The Storyteller: My Paranormal Year - A Look Back at 2025

As we have now moved into a new year, I thought it would be a good opportunity to look back at the old one, especially as 2025 proved quite difficult from the start, with the sad passing of my beloved father, back in January.

Over the Christmas period of 2024, his health started to fail him, and he spent Christmas itself in hospital, so our family celebrations, at that time, were a bit muted.

Luckily, we got him home for New Year, so we had our Christmas with him then. Sadly, throughout January, he had a few setbacks, and we finally lost him on the 28th. The weekend before he died, it was my partner, Sarah’s, birthday, and we celebrated by staying in London, and watching a few shows...we had no idea what was about to happen, as he was being well cared for back in hospital.

We got home on the Monday, and, whilst I was having a quiet moment in the bathroom, I heard a scraping
noise along the wall next to me, coming from the spare room. When I investigated, I found that an old, boxed up, artificial Christmas tree, that had been stored on top of a wardrobe, and never used, during all the years I’d lived with Sarah, had been
dragged off, on to the floor...the next day Dad died.

I’ve taken that as a sign from Dad, acknowledging the fact that we hadn’t had much of a Christmas that year, with
him being in hospital, but that, going forwards, we would have to celebrate without him, and still put our trees up and decorate our houses.

This one just gone, we tried our best, but it was very different without him. Throughout the year, there have been other signs of him still being around, and making his presence felt.

At the funeral, we played Fly me to the Moon, by Frank Sinatra, for him, as he loved sky watching, with his telescope...that song has been cropping up all year, in the most unexpected places, ever since.

We had his ashes interred, at Bristol Crematorium, in December, giving him a view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Being a civil engineer himself, he always appreciated the great work of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, so a fitting final resting place. We intend
to visit him on his anniversary, this January, and I’m intrigued to see if he messes around with our Christmas tree again, the day before...

Still in January, on the 9th, we have one of my favourite paranormal anniversaries, the Battle of Bovey Heath. Back in 1646, Cromwell himself, led his soldiers into Bovey Tracey, in an attempt to stop the King’s cavalry returning to Exeter, and trying to lift
the siege that the city was under, where the queen had retreated to, to give birth to her child, in a place she felt safe. The two armies clashed on Bovey Heath, and it was the Royalists who were defeated, having been taken by surprise by the arrival of
Cromwell's troops.

It is the sounds of this battle, that are said to replay themselves on the anniversary. For the past two years, I’ve been planning to stake out the site to see if anything happens. On both days in question, it has snowed...conditions not suitable for any lasting vigil...which it also did on the day of the actual battle. So maybe, part of the alleged re-enactment, includes the weather conditions from that time.

At the moment, the forecast is for rain. Let’s see how brave I’m feeling tomorrow (if you are reading this on the day of publication) as it’s the anniversary...

Other odd events happened in Bovey Tracey, on the eve of the battle, that have left their mark...but if you want to hear about those, you will need to join me on one of my Ghost Walks, the next one I’m planning, is for the Half Term week in February,
more details soon...

Talking of my Ghost Walks, last January, I launched my Brixham one. Starting at the Conservative Club, and then heading out around the Haunted Harbour. This has been well received, so much so that I’ve managed to host almost one a month, thus
far, and practically every week throughout the Summer Season.

If you fancy joining me, then the next one I’m planning, is on Wednesday 21st January...followed by the Wednesday in Half Term week. If you wish to book, then contact me via my email address davidtiptrips@gmail.com

Throughout last year, as well as hosting my Ghost Walks, I’ve also given talks at various locations, for groups and organisations. A couple of them have been in tandem with another fellow storyteller, Helen Bruce, who works for the DPA (Dartmoor Preservation Association), who I met at a networking session at Two Bridges Hotel, the previous year.

The first venture was held at Field System in Ashburton, an art centre and workshop, the owners of which were happy to host us. The talk was about The Devil coming to Dartmoor, and his various wicked exploits, along with tales of witchcraft and weird sisters. I came up with the idea of holding it on Good Friday, but, for our purposes, renaming it Bad Friday, as a bit of a publicity
stunt.

I started to share word of it online, and one of the first reactions I received, was from an elderly lady in Totnes, upset that I was tainting the holy day by renaming it...I stopped promoting it in Totnes...

We had a few bookings, and, if the weather hadn’t been so bad, we might have gotten a few more on the day, but there was a downpour on the evening, and people stayed away...so imagine my surprise when, as I drove into Ashburton, to park up, before the event, I spotted a crowd of people standing outside Field System holding up placards, as though in protest, and getting drenched for their trouble.

Straightaway, my mind went to that lady in Totnes. Had she brought her mates along, because she didn’t like what we were doing? I parked up, and waited for Helen. She arrived, and had spotted them too, as she drove past. We both assumed the
welcoming committee was for us. So, we bravely prepared ourselves for having to explain our intentions with the talk...but, as we emerged from the walkway opposite Field System, there was no one to be seen!

Puzzled, we entered the studio, to ask the owner what that was all about. Laughing, he explained that the group had been
gathering outside, ever since they had taken over the premises, protesting about something or other...this week it was for Peace in Palestine. I had spotted that some of the wording on the placards was in Hebrew, so something religious...but not about our Bad Friday talk after all. I must admit to feeling a bit disappointed about our non-confrontation, however, I will be careful where I use that title in future!

Alongside my tried and tested Ghost Walks, I set up several others this year, including one in Ivybridge, which is probably best done in the lighter evenings, as it involves an atmospheric trek along the River Erme, telling stories as we go. Getting dimpsy as we head out of the woods, is fine, but tackling it in the dark, isn’t a good idea.

For Halloween last year, I added Moretonhampstead and Buckfastleigh to my repertoire. Both involve access to other buildings of interest, namely the old Bell Inn (now a studio for the MED Theatre Company), and The Valiant Soldier. All my walks will be included in my schedules, for the coming year, but I am also available for private hire, if you fancy your own walk for family, friends, or work colleagues. Just get in touch and see what sort of experience we can put together.

My services were also hired to provide walks as part of various walking festivals, including the DPA, who wanted their guests to experience my Witches Triangle walk, which proved very popular, and, as a result, should be happening again this year, closer to Halloween again. Hopefully other organisations will recognise my potential too.

We did get time to have a change of scenery last year, but still with an eye on the paranormal. One opportunity took us to Cheltenham, where we checked out several allegedly haunted locations, including Snowshill Manor, which also contains a collection of artefacts, once used for witchcraft purposes.

Some of the objects, which were found there, are now on display in the Witchcraft Museum in Boscastle, and we had a chance to check them out when we spent a weekend at The Wellington Hotel.

Whilst there, we led a bit of a ghost hunt around the property, heard some stories which we weren’t aware of from our previous visits, and witnessed shadowy feet passing outside the room we were actually staying in...

Shortly after that visit, we had a family week away, to celebrate my brother's 60th birthday, our first family holiday without my father. We went to Dorset, staying in a barn conversion, in a village called Dewlish, just outside of Dorchester. The village
even had its own ghost, but it didn’t come out to play for us, sadly.

However, we did get to visit other haunted sites, throughout the week, including Athelhampton House, Corfe Castle, and Dorchester itself. Many brought back childhood memories from when we visited many years ago.

We plan to have another family holiday, later on this year, as my mother turns 90 in April, this time in North Devon. Other events, and weekends away, are already in the pipeline, so, as always, if anything interesting occurs, I will be sure to share it with you here.

For now, Happy New Spooky Year to all my readers!