Canterbury Ghost Tour announced today that they will be running Special Singles Nights, the price will be £35 per person and includes a ghost tour and meal for one, no suppliments. The only restriction being that you must be like me single and ready to mingle. Booking now via the webiste see calendar for special dates, generally on a Monday night throughout the summer. The resturants featured include Cafe Rouge and Strada. Once you have booked and paid you will be sent a menu for you to choose your meals, and when returned you can relax and enjoy the tour. Scary tours often allow people to jump into a strangers arms for confort. This could be the start of a beautiful freindship or something more.

The tours are open to adults 18+, from anywhere in Kent, the numbers are limited to 35 people, tours will commence at 19:30 hours and will finish after the meals, approx 22:30 hrs. Bookings close 7 days prior to the date of the tours.

When asked why he came up with the idea, John Hippisley - Host of the tour, said, "I am single and have spent time and effort looking for the perfect partner, but online dating sites are clinical, and generally people are only interested in what you look like rather that what's in your heart. This way people will be safe and secure in company of like minded people. I plan that each person in the group will change places during the meal after each course, then at least they will have a chance to have a relaxed conversation with good food and good company. It will also help the Restaurants out who are often empty on a Monday night. If it proves popular then I will make it a regular event."

Book your special night now click on the tickets page and select your date, you never know who you will end up with, unless you book now.

I have enclosed a PDF Map of the new location, as vistors to the city may require assiatnce in locating the new premises.

Download the PDF map here.

News Release
25^th February 2012

The Canterbury Ghost Hunter is asked to investigate Haunting of a headless man in former Canterbury London Road Hotel

Many people pass by this former hotel on a daily basis and few give it a second thought, but the former “Pointer’s Hotel”, has been investigated by Kent’s Premier Award Winning Ghost Hunter John Hippisley, better known locally for the weekly night time tours he conducts through the city by cover of darkness.

John has been invited in to investigate some very strange things happening in the former Cathedral Guest House, original constructed for official visitors to Canterbury Cathedral in 1750’s. Its location was no accident, for if you look from the front door of No 1 London Road, you have a direct line of sight to the Westgate of Canterbury, from where, according to local history buffs, the city guard could signal a city messenger to inform the Cathedral of the arrival of guests. The building was always known locally as “Pointers Hotel”, named after the finger pointers which used to be located in-front of it, sadly they are long gone, it closed as a Hotel in the 1990’s and has since been converted to flats. Recently one resident has reported a ghostly apparition, standing in the door way of one of his rooms, he claimed without a head. Does this ring any bells?

John Hippisley said; “I received a call on my mobile out of the blue, from The owner of one of the flats, and agreed to meet him to discuss the case he was recommended to me by a mutual friend. When I was greeted at the front door of No 1 London Road by The owner, he appeared distressed, but very amiable and invited me in for a coffee and a chat. As soon as I entered the hall I could feel the familiar air of coldness that I have come to expect when investigating the paranormal. I was then shown into the former bar area to the right hand side, which I recall from when I visited the place when it was still a hotel in the early 1980’s. The warm friendly bar seemed bitterly cold and very unwelcoming. There was no presence apart from a musty smell, I remarked on the fact but The owner declined to comment. He then conducted a tour of the house and I noted he had two cats, both of whom appeared friendly and welcoming, although I did note that as we walked toward the cellar area, one appeared to look right through me to something behind me. Could this have been the spirit perhaps? Cats and Dogs often pick up on things we Humans cannot, in this case the spirit of a lost soul. As we descended the narrow stair well, I became aware of a very cold presence on the mid-way part of the stairs, The owner was in front of me, but it was palpable, and almost clammy. A shiver ran down my spine as a hand had touched my shoulder. The cellar appeared to be much warmer, in one corner was a blocked up doorway, the plaster board covering it was hollow to the touch, and The owner remarked that a previous resident had knocked a brick though and shone a torch through to get a peek an had claimed there were more rooms beyond. His bedroom was also cold, but not damp, and whilst the radiators were hot they appeared to radiate no heat into the room, I noticed vents in the ceiling which had been taped over to stem the draught, but that made no difference, it felt damp and cold, but The owner confirmed that humidity reading showed there was no dampness in the air or the structure. We looked into the bathroom, which had under floor heating and it felt the warmest room in the flat so far. Just opposite the door was an old well, possibly from a previous residence, as John could not imagine the need for a well in a relatively modern structure in the 1750’s.’

‘John asked what other events had been witnessed, for where there is a haunting there is often other strange occurrences, which appear unrelated, but in my experience they form a pattern of behaviour as if the spirit is making their presence known. ‘  

‘Richard then explained that for some months after they moved into the property following its conversion in 2005, having returned from living in Norway, his wife had some odd experiences and always assumed that Richard was messing around. She often heard, someone entering her room when she was brushing her hair, or when in the bath room, the door would creak open. When she heard this she often ignored it as there was normally just the two of them in the flat. Once she was sleeping and heard footsteps coming down the cellar stairs late at night whilst Richard was away on business, she remarked that he was home late and waited for him to come to bed. But he did not return till the following day. On another occasion she had been in the house on her own when Richard returned to find all the oranges in the fruit bowl in the kitchen had been stabbed with kitchen knives, his wife had been down stairs the whole night and was aghast when she saw them. He could give no explanation as to how that happened but it is the same room where the cats sleep and have their litter tray.’

‘Richard went on to explain that recently – within the past few months, his cats had been acting oddly, sometimes, making a mess away from their litter tray, often attributed as a sign of distress amongst cats, who are re-marking their territory, as if the presence of a stranger is threatening their home. They are both house trained and had never done it before.’

‘I then asked more about the apparition he claimed to have seen, this was odd as he described the person as wearing coarse hessian cloth robes in black, but not dyed black, and he also mentioned that he appeared without a head. As soon as he mentioned that, it seemed an odd coincidence that Thomas Moore’s Head is allegedly buried within the Roper Vault in St Dunstan’s Church just opposite. I had been into the church only days before to research with a friend. Could this be the ghost of Sir Thomas Moore, and the tragedy of his death still haunts the vicinity where his head is buried, is the spirit desperately searching for its location or is it a more recent death?’

To clarify his findings John has invited local Psychic Suzanne Artus to take a tour of the house to open lines of communication, no Ouija boards will be necessary as Suzanne has a Psychic guide to help her.

It is hoped that other residents of the property which is now been converted into parts of 7 flats, but whose entrances are in fact 1 Whitstable Road, if they too have come across either the apparition or other strange occurrences, so John can get a fuller picture, maybe the spirit just haunts the ground it feels comfortable with?

If you have a haunted property you can always contact John Hippisley via his website www.canterburyghosttour.com or call 0845 519 0267

JOHN HIPPISLEY HOST OF THE CANTERBURY GHOST TOUR APPEARS ON SATURDAY NIGHT’S BBC 1’S JOHN BISHOP’S BRITAIN!

John Hippisley’s appearance on BBC TV’s John Bishop’s Britain on Saturday 30^th July 2011 at 9pm, came as a surprize to many Canterbury residents, for whilst they had seen him parading around the streets of Canterbury in his top hat and black-cloak by dark, conducting his award winning Canterbury Ghost Tour, they never expected to see him in their living room – Spooky!

Objective Productions, the London-based Production Company and brainchild of the BBC’s very popular weekend TV show ‘John Bishop’s Britain’, approached John Hippisley in March 2011, to appear in the August Line up for the BBC Saturday night peak-time show. They spotted him in un-broadcasted pilot for an Endemol Production ‘For What it’s Worth’ – the previous Christmas – in which John had appeared with Comedian Edd Burn, Presenter Richard Madely, and former model Melanie Sykes.

When asked if he was nervous about appearing on National prime time television, John shrugged his shoulders and said; “I am happy to bear my soul to strangers most Friday and Saturday night’s through the year whilst producing my popular Canterbury Ghost Tour, so the idea of appearing on a TV show did not bother me. I am very proud that I made it through to the show. During filming back in April, the Director commented; ‘that many of the interviewees end up on the cutting-room floor’ – so to have ended up on the opening credits and appeared in the show is quite an achievement.

Asked whether anybody had commented on his appearance, John beamed with pride as he explained; “Within minutes of my appearance, my Facebook page came alive with comments from my friends all over England, all saying how surprized they were to see me on National Prime-time BBC TV. Then on Monday I was in Sainsbury’s but not wearing my ghost tour garb when a stranger came up and asked me; ‘Are you the bloke who was on the telly on Saturday Night?’ – It gave me quite a feeling of pride, that I had been recognised by the public, my only regret was that I did not put an advertising banner around my top hat at the time! I have since received several phone calls from the public who want to join my tour – they do say ‘any publicity is good publicity’ ”

John’s award winning Canterbury Ghost Tour (TripAdvisor.com rated Excellent) is on, every Friday and Saturday night meeting outside Alberrys Wine bar, in St Margaret’s Street, at 8pm see www.canterburyghosttour.com for more details.

See the videos here

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Telephone Contact: 07779 575831

Website: www.canterburyghosttour.com

Email: canterburyghosttour@gmail.com

Info Line: 0845 519 0267

Tour Times: Every Friday & Saturday night at 8pm, meeting outside Alberrys Wine Bar, St Margaret’s Street, Canterbury

Here is some great feedback from a recent guest:

Just a quick note to thank you so much for our ghost tour last Thursday evening. The scouts loved it (all except the scared one!!) and were discussing its merits long into the night. We returned to the woods to sleep in our home made shelters to the sound of the wolves howling in the wildlife park next door where the scouts drank hot chocolate and swapped ghost stories till they fell asleep exhausted.

Thank you so much for helping us give them this wonderful experience.

Best Regards

For 1^st Hedgecourt Scout Group

From 1st August 2011 the new prices will be

Adults £9

Children £7.50 (previously £7)

Students £8.50 (Previously £8)

Group rates are unaffected.

Today I have intergrated a new accomodation providers section on my website, so if you are joining my tour but need a place to stay you can book here direct. See my new updated page here for more details

• Canterbury Ghost Tour rated "excellent" by 7 travellers