Tag Archives: halloween

In which the Author embarks on a Halloween ‘tour’ of Scotland…

This Halloween I’m giving a series of talks on spooky subjects at various places in Scotland. Zombies, poltergeists, vampires, witchcraft – there’s something for everyone.

1. SUBJECT: SUPERNATURAL SCOTLAND

WHEN: Tuesday 28th October, 7pm

WHERE: ABERFELDY – Breadalbane Campus, Aberfeldy, Perth & Kinross PH15 2DU

DETAILS: A medieval monk describes an outbreak of zombies in the Scottish Borders.  A poltergeist case in

Edinburgh ends up in court. The Maggie Wall Witchcraft Monument in Perthshire is a complex fake. A ghost

sighting in Dundee provokes a mini-riot. And hundreds of Glasgow schoolchildren invade a graveyard hunting a

vampire with iron teeth. Based on meticulous original research, prolific author (and highly entertaining speaker) in

this Halloween special Geoff Holder reveals some of the historical and modern mysteries of the Scottish

paranormal experience. Welcome to Supernatural Scotland. It’s stranger than you can imagine.

COST: £5

MORE INFO: http://www.pkc.gov.uk/article/9844/Supernatural-Scotland-with-Geoff-Holder

 

2. SUBJECT: ZOMBIES FROM HISTORY

WHEN: Thursday 30th October, 7.30pm

WHERE: EDINBURGH – Skeptics in the Pub, Banshee Labyrinth, 29-35 Niddry Street, EH1 1LG (just off the Royal Mile).

DETAILS: It’s the night of the living dead… Zombie culture didn’t start with George Romero. Here be medieval

chroniclers’ sworn-to-be-true tales of the plague-spreading undead, including the pugilistic zombie of Paisley and

the zombie monk of the Scottish Borders; archeological evidence from graveyards of Anglo-Saxon and Romano-

British fear of the walking dead; several ‘Ladies with the Ring’, all supposedly revived in the grave by jewel-stealing gravediggers; the men who were hanged and buried – and then revived; the Cumbrian Crusader whose corpse

was still bleeding 800 years after his death; and the ancient bog body that accidentally solved a modern murder

mystery.

Warning: contains corpses.

COST: FREE

MORE INFO: here 

 

3. SUBJECT: SEX, LIES AND POLTERGEISTS! at the FIRST EVER SCOTTISH PARANORMAL FESTIVAL

WHEN: FRIDAY 31ST OCTOBER, 3.30PM

WHERE: Albert Halls, Albert Place, Dumbarton Road, Stirling FK9 4LA

DETAILS: Activity which has baffled paranormal investigators for centuries. Focusing on Scotland, Geoff will

discuss the earliest recorded Scottish poltergeist, a witchcraft episode from Stirling, and an Aberdeenshire

example kickstarted by young lust.

A canvas of commonsense-defying mysteries that stretches from the year 1635 to the present day.

COST: £5

MORE INFO: http://www.paranormalscotland.com/presentations/geoff-holder-sex-lies-and-poltergeists/

 

In which the Author takes a Halloween tour in Scotland (and looks for further gigs)…

Are you in Scotland and looking for a speaker during Halloween week? In the last week of October I’ll be knocking the French mud off my boots and venturing back to Scotland for a series of talks, and there are a few gaps in the

schedule, so I’m looking for some other opportunities.

Here’s the skinny:

On the evening of Tuesday 28th October I’m talking about ‘Supernatural Scotland’ at the Breadalbane Library in

Aberfeldy, Perth & Kinross.

On Wed 29th (evening) I’m presenting my crowd-pleasing ‘Zombies from History’ to the Edinburgh Skeptics at the Banshee Labyrinth. Warning: may contain corpses.

Thurs 30th (evening) I’m in Perth with the Filmmakers Club.

And in the afternoon of Friday 31st, Halloween itself, I’m at the (drum-roll) Scottish Paranormal Festival in Stirling,

giving a talk entitled ‘Sex, Lies & Poltergeists’: expect scenes of destruction, pointless violence and icky fluids from the very beginning.

So, if you are looking for a Halloween speaker on all matters ghoul and ghast anytime between Monday 27th

October and Saturday 1st November, please get in touch.

In which the Author writes on zombies for the History Press blog…

With Halloween upon us, the October Newsletter of the History Press (publishers of

Zombies from History among other fine works) turns appropriately to thoughts of ghost and ghoul. I’ve contributed five zombilicious items to their blog:

Zombies: the return of the dead in history

A zombie hunter’s guide

Where to ride out the zombie apocalypse

Anti-zombie weapons

And the all-important question: Why do we love zombies?

Enjoy the zombie jamboree.

In which the Author talks bodysnatching in Dundee’s ‘Courier’ newspaper…

On Monday 21st October the “Life Matters’ section of The Courier  featured some beardy bloke holding a sheep

skull and grinning inanely. Oh wait, that was me….

The piece by Caroline Lindsay comes a few days before I’m giving two talks on ‘Bodysnatching in Scone’ at Scone Palace. AND, people, goodness me there are strange things afoot, for during the Saturday talk I’ll be filmed by a

crew from TF1, the French equivalent of BBC1, for a ‘Halloween in Scotland’ special. Come along and you too

could be on le French telly…

027CE2110COAThe talks, which are suitable for over 16s, will take place at 1pm on 26th and 27th October, in the Murray Suite at Scone Palace. Tickets, which cost £10 per person and also include grounds admission, must be pre-booked by

telephoning 01738 552300 or emailing visits@scone-palace.co.uk. The full range of Spooky Hallowe’en Weekend events can be found at www.scone-palace.co.uk

Venue: Scone Palace, Scone, Perth PH2 6BD.

 

In which the author reflects on a quiet night in, on Halloween…

You may be familiar with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. AKA one of television’s greatest creations. Ever.

 

In one episode, several of the characters call upon Spike the vampire on Halloween, and are surprised to find him home alone in his crypt, watching old movies on television. When they ask why he isn’t out terrifying the population, he replies that for him, it’s Halloween every night of the year. So on October 31st he likes to have a quiet night in.

 

Now, I may not be quite as toothsome as ol’ Spike, but I know what he means. Everyone assumes that, with my interests, I’m out getting involved in major spookiness on Halloween. But, given that my typical day involves sitting in a book-lined room decorated with skulls and gargoyles, and writing about subjects such as 17th century demonology, poltergeists, bodysnatching, ghosts, anomalous animals, and monsters – well, Halloween just doesn’t seem like an unusual date.

 

So it will be a quiet Halloween. I’ll work, walk the dog, work some more, and then do a bit of reading or watch TV. Nothing spooky at all. Now, has anyone seen my copy of Legends of Blood? I need to check out some vampire sightings…