Front cover, 'Buried Passions: Maria Marten & the Red Barn Murder,' Neville Spearman, 1980. Woodcut Illustration depicts three men in hats exhuming the victim's body.

Back cover advertisement for James Dickie's #vampire anthology, 'The Undead' and Marc Alexander's 'To Anger the Devil' examining the work of Rev. Dr Donald Omand, exorcist.

Latest library loan from Watney Market #ideastore; an old friend first borrowed in the late 00s (the identical copy as I recognise my scrawl on the ticket). Thanks to lovely staff, as ever. #Peter_Haining #MariaMarten #MurderintheRedBarn

Maria Marten, or the Murder in the Red Barn (John Lane, the Bodley Head, 1943), introduced & edited by Montagu Slater. Charming cover illustration depicts the dastardly Corder shooting dead his lover.

Handwritten note from staff member reads: "Take care of this - it's from 1944!!!! Amazing!!!" Rest assured, I will.

Thank you staff at #ideastore, #watney_market, E1. Love the note. (please hurry up & open a bluesky account!)

A misty view of Tower Bridge on the front cover of Clive Bloom's 'London Uncanny: A gothic Guide to the Capital in Weird History & Fiction.' (Bloomsbury 2025)

Instant classic loaned this from WatneyMarket #ideastore. Includes (very piss-takey) chapters devoted to 'Chat Show Vampires' (ie, the #does_a_wankyre_walk_in_highgate hoax blokes) and the Whitechapel Anarchists vs the Jack the Ripper museum & Cereal Killers. Also Crowley, Machen, loads more.

John Hamilton'Beasts in the Cellar: The Exploitation Film Career of Tony Tenser' (Fab Press, 2007). Cover painting depicts scary scenes from Tigon's 'Witchfinder General.'

Cover of Jan Bondeson's 'Victorian Murders' features a contemporary illustration depicting Alexander Arthur Mackay's murder of Emma Grossmith with a rolling pin at 11 Artillery Passage, Spitalfields on 8 May 1868.

Latest library loans, both terrific. Thanks, as ever, to staff at #WatneyMarket #ideastore WHO OUGHT TO HAVE A BLUESKY ACCOUNT. 🖤

Brilliant comic workshops with Kev F Sutherland today. Two comics created full of children’s brilliant artwork.
#IdeaStore #LoveTowerHamlets

Mike Hall, Lost Railways of London. Colour cover painting by Colin Doggett depicts a Directors Class Locomotive arriving at station unspecified. Advertisement for Pears Soap on fence.

Final train arrives at Belmont Halt in 1964. 'The Belmont Rattler' was a notorious passion wagon in its day if local historian R. S. Brown is to be believed. Nearby roundabout haunted by either the Belmont ghost, the Belmont flasher, neither or both. #HauntedBenchProject. Only the really important local history for us.

Shoreditch Station around the back of Brick Lane shortly before its closure in the 00s. Became a club/ rave joint for a bit, but seems to be shut just now.

New #library_loan (thanks to staff at Watney Market #ideastore). Mike Hall, Lost Railways of Middlesex, 2003. Particularly liked chapter on the 'Hotelier's line' Stanmorevillage-BelmontHalt-Harrow&Wealdstone. Evocative photo's, though, sadly, ghost free.

Worked on this lovely Exhibition for #towerhamlets #ideastore illustrating Timeline & Map; history of Public Transport in Tower Hamlets, London.
19 July 2024 - 21 Feb 2025
Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
277 Bancroft Rd, London E1
or visit www.ideastore.co.uk/localhistory

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Bing is not happy with #TowerHamlets' Bow #IdeaStore WiFi right now. It's ok using Safari but not Ecosia or Edge. Turned the WiFi connection off and it's now all hunky dory.

Their WiFi is weird. Or is it?

3 times a week I'm in the borough of Tower Hamlets in London, & visit one of their Idea Stores. Each includes a library & much more. They're magical places. If you're nearby, try one.

PS I'm currently sitting by a big heap of their books

#library #libraries #TowerHamlets #IdeaStore #IdeaStores