Brakspear Haunted Pub Tour Supports Mind
Brakspear’s annual Halloween tour of some of its haunted pubs in Henley sold out in record time this year and raised £260 for mental health charity Mind.
The tour took place on Halloween night, with local clairvoyants David Eggleton and Jennifer leading the group of ghost-curious customers round three town centre pubs: the Little Angel in Remenham, Three Tuns on Market Square and Bull on Bell Street.
The Halloween Pub Tour has been running for three years and was filled within a week of opening this year. Customers paid £5 to join the tour, which was donated to Mind.
David Eggleton said, “Despite the rather grisly tales behind some of the ghostly goings on at these pubs, such as the famous local poisoner Mary Blandy at the Little Angel, the tour is a lot of fun. People are interested in finding out more about the history on their doorstep, and enjoying a pint or two as they learn.”
The three pubs are featured on Brakspear’s ‘haunted hostelries’ website, www.brakspear.co.uk/boo, which lists around 20 inns, each with its own ghost, poltergeist or other paranormal activity. These include a former landlord’s murdered wife at the Bull & Butcher in Turville, a highwayman at the Duke of Wellington in Twyford and Albert, a landlord at the Unicorn in Kingwood in the 20th century.
Brakspear marketing manager Emma Sweet said, “It’s great to see the haunted pub tour grow in popularity and we’re planning to run it on two nights next year to meet demand. We’re pleased to have raised money for Mind, our preferred charity this year.
“Many of our landlords and landladies tell tales of unexplained noises, ghostly apparitions or bottles that jump off the shelf in an empty pub. It’s true some of them are reported by customers after a particularly heavy night at the bar, but not all!
