He who scares, wins - our quick Halloween club ghost check

Break out the pumpkins, dim the club lights and prepare for unearthly adventures – Halloween has arrived. Are you ready for a visitation? If so, let’s hope it’s from members.

Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve, was once believed to be the night when the souls of the dead returned to their homes to feast and celebrate before the start of a new year. For clubs, however, the thought of the dearly departed wandering back for a free pint – without so much as paying their subscriptions – may be a step too far.

DOES YOUR CLUB HAVE A GHOST STORY?

• We're looking for Clubland's best spooky stories.
• Has a member seen someone in an empty room?
• Does your club have a mysterious set of footsteps?
• Is there a particular chair nobody wants to sit in?
• Have lights, doors, glasses or even pool balls been known to move when nobody was there?
• Or perhaps an old member is said to make the occasional return visit…

We want to hear from you!

Send us your club's ghost stories, strange happenings, old photographs or tales passed down through generations of members. You never know — your club could be home to one of Clubland's most intriguing residents!

A few ghostly tales to get you started

Across the UK, a surprising number of clubs have their own stories of unexplained footsteps, shadowy figures and strange happenings. From the sighting of a Victorian girl at Parkside Social Club in Haworth, to reports of a former performer lingering at Duple Social Club in Blackpool, Clubland has its fair share of spooky legends.

At Howley Hall Golf Club near Leeds, visitors have reported seeing figures in period dress near the ruins of the old hall, while London’s historic Gargoyle Club is said to have been visited by the ghostly presence of Nell Gwynne, the famous mistress of King Charles II. And the notorious Hellfire Club at West Wycombe has long been associated with mysterious voices and unexplained activity.

Perhaps the most famous club ghost of all is said to be Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain, who once worked at Caesar’s Club in London and, according to legend, never entirely left.

Fact, folklore or simply the power of suggestion?

Halloween is the perfect time to decide for yourself. So switch down the lights, gather your members, share a few spine-tingling tales and ask the question: could your club be harbouring a ghost? 

Get in touch! caroline@clubmirror.com