Story of ‘flashing lights and heavy footsteps’.
Woman ‘forced to flee’ from strange noises in council house at New Addington.
Although they are very sceptical about stories circulating in New Addington concerning “supernatural” happenings in a new council house at Headley-drive, Croydon Corporation have decided to re-house the occupier, 25-years-old Mrs Kathleen reeves, and her three small children. In the picture on the left she is seen with two of the children outside the house in which she is afraid to live.
An official of the Corporation told a “Times” representative, “Mrs Reeves has made certain complaints about her house, but it is not for that reason that we have agreed to move her to other accommodation. The Medical Officer of Health, Dr S.L. Wright, has investigated the case and has found that Mrs Reeves suffered considerable domestic trouble some time ago and her health has been affected.”
It was in May last year that Mrs Reeves moved into 192, Headley-drive, New Addington, with her three children – Linda (aged five), John (three) and Julie (two) – after being on the council’s waiting list for over three years. Previously, she had been living in a Corporation half-way house. Then, a week before Christmas, “strange things started happening,” says Mrs Reeves. “Doors would open and close, electric lights flashed on and off, and heavy footsteps ‘walked’ across my bedroom ceiling,” she told our representative. “Worst of all was the constant shrill cries of a baby, as if she was being hit.”
One of the people who heard stories of strange happenings in the house told the Rev. Peter Casswell, of St. Edward’s Church, New Addington. He called on Mrs Reeves, who asked him to say prayers in the house. As the family belonged to his parish, he said prayers for them and gave them his blessing. He also advised Mrs Reeves to seek medical aid. Later Mrs Reeves left the house with her children and went to live with her mother at Handcroft-road, West Croydon. She told our reporter that twice she returned to the house, hoping that it would be normal. “But on both occasions I was forced to flee to my next-door neighbour, Mrs Betty Graney,” she declared.
“Mrs Reeves was white with fear. During the night, I often hear strange noises and bangs coming from next door,” said Mrs Graney, mother of two children.
Mr A. Day, an electrical sub-contractor on the new estate said, “At first I thought the noises came from the water tank, so I drained it out. But every so often there were strange noises coming from Mrs Reeves’ bedroom. I ran upstairs to see what it was, but found nothing. I heard the sounds once more after this.”
Croydon Times, 28th January 1955.
She fled the house of fear.
Croydon council is to find a new home for a housewife who says her council house is haunted. Mrs Kathleen Reeves, 25, left 192, Headley-dr., New Addington, with her three children after what she called her “week of terror.” Mrs Reeves, whose husband is away, says lights flashed, doors opened without anyone being there, and she heard mysterious footsteps.
The People, 13th February 1955.
15 months for seizing another man’s wife.
‘Story like medieval times’
Four men who figured in what Mr Sidney Noakes, prosecuting, described as a story “reminiscent to some extent of a bygone age – if not of cave men at least of medieval times – were convicted at the Old Bailey today. One of them, Robert James Landymore (29) fencer, of Scarbrook road, Croydon, seized another man’s wife in the street and made off with her, said Mr Noakes. Sentence of 15 months was passed on Landymore, who was found guilty of assaulting the woman’s husband, Henry Thomas Penfold, occasioning him actual bodily harm, and of assaulting Mrs Kathleen Reeves. He was acquitted on a charge of assaulting Mrs Lily Penfold.
Harry Stutters (32), labourer, of Coldharbour Way, Waddon, Surrey, and Frank Leslie Grinham (44), bulldozer driver, also of Coldharbour Way, were each senstenced to 12 months. They had similarly been found guilty of assaulting Mr Penfold.
Sentence on Patrick John Driscoll (19), labourer, of Stapleton Gardens, Waddon, who admitted assaulting Penfold, was postponed until the next sessions. He was remanded in custody.
On the direction of the Common Sergeant, Sir Anthony Hawke, the jury found all the accused not guilty of robbing Penfold with violence of £22 15s.
Mr Noakes had told the jury that Mrs Lily Penfold had on two occasions left her husband to go and live with Landymore. In April she returned to her husband. On Good Friday, as Penfold, his wife and her sister returned home in a lorry, the four accused advanced on it. Landymore pulled Penfold’s sister-in-law, Mrs Reeves, out of the lorry by the hair. She ran off.
Landymore caught hold of Mrs Penfold, and dragged her to an alley-way to conceal her, and then to his sister’s house at Addington where, counsel said, they spent the night. She later went back to her husband. Meanwhile the other three men attacked Penfold, who became almost unconscious.
Leicester Evening Mail, 19th May 1955.