Sybilla Harvey
Member statistics
- Member since
- 9th July 2008
Sybilla has started an MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths. This is not because she did not know what to do next but because she really likes writing things, especially short stories. You can find her weaving around fables, fantasy, myths, magic and other things beginning with f and m as well as raising her hands and jumping for... Wales, Kevin Shields, nice times at the V&A, planes which take you places and the anticlimax of a fruit tea,
Also likes pic'n'mix. She really does.
Sybilla Harvey's activity
- October 2011
Sybilla Harvey commented on Welsh National Botanical Gardens in Wales, United Kingdom
"598 acres of the Towey Valley of Carmarthenshire belongs to the Welsh National Botanical Gardens and is covered with gardens, lakes and glasshouses growing a huge variety of plants and flowers. Described in a 19th catalogue as “richly ornamented by natur…"
- May 2011
Sybilla Harvey commented on Portmeirion Village in Wales, United Kingdom
"Part of Snowdonia’s coastal region of Gwyned has been transformed into an Italianate resort village. Rumoured to be based on Portofino, the village’s creator, Sir Clough William-Ellis began constructing the site in 1925. Portmeiron has long been a source…"
- November 2009
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow in St Moritz, Switzerland
Divots may be harder to replace at this polo match in St. Moritz. From the end of January through to the first few weeks of February, this four day tournament takes place on a well trusted frozen lake in name of the desirable Cartier trophy. Four of Polo…"
- January 2009
Sybilla Harvey reviewed San Pedro Prison in La Paz, Bolivia
Supposed 'tours' of La Paz's notorious prison have straddled the boundaries of fact and fiction for a few years now. Stories recounted by daring travellers resonate in the ears belonging to the curious; cocaine fuelled visits, enlightening conversations …"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed La Tamborrada in San Sebastian, Spain
On the evening of January 19th windows begin to rattle all in the name of a festival known as La Tamborrada. Once a year the patron saint of Spain’s San Sebastian probably reaches for his earplugs in polite compliance with the country’s decision to host…"
- November 2008
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Lisbon Lounge Hostel in Lisbon, Portugal
Usually when the two words, antique and hostel collide, images of green crumbling tiles and floors peppered with unknown stains and left over crisp packets whose manufacturers long since went into liquidation spring to mind, and quite frankly, haunt us. …"
- October 2008
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Galle Literary Festival in Galle, Sri Lanka
The doors of Sri Lanka’s ancient walled city are opened to the public once a year in the name of literature, photography, music, ecology, architecture and food. Step through the fourth wall and enter a realm where for a few days a year the borders of fic…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Browns Hotel, Laugharne in Wales, United Kingdom
In Dylan Thomas’ 39 years he managed to assign an admirable proportion of time to beer, so much so images of a volatile, drunken man prevail over one of Wales’ greatest literary figures. One of the public houses usually cited in Wales where Thomas regul…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Number 5 Cwmdonkin Drive in Swansea, United Kingdom
Many believe that the idyllic boat house at Laugharne in Carmarthenshire was the keeper of Dylan Thomas’ raging villanelles and stories. It seems however, that an Edwardian period house on the right side of Swansea would have something to say about this…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Mellingray in West Country, United Kingdom
“Death does not always warning give, therefore be careful how you live”, reads a grave inscription not far from Mellingray, a converted barn in North Cornwall. Since it’s opening, unwelcome occurrences and surprise happenings have been reported after sta…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Selfridges in London, United Kingdom
Some might say it was the yellow and black bag which put Oxford Street on the retail map. Since 1909 the imposing grandeur of founder Harry Gordon Selfridges’s department store has witnessed two world wars, the first public demonstration of the televisi…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, United States
Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum caters for those whose ‘things to see before I die lists’ are slightly more obtuse than your average four leaf clover. In 1849, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia used their scientific prowess to found a collection br…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed The Vent Haven Museum in Cincinnati, United States
Dummy phobia has infiltrated the calmest of dispositions over the years. You’re lying awake at night and all of a sudden the weathered eyes of a childhood toy begin to move. They blink, you’re sure of it; a glazed stare twitches… Frankenstein is waking…"
- September 2008
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Camping rafts in the Netherlands in Utrecht, Netherlands
If ever there was a chance to rescue the credibility of the waterbed, this is it. These retro ripples of water have long since had a relationship with the impractical, where some of the most ungraceful exits have been made and where the word kitsch is us…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Ooh la la Vintage in Paris, France
It seems that ‘Ooh la la Vintage’ is the most glamorous of subterfuges. A true vintage fashion enthusiast should show no mercy in uncovering and claiming the trinkets of the most moth ball ridden of pasts. Many an uncomfortable, itching garment has been…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed The Madonna Inn in Salinas, United States
If Barbie and Ken bought a second home, I’d like to think that they would live here. They’d be driving along one sunny Californian day in their jeep, she’d be Roller-disco Barbie, and he’d be Action Ken: “Honey”, she’d say, “I like this one, its pink…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Three Shades of Blue in West Country, United Kingdom
The Gwithian dunes are hiding something. Gazing out over three miles of Cornish beach which form a part of St. Ives, these coastal peaks are usually linked with a little movement known as Modernism, where writers and artists sought a break from the past…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Stay in a Sand Castle in Essaouira, Morocco
A short lope on a camel named after one of the musical icons of the past will bring you to the heart of a hippyscape, otherwise known as the sands of Essaouira. Just west of Marrakech, these plains have been graced by many a guitar wielding soul in the h…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed A tipi in Lake Veluwe in The Netherlands
Classing myself as a valid member of sceptics anonymous, where pessimists and realists alike can ponder over a glass half empty, the possibility of contemplating a stay on an island where we can happily live, learn and sleep side by side with karmas full…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Joshua Tree Dome Home in US West Coast, United States
You can never spend too much time in a geodesic dome. All those triangular elements with their local triangular rigidity whipped up into a near spherical shell structure; they certainly are very fascinating indeed. If a golf ball is the closest you’ve …"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Classic Caravanning on the Isle of Wight in South East England, United Kingdom
Gone are the days when a week off was fuelled by ninety-nines and a deck chair in the garden. Not to mention the disappearance of the “sensible wardrobe” in favour of a shameless sporting of an entire towelling outfit which blends perfectly into wallpap…"
- August 2008
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Lady Chatterley's Lover:penned in Taormina in Sicily, Italy
Since publication, there have been many attempts to sweep Constance Chatterley and Oliver Mellors’ illicit frolics away from the sweetness and light of the demure British public. It seems only fitting therefore that D.H Lawrence’s 1928 novel, “Lady Chat…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Hawaiki Nui in French Polynesia
Think of great sporting events which draw a country to a standstill and an image of burly figures running up and down grass pitches, hurling themselves at balls and referees comes to mind. National sports have the ability to send the least competitive i…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Abergavenny Food Festival in Wales, United Kingdom
This historic market town hosts the famous and ever growing annual food festival in September. Over the course of a weekend, the festival runs cooking workshops, has numerous fresh and organic food stalls and appearances from celebrity chefs like Hugh F…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed St. Fagans National History Museum in Cardiff, United Kingdom
Founded on the grounds of St. Fagans Castle, near Cardiff, this open air museum documents the social history of Wales. Opened to the public in 1948, St.Fagans has recreated scenes from Wales’s past creating scenes of a Celtic village, a mill, a village …"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Oakwood Theme Park in Wales, United Kingdom
Oakwood has a range of rides with exhilarating sounding names. From Megaphobia to Vertigo it seems as if the theme park specialises for those searching for a thrill factor. If however you enjoy the more docile things in life, enjoy the nature of the pa…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, United Kingdom
The stadium looms on the horizon like a giant ship setting sail. It can hold up to 74,500 people and is the home to some of Wales’s beloved rugby internationals as well as various football matches. The stadium’s resident hawk, named Dad, is…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Harlequin Theatre in Wales, United Kingdom
Founded by Eric Brammell in 1958, The Harlequin Theatre is the first permanent puppet theatre in the U.K. Located in Rhos-on-Sea, the theatre specialises in marionettes."
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Tintern Abbey in Wales, United Kingdom
Romantic poets sought a return to nature and the sublime. Wordsworth arguably achieved this “a few miles above” this famous Wye-Valley Abbey. The spectacular Cistercian foundation has an eerie, mystical feel to it, which really comes alive at night when…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Beaches of the Tayrona National Park in Santa Marta, Colombia
"Near to Santa Marta, this national park could be a new chapter of The Jungle Book. If Kipling had visited Columbia, tales of dusky monkeys, red squirrels, coloured peccaries, Caribbean toucans and jaguars all living together would come alive on a page. …"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Withnail and I in London, United Kingdom
Withnail and I (Dir: Bruce Robinson, 1987) Outside the former wolf enclosure, London Zoo, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY The rain is falling heavily in Regent's Park, the sky is grey, wolves prowl in their enclosure and a murky haze floods the screen.…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Las Islas cies in Vigo, Spain
Regularly gracing the lists of the most beautiful beaches in the world, this half moon of soft, white sand is often referred to as Spain’s own “Caribbean Beach”. Open only to the public during the summer season, the beach is part of an uninhabited, glimm…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed The Great Hall of Hogwarts in Oxford, United Kingdom
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Dir: Chris Columbus, 2001) Long before Daniel Radcliffe ever considered branching out into the world of Ricky Gervais comedy and naked stage performances in Equus, he was talking to snakes. London Zoo's Reptil…"
- July 2008
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Priory Bay Hotel in Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Lying between the coastal towns of Bembridge and Sea View, The Priory Bay Hotel is home to a collection of histories, witnessing the times belonging to the medieval monks right the way through to the Georgian gentry. A Virginia Creeper climbs its four w…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed The National Portrait Gallery in London, United Kingdom
This gallery holds around 10,000 items of British portraiture dating from as early as 1505. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings and photographs are set in the heart of Trafalgar Square. Perhaps it can be said that it is a haven for the traditio…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed The Science Museum in London, United Kingdom
Having children is definitely a bonus when it comes to South Kensington’s epicentre of discovery. Museum officials seem to think adults have long grown out of a good old fashioned sleep over, but uncover the secret of “Science Night” and you’ll be wishi…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Eden Project in West Country, United Kingdom
Since early Victorian times, public parks have given visitors the chance to immerse themselves in nature. Armed with friends, a sunny day, and of course, the all important picnic, it is easy to take a snapshot of what the perfect day in the park should …"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Roman Baths in Bath, United Kingdom
Sulis Minerva’s shrine stands in the remains of this beautiful city’s baths. Worshipped as a deity of vitality, nourishment new life, the goddess has watched over the Bath’s famed thermal spas for centuries. Aesthetics are probably no…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Buckingham Palace in London, United Kingdom
This iconic, headline grabbing palace has housed England’s turbulent royal histories since 1837. The gates guarding the majestic site are weathered with times of joy and crisis felt both inside and out. Originally built for the Duke of Buckingham…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Chester Zoo in Liverpool, United Kingdom
In 1930, founder George Mottershead realised his dream of creating a zoo without bars. With over 7000 animals and 400 different species, Chester Zoo is alive with characters from all over the globe who are part of the zoo’s conservation breeding program…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Shakespeare's Houses in Birmingham, United Kingdom
If the thought of Stratford makes “thou sleep’st so sound”, a visit to Shakespeare’s old haunts may not necessarily spur the poetic tempest inside you but perhaps encourage moderate gales. Visit the thatched cottages which house the secrets of Shakespea…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed London Zoo in London, United Kingdom
Although the name Stamford Raffles may bring to mind various creatures which belong in the reptile house, Sir Stamford opened his zoo to the public in 1847. Originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific purpose, London Zoo has undergone …"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Enclave Inn in US East Coast, United States
Known as the “Malibu of the East”, Enclave Inn’s five pristine resorts, found at the east end of Long Island, are nestled minutes away from the Atlantic Ocean. A stay here typifies what the Hamptons have long been about - a chance to escape from the cit…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed The 1770 House in US East Coast, United States
Built over 200 years ago, The 1770 House is surrounded by the leafy East Hampton Village. Enclosed with a white picket fence, its entrance decorated with brimming flower pots, this intimate venue brings Onassis elegance to the traditional English countr…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Praia do Sono Beach in Rio South East, Brazil
“The beach of sleep” is nestled on the edge of the luscious walls belonging to the Mata Atlantica rainforest. People looking for an escape or an easier way of life have been crossing the rough water from Paraty for many years now. The golden sand curve…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Choroni Beach in Venezuela
The journey to this hazy rum-soaked beach may be slightly dramatic, but as soon as you arrive you enter into a microcosm of escape. The long, dramatic road you’ll tread to get here was built by the Italian dictator, Juan Vincente Gomez in 1930 as a get …"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Sandwood Bay in Scotland, United Kingdom
You have to have a certain amount of patience if you choose to visit this secluded Scottish getaway. A car used to be the easiest way of getting there but the gripping North Atlantic wind has slowly eroded the four mile track which leads to the panorami…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Mudeford Beach in Bournemouth, United Kingdom
From above, Mudeford Beach looks as though it is smiling. Triangular points jut out into the harbour, flashing a white sand smile. Two miles from Christchurch, Mudeford beach has a lot to offer. From water sports such as sailing and wind surfing, to d…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed The Vidawa Forests in Fiji
The Vidawa Forests are a wilderness in the heart of Taveuni Island. A network of dense forestry guarding from the blazing sun and rainy seasons. The Vidawa trail through the muddy forest takes you to the historic Navuga site, which dates back to the c…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed The Bouma Waterfalls in Fiji
Taveuni Island is known as the ‘the garden isle’. A short hike into this canopied area of north east Fiji will lead you to Fiji’s most famous falls. Crossing rope bridges and burnt orange paths, you will enter into an acropolis of ferns, palms, Ti plant…"
- November 2007
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Museu Picasso in Barcelona, Spain
Nestled between five medieval palaces in the labyrinth that is Barcelona's Barri Gotic, The Picasso Museum houses an impressive collection of one of Spain's most prolific artists. Among the many paintings, drawings and prints lie two of his first major w…"
Sybilla Harvey reviewed Prospect Park in New York City, United States
Older siblings often over shadow their young, and there is no exception when it comes to the familial relationship between New York’s Central Park and Prospect Park. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed Prospect soon after Manhatten’s Central…"
