Author Archives: Paul Weatherhead

Uri Geller ~ The Album

Weird Musical History #7 In the early 1970s a young Israeli self-proclaimed psychic called Uri Geller made his first appearances in Britain, gaining tabloid headlines and demonstrating his supposedly supernatural powers on TV. The superpower that Geller became best known for was the rather prosaic one of bending spoons with the power of his mind,Continue reading “Uri Geller ~ The Album”

The Paris Vampire – The Vampires That Time Forgot #2

You may have heard of the Highgate Vampire said to have haunted Highgate Cemetery in London in the 1960s and 70s. You may also have heard of the Kirklees Vampire which was supposed to have infested Robin Hood’s grave, near Brighouse in West Yorkshire. However, I recently stumbled upon another ‘real’ vampire case that seemsContinue reading “The Paris Vampire – The Vampires That Time Forgot #2”

Todmorden Ghost Busting Wizard Priest Necromancer’s Xmas Advice

Henry Krabtree, also known as Merlinus Rusticus, was a seventeenth century Todmorden curate – but that’s not all. He had a reputation as a ghost buster, necromancer and healer and did battle with weird demons while at the same time writing arch bitchy comments about his congregation in the parish records. In 1685 he wroteContinue reading “Todmorden Ghost Busting Wizard Priest Necromancer’s Xmas Advice”

Some Headless Xmas Ghosts

Hannah Grundy – the Headless Ghost of Staithes If you take a night walk on the beach near the North Yorkshire fishing village of Staithes at Christmas, you might see an eerie transparent figure floating down from the towering coastal cliffs. As the shape comes closer, it crosses a bridge and comes onto the beachContinue reading “Some Headless Xmas Ghosts”

The Skoptsy – Russia’s Weird Castration Cult

This may sting a little. Away from the prying eyes of the orthodox authorities, a group of believers gather secretly in a Saint Petersburg cellar. They chant the name of Jesus Christ as if it were a mantra and enter a state of rapturous exaltation before dancing and spinning like dervishes singing, prophesying and howlingContinue reading “The Skoptsy – Russia’s Weird Castration Cult”

Monster Bats Attack!

Here are some gobbets of strange and horrible vampire history from the late nineteenth century… Monster Bat Attacks Baby In Hampshire in November 1880, a woman put her baby to sleep in its cradle one afternoon. The room had an old fireplace but no fire, so the woman put a paraffin lamp on the hobContinue reading “Monster Bats Attack!”

How I Built a Portal to Another Dimension in my Teenage Bedroom

If you want to build one for yourself, then read on. In my early teens I devoured books on the occult, UFOs, ESP and especially astral projection. Astral projection is where your astral body, a kind of spooky facsimile of your physical body, floats free of your corporeal self. This means you can fly aroundContinue reading “How I Built a Portal to Another Dimension in my Teenage Bedroom“

The Bound and Gagged Girl ~ A Lancashire Mystery

Hilda Sharrock (18), a domestic servant living in Rufford, near Ormskirk in Lancashire had failed to come home at her usual time after meeting a friend. By 11.15pm, her father and stepmother were becoming concerned – Hilda was a home-loving young woman, fond of knitting and engaged to a young haulage driver who was awayContinue reading “The Bound and Gagged Girl ~ A Lancashire Mystery”

Splatter Platters – Top Ten Teen Tragedy Death Discs

Weird Musical History #6 One of the strangest sub-genres of pop music and one that I have a macabre affection for is the death disc – songs of teenage tragedy – that rode high in the charts of the early 1960s. These splatter platters told tragic stories of teenagers and their loved ones meeting stickyContinue reading “Splatter Platters – Top Ten Teen Tragedy Death Discs“