Seventyeight years ago, on a fateful day in the height of summer, a lone fighter plane graced the skies over Darwen Moor, a serene expanse on the edge of the Pennines. This aircraft, a North American P51C Mustang, hailed as the world’s finest long-range single-seat fighter, would soon become the center of a perplexing mystery….
Tag: Lancashire
The Legend of Lizzie Dean (1835)
In the quaint village of Chipping, nestled in the heart of Lancashire, there once lived a young woman named Elizabeth Dean, affectionately known as ‘Lizzie Dean’. She was a delicate flower, the kind that could brighten even the gloomiest of days with her radiant smile. Her’s was a love story that was the talk of…
The Bizarre Case of Richard Massey (1926) | Padiham
As the sound of the slow moving waters in the near distance began to reemerge, the startled birds which had fled to nearby pastures could still be heard in the darkened sky above as the figure of a man stumbled onto his feet. In the distance, the low rumble of thunder could be heard, menacingly…
THE DOWNFALL OF JOHN USHER (1905) | Haslingden
Alfred Parker was a man of routine and on the morning of Wednesday, 9th August 1905 he would begin the day as he always did. Up early, washed, made a relatively small breakfast and after saying his goodbyes to his wife, he would set off to work at nearby Carr and Parkers Mill where he…
THE DOUBLE MURDER AT MARR CROFTS (1825) | Birtle
Situated between the town of Bury and the village of Norden lies the small hamlet of Birtle, nestled away in the North West of England. Dotted along the rolling fields are many farm buildings and small businesses that have been passed down through many generations, and it’s within this setting we are travelling back almost…
WHEN THE CRYING STOPS : THE SAD TALE OF SARAH HANNAH BARNES (1910) | Haslingden
On the evening of Tuesday, 12th July 1910, Margaret Taylor, proprietor of number 29 Back Bank Terrace, upon noticing a terrible smell coming from somewhere within her house, would make a shocking discovery. After wandering around from room-to-room to find the cause of the smell, Mrs. Taylor would eventually make her way down into the…
THE SHOCKING NEGLECT OF ELLEN O’ TOOLE (1900) | Padiham
Towards the latter end of the Victorian era, most people were beginning to benefit from cheaper – imported foods, cleaner water, better sanitization, more diversity when it came to entertainment – such as music halls, libraries, museums and art galleries. Working conditions had become much better with shorter working hours for women and children in…
THE TRAGIC DEMISE OF ALICE BEETHAM (1912) | Blackburn
Today’s story has been recommended to me by Eddie Beetham, a direct descendant of Miss Alice Beetham with whom this next story is all about. Shortly after 8am on Tuesday, July 23rd 1912 – the sound of the tolling bell from inside Stangeways Gaol closed the final chapter of a story that first began in…
THE BURNLEY TRAM ACCIDENT (1923) | Burnley
97 years ago, the residents of Burnley were shocked to the core after one of worst tragedies to befall them occurred on a wintery, cold mid-day on the 21st December 1923. Burnley Corporation Tramcar Number 10, which was being driven by 47 year old, William Norris, had been out in use over in nearby Rosegrove…