Spooky Stories: Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia

Have you ever had an estate agent Fitzrovia narrate ghostly stories about the area? Perhaps not! But in the spirit of Halloween, let us look at some spooky happenings at Fitzrovia and Bloomsbury that you’re sure to find interesting.

Any estate agent Bloomsbury will point to University College London (UCL) on Gower St as one of the important landmarks in the Camden area. What they may not tell you is that the university is supposedly haunted by the ghost of its founder Jeremy Bentham. The philosopher, jurist and father of modern utilitarianism was pretty quirky: he had a pet bear, a black cat who was gloriously named Reverend Doctor Lankhim, and he also carried around two glass eyes in his pocket, which he would often show his dinner party guests.

A new exhibition on death and preservation by UCL Culture is currently displaying Bentham’s preserved head. Bentham actually wanted his body dissected and he donated it, upon which it was preserved in a glass case and kept on display in UCL’s South Cloisters. The public will, for the first time, see his head at the exhibition. Apparently, while his head was being dissected over 150 years ago, a violent thunderstorm raged outside….sounds like the perfect scene from a horror movie.

Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Rd, Fitzrovia, is the site of one of the more exciting ghost sightings. We Will Rock You, West End’s tenth longest-running musical, which closed in 2014 after twelve sensational years, had a pretty spooky moment when ‘We are the champions’ was being performed. The ghost of Freddie Mercury was seen by a number of people, including the show’s singers and stage managers.

If you’re a die-hard fan of the rock band, perhaps you may have wished to be amongst those who felt Freddie’s presence. If not, maybe you would consider going to one of London’s amazing Halloween events and parties? Check out some here.