the WORLD OF THE UNKNOWN: GHOSTS: part 1 tim lebbon

To celebrate the rerelease of Usbornes' World of the Unknown: Ghosts, Ginger Nuts of Horror has invited some of the UK's finest horror writers to tell us about their encounters with Ghosts.   First published in 1977, this cult classic has been reissued for a new generation of ghost-hunters. This book is for anyone who has shivered at shadowy figures in the dark, heard strange sounds in the night, or felt the presence of a mysterious 'something' from the unknown.

Ghost stories are as old as recorded history and exist all over the world. Many of the different kinds of ghosts that are thought to haunt the Earth and their behaviour are described here. You will meet haunting spirits, screaming skulls, phantom ships, demon dogs, white ladies, gallows ghosts and many more.

This book also explains the techniques and equipment of ghost hunting and tells how lots of 'ghosts' have been exposed as fakes or explained away as natural events. Also included are some theories that attempt to explain the possible existence of ghosts.

With a brand new foreword by BAFTA-winning writer, comedian and actor Reece Shearsmith, otherwise the book remains unchanged from the original.

Today we welcome Tim Lebbon with his entry in this series of articles. Tim Lebbon was born in London in 1969. He has been writing ever since he can remember. The first story he recalls actually finishing was when he was nine years old. It involved a train hijacking, and one of the hijackers being clumsy enough to drop his gun. Naturally the hero found the gun and went on a killing spree. Die Hard on the 10:17 from Paddington.

His first published story was in the UK indie magazine Psychotrope in 1994, and in 1997 Tanjen published his first novel Mesmer. His latest novel  The Edge (Relics) is out now from Titan Books. 

Have you had any real life encounters with ghosts?

Now, I'm not saying it was a ghost. I'm not. But ... this was one of the spookiest moments of my life. I was maybe 9 years old, and I had a terrible cough. Late one night my dad gave me some grief about making so much noise (sounds harsh now, right? I guess he just wanted some sleep, and we had a very small house). So I lay on my left hand side and did my best not to cough, holding my breath, holding back the coughs, sweating, suffering. And then in the distance ... footsteps. They started a long way away. They were steady, measured, calm. Echoing as if approaching me along a long tunnel. They got nearer, louder, until they'd gone from a gentle impact to a loud pounding. I sat up straight, and the moment my head left the pillow the footsteps stopped. As I said, I'm not saying it was a ghost. It was probably my heartbeat, labouring under my efforts to hold back my coughing. But for a long, long time I didn't sleep on my left hand side again. And now that I'm spent a few minutes recalling whatever it was approaching me down that long, echoing tunnel of sleep, I reckon I'll be sleeping on my back tonight.

 Local Ghost stories where we talk about the local ghost stories that most folk haven’t heard about

There are quite a few old pillboxes scattered around the countryside where I live. I see a few of them on my cross-country runs and bike rides. I always find them fascinating places, but there's one that is more interesting than most. The story goes that towards the end of the war a young man was living rough in one of these pillboxes, after being kicked out of his house and hounded out of town because he'd refused to sign up for the war effort. He was in hiding, and though most people knew where he was living, no one wanted to give him up to the authorities. One night during a terrible storm a paraffin lamp he was using was knocked over, spilling burning fuel all over his bedding. In his panic to escape he couldn't find the small exit, and he ended up burning to death inside. They found him several days later, and it's said that on particularly stormy nights you can still see a flicker of fire coming from inside the old, overgrown pillbox. I love running at night. I love running in the rain. But that's one place I avoid on stormy, dark runs.

What is your favourite TV show about Ghosts?

There was a show in the 70s called Beasts, and one episode in particular, Baby, traumatised me when i first saw it. I must have been 9 or ten years old, maybe even younger. Perhaps my parents letting me watch that led me down the route I'm still travelling now. Anyway, for years I remembered that haunting, terrifying episode, never knowing what it was called or where to watch it! Then maybe 12 or 15 years ago I was staying with my good mate Mark Morris, and we were talking about things on TV that had scared us. I described this to him .... and he said "Oh, that's Baby, from the Beasts TV series. I've got it on video, we'll watch it this evening!"  And we did.  And I'm pleased to say ... it scared the living shit out of me all over again.​

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