In the summer of 1924, a shroud of mystery descended on the West Yorkshire village of Eldwick, near Bingley. Rumour had it that a beautiful but excitable young woman whose only companion was a grey cat had taken up residence in a cave in the nearby popular beauty spot of Shipley Glen. On her visitsContinue reading “Yorkshire Cave Girl Mystery!”
Author Archives: Paul Weatherhead
Attack of the North Sea Monster!
Fishermen are known for their tall tales, but few are as tall as the tale told of the gigantic fire breathing sea serpent that attacked a Scottish trawler in 1903. Reports of sea monsters were fairly common in the newspapers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but the desperate battle between the crew ofContinue reading “Attack of the North Sea Monster!”
Monster Fly Attacks Yorkshire!
A monster fly three feet in length and with an 18 inch dagger like tongue caused mayhem when it escaped from a laboratory and went on the rampage in Yorkshire in February, 1932. This is according to a contemporary Bulgarian newspaper and reported by Reuters in several British papers a few months later when itContinue reading “Monster Fly Attacks Yorkshire!”
What did the atheist philosopher see when he returned from the dead?
In June 1988 atheist philosopher A.J. Ayer was recovering in hospital after a bout of pneumonia. Not wanting to eat hospital food, one of his lady friends had smuggled in some smoked salmon for him, and when he carelessly dropped some of this into his mouth it got stuck in his throat and he chokedContinue reading “What did the atheist philosopher see when he returned from the dead?”
Weird Musical History #3 ~ The Elvis Presley Séance (1979)
Two years after Elvis Presley died, a seance was arranged in a North London Spiritualist Church. The aim was to contact the King of Rock and Roll from beyond the grave. The event was recorded and released as a vinyl LP by Shadow Records in 1979. The event is narrated by the softly spoken RadioContinue reading “Weird Musical History #3 ~ The Elvis Presley Séance (1979)”
Needle-Spiking Hysteria ~ A Brief History
Imagine sinister predatory men armed with syringes dripping with date rape drugs stalking nightclubs and festivals hunting for unsuspecting young women. The hapless victims may know nothing of the attack when it happens. Or they might notice a slight pricking sensation somewhere about their body. Soon, they feel dizzy, nauseous or intoxicated. They may passContinue reading “Needle-Spiking Hysteria ~ A Brief History”
The Quack That Cured The King
This is the story of the Rochdale quack that cured the King of England.[i] The king was George the Third, the so called mad king who lost America. The quack was John Taylor, one of the so called Whitworth Doctors, an extended family of practitioners based in the village of Whitworth, near Rochdale. The conditionContinue reading “The Quack That Cured The King”
Demonic Possession in Lancashire ~ The Surey Demoniack
What should you do if your son is possessed by the devil? Why, turn him into a demonic freakshow and invite the drunken public to come and gawp at him as he gibbers, capers and blasphemes, of course! Well, that’s what happened in this weird case of demonic possession from 17th century Lancashire… Richard DugdaleContinue reading “Demonic Possession in Lancashire ~ The Surey Demoniack”
Weird Musical History 2 ~ Musaire! Calderdale’s Unsung Pioneer of Electronic Music
In the spring of 1950, an unsung pioneer of electronic music and variety star returned to his native Calderdale for a series of concerts at the Drill Hall, Halifax as part of the Halifax Home and Industrial Exhibition.[i] His name was Joseph Forest Whiteley, but he was best known by his stage name Musaire becauseContinue reading “Weird Musical History 2 ~ Musaire! Calderdale’s Unsung Pioneer of Electronic Music”
When Ghost Hoaxes Go Bad…
Playing the ghost – dressing in a white sheet, devil mask or animal skin and then jumping out on innocent victims to scare the wits out of them in dark and lonely locations – was a popular but much frowned upon pastime in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was assumed that delicate ladiesContinue reading “When Ghost Hoaxes Go Bad…”
Paul Weatherhead 