Unclefester Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 For those who never go upstairs... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Impressed as I am with the Power of Blatchat, it struck me that this mighty organ might just be able to help me solve a little puzzle which has been bugging me slightly for some time. In about 1976 when I was living in the City of Perspiring Dreams, Cambridge, I went one weekend to visit some scottish friends who were renting a big old Vicarage at Haslingfield, some miles out of Cambridge itself. The churchyard is next to the Old Vicarage, and the vicar lives in a new building near the older house. I was with a girlfriend, Naomi, and while we were all lying around in the big old living room, listening to music and suchlike, Naomi came back into the room and said "Who was that girl upstairs?" The guys said "It was probably Madge" and Naomi explained that she'd just asked Madge the same thing, as she was in the kitchen. She said she'd been to the loo, which was upstairs off a wide, dark corridor.....she had started to come downstairs and had seen something appear reflecting in the leaded window which was at the turn-in-the-stairs landing, she had then turned round to see what it was, and been confronted with the figure of a blonde girl, late teens or early 20s, in a white nightgown. The girl had just gazed at Naomi, then turned and walked away down the dark corridor. They all rushed upstairs to do a thorough search, leaving me sprawled in my overstuffed armchair, the worse for Stella Artois and exotic cheroots.(They were Scottish, remember ) When the herd of people came back into the room they were all discussing this strangely dissappearing girl.....they had no explanation. I said "It's a bit bloody obvious isn't it, Naomi saw a ghost!" They said "There no way it was a ghost, the people who lived here before us were some sort of spiritualists and they "did an assay on the house" and there was according to them "no signs of anything odd in the atmosphere" So, very odd. The very next day, I had to go and see a guy I knew named Vincent Cluderay. I'd never been to his place before, and he wasn't in, but his girlfriend invited me to wait, saying he'd be back shortly. To pass the time, I started to tell her about the incident, but only got as far as to say "Somethjing strange happened yesterday at the Old Vicarage at Haslingfield...." when she cut me off with "Stop!!! Let me tell you something. I was born in Haslingfield, and I used to take a diversion on my way home from school to avoid walking by the Old Vicarage, as it was well known in the village that it was haunted by the ghost of a girl who hung herself on the upstairs corridor in the 1920s!!!!" The Scottish people had not heard about this, having only spoken with the previous tenants, who themselves hadn't been there long. This story remained a piece of unfinished business for me. In 2000 I want with Françoise my french wife, and my daughter (Festerina) to a family reunion in a windmill in Norfolk, near the Wash coast. While there, my one of my brothers mentioned the fact that he had a friend who knew the current Vicar of Haslingfield, who had been an advertising exec of some sort in London, but had taken Holy Orders and become an Anglican Vicar. My interest in the Haslingfield ghost story was sufficiently aroused that we made a slight detour on the return trip, and arrived in Haslingfield. I had the videocam with me as I'd been recording the family reunion. We went first to the Old Vicarage itself, and I would never have recognised it, as it was in the middle of total restoration, with scaffolding all over the facade and even the courtyard and outbuildings and walls seemed unfamiliar. I rang the doorbell and introduced myself to the lady of the house, explaining the background, and she invited us in to film. I scanned the ground floor, and went up the stairs to where Naomi had actually seen the apparition. It was all very light, airy and normal....except the loo, which I had told her I recalled as having been painted with little flying demons being chased by a painted vicar holding an old-fashioned brass "Flitgun" for spraying insecticide. She explained that they were knocking the separate toilet room into the bathroom to make a larger single room, and three of the old, painted loo walls had already gone,but we got the painted figures on video on the remaining wall! As we were leaving, she suggested we drop in on the Vicar, and showed us where to find him. We pulled into the yard of the new vicarage, and I heard a drawling voice from an outbuilding with open door.... "Yeeeesssss???" I walked to the door, and inside was a cool looking dude in a stetson, cowboy boots and dark glasses, with his feet on his desk, and behind him, a poster "Jesus Saves" He was wearing a dog collar of the religious type, so I assumed he was the Vicar. I explained my mission, and he said "That's very interesting......this explains a lot!" I asked him if he'd mind if I filmed his response and he agreed, and he then explained that when he had first moved in some years earlier, his 2 year old son had constantly talked about " a woman in white" who he often saw walking in the garden, which was next to the Old Vicarage!! I asked him if he could possibly try to find out more about the girl who had allegedly committed suicide on that top landing "in the 1920s" and he said he would see what he could do, but I have never heard from him, nor has he replied to several messages I left on his phone. If anyone has any ideas how I could check this, or could otherwise assist, I'd be very grateful. Cheers, Fester Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds..ooooh hooo hooo!!... 😬 😬here *eek* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Birtwisle Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Local records office might be able to help. The BMD register, parish records or something similar. You could also go to the library in Cambridge and have a flick through the archive of local newspapers. I am sure there would be a mention of it in there. I love a good ghost story Alex S713UMY 1.8K Viper Blue and Spandex here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boonie Hound Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 I love a good ghost story I think that is spirit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Birtwisle Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 😬 Better than a kick in the ghoul'ies S713UMY 1.8K Viper Blue and Spandex here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strongy Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 We have activity in our current house, centurys ago it was a small maket town pub. Rumour has it that the landlord had a hound, to which he was very attached. One night this hound went out and failed to return. The distraught landlord eventually found it 6 days later dead in the coal house. As a sentimental gesture he cut off the hounds tail and had it displayed above the bar as a tribute to his faithful companion. Even now 300+ years on, not very often, but every now and again, and bang on the stroke of midnight there can be a sort of scratching noise at the door. Very frightening. One night I plucked up the courage and opened the door. Outside I was faced with the sight of an apparition in the form of a hound minus a tail. The hound was clearly distressed and angry and I heard a strange, gutteral voice in my head asking to be re-united with his tail. Sadly I had to decline and explain that I could not re-tail spirits after 11.00pm Dry-sumped White Supersprint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclefester Posted January 9, 2007 Author Share Posted January 9, 2007 Deja-vu anyone? Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds..ooooh hooo hooo!!... 😬 😬here *eek* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickle Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 This a long shot but the girl's details may be on 1909 census records if she was in her early 20's when she died. I have had a look at the census and there are some census records on there but you have to do a search on place rather than name or address. You have to then pay to see the results at £5.00 for 500 credits. I dont know whether you may get access through ancestry.com if you are a member of this. Also a great way to find out is that if someone hung themselves it would definately be in the news articles of the area for that time or the parish records. Sounds intriguing. *smile* *smile* Loving the country life... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclefester Posted January 9, 2007 Author Share Posted January 9, 2007 Pickle, I sent the story to the Cambridge Paranormal Research Society following Boonie's link. So far I've had no response at all! Let's hope they are more than just a pretty website. It looks extremely lightweight to me. Carbon-fibre even! There are a lot of poseurs out there trying to be interesting by labelling themselves psychical investigators and whatnot. All heavily influenced by "Ghostbusters"! It would be great to check this out, but I only have the girlfriend of Vince Cluderay's word for it that the suicide was in the 1920s rather than the 30's or later, or earlier,and the trouble is that anyone who was around then is now so old they are probably dead themselves! In fact the first step would be to go and interview the oldest Haslingfield inhabitants....someone would probably know something, even now! I agree with you that the registry of deaths will have a record but I doubt you can do a search by area. Realistically, the best bet would be the church, as they MUST have some record of this. Or, as you say, the papers..... I would take the time to check it with locals, but the vicar did tell me (in 2000) that the one person who probably would have known had just died! Also my being in France doesn't help. ☹️ Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds..ooooh hooo hooo!!... 😬 😬here *eek* Edited by - Unclefester on 9 Jan 2007 21:45:07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs GTD Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 If she was buried in the local church would the church not have a record of her burial? I know when I was researching my family history I was allowed to look at church records in Suffolk, but that was for the late 1700s; maybe the church didn't keep ledgers in the early 1900s? Mrs GTD - Minimum Wage Slave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossybee Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 BOOO!!! _____________________________ Sssssscottish SssssuperSssssnot! Scotland - North Of The Smoke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delbert Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Whatever happened to Timothy Claypole, Miss Popov , Hazel McWitch ,Mister and Mistress Meaker and Dobbin the Pantomime Horse? 😬 If at first you don't succed Sky diving is not for you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTD Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 I hope that Google was your friend and you didn't have that little lot lodged in your memory! Waiting for my Christmas LiSt Delivery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delbert Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 I still giggle at Miss Popov 😬 If at first you don't succed Sky diving is not for you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibster. Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Does the giggling cover the sound ? Supercheese R250 Caterham pictures here 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Birtwisle Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 I was looking at Rent-a-ghost on the web last year some time. Was very sad to see the actor who played Timothy Claypole (my childhood hero) died about 20 years ago here ☹️ S713UMY 1.8K Viper Blue and Spandex here Edited by - abirtwisle on 10 Jan 2007 21:05:25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclefester Posted January 10, 2007 Author Share Posted January 10, 2007 Here is the Vicar's comment. There seems to be a problem with VideoEgg, so my original attempt, which included the interior of the Old Vicarage showing the corridor, the reflecting window, and the painted demons and angels and a very fat Vicar were too much for it....I ended up at the 4th attempt to upload with this, the essential footage of the Vicars comment. In truly professional manner I TAPED OVER the rest of this interview and all the establishing shots of the village Pub and suchlike which I shot after the interview...... I tried phoning the guy this evening, seems the numbers been discontinued! He's probably moved on, it's 7 years ago. His name's Rev Peter Owen-Jones. Fester. *eek* Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds..ooooh hooo hooo!!... 😬 😬here *eek* Edited by - Unclefester on 10 Jan 2007 21:44:44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclefester Posted January 10, 2007 Author Share Posted January 10, 2007 Just traced the Vicar.... And here he is now! Oh, and here he's even wearing the hat....must have taken it off when I was about to start filming..... Also here Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds..ooooh hooo hooo!!... 😬 😬here *eek* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclefester Posted January 10, 2007 Author Share Posted January 10, 2007 But this is my favourite, here Heheheheheh! Fester The White Levi Society Press Office Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds..ooooh hooo hooo!!... 😬 😬here *eek* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tre Zarcoff Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 You really must get out more Dave Hardly. White Xflow with flans Don't point that beard at me, it might go off. Groucho Marx Updated photos here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclefester Posted January 11, 2007 Author Share Posted January 11, 2007 If she was buried in the local church would the church not have a record of her burial? I know when I was researching my family history I was allowed to look at church records in Suffolk, but that was for the late 1700s; maybe the church didn't keep ledgers in the early 1900s?If she was buried in the local church would the church not have a record of her burial? I know when I was researching my family history I was allowed to look at church records in Suffolk, but that was for the late 1700s; maybe the church didn't keep ledgers in the early 1900s? The trouble is they tended to try to keep suicides quiet. I don't know the name of this girl, but I suppose the place to start woul dbe to go to church records of the inhabitants of the Vicarage for this period. Assuming it was used as a Vicarage during the 1920s, the occupants would be on church and local Council/Parish records, and I'd imagine if someone suicided in the building and was a member of the Vicars family, you would see a change of occupant very shortly after the event! Following up any young womens dob and dod for these few families occupying the house during the period 1910 to 1930 wouldn't be too difficult.....I'll be interested to see what the "Researchers" I've forwarded it to come up with. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds..ooooh hooo hooo!!... 😬 😬here *eek* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpyBot Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 WTF? Fester, great joke! What is all the stuff about white Levis about? Is the Reverent Peter OJ by any chance yourself? 😬 If it ain't PAISLEY it ain't a true HEFfalump! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclefester Posted January 14, 2007 Author Share Posted January 14, 2007 PFH, ask Del. I don't understand it considering what he was wearing at the time! PS No I am not a person of the cloth. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds..ooooh hooo hooo!!... 😬 😬here *eek* Edited by - Unclefester on 14 Jan 2007 13:26:35 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpyBot Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 Fester I thought you would like this 😬 If it ain't PAISLEY it ain't a true HEFfalump! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unclefester Posted January 16, 2007 Author Share Posted January 16, 2007 Good grief! Eric seems to be all over YouTube at the moment...it's the film connection. Stranger than Fiction has just come out in France but I haven't seen it yet. 1977! 'Appy days! Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds..ooooh hooo hooo!!... 😬 😬here *eek* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debert Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 'Appy days [Fonz] Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey !! [/Fonz] 😬 *arrowright*Get a Mosaic Poster of YOUR car and help Nuke the Leuk here *arrowright*Pictures here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now