Culture 12
Culture 12
Welcome to Frighton
Meet some of Brighton ’ s paranormal population . By Erin Norris
Typically , the buzzing city of Brighton is known for its joyous atmosphere , bursting with colourful lights , music , and eccentric activities . However , Brighton has a hidden past of tragedy that ’ s resulted in a chilling 146 paranormal occurrences as of 2021 . Walking the streets you may find yourself wandering through places of high paranormal activity and bloodshed , completely unaware of the silent company . The dark history of this city hides in plain sight of the daily grind .
The first of the haunts can be found at the Regency Tavern where what was originally a cobblers and dairy shop , became part of the pub in the 1930s when it was extended . The primary tragedy was the devastating death of the cobbler ’ s daughter who was disabled and kept locked in her room . She could smell what she thought was gas , which led to her throwing herself out of the first-floor window in a sudden panic . While the initial fall wasn ’ t fatal , she later passed away from the injuries , as of then , there have been reports of her panicked expression being seen through the first-floor window . She has also been seen in a wheelchair going towards a bricked-out window only to vanish suddenly .
Next up , the paranormal is in the pebbles of this section of the beach that ’ s home to an iconic Brighton landmark . Whether it may be 4am and you ’ ve just come out a club , or 2pm on a sunny afternoon , everyone has seen the famous west pier . Its hauntingly beautiful remains create a time capsule for the paranormal world .
One apparition that ventures both there and along the seafront clubs is that of a gaunt , pale girl in patterned clothing . This is believed to be the unfortunate fate of a young homeless girl who sadly died of a drug overdose in the 1980s . Since then , she has been reported to wander freely across a large geographical area of the seafront where many students tend to retreat to on late night adventures . Next time you find yourself stumbling towards the west pier heading for the beach on a night out , you may in fact have some company that has been a secret plus one looking over you the whole time .
Finally , do you ever find yourself at the library and feel a sudden sense of unease and overwhelm ? Well , it turns out that it may not entirely just be from the urgency of academic stress and procrastination . Believe it or not , up until the 1990s , the remains of the bombed buildings from World War II were still hauntingly visible at the site were the Jubilee library now stands . As you might now expect , there are several ghosts linked to the bombings here , but a prominent and rather devastating one is that of a little boy in pyjamas who seems to clutch his wooden train in distress . Perhaps this is related to the unfortunate number of school children killed from the Odeon theatre being bombed during a matinee performance in 1940 , which led to Brighton to be declared part of the front line . Makes you wonder if any spirits have joined you on your last-minute library sessions .
So , Brighton isn ’ t as bright as it seems . These three spooky sites are only scratching the surface of a seemingly endless list of hauntings . And while Brighton ’ s population continues to grow in addition to the hundreds of thousands of visitors come here each year , there is a population that isn ’ t as well known , that of Brighton ’ s paranormal residents .