Dark Dundee

Many of us have heard of Edinburgh's spooky dark, subterranean Closes and sinister history, but Scotland has a lot more just waiting to be discovered. So, if your taste runs to the supernatural, paranormal, or just plain macabre, you need to stop off in Dundee - and let the knowledgeable folk at Dark Dundee be your guides. They're my guests today...

Thank you for letting me talk a little bit about my website on your blog – it’s an honour and a privilege to be able to share with you. Dark Dundee is run by myself (Stewart Heaton), and Helen-Louise Murphy. Together, we scour the annals of our city’s dark history, uncovering its devilishly morbid past. Dark Dundee is the only web-based resource of its kind that faces Dundee’s blood-soaked history head on. When it comes to dark and supernatural history, Dundee is often overlooked, but we have our fair share of death, mayhem and carnage in our timeline too!

Once known as the place of “jute, jam and journalism”, Dundee is now a thriving medical, digital and cultural community. Helen-Louise and myself run a web and graphic design business called Blue Lagoon Designs, but we also have a passion for local history (more importantly, the darker side of history). With such a wealth of stories, myths and legends right here on our own doorstep, we took the brave step to combine our two passions and launched our website www.darkdundee.co.uk.
We had no idea how quickly it would take off, and, within months, we were inundated with stories, requests, images and offers of help from all over the city. Our social media pages quickly began to swell as more and more people visited our website and shared our content. It was a really exciting start for us as we did not expect people to be so receptive as quickly as they were.

On our site, you can read about the days when our streets ran red with blood at the hands of Oliver Cromwell’s army, led by the ruthless General Monck and his marauding men. In 1651, they breached the town’s defending walls and overwhelmed the citizens with brutal and barbaric force. For three days, Monck’s men terrorised the town, killing without mercy before finally leaving with the lion’s share of Scotland’s wealth, which lay within the fortified walls of Dundee. Read more about this story on our website.


You may have heard of the Tay Rail Disaster – the largest rail tragedy of its kind at the time in the world and still hailed today as one of the worst engineering disasters in history. On a particularly stormy night in December of 1879, the massive structure gave way to the elements and plummeted into the murky depths of the raging river Tay, taking with it the lives of every passenger on board. A lengthy search ensued, but some of the bodies were never recovered. The full details of the horrific disaster are here on our site, and it is a tragedy that is still felt in the hearts of the people of Dundee today.

Cold-blooded murders happen all over the world, and Dundee is no exception. From historic murders to some that are more recent, Dark Dundee explores the horrifying and public murder cases that have beset our city. Jack the Ripper suspect, William Bury murdered his wife Ellen in the city of Dundee in 1889. Was the Wife O’ Denside a stone-cold killer, or just an innocent victim? We’ll let you be the judge of that. From infanticide to poisoning, Dundee has plenty of dark offerings, and where better to tell them than on our website.

Not only do we look at murders, we also explore the supernatural side of Dundee. From witchcraft and sorcery to ghosts, myths and monsters, Dark Dundee has it all. Read all about Charmaine’s Bigfoot sighting near Carmylie, by Dundee, or indulge in the legend of the Nine Maidens, where Martin is alleged to have slain a ravenous serpent as revenge for eating the farm maids. The legend of the white lady of Balgay still leaves people fearful to cross the infamous bridge at night, even now, in 2015, for fear of her wrath. Grissell Jaffray, Dundee’s legendary witch, was burned on a pyre in the town in 1669, and was the last person to be burned in Dundee for the crime of witchcraft. With the records destroyed by fire, Grissell’s charges are now lost to time. Hop aboard the famous RRS Discovery and step back in time to visit the ghosts of its past and take a virtual tour of the deck whilst you’re there.

Dark Dundee offers history like you’ve never heard it before – a city that has risen from the ashes more than once, and continues to thrive, grow and reinvent itself as a centre for culture, trade and discovery. The Dark Dundee website blends fact with fiction by way of our free e-books and our online decision-making game whereby you control the outcome of events as situations unfold before you. We have lots more planned in the future for Dark Dundee, including walking tours which will hopefully start in the Autumn, and a potential 2016 calendar, filled with facts, dates and figures about our city and its rich, vibrant, and often bloody history. 

Because of our backgrounds in design and public engagement, we have been able to create all of the visual content you see on our website ourselves, from our website graphics to our videos, book covers and promotional materials. We keep in touch with our fans via our website as well as our social media, so please keep in touch with us on Facebook and on Twitter, and be sure to check out our videos on YouTube. If you are ever in the city, give us a shout and we’ll take you on a journey that’s sure to send a shiver down your spine. Perhaps you should do a bit of research into your own village, town or city…there’s bound to be a skeleton or two just waiting to be unearthed! 

For now, I’ll leave you with the link to the promotional video for the website. Thanks so much for reading! 

Ramsey Campbell Kissed My Hand - And A Great Time Was Had by All...

... at Liverpool Horrorfest 2015

Horrific fun. A compere who wielded an evil looking meat cleaver and insisted in sonorous tones that he was "not a murderer..." set the scene for us. That meat cleaver doubled as his cue card although on one occasion at least, it hovered dangerously near to Jenny Campbell's head. The lady herself was there in the audience, supporting her legendary husband, Britain's Master of Horror - Ramsey Campbell. Fortunately, while liberal amounts of Kensington Gore may have been utilised in some special effects, no actual blood was spilled (phew!)

The Great Man himself was in fine fettle. Always such a pleasure to listen to his wonderful anecdotes and, as I mentioned in the title, he kissed my hand! Needless to say, in true fan fashion, I have now wrapped that hand in cling film and will not be washing it this side of Michaelmas (when is that, by the way?)

Some fabulous people were on hand to chat to, connect with and listen to as they participated in Q and A panels. The first of these was on the comic book genre featuring, among other noteable writers and publishers in this field, Dave McCluskey (Dammaged Comics). As a novice in this particular field, I was curious. Sure enough, the challenges facing them are instantly recognisable to those of us writing horror novels, novellas and short stories. A few major publishers dictating to - and in a number of cases, diluting - the more challenging and creative work.

 

The second Q and A panel featured Ramsey, along with actress-turned-horror writer, Barbie Wilde (Hellraiser II's female Cenobite). This is one entertaining lady and her book - The Venus Complex - is definitely on my TBR pile. Paul Kane added fresh perspective and I've added his book, Monsters (with cover art by Clive Barker no less!) to my signed collection.

But, for me, of course, Ramsey Campbell stole the show. It's not that he takes over. He doesn't. You just have the most fun in his company. Okay, he's been around a long time. He's seen it all, done it all (well most of it!), got a closet full of T shirts and rooms full of videos. I could listen to him for hours. He is so knowledgeable, such an amazing writer - and he gets away with saying the most outrageous things. And you find yourself agreeing with him, while you mop up the tears from your streaming eyes because you've been laughing so much.  Yesterday he compared reading on a Kindle to watching a porn movie, while reading a printed book was like...(use your imagination and insert appropriate four letter word!) The room erupted. We didn't want him to go.

Twice in a month I've followed Ramsey around. I'll be following him some more. I believe Benedict Cumberpatch's followers are called Cumberbabes ( or even the Cumber Collective?) Nominations please for a collective noun for those of us who follow Mr Campbell. How about Ramsey's Rebels? The Campbell Clan? Er -- on second thoughts, that may not play well in certain parts of Scotland...

The programme moved on and Mr C and I then enjoyed the third Q and A panel featuring indie horror films. The deliciously scary Laurence R. Harvey (see photo above - the face of Human Centipede II and Human Centipede III) provided the actor's perspective. and it was great to hear from a director on the challenges he faces. In this case Simeon Halligan, whose film White Settlers, will provide our entertainment at home this evening. He is also the genius behind Grimmfest - another date for the diary (Oct 1-4 2015)

There was much, much more to enjoy, as the day progressed into evening. We left them to it at that point, our heads full of horror of the best and most entertaining kind. There had been stalls selling a range of merchandise and some wonderfully inventive costumes and make up - and all housed in a quirky, crypt-like venue - The Kazimier. Perfect. 

Before I end, I must give a shout out for the marvellous Chilla Black and Jack the Hat from Shiverpool. They do the most incredible and hilarious ghost tours of the city and entertained us royally. Okay they were promoting their trips - but they can sell them to me anytime if they do it like that. Great theatre!

Horrorfest will - I hope -  be back next year. Good on you, Ilan Sheady and the team at Uncle Frank Productions. Job well done!

The Slaughtered Bird

Little Girls - Ronald Malfi's Classic in the Making

 Ronald Malfi scores a massive hit with his latest – Little Girls.  Laurie Genarro returns to her childhood home which she has never revisited since her mother took her away from there suddenly when Laurie was a child. In that long-ago childhood, Laurie had a friend who lived next door. Sadie Russ was the sort of child no one should have as a friend – and most kids wouldn’t have wanted to. Laurie grew to both hate and fear her – for good reason. Now Laurie has a child of her own – Susan – around the same age Laurie was when a terrible accident happened and her friend next door died.

Then there is the sinister matter of how her father met his end. Suffering from dementia, he had become obsessed with keeping some nameless person or monster out of his house. The door at the bottom of the stairs leading to the tiny room he called the ‘belvedere’ was always kept locked. Yet, it was from a window of that room he fell to his death in the middle of the night. Now Laurie must confront some significant demons of the past and she is particularly unnerved to discover her daughter has taken up with a new playmate – a girl who bears an uncanny resemblance to long-dead Sadie, and who is living next door.

I adore a great ghost story and I loved this book. It kept me glued to the page, and thinking about it when I reluctantly had to tear myself away to deal with the business of real life. There are so many secrets to uncover, so many twists and turns and such a fabulously unexpected ending. The plot unfolds at a perfect pace, the smells, sights and sounds of the locations spring from the page, and the characters are real, their reactions natural, their fears transmitting themselves into the reader’s brain with an author’s deftness and skill I thoroughly appreciated.

This is my first Ronald Malfi and I am now looking forward to catching up with his back catalogue. Can’t wait!

You can find Little Girls here;

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo 

We Are Monsters - The True Story Behind The Book

I am delighted to be joined by fellow Samhain horror writer, Brian Kirk, whose scarily excellent new book - We Are Monsters - has just been published. Considerable research was needed for this book which delves into the shadowy world of mental health and weaves a tale of psychological evil. In Part One of a two-part blog, he talks about mental health and the real-life horrors that have posed as therapeutic treatments until frighteningly recent times...

 A History of Mental Health

Part I

Insanity likely descended upon the first person to question the mysterious nature of our existence. I know I had to hold onto something for support the first time existential questions entered my mind. What, you mean we’re all going to die?

But the manor in which we diagnose and treat the full spectrum of mental disorders has evolved over the last century or so. Sadly, it’s not a heartwarming tale. Let’s take a look at how humans have come to understand outbursts of insanity, and the attempts we’ve made to restore mental health.

Imagine living in 1796, and the conditions at the time. You’re in Pennsylvania visiting a relative in the state asylum. Mind your head as you wind down the stairs that lead to the dark basement, which could more aptly be called a dungeon. Here patients receive the greatest care while confined to chains and forced to sleep in crowded cells on straw. Keepers are on hand with whips in case someone becomes too agitated. Occasionally, they’re granted a bath. “Hi Mom, feeling better?”

What does a day of therapy look like? Well, at the time many physicians believed that evoking terror was an effective way to restore mental health. One common method was ‘The Bath of Surprise.” Wow, that sure sounds nice. Not so fast. This is where a patient is blindfolded and led across a trapdoor that drops them into a cold tub of water.

Variations on this clever approach emerged over time. Renowned clinician, Joseph Guislain, created a drowning device called, “The Chinese Temple,” which was basically a small iron cage. The patient would be locked in the cage and slowly lowered into a body of water, such as a pond. The cage would be raised once the “desired effect” had been attained, usually when the bubbles ceased to rise.

I love the names given to some of these treatment devices. Such as “The Tranquilizer Chair.” Sounds relaxing, right? Imagine being confined to this chair – your arms bound, wrists immobilized, feet clamped together, vision blocked by a wooden contraption encasing the head – and having a bucket placed underneath you for bowel movements. You’ll need it, as you’ll be sitting here for a long time – in some cases, for as long as six months. 

The Tranquilizer Chair

Confinement and hydrotherapy were deemed so therapeutic they were soon combined. One example was the continuous bath, which involved strapping a patient into a hammock suspended in a bathtub. The top of the tub was covered by a canvas sheet that had a hole for the patient’s head. At times, cold water would be used to fill the tub, and at other times water almost too hot to touch. Patients would be kept there for days on end, with bandages wrapped around their eyes and ears to shut out other sensations. Ah… just like being at the spa.

The Continuous Bath

The problem with these treatments was that they just weren’t very reliable. So physicians continued to look for more effective cures. Like good old Henry Cotton, superintendent of Trenton State Hospital in New Jersey, who, in 1916, decided that insanity was caused, in part, by bacteria. So he started pulling his patients’ teeth. According to him, this procedure cured 25% of them. That left 75% unimproved, prompting him to look for other body parts that might be harboring bacteria. He eventually went on to remove his patients’ tonsils, colon, gall bladder, appendix, fallopian tubes, uterus, ovaries, cervix, and seminal vesicles. He claimed to achieve an 85% cure rate with his operations. An investigation revealed, however, that nearly 43% of the patients who underwent Dr. Cotton’s therapy died. Small price to pay for peace of mind.

Learning about how we’ve historically treated the mentally ill not only inspired the subject of my debut novel, We Are Monsters, it influenced its title.

In this book a brilliant, yet troubled psychiatrist is working to develop a cure for schizophrenia. At first, the drug he creates shows great promise in alleviating his patient’s symptoms. It appears to return schizophrenics to their former selves. But (as you may imagine) something goes wrong. Unforeseen side effects begin to emerge, forcing prior traumas to the surface, setting inner demons free. His medicine may help heal the schizophrenic mind, but it also expands it, and the monsters it releases could be more dangerous than the disease.

I have tremendous sympathy for the mentally ill, and am horrified by the way they have been, and continue to be treated. This book, in many ways, pays homage to all who have had to endure inhumane treatments by monsters in human disguise.

To read Part II of this article, please visit Brian Moreland's Blog

 Anyone interested in checking out We Are Monsters can order a copy here:

 Amazon

Samhain Publishing 

Barnes and Noble 

Kobo 

Omnilit 

And for anyone interested in striking up a virtual friendship, please connect with me through one of the following channels. Don’t worry. I only kill my characters. 

 Brian Kirk

 Twitter

 Facebook

 Goodreads

Look for more historical accounts of mental heath therapies coming soon to another Samhain author’s blog near you! 

Thank you for being my guest today, Brian. I loved We Are Monsters. Here is my review:

 Brian Kirk scores a major debut hit with a gripping story that packs in more layers than a filo pastry – and is far more scary.

The evil that inhabits Sugar Hill mental asylum takes us deep into the psyches of the main characters and the author has really done his research here. He never flinches from exploring the dark, intricate web of psychological complexities that lurk deep within the minds of his subjects.

What is real? What is a figment of a schizophrenic’s tortured imagination? As each layer of this story is peeled back, we learn more and more about the characters and also that however scary monsters may be, the scariest of them all lurk deep within us.

This book is an irresistible maze. You cannot stop exploring it until you emerge, exhausted but satisfied, and with enough going on in your own head to ensure that the story and its well-crafted characters remain with you for a long time.

I found it a truly extraordinary read. Highly recommended.