You’ve been leading ghost tours since 1982 – what first inspired you to pursue a career in the supernatural?
Ever since I was a child, I’ve enjoyed ghost stories. When I arrived in London in the late 1970s, I was suddenly able to visit all those wonderful locations, such as 50 Berkeley Square and the Tower of London, that I’d read about as a kid. Suddenly, all those places came to life, so to speak, and it was a desire to share these stories with others that inspired my career in the supernatural.
Tower of LondonGetty Images
What can guests expect from your ghost tours? What haunted locations are you most attracted to?
Guests can expect storytelling set against backgrounds that really look the part. I think that the route of a ghost walk is as important as the stories, so I make sure that we go through lots of narrow, twisting alleyways. The locations that attract me are ones that have an atmosphere, and you just know they are haunted the moment you set eyes on them.
You’ve released books, contributed to editorial campaigns, and been featured on international television. What’s the most exciting opportunity you’ve had?
Other than the first time I got a commission to write a book (which was a genuine thrill), my most exciting opportunity was when I became the historian on Most Haunted Live. It was three hours of live televised ghost hunting, and the energy from it was brilliant.
Tell us one of your favourite ghost stories from London.
My favourite ghost story concerns the lady who “died” and was buried in her wedding dress and with her wedding ring on her finger. The church verger opened her coffin in the dead of night and tried to take the ring from her finger. When it wouldn’t budge, he attempted to cut the finger off, only to discover that she was not dead, but in a narcoleptic trance. Coming to her senses, she walked home through the dark streets, knocked on her door, and terrified the maid when she answered as she thought she was seeing a ghost!
