Last night was a fun conversation with Paul Fitz-George, who graciously agreed to join us even though showtime started at 1 a.m. his time! (Paul is based in the U.K. Catterick Village, to be exact.)
If I’d had to stay up that late, I might’ve struggled to stay awake, but Paul was bright-eyed and bushy tailed. The same colorful language he uses in his writing is exactly the way he speaks too.
Whitby and West End’s Spooks & Specters
We had a big time discussing Paul’s books, primarily The Whitby Ghost Book (which is now available on audio and narrated by actor Time Winters), and The West End Ghost Book: A Ghostly Gallivant Through London’s Haunted Heartland.
I asked Paul to share some of his favorite stories from his books, which included:
- Mummy in the Tube – which is about the British Museum, its mummy collection, and the Metro tube beneath the museum. Apparently a mummy-geist has been reported down there. (This story can be found in Paul’s West End Ghost Book.)
- The Green Succubus – I’m not sure of the true chapter title, and it may even be considered a green incubus, but whatever it is Paul piqued my interest with this story when he said there’s a park with reports of a green something dropping down from the trees and “eating” people. (Or at least causing them to disappear. Paul mentioned this soul-stealing creature has a penchant for tramps, and I believe he was alluding to hobo type bums, not women of the night so much.)
- And of course I had to ask him about Whitby’s boh-ghost, or demon dog. The final post he wrote for his “Whitby’s Fascination for the Literati or how Dracula met the Jabberwocky” series of posts here on Haunt Jaunts dealt with that, and it’s one of my favorite stories. Basically, the hound is an omen of death. If you hear its howl, that means you’re not long for this world. 😯
Paul also mentioned Charles Dickens (one of Whitby’s literati patrons) and the Ghost Club that he was a part of. I knew about the Ghost Club, but I’ve never written about it for whatever reason. I’m thinking that would make a fun post to explore. (I might also be inspired to tackle this given Kelsey and her great Frightful Photo Friday posts. Many of which have been a sort of jaunt back in paranormal time.)
So, yeah, it was a great chat. I’m very grateful he was willing to stay up so late and talk with us.
If you missed it, but would like to catch up, you can via ParaMania Radio’s handy On Demand section.
Paul’s Link
To learn more about Paul, check out his website: http://www.englishghosts.com/.
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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