Scott Wood - London Urban Legends

[dem bones]

Scott Wood - London Urban Legends: The Corpse on the Tube and Other Stories (History Press, Nov. 2013)

Acknowledgements
Introduction

London Phrase and Fable
The Hidden Insult
The Queen's Head and the Krays' Arms
The Genitals of London
Legends of Rock
New Legends as Old
Legendary Landmarks
The Suicidal Sculptor
The Devils of Cornhill
The Misadventures of Brandy Nan
Plague Pits
Subterranean Secrets
The Corpse on the Tube
The Stranger's Warning
Nazis Over London
Criminal Lore
London Blades
The Accidental Theft
Concrete Jungle
The Fantastic Urban Fox
Where the Wild Things Are
Folklore and Fakelore

Bibliography

Blurb:
How long has a corpse been staring out at passengers on the tube? Was London Bridge really shipped abroad by an American thinking he’d bought Tower Bridge? Did the Queen really mix with the crowds as a princess on VE Day? And did Hitler actually want to live in Balham? Where are there razor blades hidden and where did all these parakeets come from? Did they really belong to Jimi Hendrix?

Urban legends are the funny, frightening and fierce folklore people share. Just like the early folk tales that came before them, which were attempts to explain the spiritual world, these tales are formed from reactions to spectacular events in the modern world, and reflect our current values. From royal rumours to subterranean legends, Scott Wood has researched and written about them with a sense of wonder, humour and a keen eye. He finds the truth, the myth and the lies amongst these tales.

Had this from the library recently. As with One-Eyed Grey, to which Mr. Wood was (is still?) a regular contributor, London Urban Legends is an ideal read for off-peak tube journeys. The chapters are short and snappy, heavy on hoax-busting, and I'd imagine, there is much material ripe for recycling by macabre authors, most notably those pertaining to the Plague Pits and the ever-popular dead passenger riding the Circle & District line. Did the late Bob Blockbusters Holness really perform the sax riff on Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street and cause Elvis to dissolve into manic laughter during his live rendition of Are You Lonesome Tonight? Did Whitechapel's infamous Blind Beggar pub take its name from body-snatcher William Hare? Can you piss on a live rail and survive? Was disappointed to discover that the Small Faces Itchycoo Park was not after all inspired by a visit to Altab Ali Park (née, St. Mary's), the discerning local street-drinker's hang-out of choice!

[Jojo Lapin X]

The transition of London Bridge plays a central role in Ulli Lommel's very interesting "slasher film"/psychological thriller OLIVIA (1983).

[dem bones]

Dec 10, 2014 6:14:05 GMT Jojo Lapin X said:

The transition of London Bridge plays a central role in Ulli Lommel's very interesting "slasher film"/psychological thriller OLIVIA (1983).

In recent years, several of the popular myths were explored in Whitechapel, the horror of Berkley Square, Spring-heeled Jack, subterranean cannibals and, unless my memory is playing tricks, the sewer pig of Hampstead among them. William Hare was thrown into a lime pit by an angry mob in Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde, hence the "blindness" that led to a local pub being "named after him."

[valdemar]

The Bob Holness 'Baker Street Sax Solo' was invented by the very affable music journalist, and BBC radio presenter Stuart Maconie. When he worked for the NME. in the 80's , he was put in charge of a 'news' column. If it was a slow week, he would, for the hell of it, invent a headline or two. Most slipped past the Editor, but the 'Did you know the presenter of TV's 'Blockbuster' show, Bob Holness, played the iconic saxophone break on Gerry Rafferty's massive hit 'Baker Street'?' item stirred up a lot of reader response. By the way, the sax was actually played by a guy called Raf Ravenscroft. Luckily for Maconie, the NME editor saw the funny side, and told him to fill the rather staid 'news' column with more doubtful facts.[and thus Wikipedia was born] This was revealed in Maconie's brilliant memoir, 'Cider With Roadies', which I can recommend heartily.

P.S. The 'Blind Beggar' pub name is far older than Burke & Hare - it could refer to Henry de Montfort in the 13th century, or even Biblical tales.

[jamesdoig]

Jan 25, 2015 8:16:36 GMT valdemar said:

P.S. The 'Blind Beggar' pub name is far older than Burke & Hare - it could refer to Henry de Montfort in the 13th century, or even Biblical tales.

I've got this Penny Blood from the 1840s in which de Montford is transposed to the 15th c. Seems to have been a popular legend.