We uncover the ghostly secret of city centre shop.
That’s the spirit.
Report by Mike Lockley.
The ghost of a tormented young girl, pleading for the return of her china doll, roams the corridors of Lichfield’s most haunted building. Leading clairvoyant Mystic Ed made contact with the spirit during a visit, arranged by The Post, to Spellbound Beads Co. He believes the girl is waiting for her father’s return from war and will only rest in peace once she finds the doll.
The revelation from beyond the grave came as no surprise to shop staff. Things have been going bump in the night at the 400-year-old Tamworth Street property, identified by the Tourist Information Centre as topping Lichfield’s ghost table, for hundreds of years.
Workers have encountered: Items flying off shelves; Ice cold areas of the historic building; An almost overpowering smell of strawberries at exactly the same time of day during the months of October and November; The ghosts of a mother and daughter.
Pat Ashford, who runs the shop for her daughter, said: “If there is a ghost then it is female because it is not threatening at all.” Pat has seen items fly from shelves and has found an ice cold area of the buidling.
Mary Hall, who used to run a hat shop at the premises, has no doubt the building is haunted. “Nobody can tell me otherwise.” Mary’s ex-husband had the closest encounter, seeing the ghostly figure of a mother and daughter.
But that was just one of many unexplainable incidents. “The hats we had were very expensive. I remember once carefully putting a hat in its box and putting it away. Next day the hat was out of the box, in the middle of the stairs, blocking my way.”
She spent time creating a flower arrangement only to find next morning the blooms were scattered around the room.
Lights would also flash on and off – caused, Mystic Ed feels, by the ghost of the girl looking out for her father.
Mary clearly remembers the time an assistant let out a scream after being touched by something unseen and ice cold.
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Old doll holds key.
Mystic Ed feels 1697 and 1917 are significant dates in the building’s history. The name Jayne also came to him during his psychic inspection of the shop. Ed, who has his own WABC radio slot, said: “There’s a young girl following people up the stairs. She’s staring towards the window. I’m also aware of a man. But he’s no ordinary army man – he’s of superior rank.”
Ed also felt an old doll held the key to the strange goings on. “Someone has got to find the china doll.” But he stressed there was no danger from the spirits. “There’s a lot of love here – that’s a certainty. There’s nothing to be alarmed about.”
Lichfield Post, 25th September 1997.