oFo bikes in the River Wensum by Bishop Bridge, Norwich. Picture: Nigel Brock
Many of us will remember the perplexing story of the oFo bikes arriving in the streets of Norwich. Yet few truly know the reason of their sudden disappearance.
If you don’t- here’s a quick reminder of the concept behind them:
Riders begin by downloading the free ofo app on their smartphone. From here, users are able to locate bikes near them on the app’s map. Having located a bike, riders can unlock it by scanning the QR code, which releases the lock via bluetooth. At this point, the users ride has begun and it will be timed until the bike is locked once again. The app automatically processes payments, and rides are charged at 50p per 30 minutes, although the service will be free for the next two weeks.
The yellow cycles were found seemingly thrown in rivers and discarded around the city vandalised.
Many of the missing bikes were blamed on “mindless vandals.” However, little to no evidence to support who was behind this was documented, aside from the after shots of where the cycles ended up.
The legend of Margaret Ward is a commonly known story, told by schoolchildren to scare each other, but not many know the origin of how she came to be. There has been a recent uprising in interest as there have been bicycles ending up in the River Wensum with claims of people seeing water pushing them in.
The stories vary, but they always have the same gist: Margaret Ward was a common woman who lived in the 18th century. Every day she would ride her bicycle next to the River Wensum on her way to her job at the factory. The story says that one day, she was pushed off of her bike and into the river by an unknown thief who then stole her bicycle. The criminal was never caught. Margaret went missing and was never seen again. It is thought that she has revenge on her mind and she now seeks to take bicycles back with her to her watery grave.
In the last couple of months, a series of strange incidents have been reported all around Norwich. Students coming back from late-night parties have claimed to have spotted growling shadows in nearby trees, while homeless people have reportedly been frightened by a black dog – some going even as far as setting a tent between the branches of an old tree in an attempt to escape from the wild animal. Norwich police and residents dismissed these claims as an elaborate hoax or the work of stray dogs, until this week the events took a drastic turn – and not for the best.
This Tuesday morning, a woman (who wishes to remain anonymous) heard eerie scratching noises during her daily jog near St. Augustin Church. “I went closer to investigate: I thought it might have been some kids playing a prank on the church”, she explained to the Easter Daily Press. “When I was far away, I couldn’t really see anything, but when I got closer, I could smell burning. I don’t think I can ever forget, the claw marks were massive, I thought a bear was loose or something”
Eastern Daily Press webpage with the journal article
The same day, two short videos surfaced on the internet, showing the ‘clawed’ door and a shadowy dog running away from the church.
This, according to the YouTube user who uploaded the clips, bares a chilling similarity to the events that allegedly happened in Blythburgh during the 16th century. On 4 August 1577 a massive black dog stormed in the Holy Trinity Church, mauling to death a man and a child before running away, leaving on the church’s door scorched claw-marks that can be still seen today.
Since then, sightings of the same black dog – nicknamed Black Shuck by locals – have been reported all throughout the 17th and 18th century, haunting woods and attempting to attack local churches. No one knows why the Black Shuck specifically targeted places of worship. The majority of legends claim that the ghostly beast was a demon born from the depths of hell itself, but others suggest a very different tale.
Artefacts surrounding the legend of the Shuck, allegedly spotted in Norwich earlier this year.
According to these folktales, the Black Shuck was a vengeful spirit of nature, tasked with protecting Norfolk’s forests and marshlands. For centuries he was said to have roamed the countryside, in relative peace with the small Viking settlements and their inhabitants. However, when more and more of his precious land started being burned and turned into farms or stone roads, he decided to exact his grim revenge on those he considered responsible: the local villagers and clergy.
Norwich police has not revealed at this point as to whether any attacks have been fatal, and the events happened in the last couple of months appear to simply be an eerie coincidence. However, with more and more marshlands being sacrificed to the city and the sharp rise in sightings of this ghostly shadow, people have started wondering: are these strange happenings merely the work of a pack of stray dogs, or is there something far more sinister at work?
In 1348, during The Black Death a man by the name of Aldrich Waterman, a local plague body collector, was crushed to death by his wagon. Waterman would regularly travel back and forth along Lobster Lane to pick up and dispose of the latest plague victims. How Waterman actually died has been debated for centuries but the most common belief amongst those familiar with the story is that he attempted to push the cart up Lobster Lane on a particularly wet and rainy day. Tragically, he slipped and his wagon collapsed and thus he was crushed by the mass of plague victims he was transporting. Waterman, weak from plague, was overwhelmed by the weight of the victims and subsequently couldn’t free himself and died from suffocation. Folklore speculates that this traumatic ordeal has led to Waterman’s spirit being trapped on Lobster Lane and there is a chance of encountering his spirit when it rains.
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THE “PUDDLEMAN” RITUAL:
There are varying folklore surrounding Aldrich Waterman’s death; the most popular of which speaks of a ritual to summon blood in the rain on the cobblestones of Lobster Lane, Norwich.
If you stand down Lobster Lane and recite “Puddleman, Puddleman, awake and show no fear” three times, blood is said to rise from the cobblestones and there is a chance of seeing Waterman himself in the reflections of the puddles.
Should you disrespect Waterman, the spirits of the very plague victims that crushed him, will reach up and drag you into the puddle below.
In 2019, a small collection of videos and images have surfaced which show what hasbeen theorized for years; rain puddles turning red, hands and ghostly reflections appearing in the puddles.
A recently leaked set of police document from the Norfolk Constabulary cold case archive for 2012 has up turned a shocking story not initially released to the public of a case of 2 children from a local Norwich catholic school being kidnapped and taken to the Dark Norwich tunnels for some unknown ritual of occult gathering.
Deputy Chief Constable Richard Dean, the first responding officer and head of the investigation in 2012 when his was simply a constable
This case occurred over a set of days starting from April the 13th in the year 2012 both children Alexander a seven year old boy and Elanor a ten year old girl both went missing from their trip at the time with the St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School during to the Norwich Cathedral both children were not accounted for and were considered missing by the evening of the day, a set of search groups were sent around the town but no positive reports came in, until a thorough search of the tunnels was ordered after an anonymous tipster called in with information the children were both found deep within the tunnel network 3 miles away from the point of disappearance.
This case occurred over a set of days starting from April the 13th in the year 2012 both children Alexander a seven year old boy and Elanor a ten year old girl both went missing from their trip at the time with the St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School during to the Norwich Cathedral both children were not accounted for and were considered missing by the evening of the day, a set of search groups were sent around the town but no positive reports came in, until a thorough search of the tunnels was ordered after an anonymous tipster called in with information the children were both found deep within the tunnel network 3 miles away from the point of disappearance. The evidence leading it to a witch coven is found at the crime scene were both children were found, both scrawling on the walls and artifacts pertaining to a well-known witch coven within Norwich, this case may finally bring to light the truth behind the coven and prove its existence as many have speculated of the years.
The location from where the children were initially realised to be missing.
The official report labels the incident as being the work of common criminals or a underground pedophilic ring and giving no mind to the idea of the occult or the rise of witch based activity. Police Constable Richard Dean who led the investigation as the first responder to the initial kidnapping of the children and the first to navigate the tunnels and locate the children has since denied any request for an interview.
Although the event caused a stir within the town of Norwich it was seldom found in newspapers or TV reports, it seems as if all agencies were possibly pressured not to bring light to the case and as such it was never fully reported upon despite the heavy manpower and public distress it brought to the town of Norwich and the St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, the only known news report to come out of the case is a police sketch posted in the local paper.
A Police sketch released based on the description given by the children after they were found
Footage from Richard Dean’s bodycam one the night that the children were found, referenced nearby are the artifacts as well as much of the evidence that was acquired at the scene
The Crime scene was home to many strange items of interest including an Occult ceramic doll’s and strange scrawling on the walls, along with multiple badges from the aforementioned St Augustine’s primary school, but also from many other schools around the greater Norwich area although no other children were found at the time and their were no signs of any bodies or remains of children, these badges did coincide with the missing persons reports from those schools with children being the main age range and all of them being cold cases with no children ever found, these reports date back to the late nineties.
A police bag of the evidence found at the crime scene, the items are missing from the bag.
Popular Go Go Hare Statue from the Norwich City Train Station has been reportedly spotted in the Norwich Cathedral vicinity.
Since the creation and dispersion of the Go Go Hares, there have been claims that one of the Hares, namely Bitten and Wherry which can be found in the Norwich City Train Station, has been seen within the Norwich Cathedral vicinity. It has been confirmed by a Go Go Hares Employee that this is nonsense and that it was placed in the agreed location between the both companies.
According to several reports the Hare has been seen outside the Cathedral and even inside in the courtyard. There have been no reports to the police or any footage from security cameras to support these claims apart from the witnesses and “photographic” evidence. (See photo bellow) These claims should be taken with a grain of salt, however, as these claims are coming from several young students between the ages of 6-10, who shall remain anonymous, who were in the company of their parents who neither agree or deny with their children’s claims.
Despite the large number of claims and “evidence”, it is most likely that this is all a prank gone wrong and becoming a form of vandalism. IF you or anyone you knows witnesses anything related to this, please report it to the police.
Police have investigated several of the claims, searching the areas, inspecting the Hare from any form of damage or tampering and can confirm that Bitten and Wherry is in his correct place.
Recent reports have shown signs that the infamous monk is back in Norwich. In 1862, Joseph Leycester Lyne, was a freelance, eccentric preacher/mystic, who was refused a license by the Bishop of Norwich, because of his aggressive and persistent preaching methods. He solely relied on miserly public donations, which led him to lead a very simple life living off only bread and potatoes. After only two years he was forced out, to the local’s delight, as he could no longer afford the rent.
Years after he’d fled Norwich, he was spotted and reported multiple times at his old residency at Elm Hill, but word soon got around that Father Ignatius had died months prior to all the sightings.
Is it possible that in 2018 Father Ignatius is back to once again cause an uproar of chaos?
Local residents have been left traumatized and confused by the apparent apparition of Father Ignatius. People believe his spirit has been attempting to throw food at passing locals if they get too close to his old door. Someone even claims to have video evidence of this occurrence. Here’s the clips they have put together:
Local students decided to leave a peace offering of bread and potato outside his door to try and make peace with the ghost. However, their efforts were not successful.
Who knows why Father Ignatius has decided to return to Norwich, and who knows when he’ll leave…
Over the years there have been many sightings and reports of ‘ghost fires’ erupting all over parts of England. These so called ‘ghost fires’ are said to be the work of an ancient Viking King named Sweyn Forkbeard. It is said that the spirit of the old Viking plunderer still appears around the many towns he burned and destroyed even up until today.
Sweyn Forkbeard was born in the year AD 960 and lived for 54 years until he perished in the year AD 1014. He was born to the Viking king, Harald Bluetooth. When he took over from his father in AD 985 and became King, he made it his duty to take over the country of England. With his army of Danes behind him he managed to plunder and burn many cities around England, even the city of London. The worst however of these attacks fell on the small town of Norwich, which he burned and destroyed in the year AD 1004.
Painting of the siege of Norwich carried out by Sweyn Forkbeard.
Throughout the past few weeks, residents in the quiet Tudor street of Elm Hill in Norwich, have been complaining about weird occurrences; spinning tales of smoke appearing in the middle of the day, around the church and the gentlemen’s club, the sounds of wailing coming at the bottom of the road and the appearance of “ghost fires”.
“Ghost Fires”, according to the residents have appeared during the afternoon, popping in and out of reality every few years. There has been evidence of these sightings that have emerged through the years dating back to the times of the Tudors, the 18th century and even a sighting a few days ago caught by a local resident.
Sighting of the the ghost of Sweyn Forkbeard, caught by local resident on Elm Hill. 19/09/2018
Due to his tragic death in AD 1014 by supposedly falling off his horse, some people believe that the Viking king haunts the many places he has traveled throughout his lifetime on that very horse. The horse is a very significant part of the haunting as the horse the king used was the same horse he has had with him in his 20 years of plundering and raiding. It is said that the king now haunts the places he had raided centuries ago with his horse in hopes of finishing his job of destroying the villages around England. He is seen in the old Tudor street as this is a very old street that has stood from many centuries ago.
18th century archive photo of sighting of the ghost. 25/09/1898
The strange reports about these fires however, is the fact that the fires do no damage to any of the buildings which is where the term “ghost fires” was coined. The fire department have been called in many times but every time they have arrived there was nothing to be seen. They have issued a warning to residents that it is a natural phenomenon that should be approached with caution as they do not understand it yet.
Tucked away behind Tombland is an old building previously known as Augustine Steward’s House which has a history of supernatural activity, including the legend of the Plague Doctor. This legend comes from the 16th Century, during the time of the Black Death. The Plague Doctor is believed to be Steward himself, the owner of the house. During the time Steward was alive the Black Plague was viciously spreading throughout the country. However, Steward’s wife contracted the lethal disease and died a few weeks later. It was that day that he vowed to cure the disease in honour of his wife. Due to this, he became one of the many doctors trying to treat it.
His death was never recorded and multiple witness reports suggest that he is still among us. Every person who has spotted the Plague Doctor has the same recurring dream – the dream includes their own body slowly developing gangrene, buboes filled with pus, a fever, and chills, leaving them weak and then being cut open while they are still alive by the Plague Doctor experimenting on them. It is also said that a cross-written in blood appears on the victim’s front doors when he is present.
There are mass graves that are located around the house of Augustine Steward that are filled with thousands of bodies that he used as subjects to find the cure. However, Steward disappeared from the public’s eye never to be seen again. Some people believe he died falling into the mass grave of his own creation, but his spirit is still wondering looking for the cure forever more in his old laboratory at the ‘Cryptic Escape’ building.
Photograph taken in September 2018 of the Augustine Steward House, with a sighting of the Plague Doctor.
A drawing done in 1576 by Margaret Browne, a victim of the Plague Doctor.
Photograph taken in September 2018 of the Augustine Steward House showing the red cross marked on the door in blood.
Queen’s Road – September 2002 a young girl dies when crossing road in an attempt to reach for a doll located in the middle of the road. A driver couldn’t slow down quick enough and the incident resulted in the girl killed from severe head injuries.
Eye witnesses testify that the girl was indeed reaching for a doll however when the paramedics arrived there was no sign of a baby doll anywhere around the accident perimeter. The doll went missing after collision. The interesting part of the story begins when the young girl’s mother claims that she did not own a doll to the description. Where did the doll come from? What are its intentions?
All Saints Green opened in 2015, offering a new accommodation beside Queen’s Road. The students that moved in, that September, to start their studies at NUA, discover mysterious happenings associated with a baby doll. No one was able to prove or show that the doll is sinister or harmful but, when students attempted to dispose of the doll, it returned in mysterious locations such as the reception, the lift and halls on certain occasions.
Graham Sheeran, manager of All Saints Green says “At first I thought it was a prank, you know students messing about… but after the baby appearing in my office that only I have access to and was most definitely locked, I do have my doubts and agree that there is some sort unexplained activity.”
The doll reappeared every so often but disappears moments later. In the last few months the doll has appeared a number of times. Students have captured videos and pictures of the doll appearing and behaving mysteriously, even making muffled sounds of crying, which is odd seeing as the doll’s batteries have been removed.
According to photos and student’s descriptions the doll has an injury mark on the right side of it’s face which correlates exactly to the young girl’s head injuries in the report at the time.
The mother of the young girl refuses to take part in any interviews and claims that this is some sort of cruel prank. Do facts prove otherwise?
The percentage of students applying to All Saints Green has decreased by 15% since the rumours surrounding the residence have made an unprofessional impact upon the reputation of All Saints Green.
Some students however have found humour in the situation and are not intimidated by the presence of the doll and have painted a smile onto his face. These students have accepted the doll as part of their daily lives (and refer to him humorously as ‘Steve’) but are still unsettled by the mysterious phenomena.
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