So who's seen a ghost?

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun October 19th, 2008, 4:02 pm

[quote=""Divia""]We talk about different types of ghosts. And let me tell you I had no idea there were so many! And the reasons why they could come back. We also talked a little about demonology (dont like freaks me out) and about if a ghost story could be true or not. We also discuss ghost stories from the area, which is very fun cause people like to hear ghostly events near their homes. It was only 50 bucks for 3 nights. My last night is this Wed. It was fun. I enjoyed it. My only wish is we could have dome some ghost hunting, but alas no due to insurance reasons.

[/quote]

Oh that sounds fascinating Divia. No wonder you've been enjoying it!

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Sun October 19th, 2008, 5:17 pm

I did see a ghost once. I worked in a building in Central London which was once a house where Emma Hamilton (Nelson's mistress) reputedly lived. Colleagues all had tales to tell and we all had that experience from time to time when you think someone's standing behind you or is in the room with you, and several people refused to go down to the basement on their own saying they heard strange noises (personally I always thought it was the lift mechanism but it was lonely down there!).

One day though my colleague and I were on our own in the office and we both thought we glimpsed a lady in a white dress with a blue sash round the waist walking across the room. She went towards the wall and then vanished as soon as we looked up. We were both more puzzled than scared as it all happened so quickly.

EC what was your poltergeist experience? I think you mentioned it once before and I'm intrigued!

Carine · Post by **Carine** » Sun October 19th, 2008, 5:31 pm

What a great thread !
I love to read all your ghost stories !
I've never seen a ghost or had a creepy experience of the kind yet myself but some of your stories make the hair on my arms stand up !!

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun October 19th, 2008, 5:35 pm

[quote=""Madeleine""]

EC what was your poltergeist experience? I think you mentioned it once before and I'm intrigued![/quote]

There were a couple of them when I was writing A Place Beyond Courage. I'd been working on the scene after John is recovering from the events at Wherwell and trying to come to terms with his injury. As I stood up from the PC just having finished the piece and about to get a cup of tea, I heard a noise behind me and was just in time to see two ornamental pottery cats fly off my bookshelf and hit the floor several feet away.
I may have mentioned that I use songs to inspire me whilst writing and that I listen out for likely ones while doing other jobs round the house. I was doing this one evening and preparing my husband's sandwiches for work the next day. I had torn off a piece of tinfoil and laid it on the kitchen table. Then I turned back to my preparations at the worktop. On came Deep Purple's When a Blind Man Cries. I heard a sound behind me, turned and saw the foil lift up off the table and whicker to the floor. We are double glazed and all the doors were closed. Wow!' I thought. 'That's going on the soundtrack!'
So I added it the list on my PC.
Anyway, next time I saw Alison (psychic friend) I mentioned these incidents to her. Through tuning in and getting in touch, she found out that John was objecting to the self-pity I'd written into that scene after his wounding. He absolutely refused to pity himself, and that song, far from being right, was totally wrong because again it's a kind of self-pitying dirge. So I rewrote the scene (twice!) and changed the song to Meat Loaf's I'm Alive, and everything settled down and I haven't had any problems since! Strange but true. I'm not bonkers, those cats definitely flew! Could have been worse. He could have chucked them at me!

princess garnet · Post by **princess garnet** » Sun October 19th, 2008, 6:22 pm

Quite a few buildings at my graduate school were haunted and the campus ghost tour (sponsored by the History Club which I was a member) was an annual Halloween event. My last semester there, we had a History Club party in one of these buildings. It has a small auditorium and has been used for both campus and public functions over the years. Back in the 1930s an upset actor hung himself after his only show (which fared badly) in this building. What a night for everyone--there was a hot and cold spot on the stage, loud noises coming from the pipes as someone was knocking them, some weird shadow near the sound booth, just a spooky night!

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun October 19th, 2008, 6:39 pm

[quote=""Madeleine""]

One day though my colleague and I were on our own in the office and we both thought we glimpsed a lady in a white dress with a blue sash round the waist walking across the room. She went towards the wall and then vanished as soon as we looked up. We were both more puzzled than scared as it all happened so quickly.

[/quote]

What a brilliant experience Madeleine, especially as you both saw her!

michellemoran · Post by **michellemoran** » Sun October 19th, 2008, 7:12 pm

Shoot - I've got nothing. I even went on a ghost tour of the Queen Mary - zip ;[

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun October 19th, 2008, 7:44 pm

[quote=""michellemoran""]Shoot - I've got nothing. I even went on a ghost tour of the Queen Mary - zip ;[[/quote]

Don't feel too bad Michelle!
My agent told me that she went on a Nile cruise with Barbara Erskine when Barbara was researching ummm....forgotten the title but her book set in ancient Egypt. Their cruise ship/yacht had once belonged to the King of Egypt (or some such potentate). Anyway, my agent and Barbara were sitting in the salon attending a lecture on something or other and Barbara suddenly started staring at the wall. Agent looked. Saw nothing. 'What?' she asked in trepidation. Barbara said 'Can't you see him? That man in uniform?' Carole couldn't see anything at all. But Barbara was adamant. Later investigations turned up Barbara's man in a photo from the 1920's when he had served on the yacht and had had to wear a particular uniform that's no longer in existence. My brother in law had a similar experience with his family at a pub in Devon. (He wasn't drunk, lol!). He saw a sailor in old fashioned clothes but none of his family could see it. Then later corroboration from the owner of the pub about what BIL had seen. Can't remember the corroborative details but they were there. I think some of us do have stronger sensitivities than others.

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Sun October 19th, 2008, 9:03 pm

I haven't had any firsthand experiences, either, Michelle, though I've visited haunted places on purpose.

The closest I've come is a photograph I took which I believe captured the image of one of the little girls who died at the Myrtles Plantation. I took the photograph in the ladies' parlor facing the fireplace. The little girl was visible standing beside the fireplace. You could see her shoulders, the apron over her dress and the bottom of her dress. Unfortunately I no longer have that photo.

Still, I keep trying to have some kind of experience even though it'll probably scare the bejesus outta me.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Sun October 19th, 2008, 9:38 pm

[quote=""michellemoran""]Shoot - I've got nothing. I even went on a ghost tour of the Queen Mary - zip ;[[/quote]

I think when you go lookin for ghosts you get nothing. Don't expect anything and bam!