a6 murder

[Steve]

It would not really have been possible for the gunman to follow the Morris Minor on foot. The total distance the car drove from leaving the Old Station Inn to arriving at the cornfield was 3.4 miles, too great a distance to cover in the time between the couple leaving the pub and the gunman tapping on the car window. In any case, even if the Morris Minor set off slowly along the main Bath Road someone following on foot would not have been able to see which turning the car took.

On the other hand, if the gunman set off on foot and walked directly from the pub to the cornfield he could have arrived there just before or very soon after the couple parked the Morris Minor.

To follow immediately behind the couple in the Morris Minor the gunman would have needed an accomplice with a motor car.

[Tony]

Hi Tony,

No problem at all. Keep hold of the book as long as you like. My comments on the book were just my own personal opinion. Others might come to a different conclusion upon reading it.

Hello everyone,

A year ago I re-read Paul Foot’s book ‘Who killed Hanratty?’ for the umpteenth time. Two weeks ago I went on holiday and re-read Bob Woffinden’s book ‘Hanratty The Final Verdict’.
Both books, in my opinion, are masterpieces in their own right.

I came across this forum about a month ago hence my re-reading of Woffinden. I became aware of the existence of another book; Leonard Miller’s Shadows of Deadman’s Hill and tried to obtain a copy. I tried all the usual sources and book search companies. No luck.
Then a contributor to this forum, Jimarilyn, very kindly sent me his/her copy and I have read it over the last week.
Does anybody seriously consider this offering to be in the same class as either Foot’s or Woffinden’s books. I suspect it could have been written very quickly in his front room and if it had not been for the DNA I doubt it would have even been published. It certainly hasn’t been republished. It would be interesting to know how many copies were sold.
Once again Jimarilyn thank you for your kindness and no offence but next time I want tripe I’ll pop along to the butchers.

Tony.

[Graham]

Hi Tony.

Interesting to read your comments on Miller's book. Unlike Foot and Woffinden, Miller isn't an investigative journalist nor even a writer - the loose cover of his book says that he's a retired lecturer in media studies. Probably his interest in the A6 Case is the same as ours - just an interest, but in his case he felt sufficiently moved to write a book.

I agree that he's not in the same class as a writer in comparison with Foot (especially) and Woffinden, but I think his aim was to put an alternative take on various aspects of the crime and how it was interpreted by supporters of Hanratty. Which, in my view, he's done, albeit not written in undying prose. As I said in an earlier post, he really falls flat when he's writing in the first person, supposedly Hanratty's thoughts. I also happen to think that Woffinden loses a lot of credibility when he gets all sentimental about JH's character and personality - the 'gentle fugitive', for example. Was he hell.

Not the best piece of literature ever written, I agree, but as I am still of the opinion that JH was guilty I naturally think Miller's book should be read by anyone interested in the A6 Case.

Cheers,

Graham

[jimarilyn]

Hello everyone,

A year ago I re-read Paul Foot’s book ‘Who killed Hanratty?’ for the umpteenth time. Two weeks ago I went on holiday and re-read Bob Woffinden’s book ‘Hanratty The Final Verdict’.
Both books, in my opinion, are masterpieces in their own right.

I came across this forum about a month ago hence my re-reading of Woffinden. I became aware of the existence of another book; Leonard Miller’s Shadows of Deadman’s Hill and tried to obtain a copy. I tried all the usual sources and book search companies. No luck.
Then a contributor to this forum, Jimarilyn, very kindly sent me his/her copy and I have read it over the last week.
Does anybody seriously consider this offering to be in the same class as either Foot’s or Woffinden’s books. I suspect it could have been written very quickly in his front room and if it had not been for the DNA I doubt it would have even been published. It certainly hasn’t been republished. It would be interesting to know how many copies were sold.
Once again Jimarilyn thank you for your kindness and no offence but next time I want tripe I’ll pop along to the butchers.

Tony.

Hi Tony,

You have my full permission to fling this offensive book onto the nearest rubbish tip where it rightly belongs. I bought this book back in 2002, I don't know who the other 3 or 4 purchasers of the book were though.

[Steve]

next time I want tripe I’ll pop along to the butchers.

Tony.

Tripe? I haven't seen tripe for years! Do butchers still sell it in your part of the world?

[Tony]

Hello Steve,

They most certainly do sell it in this part of the world. Even in our local Morrison’s store. We still all wear flat caps and keep racing pigeons as well around here.
If you send me your address I’ll send you a couple of pounds of tripe in a jiffy bag; I don’t post onions unfortunately.

Tony

[Steve]

Hi Tony

In that case the reason I haven’t seen tripe for years is because I now live in the South. ‘When I was a lad’ we used to eat tripe and elder on the way back home from the pub.

For more years than I care to remember I have been doing missionary work down here amongst the Southern Softies and tripe is definitely not on sale at the local supermarket. I am, however, pleased to be able to report that we do now have Morrisons supermarkets!

Nowthen,
Steve

[Graham]

Hi Tony

In that case the reason I haven’t seen tripe for years is because I now live in the South. ‘When I was a lad’ we used to eat tripe and elder on the way back home from the pub.

For more years than I care to remember I have been doing missionary work down here amongst the Southern Softies and tripe is definitely not on sale at the local supermarket. I am, however, pleased to be able to report that we do now have Morrisons supermarkets!

Nowthen,
Steve

Steve,

About a month ago I scoffed a bowl of absolutely delicious tripe at Chung Ying Chinese restaurant, Birmingham. First time I'd had tripe for years beyond number. My mother used to cook it with milk and onions. Chung Ying's was done with a thin garlicky sauce and spring onions and it was fabulous. At the same meal I also scoffed a dish of duck's tongues...

Cheers,

Graham

[Steve]

Hi Graham

I have seen neither of those dishes in any of our local Chinese restaurants. Clearly the Brummie Chinese are far more adventurous!

I do have a client in Sparkbrook, a Sikh gentleman, who keeps inviting me for a meal in his favourite Indian restaurant. I wonder if they do a version of curried tripe? The mind boggles.

(Or should I say t’mind boggles!)

‘eyup,
Steve

[Graham]

Hi Graham

I have seen neither of those dishes in any of our local Chinese restaurants. Clearly the Brummie Chinese are far more adventurous!

I do have a client in Sparkbrook, a Sikh gentleman, who keeps inviting me for a meal in his favourite Indian restaurant. I wonder if they do a version of curried tripe? The mind boggles.

(Or should I say t’mind boggles!)

‘eyup,
Steve

Steve,

I've got recipes for curried tripe and other offal - southern India and Sri Lanka in particular, where they use goat tripe. Never tried them, and never seen them on the menu of any Asian restaurant round here. Next time you meet your Sikh client take him up on his offer, as Sparkbrook/Sparkhill is famed as the 'Balti Belt'.

Birmingham has a very large Chinatown and Chinese population, so most of the restaurants serve up grub not often seen in your average Chinese noshery. And the Chinese don't waste a thing, either.

Cheers,

Graham

[Steve]

Hi Graham

Sound to me as though you are something of a gourmet!

I wonder if tripe is one of the Traditional English Dishes sold in this well-known establishment?

KR
Steve

[jason w]

newcomer

Hello everyone,

I am a relative newcomer to the A6 Murder, I stumbled upon the case in a very random manner and have been utterly fixated by it since.

I first bought Paul Foot's book in March and have just started reading Bob Wofinden's. I have also only just stumbled across this excellent forum at the weekend.

So far I have read about 17 pages worth of the threads (a lot more to get through I know!).

Anyway, I just wanted to say that from what I have read so far (and admittedly I have much reading to do on this case yet) I geniunely do not have a clue as to who the A6 killer was!

Although I think it is obvious that Hanratty should never have been convicted on the basis of his trial.

Also, the DNA is fairly damaging to the pro Hanratty campaign but I feel there is enough evidence to suggest these DNA results cannot be taken as read given the very real possibility of cross-contamination and the considerable gap in time and science that there has been.

Anyway, I have lots more reading to do on this case, and I just hope that by the end I will have an idea myself as to who the A6 killer was.

This is an excellent forum and the depth of knowledge many of you posess on this subject is staggering and I believe you are all a real asett to society.

I am a young man, so young in fact that my parents were not even alive (just) when this crime occurred and have only the written word to rely on whereas a great deal of you have some recollection/knowledge of the case happening.

I fear I have rambled on too much, but I just wanted to share my basic opinion on this case and congratulate you all on the magnificent effort you have put in.

Jason

[Steve]

Jason, Hello and Welcome

The two books you mention both cover the complexities of the A6 case and both are a fascinating read. They are of course both written from a pro-Hanratty point of view and it’s very easy to believe having read them that Hanratty was innocent, wrongly convicted and unjustly executed. This is probably why you say haven’t a clue who the killer was.

The truth is that the DNA testing has proven that the A6 killer was really James Hanratty.

Kind regards,
Steve

[Limehouse]

Hello Jason, welcome and thank you for you comments,


It's nice to have some young blood on the Forum and I hope you will venture on to some of the other threads too.

I was as very small child when this crime was committed but have always had an interest in it because it was always said in my circles that Hanratty was innocent. The books and articles I have read on the topic have been mainly supportive of Hanratty and, in fact,until the DNA results were made known I think it was rare to find many people who fully believed Hanratty to be guilty.

When I started to post on the thread, I was probably more than 90% certain that Hanratty was innocent. However, I have 'chatted' with people who have done more research than I have, and also have a clearer recollection of the events (sorry chaps - but you are a little bit older than me) and I have done a bit more thinking about the Hanratty who lived outside his family circle and the things he may have done without their knowledge. Nowadays I am about 80% sure Hanratty was guilty. There is a bit of me that still feels the whole story has not been told and that maybe he did not work alone.

Look forward to 'chatting' as it were, in the near future.

[Steve]

It's nice to have some young blood on the Forum - (sorry chaps - but you are a little bit older than me)

Hi Limehouse

Just 'cos you are still in your 20s!

KR
Young Steve