The Ghosts Of King's Lynn And West Norfolk

[DrPaulLee]

@PeteByrdie I hope you enjoy it!

 

[DrPaulLee]

Well, three weeks after one of their staff messaged me asking if I'd like to do an interview about my book and over a week since I sent a follow up message, Radio West Norfolk finally got in touch saying "we had the ghost tour lady in the end so all was ok" and saying to get in touch next Halloween which is of course too late.
I was very put out, playing second fiddle. Blocked!

 

[DrPaulLee]

Sorry if I sound angry. I was/still am!

 

[PeteByrdie]

Well, three weeks after one of their staff messaged me asking if I'd like to do an interview about my book and over a week since I sent a follow up message, Radio West Norfolk finally got in touch saying "we had the ghost tour lady in the end so all was ok" and saying to get in touch next Halloween which is of course too late.
I was very put out, playing second fiddle. Blocked!

Perhaps you'll have another book out by next Halloween.

 

[DrPaulLee]

Another *ghost* book seems unlikely although I have one or two ideas for towns, and one nationwide project for the long term. I'm hoping to get most of a ghostly project finished by next October which might spark some interest in the press... More news as and when!

 

[DrPaulLee]

I mean "another ghost book in time for Halloween next year"

 

[PeteByrdie]

I mean "another ghost book in time for Halloween next year"

Well that's not surprising. It's only now that I'm reading your book that I'm getting an impression of the sheer amount of research you've undertaken, and the time that must have been involved.

 

[DrPaulLee]

The pandemic made research very difficult as you can imagine. I had a long wish list of material to look up at the library. I had to sit patiently for about 18 months. Fortunately, gutenberg.org, books.google.com and archive.org were of enormous help. In the end, there was only one antiquarian book I wanted that I couldn't get access to, but others had quoted the relevant passage so I got what I needed. Other people with bigger ghost book collections came forward admirably. When it came to collecting recent stories, a lot of people were happy to be interviewed on-line...other people less so, even though they'd given the bare bones of their stories on forums. They just didn't reply to my messages. Oh well!

The most satisfying thing is that these stories now have a permanent record. If Facebook (where I obtained a lot of recent stories and where a lot of interviews were held ) were to vanish overnight, these tales won't be lost forever.

 

[DrPaulLee]

My piece in the local press:

 

[Yithian]

But are you taking part in the risqué adult panto?

 

[DrPaulLee]

My God, I wish!

 

[DrPaulLee]

It's been a slow seller (hopefully the mention in next month's FT may help) but there was a last minute rush as people despaired of their existing Christmas gift list (also a local museum stocking it has helped).
I'm really hoping that some new stories come forward. I've been told of a few, including one from Alison Weir who lived in Lynn in the mid 70s. She's related a story she read in the local press but those years are in the British Newspaper archive and it's not there, so I suspect that it's a story she's been told, rather than read.

 

[Frideswide]

Just realised I hadn't done an Amazon review and so it's now being processed. All positive!

 

[DrPaulLee]

Just realised I hadn't done an Amazon review and so it's now being processed. All positive!

Thank you!