Headless corpses, bloody ghouls, floating white spectres… there are plenty of ‘spirit sightings’ at this time of year as the trick- or-treaters do the rounds. But beyond the realms of fiction and Halloween fun, is there any evidence that ghosts actually exist? ‘I have an open mind,’ says historian Peter Ackroyd, who has collected accounts for his book, The English Ghost. ‘Some stories are very convincing indeed. They remain utterly inexplicable and may give pause to those who trus...

What is it about the English and their obsession with ghosts?

I thought all cultures had the same number of ghosts – by which I mean none – but similar levels of delusion about them. Apparently not
 
The English obsession with the weather is well documented. By which I mean "prolifically", although I'm sure many of the documents are excellent. And now I'm adding this modest document to all that documentary evidence. (I don't mean actual documentaries, just documents.
 
A documentary given as...