Who Are We?

jgaspard, us lurkers need to stick together! *lol*

I haven't been spying around these parts for long, just since May. I've been reading up on JTR since 2005. Don't get me started on Patricia Cornwell - my nemesis.

I went on a JTR tour in May! I loved every minute of it.

[ghoulstonstreet]

Ripper Conference

I'm a long-time lurker as well.

Got dragged to a Ripper Walk while in London years ago ... got to meet Don Rumbelow and hear the story from one of the best ... picked up Patricia Cornwell on CD when I got home ... and was completely outraged by that sloppy book.

I've been reading up on the subject ever since and think this site (and JTR Forums) are great resources. Also had the pleasure of attending one Ripper Conference and hope to get to many more.

I would just love to go to a Ripper conference. How can I find out where the next ones will be held? Thanks

[ghoulstonstreet]

The Plus Side of Spitalfields

Although on the plus side, these well-off middle classes do keep the local Sushi vendors in business though!

All the best
Andrew

Hi there. Yes, ironic that the complainers are also the ones who want to restore buildings. Good thing. And I imagine that another Plus is the avaiability of a good Indian dinner. You know, this is sounding like a wonderful evening out. I'll definitely have to do it if I get to London again. Best to all...

[jgaspard]

Long Time Lurker

I'm a long-time lurker as well.

Got dragged to a Ripper Walk while in London years ago ... got to meet Don Rumbelow and hear the story from one of the best ... picked up Patricia Cornwell on CD when I got home ... and was completely outraged by that sloppy book.

I've been reading up on the subject ever since and think this site (and JTR Forums) are great resources. Also had the pleasure of attending one Ripper Conference and hope to get to many more.

ghoulstonstreet pleased to meet you. I don’t post much, only lurk about…I’m one of the many quiet voyeurs about this place…

[Andrew Firth]

It's mostly Bengali with noticeable enclaves of well-off middle class folk who have settled in the area in the last 15 years or so. It is traditionally the latter which kick up a fuss about the Ripper stuff, though not much these days. Ironically, they are the ones that saved and restored many of the old buildings in the neighbourhood.

Although on the plus side, these well-off middle classes do keep the local Sushi vendors in business though!

All the best
Andrew

[John Bennett]

Very interesting. You see, I'm in the States and I am getting the impression most of the people on this forum are Brits. Now, that's really surprising to me because you folks have had this "alive" in your culture for a long time. Yet there's so much interest. YET, YET, we're told by the dude who does one of the Rpper walks in Whitechapel that Whitechapel residents themselves are very down on ripperologists and don't want to save any of the old buildings. So there is this dichotomy and contradiction.

Surprising but true, Ghoulstone.

Spitalfields in particular (where most of the Ripper walks congregate) is no longer predominantly inhabited by long-term, dyed-in-the-wool East Enders of yore.

It's mostly Bengali with noticeable enclaves of well-off middle class folk who have settled in the area in the last 15 years or so. It is traditionally the latter which kick up a fuss about the Ripper stuff, though not much these days. Ironically, they are the ones that saved and restored many of the old buildings in the neighbourhood.

[ghoulstonstreet]

Street name

Hi Ghoulie & all,

I am just the Casebook ghost...eternal presence. So what do you read in the innocent name of a street, albeit, notorious for the odd masonic apron. Do you think the name of the street a little un-coincidental?
I am here to serve my Community Service time. I hate it, and tother!
Rosey O'Ryan :-)

Just a little pun.

[Rosey O'Ryan]

Hi Ghoulie & all,

I am just the Casebook ghost...eternal presence. So what do you read in the innocent name of a street, albeit, notorious for the odd masonic apron. Do you think the name of the street a little un-coincidental?
I am here to serve my Community Service time. I hate it, and tother!
Rosey O'Ryan :-)

[ghoulstonstreet]

ghoulstonstreet,

I've been hanging around here for yonks and, from what I can see, we are a bunch of people, from diverse backgrounds, with a common interest in Victorian history and an unsolved (perhaps, unsolvable) mystery. That's it.

Hey. Hi and thanks for your post. I guess I started this post because I'm a little bit secretly worried about myself in that I have this ghoulish interest. But then, is it really ghoulish? I for one don't hunker down and keep looking at poor Mary's body photos, nor do I get a thrill every time some crime scene details are run by me again in print. I feel like laughing derisively when I think of the many voyeurs who do this.
I have many many interests that have no relation to murders, death, mystery, etc. but I feel like a bulldog with this Ripper thing. Same with a couple others : JFK, Ramsey, murders in my hometown. The genesis for this interest is outrage.

[ghoulstonstreet]

ghoulstonstreet,

I've been hanging around here for yonks and, from what I can see, we are a bunch of people, from diverse backgrounds, with a common interest in Victorian history and an unsolved (perhaps, unsolvable) mystery. That's it.

Hey. Hi and thanks for your post. I guess I started this post because I'm a little bit secretly worried about myself in that I have this ghoulish interest. But is it really ghoulish? I for one don't hunker down and keep looking at poor Mary's body photos, nor do I get a thrill every time some crime scene details are run by me again in print. I feel like laughing derisively when I think of the pepps who might do this.
I do have many many interests that have no relation to murders, death, mystery, etc. but I feel like a bulldog with this Ripper thing. Same with a couple others : JFK, Ramsey, murders in my hometown. The genesis for this interest is outrage.

[ChrisGeorge]

For those not familiar with Life's "collar and cuffs article, it's available online.

http://books.google.com/books?id=4FMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA85&dq=jack+the+ripper&as_pt=MAGAZINES#v=onepage&q=jack%20the%20ripper&f=false

fyi

Excellent! Thanks, Dr Strange.

Chris

[ghoulstonstreet]

Picked up 'Autumn of Terror' from the library about 1970...Dad worked at Spitalfields at the time.......Read various other books over the years...Got a Computer..Realised I was comparatively normal!...One of too many interests,So I tend to keep a 'watching brief'...not informed enough to argue in detail......
Steve

Very interesting. You see, I'm in the States and I am getting the impression most of the people on this forum are Brits. Now, that's really surprising to me because you folks have had this "alive" in your culture for a long time. Yet there's so much interest. YET, YET, we're told by the dude who does one of the Rpper walks in Whitechapel that Whitechapel residents themselves are very down on ripperologists and don't want to save any of the old buildings. So there is this dichotomy and contradiction.
Your Dad worked in Spitalfields. How fascinating. Is Spitalfields only a street in Whitechapel or an area? What did people do there years ago, and then your Dad? Thanks, ghoulstonstreet

[ghoulstonstreet]

Survey Results

Michael,

I was a part of one of those surveys

We thanked you then and thank you again for your participation. The surveys unearthed a great deal of information about Ripperologists, their ages, sex, jobs and other interests and they proved to be an interesting and varied group of folks.

But should we ever do more surveys let everyone know Michael admitted to being a participant--once the data were encoded everyone's identity disappeared. Only fair way to do it and nobody's name went to a mailing list for hair restorers or anything else.

Don.

Hi Don, Yes, nice to see some folks have cahunes. I'd really like to see those results of Who We Are. How can I do that?

[ghoulstonstreet]

The Apron Bit

I've been interested - to varying degrees - for over 20 years, beginning {as so many did} with the eponymous Mr Knight and going on from there. I learned an awful lot very quickly {and have forgotten most of it as a result!}. An early veteran of Mark Galloway's incarnation of C&D, and a survivor of several caustic letters from a certain {nameless} doctor and Ripperologist, nowadays I confine myself to the odd {sometimes very odd} posting here and make sporadic attempts to catch up with more recent thinking than mine. To be honest I think I'm now more interested in the times than the events. Although it stills nags me that apparently no one has ever wondered why whoever it was who deposited that bit of apron in Ghoulston {love that spelling...} Street chose that side of the street and which direction they think that would indicate he/she was traveling in... Sometimes I think I'd like to get more involved in the study of the events once again. But other times I'm happy just to read Cap'n Jacks latest splashes of literary colour and gawp at the offerings on the Photographs and Drawings thread. This lack of real enthusiasm for the cut and thrust {and I'd like you to know that absolutely nothing should be read into my selection of that phrase} persuades me that I'm best off sticking to the latter pursuit.

I find it fascinating that of all the thousands of details surrounding these crimes it is the deposit of the apron piece which really snags your interest. The apron interests me as well. Do you know whether it is still in existence? Tell me what you think would be indicated in terms of whether it was left on the east or west side of the street. Do you think he chose that particular entranceway because the wall next to it could be written on easily.."The Juwes are the men..." and thank you very much for the Ghoulstonstreet compliment!