In late August 1884, two pale and trembling strangers entered the White Lion Inn in the Midlands village of Ivy Church Green. They both sank a pint of ale to steady their clearly frayed nerves, and the landlord and the regulars looked on with interest. What had terrified the two men so? Eventually, one ofContinue reading “Ghost Versus Demon!”
Author Archives: Paul Weatherhead
Old Mother Damnable: A Christmas Witch Story from 1734
All About our Coal Fire: Christmas Entertainments (1734) is an influential and charming comic portrayal of all the customs of Christmas. The book describes feasts, silly games, drinking and scary stories around the hearth. It was popular for many years and probably influenced Dickens. The stories and legends in the book (such as the oneContinue reading “Old Mother Damnable: A Christmas Witch Story from 1734”
Mystery Christmas Drones: Ghost Riders in the Sky
Sinister mystery drones are haunting American air bases in the UK. Swarms of similar drones have been flitting around military bases in New Jersey and other parts of the USA. Some say the drones are spying on sensitive areas, others say they are testing air defences. Some think it’s preparation for an all out attackContinue reading “Mystery Christmas Drones: Ghost Riders in the Sky”
The First UFOs over Todmorden
Todmorden has a reputation as a UFO hotspot largely due to the UFO sighting of PC Alan Godfrey in November 1980. The story has everything – a mysterious death, teleporting cows, a flying saucer, a scoundrel hypnotist, alien abduction and a space dog. For the full story, see my book Weird Calderdale. However, I thinkContinue reading “The First UFOs over Todmorden”
The London Monster
In 1790, Georgian London was haunted by a Monster. No woman was safe. Typically, he would approach a pretty young lady as she walked home and make lewd comments to her, and then he would attack her with a blade. Sometimes the blade would be attached to his knee and he would kick his victimContinue reading “The London Monster”
Skeleton Catches Burglar… and the Viking hoaxes of Frank Cowan
In 1874, a macabre and bizarre criminal fail was widely reported in the UK press – a burglar was captured by a skeleton. In January 1874, so the story goes, two unnamed burglars broke into a doctor’s surgery in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. While one of the men explored one part of the room with the lanternContinue reading “Skeleton Catches Burglar… and the Viking hoaxes of Frank Cowan”
Old Leathery Coit Rides Again… in the 1970s
Delivering newspapers on a dark winter morning in Elland in the late 1970s, a young lad had a terrifying encounter with one of Calderdale’s best known spooks – Old Leathery Coit. This forgotten ghostly adventure only came to light after I discussed Leathery Coit on BBC Radio Leeds in August. Listen to the interview here.Continue reading “Old Leathery Coit Rides Again… in the 1970s”
Satie’s Vexations: Weird Musical History #14
On 21 February 1970, pianist Peter Evans sat at a piano in Watter’s Gallery, Sydney and prepared himself for a performance of French composer Erik Satie’s 1893 composition Vexations. The piece is notorious for its weird intervals and disturbing effects on both the performer and audience… and the fact that Satie gave instructions that theContinue reading “Satie’s Vexations: Weird Musical History #14”
Doomsday Herrings and Fishy Farts
Norwegian fishermen were astonished when they landed a most strange and portentous fish on the 26 November 1597. On one side of the 14 inch long herring was the image of two soldiers in combat wearing military helmets, with one waving a sword while being struck in the belly by the other’s lance. Next toContinue reading “Doomsday Herrings and Fishy Farts”
Horny Demons: Incubi and Succubi
If you lived in seventeenth century Italy and wanted to know about Demoniality – carnal relations with demons – the man to speak to was Father Lodovico Maria Sinistrari. As well as being a Franciscan monk, consultant to the Holy Inquisition and lecturer in philosophy and theology, he was the authority on demonic sex. InContinue reading “Horny Demons: Incubi and Succubi”
Paul Weatherhead 