Paranormal Pendle

Tribute to Howard Hughes, Broadcaster and Podcaster.

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 13:20:09 GMT

New title

Very sad news that earlier this week Broadcaster and Podcaster Howard Hughes passed away. I have recorded a short tribute on my YouTube channel

Latest Podcast

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 11:04:15 GMT

My latest podcast with Exorcist and Theologist the Reverend Alyson Shanes Dunlop is now available at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/craig-bryant3/episodes/Episode-52-Reverend-Alyson-Dunlop-Shanes-e2iuo77

I am now on TikTok

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 12:04:11 GMT

I am now on TikTok, please click the TikTok icon in the top left 'Contact' box.

Podcast back and You Tube Channel

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 11:49:41 GMT

I'm pleased to let you nall know my Podcast is now back with a new episode, please follow the links on my main page. I am also updating my You Tube Channel with new content, please follow the link at the top left of my homepage.

Amazon TV Show

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 12:56:37 GMT

I have been asked to guest on a new Paranormal TV programme for Amazon, being produced by Paranormal Misfits. Filming will be in a couple of weeks, so watch this space for more news !

Paranormal Podcast Episode 30 Jason Gleaves

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:47:13 GMT

My latest podcast is now available on your usual platform. Please follow the links on my homepage or menu.

The Black Monks of Accrington

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:27:52 GMT

The Black Monks of Accrington

My new book The Black Monks of Accrington is available on Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback form. Please click here .

Paranormal Pendle Podcast

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Sun, 28 Mar 2021 11:03:25 GMT

Paranormal Pendle Podcast

My new podcast, Paranormal Pendle, is available on Spreaker, Anchor, iTunes, Google and all podcast clients. Please follow the link on my homepage.

'Pursuit of the Paranormal' Podcast

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 09:09:10 GMT

I recently did a great podcast with Ash and Greg from 'Pursuit of the Paranormal' podcast. We talk about the Shadowman, Poltergeists, Haunted Schools, UFO's, Ley Lines and Cryptids ! Lots crammed in ! You can find the podcast on any podcast client as well as here https://open.spotify.com/episode/0zHWDKw0ctwBVMsRiXtn17?si=TjDB9u88RmezYaiwi8vU_g

Latest Podcast

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 15:08:51 GMT

My latest podcast with PAUK Radio is now available here :-

https://www.spreaker.com/user/paukradionetwork/pauk-craig-bryant-092320?utm_medium=widget&utm_source=user%3A12907506&utm_term=episode_title

Radio interview

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 10:40:41 GMT

I have recorded a radio interview with AllFM Radio in Manchester to be broadcast on Sunday 13th September at 4pm. www.allfm.org .

Latest Podcast

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 11:56:52 GMT

Hello ! I recently did a podcast with Howard Hughes of The Unexplained. The full podcast can be heard on all good podcast apps (edition 477) and here https://theunexplained.tv/episodes/edition-477-craig-bryant

The ROF UFO Files

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 11:56:49 GMT

The Darwen ROF UFO Sighting

The ROF Darwen UFO sighting of 24th February 1979.

New Facebook page

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 11:33:42 GMT

New Facebook Page

Hello everyone, I have a new Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/The-Shadow-Man-of-Accrington-105129164590574/

New Podcast

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 10:12:21 GMT

I am delighted that Howard did a podcast with me earlier this week. 'The Ghosts of Chatburn' can be found on his web site https://theunexplained.tv/episodes/edition-464-elaine-kelly-craig-bryant and all good Podcast Clients.

Latest Interview

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 07:33:36 GMT

https://paranormalukradio.podbean.com/e/paranormal-uk-radio-show-craig-bryant-the-pendle-witches/

I did a great 2 hour interview on Tuesday night with Irene from ParanormalRadio.co.uk. This podcast is all about The Pendle Witches.

Book - Second Edition

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 08:13:07 GMT

Hello, its been a while since Ive updated the site. Im very excited to release a new updated version of the book, which includes additional content and a new cover design. Following feedback on Amazon I checked through the original manuscript and made a number of grammar changes which help the stories flow better. Im really pleased with the way it looks.

Latest Radio Interview

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 12:37:09 GMT

I had a great two hour interview with Irene Allen-Block and Stephen Sakellarios of Paranormal UK Radio yesterday. The interview should be on the website and podcast services later today.

https://paranormalukradio.podbean.com/e/paranormal-uk-radio-craig-bryant/

Early Morning Frosty Run

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 09:56:41 GMT

I got up ridiculously early this morning to go for a run before I started work. It was little bit chilly to put it mildly ! I did just shy of 7k, but was enjoying the views too much to worry about my aching legs. The image above is taken from Grindleton Bridge over the River Ribble with the sun peeking out behind Pendle Hill.

The Pendle Witches

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Sun, 27 Oct 2019 13:17:58 GMT

Hello, I hope you are getting ready for Halloween ! I have decided to put the full chapter on The Pendle Witches as a free read on the left hand side menu. Hope you enjoy it !

The Origins of Halloween

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 09:05:09 GMT

Halloween is all about witches, ghosts, ghouls and dark evil creatures that lurk in the night. Its also about dressing up, Trick or Treat and to a saddening degree, commercialism. Pendle Hill, close to where I live, will always be indelibly linked with The Pendle Witch Trials of 1612, and every year thousands of revelers descend on the sleepy Ribble Valley to soak up the atmosphere, visit the local hostilities for a pint of (excellent) Moorhouses Pendle Witches Brew, and walk the paths and lanes around this famous hill. Perhaps, if they are lucky, they will catch of glimpse of a witch skirting the hedgerows on her broomstick, or glimpse a spectral figure floating silently through a deserted graveyard. My own village has been bedecked for the last week with all sorts of grisly apparitions - witches, mummies, cobwebs - on every street corner and outside the village shop. My earliest memories of Halloween were as a small child, sitting in my Grandparents kitchen carving out a Turnip in readiness for a candle to placed inside, string around the top as a makeshift handle. Costumes in 1970's East Lancashire were a bed sheet with two eye holes cut in it, thrown over a poor child's head to resemble a ghost ! We would then wander the streets swinging our Turnip lantern making ghostly noises. There was no banging on doors, no Trick or Treat and invariable it rained. The build up to the evening was often more exciting than the reality !

But what is the history of Halloween and why do we celebrate this night night in particular ?

In The UK, the tradition of honouring the dead goes back to the Celtic times, some 2000 BC. The festival of' Samhain' marked the beginning of , Winter and the chronological year where people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off evil spirits. It was also a time when the veil between the living and the dead was at its most flimsy, allowing creatures and spirits from the other side to slip unnoticed into our world. Much like the pagan mid winter celebration, which was held on the shortest day (21st December) it was an affirmation of the ancient Gods who they believed held the fate of the coming years harvest in their hands. Show deference to the Gods and the weather would be kind, in turn ensuring a good harvest. Christianity has hijacked this festival and turned it into Christmas, although many of the symbolism and practices still continue. Decking the house with evergreens such as Holly and Mistletoe ushered in the turning of the year and represented new life and the hope of the coming spring, and perhaps having a celebration in the darkest of days with singing, dancing and drinking lifted their otherwise gloomy spirits. Halloween has been similarly hijacked and commercialised.

Samhain was an important festival for the Pagans. Several Halloween traditions such as 'Apple Bobbing' can be traced by to these times. Apples and nuts were often used in magical spells, thought to ward off evil spirits and help to foretell the future, particularly marriage. Bonfires also helped to drive out unwanted demons and roasting nuts released a smoke that they believed would banished evil spirits. It was also a time of fortune telling, particularly around death and marriage.

In the 18th century, children in Yorkshire would embark on 'Mischief Night', usually around the 4th November when children and teenagers would run amok, causing all sorts of mischief and havoc in the local villages and towns. One theory is that it was at the opposite end of the year to May Day, a celebration of 'The Green Man' and fertility, and that is why it took on darker connotations. Another that is was particularly popular amongst 13 year old boys, who saw it as a 'coming of age' time. It was also known as 'Chievous Night', 'Miggy Night', 'Tick-Tack Night', 'Corn Night', 'Trick Night' or 'Micky Night' (perhaps where the phrase 'Taking the Mickey' comes from !). Of course, no Mischief maker was complete with a Jack-O'-Lantern, the precursor to my childhood Turnip and today's Pumpkin.

As the 5th November Bonfire Night celebrations became more popular, Mischief Night slipped to 31st October. This was the night before the Christian celebration of All Saints Day (or 'All Hallows day') on 1st November, hence the name 'Halloween'. Interestingly, the tradition of lighting bonfires on 5th November harks back to a decree made by James I following the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, infamous of Guy Fawkes and Robert Catesby. James, who was also fascinated by witches and instrumental in the instigation of The Pendle Witch Trials of 1612 decreed that every year fires should be lit to remember the day, and the saving of The King and Parliament.

The tradition of Halloween continued unchanged until it was exported to America by the Irish immigrants following the Potato Famine of the 19th century. The Irish had always had their own tradition of Halloween. The origins of 'Mumming' or 'Souling' can be traced back to at least the 16th century, when revelers would dress up and go from house to house impersonating Aos SI (the Souls of the Dead), accepting gifts for departed family and friends, often accompanied by a Hobby Horse. In Scotland, youths would go from house to house with painted, blackened or masked faces and threatening to do mischief of not welcomed. The blackened faces were made from ash, taken from sacred bonfires lit at this time of the year.

Several of the traditional activities from Ireland and Britain involve foretelling one's future partner or spouse. An apple would be peeled in one long strip, then the peel tossed over the shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouse's name. Two hazelnuts would be roasted near a fire; one named for the person roasting them and the other for the person they desire. If the nuts jump away from the heat, it is a bad sign, but if the nuts roast quietly it foretells a good match. A salty oatmeal bannock would be baked and the person would eat it in three bites and then go to bed in silence without anything to drink. This is said to result in a dream in which their future spouse offers them a drink to quench their thirst. Unmarried women were told that if they sat in a darkened room and look into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to die before marriage, a skull would appear.

The tradition of eating sweet things on Halloween harks back centuries. The Christian Church encouraged abstinence of meat on All Hallows Eve, giving rise to a number of vegetarian foods associated with the day. As I child, my Grandad would make Treacle Toffee and Cinder Toffee (made with Golden Syrup) which would often last for weeks in an old metal biscuit tin. I can still remember the smell as I opened the tin and the grease proof paper parcel inside, to revel chunks of hard, sweet, black toffee - 'Filling Finders' as my grandad used to say !

As the popularity of Halloween took hold in America, many of the traditions stretching back to pagan times took on new meaning. Jack-O'-Lanterns became Pumpkins, Mumming became Trick Or Treat . It's popularity spread in the 20th Century and was gradually assimilated into society and many of the old traditions died out in favour of commercialism. Today, Halloween is a celebration of all things spooky rather than an acknowledgement of pagan traditions stretching back Millennia. It will always be associated with Witchcraft, and here in Lancashire, The Pendle Witch Trials. Villages such as Downham, Chatburn and Barley, nestled as they are at the foot of Pendle Hill, will always be synonymous with those dark days and as the nights draw in, and Winter approaches, the hill takes on a more sinister appearance.......

.....And the most sinister night of all is Halloween.

Photograph - Statue of Alice Nutter, 'Pendle Witch', Barley, Lancashire. (c) Craig Bryant.

Extended Radio Interview

Mon, 14 Oct 2019 06:51:23 GMT

I did an extended interview with Howard yesterday, Sunday 13th October, and it is available for a limited time on 'listen again' on the radio station. The link is https://talkradio.co.uk/radio/listen-again/1571000400 .

Radio Interview

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 09:48:01 GMT

Interview with Howard Hughes of talk radio on his 'Unexplained' show Sunday 6th October

Hi all

I really enjoyed my interview with Howard. its available on the Talk Radio catch up service for a limited time at https://talkradio.co.uk/radio/listen-again/1570395600 #. I am on between 0:30 and 1:00 pm.

Misty Autumn Mornings

183:791065036 (Craig Bryant) — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 08:46:00 GMT

Misty Autumn mornings..........a view across the Ribble Valley towards Pen-y-Ghent and Fountains Fell. Mist rising from the river.

Talk Radio

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 12:09:44 GMT

Big News ! I am being interviewed by none other than Howard Hughes of 'The Unexplained ' radio show on Talk Radio this coming Sunday to chat about one of my ghostly experiences. Stay tuned for more details............

Pendle Hill

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 13:51:36 GMT

Hello, and welcome to my first blog post !

I hope you have been able to find your way around the site, which seems to be growing by the day ! I have recently added some audio which link in to my Soundcloud account, and the full chapter of 'The Haunted School' which is in the book. I hope you enjoy the free chapter and it convinces you to buy the book. There are lots of really spooky tales in the book I can assure you !

I hope to keep this blog up to date with happenings and stories of where I live. I am so lucky to live in the shadow of Pendle Hill, synonymous of course with the Witch Trial of 1612 (there is a chapter in the book about that). Pendle Hill is a magnificent natural wonder, but steeped in dark and grisly history. She (I always feel the Hill is a 'she') looms over the landscape and dominates the towns and villages around. She is often clad in dark clouds, it rains a lot in Lancashire ! But on a clear day, a steep and arduous climb up the 'shoulder' of Pendle rewards you with the most wonderful 360 degree views. You can see far to the north and the Bowland Fells, west towards the Fylde Coast and the Irish Sea, south towards the Rossendale Valley and the mighty industrial landscape of Manchester and east toward Yorkshire and the forbidding North Yorkshire Moors. Pendle Hill is an atmospheric place, crossed by Ley Lines and the site of a Bronze Aged burial site, there have been numerous sightings and reports of strange lights over the years. Perhaps some were indeed witches, flying over the moors and fells on broomsticks looking for unsuspecting locals to terrify, or perhaps they were UFO's and visitors from another place. Who knows............

Until next time.......