Glastonbury Downs

The Glastonbury Downs neighborhood of Raven's Grove is celebrated by locals and tourists alike for it's hundred percent authenticity. The neighborhood is laid out like a beautiful spot in the English countryside, and features the exact architecture and pace of life one would find in a true British estate.

History and Demographics
City records indicate that the very first resident of the neighborhood was Mr. Douglas Glastonbury of Liverpool, his wife Madeline, and their two sons Daniel and Jacob in the winter of 1923. Madeline suffered from an almost debilitating homesickness, prompting Glastonbury to build her an English country house. The Glastonbury House remains the center point of the neighborhood today, and has been declared a landmark. The Glastonbury family still owns the home and property.

The families that followed were almost all of the expats from the United Kingdom. Inspired by the Glastonbury house they too built homes based on English architecture at the time, and the sheer beauty of the neighborhood began to draw in tourists, The influx of tourist dollars allowed the neighborhood to flourish and grow, and it was officially incorporated into the city of Raven's Grove in 1929.

The residents of the neighborhood were quick to seize on opportunities to shill the tourists' wallets and began opening their own homes as bed and breakfasts. Authentic pubs sprouted up, and those that were fortunate in their wealth also built country houses. By 1932 stepping into Glastonbury Downs was like stepping directly into the English countryside. But as often happens, tragedy was quickly on the heels of success.

Although the neighborhood did much to alleviate Madeline Glastonbury's homesickness, it did nothing to free her from the shackles of clinical depression. In 1933 she committed suicide by hanging herself from the top floor banister of her home.

Madeline's suicide utterly destroyed her husband. Bereft of the one thing in the world that meant everything to him he was quick to follow, sickening and passing on within a year of his beloved wife. The family doctor held firm to a personal belief that Glastonbury had died of a broken heart, and his wealth was divided between his two sons. The brothers were not fond of each other. Daniel, older of the two by two years, felt that as the eldest son he was entitled to the entire sum of wealth and sued his brother to have the will contested. The legal battle continued until 1946, when it was finally decided once and for all by a good old fashioned pistol duel. Jacob was the quicker of the two shots and killed his brother. The family fortune past entirely to him, but there was still no peace. During the years that the will was litigated both brothers had married and had children of their own; and an inevitably family feud resulted that tore the Glastonbury family apart. Even today the feud continues, with the descendants of Daniel and Jacob continuing to engage in Cold War tactics against each other.

Glastonbury Downs today is comprised of many businesses that are owned in whole or in part by members of the Glastonbury family, and remains a huge tourist draw because of the almost mandated expectation that the neighborhood maintains the feel and appearance of a town in he British countryside. It has many pubs, restaurants, authentic inns, and bed and breakfasts that are all too happy to give the chap on holiday the authentic British experience that he seeks out. Specific areas of the neighborhood correlate to very specific lifestyles, one can literally walks from the British experience, to the Irish experience, and from the Irish experience, to homes and businesses run exclusively by and catering happily to Scots.

As of the 2010 United States Census the makeup of the Glastonbury Downs was 92.9% Caucasian, 4.1% African-American, 2.8% Asian, 1.o% Latino, and 0.8% Other Races.

Politics and Local Government
Most of the politics of Glastonbury Downs is Liberal Democratic. The Downs focus mostly on education, and has the highest number of schools in Raven's Grove, which includes the Raven's Grove Adult Academy and the Raven's Grove Municipal College. Both are institutions considered to be second only the the majestic Raven's Grove School for Girls.

Residents of the Downs come almost exclusively from from English, Irish, and Scots backgrounds. Many families have lived in the Downs since it's inception, and although the Downs are a very popular destination for tourists, newcomers moving into the Downs hoping to settle in roots may find themselves kept at a cool and aloof arms distance until their family origin and time to get to know the newcomers has happened, a process which can take many years.

Notable Places
Glastonbury Downs is largely a tourist attraction, and has several amenities designed to seperate the tourist from his money. The following three are the most noted places within the Downs.

1. The Golden Knight: The Golden Knight has been operating continuously since Glastonbury Downs was established and is considered the finest British pub in the area. Tourists and locals alike pack the Knight every single night, enjoying beers, lagers, and ales imported directly from England as well as authentic 'pub grub' dishes such as Steak and Kidney Pie, Lancashire Hot Pot, and of course Fish and Chips. The owners of the Golden Knight are the married team of Glenn and Trish McCarthy, fourth generation owners of the business and always present on site to greet their friends and customers.

2. The British History Museum: This museum, located on a ten acre plot, includes objects and artifacts from Britain's prehistoric days through the Iron Age. It also includes a large public library which offers books on history, biographies, folklore, legends, and lore from Great Britain. The Museum also offers a splendid rose and flower garden modelled to be identical to that found at Buckingham Palace.

3. Legoland Glastonbury: Favored especially by children, Legoland Glastonbury is a resort and theme park that operates year round, closed only on Christmas Day. In common with other Legoland resorts across the world, Legoland Glastonbury consists of Lego themed rides, models, and building workshops.

4. The Karby Lighthouse is the only lighthouse found in Raven's Grove, helpfully directing ships of all sizes to the port in Nightfall Terrace to the north. The lighthouse was built in 1820, making it one of the oldest structures in Raven's Grove and it also has the distinction of being the city's first named historical landmark. Although privately owned and operated and not open to the public, the lighthouse has a reputation for being haunted. Local legend tells the story of a young beauty named Anasmit Ana whom was engaged to the lighthouse keeper Brian McCurry. It's written that McCurry fell in love with another woman and when Ana protested, he murdered her by hurling her from the top of the lighthouse into the rocky sea below. Now, Ana's spirit is believed the haunt the lighthouse seeking revenge on the family of the man whom took her life. The owners of the lighthouse refuse to comment on whether or not they have ever experienced any odd phenomena in the building.

5. The Parlor Trick is Glastonbury Downs' only magic club. Prestidigitators from all walks of life come here to perform, socialize, and share tricks of the trade. The Parlor Trick is open every night, but performances only take place Thursday through Sunday evenings. One very off but popular rumor around Raven's Grove is that the Parlor Trick is a favorite haunt of vampires.

Notable People
The following people make their homes in Glastonbury Downs.

1. Gregory Atherton, award winning British chef. Originally from London, Chef Atherton moved to the Downs in 1983 and was hired to become the head chef for the Golden Knight, a position he continues to hold today. Friends and very close acquaintances of the Chef are often invited to after-hours parties at the Knight, where the Chef will prepare a four course menu of updated British classic dishes using classic French cooking techniques.

2. James Belasco, actor and producer. A-List actor James Belasco is known to make his home in Glastonbury Downs, and his presence alone can draw crowds into the neighborhood in the hopes of catching a glimpse or an autograph from this Academy Award winning dramatic method actor.

3. Alexa Woodbridge owns and operate the Parlor Trick, Glastonbury Downs' only magic club. Now in her sixties, Ms. Woodbridge has the distinction of spending the decade of the 1980s as the assistant for such magic legends as Doug Henning, Mark Wilson, and the fabled David Copperfield. She loves to regale any who will listen about this decade, when she was young and beautiful, and people think that she's crazy when she insists that Copperfield was "the real thing."