Being British myself I was surprised never to have heard of this. It's an extract from a page about Daniel Dunglas Home (see the thread on him): http://www.mystery.tv/paranormal/mediums/articles/pame_02_d_d_home.jsp
In response one might point out that Crookes was one of the most eminent scientists of his day, yet Sladek feels no compunction in dismissing his evidence, and that of hundreds of witnesses in both America and Europe, simply because levitation etc is 'impossible' and therefore those who witness it are liars, fools or both. Yet it is a curious fact that levitation exists, as anyone who has witnessed what was recently a schoolyard craze will attest. Unencumbered by scepticism or the need to prove anything, British schoolchildren would gather into small groups and raise the heaviest one above their heads on nothing more than their fingertips. Like metal-bending, it was 'impossible', except for certain gifted people - and children. But like that craze, the fad for levitation had its day, leaving behind only memories of having successfully challenged the laws of physics.
I love the cast of mind that automatically assumes psychic powers instead of some form of illusion. Not surprising from a site called mystery.tv, I suppose. However, that's not the point - does anybody know anything at all about this supposed craze, because I'd never heard of it.