Secret doors, hidden rooms and ten ghosts – is this the setting for a new crime novel?

Groundlings Theatre is a Grade II * historic listed building built in 1784 in the waterfront city of Portsmouth. It is a truly atmospheric place with secret doors, hidden rooms and ten ghosts! And along with the ghosts it still has a lot of the original features such as original floorboards and fire places. It was founded by philanthropic patrons, John Shakespeare (very apt) and 5 merchants, with the aim of educating the poor (boys) downstairs in the Beneficial School, while upstairs was used by high society for meetings, concerts and theatre.
Among the audience was Queen Victoria who attended performances before sailing across the Solent to her Isle of Wight holiday home at Osborn House. I hope she was amused.
Charles Dickens was almost born here. In 1812, Elizabeth Dickens went into labour with Charles Dickens whilst attending a dance in the building. Perhaps it was all that whirling about that broke her waters. She managed to reach her home in Old Commercial Road where the baby was born. Could the influence of this tiny theatre have seeped through to the unborn child to help him become a great literary figure?

In 1837 the boys’ only school was opened to girls and a junior school was also formed in 1873, which is still in existence next door. However the girls’ school was discontinued in 1877, I’m not sure why, perhaps the powers that be thought it wasn’t worth educating them or perhaps the girls were thought to be a distraction for the boys. Or maybe they were too clever! The boys' school continued until in 1939 with the advent of the Second World War – and with the school being almost within spitting distance of the naval dockyard – it was closed. But the stories continue. It is said that a Nazi sympathizer used the roof of the school to shine a torch to direct bombers seeking to hit Portsmouth Dockyard.



A mysterious telephone call sends Horton on a complex and twisted investigation into the death of a local politician twelve years ago and uncovers a trail of lies, secrets and revenge with roots deep in the past.
"A detective novel in the tradition of Rankin and Harvey." Mystery People Magazine
POSTED BY: PAULINE ROWSON
MARCH 10TH, 2019 @ 10:53:42 UTC
MARCH 10TH, 2019 @ 10:53:42 UTC
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