There are plenty of ghostly stories to uncover in Blackpool’s history. Stephanie Cottle joins David Evans’s History and Haunts tour and finds the daylight hours of no comfort. Main photo: Richard Hardwick
It’s lunchtime on a late October afternoon and Blackpool town centre is bustling. But for David Evans’s History and Haunts Tour group there’s something scarier than waiting in the mile-long queue for Greggs and I have a strong inclination that there won’t be a warm and satisfied feeling if we manage to reach the end of it.
As we embark on our guided tour David, clad in a black hat and long coat, explains that just because we are in the daylight hours doesn’t mean that spectres aren’t about. In fact, David suggests you may be 40% more likely to encounter ghostly apparitions during the day. Obviously, I’m the first to ask why. David tells me about the Stone Tape Theory, a speculation that mental impressions are created during emotional events. These impressions are then recorded to the environment in which they occurred. The name Stone Tape Theory emerges as these ‘recordings’ may be akin to images and sound being captured on magnetic film such as VHS. David is skeptical and doesn’t totally advocate for this theory but he does wonder if this ‘recording’ might be the reason for his initial statement. If humans are generally active during hours in which the sun is up, would the apparitions or ‘recordings’ be most prevalent as these times too?
I have this theory in mind when we approach our first stop: The Grand Theatre. Even from the street outside it’s not difficult to imagine this beautiful building harbouring echoes of the past within its bricks.‘Matcham’s masterpiece’ opened to a haunting performance of Hamlet in 1894 and it has since had over 125 years to soak up the intense human emotion conjured by actors and channeled by audiences. In front of the Grand’s exquisite foyer doors, David unravels the past to tell a story of love unrequited. His tale focuses on Charlie, an employee of the theatre whose feeling for a ballerina performing onstage went far beyond that of an enthused fan. When the ballerina rejected his advances Charlie committed suicide by throwing himself from the upper circle. Since his death employees of the Grand have reported a number of strange phenomena; seats being lifted independently, shadowy figures moving across the aisles and woeful singing that fills the stage. Curtains close on the Grand Theatre and David leads us towards North Pier for our next tale of misfortune.
Long-term residents of Blackpool will most likely have heard of the HMS Foudroyant, luckily I had the pleasure of hearing its history for the first time from David. Launched in 1798 the vessel, a one-off design, served as Lord Nelson’s flagship until June 1800. After 17 years of active service the ship became a training vessel. In 1891 she was bought by a Mr George Cobb who took the Foudroyant on tours to seaside ports. Just six years after the purchase the ship would end her sailing days in Blackpool. In June 1897 unseasonably tempestuous weather battered the west coast and held the ship in precarious waters two miles from the shore. The sheer force exerted upon the ship forced an anchor cable to break and the vessel was hauled by nature towards North Pier. To those who don’t know this story, what David told me next may come as a surprise. Despite the perilous predicament, all members of the ship’s crew were rescued safely. Even the ship’s cat came through the ordeal with no more than soggy whiskers. “We came here for ghost stories,’’ I hear you cry! Fear ye not. In the months the Foudroyant was beached a number of attempts to dismantle it were made. Most notably for our purposes were the efforts made by the August 1898 salvage team. Rigging the wreckage with dynamite, the men detonated an explosion which sent huge pieces of debris hurtling from the site and onto the promenade. One 50 lb piece of wood found its path and met that of Mrs Gates, a woman from Manchester who was enjoying a walk along the seafront. Poor Mrs Gates was instantly killed. As he finishes his story David looks over towards North Pier and my gaze follows his. I see a man happily walking his dog. The scene on the promenade is pleasant, ordinary, but I can’t help but shudder. David is right. You definitely don’t need darkness to feel the past pushing itself through the veil of the present.
David Evans has teamed up with Darren from Adventure Me for a spooky Halloween special. Watch it here.
There are many more stops on David’s History and Haunts tour. Look out for information on when tours are available from Blackpool Heritage Service/ Showtown Blackpool.
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