Paranormal Brighton and Hove



Paranormal Brighton and Hove

The first book to explore, in depth, the complete range of paranormal phenomena reported in Brighton & Hove. Here you will find accounts of well-known hauntings, as well as many previously undiscovered locations.

This fascinating account of local ‘sightings’ looks at traditional historical legends as well as modern day experiences, providing fresh knowledge together with the author’s personal accounts of new and traditional stories.

Janet Cameron’s ghostly tour of the area is illustrated with many of her own photographs.

Review for Paranormal Brighton & Hove

TITLE: Paranormal Brighton And Hove. AUTHOR: Janet Cameron. PUBLISHER: Amberley Publishing, Cirencester Road Chalford, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL6 8PE. PRICE: £12:99. ISBN: 978-1-84868-716-5


Yet another author working out of the stables of Amberley Books. Janet Cameron is a retired lecturer and author of a number of books and short stories and is a member of the Society of Woman’s writers and journalists. In this book Janet covers a wide and varied diversity of supernatural phenomena across Brighton and Hove in East Sussex and because I live in the county of East Sussex there are a number of locations which harbour her ghost stories, some of which, I have personally visited.

Janet states that Brighton and Hove (as well as its outlining villages) is claimed to be one of the most haunted areas in Britain (By whom!) There is no denying that this part of the UK is indeed very haunted but whether it beats hands down other counties in the UK is up for debate, nonetheless as statements go maybe that’s a fair one. Janet states that people have been living in this part of the UK for over 4,000 years so there is certainly a lot of spooky history to relate.

In her opening chapter Janet asks ‘What Is A Ghost’ is it the build up of residual energy or is it something else? She asks the question, do people just make up ghostly stories. The smugglers of old concocted ghostly stories in an effort to divert people away from their booty and those same stories eventually found themselves entering folklore where some people ended up believing them to be true, when in point of fact most of them, if not all, were not.

In chapter two she looks at ghosts and poltergeists in pubs, Inns and bars and boy there are a few. The famous actor Cary Grant is said to haunt the Rottingdean Club. Mr and Mrs Goodchild who owned the club for 18 months stated that Cary’s presence is not scary; it’s more a lovely and warm presence.

It never fails to amaze me about some of the ghostly stories you hear, take for instance the ghost that does dishes! I kid you not (you’ll find her on page 37) I was intrigued to read about the ghosts that haunt the lanes and ancient Twittens in Brighton which I personally visited a few years ago.

Then there is Brighton’s most haunted house, Preston Manor, a whole catalogue of bizarre occurrences have occurred there some of which center around ghostly children but perhaps the strangest is a wardrobe that causes clothes to develop a cut in diamond pattern! Who says ghostly events are all the same!

I found chapter 22 most interesting as it centers around an exorcism that was carried out at Beachy Head by some Spiritualists from Brighton. Beachy Head near Eastbourne is an infamous suicide spot where hundreds of people have jumped to their deaths from the cliffs onto the jagged rocks below this chapter makes for interesting reading.

The author then goes on to discuss Witchcraft and ancient magick and my friend White Witch Kevin Carlyon gets a mention when he used his magick spells to try and stop a mobile phone mast going up near the long man of Wilmington. The author then mentions psychic surgeons and miracle healings and also orbs and UFOs, even the subject of Crop Circles in East Sussex get’s a mention as does fortune telling and predictions. So there is a fair deal of subjects covered for the connoisseur of paranormal phenomenon.

A very well written and researched book then and one I would highly recommend to the students of the weird and the wonderful, more so if you live in East Sussex. Well done Janet.


Reviewed by Malcolm Robinson, Strange Phenomena Investigations. (1979)
malckyspi@yahoo.com www.facebook.com/malcolm.robinson2


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