Peter Haining News Today

From haunted houses to murderous beasts and villainous vampires, these are the spooky reads that have stayed with them long after they turned the final page

From haunted houses to villainous vampires, these are the spooky reads our experts just can’t forget.

Since 1979, Stephen Sondheim’s take on the Victorian myth about an exiled barber who pairs up with a cunning pie maker to seek revenge on the men who wronged him has delighted and enthralled audiences with its thrilling score, pitch black humor, and chaotic plot, but what is the real story behind this penny dreadful turned musical delight? Was there a real Sweeney Todd? Where did the story come from? And, most pressingly of all, what inspired Sondheim to spin this nauseating nightmare into got...

By Lee Weinstein: I first encountered the Elephant Man in a worn-looking old medical book in the stacks of the Jefferson Medical College’s library in Philadelphia. The year was 1964, I was a teenage student participating in a summer program there, and the Elephant Man was unknown then to the public. While exploring the old

The terms “serial killer” and “psychopath” are relatively new ideas. Unfortunately, the act of killing is not a new pastime. The 19th century has seen

HENLEY builder Richard Spratley has achieved much more off the water than he did on it, even as a good quality rower. He has been director of rowing at Oxford B...

Elvis Presley's coffin was exhumed and then taken to Graceland 44 years ago but his roots will always be in north-east Scotland.

Elvis Presley's coffin was exhumed and then taken to Graceland 44 years ago but his roots will always be in north-east Scotland.

WE begin with a candid confession. This morning, I got up to start work – or at least this column – in the usual brisk and efficient manner but,…

Ex-soldier jailed for kidnapping Scots shopkeeper says prison saved his life Darren Wright, a former Royal Artillery lance bombadier, was handed 11 years and three months for his part in the kidnap of Javed Mukhtar. Darren Wright (Image: MEN MEDIA) Join thousands of others and get the latest Scottish crime and courts news sent straight to your inbox with our daily Criminal Record newsletter.Invalid EmailSomething went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe When you subscribe we will use the i...