Derek Acorah’s Ghost Towns

The show was commissioned in the middle of June 2005 and we had to get moving, as the first series was to go out in October.

The Ghost Towns family

Joining me on my journeys around the country would be Danniella Westbrook and Angus Purden. I first met Danniella on Granada Breeze’s Psychic Livetime, though I knew of her work as an actress and, later, as a programme presenter. She had been intrigued by the paranormal ever since she had seen a ghost in her own home and had described presenting a programme on the paranormal as her ‘dream job’, so when the show was put together her name was top of the list.

Strangely enough, Angus also worked as a presenter, was interested in the paranormal and had seen a ghost. As a child he had lived in a house on a hill surrounded by trees, and once he had looked out of his bedroom window and seen a ghostly shape silhouetted there. Later on he had felt guided by his deceased grandmother and had had an accurate psychic reading, but he still didn’t accept everything uncritically.

‘I have always been fascinated by everything from déjà vu to reincarnation, but I’ve always had a certain amount of scepticism too – a healthy scepticism, if you like! I’ve always had to analyse and question everything.’

Angus

When I met him we got on very well and I knew that his open-minded approach would be an asset to the show. And in spite of a few scares along the way, he is loving it!

‘A mad, crazy job that involved working through the night – I had to do it. And it is great fun!’

Angus

Angus and Danniella had never met before, but they also hit it off straightaway and now they enjoy spending time together talking, drinking coffee and going shopping. I have heard a rumour that Danniella has bought clothes in every town so far. She and Angus have even started shopping for colour-coordinated outfits for the show. As we’re usually filming with night-vision cameras, unfortunately the viewing public don’t often get the full benefit!

‘Danniella and I investigate ghosts by night and shops by day. To be honest, I was hoping that I’d be her pet poodle and she’d buy me lots of clothes, but it hasn’t worked out that way!’

Angus

We also work with a very professional and enthusiastic crew. Normally in the fast-paced television world people move on fairly rapidly, but we have the same great team working with us now as at the very beginning, and that’s evidence of the cameraderie that has built up on the show.

My tour manager, Ray, is always with us too, and helps everyone out in so many ways – thank you again, Ray!

In fact we all get on so well that I refer to us as ‘the Ghost Towns family’.

How does it work?

We could go anywhere of course, but so far the towns have been chosen in a number of ways. For the first series it was very much up to the producers where they chose to film. They wanted a variety of settings, not just historic towns but also more modern ones. The only requirements were that there had to be enough people to tell their stories and enough room to get the Ghost Truck in! (This did prove something of a problem in Bedford.) Later on, people started contacting the television company to put forward their own towns. Now we have quite a long list of places to go to…

‘We don’t make any claims. It’s for people to make up their own minds. But we’ve had a huge positive response to the show and a lot of people would just love it to come to their town.’

Paul

The Ghost Truck spends two days in each town. On the day before we start filming we arrive at a hotel. It may be in the town we are filming in, but it may not. I have no idea where the investigation itself is to take place and the team takes great care not to tell me anything about it in advance. The next morning the Ghost Truck rolls into town and collects people’s stories, but I don’t go there until the evening, and it’s not until I get in the ‘Ghost Car’ and am driven to the venue that I find out what sort of place we are investigating.

‘It’s not difficult to keep details of the investigation away from Derek. Some people think he’s told everything in advance, but there’s no way that could happen – or that he could remember it, as he has the most appalling memory. It even takes a while before he can remember the names of the people he’s working with! Until he arrives at the location he has no idea where he’s going at all.’

Paul

During the day, as people are relating their stories at the Ghost Truck, our researchers are busy checking them out as far as possible. Angus, Danniella and I do have some opportunity to explore the local area (or go shopping), but the crew are busy meeting local people, hearing their ghost sotries, conducting research and preparing for the shoot.

‘With hauntings at a private home, we’re not able to run independent checks, but we do try to find out more about more public places, just to make sure that we’re not going off on a wild goose chase or that people aren’t just seeking publicity. As well as ensuring that the reports are genuine, we try to follow up those sightings where there may be a real story to uncover – as with Hayley Murton’s house in Northampton, for example. And if there have been several reports of paranormal activity at a site, particularly over a period of time, it’s definitely going to be well worth further investigation!’

Natalie Ralston, series producer

We film at night for several reasons – in some cases that’s when spirits have made themselves known, often to people who are closing up shops and other premises, and of course an investigation would be impossible in pubs, bus stations, shopping centres and other busy areas when they were open to the public. Spirit communication may come in the form of a gentle breeze or a slight tapping, so we also need to eliminate as much outside interference as we can. This isn’t always possible – in the case of a pub on a busy main road, for example – but we do our best. During an investigation, if one of the crew inadvertently makes a noise they always let me know as quickly as possible. Sometimes it’s difficult to avoid banging into something when you are in a strange place in the dark, or seven or eight people are all crammed together in a toilet!

Although I don’t know anything about the location in advance, Angus and Danniella are briefed on the background of the site and the paranormal activity that has been reported there. This is so they can help things along during the course of the investigation if the person who has called us in forgets something that might be relevant or even freezes on camera or under the stress of the investigation. Both Angus and Danniella are experienced presenters and I am always grateful for their help.

The notes they are given also help them to work out who is going on which investigation, though in most cases it is the series producer who makes the decision. If either Angus or Danniella is intrigued by a particular location, however, they can choose to go there. Danniella always accompanies me on the doorstep divinations. Angus just loves the idea of objects moving or lights going on or off, so he checks out those cases whenever possible.

At the end of the day we all go back to the hotel and are usually so tired that we just have a hot drink before going to bed. It’s always nice to relax after all the excitement…

What exactly happens in the Ghost Truck?

‘The show’s become a juggernaut – literally, in fact, in the case of the Ghost Truck.’

Paul

Basically, the Ghost Truck is a big empty oblong truck. As well as being home to the team gathering people’s stories, it also has an area where people can talk to camera, a ‘History Corner’ for the local historian helping us with our investigations, and a seating area where Angus and Danniella can work on their notes or have a cup of coffee.

The truck is very distinctive – and large – and hundreds of people have visited it, sometimes even in one day! Some have stories to tell, others just want to find out what’s happening, meet us and maybe discover a little bit more about their town. One thing’s for certain – it gets people talking…

Doorstep divination

‘The doorstep divination is my favourite part of the show. As a producer, I’m very proud of it, as it’s taking Derek to the people in a way that’s never been done before.’

Paul

How strange it must be to open the door one night and find a medium and a camera crew on your doorstep. I would be surprised if it happened to me! But if I feel a psychic pull towards a house, I know that there is a message from spirit for someone there and that we should try to deliver it if we can.

We do try to be respectful. We never knock after ten o’clock and usually it’s before nine. I know that people, particularly the elderly, may not be keen on letting strangers into their home, and that’s fine. It’s up to them. The message is there, but if they don’t wish to receive it at that time, that’s their choice and I respect that. A person did once refuse on religious grounds, but most people do agree and get something of value from the reading.

‘We do make sure before the reading that the person hasn’t just lost someone the night before, that they aren’t suffering from a heart problem or a mental illness, and also that they understand what a psychic reading is. We need to ensure that they know what’s going to happen and that they aren’t going to be traumatized by it.’

Natalie

‘Doorstep divination is a real test for Derek – nothing’s prepared, he’s going in cold and yet he comes up with so much information, it’s unbelievable.’

Angus

Now we have taken doorstep divination a step further and done it live! I was so excited to be part of it.

‘The best thing is doing the doorstep divination live – we have no control over it at all. It’s the most stomach-churning thing, because it’s all on live TV and you just don’t know who’s going to answer the door.’

Natalie

Our first live show was in York in January 2006 – and we certainly weren’t disappointed!

Where are we now?

‘In less than eight months since the show has been commissioned, we’ve completed two series and two live shows, and the third series is about to start … It’s an exciting journey we’re all on and it’s been an amazing adventure for all of us.’

Paul