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seems that the magic spell that the imposter had utilised proved too good. The cook realised that as long as the fingers were burning on the ‘hand of glory’ those affected by its spell would stay asleep. They would not wake until the flames were extinguished.
    By now the villain had opened the inn door and let in his gang of vagabonds. They busied themselves ransacking the place and stealing just about everything they could get their hands on. The cook knew that the only way to break the spell was to put outthe flaming fingers of the hand. She had remembered that an old wives’ tale once stipulated that ‘to put out demon flames one must use “blue”’. Blue, for those who don’t know, is an expression for the use of ‘skimmed milk’.
    By now the robbers had left the kitchen area and the burning hand was unattended. This was her chance. She rushed into the kitchen frantically looking around for a jug of milk. Much to her dismay, she could not locate it. In a desperate attempt, she picked up a jug of ale and cast it over the flames, the fires still burned. Then she quickly filled a pail of water and threw it on to the hand, but still the flames continued to burn relentlessly. By now she was in a complete state and it would only be another minute or two before the robbers would return.
    Once again, she glanced around the room and finally spotted a pan of skimmed milk. She picked it up and hurled it across the room. The milk landed on the hand and put out the flames in an instant. At that point everyone in the inn woke up and quickly made their way downstairs to see what was going on. The robbers were caught red-handed and were subsequently arrested. By first light they were all in jail awaiting certain death. The grim relic, the hand of glory, was taken away and buried underneath the local gibbet post.
    This is a bizarre story, yet it was taken very seriously by the locals who, for many years after the event, swore on oath it was true. But is there really any truth in the legend? Well, in the mid-fifteenth century it was believed that the preserved left hand of a hanged man – which was known as a ‘hand of glory’ – could send people in the close vicinity to sleep if the fingers were lit up like a candles. It is thought that the hand would have to be soaked in a number of substances. Perhaps this was what the would-be-robber poured down the fingertips before setting fire to the fingers? Two of the substances thought to have been used are vervain and mandrake – both of which have amazing anaesthetic qualities and can put you to sleep in a matter of minutes. So, there may be some scientific basis behind the idea, as fumes from these two plants could have sent the residents of the Old Spital Inn into a deep slumber. However, keeping the slumbering residents fast asleep in the rooms upstairs, well, I am not too sure.
    The Old Spital Inn is now long gone now, but some folk suggest that the Bowes Moor Hotel, which is located midway across the A66 from Scotch Corner, is the actual building that was once known as the Old Spital Inn. Others suggest that the Bowes Moor Hotel was built upon the foundations of the original Spital Inn. Whatever the case, the hand of glory legend lives on.
    In Whitby Museum one particular exhibit has created mass interest and is possibly the most popular piece in the museum. Itis, of course, a hand of glory. Is it the hand from Scotch Corner and the Old Spital Inn? No one knows for sure. One thing is certain though; when you see it through its glass case, it certainly sends a shiver down your spine. If you are ever in Whitby and have time on your hands (pardon the pun), I would suggest you pop in and take a look at it.
K IRKSTONE P ASS I NN , C UMBRIA
    The desolate and windswept pub known as the Kirkstone Pass Inn is located on Patterdale Road, on the Kirkstone Pass, near Ambleside in the picturesque Lake District. The inn dates mainly from around the seventeenth century, although some