Back in May we received an intriguing letter from Andrew Howarth of Bradford, who wants to know about apparent links between the city and the infamous occultist Aleister Crowley.

Mr Howarth says he once heard or read that the Order of the Golden Dawn, a secret occult society which proliferated in the late Victorian period, had a chapter or branch in Bradford.

One of the most famous members of the Golden Dawn was Aleister Crowley, denounced by some as a Satanist and once branded the “wickedest man in England”.

Did, wondered Mr Howarth, Aleister Crowley ever visit the Golden Dawn temple in Bradford? And where exactly was the branch of the society based, and what is the building used for now, if it is still standing?

Remember When? readers certainly pulled out the stops to answer the question.

David Richardson e-mailed to say: “I found some information on the internet a while back. It may help you track down your question as to whether Aleister Crowley ever came to Bradford’s No 5 Horus branch of the Golden Dawn.

“The Golden Dawn had a temple in Bradford, the Horus Temple, which was first run from the Alexandra Hotel in Great Horton Road (now a car park) and later moved to an attic in Godwin Street, Bradford. “Many of the Golden Dawn notables came to Bradford and once, briefly, its whole operation was run from there. “Mr T H Pattinson, a jeweller and watchmaker, of 6 Piccadilly, Bradford, was the original leader of the Horus Temple. He was formally a member of the Theosophical society, a branch of which still runs in Shipley.

“The Golden Dawn opened a new Temple, the Horus Temple (No. 5), in Bradford in October, 1888. That was the year of the Ripper murders in Whitechapel, London, and the commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, James Munro, investigated the possibility of these being occult murders, perhaps for power, as the murdered women, all prositutes, represented fertility.

“Some members of the Golden Dawn also believed this to be the case. Dr William Wynn Westcott, one of the founders of the Golden Dawn movement, was also the London Coroner.

“The Golden Dawn first met at the Alexandra Hotel in Great Horton Road, which later became the Alexandra Annexe, part of Bradford College, before it was pulled down in the late 20th century and the area is now waste land and a car park.”

Mr Richardson had more fascinating information, which is worthy of a piece in its own right, so we’ll tempt you with the news that we’ll put that together soon.

On the original question, Alan Harris also e-mailed: “Yes, the Golden Dawn did indeed have a chapter in Bradford. In the early 1960s, a small company of (I believe) solicitors moved into an office building in Godwin Street. It was on the left-hand side going down, opposite what is now a barber’s shop.

“They found the third floor to be locked and bolted with the previous owners having no idea what was up there. After forcing their way in, they were astonished to find what appeared to be a Pagan temple. It had huge murals on the walls depicting Egyptian Gods Horus, Osiris, Ra and Herakhte.

“They then contacted the Telegraph & Argus to ask for help in finding any information available. Your paper dug out the details of the Golden Dawn in Bradford.

“The occult group had many illustrious members, including the Irish poet J BYeats and Annie Horniman of the tea family, as well as the infamous Aleister Crowley, but as to whether any of them visited Bradford, I have no information.”

And Mary Tetlow, of Heaton, also remembered the story about the mural: “Many years ago an item in the T&A told of the discovery of something relating to the Golden Dawn Temple in an empty shop, one of a row, in Godwin Street, downhill on the left.

“I remember this shop as a café (The Greedy Pig?) but this was about 30 years ago.”

Brrr. Spooky stuff. Anyone else shed any light on this most fascinating of subjects?