Mysterious happenings at ‘bus depot.
“Invisible hands” hurl stones.
Night workers employed at Winlaton ‘Bus Depot are under the impression that the building may be haunted. They say they do not believe in ghosts, but claim to have heard recently a series of “thuds, bangs and bumps” from rooms upstairs.
First man to hear the weird noises was Mr William Parker, 43-year-old night watchman, of 38, Heddon View, Winlaton. Mr Parker claims that on several nights during the last six months, he has heard sounds “as if furniture was being moved around in a rest room in the upstairs.”
“I am not frightened by the noises, but when they begin I get a prickling in the neck. I get the impression that there is someone in the room with me,” he says.
The first warnings of the impending “rumblings” is always given by Mr Parker’s eight-year-old Collie, Queenie. Shortly before the disturbances are heard the dog begins to howl. Then the noise begins and Queenie often lies at Mr Parker’s feet whimpering, as if afraid of something. After a short while, however, the noise subsides. Mr Parker begins work at 11 o’clock at night and finishes in the early hours of the morning. The noises rarely begin at the same time each night. “Often they begin at one o’clock, often it is three and sometimes it is as late as five o’clock,” Mr Parker said.
At first he thought that they were due to earth tremors, but realised that this was impossible. Then, he put it down to bad weather. “It could be the wind,” he thought. But he always discovered that outside it was a calm night.
Mr Parker’s strangest experience at the depot happened only recently. Whilst inspecting a radiator on one of the ‘buses, owned by the Northern Transport Co., huge stones began crashing round the building. “It was very eerie,” said Mr Parker. “It was as if they were propelled by an unknown hand.” The night watchman was not alone when this happened. There were two others in the depot with him. The stones began to be hurled around the room at about one o’clock and the bombardment continued until nearly 5 a.m. This matter was later reported to the police.
Only last Friday night, Mr Parker was so convinced that there was someone in the building that he ran out into the street and informed police in a passing patrol car. They inspected the building, but found nothing.
Others have experienced similar noises and disturbances. One of them is Mr Matt Jeavons, 20, Parkgate Lane, Winlaton. The 36-years-old ‘bus driver works night shift. It is his job to take pitmen to and from their work. He often spends a lot of his time in the depot at night. He said: “One night we were sitting having a snack when we heard a noise similar to the gurgling of water. We rushed to investigate, but found nothing there.”
“Many of the people working during the day at the depot take our stories as a bit of a joke. But many of the conductresses refuse to sit in the rest place alone. They rush out when left by themselves,” he added.
Another person who claims to have heard the noises is Mr Ronnie Kyle, 5, Clara Street, Winlaton. “It is just like some piece of furniture being dragged along the floor when it begins. It can be heard clearly. Often we go up to investigate, but it is always the same – nothing there,” he said. “It could not be anyone playing tricks on us,” he added, “the only way out of the room for them would be by the window.”
One night some of the “night men” claimed to have heard a gun report. A bullet was said to splinter glass panelling and the hole which it made can still be seen to-day at the depot in Hood Place, Winlaton. On another occasion, the door of a ‘bus was heard to clash shut. This too was investigated. The door was found closed, but nothing else was found. Often when the unknown noise begins, Kyle, Parker and Jeavons are having a snack. They look from one to the other and then pay a visit to the rest room. But it is always the same – there is nothing there.
The depot is sited very near to Winlaton cemetery. It is also part of an old house. It is said to have been used at one time by a firm of bookmakers. The depot, however, is shortly to close and workers are to move to new premises at Cromwell Place, Winlaton.
Blaydon Courier, 18th November 1955.
‘Bus Depot “Ghosts” Could Be Mice – Says a reader.
The “Blaydon Courier” Office this week has been literally “swamped” with mail from people attempting to find an answer to the mysterious disturbances recently at Winlaton ‘Bus Depot. One reader writes to say that the noises could be caused through mining subsidence. He writes: “There is every reason to believe that the garage is sited above old mineworkings. If this was the case, rumblings would not be out of the ordinary.”
Another, who claims to be employed on the staff of the Company, says that the noises could be entirely through mice, on the floor upstairs. “Naturally,” she says, “When someone goes up to investigate, they will find nothing there. The mice will soon scamper to safety.”
Last week the “Courier” told of the series of thuds, bangs and bumps heard frequently at the garage by nightwatchman Bill Parker, Heddon View, Winlaton, Matt Jeavons, ‘bus driver of Parkgate Lane, and Ron Kyle of Clara Street, Winlaton.
An official of the Northern Transport Co., working at Winlaton also described the tale as “eyewash.” “It is pure imagination,” he said. When asked by a “Courier” reporter if he had ever spent the night in the building, he replied “many a time – ten years ago.” When he was told that the rumblings had only begun recently he said, “It’s eyewash.”
The building will soon be coming down. New premises are being erected elsewhere in the village, and many of the staff, who believe the story, will not be sorry when the time comes to say goodbye to the present depot. The building has, in its time, been a gaol and also a bookmaker’s office. Part of the building is in decay, and is said to be “very eerie.”
Blaydon Courier, 25th November 1955.
Mystery at Winlaton ‘Bus Depot.
Watchman’s letter to the Editor.
Sir, – Being the watchman at the Winlaton bus depot who confirmed the rumour, rife in the village, of mysterious happenings there, I wish to state that I was on my annual holidays when police notice was called to this state of affairs by another workman, other than those stated, namely M. Jeavons and R. Kyle. We three, in particular, had known of these noises for quite some six months, but never made it public. I did not, in fact, report the matter first to press reporters.
However, your reader who suggests that these bumps etc. (Nov. 25 issue) are mice, has certainly no idea of the nature of these. No mouse or rat that I have ever seen could make such a ‘bang’ or ‘drag’ like a really heavy object falling on solid cement. I refer now to the centre of the depot itself, not to the old house attached. No, no, dear lady reader, your explanation is silly to the point of being ridiculous.
Another reader suggests mining subsidence. More likely, but dozens of pitmen I’ve talked to are agreed that there is no working going on under that part of the village now.
But the ‘official’ who states that it is our ‘imagination’ – and ‘eyewash’ is the most pathetic of all. Surely it’s not ‘eyewash’ to be bombarded for three hours in the middle of the night with stones. I’ve not heard of a lunatic being at large and I say to this ‘official’, These stones left nothing to the imagination.
May I also say to him, that being an official, permission to stay a few nights with me should not be too hard to come by. I am certain he will not find things so peaceful as he did in his younger days of ten years ago – the last time he spent a night at this depot. Perhaps he will also comment on what he calls ‘a night’. I doubt it being after midnight.
Up till now, no reasonable answer is forthcoming, as to why my dog Queen shows distinct signs of distress BEFORE these noises. This has happened only recently, although it has been with me each night for the past four years. Maybe someday, an expert may answer me that one, or maybe my dog, too, suffers from ‘imagination’ and the distress talked of in the doggie world as ‘eyewash.’
Yours etc., The Night Watchman.
Blaydon Courier, 9th December 1955.