Win a copy of History and Mystery London!
Posted 9 months ago 18 responses
We’ve all had spooky moments around London, famed as it is for its ghosts and ghouls. And there are certainly some scary sights around Camden and Hoxton of an evening these days. KCL spent some time sharing fairy tales with serious spookmeister general, Richard Jones.
Mr Jones, prolific writer and expert in all things creepy, formally of Living TV’s Most Haunted Live, has now collaborated with AA Publishing on a new book revealing the darker side of London. He’s helping us all believe in ghosts.
His book, ‘History & Mystery London’ is due to be published by AA Publishing on 1st May – but we have a copy to give away before it’s even published, you lucky, lucky things.
He reveals London in all its gore and glory, via 24 mapped walking tours, rich with cracking stories of murders, mysteries and other things beginning with ‘m’.
And here, we took the opportunity to ask Richard a bit about his book, his career and his favourite spooky things……
History and Mystery – how did you devise the walks, and where do you find out about the gory stuff that went on behind these seemingly innocuous London addresses?
I devised the walks by first researching the stories. This was done at local libraries and then at the Guildhall Library in London. I then mapped out the walks and walked them step by step dictating them into a digital recorder as I went. A few times people came out of houses to say they weren’t for sale. They mistook me for an estate agent. I said “No, I’m just looking into a murder or a ghost here.” I’m not sure which was worse – an estate agent or a haunted house!
Who’s your favourite London ghost?
My favourite is the ghost bus that’s sometimes seen over in west London.
You’re partial to a bit of magic. Could you make Boris Johnson disappear?
Not so long ago I thought he had disappeared.
You used to do the TV spook show Most Haunted Live. What was the scariest experience you had on that, other than Yvette Fielding before an hour in the make-up room?
Richard Felix in his swimming trunks. But seriously I think the Pendle Hill episode when the crew started dropping. I saw them in the hotel afterwards and they were very shaken by the experience.
You’ve been doing walking tours of London for more than 20 years – so, what’s your favourite walk?
I have two. I enjoy the Jack the Ripper Walk as you really get the feel of the old East End in parts. And the Smithfield area of London which is so atmospheric and historic it’s often used as a film location.
TO WIN your very own copy of ‘History & Mystery London’, just tell us your favourite ghost story below. The one that makes us poo ourselves (with fear and/or laughter) the most will receive a copy of the book – but for us to contact you, you have to be a member of Kudocities.com….
‘History & Mystery London’ (ISBN: 978 0 7495 5417 0) is one of a series of four ‘History & Mystery’ books publishing on 1st May, all at £9.99: Paris, Rome and New York.
For more information about AA Publishing, Britain’s largest travel publisher click here.
18 responses
Casper the friendly ghost. The friendliest ghost you know.
do I win?
Posted 9 months ago by Babb
There was a man (let me call him Peter) who had just bought a new car. He was so fond of his car and never forgot to wash it every evening after he got home from work. Nobody was allowed to touch it, and to drive it… well… never in a million years. That’s how stingy he became. Everything that evolved around him, he would associate it with his car. Friends started to get bored hearing this same old story about his car. Nevertheless, because he’s a good friend, they learnt how to shut down their ears while pretended to listen.
One evening, as usual Peter was driving his car. Immediately after punching his card, he quickly drove home. The main purpose was obvious. He couldn’t wait to reach home to wash and pamper his cutie new car. The washing thing had turned out to be an obsession, and it had been a routine ever since. And he never failed to do it no matter how tired he was.
The route to Peter’s home was quiet. It was mainly because only a small number of residents lived at Peter’s community place. It was situated at the far end of the city, almost rural-like with zero entertainment hub within 20 minutes drive from the place. So mostly only the elderlies lived there. Peter chose to rent a house there because the price was much cheaper. He was able to save a lot more for petrol and his car’s maintenance. He lived with another housemate, who shared paying the rent. The quietness of the journey home didn’t bother Peter at all because he was so used to it. In fact some of the time he even enjoyed the peaceful scenario. No traffic jam, and no hassle. After all, nothing had happened to him during his journey all that while.
Peter was listening to his favorite song from the CD player when he saw a figure of a woman standing beside the road in front of him. The woman lifted her hand as soon as Peter’s car approached her. Usually Peter would never stop to give a lift to anybody. But that time it was different. The woman really caught Peter’s attention. Naturally, Peter stopped his car.
“Please, sir. I need a lift,” said the woman with a pleading voice. Her face was radiant, and she had a very sweet smile. Her skin was clear, and when she smiled for the second time her cheeks turned rosy pink. Peter was fascinated for a while. Only his lips parted like the opening of a cave, but no sounds managed to escape.
“Errr… okay. But… where to?” asked Peter in a stuttering manner after gasping for a few seconds. He had never stuttered before, but that day he became the clumsiest person on earth. Everything seemed awkward. Peter turned shy and speechless, as if he had just seen an angel from heaven. He became speechless for the woman’s beauty really made him mesmerized.
“My home is at Mill’s Street.” The woman replied, and smiled again as soon as she got into the car. Peter didn’t regret it at all when he allowed her to enter his car. It was indeed an exceptional case. Actually it was the first time somebody had really entered and sat on his brand new car. Peter could smell the perfume she wore, it was the fragrant of rose. So sweet and tantalizing. He gave the woman a returning smile, and at the same time hit the accelerator. The car started to move again, slow at first but gradually gained speed.
“Why… I live there too! How come we’ve never met before?” Peter got excited, and he was beginning to think about dating her. He figured out that he would give her a dozen roses, and a box of chocolates on their first date. It was not his usual way, but somehow Peter felt he was obliged to treat the woman like a gentleman would. She was perfect for him, he thought quietly while driving. A cheeky smile curved on his face while thinking about it. Strange feeling, Peter thought again, but a wonderful one indeed. It felt something like being under a charmed spell.
“Yeah… it seems that we meet today for a reason. God had really planned this to happen, and I am dead sure of it.” The woman said as a reply. She gave Peter a quick glance, threw a captivating smile and later reverted her eyes to her little purse. Nonchalantly, she took out a piece of silk from it. The cloth was so fragrant, and the woman handed it to Peter.
“Is this for me?” Peter asked with a hoarse voice. With trembling hands, he took the piece of silk from the woman’s grip and brought it to his nostrils to inhale the sweet smell of heavenly fragrance. He was almost sure that the woman would say yes if he asked her out for a date. He could even picture how they would look like, walking the isle in a church to get married. A silly thought, but that was what he thought right then. He felt so helpless, and he thought he was madly in love.
“I want you to keep it in your car. No matter what happens, you must keep it. Don’t throw it away, even if you don’t like it. I would be very sad if you take it out of your car.” The woman answered with several nods, assuring that she really meant what she said. Her gaze was sharp and somewhat demanding.
Peter nodded without thinking, agreed to do as what the woman had requested. He was thinking that maybe he would say something really impressive so that the woman would agree to have a date with him. He must think of something, he thought desperately. Something intelligent, he thought again.
Peter was still thinking when suddenly the woman asked him to stop. In a puzzlement, Peter braked his car to an abrupt stop. He looked around, but saw nothing outside. No houses, no nothing. Peter frowned, and he thought it was weird.
“This is not Mill’s Street yet. Why do you want me to stop?” asked Peter. Suddenly a naughty thought occurred in his mind, and he got excited. He waited impatiently for the woman to reply. And he half-expected what the woman was going to say. His trembling hands began to shake more feverishly. He guessed something romantic would happen right then.
“I know. But I want to get down here. Thanks for the ride though.” The woman quickly got out of the car and left Peter just like that.
Peter blinked several times, confused with what was happening. Gradually, his romantic feeling started to flush away out of his body. As if out of a trance, suddenly Peter felt very strange. Immediately after the woman got out of his car, Peter felt very scared and both his knees trembled and shook when he looked at the woman who walked straight into the bushes. From where Peter was sitting, he could see the woman’s figure slowly turned invisible from her waist downwards. Feeling so scared, Peter hit hard on the accelerator and rushed home. On his way home, he threw out the piece of silk out of his car window.
As soon as the piece of silk was out of the car, a terrible smell appeared from within. The smell was so terrible that Peter almost choked, and he vomitted in the car. What a mess he made! As soon as he reached home, he called his house-mate and together they washed the car thoroughly until it was perfectly clean and odourless. Peter was satisfied even though he received a massive lecture from his friend about his stingy attitude and not allowing his room-mate to use his car. After the great lecture, in a huge grin Peter parked it at the usual place, the front garage. Later, he went inside and that night he had a deep sleep. He wasn’t disturbed at all about what had happened.
The next morning, as soon as Peter opened the car door, the odour was there again. It was the faulty smell of dead, decaying, rotting corpse. And it was even worse than the day before. Peter was unable to use the car and after pleading his room-mate, he managed to car-pool with his friend. Another gigantic lecture was given, and Peter had to accept it all with a swollen heart and a lavish regret for being so stingy about his car before.
The terrible smell never vanished after that morning. Eventually Peter was forced to advertise the car for sale with a very low price because nobody was interested to buy it with the terrible smell intact. Nevertheless, even after lowering the price below marginal cost, still nobody wanted to buy the car and until now it is still parked in the car-sale garage. Poor Peter, he only used the car for several months, and he ended up paying for nothing to the bank. The car was useless now, and Peter regretted endlessly.
Posted 9 months ago by Babb
premiumLongest post ever award. The short version: Bloke buys car, gives a ghost a lift, she leaves a stinky rag behind, car smells ever after. The end.
Posted 9 months ago by willster
Did I win? Did I?
Posted 9 months ago by Babb
premiumER…SO FAR, IT WOULD APPEAR SO. GIVE IT TIME.
Posted 9 months ago by willster
premiumMy digital radio and the one of my flatmate turned themselves on simultaneously at 5am yesterday morning and it shit me up. I refused to open my eyes though, so cannot confirm presence of ethereal vapour or not.
Posted 9 months ago by stella
edit
The original post is now deceased. It appears occasionally in the thread on the stroke of midnight each Sunday and stares mournfully at the wall.
Posted 9 months ago by UncleGeorge
I’ve attracted a couple of poltergeists in my time, one of whom used to take great delight in throwing stuff across the room at me. On one occasion it lobbed a glass ashtray at my head, which was rather charming.
Posted 9 months ago by Floatykatja
premiumA ghost is strongly reputed to walk around upstairs at No. 26 down the road from me. Residents are said to hear the usual stuff: howling, incessant whispering, chains being dragged across the floor. I’d be more inclined to believe them if the house wasn’t a bungalow.
Posted 9 months ago by BraveNewMalden
When I was about 15, my parents went away for a week and left me alone in the house. In my infinite wisdom I decided to celebrate my freedom by smoking a spliff (for like the third time ever) and watching Poltergeist on the TV. I vaguely remember being slightly disturbed by a scene where some chairs are suddenly stacked up on the kitchen table. During the subsequent ad break, I went into the kitchen in search of HobNobs to calm myself down.
When I switched on the light, an upturned wine glass proceeded to slide a couple of feet along the kitchen surface and fall off the end, smashing on the floor. Suffice to say, I was completely freaked out by this and remained so for some considerable time, interpreting every little creak as yet more evidence that the house was riddled with evil spirits, which would reveal themselves to me at any moment.
I think it was a couple of days later before I worked out that the Formica surface had been wet, creating a virtually friction-free surface along which some upturned wine glasses would slide for no apparent reason. I think I broke a further two glasses recreating the phenomenon.
On their return, my parents accused me of having a party and made me replace the glasses. Well, I could hardly tell them the truth, could I?
Posted 9 months ago by Spammed tipped with 1K
premiumI have been doing some research and apparently I died in 1888.
So how could I still be posting now…
Posted 9 months ago by Beagleskin
Apparently Spike Milligan wasn’t allowed to have that on his gravestone, or his second choice: “Under this sod lies another”. The Church has no sense of humour.
Posted 9 months ago by Spammed
Can I have my book now?
Posted 9 months ago by Babb
offers post with a certain amount of caution and scepticism
My grandfather served in the Royal Navy in various places during WWII. His ship saw action several times and he lost two very close friends, both drowning in x-boat attacks on a German battleship in the Fjords of Norway. Linkness below. On patrol, he claims that he was woken up by one of his deceased friends screaming for him to go on deck. The ship was torpedoed shortly afterwards in the section above which my grandfather was sleeping. The ship sunk; many didn’t escape in time. He did. He spent some time clinging to wreckage and other survivors before being picked up. He recalls seeing his two dead friends waving at him on the bow of the ship that eventually took him to safety.
insert words mad old fool here and conduct dismissive wave
There is often a mumbled awkward comment that he had very loyal, albeit dead, friends. He responds in typical curmudgeonly fashion saying that they weren’t interested in warning him. In fact, he earnestly believes they only did it because they thought that presenting him with a leering semi-carbonised face would make him soil his pants.
No one really mentions the war anymore in our family.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,774834,00.html
Internet disclaimer: The author would like to note that he is simply relating a story as he can recall it. The posting of said story does not indicate any alternative dimension, political, spectral or paranormal belief on his part. As such, the author is unable to respond to the inevitable queries, questions, comments or expressions of disbelief from other sceptical parties.
Posted 9 months ago by UncleGeorge
premiumI’m not a confirmed believer in ghosts, but don’t mind professing to be for the sake of a peaceable night in with my youngest.
It’s not a mean pursuit.
Some nights – in a late-hour sugar-rush or even just because it happens to be a Tuesday – he all but loses his marbles in our new family home. This entails a frenzy of door-banging, stair-stomping and banister-rattling of such epic proportions – which always but always rakes open the hatch to our darkened attic.
Because sonny boy point-blank refuses to believe it is solely his riotous actions which cause this sinister shifting, I end up more than happy to agree that it can only be the beasties up above doing their number. His fear quietens him and so recoups the status quo but, yes, even I at times have had to pause and wonder if this shaky phenomenon is merely ghostly …………….or……………whether perhaps it really is a g-g-g-ghost?
Posted 9 months ago by CarmenM
premiumI think the winner has to be BABB, purley for her keeness and awesome cutting and pasting skills. Well done Babb, contact me for details of how to receive your shimmering prize….......
Posted 8 months ago by willster
premiumCouldn’t you just rip the book in half and make me joint winner?
Posted 8 months ago by CarmenM
I am good at cutting and pasting and I apreciate that this has been recognised.
Posted 8 months ago by Babb
