Joe Cooper + Case of the Cottingley Fairies - RIP

[jonleeds]

I was sad to hear a real Leeds legend and my old friend Joe Cooper passed away a few months ago back in August of this year. see his obituary in The Guardian:http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/20 ... bituaryand here in the Telegraph and Argus:http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/n ... r_dies/Joe was a fellow of many talents and he had served in the RAF as part of a Lancaster Bomber crew in WW2. I attended his 70th birthday party where he was reunited with some of his former air crew. As well as this he was a scholar, a university lecturer in sociology, a well known writer in the field of parapsychology and a Humorist! He could also play a wicked ukelele! He was something of a Leeds celebrity having appeared on Calendar to be interviewed about his well known book on the Cottingley fairies where he got the final exclusive confession from the girls Frances and Elsie after decades of silence on the subject. He was old friends with Peter O'Toole and they were reunited when they both worked together on the late 90s film 'Fairy Tale - A True Story' - Joe was the technical advisor on the production while Peter played the role of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He also contributed to many magazines (The Unexplained / Psychic News etc) on paranormal issues.I got to know Joe through an evening class in Parapsychology that he ran weekly at Joseph Priestley college in Morley back in the early 1990s. As part of the group we would study areas of parapsychology and we would also go on 'field trips' to haunted places around West Yorkshire. Many of the people who attended Joe's evening group were clairvoyants so this would make these visits to these haunted venues rather interesting (kind of like a live version of 'Most Haunted' but without that crank Derek Acorah!). After the evening class Joe would invite myself and my friend and the rest of the group to a local pub where we would discuss things long into the night over several drinks, and if we were lucky Joe would get his ukelele out and sing for us! He truly was a unique character who always had something positive to say and he inspired me greatly as I was only 16 when I first met him. Myself and my friend Ben would help Joe out organising Psychic Fairs which we put on at a number of venues including Morley Town Hall, Hudderfield Town Hall, Bradford Library amongst others. I know that what I've said here doesnt do the guy justice - you had to have met him to realise what a great character he was, he was almost theatrical in his demeanor and definately one of the old school as far as manners and morals were concerned. I doubt I'll ever meet his like again. Rest In Peace dearest Joe!

[Cardiarms]

I think I went to school with his daughter. Did he live in the Headingley area in the 70's?

[jonleeds]

Yes, he lived on Grimthorpe Terrace in Headingley up until quite recently. I know he had a son and a daughter but I only met his son I think.