The West Yorkshire town of Pudsey, about halfway between Leeds and Bradford, famously gave its name to Pudsey the Bear in the BBC Children in Need charity campaigns. But it also gave its name to a far more sinister figure that haunted the nightmares of many: the Pudsey Bitch Daughter… You find yourself suddenly awakeContinue reading “The Pudsey Bitch Daughter”
Category Archives: Weird Psychology
Bristol Needle Spiking: Getting to the Point
The needle spiking social panic has reared its pointy head again, this time in the nightclubs of Bristol. ITV news reported recently that Bristol University students Ella and Sophie (not their real names) had a ‘drink or two’ in their flat before heading to a nightclub.[i] The practice of having a few drinks before goingContinue reading “Bristol Needle Spiking: Getting to the Point”
Russkies Zap Yank Spooks with Mind Melting Ray Gun!
Ooooh! Those Russians… (Boney M) Those nefarious Russians have been up to no good, as usual. According to a recently published joint report by US current affairs show 60 Minutes, German legacy newspaper Der Spiegel and NATO apologist website The Insider, nasty Russians have been zapping our poor freedom and democracy loving spies and diplomatsContinue reading “Russkies Zap Yank Spooks with Mind Melting Ray Gun!”
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?”
The Corsets of Immortality: Professor Charles Munter
In June 1912 over one hundred music teachers, singers and physicians gathered at the New York Music Teaching Convention at Columbia University. They were to witness an extraordinary musical demonstration that seemed to come straight out of a lurid novel. Professor Charles Munter, a little man in a white suit and green waistcoat, introduced theContinue reading “The Corsets of Immortality: Professor Charles Munter”
Kidnapped! The Amazing Adventure of Emily Raynor
In September 1897, the strange story of Emily Raynor mesmerised the British public. It was a tale of sinister men in black, hypnotism, abduction and an innocent girl who narrowly avoided a life of slavery in an Ottoman bordello… The Lady Vanishes Emily Raynor (19) was the daughter of a doctor and a nurse fromContinue reading “Kidnapped! The Amazing Adventure of Emily Raynor”
Top Three Extraordinary Popular Delusions of the Modern Day
In 1841, journalist Charles Mackay wrote a remarkable book titled Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, one of my favourite books. In it he examined what happens when nations and even continents go mad so that ‘millions of people become simultaneously impressed with one delusion, and run after it, till their attention isContinue reading “Top Three Extraordinary Popular Delusions of the Modern Day”
The UFO Cult That Saved the World
In December 1954, a close-knit group of believers were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the flying saucer that was to save them from an apocalyptic flood they believed would destroy the USA. The Chicago UFO cult predicted that the whole continent would be submerged on 21 December, though the true believers would be whisked awayContinue reading “The UFO Cult That Saved the World”
Vape Spiking – Smoke Without Fire?
A new danger for festival and party-goers emerged this summer – vape spiking. A stranger approaches a young woman and asks if she wants have a go on his vape, something that young people often do to try new flavours. Soon after the victim becomes dizzy, nauseous and loses control of her body before passingContinue reading “Vape Spiking – Smoke Without Fire?”
It was 80 years ago today… Cycling Scientists on Acid
Weird Musical History 10 – Bike Psych On the 19 April 1943 chemist Albert Hofmann became the first person in history to give themselves a dose of a newly synthesised mind-altering drug. When things got too weird in his laboratory, he went on a psychedelic bicycle ride home through the mother of all bad trips.Continue reading “It was 80 years ago today… Cycling Scientists on Acid”
Paul Weatherhead 