An elopement frustrated – Aberdeen Evening Express, 17 July 1888: A singular scene was (says a correspondent) witnessed in the Citadel Station, Carlisle, yesterday morning, when the police frustrated the elopement of a lady and gentleman from the Lake...
Eccentric woman’s death at Colchester – Essex Standard, 28 January 1899: The circumstances attending the death of Eleanor Neale, a spinster, aged 72, residing in Lucas Road, Colchester, have given rise to a good deal of local gossip. Deceased had lived in...
Right royal mistake – Derby Mercury, 26 October 1786: ANECDOTE of the late KING of PRUSSIA. It is well known, that amongst the numerous Body of Prussian Troops, the King formed one Regiment which he call the “Immortal Corps of tall Grenadiers;” so named,...
Mutiny of Mormon converts – The Shields Daily Gazette and Shipping Telegraph, 18 February 1898: Terrible fight in a train. A special telegram from New York to the Newcastle Journal states that at Cheyenne a carload of 60 Scandinavian converts to...
Tiny hoop wows women – Aberdeen Journal, 24 September 1902: The Sheepshead Bay Racecourse, New York, was the other day the scene of an extraordinary demonstration. A jockey named Washington Breassal, who is only nine years old, rode Ipse Dixit,...
‘Distress’ in London – Bell’s Weekly Messenger, 27 May 1865: (From the Owl.) For the last fortnight accounts have reached us from all sides showing the existence at the present time of a widespread distress throughout the...
Another ‘sea serpent’ sensation – Sheffield Independent 2 July 1867: We know that it has been customary for the manufacturers of the marvellous to revive at intervals the story of the “sea serpent,” which has gone the rounds of...
A sagacious dog – Aberdeen Herald and General Advertiser 2 November 1844: A dog, of a mongrel breed, who is well known about Castle Street by the name of “the Doctor,” has been, for some time past, in the habit of begging halfpennies from all and...
Extraordinary breach of promise to marry-£400 damages – Leeds Times 5 March 1864: At the Warwick assizes, on Thursday, a trial for breach of promise was heard before Mr. Justice Blackburn. Charlotte Emma Blackham, daughter of Mr. Blackham, pin...
Precipitated into the cellars – Cambridge Independent Press 11 January 1873: An extraordinary accident happened at Charleston, Cornwall, on New Year’s Eve. The Rev. A.H.Ferris, vicar, and a number of the leading parishoners, held a tea...
The office of dog-whipper – Hertford Mercury and Reformer 3 November 1888: In reference to the “antient inhabitant” of Great Amwell whose name appears in the register of that parish as having died in 1634, and who, among other occupations,...
Fatal final steps – Aberdeen Press and Journal 3 April 1822: On Friday last, as John McKenzie, a poor man 80 years of age, was coming home laden with some firewood, which he had been gathering, he was blown into the Canal by the strength of the wind, at Muirtown...
Monster turnip – Hereford Times 5 October 1861: We have been favoured with the sight of a turnip, of the white variety, grown on the farm of Mr George Hooper, of Barewood, Pembridge (son of Mr Hooper, late of Putson, near this city), which may be said to...
Warren Nunn Back in the 1970s, I had a connection to harness racing (trots) as part of a syndicate that raced two pacers – Bunalbo and Raiology. Both were trained by a work colleague, John Wedmaier, who had a background in animal husbandry and was The Morning...
Tony Joe White at the Byron Bay Blues Festival in 1999 Warren Nunn THE jukebox in the corner of the smoky bar in Bosnia plays only one kind of music. The singer, in a drawl from somewhere near the heart of America’s Deep South, tells the drinkers tales of...
Recent Comments