Fairies, folklore and forteana

From a distance, Almscliffe Crag in Wharfedale looks like a ruined citadel: a jagged spine of millstone grit rising between Leeds and Harrogate. Today it draws climbers and sightseers. But in the year

There’s a bit of a spooky feel to this month’s proceedings. Our cover story concerns the notorious Kentish village of Pluckley, frequently cited in the press and popular ghost books as “the most haunt

It was completely by accident that I came across what is possibly the most mysterious ‘ghost’ photo I have ever seen. This strange image was to become quite the Forteana Forum sensation in the summer

Dear Simon, The history of Pitman shorthand told by Angeline Wilcox in the July edition of Best of British (Write on Time) evoked so many memories. I was amazed to learn that Isaac Pitman actually cre

Pluckley is a small English village located on the northern edge of the Kentish Weald between Maidstone and Ashford. It was an Anglo-Saxon settlement, boasts a 14th century church, and found fame in t

I have just read Diane Lindsay’s piece (FT June) about decluttering. That did ring a large bell. I have been doing family history for something like 65 years. I have managed to file a lot of the infor