spooky – Travels With Ackbar

Spirited Theaters

One thing London does not have a shortage of is haunted places. On my sprint through the city, I mapped out a few spooky locations. Due to the pandemic and the hour of my journey, I wasn’t able to venture into any of them, but they still have that sense of something other worldy lurking in the shadows.

In St. Martin’s Lane, it was originally called The New Theater in 1903. The Noel Coward Theater has the distinction of being the home of it’s original manager, Sir Charles Wyndham. Sir Charles managed both the New Theater and the Wyndham Theater, which sits behind it.

If you see a debonair gray haired man walking the hallways or entering the dressing rooms, say hello to Sir Charles.

Towards the end of WWI, a group of friends were enjoying a performance at The London Coliseum. They noticed a friend of theirs walking down the aisle. Strangely, he disappeared into thin air. On his last day before being deployed, this young soldier had seen a production at The Coliseum. Later, the friends were notified that he had been killed in battle. There were sightings of the young soldier for many years after.

For more stories about Haunted London check out this book by my good friend, Rob Gutro.

August 3, 2021March 12, 2023 by janoseagle

Old Key West

Key West, the Southernmost city in the United States. Known for it’s nightlife, Ernest Hemingway and roaming chickens, Key West has something for everyone.

The Artist House is a Bed and Breakfast on Eaton Street right off of popular Duval St. This was the home of local artist, Robert Eugene Otto, called Gene. When Gene was a little boy one of the family’s servants gave him a rag doll. Gene and the doll, called Robert, were inseparable, and everywhere they went strange things happened.

When ever Gene got into trouble he would say “Robert did it”. His parents weren’t concerned until one day, they heard there son screaming in his locked room. There was a loud commotion coming from behind the door, the sounds of furniture being upended and thrown about. When they got the door unlocked, the room was a complete mess and Gene was cowering in a corner. This was not an isolated incident and at times, people heard Gene talking to Robert … and Robert would answer!

In later years, Gene’s wife relocated Robert to the attic, but passerby’s would often see Robert peering out of different windows in the house. Today, Robert now lives comfortably at The Martello Museum. If you visit Robert, be aware that many times when guests try to take his picture, the photos come out overexposed. Inside his glass enclosure, Robert changes positions.

You can visit and even stay at the Artist’s House today. Check out their website below.

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October 26, 2020October 25, 2020 by janoseagle

The Bloody Tower

In the 1070s, William the Conqueror, chose to build a massive stone fortress in London. Taking about 20 years to build, the Tower of London serves to defend and proclaim William’s royal power. The mighty castle keep dominated the London skyline, but also served a reminder to the defeated Londoners.

Later Henry III and Edward I added the surrounding walls and smaller towers along it’s length. In 1533 King Henry VII modernized the castle in anticipation of his marriage to the young Anne Boleyn. Only three years later, she found herself back at the Tower charged with adultery and waiting for her death.

Anne was escorted to the Green where she lost her head. The site is memorialized with a glass pillow. Many claim to have seen the apparition of Anne walking the grounds with her head tucked underneath her arm.

Two young princes are said to haunt The Bloody Tower. Richard and Edward met their tragic fate within the walls. Sent to the Tower by their unscrupulous and power hungry uncle, the Duke of Gloucester and kept under lock and key. In 1483, the buys mysteriously disappeared. The gossip was that Richard, Duke of Gloucester had them murdered to become Richard III. Many decades later, the skeletons of two young boys were found entombed under a staircase. The two princes were given a proper royal burial but their spirits are still restless.

Tragedy haunted The Tower in the early centuries of it’s existence. Lady Jane Grey, also known as “The Nine Day Queen” was kept prisoner within it’s confines. Only sixteen years old, on February, 12 1554, she sobbed as she watched her husband, Guildford Dudley, being led to his execution. That same day, the young girl who was forced towards the throne by an ambitious father-in-law, bravely walked to her own death. From that day forward, on the anniversary of her execution, a white shimmering mist floats from the mists of the river and strolls sadly around the Tower Green.

Look closely at this enlarged area from the other photo. Do you see the ghosts of Lady Jane Grey looking down?

For more about The Tower of London, check out these links…

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/488/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_London

October 22, 2020October 25, 2020 by janoseagle

Spirits of Louisville

Louisville may be one of the most haunted cities in the South. The spirits of an overcrowded graveyard, A theater patron from long ago and winged monster all hang around the city.

The Louisville Palace Theater first opened in 1928. The spirit of a young woman, known as The Gray Lady is often seen walking down the auditorium aisle looking for a seat. The sounds of children playing can be heard near the upstairs bar and the ghost of a projectionist named Bernard often walks in front of the spotlight. The story goes that he had a heart attack and fell down the projection booth stairs.

In Old Louisville, you can find “The Pink Palace”. A spirit named Avery haunts 1473 St. James Court. Local author, David Domine, has written several books on Haunted Louisville that we highly recommend. If you happen to run into him at the Louisville Welcome Center be sure to ask him about the time that saved a woman’s life by scaring her out of the bathtub. You can also visit these haunts and others on one of his Ghost Walks.

The Church of Christ The Scientist on S. Third St. is where you might see the “Lady on the Stairs”. After deciding to elope with her boyfriend, a soldier stationed at Fort Taylor, she waited and waited for him on the steps. He never showed up, as she waited for several nights, she grew despondent. The year was 1918 and her soldier boy was one of many inflicted with the Spanish Flu. He died several days later, she also became infected and passed away. Some say she still paces the stairs every night waiting for her intended.

Venture past the parish graveyard for the Fourth Street Methodist Episcopal Church and you may catch a glimpse of shadowy figures in the chapel or the apparition of a woman that tends to the graves of infants. In 1858, the company that owned the cemetery began to resell burial plots by removing headstones and labelling the plots as “old graves” on their records. It wasn’t until the late 1980’s that rumors began to spread that coffins were buried so poorly buried that they stuck out of the ground. The graveyard owners were taken to prison and experts began to investigate the burials. They estimate that 7 or more bodies were interred in each burial plot.

Walnut Street Baptist Church is home to a different type of haunting. In the late 1800’s, Two men saw a man flying above them in a strange contraption. The Courier-Journal reported “He worked his feet as though he was running a treadle, and his arms seemed to be swinging to and fro above his head, though the latter movement sometimes appeared to be executed with wings or fans”. By the early 1900s, the neighbors began spotting something lurking atop the building. Witnesses described the creature as human with bat like wings. This gargoyle was dubbed the Demon Leaper.

For more information on David Domine and his Haunted Ghost Tours check out…

https://louisvillehistorictours.com/virtual-louisville-tours-on-facebook-live/

October 18, 2020October 25, 2020 by janoseagle

The Ghosts Of St. Paul’s

Halloween is the perfect time of the year to experience a ghost tour. The city of London has a vast array of these tours, you can choose The Theater District, Jack The Ripper or any of a number of cool locations.

The Cathedral of St. Paul may be known the spot where Mary Poppins and the children meet the bird woman. But by night, the location takes on an eerie appearance.

The Whistler is St. Paul’s most well-known haunting. Many have seen the visage of an elderly clergyman accompanied by a tuneless whistle. Your best chance of meeting the clergyman is to visit the Cathedral’s west end. On the ground floor of the northwest tower. When the tower was rededicated after WWI, a previously hidden door was uncovered. This is the exact spot where the whistling cleric appears to fade into the wall.

There are 2 other ghost stories captured by Irish writer and Ghost Hunter, Elliott O’Donnell. In one story an American couple experience a “great black cloud” that rose out of the floor and climbed 20 feet into the air before disappearing. They described the cloud as “alive'”.

O’Donnell’s second story involves a woman who was resting in the cathedral one afternoon. This woman spotted another woman in a pew in front of her. She seemed to be frantically looking for something. The first woman got up to help the woman, but on her way down the aisle she felt a tap on her shoulder. She spun around to find no one behind and when she resumed her walk, the other woman had vanished.

Several days later, at the same time of day, the woman saw the figure of the woman once again. She rose to offer assistance but was once again stopped by a tap on her shoulder. Just as before, there was no one behind her and in front of her the woman was gone.

LINKS:

Walking Tours of London

St. Paul’s Cathedral

October 21, 2017October 25, 2020 by janoseagle

Hey, Hey, We’re The Monks

No trip to Tallin, Estonia is complete without a visit to the Danish King’s Garden. Watching over the medieval walled garden are statues of faceless monks, Ambrosius, Bartholomeus and Claudius. The legend goes, that during a losing battle, the monks prayed for divine intervention on behalf of the Danish King. Out of the sky fell a large flag, which became the national flag of Denmark.

Estonia is also considered one of the most haunted places in Europe. The King’s Garden is said to be haunted by a monk, perhaps a former executioner having a change of heart.

LINKS

Visit Estonia

October 9, 2017October 21, 2017 by janoseagle

There are more things in heaven and earth

Legend has it that Shakespeare wrote his masterpiece Hamlet, with Kronborg Castle as it’s setting. The mystery remains as to whether or not he actually visited Denmark. In 1816, on the 200th anniversary of his death, the soldiers garrisoned at Kronborg performed his play for the first time.

When you arrive at the castle, make a point of checking out the days schedule as in the Summer months, Hamlet is performed live on the castle grounds. CPH1_-279 I arrived just in time to head to the King’s Chamber for Ophelia’s mad scene.

“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”

Elsinore1_-2 “Good-night, ladies, good-night, sweet ladies, good-night, good-night.” CPH1_-136 In between scenes, Queen Gertrude works on her crewel in her chamber. CPH1_-137

“One woe doth tread upon another’s heel,
So fast they follow. Your sister’s drown’d, Laertes.”“But to know a man well were to know himself.”“The Queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet.”“No, no! the drink, the drink! O my dear Hamlet!
The drink, the drink! I am poison’d.”“It is here, Hamlet. Hamlet, thou art slain”

Good Night Sweet Prince

LINKS

Shakespeares-Danish-links

BBC Elsinore A Castle Fit For A Prince

Hamlet Live 2017 Facebook

September 23, 2017October 21, 2017 by janoseagle

Savannah

The city of Savannah has long been considered one of our most haunted cities.

The crisp fall air sends a shiver down your spine as we encounter some of Savannah’s residents.

The Kehoe House once was home to an unfortunate pair of twins. Their voices can be heard and on occassion, if you’re lucky, a door may open by itself.

A stately southern city, ornate and fancifully dressed, is home to legends and heroes.

Pirates once called this place home. Legend says that the inspiration for R.L. Stevenson’s Treasure Island came form here. Some say the demented Captain Flint died screaming for more rum.

Another city exists just outside city limits. One surrounded by majestic oaks draped in spanish moss.

The Garden of Good and Evil is a place where living and dead commune.

The residents of Bonventure Cemetaryinclude founding fathers, patriots and even composer Johnny Mercer.

Once the site of a grand southern plantation, during a racous dinner party the house caught fire. As any good host would do, the partiers grabbed their plates and silverware and moved outdoors, as the house burned down to the ground the party continued on. Listen closely and you may hear the sounds of revellers smashing their wine glasses against the trees.