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March 2021
ÂŁ2.45
Towneley Hall
Game of Thrones Was it based on the War of the Roses?
4
Reasons why your skin might be sensitive at this time of year and what to do about it
biohack your body
with Anita Graham-Bateson of Well-NES & Nutrition
The scandal of Whittingham Hospital
Spring has sprung
What to look out for now spring is here It Climbed up to my Room. It Had Fanged Teeth
The Hunger Hill Gorilla
Game of Thrones –
a tale of Lancastrian conflict? Sorcery, dragons, ice walls, zombies... they don’t exactly bring images of our beautiful county to mind. However, beyond the fantasy and the drama that the incredibly popular Game of Thrones series had in abundance, there is apparently a very real basis to the story and it’s one which is rather close to home. If you have been avoiding any kind of popular culture for the past ten years, you might be forgiven for questioning exactly what Game of Thrones is all about. For the rest of the population, it will be known all too well. Game of Thrones, or GoT as it is commonly abbreviated to, is a TV series which first aired in the United States in the spring of 2011. Labelled as a fantasy-drama, like so many other programmes it originated on the pages of a series of novels. This one in particular was founded upon ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’; five books by American novelist and screenwriter George R.R. Martin. It initially gained a cult following when it was released in TV format, but it wasn’t long before word got around this series which was unlike anything that preceded it. Gory, exciting, scary, sexual; the intrigue came from not only the atrocities and wanton morals it portrayed, but also the sheer diversity that was found within each precious episode. There was an ever-present threat that ‘Winter is coming’ that was not to be taken lightly, after a
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By Lucy Bullough
summer ‘season’ which had lasted many years. It would jump from brothel to battlefield, royalty to witchcraft, the living to the undead and at the end of each installation, you’d be left wanting more. What was not only evident but was central to the whole production, was the power struggle that raged through the kingdoms. Ultimately, the story was based around who was the rightful claimant of the Iron Throne, the seat which governed the seven kingdoms of Westeros. Spread over eight series, there are three clear plotlines and a total of nine families battling amongst each other. The first is the civil war which sees the different ‘houses’ (Baratheon, Lannister and Stark) battle within Westeros itself, each fighting for their seat on the Iron Throne. The second shows the rise of Daenerys Targaryen, who comes as an outsider from Essos to challenge the incumbent ruler and the third focuses on the Night’s Watch who live in the north of Westeros, guarding ‘The Wall’ which keeps out the nefarious creatures which live beyond it.
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Whittingham Hospital –
support and scandal in a Lancashire landmark By Lucy Bullough
A
ny building constructed almost 150 years is almost certainly rife with stories of intrigue and spooky mystery. But if that building was a psychiatric hospital, steeped in scandal before being completely abandoned, then you can almost guarantee these stories are even more interesting and maybe based in a little fact, rather than just the stuff of local legend. In Lancashire, you need not look far to find your perfect subject as Whittingham Hospital in Goosnargh, near Preston, will fit this bill to a tee. The Whittingham story began long ago, back in 1869, when the three asylums already present in Lancashire were
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full and more capacity was required. A stunning, red brick building was subsequently designed by Henry Littler of Manchester, who was Architect to the Lancashire Asylums Board. It took four years to build and the bricks used in the construction were made using clay from the very ground on which the hospital was to be situated. In 1873, the Fourth Lancashire County Asylum was officially opened to receive up to 1,100 patients. However, out of necessity, as many as 115 patients had already been admitted in the previous year, some of whom helped with the building work of the hospital.
Above: Whittingham Hospital Geograph-303616by-anonymous
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A hospital with a difference Whittingham was different from the outset, thanks to the amenities that you would not usually come to expect from the average institution. Firstly, both an Anglican church and Catholic chapel were found on site to serve the key religious beliefs of those staying there. In addition to that, there was also a large recreation hall or
ballroom for patients to have some kind of entertainment and spend some happier moments. But what was perhaps more pioneering, is the fact there were farms within the grounds to help feed those residing there. Some of the patients were involved in farming the lands themselves to not only provide the food but
In addition to that, there was also a large recreation hall or ballroom for patients to have some kind of entertainment and spend some happier moments
to give them a purpose whilst staying at the hospital. The benefits of the healthier meals provided, in addition to the treatment given, were evident in the physical differences seen by patients between their admittance and discharge.
St John’s Church, Whittingham Hospital Geograph-2315764-by-Peter-Bond
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The Hunger Hill Gorilla
It Climbed up to my Room. It Had Fanged Teeth
The M6 motorway is one we all know well. Most of us have driven along it, not giving much thought to the homes we see as we drive by.
Ordinary homes in ordinary Lancashire towns. In the early evening most people are relaxing after a long day at work. Watching TV
or catching up on housework while the kids are upstairs. Each person going about their everyday life oblivious to what stalks the night.
During my years of collecting encounters and experiences from all across the UK, I have branched out into Radio shows and Podcasts. One of the things people find popular is our weekly Live show on Youtube. During the pandemic it has allowed me to bring lots of people together in one place for a chat with friends, a catch up on new cases and each week we have a new guest talking about their strange experience. It was during one of these Live shows on New Years Eve that this report came in.
the edge of Greenbelt land. They both saw the Creature through their window.
I lived in the Hunger Hill area at the time. The house we lived in was close to the M6 motorway and my bedroom window was facing the main road, looking out towards the roundabout.
I was contacted by a young man called Lee who lives in the Hunger Hill Bolton Area of Lancashire. Lee wanted to know where my own encounter with an ‘Ape-like Thing’ happened and how old I was at the time. ‘Lee’ then went on to explain that he had also seen something he was struggling to explain in the North West of England when he was much younger. His experience instantly reminded me of another report I had taken three years ago from another young man in the Springwell Area in the North East of England who also saw a ‘strange Gorilla’ in his Grandparents garden. Both of these Child witnesses describe an ‘Ape-like Creature’ that they saw when they lived in New Build homes situated on 82
Our witness from Hunger Hill makes it clear that he does not feel what he saw was a Bigfoot Creature, he describes something with the appearance of a Gorilla. He is not alone in this. Many of our witnesses report Ape or Gorilla like Creatures, they are often described as being down on all fours in that typical Gorilla stance. One witness who saw a reddish coloured Creature on two occasions a few miles away from Lee’s experience described the Creature as standing on its knuckles in an Ape like fashion.
Witness Report, Lee: “Hi Deborah, I heard you speaking about your encounter on Youtube and I got in touch because I saw something strange not too far away from your house when I was a kid. The experience I had was very close up and personal. I could not mistake what I saw for something else. When people describe Bigfoot type Creatures there is a similarity to what I saw but I’m not sure exactly if what I saw was a Bigfoot, because It looked like a Gorilla. I was around 7 yrs old and
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On the day this happened I was in my bedroom standing looking out of the window and I saw something I couldn’t understand. It was early evening and I could see it clearly. There was something out there in the garden and from what I could see I can only describe this thing as very Ape-like. It was very much similar to a Silverback Gorilla. It ran across a very small grass area and easily hopped over the front fence and proceeded to climb my drainpipe and It was coming up towards my window. Outside my window is a small ledge from the Bay Window. It must have been standing on that which is impossible. So I think what I saw was Supernatural in origin rather than a flesh and blood Creature. I couldn’t believe what had just taken place. The ‘Thing’ made straight for me, like ‘It’ knew that I saw it. It came across the grass, over the fence and up the drainpipe in seconds. Then it just looked at me through the window. I took a few steps back in shock. It was looking in at me, hanging onto the drainpipe while grinning. It was showing me all Its teeth. It just kept looking at me and I could see that the www.lancmag.com
teeth were pretty big and the fang like teeth (its canines) were a lot larger than the others. I couldn’t move or run away. I was just frozen to the spot looking at It. It was almost smiling at me or grinning, I can’t really describe Its expression. I remember regaining myself and being able to move finally so I ran downstairs and told my Mum and Dad about what I had just seen. I basically told them there’s an Ape at my bedroom window baring its teeth. I asked my Dad if he would come upstairs with me and see it for himself. Which if I remember correctly I don’t think they ever did. I have always remembered this experience to what I know and
believe I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t imagining it. It definitely happened and I know it sounds crazy but this Thing was real. l have always remembered that day. I don’t know what to call It. I can describe It though, It was very black in colour and the hair almost had a silver sheen to it. I must have been 3ft or 2ft away from It when It came up the drainpipe. I saw this Thing directly, I was looking straight at It. I could make out so much detail. I can remember It like It was yesterday. I know it’s a long time ago but it’s never really left my mind and I always wondered what It was that I saw that day. It’s pretty hard to talk to people about what happened because I know how it sounds. This Thing looked like a silverback Gorilla. I saw It run across the grass and It was moving very fast towards the fence. It moved with a sway and It had very long arms that were muscular. I always think back to that time and I start doubting myself but I know exactly what I saw and it’s never really left me. I can remember everything about It and just the whole sequence that happened, it’s really ingrained in my memory. Thing was down on all fours, It wasn’t walking on It’s back legs, It was swaying like how a Gorilla moves. If I had to guess its height I would say if It did stand up straight It would
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have been around 6ft or maybe 7ft. It was pretty large but It was also more bulky and stocky. I could see It’s muscular formation from where the grass patch was in front of the house. It had thick black greyish hair that had a sheen to it. It was in the shape of a buzz cut but with very long spiking hair if you know what I mean. It was very characteristic of an actual Silverback’s face and the teeth seemed very large and It seemed to have a quite a large head. The thing I’ve often thought about the most is how could a drainpipe support Its weight? It was climbing up very quickly. I would say from the moment I spotted It to the moment It climbed the drain pipe must have been under 10 seconds, maybe 7 at the most. It was up at my window peering through at me while I stood there traumatised, it makes me wonder what the hell these things are or what’s going on exactly? After reading this Deb do you have anyone who has had any sort of similar experience to mine at all? I hopefully would like to get some sort of clarification into what It could have been or what It was” I didn’t have to look hard to find reports from people here in the UK who have seen a similar type of Creature. There is one case in Springwell Washington which is very similar to Lee’s.
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Ulverston By Lucy Bullough
Above: Sir John Barrow Monument with evening light on the drystone walls of Hoad Hill
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he Lake District is one of those magical places with so many things to see and do. As such, you can almost be forgiven for continuing on past Ulverston which sits just south of it, heading straight into the area itself for better-known locations such as Coniston, Windermere, Keswick and so on. However, there are a great many reasons to head off the M6 and make your way to this charming Cumbrian town. Not only is it not too overrun with other tourists, there is plenty on offer here which differs from the norm of hiking up hills and marvelling at great expanses of water. You’ll spot it when you get close thanks to the infamous Hoad Hill and the monument which stands proudly atop it. Prizes for whoever in the car sees it first!
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Locals say it is the sense of community which sets it apart, and the fact there is still very much a beating heart at the centre of it all. It has a ‘small town vibe’ which is supported by the very people who keep Ulverston as unique as it is and one which is welcoming to all. Initiatives such as the free-cycle project throughout the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrate this perfectly. It has seen food collected from supermarkets and distributed to those when they have needed it the most. There is also a shop dedicated to reducing waste output to better the environment for all. When a town has this much care for each other, it’s hard not to fall a little bit in love with it. Let’s take a closer look at this charming location and all it has to offer.
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A history as old as the hills ‘Since the Dark Ages’ is a term most of us will be familiar with but did you know Ulverston has been around since the Dark Ages? This time period was ‘dark’, with no records made then and today, still very little is known about it. However, we do know this was the time when Ulverston’s story began. The Dark Ages were when the Saxons took over from the Romans, who were on their way out, sometime around 430AD and it’s when Ulverston started in an early form. It was, of course, listed in the Domesday Book in 1086, and went by the name ‘Ulvrestun’ back then. This derived from Úlfarr, an old Norse family name meaning wolf warrior and tun meaning farm or homestead. The name is how a wolf ended up on the town’s coat of arms but over the years, it saw different variations including Oluestonam in 1127 and Uluereston in 1189.
Above: The dining room at Swarthmoor Hall
In these early years, Ulverston was a part of Lancashire, only becoming part of Cumbria in 1974 – much later than many realise. But regardless of its whereabouts, in the mid-1500s, it became the capital town of the area thanks to its position on the trade routes from the Cartmel Peninsula to Barrow and the towns on the west
In these early years, Ulverston was a part of Lancashire, only becoming part of Cumbria in 1974
coast. It is a town steeped in religious prominence too, as it is seen as the birthplace of the Quaker movement. George Fox, the founder of the Quakers, established a base there at Swarthmoor Hall. It was the home of Margaret Fell whom he married in in 1667, and was used as an early meeting place for local Quakers.
A prosperous market town Ulverston has always been known for its trade and was granted its market charter on the 11th
September, 1280, by King Edward I. As with other market charters, this allowed one to be held weekly (in Ulverston’s case on a Thursday) and also gave the town permission to hold an annual fair in September. This event is still acknowledged today with during Ulverston’s the Charter Festival, held each September. The market charter allowed the town to thrive, bringing with it economic growth and prosperity. There were a few setbacks along the way – targeted by Scots and burnt to the ground not once but twice in the 14th century being one – Ulverston continued to boom and still does today. The Market Place (or market hall) is still at the heart of the town with its indoor market open five days per week, only closing on a Wednesday and a Sunday. There are also two street markets held each week on Thursdays and Saturdays. With such a focus on local trades, artisans and produce, they are the perfect place to pick up some tasty treats whilst also supporting the local community.
Left: Market Street with the Saturday open market in progress. The open markets take place on Thursdays and Saturdays and were established in 1280 by a royal charter.
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Skin problems are some of the most common and most complicated issues I see in my clinic. From irritating rashes, to itching or weeping sores that can be severely debilitating.
O
ne of the interesting things about helping people manage skin disease is how different the herbal approach is to that of conventional medicine. My university degree involved clinical observation alongside both herbalists and dermatologists on a dedicated dermatology ward. Me and my fellow students would sit with the herbalist in the morning and sit with the dermatologists in the afternoon. Watching the different approaches to common conditions like eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis was fascinating. The thing that struck me most was how orthodox medicine would use a similar approach for all patients, with moisturisers, topical steroids, anti-histamines and immune suppressants. My approach and that of a herbalist, is very different. Instead of treating what we can see, we look deeper at the underlying influences. People with skin problems often benefit from supportive herbs for the kidneys, liver and bowel. During my training at the hospital, I didn’t see a single person leave the herbalist with the same medicine as another, despite them walking in with very similar complaints. Despite this, I still keep a small arsenal of herbs that can be useful for most of the iconic symptoms associated with skin problems. For hot, red conditions, I recommend calendula. Calendula is anti-inflammatory and it helps to improve the health of your lymph. Lymph is responsible for moving fluid around the body and taking immune cells to the places they need to be. If your lymph is sluggish, the skin tends to suffer, with swelling and
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redness. You might notice that the affected areas of your skin are slightly raised compared to the rest. This, along with redness, is a sign that your skin has become inflamed. I use calendula as a default skin remedy if someone comes into my shop to ask for a quick recommendation. It works for most skin problems, due to its anti-inflammatory action, but in stubborn conditions, it works slowly. A couple of years ago, I was visited by a lady requesting help with her skin, which was hot, red and itchy. Calendula seemed like the most obvious choice and since it’s cheap and simple to use, I suggested she try it. It worked, but it did take some time. Eventually, we became impatient and
Drink water to hydrate the bowel and ensure the kidneys are getting the water they need to function healthily
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blended her some of my own calendula with herbs that acted on the liver, histamine levels and her kidneys. Her skin cleared up rapidly. This is one of the reasons that a one size fits all approach, isn’t really appropriate for treating skin problems. If you call me and I get the impression that you won’t mind a few questions, here’s some of the information I’m likely to ask about. How often do you poo? Not exactly a conversation for polite company, but a person’s bowel habits tell me a lot about what’s going on behind the scenes. Bloating, constipation and a history of IBS type symptoms, all tell me that we need to work on the gut to get your skin to clear up. Asthma, hay fever, hives or various allergies or intolerances, direct me to work on reducing the histamine response and trying to balance out the immune system. Herbs like nettle have a natural anti histamine action and it blends brilliantly with calendula to make either a tea or a medicine that can be used safely and regularly for most people. In traditional herbal literature the skin is described as the third kidney. It’s believed that if your body is not getting rid of waste through the usual exit routes, (like the liver, bowel and the kidneys) your skin will take up the slack. Drink water to hydrate the bowel and ensure the kidneys are getting the water they need to function healthily. I use dandelion for supporting the liver and kidneys. The root helps with liver function and bile flow, acting as a gentle laxative to support all your eliminatory functions related to digestion. The leaf helps the kidneys, supporting the eliminations of waste through the bladder and
if calendula isn’t enough, dandelion can often fill in the blanks. So if you’re tired of a one size fits all approach, consider contacting a herbalist who can help you look at the underlying issues affecting your skin. Herbal medicine can be used safely alongside conventional treatments and a qualified herbalist can work with your GP or dermatologist to ensure this is done safely and effectively.
Above: Dandelion root can be used to support the liver & kidneys
Nicola Parker MNIMH has a herbal medicine clinic located on the picturesque coast Morecambe Bay where she offers face to face and virtual appointments. For more information on the topics she writes about or to book an appointment, contact her clinic on 01524 413733 or via email at helpmebehealthy@gmail.com.
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