Welcome to Gothline, a quick news roundup of all the stories that will interest the enquiring alternative reader!

Caligvla, Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, http://tinyurl.com/hfouxqt

Morrissey, former frontman of The Smiths and solo artist, has indicated his interest in becoming a candidate for the Mayor of London.

Approached by the Animal Welfare Party, a minor British political organisation whose views coincide with those of the fiercely pro-animal Morrissey, the singer has been reported to be “considering the contest very seriously”.

“Animal welfare groups cannot persist simply in order to continue to persist.

There must be a governmental voice against the hellish and archaic social injustice allotted to animals in the United Kingdom simply because those animals do not speak English, otherwise millions of very caring citizens are greatly concerned about issues that no one is able to do anything about.”

Should Morrissey truly wish to pursue office in the British capital, at startling odds to his long-avowed contempt for politics, he must first secure an initial nomination of 330 votes, ten for each borough of London.
He will then have an incredibly difficult campaign to pursue against several candidates supported by the major UK political parties. His prospects would be small at best, but I presume his candidacy and relative celebrity would put the Animal Welfare Party and their agenda on the national media’s radar.

By Sîmbotin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 ro, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21621824

Several websites have breathlessly reported that Castle Bran in Romania is for sale.

Reportedly, Bram Stoker was heavily influenced by a description of this ancient fortress, and his description of the brooding and forbidding home of Count Vlad ‘Dracula’ Dracul in his 1897 novel is massively similar.

However, it is clearly another example of viral media, insufficient verification and totally lacking research. An article by Travel and Leisure Magazine article published last Wednesday (9th March)  is probably at the heart of this rumour; it cites an article from the usually reliable Telegraph of England that is two years old and was refuted by the current owners of the castle.

Astonishingly, leading the way in criticizing this article is none other than the Daily Express, a very right-wing British newspaper with a very unhealthy record on bias, accuracy and all-round hateful rhetoric.

Much like the beloved Count, this story will no doubt continue to rise from its coffin time and again! The Blogging Goth reached out to the popular tourist destination for comment, and will update you – hopefully before the sun rises!

Update: Alex Priscu, a spokesperson for Bran Castle, has responded to our query.

Thank you for contacting us.

We’ve noticed some reports in the media, indicating that Bran Castle was put up for sale. These reports, like so many others regarding Bran Castle being offered for sale, are all based upon various articles from 2007 to 2009, most of which are totally or partially erroneous.
Bran Castle is not on the market, is not listed with any agency and no one is actively seeking buyers.

Furthermore, we’re in the middle of huge investments – renovating and reopening of The Tea House (located in The Royal Park, soon to be opened as a museum restaurant), and renovating and reopening the electric elevator that connects the Castle with the garden, coming down through a shaft dug in solid rock, which will host a comprehensive media show reflecting the history and legends of the Castle.

Clearly, the Castle is something very special and unique. Each year, we receive more than half a million visitors and that number is growing, so to accommodate the increasing interest in the castle and its links to Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, we are constantly adding new exhibit and events. See: www.bran-castle.com

 We hope the information above will clear up your matter sufficiently.

We’re very pleased to have official confirmation that the Castle is not for sale and hope that the next time this article is recycled to fill space, more people will find The Blogging Goth’s coverage!