PHILLIP DAVIESÂ discusses that perennial favourite of Tourist Information Offices everywhere: The Ghost Walk and how they are not just something for those visiting our towns and cities.
We’ve all seen them. That group of eager eyed out-of-towners spread across the pavement outside some uninspiring looking building that we walk past every day and never give a second glance to. There is one individual, a nominated guide, holding their own against the traffic noise and passers by, explaining something that, in our hurry to get past, we only half hear. The Ghost Walk. And if you’re really lucky, the guide even dresses up!
Now, before you dismiss these almost nightly events as just something for the tourists, ask yourself when was the last time you went on one? And I don’t mean the one you went on during your last city break. When was the last time you went on a guided Ghost Walk in the place where you live?
A Ghost Walk on the Wildside
It could of course be that you frequently do venture out on your hometown Ghost Walks, but I am willing to bet that those of you who do so are in the minority. So why should you go? Why is it that I’m suggesting you leave the comfort of your warm homes and head out with a group to walk around the back alleys and hidden passages in your home town? Let me tell you…
I Walk the Line
Apart from anything else a Ghost Walk is a great way of finding out some of the supernatural history where you live. Although I can’t guarantee that everything you hear will be new, I can be fairly sure that there will be at least one story that you won’t have heard before. If you want to have an overview of spooky goings on round and about where you live, a Ghost Walk is a great way of getting one. For those of you interested in finding out more about our haunted pubs and hotels, a Ghost Walk highlights which places to return to, or if you are part of a group who specializes in paranormal investigations, what better way to find out where your next investigation should be than to have someone point it out to you!
You’ll Never Walk Alone
A Ghost Walk is also a great reason to head out with a group of friends and can easily be combined with a meal or drink afterwards, maybe even at one of those haunted hostelries that you visited and see if you can sense ‘The Grey Lady’ or ‘The Headless Cavalier’ you heard about, or maybe you can hear the footsteps of condemned men echo down through the ages. Once seated you can spend the rest of the evening sharing your own ghost stories with each other, again an ideal way of finding out more about where you live.
Walk This Way
On top of all this (and how many more reasons do you need?) we are constantly told how we need to be fitter and walking is good for you, so why not combine it with something interesting. An hour or so wandering around the creepy side of town with a group of like-minded people is certainly healthier than being sat in from of the TV watching a creepy film. In this day of virtual reality, why not head outside and experience some visceral unreality?
So the next time you see that group of wide eyed tourists with their warm jackets and backpacks half blocking the pavement, rather than hurrying past, see if you can find out who the guide is and see if you can join them on their next outing around your own part of these spooky isles.
Have you been on a ghost walk recently – tell us about it in the comments below!
