The Murder Coincidences As History Repeats Itself

This is a remarkable coincidence story which features the murder of two 20 year old girls - but the killings were 157 years apart. Could this be a case of history repeating itself or maybe even reincarnation?

It was May 27 1974, a May Public Holiday, and the semi-naked body of twenty year old Barbara Forrest was found in Birmingham, England on parkland.

In the evening Barbara had been out with her boyfriend to several pubs in the Birmingham city centre. Afterwards she made her own way home by the number 67 bus while her boyfriend caught a bus to take him home in another direction.

Barbara's body was found, just 500 yards from her home, in a shallow ditch beneath bracken. A murder investigation swung into action led by Detective Superintendent Mick Lenehan.

The problem was that no one remembered seeing her on the 67 bus. It turned out that her boyfriend left her at the bus stop, but didn't see her actually get on the bus.

The work by more than 100 detectives appeared to have eventually paid off when they arrested Michael Thornton and charged him with murder.

Seven days into Thornton's trial he was acquitted. The judge ruled that the evidence against him was only circumstantial.

Now we turn the clock back even further to 1817, still in Birmingham, again on the same May Public Holiday. There was another murder, that of twenty year old Mary Ashford.

Mary had been out to a pub, the Tyburn House Inn. As the evening finished she made her own way home. Her body was later found lying submerged in dirty water. She had been sexually assaulted.

A farmer was arrested for her murder. His name - Thornton. He was sent for trial and was deemed to be not guilty.

Mary Ashford was buried in Sutton Coldfield churchyard. The inscription read: "As a warning to female virtue and a humble monument to female chastity this stone marks the grave of Mary Ashford who on the twentieth year of her age having incautiously repaired to a scene of amusement without proper protection was brutally murdered on 27th May 1817."

If we look at the two murders there are many coincidences:

(1) Both Barbara Forrest and Mary Ashford had the same birth-date, though 157 years apart.

(2) They were 20 years old.

(3) They had both been sexually assaulted and then strangled.

(4) Their bodies were found in the same area - about 300 yards apart.

(5) Both bodies were found on the same day: May 27th - a Public Holiday.

(6) For both murders a man called Thornton was arrested and sent for trial.

(7) Both men were acquitted of the murders.

(8) The week prior to her murder Barbara Forrest is quoted as telling a work colleague, "This is going to be my unlucky month. I just know it. Don’t ask me why."

(9) The week before Mary Ashford was murdered she told her friend's mother that she had, "Bad feelings about the week to come".

Are these simply coincidences, as many will claim, or is there something much more to them. Did history repeat itself, maybe for a reason? Was Barbara a reincarnation of Mary? Did they both sense their deaths? There are so many questions, none of which we can answer with certainty.

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Fossil Roots Over 235 Million Years Old

Fossil roots, or rhizocretions in the cliffs. Photo: Mike Perry

While on a trip away recently we saw the red cliffs near Budleigh Salterton which are millions of years old - this is what can be seen:

About 235 million years ago, during the Triassic Period, ancient plants grew here amongst the shifting streams of a desert river.

The roots of these thirsty plants burrowed down into the soft red sand of the desert, drawing up any water they could find. Minerals that were dissolved in the water grew in crystals around the roots, encasing them.

As time passed the streams moved and the plants died but the modules that encased the roots remained.

What can be seen nowadays, in the cliffs, are fossil roots, or rhizocretions. Budleigh Salterton is one of the only places where they can be seen without having to scale the heights of the cliffs.

Always amazes me to see such things that are so very old. Our lives are but the blink of an eye.

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10 Coincidences About The First Seven USA Presidents

Photo credit: Daniel Schwen

Here are ten coincidences I discovered from the Boston Transcript of 1855, about the first seven Presidents of the United States i.e. Washington, John Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Jackson. Not sure how good the coincidences are, but this is what was recorded at the time:

George Washinton

First Coincidence: Four of the seven were from the same state (Virginia).

Second: Two others bearing the same name (Adams) were from the same state,

Third: The remaining of the seven (Jackson), being particularly tenacious of his opinions and ways came very properly from Tennessee.

Fourth: All of them, except one, were sixty-six years of age on retiring from office.

Fifth: All these last mentioned served two terms.

Sixth: The one who served one term only, had he served two terms would have been sixty-six on retiring,

Seventh: Three of the seven men died on July 4, and two of them on the same day and year.

Eighth: Only one of the seven had a son, and that son was one of the seven Presidents.

Ninth: Two of them were of the subcommittee of three that drafted the Declaration of Independence, and which happened just half a century from the day of declaration.

Tenth: In respect to the names of all, it may be said in conclusion, that the initials of two of the seven were the same - and the initials of still two others were the same. But one who stands alone in this particular, stands alone also in the admiration and love of his countrymen and of the civilised world - Washington.

That's it!

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Jesus Had A Helicopter!

This is an interesting 15th century French painting of the Madonna and child as it shows Jesus holding, what looks to be, a toy helicopter with a string pull.

The painting is said to have been completed in 1460, so surprising to see that it includes a helicopter type toy.

It is believed the Chinese had similar tops or toys around 400BC known as a bamboo-copter, bamboo dragonfly or, appropriately, a Chinese top. These were no doubt introduced to Europe at some time after that.

No idea as to the significance of including such a toy in a painting of Madonna and child but there's bound to be a wacky theory out there ... somewhere!

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Sinking of the Battleship Victoria 1893

When tragedies occur there are often strange tales associated with the disaster. I came across such an example from 1893 - June 22nd to be precise.

This was when the British Royal Navy Flagship, Victoria, was rammed by another ship - Camperdown - one of it's own squadron, and subsequently sank. Most on board went to a watery grave.

The story is that of the admiral, Sir George Tryon .... here is a cutting from the time ...

Okay, now the 'strange' part.

At the time as the collision, the admiral's wife was giving a party in her home at Eaton Square, London.

Not long after 3:30 p.m guests say they saw the unmistakeable figure of Sir George Tryon 'stride across the drawing room'. The guests mentioned this to Lady Tryon, who had not seen the figure. She told them that her husband was with his ship.

Some of the guests even claimed to have spoken to Sir George and were adamant that they had seen him.

The admiral was never seen again.

So, who did the guests see? A ghost or spirit? A trick of the light, or perhaps a similar looking man?

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They Meet Up By Coincidence After 50 Years

Here's a coincidence story I saw in yesterday's Daily Mail. It seems even the press are getting interested in coincidences now! The story was from Jeff Pickard from Sussex.

As an eleven year old in 1945, I passed my exams and went to Maldon Grammar School in Essex. On leaving school at 15 and later marrying an Essex girl, we moved to Hertfordshire and I served 30 years in the Herts Police.

I retired in 1987 and moved to Sussex where, in 1995, I joined Middleton Bowling Club.

During one of my first home matches, I was aked by a fellow Middleton bowler where did I come from.

I replied: "Hertfordshire, but originally I came from Essex,"

He then asked where in Essex to which I replied: "Burnham-on-Crouch."

"I know Burnham," he said, "Where did you go to school?"

"Malden Grammar," I replied.

He appeared quite startled and said, "Who was your secondary school history teacher?"

"Mr. Thomas," I said.

With that, he extended his hand to mine and introduced himself: "I was your history teacher. I am that Mr. Thomas."

Meeting someone 50 years later - amazing!

~ Jeff Pickard.

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The Striking Coincidence Of Dates From 1853

I found this story in a newspaper from September 10, 1853, so it's not exactly up to date news! But it illustrates that the media have been noticing coincidences for many, many years. I've copied the following word for word.

On the 18th of June 1815 the English and French were engaged in desperate conflict at Waterloo.

On the same day of the same month in 1853, the English and French fleets were at anchor off the Dardanelles, engaged in a common cause.

On the 14th of June, 1807 Napoleon conquered the troops of Alexander of Russia at Friedland, and the two monarchs at the subsequent interview at Tilsit, took counsel as to whether, together, they could not humble the naval power of England.

Forty-six years later, day for day the navies of England and France are united to resist the encroachments of the Muscovite. The brother of Alexander and the nephew of Napoleon do not act in concert, but in hostility.

That a half century, however, should produce such changes is not surprising, but the coincidence of dates is striking.

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Bad Lord Soulis Was Boiled In A Cauldron In A Sheet Of Lead

Hermirage Castle

The Boiling of Bad Lord Soulis

On a circle of stone they placed the pot,

On a circle of stones but barely nine,

They heated it up red and fiery hot,

Till the burnished brass did glimmer and shine.

They rolled him up in a sheet of lead,

A sheet of lead for a funeral pall,

They plunged him in the cauldron red.

and melted him lead bones and all.

Hermitage Castle, in the Scottish Borders, was built around 1240 by Sir Nicholas Soulis. His son William became known as Bad Lord Soulis and was familiar with the Black Arts. This led to tales of local children disappearing and never being seen again. It was rumoured that they were locked in his castle dungeon and used for his diabolical rituals.

There's always a straw though that breaks the camel's back. In this case it was in 1320 when the evil lord began to lust over a certain young woman with the surname of Armstrong. He was determined to have his evil way with her, with force if necessary, as he had done with many other women before.

He was on his way to to satisfy his desires when he was confronted by Miss Armstrong's father, who had became aware of William's lust for his daughter. But nothing would quench Soulis' desire so he killed the young woman's father.

Many local people saw the killing and they rose up to take revenge, but the Laird of Mangerton arrived on the scene and called for calm. He escorted Soulis back to Hermitage Castle.

Lord Soulis' pride was hurt, by the way he had been saved by an inferior man such as the Laird. He decided to get even, so he invited the Laird to a banquet. Arriving at the castle the Laird was killed.

Milnholm Cross

His grieving friends bore away his body to be buried at Ettleton Cemetery. The next morning he was laid to rest, and later, by the roadside, beneath the cemetery, a cross was erected, the Milnholm Cross, to mark the event and passing of a respected and much loved Laird.

The local people were seething at the loss the Laird and somehow this unrest reached the ears of the King who is said to have exclaimed, "Soulis! Soulis! Go boil him in brew!"

Soulis was overpowered and taken to Ninestane Rig, high up in the hills by a Druid circle. There, a huge cauldron and fire had been prepared and the Lord Soulis was wrapped in lead and placed in the cauldron where he was boiled to his death.

Of course, like a Chinese Whisper, as the years pass, stories seem to get embroidered and altered.

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Gulliver's Travels Tells Of Two Mars Moons Before They Were Discovered

Gulliver discovers Laputa, the flying island (Surely this isn't a UFO!)

I do like old newspapers because they often show coincidences. The following is from The Montreal Gazette in 1924. It's a report on the Royal Astronomical Society, Montreal Branch, when a Professor A.S Eve gave a talk.

Mars has two suitably sized moons of its own, and Dear Swift, when he wrote Gulliver's Travels, had one of his imaginary characters mention the fact. Yet, at the time Swift lived, no one knew scientifically that Mars had moons.

"I said to a certain lady I thought this a strange coincidence," remarked Professor Eve, who lectured at McGill University last night before the Royal Astronomical Society. "She was, by the way, a lady with a strong spiritualistic tendencies. Her answer was, 'Not at all, Swift's astral body had been there.'"

The professor added he thought it a pity Swift's astral body had not traversed the entire solar system - it would have saved students of heavenly mysteries much trouble.

Just to clarify Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, and these were discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall. Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver's Travel's in 1726 (amended 1735).

And what about Laputa, the flying Island, in Gulliver's Travels - not a UFO surely!

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Did The Medicine Man Cause An Electrical Storm In New York?

Sioux warrior and medicine man

On Saturday my post was about a witch doctor. As often happens, I have now come across a similar story dating back to 1940, again mentioning a coincidence. As this is in the language of that period, it may not be what is considered as politically correct today.

"Natives have a firm belief in the powers of witch doctors. In one Indian tribe in America some of the medicine men became widely known to control the weather.

It was reported that they could cause rain in dry seasons and make storms cease. Scientists at once set out to see the rain makers at work.

The witch doctors used rain bundles, which were piles of sticks, and these scientists returned with some to New York. They were warned by the Indians not to open them without the usual ceremony adopted by the Indians.

The bundle, however was unceremoniously opened in the basement of a large museum.

While the operation went on one of the worst electrical storms of the season occurred. The only explanation seemed to be that it was a remarkable coincidence."

But was it a coincidence? The article from 1940 also included the following cure.

"One strange cure witnessed by a missionary in West Africa, had to do with a man suffering from tuberculosis of the bones. He had visited white doctors without success, and at last appealed to a native witch doctor.

He was cured after the treatment. Asked what the native had done to him, the man could only reply that the doctor had placed something in his sores that caused them to run for days. The cure was investigated and proved, but the witch doctor kept his secret."

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Witch Doctor Burnt Man At Stake And It Made The Rain Fall

Rhodesian Witch Doctor

I came across this from 1923 and found it interesting as it shows how attitudes have changed - plus it mentions coincidence (but was it actually coincidence?). Southern Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980.

In Southern Rhodesia, Africa, where they have summer while we have winter, the natives recently called in a witch doctor to make it rain. The whole country was parched and withered as the result of a long drought.

The witch doctor, of course, announced that a human sacrifice must be made to the rain god, Mwari.

No one was very ambitious to be the victim, so the primitive city council turned their eyes to a worthless neighbour named Mtegedi. He was notorious for his amours with his neighbours' wives, and the tribesmen gladly seized on the opportunity to get him out of the way.

Well, they tied him to a stake and burned him alive. Millions have similarly perished in the history of superstitious humanity. By coincidence, the victim had been dead only a few minutes when a terrific storm blew along. Rain fell for days, torrents of it.

Coincidence, you know, is the ally of superstition.

If you have been following the scientific news you will know that Americans have been experimenting to produce artificial rain. The most promising method is an airplane scattering electrified sand on a 'roof of clouds'.

Marconi, some months ago, predicted that rain will come and go at our own will in the future. Then we will become lords and masters of creation on this planet. We will then be able to obtain any amount of power without effort.

The contrast emphasises how man in the primitive state seeks the solution of his problems outside himself, and how in the civilised state he realises that the solution comes from within. In other words, we have to work for everything we get on earth, and progress either individually or socially is up to us ourselves.

We still seek alibis and blame our troubles on external (often invisible) influences. But we are gradually learning that the way to get out of a hole is to climb out with our own hands and legs.

Man's fate is in his own hands, with a Divine Being ready to help as we help ourselves.

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The George Washington And The German Emperor Coincidence

Propaganda against Wilhelm II

I'm digging in the archives again today and have come up with a coincidence story, first reported in 1905.

In February of 1905 at the observance of George Washington's birthday by the University of Pennsylvania they were conferring the degree of doctor of laws upon the emperor of Germany [Wilhelm II]. At the same time they conferring the same degree upon the then current president of the United States.

Now to quote from the Daily Star of Feb 18, 1905:

It is a noteworthy historical coincidence that the degree which President Roosevelt will receive on Washington's birthday was conferred by the university upon George Washington on Independence Day, 1783 - the year in which the Revolutionary War ended.

This historical coincidence having been brought to the attention of the German emperor, his majesty cabled, through Ambassador Tower, his acceptance of the degree of doctor of laws.

Wilhelm II or William II - the last German emperor

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Why Great Minds Think Alike

Aluminium: there's something I never thought I would write about on this blog! But now I've discovered a coincidence regarding aluminium.

First, a brief history about the metal. In 1825 a Danish scientist, Hans Christian Oersted. became aware of aluminium while working in his laboratory. Around 1845 a German scientist, Frederich Wohler learned how to make it, but only in very small quantities and at a very expensive cost.

So the production of aluminium wasn't a viable proposition until, that is ...

In the February of 1886, when two things happened simultaneously, on opposite sides of the Atlantic.

Charles Martin Hall, the son of a minister, was working in a woodshed laboratory in Ohio, USA on an experiment that had seemingly intrigued him for many years.

At the same time, in a makeshift laboratory, in a corner of his father's tannery in Paris Paul Heroult was doing the same thing.

Both men were 23 years old.

Working independently of each other, and with no knowledge that the other existed, they each worked away through the challenges that had defied earlier attempts to make aluminium commercially viable. Then, at the same time, they both succeeded. It became the birth of an important international aluminium industry.

The interesting bit is how often similar 'coincidences' like this happen with many new inventions. Often there are disputes as to who actually invented something or other. How does this happen?

The occult explanation is that there are currents of thought in the sea of consciousness, and we can attach ourselves either consciously or unconsciously to these currents. To quote Richard Ingalese from his book The History and Power of Mind;

"When you or I are thinking along the same general line we are in a current of thought, which is one of those in the Universal Consciousness; and because your mind and mine are attached to this current, we are for the time being receiving in unison the same ideas. Plagiarism may be often explained in this manner.

... Inventors often get into the same current of thought, and work along similar lines, and then suddenly startle the public with inventions of a like nature, each inventor declares himself the sole discoverer of the thing invented."

Now imagine if we could consciously attach ourselves to such currents of thought - the world would be our oyster. Well maybe not oyster as I'm vegetarian, but you get the general idea.

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Thomas Jefferson and John Adams

In yesterdays post I mentioned a coincidence regarding the US Declaration of Independence. Here's another one linked to the same subject. I hadn't heard of it previously but, again, it may be well known in the USA.

As the US were celebrating their 50th year of Independence on July 4, 1826 two of it's former Presidents died on that day: Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.

This seems quite amazing that exactly 50 years after they both affixed their signatures to the Declaration of Independence, they would both die. It's almost as if they had a pact to do so - which they didn't of course. Jefferson was 83 and Adams 90.

John Adams was the second US President from March 4, 1797 to March 4, 1801 and Thomas Jefferson the third US President from March 4, 1801 to March 4, 1809.

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The Coincidence Of The Two US Declarations Of Independence

Tiadaghton Elm where Pine Creek Declaration of Independence was signed

Here's an historical coincidence I hadn't heard before, though perhaps it's well known in the US.

In Jersey Shore, Pa., along the west bank of Little Pine Creek, 23 men wrote and signed their own declaration of freedom. By coincidence this was on exactly the same day as the US Declaration of Independence was being adopted at Philadelphia;s Independence Hall.

It's recorded that these fair play men, as they were called, assembled on July 4, 1776, to declare themselves independent of Great Britain. They were not aware that the Continental Congress was doing exactly the same thing in Philadelphia.

The men gathered under the Tiadaghton Elm to hear their leaders renounce allegiance to the mother country. Their meeting ended by the 23 men drafting and signing the Pine Creek Declaration of Independence.

It's said that the signers of the declaration went to Fort Horn, located nearby on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, and buried the original document in a strongbox.

Two of the group were then chosen to take a copy of the document to the seat of government in Philadelphia. They left on horseback but were ambushed and robbed by Indians. They escaped but were then arrested by Tories as spies. Again they managed to escape and made there way to Philadelphia. They arrived on July 10th only then to learn of the other declaration.

The original 18th century Pine Creek Declaration of Independence was lost when Indians and Tories burned Fort Horn.

Note: The photo of the Tiadaghton Elm (public domain) was taken in 1939 but the tree died in the 1970s.

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12 Ancient UFO Sightings As Seen On Earth

Aerial battle over Nuremberg April 4, 1561

While reading about UFOs, a while back, it stuck in my mind that on New Year's Day in 1254 the monks at St.Albans in England sighted 'a kind of ship flying' in the sky that was 'large, elegantly shaped and of a marvellous colour.' The UFO phenomenon isn't something new.

I thought, for a change therefore, I'd look at a dozen of the UFO visits from the distance past.

1504 BC: This is probably one of the earliest written accounts of a UFO - the following description is an excerpt from an Egyptian papyrus under the reign of Thutmose III.

'In the year 22 ... sixth hour of the day ... the scribes of the House of Life found it was a circle of fire that was coming in the sky ... it had no head, the breath of its mouth had a foul odour. Its body one rod long and one rod wide. It had no voice ... Now after some days had passed, these things became more numerous in the skies than ever. They shone more in the sky than the brightness of the sun and extended to the four supports of the heavens ... Powerful was the position of the fire circles ... It was after supper. Thereupon these fire circles ascended higher in the sky towards the south ... It was ordered by the Pharaoh to be written in the annals of the House of Life ... so that it be remembered for ever.'

500 BC: In the ancient Indian text Samarangana Sartradhara there is a description of piloted flying machines called vimanas. These were powered by some unknown source and they could 'carry death' to anywhere on earth.

216 BC: Julius Obsequens wrote in his book Prodigorium liber of how 'things like ships were seen in the sky over Italy ... At Apri a round shield was seen in the sky. At Capua, the sky was on fire, and one saw figures like ships.'

214 BC: This time in Italy at Hadria 'an altar in the sky' was seen

66 AD: The historian Pliny the Elder tells of a big spark as 'big as the moon' which fell from the sky - and then returned to the heavens. He also told of how 'a burning shield scattering sparks ran across the sky at sunset from east to west.'

584: St. Gregory, the bishop of Tours in France, recorded various sightings in his Historia Francorum. 'There appeared in the sky brilliant rays of light which seemed to cross and collide with one another.' He also described 'golden globes' which flashed at speed across the skies of France.

793: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports, 'In this year terrible portents appeared in Northumbria (England) and miserably afflicted the inhabitants. These were exceptional flashing and lightning and fiery dragons seen flying through the air.'

1170: Roger Niger described 'a wonderfully large dragon' which was 'borne up from earth though the air. The air was kindled into fire by its motion and burned a house, reducing it and its outbuildings to ashes.' This was seen at Osyth, Essex, England.

1180: In Japan something similar to a flying saucer was seen, though they described this as a flying 'earthenware vessel.' The object or UFO was heading in a northeast direction from a mountain in the Kii province. This suddenly changed direction and vanished below the horizon, leaving a luminous trail.

1290: The monks at Byland Abbey in Yorkshire spotted a 'large round silver disk' passing through the skies.

1561: This time the sighting was in Nuremberg in Germany where it was said that there was 'a very frightful spectacle.' During daylight glowing tubes, globes and crosses were seen in the sky and appeared to do battle. This lasted for an hour and some then fell to the earth as 'if on fire.' The image at the top of this post refers to this.

There are many, many other UFO sightings on record from the distant past. We sometimes seem to think of such things as a modern phenomena, probably starting with the Kenneth Arnold flying saucer stories from 1947. But very little in life is actually new - much has already been seen or experienced previously by past generations.

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The Quarter Jack Looking Down From The Tower Of Wimborne Church

Quarter Jack at Wimborne Minster Church, Dorset

Last weekend we travelled to Wimborne in Dorset for a friends' Golden Anniversary dinner party and stayed at the 200 year old King's Head Hotel.

Showing where the Quarter Jack is positioned

We wandered around the small town of Wimborne and visited the church where we spotted the Quarter Jack, photos above, high up in the church tower. The fellow is part of an old clock thought to date back to the early 1300s.

The working's of the clock have been updated, well sort of, as this was way back in the mid 1700s. Originally the soldier figure was of a monk but this was changed in Napoleonic times to that of a Grenadier Guard.

There are no hands on the actual clock, it's an astrological design, with the sun in the middle of the face showing the time. As for the Quarter Jack he pops out and rings the bells every quarter of an hour.

Wimborne Church

The photos below are of the King's Head Hotel in Wimborne where we stayed. Our room was where the light is switched on, to the left of the picture, on the second floor.

The hotel had an archway entrance at the side which led to a small car park. I imagine that stagecoaches, with their horses, would have once entered though here.

We had an enjoyable time and the party was full of positivity and appreciation. Unfortunately, however, I didn't spot any ghosts or things that go bump in the night despite the history of Wimborne.

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Stepping Back In Time In The Silent City Of Mdina

Mdina, once the capital of Malta, has a magical almost fairytale quality. As you approach all you can see are the sturdy city walls and the spires of the Cathedral. Entrance is via a bridge, looking down on what was once the wide moat, and ...

... through the main gateway.

Once inside you soon realise that this walled city of Mdina, or the Silent City as it is known, is a bit special with it's narrow streets and medieval architecture. It's history stretches back to 4000 BC, though the majority of the present buildings are from the Arab period - of around 870 AD.

Once inside the walls it's easy to imagine you have stepped back in time until, that is ...

... you meet up with a gaggle of other tourists. Mdina is virtually car free as only it's three hundred residents may drive within the walled area - with an exception for undertakers and wedding and emergency vehicles.

Horse and carriage is one way to take in the atmosphere and but it's also good to simply walk and ...

... get lost in the narrow streets.

On the opposite side of Mdina - to the entrance - is a good place to look over the city walls. It's easy to see why the town was built in this position, as it's situated on one of Malta's highest points, slap bang in the middle of the island. The Mediterranean can be seen in the distance.

It is believed to have first been fortified by the Phoenicians somewhere around 700 BC.

We came across several artists sketching or painting while lost in another world.

The photo above shows St.Dorothy's Convent and below the narrow streets and passageways give way to a large square where the Cathedral of the Conversion of St Paul sits in all it's glory.

The building suffered extensive damage through an earthquake in 1693 and was rebuilt by Lorenzo Gafà between 1697 and 1702.

The floor of the Cathedral is paved and decorated with marble tombstones which display the coat of arms of the bishops of Mdina and other such dignitaries.

The city is also known for it's Mdina Glass. It's lovely quality, but rather pricey.

If you fancy a step back in time, your carriage awaits ...

Photos: © Mike Perry

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