Halloween in London 2010 Things to Do!! Canal Boat Trip

A Unique Trip

The Halloween trip is a unique trip through Islington Tunnel at halloween on board one of London's community narrowboats specially decorated for the occasion with a friendly witch amongst the crew. Be prepared for some surprise sights in the darkness of the 191 year old tunnel! You may also meet a witch on your journey or before or after it! Kids receive sweets on board and a free glowstick.

Places are limited on each trip. Babies are counted even if they are carried in arms. The Canal Museum Trust sells boat trip tickets as agent for the Camden Canals and Narrowboat Association. You are advised to be at the museum at least 15 minutes before your trip - the boat cannot wait for latecomers.

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Haunted London The Viaduct Tavern

The Viaduct Tavern. Newgate Street. EC1. London

The Viaduct Tavern stands opposite the Old Bailey and is an example of a late Victorian GIN palace  It dates from 1875. Down in the cellars is where the Ghostly activity occurs......

.In 1996, a manager was tidying the cellar one Saturday morning, when the door suddenly slammed shut and the lights went out. Feeling his way to the door, he found that no matter how hard he pushed it just would not open. Fortunately, his wife heard his cries for help and came down stairs to investigate. She found that the doors, which would not open from the inside, were unlocked and easily pushed open from the outside.

In May 199 two electricians, working in one of the pubs upstairs rooms, also attracted the ghosts unwelcome attentions. They had rolled the carpet up and were taking up the floorboards, when one of them felt a hand tap him on the shoulder. Thinking it was his workmate he turned round, but found that he was on the other side of the room. Believing he’s imagined it he went back to work and yet again he felt a tap on his shoulder. Standing up, he went over to his friend to ask if he was playing a prank, but the man denied any involvement. As he was about to return to his chores, both men watched as the heavy carpet, that lay rolled up by the window, was lifted into the air and dropped heavily onto the floor.

Ghosts at Hampton Court Palace

Ghosts at Hampton Court Palace

Haunted London, House of Detention Clerkenwell

If you are out for a stroll and curiosity gets the better of you, then you might have a look for the entrance of the house of detention in Clerkenwell.  Don't expect too much as its closed with the only indication to the entrance shown here to the left. The best way to describe its location (You can easily walk past it) Stand On the Corner of Saint James Walk and Scotswood street (use Scotswood Street to search maps). Look down the street, 2nd lamp post down its opposite.

If you could get access today you would find a series of dark damp tunnels and passageways. Records show that a prison had been on the site since 1616 with a rebuild in 1844. The underground chambers were used as a holding prison for those awaiting trial and earned its name as the house of detention. The buildings above the ground were demolished in 1890, the underground not being used until it became an air raid shelter WWII. In 1993 it opened for a few years as a museum, closing in 2000.

The Hauntings.

A lot of people used to say they had a feeling of being watched, the overall dark atmosphere adding to the chilling feeling. Reports of a shadowy figure have been seen rushing through the darkness ahead of them. An old lady who looks to be searching for something. A little girl is heard sobbing uncontrollably. As a holding prison the occupants would have also been women and children and this may explain some of the haunting.

Hotel Review.

Thanks to John who sent this in from a Hotel stay in Bayswater View review

London's most haunted Church? Haunted London

LONDON`S MOST HAUNTED CHURCH 

St Bartholomew The Great.....

Is in the Smithfield's area of London and is said to be the most haunted church in London. The Hauntings include a ghost said to be Rahere the original founder of the priory and a priest who was burnt alive in an iron cage. St Bartholomew is also close to a site in Smithfield where hundreds of heretics and dissidents were executed, including William Wallace the legendary Scottish freedom fighter.

Hmmm have a look at this video and make your own mind up... View Video

Haunted London Covent Garden Station

London Underground Ghosts-Covent Garden Station

The Station a Covent Garden is said to be haunted with sightings in the station and on the platforms. The Ghost is believed to be that of an actor called William Tetris. The figure seen as a tall man in a frock coat, hat and gloves once appeared in the Staff rest room after which many requested a transfer. William Tetris suffered his fate in December 1897 when he was fatally stabbed.

Here is a Video Clip that's has some great shots of the area, Thanks to Luca.

With or Without You" performed by Luca in Covent Garden.

Ghost watching Links

My Apologies here are the rest of the Ghost watching Links...

Ghost Watching London Underground Part 3
Ghost Watching London Underground Part 4
Ghost Watching London Underground Part 5 Last part.

Thanks to Lucy for the reminder in her own way.....Love you too x

Were they on strike today as well :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peRPZEn39zM p5

Haunted London is this the most Haunted house in London?

50 Berkeley Square London W1J 5BA.

This four storey London townhouse built around the 1740’s has quite a reputation, back in 1840 its was said to haunted with a maid driven mad by the haunting of a ghost! Sir Robert Warboys took upon a dare to spend a night in the haunted house believing such nonsense to be poppycock. That night despite the warnings of the landlord he was insistent to address the task in hand. The landlord reluctantly agreed but stipulated that he must have a pistol and ring the bell cord should he encounter any eerie entities.

Forty five minutes after the witching hour, The landlord was awoken with the bell from the cord vigorously ringing, then a single gun shot could be heard. Sir Robert’s motionless body lay in the corner of the haunted room the pistol still smoking from the shot fired. Sir Robert had apparently died of traumatic Shock, his eyes bulging and lips curled back over clenched teeth.

One night two sailors who had been out on the town found that the premises were empty and for let. They took upon the opportunity to break in for a nights rest. Unfortunately they chose the haunted room. During the night an ominous spectral figure burst forth into the room a struggle ensued with one of the sailors taking flight, later the body of the other was discovered in the basement his neck broken and the look of shear horror on his face. In 1840’s nearby occupants reported strange sounds of bumping, thumping and dragging with the servant bells ringing aloud. When one of the neighbours took courage and entered the house there was no one there? The bells were still vibrating upon their hooks.

Other sightings include that of a little girl sat on the stairs and in more recent years in 1937 the house was unoccupied but a figure was seen at the window dressed in an old fashioned way. In 2001 it is said that a form dashed a pair of spectacles from the face of a visitor. Today late at night if you walk by you might just get a feeling that something lurks behind the windows.

The building is occupied today by Maggs Rare books and I would like to thank them for the tour tool on their site. You can view inside the shop and the exterior of 50 Berkley Square and see for your self. View Tour

Haunted London, The British Museum Station

Where the entrance used to be.

The British Museum Station at Bury place opened on the 30^th of July 1900 and closed on the 25^th September 1933, when nearby Holborn Station made access to the central line. The station is claimed to be haunted by an Egyptian figure, this being connected with the British Museums tales of a mummies curse The ghost of Amen-ra and the curse of her tomb, an Egyptian Princess, dressed in a loincloth and Egyptian headdress would haunt the station and her screams could be heard in the tunnels. Before its closure the rumours of its haunting gained in popularity and a news paper of the time offered a reward for anyone to spend a night at the Station! There were no takers……

Two years later a film was made referring to the museum station called Bulldog Jack. On its release date two women disappeared from the platform of Holborn Station. The British Museum station on inspection found marks on the walls. Further Ghostly sightings and sounds have been heard since.

Here are a few snippets the first is a film made 1972 and was released in the UK as Deathline (Video Snip)  in the US it was released as Raw Meat (Theme Tune) This was apparently remade as Creep (video snip) in 2004.

You can see in Deathline near the end of the clip that the British Museum station was used in filming.

After those clips and you are still want to travel late at night Ghost Watching London Underground part 3 

Haunted London, Bank Station.

The next Ghostly encounter is said to be that of Sarah Blackhead also known as the Black Nun who may also be attributed to haunting at the bank of England. Phillip Whitehead, her brother and employed as a cashier he was executed for forgery in 1811. Sarah not believing his death waited outside the bank each evening dressed in black. She did this for forty years until her death. It is the Ghost of the Black Nun who today is said to searching the platforms for her brother.

Other incidents involve workers and travellers alike reporting foul smells or feelings of sadness, concern and Hopelessness (Must be Monday morning). This is without explanation other than the workings of the tunnel construction that may have dug through one of the many plague pits of London.

Ghost Watching London Underground Part 2

Haunted London

As we head in to October and throughout the month the general theme is Haunted London, Ghostly happening’s in London to get you in the mood for Halloween! We started the other day with the most haunted hotel in London that proved to be very popular. Now our next instalment, Part one haunted underground and railways.

Aldwych Station

The Station is built on the site of the Old Royal Strand Theatre. Aldwych station opened as the Strand station on 30^th of November 1907 it was renamed due to the confusion of the same name used for Charing cross station of that day. You can see from the picture that the entrance can be clearly seen. A proportion of the station was never used and it closed during World War ll for six years being used for an air raid shelter. The Station Closed on the 30^th of September in 1994 due to refurbishment costs that were considered commercially unviable.

At night reports have been made of a Ghostly form of a figure who appears on the tracks. The Ghost is said to be that of an actress who does not know that the show has finished. It seems that the Ghost moved position from the original building to the track location when the station commenced operations. In the main those who have seen her were the night shift station cleaners.

Ghost Watching Part 1   London Underground

The Langham London Hotel Ghosts

The Langham London Hotel Portland Place.

The Most Haunted Hotel In London.

The Langham Hotel is said to be the most haunted hotel in London its and impressive building having been constructed between 1863 and 1865 it’s a five star hotel in a great location. In its day it was the most modern of hotels with water closets and bathrooms costing £300,000 to build. The Hotel was partly used by the army in World War two suffering bomb damage and it closed. In 1965 it was purchased by the BBC having used in part as ancillary accommodation after the war. The Langham opened as a Hilton Hotel in 1991.

Ghost Happenings and Room 333

In room 333 ……

A BBC newscaster awakened to see a ball of light this began to form into the shape of a human figure, hovering a couple of feet off the ground with the form missing part of its lower legs. The ghostly form apparently dressed in fine Victorian evening wear when addressed, looked at the newscaster with empty eyes and moved arms outstretched towards him. Not surprisingly he fled, seeking the warmth of fellow human beings. He told his story to a co-worker whom returned to the room with him to witness the apparition albeit faded and eventually disappearing. There have been other reports by BBC employees that have also seen the same Ghost in room 333.

In Recent years (2003) a woman guest made a hurried departure from the hotel without explanation of her sudden actions. A letter sent later told the hotel that her sleep was interrupted frequently with shakings of the bed and this ghostly behavior had led to her hasty retreat from room 333.

The Ghost of Napoleon lll has been seen often in the basement of the hotel, missing items, strange noises in the basement are said to be of his making.

There are reports from both staff and visitors of bewigged footmen on the ground floor. the Sightings in the halls and corridors albeit mostly brief glimpses of the ghostly figures except for one women visitor who thought she had left her luggage with an odd looking porter, later her luggage was found where she had left only to be told the dress of the porter was that of 80 years ago.

Other Apparitions include a young German soldier roaming the hallways it is thought that he committed suicide before WW II. A Victorian gentleman with blank staring eyes, has been seen and this is perhaps a doctor who killed his newly wed wife on their honeymoon, then committing suicide.

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The Most Haunted Hotel in London? Guess?