This is a charming compendium of historical oddities, curious customs and strange events from across West Yorkshire.Laid out in an easy to use A-Z format it explores a vast range of subjects, from folklore and legends to Yorkshire's strangest buildings, artefacts and memorials (including a drinker's tomb made from a beer barrel). Here also are some of Yorkshire's most eccentric characters and famous former inhabitants, and the stories behind some of the oddest events that have occurred in the county - and perhaps even in the whole of the British Isles. With countless Civil War curiosities, tragic tales and hilarious happenings, 'tha couldna mak it up!'.Richly illustrated with both modern and archive images, it will delight residents and visitors alike.
When Peach Blossom Village's bridge disappears, Master Chen must solve the mystery! The Mystery of Dragon Bridge is an English-Chinese bilingual children's fantasy story. The tale revolves around the inhabitants of Peach Blossom Village and the mysterious Dragon Bridge—the villagers' only connection to the outside world—which suddenly vanishes in the middle of the night. The astonished villagers appoint a retired soldier, Master Chen, to investigate what has happened to their missing bridge. What he finds will surprise readers as much as it did the perplexed villagers! Both a satisfying mystery story and a lesson in working together for the community, preserving the environment, and appreciating what is often taken for granted, The Mystery of Dragon Bridge can be enjoyed by younger children and intermediate readers alike. The short, easy-to-read story is presented in both English and simplified Chinese, with vocabulary suitable for students aged 7 to 10, and features 12 beautiful watercolors painted by the author.
This fascinating volume explores the darkest aspects of crime and punishment in Yorkshire over the centuries - a history by turns gruesome, intriguing and strange. From the stocks, joug and branding iron to the prison cell, galley - and noose - every punishment that could befall the criminals of Yorkshire is included in this volume. Some are horrific; some, like the nailing of ears to the pillory, bizarre; and some, like the little girl who died in 1856 'through fear of whipping by the school mistress', heartbreakingly sad. Containing notorious villains such as Charlie Peace and Eugene Aram, true-life cases, underworld institutions such as 'flash houses', and the extraordinary histories of executioners such as 'Mutton' Currey of York, who once was so intoxicated that he tried to hang the officiating priest instead of the condemned, this book has much to surprise and entertain the reader. With sections on Church scandals, why bull baiting was a legal requirement and the use of the Sharp Maiden - the guillotine - it will delight anyone with an interest in Yorkshire's penal history.
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