Hi y’all! Hi everybody! Trey Hall hosts Emma Fox, Paul Stevenson and Alex Frost for the fourth episode of Hope & Anchor, a podcast about inclusive conversations that change things. This episode is jam packed with chat all about ghost stories, graveyards, addiction, and spirituality.

We discuss the meaning behind Halloween and All Souls - a period where the doorway to this world and next are perhaps a little more open. We talk about what happens after death, and the spiritual significance of a graveyard. Emma share’s a meaningful quote to her:

“Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?” Terry Pratchett

... and she takes us on a tour of the Southern Cemetery where she introduces us to some of the amazing stories of the people who are buried there, including a Polish poet ‘Maria Jasnorzewska’, and L.S Lowry’s parents. We also meet Cliff who works at Southern Cemetery, who tells us a story about one of his own supernatural experiences.

We also chatted about giving stuff up and why is it so hard. Trey suggested we are also all addicted to something, some of which is healthy and some are unhealthy.

Our guests around the Hope and Anchor table in this episode are:

Emma Fox is a born and bred Mancunian who loves sharing stories and insider knowledge about her home city. She studied European Studies, including history, international relations and German and has lived in Berlin and Vienna. Emma spricht Deutsch. Since 2009 she has enjoyed meeting people from all around the world and bringing historical and modern Manchester to life as a tour guide. Each tour is unique but specialisms include industrial heritage, the Scuttlers and Victorian slums, radical ideas - Engels/Pankhursts etc. arts, sports, architecture, literature, cotton and slavery, Factory Records, Southern Cemetery, Manchester bees, Worsley and the Bridgewater Canal gardens and green spaces.

Paul Stevenson is a cheeky lovable rogue responsible for the creation of Haunted Magazine, the UK’s freshest and entertaining look at all things spooky.

Alex Frost is the Vicar of St Matthew the Apostle with Holy Trinity Habergham Eaves which is situated in Southwest Burnley. Alex was ordained in 2015 at Blackburn Cathedral and served his curacy at the same church where is now the Vicar. Alex is supportive of inclusivity within the church and openly supports same-sex relationships and the ordination of women. He is also a member of Burnley Football Club’s Inclusion advisory committee which promotes an inclusive agenda where everyone is welcome.

Why not join join the family and listen to more episodes.