It's correct pronunciation is 'Sow an'. Thank you for this walk, I lived at Holborn from 1961 to 74 then my Dad still lived there until he passed in 1991. It brought back many memories, thank you 🇦🇺
There's a staircase in Madame Tussauds on the staff side, that goes down several flights into darkness, at the bottom of which is a windowless room with just the one doorway . When I worked there no one would dare go down those stairs. I think I made it about halfway before turning back because of the increasingly heavy atmosphere. The Planetarium control room was said to be haunted as was several other locations around the building. Great walk as always John, the ghosts enjoyed it I'm sure.. AA++
I found this walk very peaceful and comforting, for some reason. Ghosts can be scary and malevolent, but there is something comforting about the idea that the world we see is perhaps not all there is--that the imprints of our lives might remain long after we are gone.
Another marvellous walk led by John. He makes it all so interesting wherever he goes. Great atmosphere for this Hallowe'en walk and I learned lots. I didn't know anything about 'Samhain' but I'm sure I remember that The Muffin Man "lived down Drury Lane". I loved the music too. Really spooky!
Samhain...the Irish pronounce it as 'Sow - wen or win' ...it's apparently the day the veil between the world of the living and the dead is at its thinnest...Oooooooooo....I hope the Lady in Black is still playing by the time I get to London..love to see it....thanks for the nighttime video John...great as always....
Great night walk on halloween! Enjoyed that tour of London encompassing a few boozers along the way. I really like your presentation & narration. Please try & come up the vale to the midlands & the north; plenty of subject matter for you to get stuck into. Godbless ya & take care.
I loved all the Rivers of London references. I did the tour of first book locations myself when I was in London a few years back, but it's better at night.
Excellent video! Your enthusiastic musings really capture that spooky haunted urban feel. I have friends who see themselves as ultra-rational and I sometimes think it's as if they have killed some part of themselves. They're so taken by this whole "skeptic" thing that they can't indulge in such wonders as telling ghost stories around a fire. I see life and consciousness as one big ongoing mystery. According to family lore my great grandfather was into the whole Victorian psychic thing and was a gifted medium who used to manifest an Indian spirit. I always had the image of a native American in my head but I recently researched his life and in the late-1800s he was posted in India. I suppose he could have encountered all sorts of crazy shamanic stuff there. I'd give anything for a half hour chat with him! I also learned that he lived in London for a few years and my great uncle was registered being born in Kennington at the same time as Austin Osman Spare was living and working there. When I found this out I felt there was some kind of connection between Spare and my great granddad. I'd always felt drawn to Spare and his work. I'll never really know though. After London he moved up here to Hull for some reason and he lived a couple of streets away from where another hero of mine, JRR Tolkien, was convalescing during World War One! It's highly likely that they at least passed in the street. There's so many "what ifs" hiding in these streets
That was a fabulously spooky film. Thank you. I believe that Halloween and Bonfire Night are a manifestation of Samhain. I think the earliest settlers took it to USA so that is why Halloween is the big thing over there but due to political and religious reasons it became Bonfire Night here. I once saw a tv show about the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and in it, Michael Ball said that it is very unsettling to be in that theatre after hours when it's dark and empty. I have a spooky London story. In June 2019 I had a day up to London to visit Columbia Rd Flower Market,one of my favourite places. I intended to walk back down Brick Lane but I lost my way in the 70s housing estate and ended up somewhere else. I had a map but I was quite enjoying being lost,so I carried on and saw a little short cut through. It was a hot sunny day and I was in an upbeat mood but as I approached this short lane I felt apprehensive. As I walked through it was cold as cold or so it felt to me,and it was gloomy and dark like the sun had gone in. The minute I stepped out it was hot and sunny and I felt alright again. I glanced at the name and it was Little Nichol St. I don't know if that was the site of one of the Ripper murders but it felt like it. I must say here,this happened,that's all. I don't actually believe in the supernatural,the paranormal,ghosts any of that stuff and I'm not a sensitive person. But this happened.
Happy Halloween John 🎃 I have so many memories of great Halloweens spent in London pubs, including the Princess Louise. Some beautiful mirrors in there. Never knew Senate House was in Ghostbusters! From Birkbeck bar I once saw the sun go down and light up Senate House in bright orange. Beautiful sight. I love this video, thanks for this. 🎃🧡🎃
So looking forwards to this , and enjoying the ancient sights of Ipswich , appearing in the arts festival , at the moment pub grub and some real ale for Mr Chris . We wish you a Blessed Samhain xxx
Hi John. Interesting evening walking by you . When I lived in London I loved these evening walks especially in the city or along the river . Thanks for the walk 👍
My wife and I went to see The Woman In Black in London a number of years ago. There is an especially scary part with a rocking chair which scared my wife so much that she threw her entire bag of Skittles up in the air and they rained down on the people in the circle below us. This in turn got them screaming. Absolute theatre going highlight for me! :D
Glad I found your channel I have really enjoyed this bank holiday Monday sitting and watching places in London I have walked, worked and had great times. Thank you.
Thank you. This saved my Sunday. Before COVID I used to visit London every January attending education technology conference (BETT). Your videos have both comfort me (in my longing to experience London again) and given me insight and ideas what to see next time I come to London.
I love the way you express feelings about these places, you can feel people of the past. I visited a local hall years ago to buy tickets for an event. I could feel servants still bustling about in the corridor I had to use for access to the ticket office.
you have become such an animated story teller - i think you could describe a massive tesco in merseyside poetically enough for me to want to spend time there
Wonderful video John as usual :) and happy Halloween :) I remember Free Masons hall being used as M15 headquarters in the BBC series Spooks. The spookiest place I ever spent Halloween was down in Wapping wandering along the river front looking for execution dock and some pirate ghosts
Hi John. Another fantastic video thankyou! Also the princess louise is my favourite pub in London, I remember reading the serial killer Dennis Neilson picked up one of his victims in there
Hi John, Holborn is pronounced Hoe-bn, you're too much of a Londoner not to know this!!!! I love your channel, thank you for the excellent videos from a fellow East Londoner
@@JohnRogersWalks not that I'm a pronunciation pedant or anything 😉. I was born at Lughnasadh so.. 😂. Sunday evenings are all the better for your content. Happy wanderings!
Very atmospheric! Great choice of music. I went on a London ghost walk once - actually it just seemed an excuse to visit a number of pubs! And many years ago I met Susan Hill - she was staying with friends, when I lived in Coventry. It's my only claim to fame!
Lovely video John, lots of fun. My favourite part of the West End. I was once one of the last punters to leave the Royal Opera House after a performance, I promise you I felt the ghosts of yesterday there, a strange, but not scary, experience, imbued with so many years of radiated enjoyment.
For about 6 or 7 years in the 1980s I worked in an office at the corner of High Holborn and Drury Lane. Your walk brought back many happy memories, especially slipping into the Louise for a quick pint on the way home from work. Now the big question - why is it that theatres are supposed to be haunted?
Wonderful video John :). Makes me want to wander and explore through the pathways of London .... Samhain is pronounced sow - wen . It's a pagan festival honouring the dead and our ancestors . One of the major festivals of the pagan wheel of the year.
Brilliant video once again John, really caught the atmosphere of your topic as always. Never knew there was a abandoned tram tunnel in that part of London. never fail to learn something new from watching your walks.
that was a lot of fun! next time take a pillow case, so you can do some trick or treating along the way 😊 edit - also, there's a theatre somewhere where it is said, that if you are in there after closing, you can go and sit in one of the seats in the dark, and, if you are patient, someone [thing?] will come and sit beside you, for as long as you can stand it. it doesn't matter which seat you choose, either, it will come and sit beside you.
I let my mind run wild and imagination get the better of me thinking of how London looked in dickens time people who had nothing begging on the street and what terrible things that occurred during that period brilliantly done John Rogers big thank you for sharing sleep tight to night .
Hi,John I've just discovered your channel and I'm really enjoying it, I can't believe any one can give you a thumbs down but they are probably just trolls. Anyway keep up the good work. 👍
Fantastic video and so much better at night, just a shame the clocks went back and we had to wait an extra hour for it. I saw "The woman in black" in July 1995, yup super scary. Sadly, I hate to correct you but the Kingsway tram tunnel is not abandoned. It's used by TfL and the London Borough of Camden pretty much 24/7. TfL used it recently for something to do with Crossrail and the London Borough of Camden use it for storage. There is talk of opening it up for "Open House" weekends. It was also used for a while as a flood control centre (whoever thought of putting a flood control centre underground need a lot of help) It has also been used as emergency fire station during the fireman strike in 1977, they parked Green Goddesses down there. It is still used but not as much as it could be
I used to work at The Covent Garden Hotel on Monmouth Street It used to be a WW2 hospital it is said to be haunted. I used to hate working the late shift as I would fear of something bad happening. I always had a bad feeling on the top floor in the eves. We was always told by ex workers that they could hear the trams late at night within the hotels basement Love your video I have just stumbled across this.
Brilliant John. Theatre Royal where Nell Gwyn sold her oranges-would like to meet her ghost. Went to a book signing at the Ols Bell Tavern near St Pauls now that does have an atmosphere.
Favourite TH-camr hands down, can’t get enough of these walks. Hope to one day bump into you!
It's correct pronunciation is 'Sow an'. Thank you for this walk, I lived at Holborn from 1961 to 74 then my Dad still lived there until he passed in 1991. It brought back many memories, thank you 🇦🇺
There's a staircase in Madame Tussauds on the staff side, that goes down several flights into darkness, at the bottom of which is a windowless room with just the one doorway . When I worked there no one would dare go down those stairs. I think I made it about halfway before turning back because of the increasingly heavy atmosphere. The Planetarium control room was said to be haunted as was several other locations around the building. Great walk as always John, the ghosts enjoyed it I'm sure.. AA++
I found this walk very peaceful and comforting, for some reason. Ghosts can be scary and malevolent, but there is something comforting about the idea that the world we see is perhaps not all there is--that the imprints of our lives might remain long after we are gone.
That was magical. Thank you. Looking forward to the next walk.
thanks so much Sally
Another marvellous walk led by John. He makes it all so interesting wherever he goes. Great atmosphere for this Hallowe'en walk and I learned lots. I didn't know anything about 'Samhain' but I'm sure I remember that The Muffin Man "lived down Drury Lane". I loved the music too. Really spooky!
A terrific walk, John. I reckon Charlie Dickens would be proud. 🎃
Evening John, thanks for another great walk, always learning something from you.
wonderful to hear Iain - hope you have a great evening
@@JohnRogersWalks you to, John
Samhain...the Irish pronounce it as 'Sow - wen or win' ...it's apparently the day the veil between the world of the living and the dead is at its thinnest...Oooooooooo....I hope the Lady in Black is still playing by the time I get to London..love to see it....thanks for the nighttime video John...great as always....
Great comment. If you want to piss off Irish people pronounce it Sam Hein ;)
thanks Maggie - I think I've got it now
Great night walk on halloween! Enjoyed that tour of London encompassing a few boozers along the way. I really like your presentation & narration. Please try & come up the vale to the midlands & the north; plenty of subject matter for you to get stuck into. Godbless ya & take care.
An atmospheric stroll-- a perfect spooky treat for tonight! Thank you, John.
Happy “All Hallows’ eve “ John and everyone.
Cheers Jay
I loved all the Rivers of London references. I did the tour of first book locations myself when I was in London a few years back, but it's better at night.
Excellent video! Your enthusiastic musings really capture that spooky haunted urban feel. I have friends who see themselves as ultra-rational and I sometimes think it's as if they have killed some part of themselves. They're so taken by this whole "skeptic" thing that they can't indulge in such wonders as telling ghost stories around a fire. I see life and consciousness as one big ongoing mystery. According to family lore my great grandfather was into the whole Victorian psychic thing and was a gifted medium who used to manifest an Indian spirit. I always had the image of a native American in my head but I recently researched his life and in the late-1800s he was posted in India. I suppose he could have encountered all sorts of crazy shamanic stuff there. I'd give anything for a half hour chat with him! I also learned that he lived in London for a few years and my great uncle was registered being born in Kennington at the same time as Austin Osman Spare was living and working there. When I found this out I felt there was some kind of connection between Spare and my great granddad. I'd always felt drawn to Spare and his work. I'll never really know though. After London he moved up here to Hull for some reason and he lived a couple of streets away from where another hero of mine, JRR Tolkien, was convalescing during World War One! It's highly likely that they at least passed in the street. There's so many "what ifs" hiding in these streets
Thank you John, a chilling end to Sunday Keep safe . 😱😱
Thanks Dave
Fantastic walk and so interesting
Pretty sure it’s your calming voice that does it 😉
Really enjoy all you channel 👍🏻👍🏻✌️
Great video as usual John , and fantastic visual and audio quality, thank you
many thanks Rich - much appreciated
That was a fabulously spooky film. Thank you. I believe that Halloween and Bonfire Night are a manifestation of Samhain. I think the earliest settlers took it to USA so that is why Halloween is the big thing over there but due to political and religious reasons it became Bonfire Night here. I once saw a tv show about the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and in it, Michael Ball said that it is very unsettling to be in that theatre after hours when it's dark and empty. I have a spooky London story. In June 2019 I had a day up to London to visit Columbia Rd Flower Market,one of my favourite places. I intended to walk back down Brick Lane but I lost my way in the 70s housing estate and ended up somewhere else. I had a map but I was quite enjoying being lost,so I carried on and saw a little short cut through. It was a hot sunny day and I was in an upbeat mood but as I approached this short lane I felt apprehensive. As I walked through it was cold as cold or so it felt to me,and it was gloomy and dark like the sun had gone in. The minute I stepped out it was hot and sunny and I felt alright again. I glanced at the name and it was Little Nichol St. I don't know if that was the site of one of the Ripper murders but it felt like it. I must say here,this happened,that's all. I don't actually believe in the supernatural,the paranormal,ghosts any of that stuff and I'm not a sensitive person. But this happened.
I adore walks at late night.
Happy Halloween John 🎃 I have so many memories of great Halloweens spent in London pubs, including the Princess Louise. Some beautiful mirrors in there. Never knew Senate House was in Ghostbusters! From Birkbeck bar I once saw the sun go down and light up Senate House in bright orange. Beautiful sight. I love this video, thanks for this.
🎃🧡🎃
Samhain blessings to you John 🖤🧡
many thanks Celt
@@JohnRogersWalks You can pronounce it sow-in or sow-een btw
So looking forwards to this , and enjoying the ancient sights of Ipswich , appearing in the arts festival , at the moment pub grub and some real ale for Mr Chris . We wish you a Blessed Samhain xxx
Lovely spooky walk John, could be a thing for these long dark nights. I’ll be watching wherever it may be.
I love that you reference Ben Aaronovitch's books. Such a great series. Cheers.
Hi John. Interesting evening walking by you . When I lived in London I loved these evening walks especially in the city or along the river . Thanks for the walk 👍
New follower here!! Love to see creators putting heart on their craft! awesome work!Thanks for the share!
My wife and I went to see The Woman In Black in London a number of years ago. There is an especially scary part with a rocking chair which scared my wife so much that she threw her entire bag of Skittles up in the air and they rained down on the people in the circle below us. This in turn got them screaming. Absolute theatre going highlight for me! :D
What beautiful buildings there are in London. Thanks for the tour. Happy Halloween 🎃
This was a real treat to watch on Halloween John 🎃
Brilliant 🤩 my old stomping ground indeed! I adore London 😍 thank you John.
Glad I found your channel I have really enjoyed this bank holiday Monday sitting and watching places in London I have walked, worked and had great times. Thank you.
I enjoyed this so much. Look forward to your videos every Sunday. Thanks John!
Great channel,can't get enough lol👍💯
Thank you. This saved my Sunday. Before COVID I used to visit London every January attending education technology conference (BETT). Your videos have both comfort me (in my longing to experience London again) and given me insight and ideas what to see next time I come to London.
Nice spooky walk. Enjoyed it.
Such a great walk and great tales! Please consider another ghostly walk this year!
So Cool John!
I loved it! Your videos are awesome!!!! Thank you so much for these moments of delight watching them 😊🙏
I love the way you express feelings about these places, you can feel people of the past. I visited a local hall years ago to buy tickets for an event. I could feel servants still bustling about in the corridor I had to use for access to the ticket office.
Always entertaining - well done John
So nice to see real people onnthe streets of London again! But keep those distances, friends, it's only partway through.
As you said, "A lot of fun". Thank you for publishing this.
glad you enjoyed it John
you have become such an animated story teller - i think you could describe a massive tesco in merseyside poetically enough for me to want to spend time there
I really enjoyed this London Halloween vignette. The film came across as Otherwordly and was all the better for it. Captivating, John. 🇯🇪
Thanks John as always. Bob. 👍
cheers Bob
Another amazing walk, John. Samhain is pronounced like zow-inn.
Great video John. You can't beat a good ghost story, especially at Halloween!!
Wow, what an awesome treat. Thank you.
Enjoyed the walk on all hollows eve thanks John 👻
Drury Lane methinks. Great walk John - as usual - X
Wonderful video John as usual :) and happy Halloween :) I remember Free Masons hall being used as M15 headquarters in the BBC series Spooks. The spookiest place I ever spent Halloween was down in Wapping wandering along the river front looking for execution dock and some pirate ghosts
That’s a very spooky spot indeed Steve
Here for my second viewing. I enjoyed this so much! Happy Halloween 🎃💀👻🎃💀👻🎃
Many thanks Lisa
Hi John. Another fantastic video thankyou! Also the princess louise is my favourite pub in London, I remember reading the serial killer Dennis Neilson picked up one of his victims in there
Nice to see your beard is whitening up just for time for Christmas John 😉 great video as always.
Love your take on the Masons🤗
Hi John, Holborn is pronounced Hoe-bn, you're too much of a Londoner not to know this!!!! I love your channel, thank you for the excellent videos from a fellow East Londoner
Really enjoyed this John, thanks buddy
my pleasure Peter
Really appreciate your videos John. It's pronounced 'Sow - an''. Magical time of year ;-).
thanks for that correction Tess - I'll remember for next year
@@JohnRogersWalks not that I'm a pronunciation pedant or anything 😉. I was born at Lughnasadh so.. 😂. Sunday evenings are all the better for your content. Happy wanderings!
Nice one John for a spooky Halloween walk which was very atmospheric!!!
Thank you John! I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next blog. Happy Hallooween! Greetings from Switzerland.
Great walk and very informative as ever John
Thanks Henry
One of the best! When I finally get tickets to visit the UK (someday), I'll review this for my London itinerary.
Happy Halloween to you, John
Thanks John
@@JohnRogersWalks battle of the johns
Really enjoyed this walk...as usual it was fascinating..thank you
Very atmospheric! Great choice of music. I went on a London ghost walk once - actually it just seemed an excuse to visit a number of pubs! And many years ago I met Susan Hill - she was staying with friends, when I lived in Coventry. It's my only claim to fame!
I watched The Small Hand tonight, another creepy Susan Hill tale. 😳
wonderful!!! have you considered doing an "occult London" walk? i for one would be entranced. thanks John
Fascinating as always, thanks! 👍👻
Lovely video John, lots of fun. My favourite part of the West End. I was once one of the last punters to leave the Royal Opera House after a performance, I promise you I felt the ghosts of yesterday there, a strange, but not scary, experience, imbued with so many years of radiated enjoyment.
Some wonderful scenes of night time London John
What a wonderful presentation. Spookily produced. thank you
As always..... A pleasure Mush.. Thank You!
For about 6 or 7 years in the 1980s I worked in an office at the corner of High Holborn and Drury Lane. Your walk brought back many happy memories, especially slipping into the Louise for a quick pint on the way home from work. Now the big question - why is it that theatres are supposed to be haunted?
Great walk,thanks John
Wonderful video John :). Makes me want to wander and explore through the pathways of London ....
Samhain is pronounced
sow - wen . It's a pagan festival honouring the dead and our ancestors . One of the major festivals of the pagan wheel of the year.
Brilliant video once again John, really caught the atmosphere of your topic as always. Never knew there was a abandoned tram tunnel in that part of London. never fail to learn something new from watching your walks.
Another great walk and already excited for next weeks . All the best John 👍🏻
this is a pro-level video! super awesome!! New fan here!
Excellent video as always John.
John you are so knowledgeable
I enjoy your videos very much.
Look forward to the next one
Best wishes
Lee
Cheers Lee
The Peter Grant series are indeed excellent, I don't know London at all so when I re-read the first book again I will be able to picture it properly 😀
Get yourself to London and get lost. Something which is hard given there is a tube station every three feet.
I went into London last Thursday for a theatre show and it was very quiet in the street, I liked it.
Excellent as usual John, would love to spend the night in one of those theatres but will never happen... Take care ATB Chris.
When you mentioned Dury lane I couldn't help thinking of the nursery rhyme, The Muffin Man
Can’t say I’m into the whole Halloween but, but do enjoy a good ghost walk. Have been on some crackers, particularly one in Edinburgh 👻
One of those ghostly videos only you can make. Well done
Thanks very much Lionel & Mary
That was great. Really enjoyed this one!
The first time I've heard you say "traipsing around". Made me laugh as its something I'm also guilty of. Love this walk.
A great video for the season John.
that was a lot of fun! next time take a pillow case, so you can do some trick or treating along the way 😊 edit - also, there's a theatre somewhere where it is said, that if you are in there after closing, you can go and sit in one of the seats in the dark, and, if you are patient, someone [thing?] will come and sit beside you, for as long as you can stand it. it doesn't matter which seat you choose, either, it will come and sit beside you.
Really enjoyed that John👻
Fantastic thanks John
I let my mind run wild and imagination get the better of me thinking of how London looked in dickens time people who had nothing begging on the street and what terrible things that occurred during that period brilliantly done John Rogers big thank you for sharing sleep tight to night .
Hi,John I've just discovered your channel and I'm really enjoying it, I can't believe any one can give you a thumbs down but they are probably just trolls. Anyway keep up the good work. 👍
Fantastic Halloween walk John, Cheers mate..
Cheers Ralph
Thank you John . I really enjoyed that 👍
I’m late to the party.....but hey spooky creepy things happen all year round.... 😁🎃👍🏻
Fantastic video and so much better at night, just a shame the clocks went back and we had to wait an extra hour for it. I saw "The woman in black" in July 1995, yup super scary. Sadly, I hate to correct you but the Kingsway tram tunnel is not abandoned. It's used by TfL and the London Borough of Camden pretty much 24/7. TfL used it recently for something to do with Crossrail and the London Borough of Camden use it for storage. There is talk of opening it up for "Open House" weekends. It was also used for a while as a flood control centre (whoever thought of putting a flood control centre underground need a lot of help) It has also been used as emergency fire station during the fireman strike in 1977, they parked Green Goddesses down there. It is still used but not as much as it could be
Thanks for the info John - shame they didn’t bring the trams back
@@JohnRogersWalks trams again would be nice. I think when Ken Livingstone was mayor they were proposing the return of trams but nothing came of it
good stuff john, cheers.
Nice one, John. I like night time videos.
Thanks Markie
Love the Rivers of London series, the scene in covent garden was a bit spectacular too.. great walk, as ever. Samhain is pronounced "sow Inn" x
I used to work at The Covent Garden Hotel on Monmouth Street
It used to be a WW2 hospital it is said to be haunted.
I used to hate working the late shift as I would fear of something bad happening.
I always had a bad feeling on the top floor in the eves.
We was always told by ex workers that they could hear the trams late at night within the hotels basement
Love your video I have just stumbled across this.
Brilliant John. Theatre Royal where Nell Gwyn sold her oranges-would like to meet her ghost. Went to a book signing at the Ols Bell Tavern near St Pauls now that does have an atmosphere.