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Haunted Tales in London Walk

On Sunday 5th November, eight of us met at Westminster station at 10.30am for a Haunted / Paranormal Tales walk. It was a beautiful sunny day, so we had to imagine misty mornings on the Thames and grimy streets from days gone by...

Across the road and down to the landing pier, we learned of phantom boats and sightings of a ghostly figure, believed to be Jack the Ripper, seen leaping to his death from the bridge as the clock strikes midnight and the old year passes in to the new. We then moved along to the original Scotland Yard buildings to hear about the headless woman whose body was found when the buildings were being constructed and whose ghost used to be seen roaming the old Black Museum.

At Banqueting House we saw the bricked-up window from which Charles I had stepped out onto a scaffold to be beheaded in1649, having just heard about the 'Touching for the King's Evil' ceremony that was performed in the Hall by multiple monarchs. The King supposedly possessed the divine hereditary right to serve his people by touching them to cure scrofula. I wonder if Charles III knows about it.

Horseguards, across the road, was the subject of a prophetic dream that the Duke of Portland had in 1901: Edward VIIs coronation coach got stuck under the arch, bringing the entire procession to an embarrassing halt. The dream was so vivid that the Duke measured the coach and the arch and discovered that the ground below the arch had been raised since Queen Victoria's coronation.

A few buildings along to Admiralty House, where Martha Ray lived in the 18th century, as the mistress of the Earl of Sandwich, until she was shot dead by a spurned lover. Winston Churchill and Harold Macmillan both stated that they saw her ghost. In 1969, Denis Healey discussed Martha’s ghost being seen in the living quarters and said that his children accepted her as part of the household.

Back on the Embankment, the tales turned to a strange tapping noise that emanated from deep within the walls of the National Liberal Club in the 1890s. The Secretary of the Club eventually discovered that the noise only occurred when a particular German servant girl was present and, although convinced that she was not consciously responsible for the sounds, he decided to dismiss her. The noises ceased immediately.

We then moved on to Gordon's Wine Bar where staff have frequently had the unnerving impression that something is watching them from the darkness and many customers have complained of an unseen hand tapping them on the shoulder as they sit enjoying a glass of wine.

Round the corner, in Buckingham Street, we didn't see the happy ghost of a female, thought to have been one of the models in the 'sensuous nudes' painted by William Etty who lived at number 14. Nor did we see the ghost of Samuel Pepys who often peers from the first floor windows at his old house next door. Thankfully we didn't hear the screams of 'Poor Jenny' either; she was a Victorian prostitute who was strangled by one of her clients and left to die under the Adelphi Arches.

Cutting through to the Strand, we arrived at Coutts Bank where, in 1993, the Directors arranged for a medium to deal with a ghost that was haunting staff in the computer room, had appeared headless before the receptionist and turned lights on and off. The medium claimed to make contact with the ghost of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, who was executed in 1572; he then successfully persuaded the spirit to depart. All paranormal activity stopped after that.

After navigating a long, narrow alleyway, we arrived in Theatreland to hear of multiple incidents at The Coliseum, The Duke of York, The Albery (now The Noel Coward) and The Garrick, including a First World War soldier haunting The Coliseum for 10 years and a possessed bolero jacket that attempted to strangle any actress who wore it.

With the walk at an end, six of us headed to The Marquis pub for Sunday Lunch. One of the beers on tap was 'Poltergeist'. Coincidence?

Jill S. 7th November 2023

10 PIN BOWLING AT THE ROLLERBOWL

We have been bowling at “Rollerbowl”, Collier Row, Romford, many times. On Sunday evening, 29th October, We could not believe the gate had barriers across, and how many cars were parked in all the roads around the place, as it has a huge car park.

Maz and I were fortunately let in by gate security (probably because I look so ancient), but the other members were not so lucky.

When the nine members of the group eventually got together, we enjoyed a good evening bowling, but some of us would have been more successful if we had put the children’s barriers up! How come the direction you bowl the balls in it often ends with them in the gutter! Possibly they have minds of their own!

Maz and Peter Gamble, 31st October 2023

Brockley to Greenwich walk, 21st October 2023

Saturday 21st October, the date of our latest walk, but with Storm Babet wreaking havoc, would anyone turn up; surely Efoggers aren’t beaten by a bit of rain? So I set off for Brockley in south-east London not knowing if anyone else would turn up. Arriving ridiculously early the rain had almost stopped and did so shortly before 11 as Jill V arrived.

After waiting to se if there were any late-comers (nope), we set off, passing the Bob Marley mural of the back of the Wetherspoons pub, heading gradually uphill on tree lined streets to enter Hilly Fields, a pleasant park. Continuing uphill, there were fine views over London, to the Crystal Palace and Croydon transmitter masts to the south-west and Canary Wharf and the City to the north.

Passing a café under the trees we visited a “henge” of stones arranged in a circle, which is in fact a large sundial, and watched a group of “mace swingers” doing their weekly keep fit session. Continuing through the park, we started to descend into Lewisham with its forest of tower blocks.

Passing Lewisham station we came to a small oasis of greenery, at the confluence of the rivers Ravensbourne and Quaggy. Leaving this we turned right to see Lewisham Police station (the largest in Europe) and then returned to head up Lewisham Hill to Blackheath. At the top of the hill there was a pretty wildflower patch and convenient bench, both provided by Thames Water, which made an attractive spot for lunch.

After lunch, we continued over Blackheath with its impressive views towards Kent, to the Rangers House, a large Georgian House now owned by English Heritage, and followed the edge of the heath to an entrance to Greenwich Park.

Entering the park, we headed to the deer sanctuary, but sadly the sanctuary is being upgraded and the deer have gone to Richmond Park for a holiday, whilst the work is carried out. We continued through the park, picking up chestnuts which had fallen as were many others, and climbing to One Tree Hill and the Royal Observatory with their fabulous views over the Thames and the City. From here we cut across the park and followed the path down to St Mary’s gate, exiting into Greenwich, and headed for the DLR station.

A cracking undulating walk with some terrific views and except for two very light and short showers, good weather and surprisingly warm and sunny for late October.

Trev Eley 26th October 2023

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Photos by Jill and Trevor

London Art Frieze Walk

On Sunday 15th October 2023, twelve of us met outside Great Portland Street station at 10.30am; one more joined us a little later. Although it was a bit cold, it was a beautiful sunny morning and lovely to be outside.

We crossed Marylebone Road, passed Park Square and entered the south-east corner of Regent's Park at Gandalf Corner. The Frieze Sculptures - an annual event that is London's largest free display of outdoor art - are dotted around The English Gardens, with 20 works of art on display.

We didn't try to follow them in number order but we did visit every piece that was there - the grin of the Cheshire Cat that was hanging from a tree near to the entrance into Frieze Art Fair's temporary building, a billowing, colourful fibreglass creation that was reminiscent of a sheet in the wind, a bird bath with an ear in the top, red resin 'letter' planters (spelling out My Body, My Choice) that were filled with succulents, green ceramic swans decorated with hard boiled eggs, a multi-coloured spaceship that represented African and Caribbean heritage, two painted cactus spikes that somehow referenced disorder in India, a sleepwalking man (very realistic!!), a chain of gold-coloured blocks, each embossed with different words, that were draped over three stone mushrooms, a red box for which you need to scan a QR code to see what is 'virtually' on top, a balloon man (actually made of metal) holding flowers, a Grim Reaper figure entitled 'Friend', an attractive sculpture of a person with a tree for a head, holding a cat whilst standing on a pile of books (that was described as being a self portrait of the artist) and more.

We spent almost two hours looking at all the sculptures - definitely an interesting mix, that provoked plenty of conversation and laughter - then crossed Chester Road and on to The Broad Walk. After a brief loo stop, we had a short walk around the central part of Regent's Park, visited Queen Mary's Rose Garden (a few still in bloom) and then headed towards Baker Street station via the Bandstand and the Boating Lake where we saw multiple Egyptian geese, a heron and a few swans with cygnets. No-one was boating though.

In the Wetherspoons by the station, we managed to get three tables next to each other that seated all 13 of us together. After a pleasant, leisurely lunch, we all headed off in our separate directions.

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Jill S. 16th October 2023

Hainault Forest Country Park

On an unseasonably warm but very nice Sunday on 8th October, Madeleine and Louise led a short walk around Hainault Forest Country Park, which was incredibly busy but once we got around the lake and into the woods it was much quieter.

We were joined by Laurel, Jill Strudwick, Frances, Parviz, Richard, Trevor and fledgling member Pauline and first we went to the Henge, and then deeper into the woods, where we met a couple who recommended a statue on the sculpture trail. We went off to look for that, found it and then weren't quite sure where we were.... but we found some other sculptures and got back onto the trail, which wasn't the one we'd initially been following, but they tend to join up with each other and with Pauline's help we carried on in the cool shelter of the woods. Eventually we got back to the new cafe (which opened at Easter) and visitor centre, where we were joined by Cathy Smith for tea and whatever they had left at the cafe, and we sat outside and enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine.

Thanks to everyone who came, and to Pauline for her help (she's a volunteer there).

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Madeleine and Louise 13th October 2013

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