SHANE WATERMAN'S fascination with history began at the age of nine when he was "let in" on a long-kept family secret: his maternal grandfather, William Henry Jaggers, shared a remarkable family connection with Charles Dickens. Born in 1860, William's birth announcement in a Gravesend newspaper was reportedly delivered to Dickens at Gads Hill Place and has become part of a long-standing family tradition linking him to the naming of the lawyer Jaggers in Great Expectations. That discovery sparked a lifelong interest in history, storytelling and the lives of the people who shaped the past. More than fifty years later, that childhood curiosity has grown into a career as a storyteller, tour guide and heritage interpreter, drawing on over forty years' experience in marketing, tourism and public engagement. Through Rochester History Guided Tours and a growing programme of talks and events, Shane has spent many years researching and sharing the remarkable stories, characters and hidden histories of Kent.

Known for his engaging and entertaining presentation style, Shane specialises in bringing history to life through storytelling. His work explores everything from Charles Dickens and Victorian Rochester to murders, mysteries, scandals, executions and unexplained events, always focusing on the human stories behind the headlines. His tours and talks have attracted thousands of followers and audience members who share his enthusiasm for discovering the strange, the surprising and the often-overlooked corners of local history. At the Maidstone Literary Festival, Shane will share the story of how The Original Maidstone Spooky Tour was created, along with some of the extraordinary true tales and historical discoveries that emerged during its development. Combining careful research, humour and a passion for uncovering the unexpected, his talk offers a fascinating glimpse into the darker side of Kent's history.