Well, if you look at that.
The end of the week is upon us already. Admittedly, it was a short one given the Bank Holiday here in the UK, but do not mistake that as me being sad to see the weekend.
I'm most certainly not.
(Comes a soft pop as I open my whisky decanter.)
And given that it's the end of the week, it only means one thing:
FUN FACT FRIDAY.
… My pilot series where I venture out of my dank lair to dig around the interwebz for interesting facts for my lords and ladies.
This week's theme is centred around a subject near and dear to my stone of a heart: supernatural encounters.
So, strap in:
Did you know…
Abraham Lincoln's ghost is one of the most frequently reported White House hauntings? Multiple presidents, first ladies, and staff (including Winston Churchill and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands) claimed to have seen or sensed him, often in the Lincoln Bedroom or nearby corridors.
(No doubt Trump tells him what a "great job" he did.)
Did you know…
One of the earliest detailed haunted-house stories comes from ancient Rome. Around the 1st century AD, the writer Pliny the Younger described a house in Athens plagued by a chain-rattling ghost of an old man. A philosopher bought the place, followed the spirit, and found a buried skeleton at the spot it pointed to—after which the haunting allegedly stopped.
(This is why nobody should buy a home by a grave!)
Did you know…
Anne Boleyn's headless ghost is regularly reported at the Tower of London. Executed there in 1536, her apparition (sometimes carrying her head) has been seen by guards and visitors for centuries, making her one of England's most enduring spectral figures.
(It's safe to assume she still hasn't gotten over her "axe"— I mean, ex.)
Did you know…
Roughly 1 in 5 Americans say they have personally seen a ghost. Polls (including Pew Research and YouGov) consistently show around 18–20% of people in the U.S. report a ghostly encounter, with belief in spirits remaining common even in modern times.
(I'm surprised it wasn't 5 in 5. Did no one see Joe Biden towards the end of his last term? Alright, enough political referencing. I'm on the verge of breaking the Legion's only rule.)
Did you know…
The Stanley Hotel in Colorado inspired Stephen King's The Shining. King stayed there in 1974 when it was nearly empty for the off-season. The isolated, echoing halls and reported paranormal activity (including children playing in empty corridors and a piano that plays by itself) directly fuelled the novel's creepy atmosphere.
(I hope he's paid the dead their share of the royalties.)
And that's all we've got time for this week.
If you enjoyed that, and you like supernatural stories that thrill and chill at the same time, you might just like The Curse of Abbey Ruins duology.
True to my writing style, they are quick to read and offer the right balance between action and suspense.
A worthy addition to your Kindle library as we near autumn.
You can get the ebooks here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/COAR
Have a cracking weekend, Legionnaire. Stay classy out there.
DJJW