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Post by dem bones on Sept 27, 2009 10:30:15 GMT
Sam Holroyd -Tibb’s House (Nel, 1977)  Bill PhillipsBlurb What mysterious phenomenon is it that is such a closely guarded secret in the community? What link is there between Gillian and Tibb’s House?
Will Bainbridge moves into Tibb’s House, an old country cottage, where he falls in love with Gillian Hart, a young girl who lives nearby. But strange incidents begin to force them apart, destroying their love.
Gillian no longer seems to be herself, and soon the whole community is threatened by the horror and evil that emanate from Tibb’s House…Taking into account the nice things Justin had to say about this in Paperback Fanatic #8 ("a turgid read .... plot so convoluted .... brain ache", etc.), this could turn out to be a very long 112 pages and not in a good way. Devon (i think!), early seventeenth century. Tibbs, a suspected witch broken on the rack, has the last laugh on her tormentor, the Pastor Palwhele. For all the torture devices at his disposal, Palwhele is unable to extract a confession, but, with her dying breath, Tibbs lets him in on a devastating secret. They have a son, conceived during a romp at the Longstone when Palwhele was a far less sanctimonious creature! The boy has been raised by prosperous farm owner John Hart and his wife as their own. Promising the crestfallen Palwhele that this night's work will haunt him through eternity, Tibbs passes away with a mocking smile on her face. Palwhele dies mysteriously beneath his horse at the Longstone before daybreak. Cut to the present, and Will Bainbridge, a forty-year-old television personality turned author, has moved into 'Valley View', the cottage still known to the Danesbrook locals as 'Tibb's House'. Will is captivated by the beautiful, enigmatic twenty-something Gillian Hart, unique among the community in that she's a university graduate, who seems to have been deliberately avoiding him since he came to the village. But today he finally got a conversation from her, even an invite to dinner with she and her father, John. Bainbridge, more intrigued by the girl than ever, is delighted to have made such progress. But when he gets indoors, he's disturbed by the intrusion of a strange woman in an anorak with her face pressed against his window. He goes to the door to find out what she wants but - no-one there. And then there are the creaking boards, the ghostly whispers, the slamming of a locked door in the night .... Bainbridge pays a call on his long time friends, Dr. Patrick Roberts and his wife, Jane, who took over the Mosston practice ten years ago but still feel very much outsiders despite dealing with the moor folk on a daily basis. Patrick lets on that the former occupants of Tibb's House left when Mrs. Johnson began to suffer "sick-brained fancies" of being spied upon by an old woman. Bainbridge, his curiosity aroused, decides it's time he caught up on some local history. Patrick refers him to the Rector, Henry Polwhele. Polwhele warns Will to have nothing whatsoever to do with Gillian or risk endangering his life. Much to Will's frustration. Polwhele always seems on the verge of blurting out his knowledge of past events concerning his family, the Harts and Tibbs, but, something prevents him. But he does show him the mound in the churchyard where Tibbs is buried. The mound each generation of Polwhele keeps watch on from the Rectory window .... Meanwhile, the phallic Longstone is still big news - it's recently been desecrated - and the bronze age barrow was looted of an urn shortly before Will arrived in the village. So far, so painless. Back after the dinner party at the Harts' manor house ...
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Post by dem bones on Sept 28, 2009 15:30:00 GMT
Henry Polwhele finally relates the long, rambling, intertwined histories of the Hart family and his own, not helped by the fact that every male Polwhele from 1620 has been a Henry and every Hart a John. Prior to launching his career as a Witch-finder, the original Henry had thrown in his lot with the local Pagans as this provided a perfect opportunity for wild and easy sex with Tibb. When she was accused of black magic, he lived in fear that she would broadcast details of his colorful past to bring him down with her, but Tibb took that secret to the grave. He'd not taken any pleasure in putting her to the question - once she'd been denounced, his hands were tied and nothing he could do would save her - but Tibb is certainly going to enjoy inflicting her ridiculously far flung vengeance. Her plan is to destroy the last of the line - the present day Henry Polwhele - just as she did his ancestor 350 years ago. The unwitting vehicle of her destruction is Gillian, who she is gradually taking possession of. Will is in danger as, not only does he own Tibb's House but he and Gillian are now lovers.
Will, having heard the Rector out, concludes that he's dealing with a mental patient and is about to make his excuses when Polwhele draws him to the window. There, gazing up at them from the mound is the hooded old woman - Tibb! Polwhele brandishes the cross and she angrily retreats.
Will, despite his reservations, concedes that there may be something in Polwhele's undoubtedly sincere beliefs and shuns Gillian for several days out of regard for her safety. But when she comes to him, deeply upset, having caught sight of her reflection in a Rectory window and seen the face of another woman, he decides the best course of action is to marry her and live together at Tibb's house in defiance of the curse. John Hart gives his blessing, the kindly Polwhele presents Will with a crucifix to keep about him at all times, but it seems Tibb's influence is waning.
The wedding night. Will can't find his crucifix, but when Gillian tells him she's a virgin and so in lust of his body that he'll not find her "difficult", Will jumps into bed all excited, any thought of missing religious icons forgotten. He climbs on top of his beautiful bride, the wrestling match gets underway, and .... a ghostly whisper in his head: Not here, not now. At the Longstone tomorrow". Will's manhood dutifully falls limp and that's the Honeymoon off to a flier.
The next day Gillian is at her most radiant and won't hear her crushed husband's excuses for last nights performance. She wants to take a picnic at the Longstone. Off they troop and, while Will is distracted, Gill whips off her blouse and embraces the enormous phallic stone. Seeing his wife cavorting topless does wonders for Will and they're soon at it hammer and tongs. At the marathon's conclusion, Gill confidently asserts that she is with child .....
Winter arrives, the village is snowbound and Tibb finally achieves full domination of the expectant mother ....
Tibb's House isn't quite The Neighbours, but it's a competent ghost story/ demonic possession effort, marred slightly by Gill and Will's cloying lovey dovey dialogue and the aforementioned too complex plague of Henry's and John's (if it hadn't been for the Rector's timely anyway-this-is-what-it's-all-about i'd still have been trying to work it out). On the plus side, the supernatural effects - notably the hooded woman's appearances - are deftly handled and it all builds to a satisfying "Good" versus "Evil" showdown as if it were written thirty years earlier.
Any ideas who Sam Holroyd was/ is?
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Post by allthingshorror on Sept 28, 2009 17:01:57 GMT
All I know is a Sam Holroyd briefly worked for Topliner (Macmillan Education) books under Aidan Chambers. He approached them with some ideas that he had, and was taken on. I've only got a couple of Sam's stuff to hand, one of them being GHOSTS 3 (Topliner 1974) where he writes all of the stories. Just got off the phone to Aidan's partner Nancy and she says she will ask Aidan when he gets back off business next week.
GHOSTS 3 CONTENTS
The Wailing Ghost
Simultaneous Experiment
Quilter's Stone
Old Eliza
Who Lives Next Door?
Dead Man's Hill
Wrong Number
Rose Cottage
The Face at the Window
The Girl in the White Mac
You Have Been Watching...
Their Tune
An Overnight Guest
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Post by dem bones on Sept 28, 2009 19:01:41 GMT
Thanks mr. horror. i liked the first two Ghosts Books and didn't even stop to wonder if there might be a third. don't know what i was expecting from Tibb's House beyond a not-too-horrible heroine in peril number which as it turns out, it is, but it's a good 'un. worked for me, anyhow.
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