he Bull, which was originally named The Bulls Head, is located in the Gun Quarter on Price Street. The exact date to when The Bull was

built is undiscovered. To the people who know the area well, they have claimed that as early as the 1700s there has been a gun maker living at number one. He has also claimed to have once been a beer retailer. In the middle of the last century it was also common for the ‘gun gaffers’ to pay their employees their wages in The Bulls Head. Evidently due to the amount of drinking, many fistfights occurred. At this time there were strong catholic communities in The Gun Quarter, the landlord of The Bulls Head would somewhat be called on by the priest to settle the fighters solutions. Now, after decades of extensive alterations, The Bull moves forward leaving the past behind it and entering another chapter of history. Whether the next hundred years will have the same impact on The Bull we will be sure to find out. Extending my research ever deeper into the rich history and culture of The Bull to date, I managed to interview the lovely owner, Rose McCann.

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“22 years since 1993”

“The community area and friendly customers”

“The Bull was originally named The Bulls head. Also The Bull was the meeting place of the ‘gun gaffers’ employees to collect their wages”

“Not impressed! We joined with other businesses in The Gun Quarter to protest against it!”

“It’s a friendly local, with good food, good beer and great regulars!”

nce a month, on a full moon, prominent figures of the Enlightenment would meet in different venues

in Birmingham. Sounds like the beginning of a tale, but such meetings did transpire within The Lunar Society of Birmingham, an informal group formed of industrialists, philosophers and intellectuals, which presumably ran between 1765 and 1813. Although founded by Erasmus Darwin and Matthew Boulton as a local society, it was in permanent contact with the leading men in Europe and America, such as: James Watt, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Joseph Priestly, Thomas Day, Antoine Lavosier, James Wright of Derby, both grandfathers of Charles Darwin and so on. Its lack of documented assemblies and memberships, made some historians deem it a “legend”. The membership that is documented, however, should strike anyone as a bit suspicious and pose a question: Why would founders of the Industrial, American and Scientific Revolution respectively meet on such a notable astronomical day and not even bother documenting such gathering?

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heories have indeed emerged, but although it appears to possess all the characteristics, no one dared to mention that the society might be a

hidden conspiracy. After all, the Age of Enlightenment is not only known for scientific progress and the rise of various intellectuals, but also for The Illuminati, a secret group of conspirators that desired control over world affairs and were against and abuses of state power and religion. Where else could you find a group of influential freethinkers with cerebral capability to determine great changes in society and public life, if not in The Lunar Society?

Their connections in main powerful cities of the world could have enabled them to assert values of The Illuminati in an insidious and subtle manner. Naturally, people could question such values, but why wouldn’t someone trust the men that brought so many benefits to mankind through various scientific discoveries? Take Charles Darwin, for example, whose evolutionary theory still is the one thoroughly believed by the people, although it clashes with the Biblical version of evolution. Both Darwin’s grandfathers were part of The Lunar Society, so just imagine the potential to influence these men could have had if their grandson made so many people believe that Genesis is a lie.

Furthermore, it’s believed that the meetings of The Lunar Society would take place on a full moon as the light would help them find their way home. Simultaneously, Illuminati derives from the Latin word “Illuminatus”, which means “illuminate, give light to”.

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hree boys were out poaching in Hagley Wood one day in 1943, where they searched an old wych elm tree for some bird’s eggs. Inadvertently stumbling upon a decomposing skeleton within,

the boys fled and soon of their parents were told of the story, and an investigation into mystery skeleton slowly unravelled…

One possibility came from a woman named ‘Una Massop’, who gave a statement of her cousin ‘Jack Massop’, that he had confessed to family members of placing the woman in the tree with his Dutch friend ‘Van Ralt’. After going to the Lyttelton arms pub in Hagley they were driving home and the woman passed out. The men said that they put her in the hollow of the tree, in the hope that when she woke up she would be frightened into seeing the error in her ways.

A second possibility came from a prostitute making a statement about another prostitute named ‘Bella’ who went missing three years previous the discovery of the skeleton, who used to ‘work’ the Hagley road.A forensic examination at the time established that the woman had skew teeth and had been dead for at least 18 months. The examiner found taffeta in her mouth, suggesting that she had died from suffocation, her severed hand was also found buried near the foot of

the tree. Deductions were also made that she must have still been warm when put into the hollow of the tree as she wouldn’t have

if she was still stiff from rigor mortis.

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A third theory and the one with the most weight behind it, is that the woman was a German spy sending information of munitions in the area back to the Luftwaffe during around the time of World War 2. A letter was sent to the local newspaper explaining that she was a Dutchwoman and that two men, a Dutchman and a trapeze artist who were the main links to the Luftwaffe in that area, killed Clarabella in their car in Halesowen because she became too involved and was a risk to the operation, they took her body to Hagley Wood which was nearby, to dump it.. It is not a known fact that ‘Clarabella Dronkers’ ever lived, however a man named ‘Johanes Marinus Dronkers’ was executed at the time for spying, who could possibly have been her husband.To this date there is speculation on ‘Who put Bella in the Wych elm’, the answer to this mystery is left to your imagination…

vampire is on the loose in Birmingham. Back in January 2005, a ‘Vampire’ appeared in the Birmingham neighbourhoods of Ward End, Saltley,

Small Heath and Alum Rock.

Last month, this “vampire” went on a “rampage” in Glen Park Road, Ward End. The attacker reportedly bit a male pedestrian and then bit neighbours who came to the man’s aid. One woman had “chunks” bitten out of her hand. As the sun dips below the rooftops of sleepy terraced streets, residents rush home, quickly gathering up playing children, because after night falls a vampire hungry for blood stalks. Reports of a Dracula-style attacker on the loose biting innocent people has spread terror throughout neighbourhoods in Birmingham, causing many to fear the darkness of the night.

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he event in question has raised a lot of questions into if it is real or if it is just cannibalism. A witness came

forward and stated, “Its teeth were sharp, like a vampire”.

People started the ‘Vampire Stalking’ legend, that has become a nationwide story. Another witness said the man was “going round attacking people like a rabid dog”. This seems to be true whether or not you believe it’s a vampire. The man is described as a black male aged 20-30 with fully black clothing. This is not a very good description of the vampire but if you see a black male running towards you with sharp teeth RUN AWAY!

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he Black Eyed Child is a worldwide phenomenon. Age ranging from 5-15, with pale white skin and jet-black pits for eyes, black eyed children will scare even the toughest of men! Originally in America,

these creatures were said to knock on doors and wait for an answer. There have been no documented reports of them being violent but safe to say, I wouldn’t trust them!

More recently there have been sightings in Cannock Chase but this sighting was much closer to home in Pype Hayes Park. A man claimed to have heard a noise in the distance and went to explore. What he found would change his life forever!

A scream can be many things; frightening, shocking, happy, but for Derek it was a nightmare. From the distance he heard a loud screech, which sounded like a child’s scream, so unknowingly Derek went to investigate. Stood in front of him was a young girl, not older than 8, with her head bowed down. Shocked that she was all alone, he asked her what was wrong…

“After a minute of dead silence she ever so slowly looked up. I couldn’t believe my eyes!”

“She had no eyes. Just pure black sockets!

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“I started running and when I looked back to see if she was still lurking, no-one was there. She had just vanished. I couldn’t have been running for more than two seconds.”

After Derek sighted the ‘Black Eyed Child’ he phoned the police. After hours of searching they called it a figment of his imagination and ruled it not worth further investigation.

With so many sightings, how many are actually real? How many are actual encounters not just fake allegations of black eyed children. Whatever you believe, here at Mist we love the impossible and encourage you to come forward with your encounters and sightings.

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