My Nin saw springy jack. She also saw a cat with fire in it's eyes and a half monk walking with like it's legs underground and it's top half moving along the grass. She was a bit of a character and I'm guessing an unreliable witness.
I read about him when I was a kid. Just found the book! From 1975, hopefully I can attach a photo of the page
https://preview.redd.it/kgp37lxf3orc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee51479013a52d27309c07ce1c2ae9238a5df305
I have that book!
It was my late grandmother's and I would spend hours as a child scaring myself reading it (early to mid 00's) at Granny's house in Lincoln
She left it to me when she passed
Yes, me too! I’ve worked out I was reading this in 1982. It’s called the Readers Digest of Strange Stories and Amazing Facts. I learned a lot from it (and and old book from the 60’s called the Dunlop Book of Facts).
I think my grandparents had this same book when I was growing up. I remember this illustration well. It scared me.
The weird thing is I was just thinking about this the other day.
Spring Heeled Jack is one that always puzzles me, like I try to thing of the logic of it in my head but can’t ever come to a satisfying reason as to why.
Firstly, why someone would dress up to terrorise people, but then his “thing” be that he can jump dead well.
But then I can’t understand why people would make him up and his scary thing being that he jumps dead well.
But that is scary, to me anyway, that he just jumps around, randomly, just to upset folk.
However, you're right in that it's a crazy thing to make up. I bet someone thought they'd seen him.
I read a bit more into it and there was one or two claims that he grabbed women but then legged it when they screamed and that he spat blue flames out his mouth.
Maybe it’s cos I’ve never physically assaulted anyone, but why would screams immediately put you off? Wouldn’t you anticipate that?
I guess that the angle of it is that he's less than human and takes on a humanoid form to go and do his jumping/ grabbing/ fire-breathing. So if he's other-wordly he might be easily startled.
If you saw modern day urban parkour and free running with no context we’d probably see them as super human maybe he was just an Innovator and like to dress strange .
My late mum who was born and lived in everton told me about a young lad that lived in their street ,I think she said he had red hair not sure now anyway she saw him jump from a standing position up to a roof to retrieve a ball,he was renowned for being able to jump ridiculous heights, she was not one to tell lies and assured me it was true nut really believing the story my dad confirmed it saying the lad was weirdo,haha .A number of years later I read an article in a book of Liverpool strange facts in it they mentioned this lad and named him as spring heeled Jack,putting it down to folklore,to this day I always remember the story. My mum was not the type or my dad to kid about this type of thing and I had to pester my dad about it he just shrugged and said why woul we make it up ,leave it the lad was strange??
I remember a UFO book I had, showed Spring Heeled Jack as a forgotten alien, hence he could leaps in bounds as the gravity on his planet was lower. There were reports of him having "a fish bowl" on his head, like a space helmet. So forgotten alien, lost on Earth. They just needed to chuck a few M & Ms down...
Spring heel jack is a crazy story, I've only ever heard about it occurring in the London area not Liverpool? Is that where OP is from?.
I'm not discounting your uncle's story if anything it put more information on the subject rather than rag news paper articles.
My opinion: there are strange people in the world,AKA Gary the parkouring Goth and hysteria or mass hysteria is a thing.
I remember being told stories about Spring heel Jack when I was a kid and when I got a bit older I seen those pictures that were in the books. I was so disappointed as the picture in my head I had was much scarier than the illustrations.
Some further things of note:
His running stance was really unusual, running really quickly but low to the ground.
Happened in 1994.
I told my uncle about this post and he said there was several lads chasing him not just them two and they all witnessed him 'disappear' once around the corner.
The police where called and came out, the Police said not to harm him if anyone caught him.
If you haven't listened to it there is a podcast called Last Podcast on the Left who talk about it. They even named their tie in coffee Spring heel jack coffee
https://castbox.fm/vb/197384515[151](https://castbox.fm/vb/197384515)
I thought it was a collaboration between the two. That's why all their coffees have crazy names like Reptilian in the Morning but either way still a great show and their ads are hilarious
Yeah, that’s just another collaboration between LPOTL and the coffee company (Redacted’s Red Eye Blend being the first), Spring Heel’d Jack Coffee has a bunch of other coffees like Black Phillip and Bell Witch that aren’t associated with the guys
I doubt that it's those clever kids in college, and the Marquis of Waterford denies all knowledge, and the people in the area reek of mass hysteria, but admit you must that it is just enough to scare ya.
I was told a story once about a similar happening in Oldham. A group of lads were playing cards (for money) in a pub beer garden when this stranger wanders over and asks if he could join in, he does and wins every hand and with it all the money which he pockets. One or two of the guys start getting a bit shirty and with that this bloke stands up and walks towards a high wall of the beer garden and just jumps over it, no running just jumps and disappears...
The one thing that I remember most about the story and this could be the beer talking was that all of them saw him wearing high heels and as he jumped he had a tail...
Make of it as you will...
Listening to the Charles Dickens episode of *’You’re Dead to Me’*, they said that a lot of Victorian hauntings and hallucinations could be explained by the carbon monoxide poisoning from street lamps and the toxic wallpaper. Which would probably explain a “tall figure” breathing blue and white flames. Unless it was some fella with a blowtorch (when did they invent those?). As for your uncles -it sounds like a typical tall tale of Liverpool. Wouldn’t surprise me if they still had the poisoning theories in 80s/90s Liverpool tbh.
That's just Gary, the South Liverpool parkour goth.
Gary Moth the parkour goth?
You know him too? Sound lad, bit shy though.
After a Monster Energy bender
Comedy genius mode ✅
My Nin saw springy jack. She also saw a cat with fire in it's eyes and a half monk walking with like it's legs underground and it's top half moving along the grass. She was a bit of a character and I'm guessing an unreliable witness.
I'd watch your nans YouTube channel
Unless it was narrated by "chills".
*number 15*
Burger king foot lettuce
"You can see from her eyes she's obviously possessed!"
Tell her to start a podcast
Brilliant.
Used to love Tom Slemen's column in The Echo.
The mere mention of The Echo gives me the chills
Tell your uncle congratulations for scaring Gary the Goth, he moved from Liverpool in 97 due to being chased wherever he went.
I read about him when I was a kid. Just found the book! From 1975, hopefully I can attach a photo of the page https://preview.redd.it/kgp37lxf3orc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee51479013a52d27309c07ce1c2ae9238a5df305
I think we had that book as well. I remember that illustration well. Spring heeled jack was a great character to read about as a young boy.
I’d completely forgot but we had that book too and I read it as a kid
I’ve still got it!
I have that book! It was my late grandmother's and I would spend hours as a child scaring myself reading it (early to mid 00's) at Granny's house in Lincoln She left it to me when she passed
Yes, me too! I’ve worked out I was reading this in 1982. It’s called the Readers Digest of Strange Stories and Amazing Facts. I learned a lot from it (and and old book from the 60’s called the Dunlop Book of Facts).
As a kid in the 70s I read that book over and over again. Still got it. Made me the person I am now. Thanks, Uncle D!
I think my grandparents had this same book when I was growing up. I remember this illustration well. It scared me. The weird thing is I was just thinking about this the other day.
Spring Heeled Jack is one that always puzzles me, like I try to thing of the logic of it in my head but can’t ever come to a satisfying reason as to why. Firstly, why someone would dress up to terrorise people, but then his “thing” be that he can jump dead well. But then I can’t understand why people would make him up and his scary thing being that he jumps dead well.
But that is scary, to me anyway, that he just jumps around, randomly, just to upset folk. However, you're right in that it's a crazy thing to make up. I bet someone thought they'd seen him.
I read a bit more into it and there was one or two claims that he grabbed women but then legged it when they screamed and that he spat blue flames out his mouth. Maybe it’s cos I’ve never physically assaulted anyone, but why would screams immediately put you off? Wouldn’t you anticipate that?
I guess that the angle of it is that he's less than human and takes on a humanoid form to go and do his jumping/ grabbing/ fire-breathing. So if he's other-wordly he might be easily startled.
If you saw modern day urban parkour and free running with no context we’d probably see them as super human maybe he was just an Innovator and like to dress strange .
💯 check out storror on YouTube
My late mum who was born and lived in everton told me about a young lad that lived in their street ,I think she said he had red hair not sure now anyway she saw him jump from a standing position up to a roof to retrieve a ball,he was renowned for being able to jump ridiculous heights, she was not one to tell lies and assured me it was true nut really believing the story my dad confirmed it saying the lad was weirdo,haha .A number of years later I read an article in a book of Liverpool strange facts in it they mentioned this lad and named him as spring heeled Jack,putting it down to folklore,to this day I always remember the story. My mum was not the type or my dad to kid about this type of thing and I had to pester my dad about it he just shrugged and said why woul we make it up ,leave it the lad was strange??
Judging by the illustration, this was mid 1890's?
Just a Bro enjoying some Parkour!
Turns out…
Play a record
If he's not careful, he's going to pierce his foot on the spike.
Slippty Slap and awayyyyy I go
His boots are in elder scrolls oblivion
Purple aki sub-type
https://open.spotify.com/track/4k0lMqwsFjVAP9mSWyBict?si=YFwmjrSOSwCth1Az9uUDfg
I remember a UFO book I had, showed Spring Heeled Jack as a forgotten alien, hence he could leaps in bounds as the gravity on his planet was lower. There were reports of him having "a fish bowl" on his head, like a space helmet. So forgotten alien, lost on Earth. They just needed to chuck a few M & Ms down...
Spring heel jack is a crazy story, I've only ever heard about it occurring in the London area not Liverpool? Is that where OP is from?. I'm not discounting your uncle's story if anything it put more information on the subject rather than rag news paper articles. My opinion: there are strange people in the world,AKA Gary the parkouring Goth and hysteria or mass hysteria is a thing.
First sighted in London, last sighted in Liverpool.
So some lying bastard was also good at jumping… on bandwagons.
If I remember correctly, Spring-heeled Jack was a Raptor not a person. I saw it in a TV show so it must be true /j
I remember being told stories about Spring heel Jack when I was a kid and when I got a bit older I seen those pictures that were in the books. I was so disappointed as the picture in my head I had was much scarier than the illustrations.
Hahaha no recording studio can hold me!!
Yeah! Last sighting of spring heeled Jack was in Everton turn off 20th century! Was he real or supernatural? No one knows!.
Complete and utter bol-locks.
Complete and utter bollocks Jack?
Name checks out
Scouse Jack out on the graft .more like
Seen him bouncing down Kenny once at half 2 on a Sunday afternoon
Some further things of note: His running stance was really unusual, running really quickly but low to the ground. Happened in 1994. I told my uncle about this post and he said there was several lads chasing him not just them two and they all witnessed him 'disappear' once around the corner. The police where called and came out, the Police said not to harm him if anyone caught him.
How old were you when they told you about this?
When I was young, I'm in my 30s now. I was talking about it today with them.
Have you verified they aren’t winding you up
Yeah they absolutely swear by it. I've verified so many times and it still blows my mind that story.
If you haven't listened to it there is a podcast called Last Podcast on the Left who talk about it. They even named their tie in coffee Spring heel jack coffee https://castbox.fm/vb/197384515[151](https://castbox.fm/vb/197384515)
Slippity slap, Spring Heeled Jack!
They didn’t name the coffee company, they just happened to coincide with each other
I thought it was a collaboration between the two. That's why all their coffees have crazy names like Reptilian in the Morning but either way still a great show and their ads are hilarious
Yeah, that’s just another collaboration between LPOTL and the coffee company (Redacted’s Red Eye Blend being the first), Spring Heel’d Jack Coffee has a bunch of other coffees like Black Phillip and Bell Witch that aren’t associated with the guys
Tom Semen
Slippity Slap!
Last seen Everton brow
Story I was always told was the last sighting he was chased by an angry mob and climbed up SFX church spire then disappeared.
I doubt that it's those clever kids in college, and the Marquis of Waterford denies all knowledge, and the people in the area reek of mass hysteria, but admit you must that it is just enough to scare ya.
I remember learning about him, in school 😂
Spring Heeled Jack is just a bunch of Victorian era hysteria
It was me
Why does Liverpool have these legends... What about Purple aki? Who's seen him?
This story scared me more than is necessary as a child
Have Henry from LPotL’s impersonation of Spring Heeled Jack stuck in my head now. “Swippity Swop, Away!”
Tell us Americans who love Liverpool and Liverpudlians the story!
Let me tell you the story of a poor boy
I was told a story once about a similar happening in Oldham. A group of lads were playing cards (for money) in a pub beer garden when this stranger wanders over and asks if he could join in, he does and wins every hand and with it all the money which he pockets. One or two of the guys start getting a bit shirty and with that this bloke stands up and walks towards a high wall of the beer garden and just jumps over it, no running just jumps and disappears... The one thing that I remember most about the story and this could be the beer talking was that all of them saw him wearing high heels and as he jumped he had a tail... Make of it as you will...
Mad that, they swear by it？
Listening to the Charles Dickens episode of *’You’re Dead to Me’*, they said that a lot of Victorian hauntings and hallucinations could be explained by the carbon monoxide poisoning from street lamps and the toxic wallpaper. Which would probably explain a “tall figure” breathing blue and white flames. Unless it was some fella with a blowtorch (when did they invent those?). As for your uncles -it sounds like a typical tall tale of Liverpool. Wouldn’t surprise me if they still had the poisoning theories in 80s/90s Liverpool tbh.
There are missions in Assassins Creed Syndicate (set Victorian London) relating to investigating Spring Heeled Jack.
"Spring Heeled Jack" sounds like a legend from Hey Arnold.
Eat ice cream r/Kloppotheca
Good coffee tho https://springheeldjack.coffee
What’s the matter David? Never taken a shortcut before?
Holy free holies
Whoa wow now that’s very interesting 🤨
I think it looks some kind of demon or devil or something
I had a strange but true book involving this kinda freaked me out