The History Press presents "800 Years of Haunted Liverpool"

New article "The Calderstones of Liverpool" in Darklore Vol VI

2011-12-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

Darklore is "a journal of exceptional observations, hidden history, the paranormal and esoteric science. Bringing together some of the top researchers and writers on topics from outside of mainstream science and history, Darklore will challenge your preconceptions by revealing the strange dimensions veiled by consensus reality".

The latest Volume contains a new article of mine entitled "The Calderstones of Liverpool" which, if you're a fan of 800 Years..., you might very well enjoy. Here's a brief excerpt to whet your appetite:

After living in the district of Toxteth for ten years, my wife and I have recently moved –along with our son and cat – back into the area of Liverpool where I grew up. We now reside in deepest Beatle country. The unremarkable childhood homes of Lennon and McCartney within easy walking distance; Harrison and Starr’s each just a short bus ride away. Strawberry Field is just around the corner, and I regularly shove a pushchair up and down Penny Lane. Indeed, much of the area is practically unchanged since long, long before the days when moptops walked the earth – a good chunk of it being made up of parks, playing fields, cemeteries and other greenspaces. One of the most impressive of these parks stands next to the institution formerly known as Quarry Bank High School which Lennon attended and named his proto-Beatles skiffle group The Quarrymen after. After numerous mergings with other schools the institution was eventually renamed in 1985. Calderstones Community Comprehensive School took its new name from the adjacent Calderstones Park which is in turn named after the most ancient and perhaps easily overlooked monument in the city of Liverpool: The Calderstones.

Order Darklore Vol VI now on Amazon - perfect for Xmas ;-)

World Museum talk April 2010

2010-03-31T14:56:00.000-07:00

Event: 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool talk

Join us for this talk about the City's ghosts and strange history with 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool author John Reppion.

Date: Tuesday 6 April 2010
Time: 12.30pm
Where: World Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, UK L3 8EN
Room: Treasure House Theatre
Suitable for: all visitors aged 10 years and over.
Booking: Free drop-in event, no need to book

More info at http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/events/displayevent.aspx?eventID=1281&venue=1

800 Years of Haunted Liverpool 3rd printing + free Haunted Histories booklet

2010-02-27T15:01:00.000-08:00

Copies of the third printing of 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool are now available for pre-order at www.moorereppion.bigcartel.com

Each book comes with a free copy of my limited edition Swan River Press Haunted Histories booklet On the Banks of the River Jordan.

Postage and packing is free to the UK and Ireland and books are expected to ship in mid March.

See www.moorereppion.bigcartel.com for more info.

800 Years of Haunted Liverpool talk - CANCELLED

2009-10-04T04:35:00.000-07:00

"Prepare for Halloween with this talk by John Reppion, author of '800 years of Haunted Liverpool'. Hear about the strange and spooky stories he came across while writing the book."

~~Entry is free and the talk is suitable for all ages. Begins at 12:30.~~

See www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml/visit/ for details of how to get to the museum.

Regrettably, the talk has now been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Apologies.

Interview on BBC Merseyside Wed 3rd Dec 10pm

2008-11-17T15:30:00.000-08:00

I will be appearing on the Linda McDermott show on ~~Wednesday the 26th of November at around 11pm (the show starts at 10pm)~~ [Postponed until next Wednesday, 3rd of December, 10 pm. Apologies] discussing 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool.

You can listen live online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/local_radio/index.shtml and the show will be available for 7 days on Listen Again after the initial broadcast.

800 Years of Haunted Liverpool featured in Liverpool.com's October edition

2008-10-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

This month's Halloween themed issue of Liverpool.com Magazine features an article entitled "Most Haunted? - Exploring the Darker Side of Liverpool's Paranormal Industry" with interviews with Billy Roberts, Tom Slemen, Dr. Matthew Smith and more.

The magazine is available to read for free online at http://www.liverpool.com/assets/flash/mag_oct/index.htm or you can pick up a print copy (for free!) in many Liverpool City Centre shops.

John interviewed on the sci-fi-london.com podcast

2008-08-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by journalist, broadcaster and all round nice chap Alex Fitch earlier this evening for his sci-fi London podcast. The interview will be online tomorrow at www.sci-fi-london.com/audio - I'll be between Chris (X Files) Carter and Paul (Alien vs. Predator) Anderson.

Alex also links to the sci-fi podcasts from http://podcasts.resonancefm.com where the interview will alo be available to listen to or download.

Book signing and talk for Liverpool Holistic Circle, Tue Sep 9th 2008

2008-08-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

I will be giving a talk and signing copies of 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool for the Liverpool Holistic Circle on Tuesday the 9th of September 2008.

The Liverpool Holistic Circle meets at 7.30pm every Tuesday evening at the Rosicrucian Chapter, 19, Dovedale Road, Liverpool, L18 1DN.

~~There is no formal membership, but to cover costs they request a donation of £3.50 per meeting attended.~~

UPDATE: There will be no charge for attending the talk as the event will mark the 2nd anniversary of the LHO. If you are planning on attending please contact the LHO as spaces will be limited.

Listen to the City Talk interview online now

2008-08-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

The City Talk interview went well (barring slightly too much "uhm" and "ah" from myself) and Roy was a really nice guy and very easy to chat to.

If you missed it, you can listen again to this morning's Roy Basnett show at http://www.citytalk.fm/sectional.asp?id=25007.
The show will be online for 7 days and my interview is right at the start of Friday's show (not Thursday's as I said previously).

Alternately, you can listen to the interview using the embedded player below. The interview lasts 35 minutes so might take a while to load.

Interview on City Talk FM

2008-07-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

I will be appearing on the Roy Basnett show on Thursday the 31st of July 2008 sometime between 2 am and 6 am (don't worry, it'll be pre-recorded earlier that day) discussing 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool.

The show will be available online at
http://www.citytalk.fm/sectional.asp?id=25007
for 7 days after the broadcast.

Paranormal Magazine #27 out now

2008-07-24T05:24:00.001-07:00

Issue #27 of the newly re-launch Paranormal Magazine arrives in shops across the UK tomorrow featuring A Ghoulish Guide to Haunted Liverpool by John Reppion.

Also in this issue, The South Sheilds Poltergeist, Tunguska - The Russian Roswell, Giant Octopuses, Exorcism in the UK, The Power of Voodoo and more.

Featuring articles from the likes of Lionel and Patricia Fanthorp, Nick Redfern, Karl Shuker and Richard Holland.

The magazine costs £3.99 and is available in W H Smith stores and all good newsagents.

Listen to John's interview on BBC Radio Merseyside

2008-07-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

I'm very happy to report that my interview on BBC Radio Merseyside went very well and that Andy Ball was a very nice chap to chat to.

If you missed it, you can "Listen Again" to today's Sean Styles show at http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/local_radio/.
The show will be online for 7 days and my interview is one and a half hours in.

Alternately, you can listen to the interview using the embedded player below.

Interview on BBC Radio Merseyside

2008-07-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

I will be appearing on the Sean Styles show (presented by Andy Ball while Sean is away) on Monday the 14th of July 2008 sometime after 11 am, discussing 800 Years of haunted Liverpool.

www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/local_radio

One man's account of the launch now online

2008-07-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

The author (left) and Ryan Alexander.

Saturday's launch at the Unity Theatre went extremely well - we sold out completely on the night and I'm happy to report that those who attended seemed very pleased with their purchases and with the evening in general. It was all a bit of a blur for me having never done a book launch before but, as you've probably guessed, I remain pretty happy with the results.

Luckily, one man who has a better recollection of the event is Mr. Padraig OMealoid who has posted a short report on his LiveJournal which can be read HERE.

Hopefully, there will be more reports to follow.

Thanks again to everyone who attended the launch and pre-ordered a copy of the book. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool.

Spring-heeled Jack Visits Liverpool in this month's Fortean Times (#238)

2008-06-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

This month's Fortean Times Magazine (#238), which officially goes on sale tomorrow, features an extract from 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool all about the elusive Spring-heeled Jack and his reported appearances in Everton.

The magazine costs £3.99 and is available in all good newsagents.

Limited Editions now sold out.

2008-06-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

The 50 limited edition copies of 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool (24 numbered and 26 lettered) are now officially sold out with a few kept in reserve for sale at the launch on the 5th of July.

If you're not going to make it to the launch you can order the book online now at Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. Just click on the book covers below.

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Book Launch 5th July 2007

2008-06-09T06:18:00.000-07:00

800 Years of Haunted Liverpool will be officially launched at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool on Saturday the 5th of July 2008 between 6 and 8pm. The Unity bar is fully licensed with Cains Bitter on tap.

I'll do my very best to give a short talk giving a bit of background on how the book came about and what it was like to work on. Limited edition copies of 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool will be on sale for £9.99.

If you do plan on coming, please drop me an email at haunted_liverpool@btinternet.com as places will be limited.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Now taking pre-orders for limited edition Haunted Liverpool books

2008-04-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

I am now taking pre-orders for the the special edition of 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool (limited to 26 lettered and 24 numbered copies) featuring an exclusive bookplate by artist Mo Ali, signed by myself.

Also included is a special bonus article “The Underground Empire of Joseph Williamson” in the form of a handmade booklet signed by myself and its illustrator Leah Moore.

Each volume costs £9.99 (plus postage and packing).

Order now from http://moorereppion.bigcartel.com/

Image preview

2008-03-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

The above image is by Irish artist Declan Shalvey, one of the many talented and generous people who were kind enough to help me out with art for 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool.
You can see more of Declan's work (including more images from the book) at http://dshalv.blogspot.com/

Captain Black’s Phantom at the Old Airport.

2008-03-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

Liverpool’s John Lennon airport — formerly known as Speke airport and RAF Speke — is one of the UK's oldest operational airports. Scheduled flights began leaving from Speke in 1930 but the airport was not officially opened until a few years later. The modern site is about two miles (3.2 km) south west of the original airport which has since been converted into a business park housing a hotel, restaurant and gym amongst other things. Not long after its official opening on the 1^st of July 1933, Speke airport was the site of a great tragedy – the death of the famous Captain Thomas Campbell Black.

The old airport today.

Campbell found fame when he and his co-pilot Charles William Anderson Scott won the London to Melbourne Centenary Air Race (also known as the MacRobertson Air Race) in 1934. They completed the journey in a record seventy-one hours and were awarded the huge sum of ten thousand pounds in prize money as well as the Britannia Trophy. Black and Scott were regarded as true luminaries in their field and their names became known across the globe. In 1936 Black was preparing to enter The Schlesinger Race from England to Johannesburg, South Africa which again offered a colossal ten thousand pound first prize. He was, naturally, amongst the favourites to win but, sadly never got the chance. On the 19^th of September Captain Black was in the cockpit of his Percival Mew Gull (newly christened Miss Liverpool) preparing for take off when a Hawker Hart bomber, piloted by Officer Peter Stanley Salter, came in to land and collided with the craft. The bomber’s propeller ripped through the side of Black's cockpit and into the Captain himself. Despite all efforts, Tom Campbell Black died on the way to hospital.

The shadowy figure of a man has reportedly been sighted on numerous occasions pacing around what was once Hanger Number One, where Miss Liverpool was kept. Some claim that this apparition could be old Tom out in search of a new plane or else trapped in some kind of perpetual retread of events leading up to his death. Certainly, stories of Black’s phantom were still circulating amongst airport employees right up until the old site’s closure in the mid-1980s.

Over the years there have also been many reports of so called “phantom planes” being seen over Speke and its neighbouring districts. Although descriptions of the craft vary widely and amateur aviators flying light aircraft are doubtless the origin of many, there are those who like to think that, just maybe, Captain Tom Campbell Black has somehow managed to take to the skies once more.

The above is an abridged excerpt from 800 Years of Haunted Liverpool by John Reppion which is to be published by Tempus Publishing in summer 2008. John Reppion can be contacted about Liverpool's ghosts, hauntings and other strange occurrences at haunted_liverpool@btinternet.com.