The handsome beast pictured above is Charles Hoy Fort, 1874 - 1932. He was a pioneering collector and investigator of stories from the edges... the first 'Fortean'. A magazine, 'The Fortean Times' is named after him Because of the work he did, his name has become an adjective.
'Fortean' refers to the unexplained and the bizzare. Fortean Belper is a collection of legends, folk tales, sightings, anomalies.. stories from the wonderfully weird edges of human experience. A Fortean collection is an eclectic mix. Some of these stories will be true, some might be true, or partly true; some are legends or tall tales. Some are eyewitness accounts of the paranormal. 'Fortean', for us, also describes a particular approach:
Not judging - we keep quiet about both our personal beliefs and our scepticism. We are respectful of what other people believe.
Exploring the background - investigating the practical and cultural contexts to a story opens up its wider aspects. We ask questions, look for sources, read around, visit sites. Each story can be a journey into new territory.
