Mike Covell’s Blogg

Well it has been one hell of a year.  I seem to have not written much on the blog at all this year, but believe me it is for a very good reason.  I have been so busy not just with “Jack the Ripper” but other projects that I rarely get to sit and update my blog.  So here, in one post, is all the weird and wonderful news since my last posting.  Forgive me if I go over the same ground again, but the projects are so exciting and it is fantastic to be a part of them all.

LONDON LECTURE

This week I had the pleasure of lecturing for a massive marketing company in London at Mindshare’s Huddle event. 

http://www.mindshareworld.com/uk/about/huddle

https://twitter.com/mindshare_uk

Massive thank you to Chris Bourke, for not only booking me, but making me feel very welcome at the event.  The lecture which was for Qriously Ltd, looked at “Jack the Ripper” and the media both past and present and was a very popular lecture.  Everyone made me feel very welcome and I had a lovely time in London meeting everyone.  

https://www.qriously.com/

https://twitter.com/qriously

BOOKS

This year has seen the release of ten of my books, they are all available to download via Amazon, and two are currently available on paperback.  Simply search for “Mike Covell” on the Amazon pages around the world and you will find the products. 

At the moment sales are really impressive and I cannot thank the Creativia gang for taking me on board and looking after me and my titles.  They are such a small tight nit group and they have worked wonders for me. 

http://www.creativia.org/

https://www.facebook.com/ctivia

http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hull-s-Jack-Ripper-expert-Mike-Covell-storms/story-21328013-detail/story.html

MOVIES

As you can imagine I am limited in what I can say about the movies at present, I know I am a tease, but I can only recommend that you visit the Thunderball Films website for updates on the projects that I am involved in.  It is a very exciting time, and I look forward to working on some amazing projects as an historical director and executive producer that are heading our way.   

http://www.thunderballfilms.com/

https://twitter.com/ThunderBallFilm

http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hollywood-buys-script-real-life-Victorian-crime/story-20940257-detail/story.html

http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Jack-Ripper-expert-Mike-Covell-star-Mischa-Barton/story-20761947-detail/story.html

TV SHOW

I can confirm that there is a television show on the way looking at the “Jack the Ripper” case and other similar cases to ascertain fact from fiction, myth from reality.  Whilst I am very limited over what I can and cannot say, I can say that it is a very interesting and exciting project tackled in a way that has never been tackled before in Ripperology.  The title for the show is “Jack the Ripper: Reality and Myth.”

http://www.thunderballfilms.com/

https://twitter.com/ThunderBallFilm

TOURS

Many people will remember that earlier this year I set up AMAZING HULL TOURS.  Since that time I had carried out numerous tours, lectures, and research for numerous people.  The tours are going really well and recently were featured in the Hull Daily Mail after a number of people caught anomalous objects on camera.  I take a back seat and allow people to take photos on the tour and if they capture anything on film I do not sway their opinion.  That said, this last few weeks has seen a number of people capture unexplained activity on their cameras. 

http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Graveyard-ghost-Does-photo-capture-spooky-spirit/story-24024138-detail/story.html

PODCAST

Earlier this year I met with my good mate John and we recorded a show on Jack the Ripper – The Hull Connection.  Since then John and I have recorded more shows that look at the history of Hull.  Show two featured a virtual walk around Hull’s Old Town, visiting some of the allegedly haunted pubs and talking about their history. 
Show three featured a similar virtual tour around some of the pubs a little further afield.

To listen to the shows simply visit:

http://www.johninstein.webs.com/urban-legends

https://www.facebook.com/Urbanlegendhull

https://twitter.com/ULPodcast

HULL’S DARK MUSEUM

Earlier this year I teamed up with local businessman John Hemmingway to create a brand new visitor attraction in Hull.  The idea is to showcase 700 years of the darker side of Hull’s strange history, from witchcraft to the hanging of pirates, ghost sightings, local legends and true crime.  The project is moving at a great pace and I look forward to releasing news about this very soon.  One area we hope to showcase is “Jack the Ripper” The Hull Connection.

https://twitter.com/HullDarkHistory

https://www.facebook.com/HullDarkHistoryMuseum

http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Death-murder-disease-New-Hull-dungeon-museum/story-20513987-detail/story.html

FUTURE PROJECTS

I am very pleased to announce that due to the popularity of the URBAN LEGENDS podcasts that next year for the second season we have even bigger plans.  Watch out for John and I around Hull filming in locations associated with true crime, Jack the Ripper, and the paranormal. 

I am pleased to be the historian at the fascinating project housed within Annison’s Stables, on Witham, above and behind the 24 hour pharmacy.  A lot of attention has been paid to this building and its magnificent history and in the future you will see some amazing tours, lectures, and the occasional paranormal investigation at the property.  You will also see lectures on Mary Jane Langley being given at the property where Mr. William Mortimer Edmonds had his photography shop!

The “Chocolate Factory” on Wincolmlee, a lovely 19^th century tallow mill will also see some magnificent projects taking place there.  These will be run in conjunction with local businessman John Hemmingway, who I spoke about in regards to the DARK MUSEUM above.

2015 will see a wide range of new lectures and new tours, taking in aspects of Hull’s history long since forgotten.  Among the new lectures will be a new Amy Johnson lecture, a new William Papper lecture, and a new lecture on Hull’s infamous Silver Hatchet Gang of the early 19^th century.

New Books!!!  Next year will see the release of a series of new books that will explore the darker side of Hull’s history.  The series is all but finished and they will be submitted just after Christmas for a steady release through the year.  It will mean a year of no “Jack the Ripper” releases from me, but I am saving the new “Jack the Ripper” projects for 2016.

LECTURES

The AMAZING HULL TOURS lectures have had a very busy year and bookings are coming well into 2015 with a lecture booked for December next year!  All bookings for both tours and lectures can be made through AMAZING HULL TOURS at the following;

http://www.amazinghulltours.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/amazinghulltours

 https://twitter.com/AMAZINGHULLTOUR

Or via emailing us at amazinghulltours@hotmail.com

In the past few weeks I have been busying myself with writing, AMAZING HULL TOURS, working on material for the HULL DARK MUSEUM, and working on some history for Hull’s new LAND TRAIN.  Add to this mixture a series of tours and lectures and it has been a very busy time indeed. 

On Friday evening, as I was getting ready to go out on a tour I received an email from Brian L Porter.  Brian, as many of my blog readers will know, is the author of the Jack the Ripper trilogy, A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper, Legacy of the Ripper, and Requiem for the Ripper. 

At the time of the release of the first book I read it and posted reviews online on various websites.  With the second book Brian would email me asking for the occasional piece of information with regards to the historical aspects of the case.  The same occurred with the third book.

The email on Friday asked me whether I would like to join the Thunderball Films production of A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper as an historical advisor, I, of course, jumped at the chance. 

What happened next was even more amazing.

Brian asked me if I would be willing to appear in the movie as Inspector Abberline! 

Abberline has appeared onscreen on numerous occasions, notably played by Michael Caine, in the mini-series “Jack the Ripper,” and by Johnny Depp, in the Hughes brother movie “From Hell.”

It is both an honour and a pleasure to play such a character.

I am also pleased to announce that I will be featuring exclusives on the movie, with interviews from the set, as the film progresses.  Watch this space!!

Thunderball Films: http://www.thunderballfilms.com/new2_media.php

A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper IMDB page: http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1368869/

Jack the Ripper: Year in Review 2013

Another year has passed, and one that has seen the 125^th anniversary of the Jack the Ripper canonical five victims.  We have been hit with a bombardment of books; kindle titles, documentaries, audio books, television shows, and much more, so here is a rundown of what I saw in 2013:

Jack the Kindle reader:

The Kindle has gone from strength to strength and it is not surprising considering the cost of books, ease of downloading, and instant availability.  2013 proved to be a massive year for Jack the Ripper titles on the Kindle, both fact and fiction, and here are just a few of the releases that came out during the year: 

A Tale from Ripper Street: Inspector Edmund Reid’s Hunt for Jack the Ripper, Joseph Busa,

Whitechapel: The Final Stand of Sherlock Holmes (Jack the Ripper), Bernard Schaffer,

Severin: A tale of Jack the Ripper, Simon Webb

Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Casebook, Richard Whittington-Egan

In Search of Jack the Ripper, David Pietras,

The Whitechapel Secret: Who was Jack the Ripper? Martin Loughlin,

The Complete and Essential Jack the Ripper, Paul Begg and John Bennett,

The Crimson Fog, Paul Halter and John Pugmire,

Whitechapel, Ian Porter,

Jack, Jason Williams,

Wellcome to Hell: Was Sir Henry Wellcome Jack the Ripper? Joseph Busa,

The Whitechapel Murders and Mary Jane Kelly, Peter Caldwell,

Scarlet Autumn: Jack the Ripper, Gian J. Quaser

Jack the Ripper: The Becoming, C. R. M. Gwynn,

The Hunt of a pipsqueak Jack the Ripper, C. Neil,

Jack the Ripper’s Many Faces, Amanda Harvey Purse,

Jack the Ripper’s Streets of Terror, John Stewart,

Jack the Ripper Komplett, S. Leib,

Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History, Paul Begg,

The Curse of Mitre Square and The Lodger: Two Jack the Ripper Classics, John Francis Brewer and Marie Belloc Lowndes,

Jack the Ripper- The Secret Police Files, Trevor Marriott,

Prey Time, Trevor Marriott,

Miller’s Court: The Story of Jack the Ripper and his last victim, James Paul,

Bred in Whitechapel: A novel based on Jack the Ripper, Tom Coleman and Robin Prior,

The Fifth Victim, Antonio Alexander,

Annie and the Ripper, Tim Champlin and Greg Smallwood,

Jack the Ripper Unmasked, Neil Ashford,

Jack the Ripper: First American Serial Killer, Stewart Evans and Paul Gainey,

Prince Eddy and the Homosexual Underworld, Theo Aronson,

Tales of Jack the Ripper, Laird Barron, and others,

Mary Jane Kelly and the Victims of Jack the Ripper: The 125^th Anniversary, Neal Sheldon,

It wasn’t Jack the Ripper? Patricia Pickett,

Jack the Ripper: From the Cradle to the Grave, Peter Rutt,

Jack the Ripper: Letters from Hell, Stewart P. Evans and Keith Skinner,

Jack the Ripper: The Celebrity Suspects, Mike Holgate,

Jack the Ripper: The Suspects, The Whitechapel Society,

Ripper Hunter, M. J. Trow,

The East End Murders: From Jack the Ripper to Ronnie Kray, Neil R. Storey,

Jack the Ripper Papers: Part 1, Michael Bowman,

Cold Case Mysteries – Volume 1, Sascha von Bornheim,

The Welsh Ripper Killings, Gary M. Dobbs,

Ripper, Jael Gates,

A Grim Almanac of Jack the Ripper’s London 1870-1900, Neil R. Storey,

I am Jack…A biography of one of Scotland’s most notorious serial killers: Thomas Neil Cream, Wallace Edwards

Dark Streets of Whitechapel, R. Barri Flowers,

Murder in Whitechapel: The Adventure of the Post Mortem Knife, Donald and Kyle Joy,

Inquests Jack the Ripper, C. Neil,

Inquests Jack the Ripper, C. Neil,

Jack the Ripper Doesn’t Exist, Paul Juser,

Jack the Ripper- The Facts, Paul Begg,

The Seduction of Mary Kelly – The Final Victim of Jack the Ripper, William J. Perring,

From Hell: The Final Days of Jack the Ripper, Rob Thompson,

Abberline: The man who hunted Jack the Ripper, Peter Thurgood,

Dracula meets Jack the Ripper, Michael B. Druxman,

Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates, Stewart P. Evans,

The Death of Jack the Ripper: Whitechapel Kittehs 2, Kitty Glitter,

Jack the Ripper vs Sherlock Holmes, Philip Duke,

Ritual in the Dark, Colin Wilson,

The Ripper Trilogy, Shawn Weaver and Donnie Light,

Jack the Ripper: The Terrible Legacy, The Whitechapel Society,

Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper, Frank Morlock, and others,

The Ultimate Jack the Ripper Sourcebook, Stewart Evans and Keith Skinner,

Ripper, Seamus Winchester,

Jack the Ripper: The Theories and the facts, Colin Kendell,

The Man who hunted Jack the Ripper, Stewart P. Evans,

Victorian Lives behind Victorian Crimes: The women who made Jack the Ripper famous, Amanda Harvey Purse,

Ripper’s Wrath, Donnie Light and Shawn Weaver,

Jack the Book reader:

Luckily for book lovers, hardback and soft-back books are still being released; the following is a short list of some of 2013’s releases.

Jack the Ripper at Last? The Mysterious Murders of George Chapman, Henela Wojtczak,

Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Casebook, Richard Whittington Egan,

Jack the Ripper’s Streets of Terror: Life During the Reign of Victorian London’s Most Brutal Killer, Rupert Matthews,

Jack the Ripper: In My Blood: Normal Kirtlan, Dianne Bainbridge

The True History of Jack the Ripper: The Forgotten 1905 Ripper Novel, Guy Logan,  

Jack the Ripper: From the Cradle to the Grave, Peter Rutt,

The Complete and Essential Jack the Ripper, Paul Begg and John Bennett,

Abberline: The Man who hunted Jack the Ripper, Peter Thurgood,

Fifth Victim, Antonia Alexander,

The Autobiography of Jack the Ripper: As revealed to Clanash Farjeon, Alan Scarfe,

Jack the Audio Book:

Audio books make an entry in this year’s review for the first time.  Kindle’s and tablets all have audio options, and many downloadable Kindle titles have text to audio, however, audio books are becoming very popular again.  Here is a short list of some of 2013’s releases,

Ripper Hunter, M. J. Trow and Terry Wale,

Dracula Meets Jack the Ripper, Michael B. Druxman, and Fred Frees,

Jack the Ripperologist:

Ripperologist Magazine is still going strong, and what follows is a rundown, compiled by Howard Brown of Jtrforums.com of what each volume contained,

Issue 134 October
Editorial-For Better Or Worse—-Adam Wood
Guy Logan Vs. Jack The Ripper—-Jan Bondeson
The Fifth Victim; Hand Of A Woman?- Jennifer Shelden
Her Final Days (Catherine Eddowes)–Lynn Cates
A German Policewoman In London–Michaela Koristova
Henri D.T. Lautrec– Greg Alexander
Hunt The Ripper— Colin Saysell
The Men Who Would Be Jack ( The Provincials)–Nina & Howard Brown
Chris Scott’s Press Trawl
Spitalfields Life– The Gentle Author
Victorian Fiction : An Alpine Divorce–Robert Barr

Issue 133 August
Editorial- The Art Of Staying Lucky- Gareth Williams
The Last Breath Of Mary Kelly :The Life Of Sarah
Lewis ( 1865-1941)——-Chris Scott
In The Ripper’s Shadow : The Whitehall Mystery-
-Rob Clack
One Lone Maniac Too Many ( Part Two)–Simon Wood
Francis Tumblety & Yellow Journalism–Mike Hawley
Murder At The Cafe Royal– Jan Bondeson
The Men Who Would Be Jack ( Another Whitechapel
Murderer )–Nina & Howard Brown
Chris Scott’s Press Trawl
Spitalfield’s Life- The Gentle Author
Victorian Fiction– The Sea Raiders- H. G. Wells

Issue 132 June
Editorial : The Daughters Of Shiloh–Eduardo Zinna
Charles Albert Cadosch And His Family- Colin Macdonald
One Lone Maniac Too Many( Part One )- Simon Wood
Mystery At Mr. Cooke’s School of Anatomy - Jan Bondeson
The Men Who Would Be Jack (The Seamen )- Nina & Howard
Brown
Trevor Marriott’s The Evil Within- Mark Ripper
Chris Scott’s Press Trawl
Spitalfields Life- The Gentle Author
Obituary- Jess Franco
The Conclusion of Glen Bledsoe’s The Truth
Victorian Fiction : Glamr- Sabine Baring Gould

Issue 131 April
Editorial : If You Have No Daughters, Give Them To Your Sons– Adam Wood
Nature’s Warning Signals- J. Hunt Schooling
Leather Apron : A Persistent Rumour- Lynn Cates
The Mountie And The Cabman’s Shelter– Paul Williams
Evaluating The Suspects– Jennifer Shelden
Chopper Gamble And The Islington Child Outrages–Jan
Bondeson
The Men Who Would Be Jack ( An American Suspect )–
Nina And Howard Brown
Chris Scott’s Press Trawl
Spitalfields Life- The Gentle Author
Obituary- Elsbeth Bothe
Glen Bledsoe’s the Truth
Victorian Fiction- Cheating The Gallows-Israel Zangwill

Issue 130 February
Editorial : Quarter, Half, And Whole– Adam Wood
David Cohen : Talking Points of A Storyline–Scott Nelson
Whitechapel’s Wax Chamber of Horrors, 1888– Mike Hawley
The Village Bobby- Pauline Morgan
The Men Who Would Be Ripper ( Hall Of Shame : the Frank Hall Story)– Nina And Howard Brown
Ripper Fiction–Jack The Ripper Through The Mists Of Time–
Peter Hodgson
Chris Scott’s Press Trawl
Amazing Dogs- Jan Bondeson
Spitalfields Life- The Gentle Author
Glen Bledsoe’s The Truth
Victorian Fiction : Man Overboard !- Winston Spencer Churchill

In my opinion, the two finest articles of the year where:

The Fifth Victim; Hand Of A Woman?- Jennifer Shelden
Trevor Marriott’s The Evil Within- Mark Ripper

Jack the Blogger:

This year also saw one of Ripperology’s hardest workers, and excellent hoax-buster, Jenni Sheldon launch her Jack the Ripper blog Jack the Ripper Investigations, the blog can be viewed here: http://jacktheripperinvestigations.blogspot.co.uk/

Jack the Television Viewer:

The following is a rundown of fictional television shows regarding Jack the Ripper that were aired in 2013,

Ripper Street:

BBC’s Victorian crime drama came back with a second series, new characters, more intense storylines, and “The Elephant Man” but the elation was short lived as the BBC have announced that the show will not get a third series.  Watch this space, however, as a number of online polls and petitions hint that the viewers want more of this unique drama.  

Whitechapel:

ITV’s modern crime drama took a weird and wonderful turn through the darker side of Whitechapel and treated us to curses, ghosts, zombies, cannibalism, books made of human skin, and all other manner of macabre storylines, sadly, the plot was more messed up than Mary Kelly’s room on Miller’s-court, and ended on a convoluted cliff hanger that will never be answered as ITV announced that no more series will be made.

Dracula:

Sky Living’s American/British Horror television show featuring Jonathan Rhys Meyers began on October 13^th 2013, and whilst it wasn’t directly related to the Jack the Ripper murders, good old Saucy Jack did get a mention.

Jack the Documentary viewer:

This year has seen its fair share of Jack the Ripper documentaries, here are just a few:

Murder Casebook:

Fred Dinenage returned with another series of crimes and misdemeanours and looked at Jack the Ripper in this 45 minute show.  The crime scene recreations were very bloody, and the show was all round quiet interesting.

Inside Broadmoor:

This documentary covered the history of Broadmoor and was very interesting.  It featured some fascinating contemporary sources, stories, and photographs, and featured a small segment on Jack the Ripper with Thomas Cutbush being proposed as a suspect. 

Four Rooms:

The popular auction show returned and with it the alleged watch owned by James Maybrick.  Sadly the experts did not want to buy it and the watch vanished again.

Jack the Ripper: Revealed:

The Mei Trow/Robert Mann documentary got another run this year, it was a fascinating documentary but for anyone wanting to know more I would suggest tracking down a copy of Trow’s book on the suspect.

Jack the Ripper: The German Suspect:

Trevor Marriott’s Karl/Carl Feigenbaum show got another showing this year, with Trevor travelling the globe trying to link Feigenbaum to the crimes in Whitechapel.

Jack the Ripper: Prime Suspect:

The Prospero Productions documentary on Frederick Bailey Deeming got another airing this year.  I missed it, but was made aware by numerous posts on Twitter and Facebook.  Thanks guys!!

My Year with Jack the Ripper:

My year got off to a bang with a photo shoot and interview with the Hull Daily Mail for an article on Jack the Ripper on January 8^th.  By January 9^th the article appeared in the Hull Daily Mail, and later that night the Yesterday Channel also showed the documentary I featured in, Prime Suspect: Jack the Ripper.  More interviews followed, and more stories both in the newspaper and online and a number of photo shoots followed.  

January 22^nd saw me lecture at Hull Central Library and on February 5^th I appeared at the Ings Library talking about Jack the Ripper – The Hull Connection. 

February 7^th saw me appear on the Hull Community Radio Station with John Hutchinson talking about my research and work in Hull.  Jack the Ripper filled a huge segment of the two hour show.

I was back at Ings Library on April 2^nd for another lecture and back again on May 7^th for another! 

On May 6^th I met with David Reeves on BBC Radio Humberside to discuss Jack the Ripper the Hull Connection, and on May 20^th another lecture followed at Bilton.

May 23^rd saw me lecture on Jack the Ripper at Hull University, a first for me, and a great honour to be asked.

June 10^th saw another meeting with David Reeves at the BBC Buildings to discuss Jack the Ripper, and on July 12^th I was back on Radio Humberside discussing the case, with a follow up slot on July 19^th.  On September 4^th I was back, this time on the David Burns show discussing Jack the Ripper – The Beverley Connection, and on September 5^th I was at the East Riding Archives lecturing on the same topic.  It was a first for me, and another great honour to be invited.

On September 11^th I was at the Hull History Centre giving a speech on the importance of volunteering when the centre won an award for the WWII and other volunteering projects.  It was a lovely day, and I had my photos taken with the Lord Mayor of Hull.  That night I was at the George Hotel lecturing on the history of the public house.  

October 12^th saw another Jack the Ripper lecture at the central library in Hull, it also allowed me to meet with Ricky Cobb and show him around Hull. 

The year also saw the production of BBC Radio Humberside’s From Whitechapel to Whitefriargate, a one hour special on Jack the Ripper’s connections to Hull.  The show, created by David Reeves, saw us recording a lecture at the Hull Heritage Centre, recording on location at the Hull History Centre, Hull Prison, and at my house, as well as on location around Hull at night with the wind in our faces and the screams of hovering menacing seagulls!  The show will air on Radio Humberside on December 27^th between 1 and 2pm, and again on January 1^st between 6 and 7pm. 

In terms of research I have uncovered new material on Frederick Bailey Deeming, Frederick Richard Chapman, Robert D’Onston Stephenson, and James, Florence, and Michael Maybrick.  I also came across a gentleman, who had worked in the medical profession in 1888, who was based in Whitechapel that year, who had links to the Maybrick family.

There have also been business meetings with some of Hull’s most notable business folk, lectures for some of Hull’s most distinguished private groups, and lots planned to ensure that 2014 will be an even bigger and better year.

All that is left for me to do is to wish my readers a very happy Christmas, and a prosperous 2014.

Special thanks to Howard and Nina Brown at JTRForums.com, Stephen P. Ryder at Casebook.org, David Reeves of BBC Radio Humberside, as well as all the other presenters that have had me on their shows this year, to the team at the Hull History Centre, Hull Central Library, and Hull Reference Library, Hull University, Carnegie Heritage Centre, Ings Libraries, Ricky Cobb, and Mr. Palin for all their help this year.

Great News everyone: The BBC Radio Humberside “Jack the Ripper” show, “From Whitechapel to Whitefriargate” will air on Radio Humberside on December 27th 2013 1-2pm (56 min edit) and on January 1st 2014 6 -7pm (60 min) (Features an extra four minutes of me saying “erm”)

The past week has been an amazing time of lectures, talks, speeches, award ceremonies, research, and tours. 

Thursday:

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of speaking at the Treasure House, Beverley, to a great audience, my topic, Jack the Ripper - The Beverley Connection.  The lecture looked at two suspects with links to the Easy Yorkshire Market Town, and two Ripper scares that occurred there.  All in all it was a great night and the feedback was excellent.

Friday:

On Friday I researched a local history project for a local school.  It was great fun and I prepared a slide show for the students.

Monday:

On Monday I had the pleasure of showing the students the slide show, and handing out some maps that I had prepared showing their school and surrounding area dating as far back as the 1850’s when the land was nothing more than cow filled fields.  The children loved it, and that afternoon I lectured to no fewer than four classes in four separate lectures!

Tuesday:

On Tuesday I had a number of important meetings regarding future local history projects, all of which were really exciting.

Hull History Centre Volunteering Award:

On Wednesday I had the pleasure of being invited to the Hull History Centre for an award ceremony.  The centre had recently been nominated, and won, the National Archive Volunteering Award from the Archives and Records Association.  It was a lovely afternoon and I was asked to give a speech, which I will post here: 

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.

My name is Mike Covell and I am a volunteer with the Hull History Centre’s WWII project. As far back as the days of a separate local studies department, archival unit, and Hull university archival unit I was researching Hull’s history, so when the Hull History Centre opened I made sure I was one of the first to visit, and certainly one of the first to write a review of what the centre had to offer and keeps on offering.

 Since it opened in 2010 I have taken part in several courses, researched here, and even lectured at the centre. So when I heard about the WWII project I got very excited to say the least. I had seen an advertisement in The Hull Daily Mail for volunteers and on one of my next research trips I registered my interest with the staff so that I could become part of what I believe is a very important project.

 My family and I had always had an interest in WWII after it was revealed my late grandfather was photographed with his family in their home after a particularly horrific raid in Hull. As the photographer passed down the street, through the mountains or rubble, he saw my family and asked how they were. My grandfather did not answer, but instead smiled, threw his thumb up, and created a piece of local history. His photograph was used as propaganda for the war effort, and to this day still gets used in books and in the local press. With this in mind, and bearing in mind what he went through, I wanted to join the WWII project.

 For me the project is an important project for several reasons. It helps us to remember the past. It secures the past for future generations, and it gives us new skills and experiences that we can take forward.

Since the project began we have learned how to correctly catalogue information, how to number the information so that it is easily found and accessible, and how to clean, store, and transcribe this information so that it is available to future generations.

 Every time we have a session it is a learning experience. We have uncovered families that changed their names to avoid retribution from German sounding names to names such as “Smith” and “Jones.” We have seen firsthand the destruction caused on the various air raids, and we have learned of the tragedies and heroic stories that occurred on our very streets, stories that up until now had been largely forgotten.

 During a recent session transcribing WWII documents at the Hull History Centre I was blown away by the great number of cards in just one of the piles I had in front of me. I kept asking myself about the importance of the cards and the names upon them. What really hit home is that these ladies and gentlemen who gave so much between 1939 and 1945 in this “North East Coastal Town” and received very little for it, but they all had one thing in common. They were all volunteers.

With this in mind the least we can do as volunteers is to carry on what we do and remember them for what they did.

 You can read the full report of the award announcement here: http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Volunteers-Blitz-spirit-helps-archive-award/story-19771061-detail/story.html#axzz2ef5gDx7L

 The George Hotel:

 Last night I had the pleasure of being invited to the George Hotel Re-launch, which has reopened and looking fantastic inside.  They are currently offering a massive range of ales, and freshly cooked locally sourced food, and it was such an honour to be invited to speak at the historic pub.  I was also tasked with taking a short ghost walk around Old Town, and it was really well received.  The following is the speech I prepped for the night, but ended up making it up as I went along. 

 Good Evening ladies and gentleman, my name is Mike Covell and I am a local historian, born and bred in Kingston upon Hull.  For many years I have been researching hundreds of places and people in Hull, and lectures, taught, advised, and written on the subject for local, national, and international organizations.  It is my great pleasure to be here this evening to talk about the history of the George Hotel.

 What can I say about the George Hotel that has not been said before?  We all know the stories and theories surrounding “England’s Smallest Window,” but what do we really know about the building and its history? 

 According to Visit Hull and The Hull Ale Trail, The George is the oldest surviving Licensed Public House in Hull, A claim that several other pubs also claim to hold.

 But what do we know. 

From historical records we discover that the building started off as an Elizabethan Mansion and it was claimed to be the home of the former Sheriff of Hull, John Oversale.  Oversale was the Sheriff in 1546 and Mayor of Hull in 1550.

 By 1680 the building was a public house, trading under the name Ye White Frere Hostel, a nod to the local White Friars. 

 But by 1683, Prince George of Denmark married Queen Anne, and the public house took on the name The George.

The sign, however, shows King George IV, and not Prince George of Denmark. 

 By the 1770’s it was listed as The George Inn and run by the Bamford family. 

 By the early 1800’s it was run by Robert Hawkins and known as The George.

 Throughout the Victorian period it was used as an auction house for the sale of local property, land, and even furniture.  It was also used as a place to hear about people of the town going bankrupt!  One of the earliest of these was a lady called Charlotte Day, who in 1803 was declared bankrupt after her husband passed away.  It was also used as a place for people to come and listen to inquests on the bodies of people who had died in the parish.  It was also used by local politicians.  One account in the Hull press features local politicians getting voters into the pub for copious amounts of ale, and then getting them to vote.  In the Victorian period this was considered the norm. 

 In 1810 John Woolley took over the pub, and the address changed from 66 Whitefriargate to 23 Silver-street!  John Ran the pub until 1831 when his wife Hannah Woolley took it on.  In 1851 she changed the name again, this time to The George Commercial Inn and Family Hotel.  The 1851 Census shows her here with 7 servants!

 In 1863 E Taylor took over and the name was changed to The George Inn and Land of Green Ginger. 

 In the years that followed M. Bellamy, S. Wallis, Jeremiah Charles Potter, and Hanna Woolley Junior, ran the pub.

In the early 20^th century the pub was ran by Jeremiah Charles Potter, Edwin E Spence, David George Bilham, T. B McCann and E. E. Spencer, Samuel Holman, Hewitt Bros, William Ellyard and many more followed.

 The name also changed constantly, from the George Hotel, to the George Hotel Vaults, to the George Hotel and Restaurant, and the George Hotel Land of Green Ginger. 

 Throughout the years the pub has had numerous names, numerous landlords, and numerous uses, but what is common throughout, is that it remained the heart and soul of the local community, and hopefully will continue to do so, under Kevin and Fiona, for the next chapter in its history.

It seems like ages since I last wrote a blog, but to be honest, so much is happening right now that I barely have the time.  In the last few months and weeks I have been busy on a number of projects locally that are slowly taking off but with many of them I cannot state the nature of them until they are officially released and ready for everyone. 

 AMAZING HULL TOURS:

I am pleased to announce that AMAZING HULL TOURS has really taken off.  The Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/amazinghulltours has been gaining momentum and the number of people attending the tours is steadily increasing.  The Jack the Ripper – The Hull Connection tour has been proving very popular, and feedback from all who attend has been wonderful. 

The full list of tours available includes:

“Jack the Ripper” Hull Tours

“Jack the Ripper” Beverley Tours

Ghosts and Legends of Old Hull Tours

Ghosts and Legends of New Hull Tours

Unexplainable Hull Tours

The Haunted Inns and Hostelries of Hull Tours

The Ghosts of Beverley Tours

The Ghosts of Cottingham Tours

Heritage in Hull Tours

Lost Pubs of Hull Tours

Lost Churches and Chapels of Hull Tours

Lost Theatres of Hull Tours

Georgian Hull Tours

Victorian Hull Tours

F.S. Smith’s Hull Tours

The Old Hull Pub Tours

The Seven Seas Fish Trail

The Hull Heritage Plaque Tours

Hull’s High Street Tours

The Garden Village Tours

Victoria Dock Heritage Trail

The Marfleet Mystery Tours

The Caughey Street Murder Tour

The True Crime Tour of Hulls

The Hull at War Tour WWI

The Hull at War Tour WWII

 Anyone with an interest can contact me via the blog, Facebook, Twitter, or email me at mcebe@hotmail.co.uk

VIRTUAL AMAZING HULL TOURS:

With AMAZING HULL TOURS doing so well I tried my hand at some technology to create VIRTUAL AMAZING HULL tours.  A prototype of the project can be viewed on the screen inside The George Hotel, situated on The Land of Green Ginger and a stone’s throw away from the location of an October 1888 Jack the Ripper scare in Hull!  The current format is in the form of hundreds of old photos of Hull, so pop along and see how many you recognise. 

 The full list of VIRTUAL AMAZING HULL TOURS includes:

“Jack the Ripper” Hull Tours

“Jack the Ripper” Beverley Tours

Ghosts and Legends of Old Hull Tours

Ghosts and Legends of New Hull Tours

Unexplainable Hull Tours

The Haunted Inns and Hostelries of Hull Tours

The Ghosts of Beverley Tours

The Ghosts of Cottingham Tours

Heritage in Hull Tours

Lost Pubs of Hull Tours

Lost Churches and Chapels of Hull Tours

Lost Theatres of Hull Tours

Georgian Hull Tours

Victorian Hull Tours

F.S. Smith’s Hull Tours

The Old Hull Pub Tours

The Seven Seas Fish Trail

The Hull Heritage Plaque Tours

Hull’s High Street Tours

The Garden Village Tours

Victoria Dock Heritage Trail

The Marfleet Mystery Tours

The Caughey Street Murder Tour

The True Crime Tour of Hulls

The Hull at War Tour WWI

The Hull at War Tour WWII

 These are catered for youth clubs, community groups, schools and colleges.  Anyone with an interest can contact me via the blog, Facebook, Twitter, or email me at mcebe@hotmail.co.uk

JACK THE RIPPER – THE BEVERLEY CONNECTION:

On Thursday September 5^th 2013 I will be lecturing at the Treasure House in Beverley on “Jack the Ripper – The Beverley Connection.”  The lecture will start at 18:30 and tickets cost £5.

There are three ways to book:
- Book online at www.eastriding.gov.uk/events
- Visit the Archives and Local Studies research room desk on the ground floor of the Treasure House
- Call the booking service on (01482) 392699/392706

At the lecture I will be unveiling two suspects with links to the town, plus a series of Ripper scares that occurred in the East Yorkshire market town in the Victorian period. 

LECTURES:

I have a series of lectures booked with a number of private groups around Hull and East Yorkshire well into 2015, if you or your group wants a lecture please do not hesitate to contact me either through my blog, or via email at mcebe@hotmail.co.uk

OTHER PROJECTS:

In the past few weeks I have been involved in a number of projects locally that will soon become apparent, needless to say the people that I am working for are keeping details quiet for the moment, but all will be revealed soon.

NEWS ROUNDUP:

Notable Ripperologist Jennifer Sheldon has started up her own Ripper blog.  Jennifer is a great Ripperologist, historian, and researcher, and her work on the likes of Uncle Jack is the stuff of legend.  I hope her blog takes off and wish her, and Neal, all the best in the future.  Jenni’s blog can be found here: http://jacktheripperinvestigations.blogspot.co.uk/

 Jack the Ripper and Twitter have gone hand in hand for some time with some amazing Ripperologists, writers, researchers, historians, and people with an interest sharing and talking about the case on the micro blogging network, so it will come as no surprise that the people behind History press have launched a real time Ripper experience.   Follow them here: @WChapelRealTime.

Read about the project here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23759777

Yesterday the weather in Hull was warm and dry, and as such it made an ideal night for the first ever Hull based “Jack the Ripper” tour.  For many years most people will know I have been busy researching away trying to find out information on the 11 previously named suspects with links to Hull.  Alongside this I have been gathering material from the local, national, and international press on “Jack the Ripper” scares and scandals, as well as letters to, from, and mentioning Hull. 

In the past I have presented the bare basics of my research, on scares, scandals, and letters, in Ripperologist Magazine, and my research has also appeared in Casebook Examiner, with reports of my work appearing in The Hull Daily Mail, The Hull Advertiser, on BBC Look North, BBC Radio Humberside and on both the Rippercast and Ripper Radio. 

Last night it was time to pull it all together and present it as a walking tour for AMAZING HULL TOURS.

Now Hull has very few walking tours, and those that do exist have never offered a tour on “Jack the Ripper” so I knew it would be difficult getting people round to the idea of a Hull based tour; we are, after all, 200 plus miles from London and the scene of the murders. 

So last night late I took a tour around Hull City Centre.  It was a “Jack the Ripper” tour with a difference, because whilst the events in the East End of London were referenced, the tour had a unique slant on it, and took in locations associated with Hull. 

The tour took in locations associated with the likes of Robert D’Onston Stephenson, Frederick Bailey Deeming, and 9 other suspects.  It passed the scene where, in October 1888, a threatening letter said to be from “Jack the Ripper, was sent, and it passed the location of an 1888 “Ripper Scare.” 

The tour ended back in the present, with the conclusion of the tour ending where the recent Prime Suspect: Jack the Ripper was shot.

All in all it was a fascinating night and everyone was full of praise for Hull’s first, and only, “Jack the Ripper” tour.

TOURS WEEK COMMENCING JUNE 17TH 2013

Wednesday: THE HAUNTED INNS AND HOSTELRIES OF HULL: Starting at Royal Station Hotel and working East via Hull’s pubs that have ghostly tales to tell. £4.00 per person - Start time 20:00

Friday: “JACK THE RIPPER” THE HULL CONNECTION: Starting at Royal Station Hotel and working East through Hull City Centre, this tour will take you to locations associated with 11 suspects with links to Hull, where a number of Ripper Scares occurred, and see the spot where a letter, said to have been written by “Jack the Ripper” was sent on October 5th 1888! £5.00 per person - Start time 20:00

Saturday: THE GHOST’S AND LEGENDS OF HULL CITY CENTRE: Starting at Royal Station Hotel and working its way around Hull City Centre, this tour takes in a number of new locations that one would not necessarily associate with ghostly activity. Hear the histories, see the locations, feel the terror! £4.00 per person – Start time 22:00

Sunday: THE GHOSTLY MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF OLD HULL: Forget all the old stories of 19th century vicars, skulls, and the claim that this building is the most haunted in Hull, this tour uses primary historical sources to finally put to rest some of Hull’s ghost stories. Based on Mike Covell’s research that featured in The Hull Daily Mail, The Hull Advertiser, and which has appeared in lecture form at the Hull History Centre, the Hull Heritage Centre, Hull’s Central Library, and at The Ghost Club. Starting at Holy Trinity Church, £3.50 per person – Start time 20:00

During the month of February 1988 a series of newspaper articles were posted in the Hull press.  They hinted that information had been discovered that would link a Hull born man to the “Jack the Ripper” murders in London’s East End.  The stories opened a floodgate of similar reports, all asking whether this particular man could have been the notorious murderer.  They hinted that a new book would cast light on the claims.  More stories followed, but by July 1988 the Hull press were in a frenzy and reports were published hinting at a possible tourism boom based on the claims in the book.  By August 1988 more reports followed, claiming that as the 100 year anniversary of the murders came closer, a possible influx of tourists could descend in the city.  Sadly, it never happened.

Looking back it is easy to see what the stories were all about.  The late Melvin Harris, and supporter of the candidacy against Robert D’Onston Stephenson, who was born in Sculcoates, Hull, had been in touch with the local newspapers and local studies library asking questions about Stephenson and his life in Hull. 

All, however, was quiet, and the tourism boom did not arrive in Hull.  The links between Hull and the “Jack the Ripper” case were lost, and possible tours of the venues associated with Robert D’Onston Stephenson never occurred. 

Now, in the year of the 125^th Anniversary of the “Jack the Ripper” murders, a Hull based tour operator, known as AMAZING HULL TOURS, is set to launch “JACK THE RIPPER – THE HULL CONNECTION TOUR.” 

This time around, however, Robert D’Onston Stephenson will play only a small part of the tour, with 11 suspects linked to Kingston upon Hull, a number of letter, said to be written by “Jack the Ripper” sent to, sent from, and mentioning Hull, and a selection of “Ripper Scares” in the city, the tour will take on much much more than previously expected. 

The first tour will commence on SUNDAY JUNE 2ND 2013 AT 19:00. ANYONE INTERESTED CAN TEXT AMAZING HULL TOURS ON 07582085321 to book tickets with tickets for the tour priced at £5.00.

This week has been a busy week, not just for research, writing, and helping on local history matters, but it has also featured two lectures on Jack the Ripper at two different locations.

The first lecture of the week took place Bilton Village Hall where I was invited to speak to the Bilton Social Circle on “Jack the Ripper – The Hull Connection.”  The group were fantastic and I was warmly welcomed and hope to return at some point.

The second lecture of the week was at Hull University on behalf of the Part Time Provision’s Alumni and Social group, and again I was warmly welcomed and had a lovely evening. 

Both locations are locations that I hope to return to in the not too distant future to give more lectures on other subjects.