Club chilled by criminal hauntings

Our first meeting of the New Year featured a talk by guest speaker Lindsay Siviter. Lindsay is a crime historian who has served on the staff of Scotland Yard’s “Black Museum” and is an expert on the Ripper murders. She is also interested in the paranormal, being a member of the Ghost Club, founded in Victorian times, and the subject of her talk was Ghosts of Scotland Yard. The Yard has actually had five different locations—the original being Great Scotland Yard, a name the establishment took with it when it moved—offering a broad platform for crime-related hauntings. Lindsay’s lecture included a photograph taken as part of a magazine shoot (but not published at the time) seeming to show the spectral figure of Sir Robert Peel on a staircase, as well as a personal experience where she herself was caught on infrared camera, dressed in Victorian costume for an event, surrounded by moving discs of light (known as ‘orbs’ in ghost-spotting circles). Although Lindsay’s talk was not specifically about the Black Museum, it’s clearly a subject she is passionate about, and in answering questions at the end she shared plenty of bonus details and anecdotes about the place. Note that, owing to issues of privacy and copyright, Lindsay requested that we did not webcast or record the talk, so you will not find the customary video upload this time.

Many thanks to Lindsay for her entertaining and informative address, and to Pandora Harrison for finding Lindsay and negotiating her appearance at our meeting. You can see many more photos from the evening at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sheridanclub/albums/72177720323089710.

At least now I know I'll be remembered for my fearless photojournalism exposing the corruption and venality at the heart of the New Sheridan Club