A few of us teachers took 43 Grade 6 students out to Lancashire (a county in England) for four days and three nights. A blast for them. A sleepless week for us.
We were hosted by Sir Bernard de Hoghton (who's son used to go to our school when he was younger).. by 'our school' I mean my current school, not the school I'll be working at in September... Sir Bernard and his wife own a castle.
This is where we spent our evenings eating supper and enjoying traditional activities like Morris Dancing.
One night we all dressed up in medievil attire and ate in the banquet hall. The same hall that King James I tasted the finest loin stake he's ever had and knighted it Sir Loin. Incidentally, the visit of King James I to the castle almost bankrupted the de Hoghton family many years ago.
You can see a picture of the castle and the inside at http://www.hoghtontower.co.uk/
I couldn't take pictures of the inside (security reasons) but the floors were marble (real!), the furniture was of the 16 C and everything was haunted!!!
Now, I didn't believe in ghosts when I went but I do now. I'm not talking about Casper.
I'm talking about a lady in a white dress who wanders the fields at night looking for her lost love who was killed because in was Catholic and she was Protestant (or the other way around). The man was killed because he would not leave his beloved. She committed suicide and forever wonders between her castle (Samlesbury) and his (Hoghton) looking for her lover.
Now, I know you are still sceptical. I would be too. Until the people around you - normal level-headed people - start telling you their personal experiences. Being shoved against the wall when no one else in the hallway with her. Saying hello to a little girl who asked for directions to the toilet with her mom. The mom comes back and not the little girl. When asked where the little girl is, she says I don't have a little girl. The same ghost played a knocking game on either side of a big wooden door way with the telephone man. When the man asked who the giggling little girl was he was told that there was no children at the castle today. The man decided not to come back to finish his job. These are normal people.
Not all the ghosts are good. Some throw things at you. Create visions of abyss in front of you .. three floors up! The place where these ghosts live has been closed off forever.
At least we didn't sleep here. We slept here..
That was much better. Until I found out that it is haunted too!!! I slept with my light on.
I've decided that I do believe in ghosts. Maybe it's their hell. Forever wondering the ends of the earth looking for the lover they will never find. I believe in angles and demons. How is that any different from ghosts?
Until then, I will pray for God to send his angels to protect me. Plus, I always have my Roman armour :)
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