James, "A School Story."
Thanks Tony. Glad you enjoyed it. I like the "found footage" analogy! I need to remind myself of The Mirror of the Magistrate (I have read it, a long time ago) but will add it to my list. Also, I've got 'A School Story' and 'Casting the Runes' already on the to-do sheet, although not my next M. R. James (that's already in preparation...) but certainly intend to get round to them at some point. As for the Poe... yes indeed, that is a classic. Another one I need to re-read, but definitely one I'd like to tackle. Appreciate the suggestions, thank you!
@ Tony Rawlinson
Wonderful choices , Tony. Something for us all to look forward to. Best wishes to you 🌹
@@christinethornhill Thank-you, Christine.
I never connected the Victorian ‘found journal’ with modern ‘found footage’ stories of today. But yes, you’re quite right. I got fed up with found footage movies but don’t feel so now that you’ve pointed that out, I’m a big fan of M R James!
I read somewhere that Poe was the first to write in that style of Agatha Christie, John Dickson Carr, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, etc. It said these formidable authors followed his lead.
Pretty safe place , this amazing interesting Simon' s channel, where we can spent a happy time.
"A bitesized audiobook". Very appropriate for this tale.
I subscribe to a few horror channels, a scifi channel, and the random multi-episodic tale that catches my eye. None, however bring me excitement to see a new video posted. This channel does. I truly appreciate the quality work you do, it shows.
Thank you Jeremy, I appreciate your kind words! Glad to know you enjoy them
Wonderful. Thank you for your story telling. Great relief from trying times. God bless!
Thanks Rock, best wishes to you
Brilliant reading. Congratulations.
Wow - how did I not know about this until now? And, superbly narrated - many thanks! Seems very Dracula-indebted: a fascinating thing, if so - Stoker's success in shaping the lore, and so quickly! But with an intriguing complex Church of England variation, too - with insufficiently "more things in heaven and earth"-aware clergyman and some astonishing Caroline "mortar".
Was this the short story that inspired the vampire slayers genre? This has the feels of Buffy and Van Helsing. I also read Bram Stoker’s Dracula but that focused on the characters and lore more than the chase. Thank you Simon for bringing us this suspenseful tale!
It might be. It was first published soon after 'Dracula', so the genre was obviously becoming very popular at the time, although there are older vampire stories (such as Le Fanu's 'Carmilla') which were clearly very influential. Thanks for listening, as always!
Thank you I love your selections and reading style
Wonderfully read! What a great story. Thank you.
Thanks Nicky
Yay! A new video! Good to know you are doing well. Thank you, Simon! 😊
How lovely to hear from you Gigi, I hope you're keeping well too?
@@BitesizedAudio yes, very well, thank you. ☺️
Wonderful story, exceptionally well read (as usual)-thank you so much for these!
My paternal grandma was a Sarah, but that’s where the similarities end thank goodness xx
As far as you know, lol
Very good little vampire short there. Thank you for sharing it.
An old favourite, a classic vampire tale.
Thank you so much - since discovering this channel, have not watched the TV. The narrator Simon is superb - he gets it perfectly. The stories are beautifully written, sadly there are not many authors of today who could match them.
Keep them coming - have listened to them all!!!
@Gumblina1 I'll do my best! Thanks for your kind words
Oooooh, that's some classic vampire horror!
Interesting that the word, “Marauder,” was used in connection to lycanthropy. Reminds me of Harry Potter. Thanks for sharing this one. Your chilling narration always brings the story to life in a uniquely vivid way
I really enjoyed The Tomb Of Sarah ~ especially read by you Thanks bite size audio 🦉🐿️.
You're welcome, thanks for listening Joanne!
Such a creepy tale, beautifully read as always.
Thank you Patricia, appreciated
The best as usual. Listen often.
You have an excellent voice for these stories. I do enjoy listening to classic reading, very enjoyable indeed.
Very haunting and spooky. Thank you. 😊
Very nice, a fun old fashioned tale.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for listening
Wonderful as always You have the talent to make it seem as if it were the first time I had ever hear the tales you tell . I just might however have to adjust my Sunday evening rule and binge ( What a hardship !) this week so that I catch up up. in time for your new renditions Thank you so much RNK
Glad to know you enjoyed it Bob. Actually, I may have to have a slightly longer than usual gap before the next upload (tbc, but only a week or so I hope) to fit around some other commitments, so you will have time to catch up!
An excellent story. Well done.
Loved it! Thanks very much.
Ooohh I had to re-listen this season. Muchas gracias.
Excellent narration and I just finished listening to when I found the "lead into the story" from a few days ago. Thanks for sharing this with me. It was very enjoyable.
You're very welcome! Thanks for listening
Interesting! The general framework reminds me strongly of M.R. James's "An Episode of Cathedral History", though with specifics of the haunting & backstory both much more explicit and as well as Dracula-derived. Thank you, this was (as always) a great reading, and a story I had never encountered before!
Thanks K Kuro. Yes, I was reminded of 'An Episode...' too, in the general setup, though as you say the specifics are quite different!
Always a really well executed narration.
Thank you for your time and attention to detail 😊
You are truly the best. Thank you
What a lovely comment - thank you!
It would be such an untasteful thing to lie about that ghost encounter. Shame you couldn't find any first hand accounts. Thanks for sharing! Very interesting
Enjoyable as always and thank you.
Another excellent one!
Much appreciation
His voice is absolutely incredible loving this story 😍 Thank You KAZ🇬🇧😃💜⭐💜⭐💜⭐💜⭐💜
Thank you Kaz, very kind of you to say so!
Exceptionally well read. Thank you. I always thought that it was also necessary to behead the individual. Maybe.
Could be! That rings a bell for me too. Although the solution they adopt seems to work in this case...?
I am a huge fan of Revenant stories. One of my favorite quintologies is ths Necroscope series by Brian Lumley that dates back to the late 80's/early 90's. You would make a great narrator for them all. Although the series is now 17 books long, the first five are the only ones I read, so many decades ago.
Thanks for the recommendation Dean. I don't know those stories or the author, I'll look them up. I assume you mean the 1980s rather than 1880s, which may rather put it outside the scope of this channel, which needs to be public domain for copyright reasons, but I'm interested in ideas for stories which I might be able to narrate for other platforms in future, so appreciate the suggestion!
@@BitesizedAudio You're so very welcome :) Yes, and no, technically they are classics since the first five are mostly over 25 years old. As for the public domain aspect, I'm confident that Brian Lumley would give you permission to read them as audiobooks. You should read the first book, Necroscope, it had me seriously hooked by the middle of the first chapter. I think it's a far superior series than Anne Rice's Lestat series, which are still very good in their own right. As Anne Rice dates her novels as more Victorian era, Lumley's is more modern age.
Thank you 😊
Thank you, I wish I could give you more than one "like", but will say well done!
Thank you, for listening and "liking", and commenting! All much appreciated. Best wishes
Excellent story and narration, as always.
One striking thing about this tale though:
How could a peasant woman strangle a fully powered vampyre?
Glad you enjoyed it! Regarding your question, if I remember the story correctly, I don't think she was a fully fledged vampire when she was strangled, was she? Perhaps she was just a disciple, and became a proper vampire after being killed...?
Didn’t make it to the end of this one, dear Simon. Don’t enjoy vampire stories. 😬 So, I’ll be watching and waiting for something else to appear on your menu to sink my teeth into. By the way, you’re brilliant, and despite the sanguinary topic, it was a joy to hear your voice. (I’m still in the club, right?)
Delighted to know you're still in the club Rachel! I'm glad to say I'm preparing something else for you to get your teeth into right now... another M. R. James. Check out the community tab later today (or possibly tomorrow, if I can't get it done in time!) for a members' preview.... Thanks so much for your support
It's all fun & games until you wake the vampire up. True story.
How “True?” Please elucidate and narrate.
Bitesized indeed!
This was a very good story - similar to Dracula's Guest or perhaps Carmilla. - I'm surprised I haven't heard of this one.
Excellent timbre and pace. The reading is superior to the sub-Edgar Alan Poe story.
Thanks Peter
Thank you for investing your talents in our hearing. Unholy forces are, in reality, at work. Let us indeed call upon Heaven.
Appreciated, thank you Jonathan
Well said @Jonathan O’Toole
Only the superstitious need to call upon mythical beings. Anything "unholy" or dreadful is entirely the creation of man.
The best as usu
2 40 We are both very loth to disturb it Мы не хотим делать это
Eurovision and now this? My cups runneth over. But still I will resist the urge until... (watch this space!) ❤
I hope this one doesn't earn null points! Thanks Bob, hope you're keeping well
@@BitesizedAudio And Bob's douze points goes to... cher Simon. C'était sublime. You always get my vote but my goodness that was a goodie par excellance. ❤
How odd. I just posted a link to my latest for your enjoyment but it's not here. C'est la vie...
That is odd indeed. I just checked my "Held for review" folder which I always forget to check, sometimes YT - for reasons I don't really understand - quarantines innocent comments there (while allowing the occasional rude or unpleasant one through of course!) ... but it's not there. Do try again, or perhaps edit an existing comment to add it?
@@BitesizedAudio Not working, cher Simon. Seems to keep being removed. Maybe there is software in the background to remove links as spam. Ah, well...❤
This was just tomb much. 💀😊
IF she only dined on sheep and chickens, why the fuss? I bet as a Countess she had the $ to pay for them. Probably ate less red meat than before she became the undead.
Good point. Although I think there's mention of children occasionally disappearing, isn't there?
Isle of Wight, not "White".
Goodness, what a howler! Dratted auto correct. Fixed it now, thanks for flagging it.
a "bite-sized" audiobook....
Ha! Yes, oddly enough this is my first vampire story for the channel, after 40+ ghost stories....
Adrenochrome