‘Monsters 100 Weird Creatures from Around the World’

 It’s Alive! And features Whitstable's own mighty CRABZILLA!

We are so happy to announce the publication today of ‘Monsters 100 Weird Creatures from Around the World’ by Sarah Banville and Quinton Winter.

Ferocious thanks to the wonderful team at Wren & Rook (Hachette Children’s Group) for their support and believing in monsters.

Thank you to our superb agent Katie Fulford of Bell Lomax Moreton who has always supported and championed us.

Monsters is available in bookshops and online… NOW!

https://geni.us/100MONSTERS

#100MonstersBook #IWantToBelieve #Unexplained #Iwanttobelieve #PooSlimeGutsAndGoo #IBelieveInMonsters #BigfootLovesThisBook #ChildrensBooks #ChildrensBookIllustration #happyhalloween #kidsbooks #monster #monsterstories #kidslit #bookstagram #illustration #QuintonWinter #SarahBanville #WrenandRook #BigfootBookTour #Crabzilla

Sea Monster!

Sea monster caught on camera in Herne Bay! 

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/585555/sea-monster-uk-britain-kent-whitstable-herne-bay

(Please note that Weird Whitstable is not responsible for the rubbish surrounding the story on the Daily Star web page)

Photo by Michael Green

Croucher in plain sight

While waiting in the car outside the Co-op my eye was caught by some movement in the shrubbery across the road. I couldn't quite make out what it was so I quickly took a photo with my phone camera. Luckily I captured this image because when I looked again, whatever it was, was gone.

Later that night I enhanced the image to make it clearer. Combining the information in the photo with my memory of the sighting.

It appears to show a strange dark green crouching creature with antlers. Its unclear what it was doing.

I questioned a passerby: "Best forget it. Once you start to see them, they appear to be everywhere in town where there are trees and bushes. Staring out with their eyes. Moving about. Doing things." The person hurried away before I could find out more.

Have you seen any strange creatures like this around town? If so comment below stating where and when. If you happen to spot one, don't approach it. Don't feed it or attempt to communicate with it. Be safe. We don't know what they are yet.

Lunatic Hound of Duncan Down

It has recently been reported that a lunatic dog has been biting trees in the Duncan Down area of Whitstable. So far more than 20 trees have been gnawed by its evil fangs.

Is this a new beast prowling around the town? Or is it new evidence of the giant fox? Panther? or even the mysterious and terrible black dog?

As the summer approaches, can the town handle more strange beasts?

See here for the article on the Kent Online website.

Here a photo of the gnawing by Chris Davey

As ever, if you have any information or photographs, or if you could do a drawing if you've survived an encounter, please send them in to me.

Two Headed Cat

Artist's dramatisation by Quinton Winter

I saw this startling mutation at the end of the summer on the way to a meeting.

I glanced left, then right to cross St Peter's Road, and there, in the distance, on a window ledge was a cat. A black cat. A two headed black cat. Unfortunately, it was a rare occasion when I was out without the family camera, and so I was unable to record the sighting... but, just for you I took a moment this dark evening to put my memory to paper and bring you a sketch of the two headed cat of Whitstable.

Is there too much wifi in these dark streets causing genetic defects? Too many TV antennas? Is there Crabzilla crab meat in the Kitekat? Was I seeing things? Or was it simply the moggie's refection in the window?

If anyone else has seen this "cat", or if you're the owner, please get in touch. I'd love to know some details. Such as, does one head do the breathing, and the other head the eating? And does it have two separate pussycat personalities?

The full drawing showing multiple TV antennas.

Detail of the cat.

As ever, leave your comments below.

The Haunted Fence of Tankerton

This is a sighting brought to my attention by Whitstable resident, SB. A haunted fence sounded intriguing so I headed out to Tankerton straight away. On investigation, I found myself in sudden freak weather conditions - was this an attempt by entities to warn me off?
Rain hammered hard on the pavement and was blown by the sea-wind into waves of spray. As the rain passed a rainbow arched through the sky, and my eyes saw the evil in the wooden fence in front of me.

I'm guessing, but could it be that these are the faces of spirits trapped inside the wood of a Witches Hanging Tree*, which is now buzz-sawed into B&Q fence panels? They seem to be animal faces, perhaps Witches familiars? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Many thanks to SB of Whitstable.

* a tree used to hang witches 300 years ago

The Lurker - eye-witness drawing!

There has been an incredible amount of interest in the last post about The Lurker - It seems I'm not the only Whitstable resident who has witnessed this nocturnal nightmare. 

I have received an email from a local father who's 12 year old daughter saw the beast last year, and was left quite shaken. This is a direct transcript from the email I received:

Last year our cat (George) went missing and my daughter was very upset.
She would look out of her window hoping George would appear. One night, just after the sun had gone down, she had gone up stairs to get ready for bed when we heard her scream.
We ran upstairs ‘What’s wrong?’ we asked. She explained she had been looking out of the window when she had seen a ‘thing’ in the back garden.
She continued it was neither a man or an animal. That it stood like a man but had long arms and moved like an animal.
The thing that had frightened her the most was it’s eyes which she said shone out in the dark.
I went outside to see if anything was there but I couldn’t see anything.
The following day my daughter drew the attached picture.

Many thanks to P.E. and N.R.E. of Whitstable - thanks for coming forward, and the drawing is fantastic!

The Lurker

A sunday night in March this year, I was closing the blind at the back of our house and I saw some movement in the dark. Thinking it was a fox, I slowly crept out the back door with my camera and took a snap. The flash caused a great commotion as what I thought was a fox scrabbled to get up and over our fence and shed. It was only when I checked the photo on my laptop I saw that it was no fox... it was a strange, long-limbed monkey type creature. A lurker.
Anyone else seen this creature? If so, drop me a line.