Visitors to the Wantage Literary Festival held in the town each autumn, will no doubt have encountered local resident Mike White and may well have even participated in one of the Ghost Walks he holds each year to raise money for the festival. Over the years, Mike has researched many stories linked to local history, the paranormal and weird phenomena, and tales which talk about events and occurrences that are ‘out of the ordinary’.
Having collected a lot of information over the years, Mike decided to record the stories and his first book ‘The Veiled Vale: Strange Tales from the Vale of the White Horse’, illustrated by Peter Hay, was published in 2016 by Two Rivers Publishing. In this book he brings together tales about the young Wallingford girl who daubs a wall with her own tears, the family who encountered a UFO in Stanford in the Vale and Squire’s ghost from Highworth who chose to be banished to a barrel of cider. He also explains some of the myths surrounding the famous ‘White Horse’ after which the Vale is named. His collection of stories brings together old legends and modern-day tales of strange encounters with the unknown. The reader will be told of tales which are mildly curious to frighteningly inexplicable.
Launching at the Wantage Literary Festival, running from Saturday 21 October running until Saturday 4 November 2023 inclusive, Mike will be talking about his new book entitled ‘The Ox-Files’ which is a collection of weird and wonderful tales from across Oxfordshire.
Mike tells us more: “There is so much paranormal activity in the county of Oxfordshire that my research has uncovered a wide range of Oxfordshire’s ‘mystery’ topics. There are ghostly encounters and poltergeists, witches, and warlocks, standing stones and Beastly black cats. My new book covers the entire county from Banbury in the north to the Downs in the south and into the heart of the City of Oxford. The haunted Oxford College I mention is perhaps not the one readers would expect it to be. My sources for the new book vary from 17th century pamphlets to personal interviews and most of these stories have never previously been published. I have actively collected and researched ‘strange’ stories for over 30 years, working with both local and national paranormal research groups. I hope that people will come along to listen to my talk at the Wantage Literary Festival and also come along to one of the Ghost Walks.”
Whilst the ever-popular Ghost Walks are currently all booked, a couple more dates will be released towards the time of the Literary Festival. During the summer, tours start at 9pm and as the evenings draw in, at 8pm. They cost £10 per person and money raised goes towards supporting the Wantage Literary Festival.
To find out more visit wantageghostwalks.co.uk ‘The Ox-Files’ will be published by Carnegie Publishing Ltd.
