WALKING guide Malcolm Campbell knows his business.
When I joined about 30 other people on his Spooky Shoreham at Sunset tour, as part of the Adur Festival, we were all impressed with his knowledge and his ability to tell extra stories, seemingly off-the-cuff.
Malcolm is an experienced guide, who leads themed walks at various festivals throughout Sussex.
Spooky Shoreham was his first tour of the Adur Festival, and my first experience of such an event.
The crowd gathered at Shoreham railway station covered a wide age range including some older children.
While chatting with people, it was clear the backgrounds were varied too, as there were new arrivals to the town, as well as those Shoreham born and bred.
Mysterious figures
Even though I grew up in Shoreham, I didn't realise the Somerfield site used to be a workhouse, and the various figures have been seen in the grounds.
My friend Vicky, who also grew up in Shoreham and joined me on the walk, was aware of the Adur Civic Centre's record as one of Sussex's most haunted buildings.
The site at the corner of Ham Road used to be a cinema and meeting centre for soldiers fighting in the First World War, and many of the apparitions are seen wearing relatively modern dress.
Then we were on to the pubs, with tales of the sound of moving barrels in the Ferry Inn's basement, to monks seen in the Waterside Inn.
Shoreham's most haunted pub is what was once known as the Schooner in the High Street, but is now called Wood on the Nose.
The ghosts of a red-haired girl and a woman have both been seen in the pub, along with a disk of spinning white light.
Malcolm pointed out ghosts in haunted pubs seem to be real ale fans as the gas taps for lager tend to be turned off, whereas the hand pubs for bitter and ales are left alone.
Walkers' views
Alan Weston, 58 from Lancing, has been on similar walks with his Shoreham born and bred wife Lorraine, in other parts of the country.
"It was very interesting, and I like to know more about Shoreham because my wife's from here." he said.
"I liked all of it, and he (Malcolm] was very interesting and spoke very clearly."
Adrian Holmes, 48, has lived in Shoreham for five years.
He said: "I wanted to know more about the town I live in, and listening to the ghost stories was interesting.
"I would go on one of these walks again."
Future walks
The next guided walk is Sinister Shoreham, focusing on a more macabre side of the town's history, starting at the Marlipins Museum in High Street at 7.30pm on Saturday, June 9.
Scintillating Shoreham looks at the town's colourful past, and takes place on Sunday, June 10, at 2.30pm starting at the Marlipins Museum.
It costs ?5 for adults and ?3.50 for accompanied young people under 16, pay on arrival.
Spooky Shoreham at Sunset is repeated on Saturday, June 16, meeting at Shoreham railway station.
It costs ?5.50 for adults and ?3.50 for accompanied under 16s.
Walks take approximately one hour and 30 minutes.
http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/shoreha ... id=2924804
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