Promenade. With John Deighton.
The festive season is the time for ghost stories… and strange things have been happening at the home of Mrs Beryl France, who lives with her 18-year-old daughter Wendy and her son Colin, 15, at 18 Longfellow-road, Worthing. If you don’t believe in ghosts, well… go ahead and explain the phenomena. It was two-and-a-half years ago that the France family moved from Totteridge to Worthing; 15 months ago things began happening. Things inexplicable.
It was while Mrs France was in hospital that Wendy, sleeping alone in the house (Colin was away at boarding school in Surrey), heard footsteps coming up the stairs. She sat up, wondering who, or what, was in the house. Finally she got out of bed and locked her door. Nothing more was heard – that night. Since then the footsteps have been heard frequently. Explained Mrs France: “We hear about three steps at a time, just moderate sort of steps. Not thumping or anything like that. But there is never anyone to be seen on the stairs. No one.
“In addition we’ve all heard sounds as if the front door has been opened and shut; last night, for instance (I was speaking to Mrs France last Tuesday). But at the time the front door was locked, with the curtain across it to keep out the draught. And the curtain wasn’t even moving…”
In June Mrs France was in the breakfast room, again alone in the house, when she suddenly heard jazz music coming from the front room. “I didn’t think it could be coming from next door; it was too jazzy for that,” Mrs France told me. “I came in here… and found a record playing. There was no-one else in the house – no one to put it on the record player. I nearly died of fright, I can tell you!”
Then there was the time that Mrs France had a woman friend staying at her house. In the morning she asked: “Was anyone tapping on my door during the night?” A friend of Wendy’s also heard the ghostly footsteps. It went further than that – for the bedroom door opened. Wendy’s friend shut it, but it opened again and again for a third time! “It’s all very weird,” said Mrs France. “I don’t believe in ghosts or that sort of thing. But who can explain these things. I was told once I was psychic, but I don’t think I am. I certainly don’t know what is causing these things to happen.”
The classic thrill touch, the dripping tap, has been another occurrence. “Twice the taps in the kitchen have been turned full on,” added Mrs France. “No-one has been in the kitchen at the time, either. It’s all most peculiar, because if there are such things as ghosts I don’t believe they have the physical strength to do things like that. I must say, that we’ve never heard any groans or moans or clanking of chains. But on several occasions I’ve come into the house on my own in the dark and heard voices – women’s voices. Just like a conversation going on. Then there have been sounds as if someone has been hurling themselves against the front door. There’s never been anyone outside, though.”
“One night Wendy was down here doing her homework when just after midnight she heard the usual three steps – this time coming down the stairs – and then a sort of whoosh across this door, which was open. She tore out to see who was there, but there was nothing to see. No-one there, as usual…”
The France family is shortly to be visited by a Mr Underwood from the Ghost Association, who will investigate the strange happenings. “There’s one thing, though,” continued Mrs France. “Whatever happens we’re not moving out. We have got used to these weird things and don’t mind them so much now as we did in the past. They certainly don’t appear harmful. We’re just going to live with whatever is causing them.”
So there you are; the Festive ghost story. Still, a doubting Thomas. Well, go ahead and explain it. If you can.
Worthing Gazette, 30th December 1964.