This book, a selection of folk tales, true tales, tall tales, myths, gossip, legends and memories, celebrates and honours unique Welsh stories. Some are well known, others from forgotten manuscripts or out-of-print volumes, and some are contemporary oral tales. They reflect the diverse tradition of storytelling, and the many meanings of ‘chwedlau’. If someone says, ‘Chwedl Cymraeg?’ they are asking, ‘Do you speak Welsh?’ and ‘Do you tell a tale in Welsh?’ Here is the root of storytelling, or ‘chwedleua’, in Wales. It is part of conversation.This book, one to linger over and to treasure, keeps these ancient tales alive by retelling them for a new audience.
Discover the heritage of Maitland, New South Wales, Australia! Fascinating facts, bewitching stories and awe-inspiring vintage photographs reveal its people and places, alluring readers to inhabit this treasured landscape. THE FOOTPRINTS OF MAITLAND’S OLD HANDS trilogy is a grand tapestry and a go-to guide to transport you back in time. Its an ambitious and comprehensive study of Maitland and its neighbouring historical estates. The author devoted thirty years to weave the tale of this town, weighing untold data left idle in ignored documents and undisturbed memories. With the keen eye of a seasoned historian, three centuries of Maitland’s history, gateway to the Hunter Valley, are recorded for future generations. Footprints left by ancestors are no longer hidden by nature’s fury of floods, fires or human forgetfulness. This three-book work is a treasure-trove for tens-of-thousands, young and old, whose families made Maitland the heritage gateway to the Hunter!
The beautiful county of Shropshire is one of the most visited of English counties. Here is a collection of strange tales and local legends from the county.
An illustrated history of one of Britain's most fascinating regions - the Black Country in the West Midlands. Using photographs taken from the unique Historic England Archive.
Beer and Spirits offers a fascinating insight into the stories behind some of Central England's most haunted pubs. With over 50,000 public houses in the United Kingdom, the local pub has become an essential part of British culture. Samuel Pepys described the inn as the heart of England. Pubs have been an integral part of British culture since Roman times. The lives and dramas, intrigues and mysteries of the people who visited them form the rich tapestry of any local pub. As a result there are often many stories and histories that are inherently part of the place, and naturally ghost stories and haunted reputations form a dynamic feature of many local pubs. From spectral monks and phantom coaches, to ghostly highwaymen and supernatural hounds, the authors examine some well known and not so well known aspects of Black Country pub history and folklore. While the stories and accounts in this book are not meant to offer any proof or conclusive evidence of ghosts, they do offer a fresh look at new and more traditional accounts of haunted pubs in the Black Country and the surrounding area.
Black Country Ghosts and Hauntings is a ghostly gazetteer guide to over 150 spooky locations from in and around this area of the West Midlands. The Black Country has never been a clearly defined area and so whilst most of these haunted locations are most definitely 'Black Country' also included are some ghostly tales from a little further afield such as the haunted Drakelow Tunnels in Wolverley and some stories from the east of Shropshire where the county borders with the Wolverhampton area. Within these pages you will find haunted houses, castles, pubs, hotels and a host of other locations carefully researched and mapped by the author over many years. Where known, buildings which no longer exist at the time of publication are noted in the text. Similarly, photographs taken at the time the stories were collected may not necessarily reflect buildings and locations as they appear now. This is particularly true of public houses. Do take care if you are planning to visit any of these haunted locations in person and please be respectful of both people and places. Very few are private homes but those that are would probably not welcome unwanted intrusion. The vast majority can be visited if you have the nerve but bear in mind some may charge an admission fee if the hauntings are based on a castle or museum site for example. Haunted hostelries of course may be visited during opening hours for nothing more than just the price of a drink.
During the 1800s, stories filled medical journals as well as fiction (Poe's "The Premature Burial") of people being buried before they actually died. Canvassing medical records of the time, the author presents an engrossing and witty history of the fear and facts of being buried alive. Illustrations.