SPOOKS, ghouls and things that go bump in the night, whether good or bad, can be seen and heard haunting the nooks and crannies of Bolton.

Old halls, pubs, farms and theatres - all have tales of blood curdling spectres making their presence known.

And if you want to know where to go for a dose of Fright Night on your doorestep, read on.

Ye Olde Man and Scythe in Churchgate is notorious for its tales of the unknown. A particularly mysterious incident left one woman spooked after she left her seat to find her hands covered in blood.

Barman at the time Neil Rayner said he believed the blood had dripped through the ceiling, although there were no blood marks there.

The Derby Arms in Derby Street is occasionally visited by an unwelcome punter who appears complete with pipe in the living room above the pub vault.

Smithills Hall has its very own resident ghostly grey lady who has made several appearances in the past four years. A photograph taken some years ago by Leigh Insurance Agent Mr Allan Ridyard showed much more than he bargained for.

The snap of his children is a nice one - except for the mysterious figure in grey alongside them.

The gender of the mystery figure is a contentious issue amongst witnesses. Mr Ridyard believed the figure to be male, whilst a former member of staff describes a 'grey lady'.

The Coaching house restaurant is built on the site of Smithills Hall stables which burned down at the turn of the century. The barn was badly damaged by a fire at nearby Pendlebury Farm.

Incredibly a two foot section of a central roof beam was left untarnished, baffling the firemen fighting the blaze.

The plot thickened when it was discovered that 30 years before, a farmer had hanged himself on the same spot! Old Timberbottom Farm, Bradshaw, has long been associated with the paranormal.

The element of the unknown is so overwhelming that it has gone down as history.

The 17th century farm has undergone a thorough ransacking to identify possible pranksters, to no avail.

Drawers pulled out, and loud footsteps are amongst the many unexplained occurrences.

The Octagon Theatre is home to the affectionately named Fida, the theatre's first wardrobe mistress.

Fida died while she was working at the octagon, and has been spotted strolling across the gallery and even takes pride of place in the stage control box.

Fida has even been known to operate the sewing machines, much to the horror of the Octagon staff. Chingley Hall, near Preston, is recognised by many as the most haunted house in the country.

The latest reported sighting described an aggressive ghostly monk who forcibly moves people out of the way should they dare to cross his ghostly path.

The old house was the birthplace of John Wall, a monk beheaded during a 17th Century reformation.

Visitors also claim to have seen an envelope drop onto the flagged floor behind the door - even though there is no letter box in it!

Leigh College Gymnasium has its own laughing ghost who tampers with the climbing ropes and even barks out orders including "get off my foot".

Rev David Bracey of St Michels Church in Howe Bridge has been called in as an emergency measure, although he declined to reveal how successful his role has been. Clarence Hotel, Bradshaw Gate, Bolton, was the venue once used by alternative band 'Nothing Sacred'.

They insist that moving chairs and a shaking floor were more than simply a publicity stunt.

Manager Sandra Southern described how three gun shots were heard during a rehearsal.

The horrified band tried to bolt from the room only to find the door was locked.

After several attempts one of the band members found the door opened with ease despite his earlier difficulty. Halliwell Lodge was once in danger of losing business due to an early morning female ghost sporting only a flimsy nightdress.

She even attempted to chat up the business men in a husky voice!

Clairvoyant Ken Brooks from Morris Green is insistent that we do exist "beyond the physical!".

Ken's catalogue of paranormal experiences has left no doubt in his mind that we do reincarnate.

He believes that it is the historic buildings which are often haunted. The Kings Head on Wigan Road, Bolton, is one spooky destination which is etched on his memory forever.

Ken bravely spent an eventful spell there as manager at a time when the cellar ran underneath a graveyard!

In the dead of the night, Ken was awoken by a stifling presence. Initially he assumed it was the pet dog, but opened his eyes and realised he had been visited by the "other side".

Amongst his other ghostly experiences he tells of solid doors slamming shut of their own accord.

Ken's experiences are enough to silence the most sceptic cynic.

However he explains that whilst most people associate "haunted" with "frightening" he is adamant that this is not necessarily the case.

Spirits are not always something to be afraid of. Ken does disclose that people often discover their house is haunted when there is "bad" energy within the household.

Before ghostbusters are drafted in, set to work on laying your own family ghosts to rest!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.