Haunted Bristol E-Book

Sue Le'Queux

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

A unique glimpse into the ghostly legacy of Bristol's past that is sure to appeal to anyone interested in a spot of ghost-hunting!

Das E-Book Haunted Bristol wird angeboten von The History Press und wurde mit folgenden Begriffen kategorisiert:
Haunted,hauntings,ghost tales,ghost stories,spooky,unexplained phenomena,the paranormal,the supernatural,ghost,ghosts,haunted heritage,spirits,spirit,apparition,apparitions,poltergeist,poltergeists,spectres,phantom,Bristol old vic,grey monk,|Bristol cathedral,the rummer,the white hart,dark history

Leseprobe

Map

HAUNTED BRISTOL

SUE LE’QUEUX

Frontispiece: Ghostly hotspots in Bristol. Some of theaccounts mentioned in this book fall outside the range of thisold map of Bristol however it does offer an idea of ghostlyactivity within the city limits. And surely there are plenty morethat can be added!

CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

1. Central Spooks

2. Suspended Belief in Clifton

3. Surrounding the Old City

4. On the Templars’ Land

5. Suburban Spectres

6. Living With Spirits The Richard Hope-Hawkins Story

7. Over to You

Copyright

FOREWORD

Inspiration for this book came from a website for ‘ghosts of the west’ on the Bristol Beehive Online Community Network: www.thisisbristol.com/beehive.

The Bristol Beehive is one of twenty-two networks run by Northcliffe Electronic Publishing as part of the Northcliffe Newspaper Group’s ‘thisis’ news and information website service across the UK. Any non-profit organisation, or individual, can build a free website quickly and easily through Beehive without the need to know traditional web design skills.

This particular ghost site had been created by Beehive staff, and Tempus Publishing approached us to ask if we were interested in turning it into a book. We decided to concentrate on Bristol – the scene of many interesting paranormal experiences over the centuries – and with the help and support of our sister company, the BristolEvening Post, the ghost quest began.

I have tried to include as many hauntings as possible, but Bristol is such a thriving place for the spirit world that some have had to be left out. I have, however, included some ghost stories that still need more questions answering. So if you know more about any of the ghost stories in this book, please let me know. We have created a Beehive website you can visit at: http://beehive.thisisbristol.com/hauntedbristol

While you’re there, why not think about creating your own Beehive website. The topic is entirely your choice; you could write about the history of your area, or your own family history – as well as many other subjects. It is also the ideal place to find out what’s going on in your community and nationally. There is unlimited free help from the Beehive helpdesk to get you started. Ring 0870 240 3593 or email [email protected].

I would like this book to encourage people to visit the Beehive Message Board http://www.nepforums.co.uk/beehive and post their stories, questions, thoughts and theories about the ghost world.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed researching and writing it. And don’t have nightmares!

Acknowledgements

I would like to extend a huge amount of sincere thanks to some very important people, without whom I would not have been able to complete this book: Matilda Pearce and David Buxton at Tempus Publishing Ltd. Everyone at Northcliffe Electronic Publishing; in particular I would like to thank Elaine Pritchard, Project Manager, for giving me this great opportunity, for guidance and for editing the book, and Nathan Corns, Community Development Manager, for imparting technical knowledge and for covering for me while I chased ghosts; Darren Holden and Sally Parkin on the Beehive Helpdesk for invaluable research and help with the images – I couldn’t have done it without you; Matthew Bailey – thanks Matt for your help and expertise; Genevra Jones who wrote two of the stories in the book – thanks for all your help with the researching; Stan Szecowka and Gerry Brooke of the Bristol Evening Post for allowing us access to your archives and for your good advice and support; Bygone Bristol – for very, very fast and friendly service and for permission to use some black and white photographs; Richard Hope-Hawkins, theatre director, for kind hospitality, sharing of experiences, the lovely print and for making my mum’s day – she has discovered Russ Conway all over again! Ken Taylor for the ‘Black Castle’ contribution. Ken’s website can be found at www.wordwrights.co.uk.

John Hughes, for letting me pick his brain on the ghosts of Bristol. John provides ghost walks in Bristol and can be contacted for further information on 07786 353719, or email: [email protected].

Arno’s Manor Hotel, Sarah in the Llandoger Trow for help with an update on the fourteen ghosts; Bristol Reference Library; Malcolm Farmer for creating a great website on Bristol and providing access to old maps, the web address is www.smilodon.plus.com/mapcd; Old-maps.co.uk – for the same; Olivier Verngault for his input and being brave enough to go ghost hunting; The Bristol Old Vic; and Theatre Royal.

To my family – husband Glyn and daughters Emily and Laura – thank you so much for all your support and understanding while I was absorbed with the ghost quest. And to my mum, Norma Le’Queux, for accompanying me on the ghost quest and a multitude of other help. Finally to my good friend Vanda Wood, thank you for your belief and support.

If I have missed anyone out it is certainly not intentional and please do accept my apologies. I appreciate all the help and advice that everyone has given me and I hope you all enjoy the book.

INTRODUCTION

The Dead don’t die. They look on and help.

David Herbert Lawrence (1885–1930)

This quotation from D.H. Lawrence reflects my own personal view on the existence of ghosts, spirits and the afterlife. Everyone has some opinion on the subject and I’m certainly not here to influence anyone into believing or disbelieving.

What I have done with this book is to gather together ghostly stories and strange accounts – many of them reported over the years in the Bristol Evening Post. In some cases I have added snippets of local history and posed questions which I feel remain to be answered. I hope it may inspire readers to dig a little deeper and investigate the stories further for themselves. Understanding the local history of a place can sometimes help us to understand and discover what the psychic activity is, and possibly why it is there.

What is my own opinion? I can’t say for certain that I have definitely seen, or heard, a ghost but I believe that I have felt the presence of one or two. One of my first unusual experiences happened when I was about seven years old. It was the early 1970s and I had been playing in a park with friends near my Staffordshire home. Just next to the park, and over an old cobblestone road, was a row of derelict houses with their windows boarded up. Being a bit mischievous we decided to go and play where we were always being told we couldn’t, and went to investigate the houses. One of my friends and I went in through the back gate to the house in the middle of the row. While my friend was distracted by something in the yard, I walked over to the back door, which was open; hanging off its hinges. I could see into the room and immediately in front of me were the stairs to the upper floor. I had just bent down to pick up a book that was lying on the floor when I heard footsteps on the stairs. I quickly looked up but there was no one there. The sound of the footsteps continued and I felt the air get really heavy. I turned and ran, grabbing my friend on the way out.

A couple of days later I went back to the park and sat on the bench which faced the houses. I could see the house well, but it was far enough away for me to feel safe. It looked different somehow. As I stared I saw what had changed – one of the bedroom windows was no longer boarded up and through the window I could see what looked like a model ship, the really old-fashioned pirate type. It had white sails but looked as though it had red paint splashed over it. I told my friend about it the next day and made her come with me to the park so that I could prove it to her. When we got there, the window was boarded up.

Various things have happened to me since then but probably the most relevant to this book is why I believe ‘the dead don’t die. They look on and help’.

It seems as though I was destined to work for Northcliffe Electronic Publishing. Some may say it’s just coincidence but I think that one or two my ancestors were looking on and helping. A great-great uncle of mine had once worked as a journalist for Alfred Harmsworth, later to become Lord Northcliffe. William Le’Queux was a writer who also worked with Harmsworth when he edited the Daily Mail. I began researching Le’Queux’s history – which proved quite difficult as he really was a man of mystery. There were connections with Jack the Ripper, Rasputin, Crippen, Russia, the Balkans, spies … the list went on and on and, well, that’s another story. But that was how I knew of the Northcliffe connection.

Moving forward in time, my father – a huge Frank Sinatra fan – sadly passed away after a long illness in July 2000. I had been brought up listening to ‘Old Blue Eyes’ so it only seemed fitting that we played Frank’s songs at Dad’s funeral. Not long after this I became restless in the job I was in. In 2001 I saw an advertisement for a job managing one of Northcliffe’s Beehive Online Community Networks. It looked fantastic, and I immediately applied. I hadn’t really focused on the name of the company and didn’t immediately make the connection with the Northcliffe my ancestor had worked for, particularly as in my research Northcliffe was mainly referred to as Harmsworth. However, I was asked to an interview and then contacted again to go for a second one. I tried really hard to keep from getting overexcited, but I just felt that this was the right job, everything felt just right.

I set out for my second interview, which was to take place at the Derby EveningTelegraph, quite early to make sure I was on time. I arrived and made my way to the DET building taking a route through the park. It was very early, very cold – being early March – and there were not many people about. A busker was standing by the bridge playing a saxophone and I thought I recognised the tune but just couldn’t place it. My interview was the best I’d ever had. It was so comfortable but I still had this inexplicable feeling as though someone was helping me, while the tune I’d heard played by the busker kept going round in my head. And then I was told I had the job. I couldn’t believe it. I was really amazed but so pleased.

On the way home the tune I had heard the busker play was still driving me round the twist, as I just couldn’t think what it was, only that I had to find out. When I got home I began sticking CDs on the stereo trying to find it. Then it suddenly clicked. It was a Frank Sinatra song but not a familiar one, not one you would immediately associate with him. Certainly not one that had been on constant repeat at our house, but still one I knew. I checked the CD and found it – the tune that I heard was the song The Girl from Ipenema and the lyrics that matched the section that had kept going round in my head all day were: ‘But I watch her so sadly, How canI tell her I love her?’ I can’t explain how hearing a few bars of a tune had left such an impression on me only that at exactly the time I heard it I felt that there was some presence there. I felt as though my dad had made himself known; that he wanted to let me know it would be okay. I honestly believe that he was with me on the day of my interview, helping me to achieve something that would change my life for the better and telling me it was the right path to take. And I also think the ‘Master of Mystery’, William Le’Queux, may have had a hand in it as well.

So now here I am, writing a book for the very company that my mysterious ancestor worked for and – as an added bonus – working with a fantastic bunch of people as well. They don’t call me the Queen of Coincidences for nothing!

That was my story, at least one of them. I have had more experiences like this, which have contributed to the forming of my own particular opinion. But as I said at the beginning everyone has his or her own thoughts.

The more you think about it, though, more questions are raised than answers. If ghosts really do exist why can some people see them, or connect with them, while others cannot? If they don’t exist, what is it that people who say they’ve experienced one see? Is it a chemical or physical reaction? Is it some scientific discovery waiting to be found? Why do some manifestations of ghosts look exactly like people who have lived, yet others are only vapour?

There is a theory that the energy of events and people are soaked up and recorded by the earth and stone in the same way that a video camera records events. These events are then triggered by something and play over and over again. Another theory is that spirits are those who cannot rest, or have some unfinished business in this world.

The television programme Ripples in Time broached the theory of time travel, or time collision, as an answer to ghostly sightings. This is not a new theory though, and Carl Jung wrote about his own experience of this in Memories, Dreams andReflections, recounting his strange experience in Ravenna as a moment in which the subconscious and conscious meet. During a trip to Ravenna, Italy, in the 1930s Carl Jung and a travelling companion visited the Neonian baptistery and saw a mosaic in which Christ is shown holding out a hand to Peter who is about to drown. They discussed this at length but on their return to Zurich, while trying to find a photograph of this mosaic, they realised that the image they had seen did not exist. What they had seen was the mosaic as it had been years previously before being damaged and later rebuilt. He described it as when the physical eyes perceive a vision that is not real but nevertheless real in experience.

Other scientists think that the body is just a vessel for the mind. And yet the mind is the ‘energy’ of a living person. So once the body dies, where does that energy go? Can this energy exist in the atmosphere without a physical presence? Maybe one day scientists will discover the truth behind the paranormal, and ghostly activity will no longer be such a mystery to us. Whatever your own opinion, read on about some of the ghosts of haunted Bristol and see what you think.