Ghostly encore from beyond the grave

Simon Entwistle, whose ghost walks in Blackburn over the summer have chilled many a spine, has been relating the tale of the Teleghost, which stalks what is now the telephone exchange in Jubilee Street.

It is thought to be the phantom of a man who loved variety and repertory so much that his spirit refused to leave the site long after television killed the stage shows which once drew huge crowds.

The telephone exchange site once had a much more grandiose facade and an interior boasting ornate cherubs decorating the balcony. Edward Trevanion's Amphitheatre, capable of holding 3,000 people, opened in 1880 and was later renamed the Prince's Theatre, the New Prince's Theatre and later The Grand in 1928.

It was briefly a cinema between 1931 and 1934, when it was reopened by the Murray family whose head, Will Murray, had helped launch Charlie Chaplin's career. It played host to a galaxy of stars, including Jimmy Jewel, Ted Ray, Max Wall, Henry Hall, Hughie Green, Tommy Trinder and Tessie O'Shea.

But the clock ticked on, and the advent of the television caused theatre audiences to dwindle.

In 1955 lessee and manager Roy Murray, son of the late Will Murray, said theatre could not compete with television and, announcing its closure, said: "Lack of support has compelled me to end a family association of 21 years with this theatre." In January 1956 East Lancashire's last "live theatre" closed.

It lay empty and vandalised until it was bought by the General Post Office and turned into a telephone exchange.

Ghost expert Simon Entwistle said: "People were convinced the building was haunted.

"Occasionally the theatre curtains would open and close by themselves and they could hear the sound of a grand piano, even though there was no piano there, and tapping on the metal pipes. The GPO knocked the theatre down to turn it into a telephone exchange. Three lads -- Geoff Hutchinson, George Greer and Bert Cottam -- were very brave because they were the first staff to work a night shift, and that is when things started to happen. The first time they came across the ghost was when Geoff decided to have a tea break. They saw him walk to the other side of the office and then heard the sound of footsteps -- heavy shoes -- coming from above the ceiling.

"The building was secure and had only two entrances, which were both locked. Geoff came back and they told him they had heard footsteps. They heard the lift operating. It went from the first floor to the top floor and they waited for the door to open. There was no-one inside."

At Christmas in 1969 a large festive tree was installed in the entrance to the telephone exchange. The trio were again on duty and as George made his way downstairs he saw the tree shaking. All the decorations and baubles fell to the floor without a single one breaking. Simon said staff had nicknamed the ghostly prankster the Teleghost. But some people believe it is the ghost of Will Murray, who loved the theatre so much he could not bear to leave the site, even after the final curtain fell.