Spooky Ripon venues sought for paranormal events
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Last updated Feb 25, 2022
Photo of Dion Child
Dion Child, pictured outside the Wakeman's Cafe, formerly the home of Ripon's first mayor Hugh Ripley

Do you own a haunted castle, hall, pub, manner house, or stately home in, or within easy reach of Ripon?

If you do, Dion Child would like to hear from you.

Recently arrived in the city Dion runs the growing ‘Write-on-Ripon’ group for creative writers. He also hopes to introduce people to his style of paranormal activity.

Dion formerly lived in Wales where he was involved in running Kington Ghostbusters. He told the Stray Ferret:

“I’ve come up with the name Ripon Spookers and am currently in contact with a range of likely locations, hoping the owners will let us spend a night trying to make contact with their resident spooks.”

He stressed:

“This has nothing to do with devil worship or anything dark and dangerous, but is intended to provide fascinating evenings, or perhaps weekends away, for like-minded people wanting to get in touch with the other side.

“Each will be a bespoke – or perhaps be-spooked event, focused on the ghostly inhabitants residing at each location.”

Like the Most Haunted TV series that ran for 18 seasons and proved a screaming success, the focus will be on finding the paranormal signs of spirit activity.

Dion said that he has never seen a ghost, but added:

“I have sensed a presence, heard footsteps when nobody was there, watched tables levitate and seen white globes floating in mid air.”

The Kington Ghostbusters group held its paranormal activities at reputedly haunted pubs, castles and stately homes and he is confident that similar places can be found in Ripon or surrounding area.

Dion pointed out:

“I’m relatively new to Ripon and have been hearing about places in the city and not far away, that have a haunting tale to tell, such as The Unicorn Inn with its ghosts and the Wakeman’s cafe, which was formerly home to Hugh Ripley, the first mayor of Ripon.

“I’ve heard legend has it that his ghostly figure will appear in a window looking onto the market square, if the hornblowers ever fail to set the nightly watch.

“I understand that this has never happened, including throughout the covid lockdown and it would be a blow to the city if it ever did.”

With up to 20 people anticipated to attend the events that Dion envisages putting on, the hunt is on for suitable medium to larger sized locations.

Anybody who has a property that fits the bill, can contact him via the Ripon Spookers facebook page


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Ripon’s s reputation as a city with many haunted places led to the creation of a popular ghost walk.

The weekly 90-minute walks, which started from Market Square, were interrupted by the covid lockdown, but they made a return when social-distancing restrictions were eased last summer.