Terrifying tales to make your hair stand on end this Halloween

As it’s Halloween, we thought we’d get those spines tingling a little bit more by telling you some spooky stories.  These are only things we’ve heard so we can’t say for sure if they’re definitely true. BUT, people in the office know of these stories so there must be some truth in them, right??  Even those who aren’t English have heard of some of these scary tidbits so perhaps the stories are known around the world.  Wooooo, spooky (yes, that was our impression of a ghost!)

Courtesy of digitalart / freedigitalphotos.net

We’re London based so that’s where the following chilling chronicles are based.  If you’re in London, you may get more scared.  If you’re not in London - why not take a visit and see if they are true.

So, the first story is about the infamous Jack the Ripper.  Known across the world, Jack the Ripper is one of London’s most notorious, mysterious and wicked criminals.  However, it is also known that the identity of Jack the Ripper was never discovered.  History can point its finger at many people but unfortunately nobody will ever know who Jack the Ripper actually was.  This could be because he was imprisoned, left the country or even died.

One of the Jack the Ripper suspects actually killed himself by plunging into the River Thames on New Year’s Eve, 1888.  The ghost of this suspect can allegedly be seen even now.  Apparently, if people stand on Westminster Bridge on 31 December and look eastwards as midnight approaches, they may catch sight of the ghost of this suicide victim.  As Big Ben rings at midnight, the ghostly figure appears and leaps into the water below.

Courtesy of Laura Collins

Another chilling tale we have heard is about a phantom bus near Cambridge Gardens in North Kensington.  This bus is a number 7 double decker and is sometimes spotted in the early hours of the morning.  The story first came about in 1934 as it was written about in a book by J.A.Brooks called ‘Ghosts of London’.  Back then, a motorist swerved when driving along Cambridge Gardens – apparently for no reason.  Sadly the said motorist died when his car hit a wall and caught on fire.  When they carried out an inquest into the death, witnesses told of the so called phantom bus – many of whom claimed to have seen it around the area that the accident happened.  Apparently many of the witnesses said that it normally appeared around 1.15am, which is the time the accident occurred.  The driver of the phantom bus was never visible and there were no lights on the bus, but witnesses told how they were terrified when it raced along the centre of the road towards them.
 

Courtesy of Stuart Miles / freedigitalphotos.net

The witnesses that came forward had experienced the phantom bus, explaining that they were convinced it was going to collide with them.  They swerved out of the way of it when driving, only to find out that the bus had vanished out of sight straight afterwards.

Arrrggghh!!  Scary huh??  Who knows if these stories are true but if we find ourselves near Westminster Bridge on New Year’s Eve we may well be able to tell you! 

Enjoy your Halloween evening.

Peace, love and spooky Halloween pizza.

What On Earth

A lesson on Halloween - Polish style

Halloween seems to get more hyped up every year. I never remember it being such a big deal in England when I was a child, but over the years it seems to have gained in popularity. Commercialism has hit and now we are preparing for the night with almost as much gusto as the United States. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. Oh no. It’s rather a fun affair if you ask me. But, since having a chat with some colleagues, I’ve found out that Halloween means something completely different to them.

Courtesy of zirconicusso / freedigitalphotos.net

The team here at What On Earth and Simply Nectar are a real mixed bunch. We have people from all over the world working here – a rich mix of individuals that offer something different to the team. We have people from England, Ireland, Poland, Latvia, Brazil, Italy, Estonia…the list could continue. The benefits of having such a mixed bag of people are the variety of cultures and traditions. It was during a chat about Halloween that I learnt more about the traditions of Poland at this time of year. It was so interesting that I thought I’d share it with you.

In Poland, Halloween is not celebrated. Instead, All Saints’ Day is observed on 1 November. It is an important date that allows the Polish to gather with families to recognise and remember the deceased. In the evening of 1 November, the locals visit cemeteries to place candles and flowers on the graves of the deceased and to say prayers for them. The tombs and graves of everybody are honoured. Despite the mournful and sombre feel of the night, the candlelight makes it beautiful. Mass is also held for those who want to go to church. The people of Poland also believe that spirits roam so they leave their doors and windows open to welcome the visiting spirits.  All Saints’ Day is then followed by All Souls’ Day on 2 November. More church services are held for those who want to remember the dead.

Copyright: Taken from Gone-ta-pott.com

Nowadays, it seems the fun side of Halloween is becoming more popular in Poland but traditionally it was never celebrated in that way.  We’ll try and find out about more Halloween celebrations from other members of the team. I’ll report back on anything interesting. In the mean time, enjoy all the Halloween celebrations this weekend if you’re heading out. Our very own purchasing manager is going to a Halloween party dressed as Alex DeLarge from Clockwork Orange. If we can get photos, we will. If not, you’ll just have to look him up to know what he looks like. That’s your homework for the weekend :-)

Peace, love and Polish Halloween pizza.

What On Earth