Margate Shell Grotto by skitster Grottos, semi-subterranean follies decorated with shells and other bric-a-brac, were a popular building project in the eighteenth century. Scott’s Grotto in Ware and the grotto in Painshill Park, Surrey are among those that can still be visited. London had its …
Easter Monday chair lifting by skitster Easter, in our experience, usually means something beginning with a c: chocolate, crazed clubbing or Christianity. Or chicks and cute rabbits. Or ‘chucking it down with rain’. Anyway, “there must be some alternative” you plead. “Drink? Beards? Something different …
121. London’s Garrotting Ghouls The sinister side of London’s folklore is peppered with tales of elusive killers, perverse slashers and stabbers, and all manner of peculiar assailants. These kinds of individuals, or groups, and their fiendish acts, often result in local panic and terror. Such …
Image by Peep O’Daze from the Londonist Flickr pool He’s survived attempts to get rid of him before and had his protest reduced to a 3m square pitch, but now David Cameron’s planning to have another go at evicting Brian Haw. As we’re sure you …
77. The Horror of 22542! When ancient tombs were disturbed in Egypt, legends of fatal curses spread like wildfire. Whether such dark whispers were true or whether any tragedies surrounding such excavations were mere coincidence, the case of Exhibit 22542 at the British Museum may …
67. Subterranean Dwellers As a child I was always peeping from the stairs at the latest horror movie my mum and dad had hired. One such shocker was the 1972 Brit-flick ‘Deathline’, also known as ‘Raw Meat’, which concerned the horrific rumour that a race …
64. The Beast Beneath. Of all the things I have written about with regards to weird phenomena in London, what you are about to read is possibly one of the strangest and most significant tales ever. This story comes via two good friends and fellow …
62. The Scariest Urban Legend Urban legends are often considered myths, or ‘friend of a friend’ tales (FOAFtales), which differ from classic mysteries in the sense that they are perceived as exaggerated yarns. London has many such tales from its dark, foggy corners, but there …
52. Snake Attack! When you consider just how congested the capital is, how on Earth do so many mysterious creatures suddenly appear within the hustle and bustle of it all? We’ve spoken of huge birds, wolves, mystery exotic cats, pigs in the sewers, seals in …
51. The Abbey Wood Anomaly! Something has been disturbing chickens coops and pets around Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Welling and Plumstead for a few years. Many believe it is the so-called ‘beast’ of Bexley, or it could even be the ‘beast’ of Bluewater… although these mystery …
