Folklore Frontiers - No 036

Magazine Overview

Title: Folklore Frontiers
Issue: 36
Date: October 1999
Publisher: Not explicitly stated, but edited and published by Paul Screeton.
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Price: £6 for 4 issues (subscription), US $14.

Character: An independent magazine covering various aspects of folklore, particularly urban/rural belief tales, ancient and modern traditions and lore, and contemporary culture.

The Avocado Mousse Gaffe: An Urban Legend Unpacked

This issue of Folklore Frontiers dedicates significant space to dissecting the persistent urban legend surrounding Peter Mandelson and the infamous 'avocado mousse gaffe'. The cover boldly proclaims, "Please God, not the avocado mousse gaffe again," setting the tone for an in-depth investigation into how this anecdote became so widely circulated and attributed.

The lead article, by Paul Screeton, traces the story's convoluted journey. It begins with a televised portrait of Peter Mandelson, where former Labour Leader Neil Kinnock purportedly recounted the tale as if he had witnessed it personally during the Brecon by-election. However, Screeton points out that Kinnock was mistaken, and the story had been circulating for years prior.

Andy McSmith's book, "Faces of Labour," and a profile article are cited as attempts to place the legend in a wider context, suggesting it occurred during a by-election in Knowsley North near Liverpool in the early 1990s. The narrative involves a party researcher named Julian Eccias treating himself to chips and mushy peas, which a colleague named Shelley Keeling allegedly mistook for 'avocado mousse'. This story was then reportedly relayed by Shelley's father, leading to its eventual use by Peter Taaffe, editor of Militant, at a rally in 1986.

Screeton highlights how the story was transferred to a Hartlepool location, Mandelson's constituency. He notes that a Sunday newspaper columnist played a role in giving the story new life by repeating it and then denying it. The article further details how the legend resurfaced in The Times, with Mandelson himself being the alleged visitor to a Seaton Carew chippie. Mandelson himself denied the claim, stating he would never confuse mushy peas with avocado mousse.

Mike Amos, in his Northern Echo election diary, also noted Mandelson's struggle to shake off this urban legend. The Sunday Telegraph grudgingly accepted the story might be apocryphal but noted it 'fits him like a glove'. A profile in The Mail on Sunday even included a side panel distinguishing guacamole from mushy peas.

Roy Hattersley, in a piece that Screeton suspects was manipulated by a layout designer, also addressed the 'guacamole affair'. Hattersley stated that Mandelson himself raised the subject of guacamole, denying the Hartlepool fish and chip shop story as untrue. Mandelson reportedly provided an Economist article that identified the American research assistant who had made the mistake.

The article notes how the legend continued to be referenced, with political commentator Matthew Parris commenting on the difference between mushy peas and avocado dip among New Labour MPs. Liberal Democrat hopeful Reg Clark used it in a newspaper advert. Even during discussions about the Millennium Dome, an MP quipped about ensuring regional content beyond fish and chips and avocado mousse. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott also made a joke about the difference between 'avocado' and 'mushy peas' in Hartlepool.

Guacamole Recipe and Supermarket Review

Amidst the political analysis, the magazine includes a practical section on guacamole. It provides a recipe with ingredients and method, and a review of supermarket guacamole brands. Jan Walsh's review highlights Marks and Spencer, Somerfield, Sainsbury, Safeway, Asda, and Tesco, rating them with stars and offering tasting notes.

Other Articles and Features

The Diary

This section features a caricature of Richard Littlejohn, with a caption suggesting his column in The Sun about Hartlepool's 'monkey-hanging legend' is still relevant. The issue also pays tribute to the late Donald L. Cyr, described as a great personal friend, supporter, and reader of the magazine.

Peter Mandelson MP Correspondence

A letter from Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, Assistant to Peter Mandelson MP, dated October 7, 1996, confirms the details of the incident occurring during the Knowsley by-election in the early 1990s, corroborating the story's connection to Jack Straw's campaign volunteer.

Shirley Eaton: Going for Gold

This article by Paul Screeton recounts the iconic image of actress Shirley Eaton covered in gold paint for the film "Goldfinger." It touches upon the myth that body paint can cause suffocation and Eaton's memories of the filming, including the presence of doctors on set.

Oldies but Goodies

• This section presents a collection of amusing and unusual news snippets, including:
• Shoplifting incidents involving frozen chickens in New York.
• A boxer disqualified for not wearing shorts.
• A humorous sign in a Michigan state forest reading "Please Do Not Post Signs On Trees."
• Speculation about the whereabouts of a member of the Adams family.

Articles Elsewhere

• This section provides brief summaries of other articles from various publications, covering topics such as:
• Animal liberation and the movement of badgers and squirrels.
• The debate around trepanning for medical purposes.
• Theories about 'mystery' blobs on pavements.
• Journalist Byron Rogers' work on the manipulation of children in abuse cases.
• The history of a Jacobite society called 'Beggars' Bacchus'.
• The origins of nursery rhymes, linking them to historical events and local folklore.

Update

• This section offers brief news items:
• Xena: Knick-erless Princess: Discusses Mira Sorvino's claims about real sex scenes in films and mentions other movies with similar themes.
• Ship Shape: Explores the possibility of a new code used by the BBC to denote sensitive personal information about staff, with a suggestion for a symbol for drug weakness.
• Jinxed 47290: Reports on the continued misfortune of a locomotive and its potential for private preservation.

Magazines

• This section reviews several niche magazines, including:
• 3rd Stone: Focuses on new antiquarian topics, Stonehenge, and archaeological anomalies.
• Northern Earth: Covers goddess Vartaia, eclipses, revisionism, and local folklore.
• Northern UFO News: Features UFO investigations and reviews.
• The Ley Hunter: Discusses ley lines, rock art, and altered states of consciousness.
• Letters to Ambrose Merton: A folklore miscellany covering political anecdotes and photocopy/email lore.
• Network News: Presents surreal fiction and reports on unusual art projects.

Mir Unorthodox Has Joined the Halos: A Report on the Passing of Donald Lee Cyr (1920 - 1999)

This is an obituary and tribute to Donald Lee Cyr, editor and publisher of Stonehenge Viewpoint journals. It details his research interests, particularly his dedication to Isaac Newton Vail's 'Vailian Canopy Theory', and his personal life, including his marriage and family. The article highlights Cyr's courage in tackling unconventional scientific questions and his ability to synthesize complex information into accessible books. It also mentions his visits to archaeological sites and his passing on May 31, 1999.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores the intersection of folklore, contemporary culture, and media. There's a strong emphasis on debunking myths and urban legends, while also acknowledging their cultural significance and the way they are perpetuated through journalism and public discourse. The editorial stance appears to be critical and analytical, using folklore as a lens to examine societal trends, political events, and media narratives. The inclusion of diverse topics, from political satire to recipes and historical research, suggests a broad interest in the 'quirky' and the 'unorthodox' aspects of human belief and culture.

Title: FORTEAN TIMES
Issue: News-stand. No. 122, 123, 124, 125, 126
Price: £2.60
Date: News-stand. (Year not explicitly stated, but context suggests late 1990s due to Y2K mention).
Language: English

This issue of Fortean Times presents a collection of articles and reviews covering a wide spectrum of unusual phenomena, mysteries, and conspiracy theories.

Fortean Times Issues Covered

No. 122: This issue tackles the potential end of the world due to Y2K, explores deception in artistic creation, features stories on killer eagles and US anthrax hoaxes, and touches upon Irish child abduction scares. It also discusses UFO disinformation games, dream precognition experiments, and the Egyptian Christ theory.

No. 123: Highlights include the myth of Irish convicts traveling to China and finding a white utopia, descriptions of mythical South African snake-like and eel-like creatures, and a new perspective on Japanese UFO sightings. It also covers psychiatric illness, fatal exorcisms, and the demystification of 'The Exorcist', along with Balkan jumping snakes.

No. 124: This issue includes information on 'slow light' after cold fusion experiments, much apocrypha connected with aircraft contrails, and alien scripts.

No. 125: Features an extremely interesting piece on the hallucinatory Charles Bonnet syndrome and the related Anton's syndrome (for the newly blind). It also covers crop circle portents, a talking boulder shaped like a human or ape skull, and aspects of eclipses.

No. 126: Discusses the investigation into fish that supposedly leap up urine flow to genitals, an event previously thought to be an Amazonian belief tale. It introduces the early ufologist Frank B. Stranges, sheds new light on New Ageism, and mentions a 1850s werewolf case. The issue concludes with international odd happenings, letters, and reviews.

Magonia

Issue: Q. 15 (No. 67 & 68)
Price: £5
Publisher: John Rimmer
Address: John Dee Cottage, 5 James Terrace, Mortlake Churchyard, London, SW14 8HB.

No. 67: Focuses on a 'dodgy character' from Manchester who claims to be a witness to an air miss, an article also featured in 'The Labyrinth'. It examines the long history of right-wing conspiracy ideas, the cross-fertilisation of New Age ideas with hostile current world order, and Nostradamus.

No. 68: Continues from No. 67, offering a catalogue/critique of 'big-brain/large-eyes' creatures from pre-war Sci-Fi (predating Grays). It questions why a high proportion of narratives in UFO, Fortean, and paranormal literature are actually fictions. Book reviews are also included.

The Dragon Chronicle

Price: £27 for 4 issues, £2 for a sample.
Publisher: Dragon's Head Press
Address: PO Box 3359, London SW6 6JN.

No. 16: Contains articles on weedy and leafy sea dragons (akin to seahorses), plants with dragon names, the 1999 eclipse, Cornish dragon legends, the tree of life, and 'dodgy magick'.

Additionally, it offers a free copy of issue 2 of 'Worme Worlde', which lists dragon aspects and includes fiction, poetry, news snippets relating to dragons, and a magazine reviews supplement.

The Labyrinth

Editor: Rory Lushman
Price/Regularity: Not given.
Address: 99 Charter Street, Accrington, Lanc., BB5 OSA.

Volume 1, Issue 1: This new enterprise aims to report on investigations of personal interest to the editor. The first issue includes a piece on the strategic steam reserve, with the editor being 'blamed' for getting Rory 'hooked' on the topic. It also features a conspiracy-style piece on the 'diesele' (sadly unreferenced). Another article discusses a paranoid individual's belief that the Republic of Texas is being poisoned by airborne-released killer chemicals (contrails conspiracy) following the Waco event. The issue also covers Guatemala terror and a 'worthy but tedious' US UFO investigation, along with a Manchester myth (referenced in Magonia).

The editor notes that pieces lifted from the Internet were of little interest compared to Rory's own contributions.

Touchstone

Newsletter of the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group
Price: £2 for 4 issues.
Payable to: J Goddard
Address: 25 Albert Road, Addlestone, Weybridge, Surrey, KT15 2PX.

No. 51: This issue is described as the 'last bastion of the old guard'. The editor traces a Somerset ley line with Watkinsian features, dowsed at 20 paces width. It includes a brief biography of Alfred Watkins and speculation by a Dutch entomologist on energy fields affecting animal behavior. UFOs and corn circles are also discussed.

ANSKAYA

Newsletter of the STAR Fellowship
Price: Same as Touchstone.
Address: Same as Touchstone.

No. 44: Features continued talks by UFO contactee George van Tassel. It also includes a 1954 lecture by George Hunt Williamson on short-wave radio communication with extraterrestrials. Some content is duplicated in Touchstone.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The overarching theme of this issue is the exploration of the unexplained, the fringe, and the conspiratorial. The Fortean Times itself appears to maintain a broad and inclusive editorial stance, presenting a wide variety of unusual claims and investigations without necessarily endorsing them, but rather cataloging them for the interested reader. The inclusion of multiple newsletters like Magonia, The Dragon Chronicle, The Labyrinth, Touchstone, and ANSKAYA suggests an effort to cover diverse sub-fields within the paranormal and Fortean communities, from cryptozoology and ancient mysteries to UFOlogy and conspiracy theories. There is a recurring interest in historical accounts, eyewitness testimonies, and speculative scientific or pseudoscientific theories. The critique of fictional narratives within paranormal literature in Magonia suggests a desire for factual accuracy or at least an awareness of the challenges in distinguishing fact from fiction in these fields.