Forget Peter Rabbit for a moment. Beatrix Potter was a mycologist, scientific illustrator, shrewd businesswoman, prize-winning sheep breeder and conservationist who helped preserve thousands of acres of the Lake District. Behind the little animals in jackets was a considerably more formidable woman – and one with a surprising fondness for fungi.
Category: People
Eliza Maud Inglis (1864-1917)
Doctor, suffragist and formidable organiser, Elsie Inglis refused to accept the limits placed upon women. When Britain rejected her offer of an all-female medical unit during the First World War, she simply took her hospitals elsewhere – and changed thousands of lives.
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Lilian Bland
In 1910, when aviation was still in its infancy, Lilian Bland decided she could build an aeroplane herself. Armed with determination, ingenuity, a Jameson’s whisky bottle and her aunt’s ear trumpet, she built the Mayfly – and then climbed aboard and flew it.
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Eglantyne Jebb
Eglantyne Jebb founded Save the Children, was arrested for campaigning for starving enemy children, and helped establish the revolutionary idea that children had rights of their own. One remarkable Shropshire woman whose legacy changed millions of lives.
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Maria Dickin CBE (1870-1951)
Maria Dickin saw something others had overlooked: poverty affected animals as well as people. From a Whitechapel basement she built the PDSA, transformed access to veterinary care and created the Dickin Medal for animal bravery.
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Chung Ling Soo – The Magician Who Became His Own Illusion
For years, Chung Ling Soo couldn’t speak English. Then somebody shot him. Behind the robes, make-up and carefully constructed identity was William Robinson from New York, a magician who turned himself into perhaps his greatest illusion. But in 1918, at the Wood Green Empire, one tiny mechanical failure made something on his stage horribly real.
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The Great Lafayette – The Magician Who Died Twice
In 1911, the Great Lafayette died in a catastrophic fire at Edinburgh’s Empire Palace Theatre. His body was recovered, identified and cremated. There was just one problem: three days later, they found Lafayette again. The extraordinary true story of a master illusionist, a mistaken corpse, a beloved dog named Beauty and one final macabre disappearing act.
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The Berners Street Hoax.
On 27 November 1810, an ordinary London house became the destination for an extraordinary procession of chimney sweeps, coal merchants, furniture, musicians, tradesmen, professionals, servants — and even the Lord Mayor. Someone had sent a barrage of convincing requests in the name of the unsuspecting woman at Number 54 Berners Street. More than two centuries later, we know the hoax happened. The question is: did Theodore Hook really do it?
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Princess Caraboo
In 1817, a mysterious young woman arrived in a Gloucestershire village speaking an unknown language. Soon, she had convinced polite society that she was Princess Caraboo of Javasu -but behind the elaborate performance was Mary Willcocks, a resourceful woman determined to survive.
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Cruel Coppinger: Cornwall’s Smuggling Terror
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Throwback Thursday – ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’
Sometimes there is no motive. No reason. Just the mundane made monstrous.
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The Mysterious Disappearance of Richey Edwards
On February 1, 1995, Richey Edwards, the guitarist and lyricist for Manic Street Preachers, disappeared without a trace. Despite numerous searches and investigations, his fate remains a mystery, turning Edwards into a haunting legend in rock history.
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The Haunting Presence of John Lennon’s Ghost
Throwback Thursday!
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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 […]
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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.
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Anthony Head (1954–2026) – A Watcher Leaves the Library
There are some actors who become famous. There are others who become familiar. Anthony Head belonged to that rarer category still. He became trusted.
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Buxton Museum – From Closure to New Beginnings
Buxton Museum’s story stretches from ancient flint tools to modern community life. After its 2023 closure, plans for a new future are finally taking shape..
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Mysterious Times Weekly Roundup: The Strange and Unexplained (Late April – Early May 2026)
Pull up a chair, because the past week has delivered one of those curious blends of the grounded and the deeply unsettling. The kind of […]
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In the Shadows of the Unknown – Remembering Nick Pope
Nick Pope, a respected figure in UFO research, passed away at 60 after battling cancer. His career spanned 21 years in the UK Ministry of Defence, where he explored unidentified aerial phenomena. Known for his warmth and intellectual curiosity, Pope challenged perceptions of the unknown, leaving a lasting legacy in the field.
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Saint David: Patron Saint of Wales and Symbol of Unity.
Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, was born in the 6th century and became Archbishop of Wales, known for his piety, wisdom, and miraculous deeds. His emphasis on simplicity, charity, and peace shaped Welsh Christian tradition. St. David’s Day on March 1st honors his legacy, celebrated with leeks, traditional foods, and a focus on unity and resilience.
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Burn’s Night
On this 25th of January, 2025, Welcome to Burn’s Night, and a special hello to our friends and family living in Scotland – we hope the Storms currently ravaging the country leave soon and doesn’t do too much damage to your lives.
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The Terrible Tale of Burke and Hare
Pour the last of the Christmas Bailey’s and pull up a cushion and I’ll tell you the tale of Edinburgh’s most famous resurrection men…
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Marc Bolan: Folklore’s Modern Bard
Somewhere between the crackle of a vinyl record and the shimmer of stage glitter, folklore is still being made…
