Jon Dear

Also great to meet pros like @unheimlichmanvr.bsky.social and @lmcknighthardy.bsky.social. And time with @willmac23.bsky.social is never wasted.

Well that was a marvellous Ghost Story Festival. We were so well treated by @alexdavis1981.bsky.social and his team. So grateful to @folklorepod.bsky.social for being such a special host and @laurenwrites.bsky.social for recommending me in the first place.

SCREAMING SKULLS Mark Norman

Last one for my UK Ghost Story Festival.

Well he’d hate that.

It was very nice to see you yesterday.

It brought it to mind, but it isn’t really about Warriors of the Deep more sadness that there’s so much quality archive television that gets ignored.

It’s not really about which story, just the general sadness that the worst of Doctor Who gets more attention than the best of so much else.

This is no criticism of anyone’s hard work or fans’ love. Just that there’s so much else out there deserving of a wider audience.

Photo of two mean seated and in conversation on a stage, in front of a projected backdrop that reads: UK Ghost Story Festival. Saturday 28th February, 6.30pm - 7.30pm. Interview - Jon Dear. No Digging: The Story of the BBC's A Ghost Story for Christmas.

We're sorry to have missed the UK Ghost Story Festival, which has looked fantastic - including @accordingtojond.bsky.social talking about the subject of his forthcoming @headpress.com book: the BBC Ghost Story for Christmas 👻

Don’t ask me. I’m not paying money to see Warriors of the Deep at the cinema.

As you know I love Doctor Who, up until 2017 anyway. It’s not that I don’t resent love and money spent on Warriors of the Deep, it’s that I wish we could also enjoy decent releases of other series.

I’ve no doubt there were wonders lose because Evil Annie never bothered to check when rescuing The Daleks.

Trying to decide if that’s racist or not.

I’ve just been made aware that Howard from Take That’s surname was Donald. Howard Donald. Imagine being named after two ducks.

Neon.

I shouldn’t really care that the worst Doctor Who ever made gets more love, attention and money thrown at it than some of the best television ever made.

Fuck it, yes I should.

Maybe you’d like a map.

The Twin Peaks title card but instead of Twin Peaks it says BEADLE’S ABOUT

Jon Dear makes my Stranger Things T-shirt look like I woefully underdressed for this interview

Well that was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who came.

I do. I rather like the retro 80s looking ones. :)

A GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS in Twin Peak’s style.

I did have a nightmare about sleeping in a haunted room.

Home | Matt Owen | Freelance Writer | Speech Writer I offer a broad and diverse range of writing services. Get in touch!

My husband @mjowen174.bsky.social is very down and it’s difficult to see.
He had a thriving writing business until AI came along but now he’s struggling to find work.
Please repost this far and wide in the hope that he can find some writing work.
www.mathew-owen.co.uk

Panel at the 2026 UK Ghost Story Festival discussing the ghost story in modern publishing. (L-R) Suannah Wise, Daniel Carpenter, Ally Wilkes, Will MacLean and Francesca May.

Enjoying this panel on how the current publishing industry views ghost stories.

Particularly interested in how classification works.

Catriona Ward interview. She is very, VERY cool.

Adored Victoria Langford’s talk, Haunted Hills and Hellish Places: Derbyshire in Gothic Imagination at the UK Ghost Story Festival, yesterday.

Some amazing insights into both history and folklore.

Rhyl 2 Rhyl.

Ooh, nice side reference.