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”
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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”
Churn Milk Joan: Lonely Stone Tells her tales
Secret lovers’ trysts, a deal with the devil, a vengeful ghost, pennies from heaven, the plague and killer foxes… all have been associated with one of my favourite standing stones – Churn Milk Joan. The stone stands around 7 feet tall on the outskirts of Midgely Moor overlooking the Calder Valley, and although it probablyContinue reading “Churn Milk Joan: Lonely Stone Tells her tales”
Hooded Giant Terrorises Yorkshire City! The Bradford Ghost
In September 1926, fear, panic and hysteria haunted the West Yorkshire city of Bradford. A giant ghostly figure in a hooded white cloak stalked the night streets terrorising the locals and then vanishing into the labyrinthine ginnels or over the rooftops. Armed mobs of vigilantes roamed the streets hunting for the Bradford Ghost, who wasContinue reading “Hooded Giant Terrorises Yorkshire City! The Bradford Ghost”
The Deadly Embrace of the Devil Fish!
Devils of the Sea Pity the poor octopus. They only live for a year, but they have a weird alien like intelligence that’s diffused through their arms – a different way of being clever. Their weird appearance, though, engendered fear and loathing and monster octopus like creatures – Sea Devils – featured in a numberContinue reading “The Deadly Embrace of the Devil Fish!”
Who Killed Navalny?
The death of Alexey Navalny in a Siberian prison on 16 February 2024 has been met with ghoulish glee by western news outlets. It’s an unmissable opportunity for an orgy of hypocrisy, sanctimony and demonisation of the Big Bad Bear. Navalny was just the kind of Russian politician that the West loved. He had allContinue reading “Who Killed Navalny?”
Terror in Todmorden: Who was the Tod Shaker?
Over Christmas 1903 Todmorden was under a reign of terror, according to local and national press. For over two weeks at the end of December, a series of bizarre attacks by a strange new ‘bogey man’ created a sense of panic and alarm on the Yorkshire-Lancashire border. Just who was this bogey man, asked theContinue reading “Terror in Todmorden: Who was the Tod Shaker?”
Buried Alive!
Imagine being woken by the soft thud of loose soil falling on wood. Lying in the darkness you wonder where you are or how you got there, but as you try to move you realise you’re confined in a narrow box. Then the full horror of the situation hits you, but your screams are muffledContinue reading “Buried Alive!”
Paul Weatherhead 