Words that inspire, stories that linger.
My addiction is… you’ve probably guessed it: reading. I read far more than I probably should - often when I should be doing something more practical, like tidying the garden or working in the churchyard. But books have always been my passion, especially those that explore ghost stories, local history, military history, and the fascinating stories that connect England’s past with the wider world.…
I recently rediscovered a photograph of a group of friends and me, taken in 1968, when I was in the Upper Sixth at King Edward VI School in Totnes, Devon. It's a wonderful reminder of school days, old friendships, and memories that have stayed with me for more than half a century. I'm the chap hiding in the shadows, looking down behind the pointing finger. As the saying goes, "The moving finger…
I have recently started volunteering every Tuesday morning at Totnes Museum, a fascinating historic building tucked away on Fore Street in the heart of Totnes, Devon. The museum is housed in a beautiful Elizabethan merchant's house, one of the town's oldest surviving buildings. Steeped in centuries of history, it's no surprise that the building has earned a reputation for being haunted. Whether…
For more than twenty years, I have balanced two great writing passions: biography and ghost stories. I am currently researching and writing my second book about my grandfather, the oldest man to escape from Stalag Luft III during the famous Great Escape of 25 March 1944. More than eight decades later, I am still visiting the places he travelled through, uncovering new photographs, and discovering…
Since 2005, I've written 104 ghost stories - and I love every one of them. Some are mild and atmospheric, others downright nasty, and a few come with a twist that'll catch you off guard. My favourites are the ones where you're never quite sure who the ghost is, where your assumptions get quietly upended. I write on my ancient laptop, a machine so old it might have Charles Babbage engraved on its…
...is a fourth collection of ghost stories entitled ‘Night Gaunts and Psychopomps’. H P Lovecraft suffered from nightmares which he described as ‘night gaunts’. He later used the term in some of his stories. His ancestors came from South Devon; their graves can be found at Buckfastleigh, Berry Pomeroy and Broadhempston. I borrow his term as a tribute to his unique talent in disturbing and…