Riddle of haunted bedroom in new block of council flats.
Bishop acts to stop ghost in a dressing gown.
A parish priest has been told by his bishop to try to exorcise a poltergeist which is said to have twice attacked a wife with a dressing gown. An exorcism service will be performed next week. The Bishop of Exeter, Dr Robert Mortimer, made his decision after the Robertson family, tenants of a new council flat in Union Street, Plymouth, told the police about the attacks and other incidents, including a room being left in complete disorder. The Rev. Charles Vickery, vicar of St. Mary’s Church, Plymouth, said yesterday: “I was called in after the police were unable to solve the trouble. Before I approached the bishop I questioned the family closely and satisfied myself that it was not just imagination. I am quite convinced there is something wrong. Afterwards I was told by the bishop to carry out an exorcism ceremony at the flat.”
Plymouth housing manager Mr James Sanderson said that the block of 40 flats was finished a year ago on a site that was previously covered with very old property. He added: “Whether it is really haunted I would not like to say. The family say it is, but I myself do not believe in such things as ghosts.”
Mr Stanley Robertson, 40, his wife Elsie, and daughter Carol, however, claim that a series of happenings just before Christmas points to supernatural influences at work in their bright new flat. Mrs Robertson told police how she was terrified when a dressing gown was suddenly flung at her by “ghostly hands.” It happened the week before Christmas while she was alone in her bedroom, standing with her back to the door on which the dressing gown was hanging. Her husband described how he and his daughter, after hearing screams, went into the bedroom and found her in a state of collapse. Mr Robertson said that to pacify his wife he took the dressing gown out of the room and put it away underneath a heavy vacuum cleaner in a hall-way cupboard.
Next evening, said Mr Robertson, his wife was again attacked with the dressing gown. And although he had put it in the cupboard he found it lying at his wife’s feet in her bedroom when once again she screamed for help. This time, he said, he locked the dressing gown in an outside building, and all was quiet for the next few nights. Then, the bedroom which had been the scene of the dressing gown attacks, was turned upside down – although the whole family was in another room.
Carol Robertson’s boy friend, 18-year-old Roger Day, who is serving with the Royal Navy, said he had volunteered to search the flat after the family heard tapping noises. He found nothing wrong until he got to Mrs Robertson’s bedroom, where bedclothes and ornaments had been scattered about the floor, and the whole room was in disorder.
Sunday Express, 30th January 1966.
A ghost is told to quit flat.
By Douglas Slight.
Three priests held a service yesterday in an attempt to stop the “haunting” of a council flat. Strange happenings have been plaguing the tenants for a year. They have been wakened by the sensation of something breathing on t heir faces and have heard a strange three-note whistling noise.
The “ghost” has taken a dressing-gown from a cupboard and put it on a bed, flung a nasal spray at a bedroom wall and turned mirrors to face the wall.
Tenants of the flat in Plymouth, Devon, are Stanley Robertson, 40, and his wife Edith, 42. Mr Robertson told me last night: “If the service does not end all this, I don’t know what we shall do. We love this flat and would hate to leave. But our health is suffering. If anything else happens, I’m going to ask for a transfer.”
The service of exorcism was carried out by the Rev. David Vickery, acting on the instructions of the Bishop of Exeter, and assisted by two other clergymen.
Daily Mirror, 21st April 1966.
Couple are evicted by a ghost.
A couple have handed over their ultra-modern council flat – to a ghost. Only a week ago a service of exorcism was held at the flat. But now 40-year-old Stanley Robertson claims that strange happenings, which have haunted him for six months, have begun again. Mr Roberson and his 42-year-old wife, Edith, are refusing to stay at the flat – in Union street, Plymouth- except at weekends. And then they will have at least one relative with them. The rest of the time, the flat belongs to the ghost…
Mr Robertson, a war pensioner, said: “During the early hours last Wednesday I was woken up by something – I couldn’t tell what it was – ruffling my hair. At the same time my wife felt something leaning on her, as if somebody was trying to get across her to get at me. Suddenly the chest of drawers by the side of the bed started to rock about, and there was a sliding noise, as if somebody was being dragged across the floor and was trying to get a grip with his feet. This was too much for us, although we are used to strange happenings in this place. We got up at once and went out into th epouring rain and went about two miles to my sister’s home.”
Mrs Robertson said: “I would not dream of sleeping here again while we are on our own. Now we shall only stay at weekends while my married daughter is here.”
The Rev. David Vickery, vicar of St Peter’s, Plymouth, who carried out the exorcism service, said: “I really do not know what will happen now. I can say nothing further until I have given a full report to the Bishop of Exeter.”
Daily Mirror, 29th April 1966.
Ghost takes over couple’s apartment.
London, Sat. – Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Robertson have turned their Plymouth apartment over to a ghost who moved in with them some time back. Just a week ago they had three Anglican priests drop drop by for an exorcism service to convince the ghost he wasn’t wanted. The priests said prayers and sprinkled holy water around the modern apartment. But Mr Robertson says it didn’t do much good.
“Just the other night,” he said, “I was awakened by something – I couldn’t tell what it was – ruffling my hair. There was a sliding noise, as if somebody was being dragged across the floor and was trying to get a grip with his feet. This was too much for us, although we are used to strange happenings in this place.”
“I was terrified,” Mrs Robertson said. Mr Robertson, 40, said he and his wife left in driving rain and went to stay with relatives. “I would not dream of sleeping there again while we are on our own,” Mrs Robertson said. She said they would stay at the flat only on week-ends when their married daughter could be with them. Said the Rev. David Vickery, who led the exorcism service: “I really do not know what will happen now.”
The Straits Times, 1st May 1966.
Haunting memory.
Ghostly goings-on at a council flat put the wind up a TV camera crew. They were thankful to finish filming at the Plymouth home of Stanley and Edith Robertson. The pair tell a weird tale about an old dressing-gown which apparently came to life in ‘Robinson Country’ (Channel 4, 6.0). They found the dressing-gown hanging on the back of a door. When they took it down strange things started to happen… They were so scared, they put it back on the door. A spokesman for the programme says: “The camera team who went to the house were all very cynical at first. But they were really relieved to get away from the place.”
Daily Mirror, 2nd August 1984.