Comments on: Ian Brady Myra Hindley and Duncan Staff Moors Murders.

By: John HOLMES

John HOLMES — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:04:01 +0000

Paula BADGER states that Ben MARSDEN was killed near Beyer Peacock’s (in the eaves?), but this is not correct.
He was stabbed once in the back whilst drunk in Clowes Street, West Gorton, at the Gorton Lane end and close to Sivori’s Ice Cream Parlour near to the original Wellington Inn.
Living as I did on Clowes Street at that time, I remember the Police making house-to-house enquiries, and my father, who worked at Beyer Peacock’s at that time, was questioned as to his whereabouts at the time MARSDEN died.
Prior to his death, Ben MARSDEN had been drinking in several pubs on Hyde Road, including the Lake Hotel and drank his last pint in the Imperial Hotel (The Little Imp), on Birch Street, opposite the old cinema – later the Southern Sporting Club.

By: Liesl

Liesl — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 14:12:57 +0000

I just finished this book, and found it to be somewhat disappointing and not all that well written. Myra Hindley’s autobiographical writings, letters, etc. were totally self-serving and self-exculpatory, and you don’t need to be a forensic psychiatrist to see that–it just screams out from everything she wrote. She seems to have been an extremely manipulative person. It’s clear to me that she would have gone to her grave without admitting her participation in the murders of Pauline Reade and Keith Bennett if Brady hadn’t come clean about those murders in a fit of anger at her. Everything she wrote in the book was clearly an attempt to try to excuse, downplay or whitewash her role in the killings. She showed no real remorse, and even her reconciliation with her own family was to meet her needs, not theirs–when she and Brady drifted apart after incarceration, she became involved with a prison guard, and when that relationship ended, she glommed on to her mother and other family members, after having treated them quite shabbily for many years. It was all about Myra, 24/7; other people’s needs or rights simply didn’t matter.

I do agree with one things a psychiatrist said in the book–Brady and Hindley together were a very dangerous combination, and the killings would not have happened if they had not met. This is similar to the case of Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, the killers profiled in Truman Capote’s ‘In cold blood’.

I wished there had been more about Keith’s brother Alan in the book. He came across as a very kind, thoughtful and decent person and I would have liked to have known more about how Keith’s disappearance affected the family at the time and over the years.

By: Liesl

Liesl — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 13:54:22 +0000

Very creepy story and I’m very glad that nothing bad happened to you. However, I really doubt that it was Brady and Hindley–Ian Brady could not drive a car. Motorcycles, yes, but not cars. Hindley did all the driving.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:04:37 +0000

Quite an interesting collection of posts, but for the love and honour of God, please learn to spell and punctuate!

By: Jeanie

Jeanie — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:47:21 +0000

I have just finished reading ‘The Lost Boy’ by Duncan Staff. I liked the way it was written. I read the book because I have also just read Joe Powell’s book ‘Dead People’ in which he mentions Keith Bennett. I was a teenager in the early sixties and remember the case unfolding vividly. The tape recording of Lesley Ann was particularly distressing and everybody I knew was affected by it. I felt deeply for her mother and can only imagine the pain suffered by the families of these children. This case touched so many people. Myra Hindley was hated even more than Ian Brady for reasons which are well known – she was female she should have had an inbuilt desire to protect and yet she lured the chosen victim to him knowing exactly what he was going to do to them. Why do the ‘professionals’ try to establish a reason or explain their behaviour? Why can’t we just accept these two were evil? As for Ian Brady being intelligent – he certainly had delusions of grandeur and wanted to be something he wasn’t and never could be. Plagiarism – that’s what he was about. He wasn’t so clever.

By: dave

dave — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:49:51 +0000

reading the lost boy iwas wondering, all the codes they spoke in the letters does anybody think that poor kieth might be buried in scotland?

By: G.Adams

G.Adams — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:39:56 +0000

I have read the book and can only say what I felt all along: Myra manipulated so many people in order to get paroled. At least Ian Brady does not seek freedom and never felt the need to cower behind religious conversion (unlike his hypocritical partner in crime).
She, to my way of thinking, was more evil than he was because she used cunning to gain sympathy. Glad she is dead (pity she was not butchered during her time in prison).
At least IB can write and express himself much better than that bitch ever did.

By: Myra Pridham

Myra Pridham — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 22:01:34 +0000

Hi SOT, I just wanted to say I would have got in that car but for how wierd he looked and behaved – I didn’t get any bad vibes from her and she was also offering pineapple chunks which was the creme de la creme of sweeties back then!

kind regards
M

By: sillyoldtwit

sillyoldtwit — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:33:50 +0000

Hi M ,

Do that , write to him at his publisher’s. His book wil probably be revised with every print run and he relies on people like you for most of his background information. Most author are delighted to have feedback and as I say there may be others who have had the same experience as you ….

By: Myra Pridham

Myra Pridham — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:07:31 +0000

SillyoldTwit
thanks for your reply babes, not sure how to track him down but I could always send a letter via his publishers I suppose.
from
Myra (!!)
!!