Christmas has long been the time for telling ghost stories, especially in the UK. There is nothing like snuggling with your loved one on Christmas Eve and reading aloud a chilling tale while you wait for Santa to arrive. This fine tradition can be traced back to Medieval times (the ghost story, not Santa), but it is one that has seemingly dwindled in recent years. As someone brought up on a diet of festive tales of the supernatural, I think that’s a shame.

With this in mind, I asked Hugh Lamb to pick two of his favourite ghost stories to give out on this website. But be aware, these tales are passed on with the express desire that you turn off the lights, spark up a candle, sit your friends or family down and read to them in the most solemn and macabre tones you can muster.

It’s Christmas, after all.

First up, The Room in the Tower by E. F. Benson, which Hugh had always wanted to use in one of his anthologies but felt it was too well-known for inclusion. Enjoy!