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Post by dem bones on Jul 4, 2022 20:23:14 GMT
Marc Alexander - Haunted Inns (Frederick Muller, 1973) Sandra Biggs List of Plates Introduction
Phantom Coaches With Their Own Eyes Classic Cases Lost Lovers Without Explanation Smugglers' Haunts Fading Phantoms Brief Encounters Midnight Hags Faithful unto Death Murder, Bloody Murder A Touch of Royalty Sounds Supernatural Unholy Orders Shades of History No More A-Haunting Dorothy Forster
IndexBlurb: Throughout the centuries smugglers, highwaymen, persecuted priests, fugitives — both political and criminal — and, of course, millions of honest travellers have looked to the English inn for shelter and comfort. As a setting for human drama it is without equal and, inevitably, many of England’s inns are reputed to be haunted. Marc Alexander has spent three years visiting inns from Penzance to the Border and has selected over fifty of the most fascinating examples of such manifestations for inclusion in this book. He relates not only the legends and stories associated with the haunting but, where possible, describes the history and background of each inn and its environs. Not surprisingly, a supernatural element is good for business, and the author has taken care, therefore, to include only those in which the authenticity of accounts and sincerity of eye-witnesses are beyond question.
Apart from the intriguing, and often tragic, personal histories revealed in the book, Haunted Inns provides a unique guide to some of England’s most curious, most historically interesting, and yet frequently overlooked buildings and localities.
Illustrated with line drawings by Sandra Biggs and the author’s own photographs. The result of a three-year pub crawl across England at close of which, author compiled the 50-plus best authenticated most colourful and/ or macabre ghost legends he'd transcribed into this winning greatest hits selection. I'm maybe two thirds through (been jumping in and out all over the place) and, as with his Haunted Houses You May Visit, there's na'ary a dull entry. In no particular order, sample star turns include; 'Mad Maude,' the luckless nun of Brackley, burnt at the stake in the grounds of Weston Manor for breaking her vow of chastity with a Monk. Her ghost reputedly haunts the best bedroom of the Weston Manor Hotel; 'Sukie,' the amorous barmaid of the George & Dragon, West Wycombe, who met her end in the tunnels below Sir Francis Dashwood's Mausoleum, tragic victim of a cruel prank gone wrong; 'Bloody' Judge Jeffrey's - "a nasty old man, crouched by the fireplace" - and his partner, a vicious Miss Whiplash, at Chough's Hotel, Chard, though, strangely, no mention of Jeffrey's prolonged season haunting Wapping's Prospect of Whitby (author displays aversion to London venues throughout); the headless woman of The Headless Woman, near Tarporley, Cheshire (an aged servant to a Royalist family, torture-porned to death by Roundheads); the Phantom leper of the Bird Cage Inn, Thame; the flagrant Grey Lady of the Garrick's Head, Bath, and the Green lady of room 14 of the Golden Lion, St. Ives (haunted portrait action); the phantom skittler of the Holman Clavel, and so on and so on. The Sun, Axilby, Lincs., is the only premises I know of, licensed or otherwise, can boast a resident ghost in chains. Tom Otter was gibbeted at Drisney Nook for murdering his new bride with a hedge stake ("That will finish my bloody wedding!" Just his bad luck John Dunkerley, the local Peeping Tom, who'd trailed the couple from the pub in anticipation of a good show, witnessed all from behind a bush). The following year's companion volume, Haunted Castles is more of the same, just with turrets, moats and the Loch Ness monster.
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Post by dem bones on Jul 5, 2022 14:39:09 GMT
Mrs. Blythe, landlady of the Headless Woman, Tarporley: Haunted portrait of Cromwell's alleged mistress. 'the Green Lady,' at the Golden Lion, St. Ives. Photo's © Marc Alexander A contemporary review:
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Post by dem bones on Jul 13, 2022 5:11:20 GMT
Marc Alexander - Haunted Castles (Frederick Muller, 1974) List of Plates Introduction
Royal Ghosts Edward II's Ghostly Legacy The Terrible Tower Murder Most Foul Phantom Drummers The Lady is a Ghost The Sisters of Berry Pomeroy Feuding Phantoms Lovers Beyond the Tomb A Curse on your Castle Ghosts of the Round Table Castles of Mystery The Monster of Urquhart Harbingers of Doom Ghostly Echoes The Enchanted Coast Haunted Castles of Wales Lakeland Ghosts The Haunted Border The Stalking Dead Fyvie of the Weeping Stone Unholy Hermitage Glamis - Most Haunted of All Hauntings in Brief
Visiting Haunted Castles IndexBlurb: Many of Britain's castles are haunted, and the ghosts are unique by nature of their surroundings. Casements, towers and turrets witnessed the turmoil of the changing times, both political and criminal, and they hold many secrets - the ruins we uncover today are what once were the scenes of betrayal, murder, siege, and heartbroken lovers. Shadows that glide quietly among the grey stones are just beyond our reach; some are recognisable as the people they once were, others re-enact their silent torture, stretching out to those who do not understand.
Marc Alexander, through years of travel and research, discusses over a hundred reputedly haunted castles, often giving the history of the castle itself as well as any known reasons behind the restless phantoms. The author also discusses vampires, the Loch Ness Monster, hauntings in the Tower of London, and aural hauntings.
Illustrated with 18th century engravings and the author's own photographs. Another contemporary review ....
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Post by helrunar on Jul 13, 2022 13:09:28 GMT
Grand stuff. Poor Nessie. Just because she's naughty some wretched churchman has to call her EEEE-vil.
cheers, Hel
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Post by dem bones on Jul 14, 2022 19:03:20 GMT
Grand stuff. Poor Nessie. Just because she's naughty some wretched churchman has to call her EEEE-vil. cheers, Hel She(?)'s survived worse. The Monster had a particularly crap time of it during the spring of 2001, when Jan Ove Sundberg of the Global Underwater Search Team (GUST) announced his intention of deep-scanning the Loch to locate the beast, whereupon his team would trap it and obtain a skin sample. The Monster hunt attracted much media attention, so we none of us should have been surprised when Britain's undisputed #1 King of witches, Kevin Carlyon showed up to leech Sunberg's publicity scupper the operation with powerful spells. The Monster sensibly kept its head down until both parties had fucked off home.
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Post by Dr Strange on Jul 14, 2022 21:16:17 GMT
Not according to this recent theory -
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Post by helrunar on Jul 15, 2022 3:45:25 GMT
Awesome! And once again we return to the late Guy N. Smith's memorable line about solid quivering male flesh.
Thanks, Dr Strange!
cheers, Hel.
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Post by dem bones on Jun 22, 2023 8:04:38 GMT
David Bradon & Alan Brooke - Haunted London Underground (History Press, 2008) Introduction
London and its Underground Railways A Few Words about Ghosts Haunted Underground Stations A to Z Other Hauntings Closed Railway Stations Defunct Underground Stations 'Ghost' Steam Trains The Haunted Underground in Film, Television and BooksBlurb: LONDON'S UNDERGROUND is associated with a multitude of ghostly stories and sightings, particularly on stations and abandoned lines, many of which are in close proximity to burial sites from centuries ago. This chilling book reveals well-known and hitherto unpublished tales of spirits, spectres and other spooky occurrences on one of the oldest railway networks in the world.
The stories of sightings include the ghost of an actress regularly witnessed on Aldywch Station and the 'Black Nun' at Bank Station. Eerie noises, such as the cries of thirteen-year- old Anne Naylor, who was murdered in 1758 near to the site of what is now Farringdon Station, and the screams of children who were in an accident at Bethnal Green Station during Second World War, are still heard echoing. These and many more ghostly accounts are recorded in fascinating detail in this book, which is a must-read for anyone interested in the mysterious and murky history of London's Underground.100 pages of ghosts, urban legend, fact, 'fact' and folklore. Cast includes Anne 'the shrieking spectre of Farringdon' Naylor, a thirteen-year-old workhouse girl tortured to death by Sarah Metyard and daughter in 1758; the Black Nun of Bank, pining for the brother who died in disgrace on the gallows; the faceless blonde of Beckontree; Princess Amen-Ra, the unquiet Egyptian mummy of British Museum station who may or may not have sunk The Titanic; plague pit revenants and subterranean cannibals, lying in wait for lone last train travellers to snatch from the platform; the red scarfed woman of Ickenham — did she jump or was she pushed? Also, a brief guide to derelict stations, including Aldwych (favoured by theatre ghosts), Brompton Road, the aforementioned British Museum, St. Mary's (Whitechapel Road) and Hampstead's "Bull & Bush;" a movie poster banned from station display as "too gory," and the story behind the lovely commemorative plaque on the gate of Cross Bones graveyard. Entries on the Bethnal Green and Moorgate tragedies sensitively handled.
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Post by dem bones on Jun 23, 2023 9:27:29 GMT
Andrew Green - Unknown Ghosts of the South East: Edited by Trish Jones (S.B. Publications, 2005) Blurb: Just who is the small boy seen at Folkestone's Martello tower and who walks the stairs of a Battle hotel? In this collection of unidentified ghosts, strange sightings and unexplained events, the writer Andrew Green, with 60 years experience in paranormal investigation has brought together reports from Kent, Sussex and Surrey.
Will anyone uncover the identity of the mysterious figure at Michelham Priory or of the man in a 'funny black hat' seen at Waterstone's bookshop in Guildford?The 'Spectre Inspector's seventeenth and final book, posthumously published a year on from his death. Hauntings include; the phantom Quaker of the Cobham Riding Centre, built on the site of Aldington, a 'lost' village decimated by the Black Death; a monk, a woman in a long blue dress and a "crisis apparition" of Terry Waite in Canterbury Cathedral; a grey gowned governess and the ghost of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Highham Park; the phantom organist of Rose Hill Bingo Hall; "Knicker twister," the bra-pilfering, lingerie-scattering poltergeist of 'Pillow Talk,' late of 13 Marine Drive, Margate; Rye's phantom civil war dualists in a bedroom of the Mermaid's inn; the bogus medium of the Wish Tower, Eastbourne, and a phantom jealous woman of the Grantley Arms, Wonersh; a spectral attack on the Battlewood Nursing home, etc. A possible explanation for the relative unfamiliarity of the majority is a collective dreariness."A lovely old soul," "not at all scary," "a warm, kindly presence, no way was it threatening or frightening," etc.
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Post by dem bones on Jul 5, 2023 18:53:25 GMT
Jennifer Westwood - Gothick Hertfordshire (Shire Publications, Princes Risborough, 1989). Introduction Using this Book
A Gazetteer of Gothick Places: Abbots Langley — Whitwell
IndexBlurb: Gothick Hertfordshire takes the reader to places in the county associated with ancient mysteries, legendary heroes and monsters, folk tales and all manner of unusual, unexplained and tragic events. Hertfordshire is rich in such tales — from the fantastical disappearance in a flash of lightning of Sir Guy de Gravade and his castle at Tring to the sordidly real drowning of a witch at Gubblecote in 1751. It has a wealth of curiosities, like the Great Bed of Ware and the 39 children of Elizabeth Jones, and of eccentrics, such as Lady Katherine Ferrers, the highwaywoman. There have been supernatural phenomena, such as the strange possession of the Baldwin sisters of Sarratt and the Radiant Boy of Knebworth, and brutal deeds like the murder of William Weare at Radlett for cheating at billiards. Many towns and hamlets have their strange tales or their skeletons in the cupboard and Gothick Hertfordshire reveals them. There are directions and Ordnance Survey map reference numbers to help the reader reach each Gothick site. "Capped with iron and surrounded with railings, the whipping-post on Datchworth Green is last known to have been used on 27th July 1665, when two vagabonds were publicly flogged here. It is only the most tangible reminder of old cruelties. The phantom horseless cart that trundles along Rectory Lane from the Green towards Datchworth churchyard — a manifestation perhaps of the death-coach or ancient Hellwain that carries off the souls of the dead — is by some connected with the alleged death from starvation of four inmates of the poorhouse in the eighteenth century." This attractive, 52-page illustrated booklet includes concise entries on those Misty and Spellbound favourites, Lady Katherine Ferrers, the highwaywoman of Markyate Cell, Springheeled Jack, and Henry Trigg versus the Stevenage bodysnatchers. Also featured, the Monk of Minsden chapel; a spectral Roundhead detachment at Berkhamsted; Sally Deards, the werehare of Rableyheath; twice-buried John Gootheridge of Codicote; the witch drowning at Gubblecote; the Aldbury double murder; demonic possession at Sarratt; the woe waters; the ghostly bells of St. Bartholemew; and a secret passage linking Sopwell Nunnery to St. Albans Monastery.
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Post by helrunar on Jul 5, 2023 19:24:21 GMT
What a treat! Thanks for the scans and post.
cheers, Hel.
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Post by Knygathin on Jul 30, 2023 8:36:51 GMT
Nice Mayflower paperback edition of Dance of the Dwarfs from 1971 - Great cover. Never heard of the book but it looks rather good Sadly, it seems to have a 'Scooby-Doo' ending, which I think means waste of time for an otherwise promising supernatural story. By the way, there appears to be a corn of truth to the legends of gnomes living in South America. Here is a mobile phone document from a group of youngsters hanging out at night in Argentina:
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Post by samdawson on Jul 30, 2023 18:18:30 GMT
Great cover. Never heard of the book but it looks rather good Sadly, it seems to have a 'Scooby-Doo' ending, which I think means waste of time for an otherwise promising supernatural story. By the way, there appears to be a corn of truth to the legends of gnomes living in South America. Here is a mobile phone document from a group of youngsters hanging out at night in Argentina: I remember it as a particularly powerful ending. Household is guilty of essentially rewriting the same book (the great Rogue Male) several times, but this isn't one of them. I'd personally recommend it, certainly much more than his more overtly supernatural The Sending
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Post by helrunar on Jul 30, 2023 18:31:29 GMT
Perhaps these will be of interest to some here. This is from a blog maintained on social media by this very nice gentleman named Derek, of indeterminate age somewhere in the UK. The blog is called "Old Books for Curious Witches."
Derek writes:
If you enjoy folk-tales as much as I do, I'm sure you also have an interest in old ghost stories too, so today I thought I'd share a little extract from an article published in The Cornhill Magazine Vol. XXVI (1872) which shares lots of interesting Russian Ghost Stories:
"As a general rule the ferocious behaviour of Slavonic ghosts is quite uncalled for. No excuse can possibly be made for the conduct of so unpleasant a corpse as that which is described in one of the stories as entering a room in which two men lie asleep, tapping them (in the most unpleasant sense of the word), on the back, drawing off their blood in buckets, and swallowing it with indecent satisfaction. But some extenuating circumstances may be admitted in the case of the Dead with whom the following (unabridged) narrative has to deal.
The schoolmaster of a certain village happened to be passing the church one night when he fell in with a dozen robbers. “Do you know," said they, “whereabouts the rich lady lies who died in your part of the world last week?” Yes, I know. They buried her in the crypt.”
The robbers threatened him with a sharp knife, and compelled him to go along with them. When they came to the crypt they took the iron grating out of a window, and lowered the schoolmaster through it by means of their sashes, saying:-
“Open the coffin, take off the lady's seven rings of gold studded with precious stones, and bring them here." The schoolmaster lifted the coffin-lid and began taking the rings off the dead woman's hands. Six of them he got off easily, but the seventh he couldn't manage. She had doubled up her finger, and wouldn't let the ring go. He told this to the robbers; they flung him a knife and cried: “Cut off her finger, then!”
The schoolmaster picked up the knife, but the moment he cut off the finger - that very moment the dead woman awoke, as if from sleep, and cried aloud with a terrible voice:-
“Brothers and sisters! Arise quickly and help me! No rest had I during my life, and now will they let me have none, even after death!” At the sound of her voice the coffins burst open, and the Dead began to come forth. The robbers heard the noise they made and fled; the terrified schoolmaster ran up the staircase leading from the crypt, rushed into the church, hid himself in the choir, and slammed the door to. After him rushed the Dead. Seeing where he had hidden himself, they began dragging up their coffins and piling them one on top of another, so as to be able by their help to climb over into the choir.
Meanwhile the schoolmaster, who had found a long pole, began pulling the coffins down with it. In this sort of work he spent the time till midnight. But when twelve o'clock struck-the Dead took down their coffins and went back into the crypt. The schoolmaster was left more dead than alive. Next day he was found in the church terribly ill, an utterly broken man. The priest came, heard his confession and gave him the Sacrament. Soon after that the schoolmaster expired.
Even the ghosts of old friends or near relatives sometimes behave with downright brutality, utterly forgetful of their former love. In a Lithuanian story two girls who are going to a dance happen to remember two former sweethearts of theirs who are no longer alive, and are imprudent enough to give them a sort of invitation to come to the party.
The Dead listen, and come, and dance with the girls, who, after a time, begin to suspect their ghostly nature, and therefore take the precaution to tread on their toes. Finding that the boots the seeming young men wear are empty, the girls know that their suspicions are well founded, so they fly at once.
Fortunately for them they are able to make good their escape, but they are closely pursued by their dead loves, whose intention evidently is to tear them to pieces.
In like manner the Russian stories too often bear witness to the demoralizing effect of the grave on love and friendship. Still there are exceptions, some of them showing that a kindly feeling towards old acquaintances may be maintained even underground.
A certain artisan, for instance, is represented as meeting an old friend one night who had been dead ten years.
"Come home with me," says the ghost; "we'll drink a cup or two once more.” “Come along,” replies the artisan ; on such a happy occasion as this we may as well have a drink.” After enjoying themselves for a time in the dead man's dwelling, the artisan says he must go home. The ghost tries to persuade him to stay, and then, finding he cannot succeed, offers to lend him a horse. The artisan got on its back (the story concludes) “and was carried off-just as a whirlwind flies!
All of a sudden a cock crowed. It was awful! All around were graves, and the rider found he had a gravestone under him."
The kindly side of the ghostly character makes itself apparent in the following story - one belonging to the well-known Rip van Winkle family.
There were two young villagers, it states, who were so much attached to each other that they made this agreement. Whichever of the two married first was to invite the other, alive or dead, to his wedding. After a time one of them died. A few months later the other was going to be married, and was on his way to the church with his friends, when the sight of the graveyard recalled his promise to his mind. Immediately he stopped, told his companions to wait for him, went to his old friend's grave, and cried,
"Comrade dear! I invite thee to my wedding!” The grave opened, and the dead man came forth and said, - "Thanks to thee, brother, that thou hast kept thy word. And now let us profit by this happy chance. Enter my abode. Let us quaff a glass apiece of grateful drink.” “I'd do so, only the marriage procession is stopping outside. I'm keeping every one waiting." “Why, brother! surely it won't take long to toss off a glass."
The bridegroom jumped into the grave. The dead man poured him out a cup of liquor. He drank it off - and a hundred years passed away. “Drink another cup, dear friend!” He drank another - two hundred years went by. “Now, comrade dear, drink a third cup. And then go, God speeding you, and celebrate your marriage!" He drank the third cup - three hundred years passed away.
The dead man took leave of his comrade, the coffin-lid fell, the grave closed. The bridegroom looked around. What had been the graveyard was now a piece of waste ground. No road was in sight, no kinsmen were there, no houses; all around grass and nettles grew in profusion.
He ran to the village - but the village was different from what it used to be. The houses were altered, the people were all strangers to him. He went to the priest's house- - the priest was not the one who used to be there and told him everything. The priest searched through the church-books and found that, three hundred years before, a bridegroom had gone to the graveyard on his wedding-day, and there had disappeared; and his bride, some time after, had married another.
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Post by Knygathin on Jul 31, 2023 8:27:10 GMT
Sadly, Dance of the Dwarfs seems to have a 'Scooby-Doo' ending, which I think means waste of time for an otherwise promising supernatural story. I remember it as a particularly powerful ending. Household is guilty of essentially rewriting the same book (the great Rogue Male) several times, but this isn't one of them. I'd personally recommend it, certainly much more than his more overtly supernatural The Sending I hope I can set some time aside for it. Anyway, Dance of the Dwarfs was also called The Adversary, should someone find that edition only.
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