Kirst Mason D'Raven
Kirst Mason D'Raven
@kdraven@mysterioustimes.co.uk
2,947 posts
10 followers
  • Short Story Sunday #2 – The Fourth Keeper

    It’s Short Story Sunday!

  • The Tale of the Missing Lighthouse Keepers

    Pull up a chair, let me tell you the tale of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse Keepers…

  • More Than a Game

    The Superstitions, Rituals and Folklore of Football

  • The M.T. News Round-up – w/e 1 July 2026

    Crop Circles, Big Cats and a Regrettable Lack of British Ghosts (Because frankly we would appreciate the cold spots in this heatwave…)

  • I’m Not Psychic, But…

    As England prepare to face DR Congo in the knockouts, dare we dream?

  • July 2026

    Blow your cinnamon, turn your silver and pinch and punch for the first of the month – It’s the MT July Almanac!

  • The Three Lions

    The Medieval Beast That Still Roars

  • When the Final Whistle Never Blows

    The Ghosts of Britain’s Football Grounds.

  • Short Story Sunday #1 – The Linesman

    There are places in Britain where the past never truly leaves. Old churches. Quiet stations. Lonely roads across the moors. And, sometimes… football grounds…

  • Lord Flame and the Last Jester

    There are some people who slip quietly into history. Others kick the door down, throw glitter into the air and refuse to leave.

  • Did Harry Meet Sally?

    My Grandad Harry was a great storyteller. Yet amongst the lions, crocodiles and other improbable adventures was a story that always intrigued me. Harry swore that, when he was a boy, there was a woman in Attercliffe who owned a cat with wings…

  • The Haunting Presence of John Lennon’s Ghost

    Throwback Thursday!

  • MT News Roundup – W/E 24/06/2026

    Bigfoot is still striding through Canadian forests. Britain’s phantom cats continue to stalk hedgerows and fields. Yet ghosts, for once, seem remarkably absent. As summer settles across Britain, we ask whether the monsters have disappeared – or whether we’ve simply stopped noticing them.

  • The Man Who Was Buried Twice

    There are certain graves that seem determined to tell you their story.

  • Stocksbridge Bypass Revisited

    Some stories refuse to stay buried…

  • The Headless Horseman of the Staffordshire Moorlands.

    “Count the heads before you climb aboard…”

  • Steel & Spirits – The Forgotten Folklore of Yorkshire’s Furnaces

    The steel industry shaped towns, communities and families. Yet, alongside the engineering, economics and industry there existed something else. Stories.

  • The Dragon of South Yorkshire – Hero, Hoax or Hidden History?

    Iron scales, fiery eyes and a vulnerable spot beneath its tail. The Wantley Wyrm is one of Yorkshire’s greatest dragon legends, but was it ever meant to be taken seriously?

  • Summer Solstice Traditions Across Cultures: From Alban Hefin to Inti Raymi

    The summer solstice, marking the longest day of the year, is a time rich with meaning, lore, and traditions spanning various cultures. Deities associated with the sun, such as the Greek god Apollo, the Egyptian god Ra, and the Celtic goddess Áine, are honored and Earth and Fertility Goddesses like Demeter, Gaia, and Brigid, who…

  • Farewell to the Major Oak – The Passing of England’s Greatest Folkloric Witness

    The Major Oak of Sherwood Forest has stood for perhaps a thousand years, becoming one of Britain’s most beloved folkloric landmarks. With news that the ancient giant has finally died, we reflect on the life, legacy and enduring mythology of England’s greatest folkloric witness. 🌳💚

  • MT News Round -Up: W/E 19-06-26

    Quick! Look busy! It’s The MT Weekly Round-Up!

  • The Speed Wolf

    From medieval wolf hunters to modern roadside encounters, the strange story of the creature said to haunt the roads around Buxton.

  • The Man Who Hunted Monsters

    William Boyd Dawkins, a 19th-century Welsh scientist, transformed our understanding of prehistoric Britain by excavating caves and uncovering Ice Age creatures’ remains. A pioneering geologist and paleontologist, he contributed significantly to archaeology and challenged conventional beliefs. His legacy endures in the landscapes he explored, holding stories of lost worlds awaiting rediscovery.

  • The Audience of The Dead

    Pull up a chair, let me tell you a tale… I first heard the story during a violent storm in Buxton. At the time I was a young folklorist, scarcely three years removed from university, engaged upon the collection of local traditions throughout the Peak District. Such pursuits frequently led me into lonely villages, isolated…

  • Is Buxton Missing a Stone Circle?

    So, why doesn’t Buxton have a stone circle when there’s so much prehistoric activity nearby? The area’s rich with ancient sites like Arbor Low and burial mounds, but modern development may have buried any potential sites. Maybe the real focus was the town’s thermal springs instead. Who knows what’s still hidden?