The BBC had a ghost story on over Christmas, a mostly forgotten festive tradition that I applaud and want to see more of.

Crooked House, shown in three parts on BBC 4, reminded me of the VHS machine my dad used to bring home for the holidays from the school he taught at when I was a kid. The machine was the old 1970s kind with the clicky switch-down buttons at the front. We only had two tapes to play on it – a pirate copy of Star Wars,, and a BBC Education drama series called Middle English, which featured a couple of ghost stories with titles such as The Hairy Hand, the plot of which revolved around a scary hairy hand. We watched them over and over again. The ghost stories were clumsily made, but had moments of brilliant terror which are the reason I remember the clicky buttons on the VHS machine so clearly today.

This traditional American folk song which is related to the better known Frankie and Johnnie has a fleeting and rather creepy ghost appearance at the end.

Delia

Delia cursed Tony,
On a Saturday night,
Cursted him such a wicked curse
That he swore he’d take her life.

Delia’s gone,
One more round,
Delia’s gone.

The first time he shot her,
Shot her in the side,
The second time he shot her,
She bowed her head and died. (Chorus.)

They sent for the doctor,
He came dressed in black,
Done everything as a doctor could do,
But he couldn’t bring Delia back. (Chorus.)

Monday he was ‘rested,
Tuesday he was tried,
The jury found him guilty,
And the judge said, ‘Ninety-nine.’ (Chorus.)

right,

for a while i've been thinking about doing this and have finally decided now is the time!!

the second of my short stories to be published is out next thursday (the 23rd of october) in Pen Pusher Magazine (issue 11), it is called 'Oliver'.

www.penpushermagazine.co.uk

not strictly speaking a ghost story but a classic chiller none the less!
wondering if anyone else has read this and what they thought?

Henry Fusili, The Nightmare, 1781. Not sure if it's supposed to be a ghost, but it certainly creeps me out.

We really love the eerie ink pen illustrations of artist Will Jacques, an American illustrator based in the suitably ghost-infested swamps of Southern Georgia. Jacques takes his inspiration from anything from paranormal literature to Pagan symbolism. You can see more of his work at ghastlydoor.com.

American illustrator Will Jacques creates intricate ink pen illustrations with supernatural themes.

any word on when it's due??

june 12th i think.

anyone going?

looks like there'll be some good walks and i'm hoping to pick up a few new zines and the like.

Apparently Christopher Lee, the high priest of horror cinema, is also a fan of ghost stories. Not only did he play M.R. James in a BBC adaptation of four of the stories, but he also actually met James. He was examined by him whilst he was a scholar studying at Cambridge.

Apparently, the first story to claim this title appeared in the December 1948 edition of Thrilling Wonder Stories, one of those brilliant pulp sci fi mags with garish bug eyed monsters and big brea

The horrifying, spectral and rather marvellous One Eye Grey magazine is out this month.

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Birmingham has the highest recorded level of supernatural activity in the UK, according to a new survey of UK “Twilight Zones” carried out by the editor of the Fortean Times David Sutton.

If you’re based in London, put this Tuesday 10th June in your diary – it’s the latest Liars’ League short story event.

If you're based in London you might be interested in going along to the latest Liars' League short story event. Their tag line - "Writers write. Actors read. Audience listens. Everyone happy." sums the event up - you get four or five short stories on a particular theme read out by actors, in a room above a pub, with beer freely flowing. The stories are often funny and usually enjoyable, and because they're read out by professionals you don't have to put up with the mumbling stuttering writer syndrome apparent at other reading events.

hello,

thought i'd start this one to see if anyone knew of any magazines and zines out there that are dealing with horror and the supernatural (british first and foremost!!).

A salvage crew discover a ship that went missing in mysterious circumstances in the 1960s and go on board in hope of making a fortune, getting more than they bargained for.