Charlie the singing ghost is playing havoc with landlady Harriet Weller. He changes her calendar dates, pinches ornaments and sends her cooker controls haywire. He even tacked lodger Jack Flood’s trousers to the ceiling. Now Harriet has had enough of cheerful Charlie. She’s asked local clergyman Mike Bunce to exorcise the playful poltergeist from her home at Grantham, Lincs.
Daily Mirror, 22nd August 1985.
Bless you Charlie and goodbye.
Charlie, the singing poltergeist who is said to have menaced landlady Mrs Harriet Weller and her lodger Mr Jack Flood for the last 12 months, seems to have gone forever. After six months of visiting the house on Heathfield Road, Grantham, the friendly spectre finally made itself known to the Rev. Michael Bunce, vicar of Manthorpe, two weeks ago. “This is Charle,” it said! Mr Bunce said prayers and blessings with the couple and the ghost hasn’t been seen or heard since.
The naughty poltergeist has repeatedly made a nuisance of itself. Mr Flood says it has tacked his trousers to the bedroom ceiling, laid an extra place at the table, talked and sung often for long periods of time. “Although it’s harmless the ghost has been very frustrating to the pair,” says Mr Bunce. “I didn’t actually perform an exorcism, that would have been done over a longer period of time and involve the whole house being blessed. I didn’t really think that was necessary, although if the spectre returns an expert in this field will be called in,” explained the clergyman.
Mr Bunce thinks it would be fascinating to discover the history of the land on which the estate was built. “I heard that at one time a monastery stood on the same spot as Mrs Weller’s house and surrounding land but I cannot verify this.”
Hopefully now “Charlie” will rest and leave Mrs Weller and her lodger Jack in peace.
Grantham Journal, 30th August 1985.