With Halloween just around the corner, join us for the second instalment of our tour of Trafalgar venues as we uncover the stories of their ghostly residents.

GLASGOW PAVILION

So, we left you last month with the story of the old variety performer’s ashes that were discovered in the attic of the theatre a few years ago, along with the venue ‘urban legend’ warning that they should never be moved…

During the 1990s, the venue Stage Manager and carpenter found the ashes had been moved, and that weekend, whilst out in Glasgow, they were attacked. The ashes were immediately put back in their rightful place and have never been moved since.

Other reported activity includes cold spots in the auditorium, faint sounds of voices or singing when no one is present in those areas and objects being moved.

The Pavilion Theatre has the reputation for being one of the most haunted locations in Glasgow and maybe the most haunted in the Trafalgar group of venues?

DEVONSHIRE PARK EASTBOURNE

Since opening its doors in 1874, Devonshire Park Theatre has been home to more than just great performances and events.  Among the visitors who haven’t even bought a ticket, is a distinguished gentleman who wears a top hat and is said to enjoy watching shows from Row B in the Stalls.  Venue staff often find a seat left down in the Grand Circle and there have been reports of a gentlemen being seen sitting in that very seat during performances – even though the seat hasn’t been sold.

The venue also has its very own ‘White Lady’ who resides in one of the corridors. Staff have reported that she gets rather cross if they forget to say ‘hello’ as they pass by. And the strange occurrences don’t end there. On occasions, all the taps in the toilets have been known to mysteriously turn on by themselves.

FAREHAM LIVE

The idea of a haunted theatre never fails to capture the imagination. In fact, audiences almost expect theatres to come with a resident ghost. So much so that Fareham Live, a venue that opened just three years ago, is hosting Halloween Ghost Tours this year despite not having a single resident spectre to its name.

However, as you may know, Fareham Live was built on the site of the former Ferneham Hall which had a well-known local reputation for being haunted. According to local folklore and records compiled by the Paranormal Database, the primary ghost associated with the theater is nicknamed “Edna.” Local rumours persist that the theatre was originally built over a historical Quaker burial site, and Edna is believed to be one of the spirits resting there. So, maybe Edna is still hanging around!

CLIFFS PAVILION AND PALACE THEATRE SOUTHEND

Southend’s ghost is James Wordley, a builder’s labourer who worked on the construction of the Palace Theatre in the early twentieth century. When the theatre opened, James got a job behind the scenes, most likely as a stagehand. He appears to have been quite enamoured with the theatre world and often offered temporary accommodation to visiting actors.

James died in February 1929, and the main tell-tale sign of his ghostly presence is the smell of pipe tobacco, first detected by a medium some years ago. Apparently, he is a very ‘friendly ghost’.

There have also been sightings of a ‘lady in white’ in one of the boxes at the Palace too.

The Cliffs Pavilion has a ‘lavender lady’ whose tell-tale scent of lavender perfume is smelt, just as a swift and corner-of-the-eye glimpse of a departing figure is seen when no one else is around.

Happy Halloween one and all!