Quirky – serie

Edinburgh has always been a city of unusual characters and has its own distinct, often peculiar, history. Quirky Edinburgh delves into lesser-known but fascinating tales from Edinburgh’s past. Readers will discover stories of the sedan chairs that transported the gentry around the city in the eighteenth century, horse racing on Leith Sands, the open-air Royal Patent Gymnasium that delighted its Victorian visitors with rides on the Great Sea Serpent and Giant See-Saw, an exploding postbox, the 80-foot spiral of kinetic art placed on a roundabout, the original Mrs Doubtfire and much, much more.Quirky Edinburgh celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Edinburgh and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Edinburgh will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Bristol has been one of England’s largest cities since it became a county in 1373. In the seventeenth century writers described Bristol as ‘a little London for merchants’ and it held its status as a major port from the Middle Ages. Yet despite its mercantile wealth Bristol has been called paradoxical and down the years the quirks have shone through. Not least is why Bristol was ever successful as a port in the first place. Inland on a river with a dangerous bend, it has a tidal rise and fall that is the second greatest of any in the world, which left ships stranded in mud for several hours of the day. In Quirky Bristol author Cynthia Stiles delves into lesser-known but fascinating tales from Bristol’s past. In this book, readers will find stories of ‘diamonds’ and rare plants found in the Avon Gorge, architectural oddities, early medical practices and practitioners in the city, the nineteenth-century craze of pedestrianism, the famous Bristol Milk and Bristol Cream and much, much more.Quirky Bristol celebrates the unusual and often strange history of the city and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Bristol will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Behind Cardiff’s familiar landmarks lies another city: one of lost chapels, ghostly legends, hidden treasures and secret passageways. Quirky Cardiff uncovers these stories, celebrating the people and places that make the city so unmistakably Cardiffian.Step inside the lavish fairy-tale chamber created for Sleeping Beauty; meet Captain Morgan, the real-life pirate of the Caribbean; and explore the childhood worlds of Roald Dahl and Shirley Bassey. The city has an uncanny edge too: Daleks roaming the streets, mischievous poltergeists, and even a UFO sighting dubbed the Welsh Roswell. These are the oddities, scandals and surprises that rarely appear in the guidebooks but have shaped Cardiff’s character.From legendary pubs and striking street art to the roar of the stadium on match days, every alley and avenue brims with stories. And, of course, no tale of Cardiff would be complete without a late-night stop on Chippy Lane. Funny, eerie and surprising in equal measure, Quirky Cardiff lifts the lid on the hidden side of Wales’s bustling capital.

Behind Swansea’s familiar streets and sweeping bay lies another city: one of heroic dogs, vanished chapels, haunted pubs, and seaside legends. Quirky Swansea uncovers the stories that give this city its distinctive character, celebrating the people, places and moments that make Abertawe unlike anywhere else. From roaring rugby and football stadiums, beloved local food, seafront promenades, and iconic landmarks, every corner of Swansea brims with life and history. Step inside Gower’s ancient painted caves, meet the fighter ace who outwitted the Nazis, and uncover the hidden feats of trailblazing women, explorers, and musicians. The city also has its uncanny side: the skull-headed Mari Lwyd that parades through winter streets, the cursed Swansea Devil statue that watches over bombed ruins, and fairy folk that dance on moonlit hills.Quirky Swansea lifts the lid on the hidden stories of a city shaped by the sea, its people, and a proud tradition of doing things its own way.

Gloucester was a significant city in Roman Britain and has played an important role in the history of this country in the two millennia since then. It has also had an individual and often strange history over this period and in this book local historian author Paul James takes a look at his home city and uncovers some of its quirkier aspects. From Pinchbelly Alley to rainbow streets, and from mock mayors to cheese-rolling, this book explores some of the oddities and characters that help characterise this ancient city. Readers will find stories of long-lost legal cases, ancient customs, modern myths, unusual foodstuffs, curious attractions, remarkable animals and much, much more.Drawing on archive material as well as his own, extensive, local knowledge, Paul James presents a fresh look at Gloucester – from a slightly different angle – as he delves into lesser-known but fascinating tales from the city’s past. Quirky Gloucester celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Gloucester and its characters over the years. This intriguing insight into Gloucester will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Sheffield grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution, becoming one of the largest cities in the country by the nineteenth century. It was best known for its cutlery industry, producing stainless steel locally, and its steel and coal industries played a vital role in the war effort in the Second World War, leading to the city being targeted by German aerial bombardment. Despite the industrialisation, Sheffield has more green spaces than most cities in Britain and more trees per head of population than any other city in Europe. Lying on the edge of the Peak District, many streets climb into the hills with views beyond the city boundaries.Drawing on archive material as well as his own extensive local knowledge, Robert Nicholls presents a fresh look at Sheffield, delving into lesser-known but fascinating tales from the city’s past. Quirky Sheffield celebrates the city’s unusual and often strange history and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Sheffield will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Peterborough is a modern city with an ancient past. The settlement grew around a monastery founded by the Anglo-Saxons, which became an important abbey church in Norman England and would go on to become the city’s famed cathedral. The Industrial Revolution and the arrival of the railways transformed the market town into an industrial centre. After being designated a New Town, Peterborough was further transformed in the 1960s and 1970s with a massive new building programme. From a past that includes Victorian election riots and a mythical black hellhound, the modern, diverse city is one of the fastest-growing areas of the country.Drawing on archive material as well as their own extensive local knowledge, June and Vernon Bull present a fresh look at the city of Peterborough – from a slightly different angle – as they delve into lesser-known but fascinating tales from the city’s past. Quirky Peterborough celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Peterborough and its characters over the years. This intriguing insight into Peterborough will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Truro grew up around its medieval castle, deriving its wealth as an inland port, lying on the confluence of two rivers 9 miles from the sea, and as a stannary town. Tin mining brought further prosperity and the town became a centre for Cornwall’s wealthy gentry. It gained both a cathedral and city status in the Victorian period, although the cathedral was not finished until 1910, and today is one of the most attractive small cities in the country, surrounded by steep valleys on three sides and drawing in many to its cultural and commercial attractions. In Quirky Truro local authors Christine Parnell and Sheila Richardson delve into lesser-known but fascinating tales from Truro’s past. In this book, readers will find stories of a wine merchant who disappeared with the insurance money after his brewhouse and spirit store burnt down, only to reappear later under several aliases before being shot by the army while leading a mob of protestors against the Corn Laws; the bowling green on the quay that had to be raised above the river level; ancient finds beneath a car park; and much more.Quirky Truro celebrates the unusual and often strange history of the city and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the Truro’s history.

Chichester’s origins date back to Roman Britain and a subsequent Anglo-Saxon settlement using the fortifications of the original town. The end point of Roman Stane Street, Chichester lies at the foot of the South Downs, controlling a large natural harbour on the South Coast. The city’s Norman cathedral is a prominent landmark alongside Chichester’s wealth of other historical buildings and landmarks. Today, the city is a commercial and cultural centre for West Sussex and beyond, drawing many visitors including to its Festival Theatre and Pallant House art gallery.In Quirky Chichester author Edward Couzens-Lake delves into lesser known but fascinating tales from Chichester’s past. In this book, readers will find stories of the unusual and often strange history of Chichester and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Chichester will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Liverpool’s rise to become the second city in the British Empire was directly linked to its development as a commercial port. It was also because of its crucial role as an international trading hub for the transportation and exchange of raw materials, commodities, and manufactured goods. However, its economic dominance and wealth was also directly because of its leading role in the transatlantic slave trade, from the 1730s to the 1830s. Large numbers of emigrants and immigrants passed through the city and the industrialised Victorian Liverpool was one of the wealthiest cities in Britain, despite also having areas of great poverty. Despite industrial decline after the Second World War, Liverpool is a commercial and cultural hub today, attracting many to the regenerated city.Quirky Liverpool celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Liverpool and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Liverpool will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

The Wirral Peninsula has a fascinating history. Before the development of the docks along the Mersey Estuary to the north, the area was a rural patchwork of communities and villages. The nineteenth century saw the growth of towns on Wirral such as Birkenhead, Wallasey, and Ellesmere Port. Industrial growth also led to the building of William Lever’s remarkable Port Sunlight garden village. As Wirral became more connected to Liverpool through rail and road, new suburbs developed, although the west area remained mostly rural, and today Wirral is still an area of contrasts.In Quirky Wirral author Ken Pye delves into lesser-known but fascinating tales from Wirral’s past. Readers will discover tales about the many tunnels and caves under the Peninsula; Wirral’s lighthouses; the origins of the Cheshire Cat; zoos, the escaped tigers and the tightrope walker Blondin at Eastham pleasure garden; the Black Rock mermaid; New Brighton Tower and Waxworks Chamber of Horrors; smugglers and the Wallasey Wreckers, led by Mother Redcap; the Holy Grail buried at Bidston, and much, much more.Quirky Wirral celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Wirral and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into the Wirral will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the area’s quirky history.

Llandudno is a popular seaside town on the north coast of Wales. Developed as a holiday resort in the Victorian era, it had previously been a centre of copper mining, the remains of which can be seen today, and the town’s history encompasses many tales of remarkable events and colourful characters, from the legend of the unnatural man made of hay, the Victorian man who found fame with his pet donkey and the woman baker who summoned locals by conch shell, to the memorial to the woman who drove a car up the Great Orme in 1914, the man who faked his own death, and much, much more.In Quirky Llandudno author Adrian Hughes delves into tales of strange occurrences, idiosyncratic animals and tucked-away historical locations from Llandudno’s past. This fascinating insight into the more unusual history of the ‘Queen of the Welsh Resorts’ will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the town’s quirky history.

Coventry has been an important settlement in the middle of England since the Middle Ages. To protest against the Saxon Earl Leofric’s taxation the legend arose of Lady Godiva’s naked ride through Coventry. Coventry grew in wealth through the mediaeval cloth trade, had its city walls destroyed during the Civil War because of its support for the Parliamentarians, then became the centre of new industries of ribbon weaving and clock-making and later, bicycle-making and motor manufacturing. Massive destruction of the historical city took place during the Blitz in the Second World War and a modernised, rebuilt city emerged in the later twentieth century.In Quirky Coventry author David McGrory delves into the fascinating tales from Coventry’s past. In this book, readers will find stories of the original Peeping Tom, the origins of the saying ‘sent to Coventry’, the clerk who attempted to kill Edward III by witchcraft, an eighteenth century female soldier, curious buildings to be found in the city, the city’s mediaeval Mystery Plays, the development of Coventry’s unique dialect through time, a prehistoric elephant found on the site of a car factory and much, much more. Quirky Coventry celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Coventry and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Coventry will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Southend-on-Sea is situated on the Thames Estuary but the originally small settlement grew rapidly in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as it became a popular resort, showcased by the world’s longest pleasure pier and what remains of the Kursaal, an early amusement park. The city’s quirky history goes back to its early years and encompasses the last men to be hanged in the country for sheep stealing in 1820, the 1850s religious sect known as the Peculiar People, one of the world’s first sightings of a UFO during the First World War and many more curious stories. Today’s Southend, which has been a city since 2022, carries on this history of individuality.In Quirky City of Southend author Dee Gordon delves into lesser-known but fascinating tales from the city’s past. Readers will find stories of the unusual and often strange history of Southend and its characters over the years. This intriguing insight will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

The Isle of Anglesey off the north-west coast of Wales has a remarkable and often unusual history. The treacherous Menai Strait separates the island from the mainland and its early settlers built standing stones and burial chambers from the rocks of Anglesey and the adjoining, smaller Holy Island. The Druids characterised Anglesey to the Romans and later Anglesey became known for its holy places. Although predominantly agricultural, Anglesey’s industries developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries but today tourism is the biggest industry, the island being connected to the mainline by two historic bridges, Thomas Telford’s road Menai Suspension Bridge and Robert Stephenson’s railway Britannia Bridge by Robert Stephenson.In Quirky Anglesey author Geraint Wyn Hughes delves into the fascinating tales from Anglesey’s past. This book celebrates the unusual and often strange history of the Isle of Anglesey and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Anglesey will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the Isle’s quirky history.

Ipswich has been a major port and the county town of Suffolk since the Middle Ages. The town was known for its wealthy merchants, trading from the port, but in the seventeenth century it became an embarkation point for many to start a new life in the New World. Charles Dickens later stayed in and wrote about Ipswich, and during the Second World War the dock area was heavily attacked by aerial bombardment. Today the waterfront area has been rebuilt and draws in many to Ipswich.In Quirky Ipswich author Pete Jennings delves into the fascinating tales from Ipswich’s past. In this book, readers will discover stories of a Grade II listed hole in the ground and a Museum Street with no museum, as well as a Lord Chancellor chosen for his dancing ability. Find out which famous writer was granted ‘a gallon of wine daily for the rest of his life’ and the meaning behind the ‘odd brick’ and Coprolite Street. There are inside tales of sporting legends, an inept murderer and a pub with a perpetual debt. Be frightened by the Horrible Head and spontaneous human combustion, or cheered by the fly-swatting major and Nelson’s frustration. Discover why war hero Sir Henry William Paget suddenly fell from grace and the odd origins of Dogs Head Street and Silent Street. Learn a unique method of counting, how to be a Dwile Flonker or seek out traces of a legendary underground railway.Quirky Ipswich celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Ipswich and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Ipswich will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the town’s quirky history.

Southampton has been a major port on the south coast of England since its beginnings. It was also a favourite embarkation point for naval expeditions to France in the Middle Ages, including Henry V’s troops in his Agincourt campaign. Later maritime connections include Titanic, the Cunard liners and D-Day forces in the Second World War. Southampton had to be extensively rebuilt after damage during the Second World War and today’s city is a commercial and cultural hub for the south of England while still retaining large sections of its mediaeval walls and with a working inner-city port with an unusual double high tide.In Quirky Southampton author Martin Brisland delves into the fascinating tales from Southampton’s past and what makes it unusual today. In this book, readers will find stories of the revived Blessing of the Seas ceremony, the Victorian sculptor who rode around in a Roman chariot, the early aviator Edwin Moon and his Moonbeam aircraft, the cricket match played on a sandbank in Southampton Water, the pub that had bears in the garden until the 1950s and much, much more. Quirky Southampton celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Southampton and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Southampton will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Dundee is one of Scotland’s main cities with a long and interesting history. Quirky Dundee, however, avoids the well-known aspects of the city and the most famous parts of its history and instead presents some of its more unusual features, fascinating characters and bizarre stories. In Quirky Dundee readers will find tales from the city’s past including that of the man who was buried three times and the Dundee woman who has a crater on the moon named after her. It also tells how one of the world’s most famous murder mysteries made its debut on a Dundee stage featuring an actor who would become a notorious murderer in real life. It looks at some unusual societies including the oldest model boat club in Scotland and the association whose members have been open water swimming since 1884 and visits unusual venues and sites across the city.Quirky Dundee celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Dundee and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Dundee will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Lowestoft is the UK’s most easterly town. The settlement originally grew up around its fishing industry, particularly for herring, before being developed as a resort in the nineteenth century. Shipbuilding and television manufacturing also flourished but these have declined in modern times, together with a large reduction in the fishing fleet. The town suffered from aerial and naval bombardment during the First and Second World Wars. Oil and gas energy industries are now a significant part of Lowestoft’s employment and commerce, as well as heavy involvement in the Sizewell C project, which aims to move towards more renewable energy.In Quirky Lowestoft local author Bill Lovelock delves into the fascinating tales from Lowestoft’s past and what makes it unusual today. From curious characters and the town’s deep connections to the sea, to unusual structures and uncanny events. Readers will find stories of the Victorian engineer and diving pioneer whose grave is marked by a large boulder, the translator of Persian literature who ran a herring lugger with a Lowestoft fisherman, the Tudor-built pub where a landlord took out insurance against poltergeists, the characteristic deep alleyways known as ‘Scores’ and much, much more. Quirky Lowestoft celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Lowestoft and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into the town will be of interest to all those who want to know more about its quirky history.

Cambridge is renowned for its ancient university, architectural splendour and groundbreaking discoveries. From its early beginnings as a market town on the edge of the Fens it emerged as an internationally renowned centre of learning and innovation, and is today one of the world’s leading technology hubs. In Quirky Cambridge author Susie Boulton delves deep into the lesser known but fascinating tales, traditions and characters from the city’s past and present. Readers will meet the stable owner Thomas Hobson who presented his customers with the original ‘Hobson’s choice’, discover the Grasshopper Clock designed to show irregular time with no hands or numerals and the Eagle pub across the road, where Francis Crick and James Watson announced they had discovered ‘the secret of life’ – the structure of DNA.  Packed with humour, surprise and historical insight, the book throws a fresh perspective on a city often viewed through a purely academic lens. This fascinating insight into Cambridge will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Winchester’s history goes back to Iron Age and Roman origins. Its cathedral was founded in the seventh century, later famous for its bishop St Swithun and Winchester became a leading city in Anglo-Saxon Wessex and continued in importance through the Middle Age. Although it declined in later centuries, its ancient heritage attracts many today. Quirky Winchester presents some of the more unusual features, fascinating characters and bizarre stories in the history of the city up to today, including the jumbled west window of the Cathedral formed of the shards rescued when it was smashed during the Reformation and the mortuary chests containing the muddled bones of England’s Anglo-Saxon kings, the character ‘Burping Ron’, artistically painted bollards, city centre otters and a street lamp still powered by sewer gas!Quirky Winchester celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Winchester and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Winchester will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

Derby can trace its history back to Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Danish settlements. The medieval market town grew in importance as industrialisation developed and was where Bonnie Prince Charlie stopped his army in 1745. Eighteenth century Derby was remarkable for its industrial innovators and cultural figures such as the painter Joseph Wright of Derby and Erasmus Darwin and in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries became a centre for railway engineering and car and aero-engine manufacturing with Rolls-Royce. Quirky Derby explores the more unusual side of the city’s history, its fascinating characters, strange folklore and unexpected places and objects, including suffragette Alice Wheeldon, the Allenton hippopotamus, the origins of the Derby Ram folk tale, catacombs beneath the city centre and much, much more.Quirky Derby celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Derby and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Derby will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.