Wednesday 3 August 2016

Filth, sedition and hauntings


Filth to the left, seditious literature to the right. She looks as if butter wouldn't melt anywhere, eh?

Well I was not going to do anymore of the 'guess what' photos, but the last one produced such a pleasing reaction from the geographically isolated couple, that I fully intend to, just not this morning.

Back when those photos of Guildford were taken, the house where the last of the sit-in students went to live after vacating the building had a declaration on the wall which you signed upon entrance, stating that you were carrying no 'seditious literature'. I wouldn't have known what it was at the time in any case, but I still signed it. In fact, I still don't know what it is and I cannot be bothered to look it up.

Somehow, this group of hardened politicos had persuaded an elderly lady on the outskirts of the town to share her house with about fifteen stroppy youths plus dozens of other people going in and out at all hours of the day and night. The group also shared with the fifteen or so cats which the lady had allowed to breed unchecked. The place reeked of cat's piss, but somehow everyone got used to it. I never once saw the old woman, so she must have barricaded herself in a room somewhere to plot her escape. Either that or they ate her. Food was in short supply.

This was the only place where I have witnessed a full-blown poltergeist at work at first hand.

I was sitting in a bay window in front of about ten other people, and I was talking about something and wondering why they were all looking over my left shoulder. I looked behind me, but I could see nothing. I stopped talking and watched as the rest looked at each other in amazement, waiting for them to explain.

Eventually, they said that my voice was drowned out by a flock of chirruping birds, as if in a large and echoing aviary. I heard nothing.

The next things to happen were the nightly occurrance of the sound of someone running down the landing, breaking through the bannisters and falling to the hall below. Every time the students ran from their rooms to investigate, nothing seemed to have happened.

This went on for so long that someone called the local priest, and he said that he had excorcised the house about 30 years previously, after someone had indeed killed themself by breaking through the bannisters and falling to their death.

He then pointed to a rather quiet and disturbed young woman in the group and said that the latest events were being caused by her, and she should leave to keep the peace.

She left, and the hauntings stopped.

28 comments:

  1. Oooooo .... spooky !!
    The man in the picture reminds me of you ..... do you look at the barmaids at The Bell like that ?!!
    I will now look forward to the next edition of Guess the Object .... I missed the last one ! XXXX

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  2. The first time I visited Europe (Italy, France, England) I had night terrors every night, which I had never had before. I do believe it was ghosts tormenting me. I didn't want to go to sleep and all of the lodgings were old.

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    1. Europe is - in the words of Woody Allen - so old it is rotting. I love it.

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  3. A few years ago a very sensible acquaintance of ours told me about poltergeist activity that was taking place in his workshop. ( he is a carpenter, making made to measure upper crust kitchens etc) I was fascinated and did not disbelieve him at all. My husband on the other hand was totally sceptical…..not sure if he though our friend was making it all up or what! Why would he make it up anyway. I seem to remember that it turned out to be his apprentice/co-worker that was disturbed for some reason and when he went, it all stopped.

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    1. It's usally girls, but nota always.

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    2. I sounded a bit Italian then - in this case, it is a rogue knuckle when typing a space - I hit the 'a' with it.

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  4. Intense emotion, particularly when experienced by a younger person, seems to attract this type of active. I've never figured out to my own satisfaction if the person is the cause or the attractant.

    Speaking of: The dimes have followed me to Florida, but have begun playing with my mother as well. In addition, she woke me (relatively) early this morning to see if I could hear what she was hearing. I did... a buzzing whining that seemed to form faint words, but nothing either of us could understand. I dashed outside and found no one around and no antennae or wires that the wind could have vibrated to cause the noise; if there'd been any wind at the time.

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  5. That should be activity, rather than active.

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    1. I shouldn't be a bit surprised if it were, although I have the delightful luxury of knowing that it's not just me; it's run through several generations of the family. With one exception, it's kept mainly to the women of the family.

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    2. The ones who look like Orson Welles as babies?

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    3. You've been looking at my baby pics again.

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    4. Aren't I looking at one now?

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  6. I like this post. Filth, sedition and poltergeists...it doesn't get any better than that.

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  7. I've had a couple of old music cassettes fly across the studio recently, but I think the culprit was a hyperactive mouse.

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  8. She looks just like me; butter wouldn't melt to boot

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  9. We stayed with friends who lived in Hobstones farm in Lancashire.....home to a poltergeist....we saw nothing but heard enough and it was the coldest place ever. Also..in that illustration what does the writing under her foot say?

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    1. I don't know, because when it is enlarged it turns into pixels. I would like to know too.

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  10. We stayed in an old 'agriturismo', a holiday farmhouse, in Tuscany once. I could hear little bells ringing in that place. No one heard them and I was told there were no wind chimes either. I remember the wine was good.
    Greetings Maria x

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