Charles Dickens’ The Signal-Man – A Ghost Story for Christmas from 1976

Published on by Planet GrapleLeave a comment

On June 9, 1865, Charles Dickens was caught in a serious train accident known as the Staplehurst Disaster. The train he was riding on derailed as it crossed a damaged railway bridge and plunged toward the river below. Miraculously, the coach Dickens was in teetered on the edge of the bridge without falling. He managed to climb out and spent the next hours helping rescue injured passengers.

Though he survived unharmed physically, the experience left him deeply shaken. From then on, he developed a lasting fear of trains—yet continued to travel by rail for his public readings, as it was the most practical way to reach his audiences.

The following year, in 1866, Dickens wrote the eerie short story The Signal-Man, about a railway worker who sees a ghostly figure at the entrance of a tunnel.  Each time the figure appears, a terrible railway accident follows soon after.

The Signalman 1976 Television Movie on BBC One

Adapted as a short television film for the A Ghost Story for Christmas series, The Signal-Man premiered on December 22, 1976.

Viewers expecting CGI or flashy special effects will likely be disappointed—but that is not a flaw. This is a story-driven piece, relying far more on mood, atmosphere, and suggestion than on visuals. Denholm Elliott is excellent as the haunted Signalman, plagued by a hooded specter that serves as a chilling harbinger of doom. Bernard Lloyd is equally solid as the Traveler, a passing stranger who befriends the Signalman and becomes the confidant to his growing dread.

Running at roughly 38 minutes, the film remains fairly faithful to Charles Dickens’s original short story. A quick search on YouTube should turn it up easily, and it is well worth watching. Also on YouTube you might find a few animated endeavors and even a few other live action adaptations.

If you so desire, you may read the short story for yourself at Charles Dickens Online.

A Little Bit of Glad: Littleton’s Library and Pollyanna

Published on by Planet Graple
Littleton Library Littleton, NH

I’ve always loved libraries—especially those housed in old, historic buildings—and the one in Littleton is no exception. Now more than 113 years old, the library is a handsome blend of Neo-Classical and Georgian architectural styles, and it came into being with a little help from Andrew Carnegie. At the turn of the 20th century, Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of more than 2,500 libraries worldwide, believing that free access to books and knowledge was essential for self-improvement and opportunity. His library grants helped countless towns—especially small and rural communities—establish permanent public libraries, many of which still serve their communities today as enduring symbols of education, civic pride, and philanthropy.

For several years, Littleton had been working toward securing a permanent home for its library. That goal finally became achievable in 1902, when the town received the grant from the Carnegie Foundation. As was typical of Carnegie-funded libraries, a few conditions were attached: the town had to commit $1,500 annually for operating expenses and purchase a suitable parcel of land on which to build. Once those requirements were met, the foundation provided $15,000 to turn the dream into reality. The library officially opened its doors in 1906.

Pollyanna Statue in Littleton, New Hampshire

In 2003, the library unveiled a statue of the beloved literary character Pollyanna on its front lawn. Created by artist Emile Birch, the statue captures Pollyanna mid-motion—what looks like a joyful dance—with a broad smile on her face and her arms flung wide open. She radiates optimism and happiness, which feels entirely fitting.

At first glance, Pollyanna dancing on the lawn of a library makes perfect sense—she’s a literary character, after all. But the connection runs deeper. Eleanor H. Porter, who wrote Pollyanna (published in 1913), was born in Littleton in 1868 and lived there until her marriage to John Porter in 1892, when the couple moved to Massachusetts. In fact, her childhood home was located not far from where the library now stands.

To this day, Littleton proudly celebrates this literary connection every June with the Pollyanna “Glad Day” Festival, a popular event that brings the town together in the spirit of optimism, community, and—true to Pollyanna’s philosophy—finding something glad in every situation. Pretty cool, huh?

If you visit the statue, be sure to rub the tip of her boot for a little extra good luck. 🙂

I Love Libraries 

I’ve always thought libraries were pretty special places. When I was in school—especially elementary school—I spent as much time in the library as I could. I loved being surrounded by books; there was just something about the atmosphere that felt comforting, curious, and full of possibility.

A Library is More Than Just a Collection of Books

A library is so much more than a building filled with books. Depending on the location, it can offer a wide range of resources for nearly every member of the community: free internet and computer access, books, CDs, DVDs, even cassette tapes. Many libraries host social and educational activities, such as author talks, book discussion groups, classes, and story times for kids. Some sell used books at very low prices, with the proceeds going right back into supporting the library. Others provide free or low-cost access to subscription databases and journals that would otherwise be quite expensive. And now, many libraries have gone digital, allowing patrons to borrow eBooks—how cool is that?

So why not stop by your local library and see what it has to offer? You just might be pleasantly surprised.

Vintage Newspaper Article; Prophecies for the Next Century as Predicted in 1900

Published on by Planet Graple

In the December 28, 1900 edition of the newspaper the Hollis Times in Hollis, New Hampshire a person who only identified themselves as G.R. gave his or her thoughts about how the coming 100 years would evolve.

It is 1900 years since we as a Nation began to count time. It is not the privilege of every mortal to see the ending of one century and the beginning of another. You might truly say “What difference does it make?” and yet I think we do a little more keenly appreciate the changes, improvements and advantages which have come to us in the last one hundred years (we who built our first house on Christmas day 1620) if we are here when the new calendar for 1901 appears.

We can but question whether all or a part of the predictions for the next century will come true. Here are a few of the prophecies from the “most learned and conservative minds in America” for the next one hundred years. In population we shall in- crease seven fold. The average height of a person will increase two inches and people will live to be fifty years old instead of thirty five as is the average now.

Building in blocks will be illegal and every one will reside in the suburbs and the fare will be but a penny. English will be the principal language spoken. C, X and Q will be dropped from our alphabet as spelling by sound will have been adopted. Houses will have no chimneys as no fires will be needed. Hot air for heating and hot water will be turned on from faucets furnished by a central supply plant just as our gas and electricity are furnished today. Ready cooked meals will be served hot to private houses through pneumatic tubes or by automobile wagons. Having ones own cook and purchasing ones own food will be an extravagance.

There will be no mosquitoes or flies. No street cars in our large cities. All traffic will be below or high above ground. Photographs will be telegraphed from any distance. If there be a battle in China a hundred years hence, snap shots of the event can be published an hour later and will reproduce all of natures colors. Trains will run one hundred and fifty miles an hour. New York to California in thirty six hours, no stops for water or coal. Automobiles will be cheaper than horses are today. Farmers will use them instead of the horse which will be more scarce than the ox is now.

Gymnastics will be compulsory in the schools, and a man or woman who cannot walk ten miles at a stretch will be a back number. Electric ships will go from New York to Liverpool in two days. There will be Air ships. In time of war they will hurl deadly thunderbolts which will destroy whole cities, while the fleet of air ships will be hiding among the clouds. Wild animals will cease to be, cats and mice will be extinct, cattle and sheep will have no horns.

Wireless telephone and telegraph circuits will span the world, and by the aid of huge cameras and telescopes electrically connected one can see and hear from China as readily as from Cambridge at the present time. A University education will be free to every one. Oranges will be grown in the Middle States. Strawberries, cranberries and currants will be as large as apples. All berries will be seedless. Figs will be raised here in New Hampshire, peas will be as large as beets, roses as large as cabbage heads.

A man in mid ocean can converse with his wife in her own home. Coal will nearly be exhausted. All of our restless waters both fresh and salt will be harnessed to do the work for making electricity for heat, light, and fuel as Niagara is doing today. Last but not least wonder if the one thousand different “right ways” which are being taught today to tell us how to live and how to die will merge into one and that one to do right because it is right.

Remembering Adam the Woo a Favorite YouTube Content Creator

Published on by Planet Graple

Adam the Woo was a YouTuber who I have watched with fairly regularity over the past 6 or 7 years, maybe even longer.

I didn’t know him in any capacity except for his YouTube videos.  Today, December 22, it was reported that Adam had died in his sleep at age 51, but the exact cause of death hasn’t been determined and probably won’t be, according to official sources for several weeks, possibly longer.  There is speculation that it was a heart attack.

The news of his passing was a complete shock. I’m deeply saddened, because I genuinely liked Adam and his work.

He had just, a few days before his passing, returned from spending about a month traveling out of the country.   I admit that I was not interested in his foreign travels, and only watched a few of the videos documenting that trip.   In a few videos prior to his departure for the international travel adventure, he had talked about what he wanted to do with his channel in 2026 and that was to get back to traveling the US—exploring back roads, small towns, the overlooked places, stopping along the way to explore and film what he found.  He was going to do this as a cross country trip, eventually ending up on the West coast.   He was really looking forward to the trip (as was I and a lot of other folks) and he was wondering if he should leave New Years eve or New Years day.  But, now, that is a moot point.  Going into 2026 is going to be a bit sadder for sure.

There are several reasons I’m writing this blog entry, but the most immediate is simple: I’m trying to work through the sadness and sense of loss I feel. Even though I didn’t know Adam personally, his presence in my life meant something. It had value. And that kind of impact deserves to be acknowledged and understood, especially when trying to make sense of why his absence feels so heavy.

Felt a Kinship With Adam

I felt a kind of kinship with Adam on different levels, and as I watched tribute and memorial videos from others, I realized how common that feeling was. Adam felt like a friend. And I think that’s how he viewed the people who watched his videos, too—maybe even the ones who never pressed play—as friends.

Part of that connection came from shared struggles.  For Adam and myself, it was weight loss and gain, each of us experiencing the ups and downs of that struggle.  If I’m remembering correctly, earlier this year, 2025 (though time tends to blur) he made a focused effort to lose weight, and the change was noticeable. I’ve wondered whether that rapid shift might have put strain on his body—especially his heart—given that there have been hints he may have passed from a heart attack. I remember that he had cycled through, what I thought to be rapid weight loss and then gradual regain multiple times during the six or seven years I followed his channel, and I can’t help but wonder whether that pattern had taken a toll on his health in ways he wasn’t aware of.  I’ve even thought about Cass Elliott—another beloved figure—who reportedly lost a great deal of weight not long before her death of a heart attack (in her sleep!) in 1974, and how some believed that quick weight loss contributed to her heart failure.

Of course, I don’t know what happened to Adam. None of us do, not really—not yet. These thoughts are just me trying to understand something painful and unexpected. It’s entirely possible his death was from natural causes; sometimes life ends without warning or explanation. But whether or not my speculation holds any truth, the core remains: someone who meant something to me is gone, and I’m left trying to make sense of the space he once filled.

The second connection I felt with Adam was our shared sense of sentiment and nostalgia. We were both the kind of people who found comfort and happiness in revisiting the people, places, and things from our past—those touch points where good memories and positive emotions lived. I think that’s why Adam returned to certain locations again and again: to reconnect with the moments that shaped him, to feel the warmth of those old memories, and maybe even to face the difficult ones with honesty and grace.

A third area where I felt kinship with Adam was how we both experienced bullying and harassment over the years for being who we were and what we were and weren’t. Adam received his fair share of cheap shots from people who seemed determined to tear him down. But he accepted that as part of the life of a YouTuber I guess, when you become visible, it isn’t just the good folks whose attention you attract.  Anyway, Adam sort of just shrugged things off, he didn’t carry the weight of their issues or make their problems his own. Instead, he kept moving forward, kept creating, kept showing up. And because he stayed true to himself, so many people—myself included—admired him all the more.

The fourth area of kinship is and I am not sure if I have the right words for this, but we both shared a kind of star struck wonder.  He was by his own description, an “80s pop culture nerd with a desire to travel and video what I see.” As a kid, I was into admiring the celebrities, TV shows, music and more of the 70s. I didn’t dive into things to the same extent Adam did, but I had my own areas of interest that meant a lot to me. I also wasn’t as drawn to the pop culture of the ’80s as he was, yet I could still relate to some degree,to that same kind of curiosity and passion.

The Real Deal

I admired his sense of adventure. I admired his sense of self and independence—he did what he wanted to do, both with his YouTube channel and with his life. He pursued his interests and passions without apology and he never asked for or needed anyone’s approval or permission to just be who he was.  Adam appeared to be genuine and authentic in his videos and from what I have come to discover by those who knew him personally and spoke about him, he was the same person in person as he was in his videos.  Adam the Woo was not an Internet persona, it was the real deal.

Original Adam

I didn’t follow or even know about Adam during his early years on YouTube to be honest.  I guess during that time frame, he was one of the original content creators who explored abandoned places as well as being one of the first theme park Youtubers, visiting places like Disney a lot.

Adam had lived in California off and on over the years and he made a lot of videos while there that dealt with Hollywood. As mentioned, he seemed to love all of the “Hollywood vibe” (maybe that is a better term for it than “star struck”) the movies, the TV shows, the entertainment history, filming locations, celebrities and all of that larger-than-life creative energy associated with all those things and more.

I remember him mentioning in one of his videos that Three’s Company was one of his favorite sitcoms. He even had the chance to meet Joyce DeWitt, and—if my memory is right—she told him he reminded her of John Ritter, Joyce’s co-star and an actor I think he admired. I sometimes wonder whether, back when he was watching those episodes, he ever imagined he’d one day meet and chat with someone from the cast.

His love of all things Hollywood opened so many doors for him, especially when it came to meeting celebrities, and I truly think he relished every second of it. I can still picture one video where he was filming at a social event packed with famous faces, and Steven Spielberg walked right past him. The look on Adam’s face said it all—pure joy, the kind that comes from realizing you’re exactly where you always hoped you’d be.

He Inspired Others

He inspired an enormous number of people to start their own YouTube channels—to get outside, explore, film, and share what they found. What always struck me was that he never seemed jealous or resentful of others who followed a similar path. There was simply too much out there for one person to cover, so why not welcome more people into the adventure? And even when creators filmed the same places or topics he had, each brought their own voice and energy to the experience which I think is why Adam didn’t mind the “competition”. In that way, Adam became a powerful, positive influence. It’s genuinely moving to see so many creators now making videos to thank him for the encouragement and inspiration he gave them. The hard part is knowing it took his passing for many to stop and say it out loud. I can’t help but wonder whether Adam ever truly realized the impact he had—not just on those who picked up a camera because of him, but also on those of us who simply went along for the ride.

One of my favorite video series he did several years ago was when he and his father took a week or two trek to different places that were special to them as a family.  It was a fun adventure and it clearly affected both Adam and his father deeply.  What a great thing for a father and son to do and to take us along on the trip was wonderful.  I could see that his father’s personality and sense of humor impacted Adam greatly—like father like son?

While he made a lot of videos I liked over the years, he also made videos about places I wasn’t always personally interested in—Disney, for example—but Disney clearly held a special place in his heart. Visiting it again and again seemed to be his way of touching the past and reliving happy moments that clearly meant a lot to him. Viewers were free to watch or not watch his videos no matter what the topic; he never took it personally. First and foremost, I think he was making those videos (all of his videos, really) for himself—entertaining himself—and discovering new places to document as well as keeping an eye on what changes were happening at his favorite places. It seems to me that Adam had this inner desire for people, places and things to be seen and remembered and honestly what better way to do that than capturing it all on a video and sharing it on YouTube which is exactly what he did, and lots of people admired and loved him for it.  It was a way for so many of us to see and experience things that we, more than likely, for whatever reasons, would never get to do on our own.

Inviting people to come along for the ride on his adventures, I think he was hoping that viewers might find something positive in those videos, even if it was nothing more than a good, heartfelt laugh which, I admit there were plenty of during the years I watched. One that sticks with me the most was TDW 1363 – Major Bike Wreck ! I’m a Complete Idiot – that famous bike ride down the children’s playground slide, March (23rd, I think) 2016.  That video made me laugh so hard (although I honestly did feel bad for Adam).  I kept coming back for more of his videos as did a lot of folks because I/ they found something of importance and value in Adam’s adventures.  (The gentle reminder to never ride your bike down a kid’s slide, lol).

During Covid, with all of the lock downs and everything stalled, Adam was there, spending time in California, sharing his lock down experiences right along with us.  As a matter of fact, it was his humor and small adventures during that period that was a breath of fresh air.  Seeing him being able to get out and about and do something so simple as get a burger and eat it as he sat at a picnic table at a local park and talked was proof that life was still going on and there was the  promise that routine would one day come back for all of us.  He even did a few look backs at some of his older videos during that time and the bike ride down the slide was one that he covered.  He laughed about it which made it okay for the rest of us to laugh too and not feel bad about doing it.

Taking Root

As I mentioned earlier, I know absolutely nothing about Adam’s life or motivations, but with that being said, about a year or two ago, the idea of taking root popped up in his mind and I think he tossed around the idea of either California or Florida and he eventually he chose to buy a house in Celebration, Florida, (suburb of Orlando, I think) which he had spent time visiting before buying a house there. Celebration was founded by the Disney Company (there is that Disney connection, again, lol) in 1994, though I’m not sure how involved Disney remains there today.   Adam made Celebration—and Florida as a whole—feel exciting and inviting. He made me want to live there. I know I wasn’t the only one; there are videos of people admitting they moved to Celebration because of him, not to be near him, but simply because he made the place seem so special. He genuinely loved the place, and it was always a treat to watch him cruising around in his little golf cart, Mini Marge, showing off the houses decked out for each holiday.

But now that’s gone.  No more Adam racing through the streets in Mini Marge.  No more piping-hot caffeinated beverages to jump-start the day’s filming.  No more quiet stops by Lake Rianhard hoping to spot the alligator he named “Cool.”  No more talk about future plans for the channel—or his life. No more Adam, period.

As time passes, Celebration will fade into the background for me. There’s no reason to seek it out anymore. I could try to watch other YouTubers who live there and film the same places, but the truth is that—even though I still think Celebration is a lovely town—it will never be the same through someone else’s eyes. The magic came from that combination of Adam and Celebration. He was the lens that made it special, at least to me.  Without him guiding the way, it’s just another town, no longer the place that once felt full of wonder and possibility.

His elderly parents live in Florida, which might have been some of  his motivation for deciding to take root there and buy a house. Adam came from a Christian family, with his father being a former (or perhaps retired) minister.   I am hoping their faith is giving them comfort during this trying time and they are finding solace in their belief that they will see Adam again in the next life.  So, looking at it from that view, his passing isn’t a goodbye, it is merely a “so long” for now.

Adam had filmed, a few days before his passing, a video showing him putting out Christmas decorations in his yard.   I watched a video he filmed some time around the beginning of November as he shopped for some of these items.  He seemed happy with what he had there and planned to expand the set up with each passing year, but that, of course, will not happen.

The photo below shows his yard, right after the news of his passing was made public.  Flowers and other memorial tributes were being left at his house, with fans writing goodbye messages on the sidewalk in chalk.  I heard that the tributes as well as Adam’s Christmas decorations will be allowed to remain until the first of the year, then they will be taken down. (Update: They have been removed.)

His Final Resting Place

UPDATE: A few days ago, I came across a listing on Find a Grave that stated Adam had been buried in a cemetery in or near Kissimmee, but that information turned out to be incorrect. I have since learned that about a year ago he purchased a plot at the Mount Peace Cemetery (also known as St. Cloud Cemetery), located at 755 E. 10th Street, St. Cloud, Florida and that is where he was buried on January 6. At this time, his grave does not yet have a marker.  I speculate that the reason his burial took so long was because the county coroner had to do an autopsy and that takes time. Now that his burial location is known, I’m sure people will begin visiting to pay their respects. If I ever have the opportunity to travel to Florida, I would like to do the same.  Below is a photo of his grave, a day or so after his burial.

UPDATE:  A photo of Adam’s grave with the headstone installed.

Below is a write up that I found on the erroneous listing on Find A Grave Site.  I have no idea who composed it.

David Adam Williams, known by his online name Adam the Woo, was an American YouTube vlogger and musician. He gained prominence as a travel influencer, focusing on exploring Disney theme parks, filming locations, and abandoned attractions.

He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on August 10, 1974 to June, a retired school bus driver, and Jim, a Protestant youth minister. He grew up going to church every Sunday, and attended Bible classes twice a week. As a result of his father’s ministry work, the family moved thirteen times throughout the United States, with Williams having to find ways to entertain himself on his own. His father stated that the family would borrow a video camera from members of the church congregation, and Adam would record video segments with his sister. The family did not own a television set until 1985, when Adam was 11. In order to watch movies, the family would rent a VCR for the weekend.

Adam was home schooled from the 8th through the 11th grade, when he took his GED test.

Adam started his eponymous “adamthewoo” YouTube channel in 2006, making him one of the first content creators on the vlogging platform. After attending various punk/alternative rock shows in and around St. Cloud, Florida, Adam formed a band called “Ten New Toes” in 2007. The band subsequently adapted the initials TNT, later changing their name to “The New Threat”. Adam continued filming and uploading videos for YouTube in 2008 as a member of TNT, capturing behind the scenes moments with the band.

By the next year, Adam progressed to doing travel segments while living out of his van, covering roadside attractions while on tour with both TNT and American punk rock band Guttermouth. Several early videos Adam made ended up on the band’s YouTube channel beginning around 2010. TNT toured the United States, and a few band members-including Adam on bass guitar-joined the touring lineup for Guttermouth in 2014.

Now referring to himself as “an 80s pop culture nerd with a desire to travel and video what I see”, Williams started a second YouTube channel called “TheDailyWoo” in July 2012, which went on to become more successful than the first. He began what would become a five-year uninterrupted streak of recording and uploading daily short videos, amassing over 1900 of them within that time. His subject matter revolved around abandoned haunts, points of interest, roadside attractions and former movie filming locations in all fifty states. Some of the movie locations he covered were for cult films that flopped at the box office, but which still had legions of fans who were interested in trivial details of how the films were made. Adam ended the streak in September 2017, when he shifted to recording videos on an almost daily basis, focusing on his travels to amusement parks in the United States and other exotic locations around the world.

His style in creating these videos has been described as easygoing, with a “calm” and engaging approach. He eventually produced 4,000 videos and garnered over a million subscribers on his channels, with his work being particularly focused on the Disney parks.

By February 2022, Adam had garnered almost 300 million views on his YouTube channels.

Just a Big Kid at Heart

Adam was a big kid at heart-a perpetual twelve-year old in the very best possible way.

Thankfully, Adam’s YouTube channels remain, allowing us to revisit his adventures again and again. While that’s bittersweet, it also means Adam lives on through his work. I hope his videos continue to inspire those who discover them for the first time, and that those of us who watched them as they were released can still find something new—something inspiring—within the familiar. Most of all, I hope we always keep Adam close to our hearts.  Adam, you were a loving and devoted son, a decent human being, a fun YouTuber and I am gonna miss YOU!

A few quotes from Adam

You can’t look at the past you have to look at the future, and that’s what I want my life to be about, not dwelling in the past, not sitting stagnant, as hard as it is, as hard as it is, you always have to move forward and to push on, you cannot let the past hold you down, you cannot let the past keep you in check you cannot let the past stop you from doing what you wanna do, you have to keep pushing forward moving forward going after what your heart tells you to do, where aspirations and dreams are. June 29, 2016

Little remnants of what you created will always remain.

From Tragedy to Legend: Reading Ghost in the Water by Edward Chitham

Published on by Planet Graple

Book:  Ghost in the Water

Author:  Edward Chitham

Published:  1973

Book Plot:  Teresa and David, school kids, read an interesting inscription on a gravestone in the local churchyard; In memory of Abigail Parkes. Departed this life 10th December 1860. Aged 17. Innocent of all harm.”  Teresa recalls that hanging on the wall at her home is a sampler created by the deceased girl when she was 11.  This fact combined with the strange epitaph will soon embroil the friends in a century old mystery involving a ghost of a girl who had drowned.

Mini Author Bio: Discover the captivating world of British history with Frank Chitham, a celebrated historian and author. Frank’s meticulously researched books bring to life the intriguing stories of monarchs and medieval times, offering a fresh perspective on figures like Richard III and Henry VII. What makes Frank’s work stand out is his talent for making complex historical debates easy to understand and enjoy, without sacrificing academic rigor. By drawing on reliable primary sources, he weaves together a rich and vibrant narrative that’s accessible to readers from all walks of life. With Frank, history becomes a fascinating journey of exploration, rather than just a dry recitation of dates and events.

Interesting Notes:  Was made into a one hour television movie in England in 1982. You might be able to find it on YouTube.  Also of note, is starred Jane Freeman (possibly best known as Ivy of Last of the Summer Wine).

Interesting Words & Things

Below are interesting words used and other things mentioned in the book.

Swot:  a person who studies very hard

Sampler: a piece of embroidery worked in various stitches as a specimen of skill, typically containing images,a line from a poem or scripture and they would usually include their name, also

Gorse: a spiny yellow-flowered European shrub (Ulex europaeus) of the legume family broadly

Lych gate:  a roofed gate in a churchyard under which a bier (tangled mass of plants) rests during the initial part of the burial service. (Sometimes spelled lich.  A lych is a corpse, a dead body).

Daimler: Daimler was a high-end car brand made in Coventry, England. The company started back in 1896 and took its name from German engineer Gottlieb Daimler. Over the years, Daimlers came to be seen as cars for the upper class in Britain and were especially associated with the royal family, who owned several of them.

Verger: an official in some churches who takes care of the inside of a church building and performs some simple duties during services. Example of a duty performed: carrying a rod or staff that has an emblem of authority or symbol of office such as that used of an Archbishop.

Vestry:  A room in a church where sacred vessels and vestments are kept or meetings are held

Anorak:  a short coat that protects the wearer against wind, rain, and cold weather, usually with a part for covering the head.  In the US it is called a parka.  The word can also be used to describe a person who is extremely enthusiastic about and interested in something that other people find boring

Adam Bede:  Book written by George Eliot. Adam Bede tells the story of a moral carpenter whose life is upended by love, betrayal, and tragedy in a rural English village, ultimately exploring guilt, compassion, and redemption.

Saft: Scottish variant on the word “soft”.

Frowsty:  having an unpleasant smell because of having no fresh air

Some Back Story to the Story

Knowing that Edward Chitham was a historian made me wonder whether his book was rooted in a real event. I wasn’t surprised to discover that it was inspired by the April 1899 drowning of Mary Ann Girling, a 34-year-old working-class mother of five who fell into the Dudley Canal in Tipton, England, and drowned. The coroner’s report, newspaper accounts, and census records paint a stark and sobering picture. She was not a romantic, jilted lover in a flowing white gown, but a wife and mother living a difficult life in a harsh industrial town. Her death was a tragic yet ordinary accident—one that would have devastated her family and community.

As time passed, however, the story began to change. Details were added, reshaped, and embellished, until it slowly transformed into a classic Victorian Gothic tragedy. In later tellings, a woman dressed in white was said to rise from the canal’s depths. Some versions claimed she was searching for a lost child; others cast her as a jilted lover, condemned to relive the final, sorrowful moments of her life again and again. In that way, a simple human tragedy evolved into legend, blurring the line between history and haunting folklore.

Interesting Side Note

It’s important not to confuse our Mary Ann Girling with another, far more famous woman of the same name.  This Mary Ann Girling was a 19th-century English religious figure often described as a fanatic, who convinced a small but devoted group of followers—later known as the Girlingites—that she was the Messiah. She eventually became the leader of the Hordle Shakers and died in 1886, more than a decade before the Mary Ann Girling connected to the canal tragedy.

The two women share a name, but beyond that, their lives—and legacies—could not be more different.

Jayne Mansfield’s Grave in Fairview Cemetery, Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania

Published on by Planet Graple

Before I write a little about Jayne Mansfield, I need to explain how all of this began.

I first discovered Marilyn Monroe as a child in the 1970s while rummaging through a stack of old hardcover books in my grandparents’ attic. Most of them held little interest for me, but two were “year in review” volumes—either 1955 and 1956, or possibly 1954 and 1955. Skimming through the entertainment sections, I came across photos of Marilyn in The Seven Year Itch, and that was it—I was hooked.

This was long before the internet, before Google or Bing, so learning about Marilyn meant tracking down gossip magazines or the occasional book. Those sources focused almost exclusively on her, rarely mentioning the other actresses studios were grooming as their own versions of Marilyn. As a result, I knew almost nothing about the so-called “Marilyn clones.”

A few years later, picture this: a girl—about ten or eleven—standing in a grocery store, flipping through a magazine while waiting for her parents to finish shopping. In it, she stumbles upon a small article about a blonde actress from the 1950s named Jayne Mansfield. What caught her attention wasn’t Hollywood gossip, but two simple facts: Jayne was born in Pennsylvania, and she was buried there too. That detail alone was enough. From that moment on, Jayne’s name stayed with me. I was determined to learn everything I could about her—and someday, to visit her grave. And yes, that girl was me. 🙂

At the time, information about Jayne was scarce. Few books had been written, and gossip magazines only mentioned her in connection with her tragic death or her association with Anton LaVey, usually when they needed a sensational headline.

I was in my late twenties when I finally made my first trip to Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, to visit her grave at Fairview Cemetery. The cemetery is quiet and tucked away—an unlikely resting place for a woman who thrived on glamour, hype, and Hollywood spectacle. But after her death on June 29, 1967, her second husband, Mickey Hargitay, who was divorced from her at the time, was given custody of her body. He and/or Jayne’s mother chose Fairview Cemetery. Hargitay later said that he and Jayne had visited the cemetery during their courtship and that she had remarked on how much she liked it.

In a way, it makes sense. Jayne is buried in the Palmer family plot, near her father, who died when she was very young—a loss many believe deeply affected her throughout her life. In death, she was reunited with him after decades apart, and there’s something quietly fitting about that.

Jayne’s funeral drew the expected crowd: devoted fans, curious onlookers, and people hoping to glimpse a famous face. No major Hollywood figures attended. Even Matt Cimber, whom Jayne was married to at the time of her death, did not attend. Publicly, it was said he didn’t want to upset Jayne’s mother, but as noted in Jayne Mansfield and the American Fifties by Martha Saxton, the reality was far colder—he simply did not care. Their relationship had already deteriorated into a bitter divorce and custody battle, which he ultimately lost.

Hargitay handled the burial arrangements and purchased the large, heart-shaped gravestone that marks her resting place today. It stands out among the other markers in the cemetery—and somehow, that feels appropriate. Jayne always stood out.

There are those who argue that Jayne was never truly a “star,” only a celebrity. They point to her limited box-office success, her marriages and affairs, her relentless pursuit of publicity, and her willingness to appear at store openings rather than cultivating Hollywood’s inner circles. But that argument misses something important. Jayne understood attention, image, and spectacle—and she played that game unapologetically.

Today, there’s no shortage of books, articles, and websites detailing every aspect of her life, career, and death. I’m not here to rehash all of that. This is simply the story of how I came to discover Jayne Mansfield—and how, once again, childhood curiosity turned into a lifelong connection.