Nowadays, we have a plethora of transportation types at our disposal. In earlier centuries, choices were far less plentiful, with your options limited by your class and income. Experts date the arrival of the coach in England to anywhere between 1555 and 1580 (Encyclopedia Britannica 2013). It certainly wasn’t available to everyone and it still […]
Folklore
Meet the dreaded Mackenzie Poltergeist of Greyfriars Kirkyard
It’s a cold night in 1998, the type Edinburgh specialises in, when the frigid air seems to work its way into the very marrow of your bones. A homeless man seeks shelter for the night. He finds himself in Greyfriars Kirkyard. A-ha! Look! There’s a building up ahead! The man tries the door but it’s […]
Who is the Black Nun of Threadneedle Street?
The Bank of England has stood on Threadneedle Street since 1734. With such a long history, you’d expect it, and the area, to be haunted. Indeed, the Square Mile packs a lot of human activity into a relatively small space. The Black Nun of Threadneedle Street is a favourite story on ghost walks around the […]
Is the ghost at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane a good omen?
Theatres attract tales of ghosts and hauntings like few other types of building. The Theatre Royal in Drury Lane is no exception. The current Theatre Royal in Covent Garden dates to 1812. It’s actually the fourth incarnation on the site since 1663. You can even find 18th-century foundations below ground level. The third incarnation of […]
Meet the Grey Lady ghosts of Newcastle upon Tyne
Lots of locations around the UK boast a Grey Lady, a White Lady, or even a Green Lady. Such spectres are usually attached to sad tales of loss and a lot of them are nameless. When I visited Bamburgh Castle some years ago, one of the guides told me they have a Pink Lady. As […]
Who was the Grey Man of Bellister?
Many lonely and remote parts of the UK echo with tales of local spirits, such as the Grey Man of Bellister. These legends often refer to misdeeds of centuries past, specific locations that give rise to sad tales, or stories that provide an explanation for natural features. Some even act as a warning, and the […]
