Ghost on Record.
Report by Pete Wood.
Bemused staff at a Dudley record shop have appealed for help in tracing the origins of a ghost which they claim is haunting their town centre premises. Liz Baker, manager of Our Price in the market place, said there had been at least a dozen unexplained incidents at the shop over the last three years. She said these included a display of more than 20 videos being turned back to front, a portable radio being switched on and an unexplained order for new stock.
According to staff, most incidents occur overnight, although members who have worked late have heard unexplained noises including footsteps, a toilet being flushed and even the sound of a guitar being strummed. Geoff Scott, who has worked at the shop for two years, said they were at a loss to explain the strange goings-on. He said the incidents occurred in fits and starts, but had begun most recently with an unexplained order for new stock. He said the order had definitely been made through the Dudley store, at 12.30am, but not by a member of staff. In addition, instead of carrying a reference code number, the stock-list simply carried the name Miranda – a name staff have now given to the poltergeist.
He said: “We’ve come in on a morning and the radio has been on full-blast, although it’s not been plugged into the mains. It’s obviously been on all night. We’ve also come in and found that stock has been moved. Once a whole display of videos were turned round. If we’ve stayed late stock-taking we’ve also heard noises like the toilet being flushed, footsteps, and windows have been opened. Once when we had a guitar upstairs it was heard being strummed. When staff from other stores come in and work here they feel uneasy, but it’s not been a problem. We’ve never felt frightened – not in the least.”
Miss Baker said the strange reputation of the shop was well known among staff in the area and since news of the ghost had spread, people who had worked there in the past had remembered little unexplained incidents. She said it was believed that the shop was formerly home to a pub, but she said they had no other information about the history of the premises. And she appealed to Chronicle readers who could shed some light to get in touch.
Dudley and District Chronicle, 21st April 1995.”