OUR MUSICAL GHOST

It would,I suppose ,be odd if a house as old as ours did not have a resident ghost. According to village gossip the house is haunted and village children are unwilling to even pass by in the lane after dark! Fortunately we are used to sharing our home with former residents and feel no fear of their presence.

Our spectral house mate is rather mischievous however, and does ,on occasion make a nuisance of himself.

It began with a strong smell of pipe tobacco in one of the bedrooms which spread along the landing until all the bedrooms were affected. From the earliest days of our residence here items would disappear in to thin air and then reappear a day or two later.

Often the missing items would turn up in the most ridiculous locations and we soon learned to stop searching for the missing objects,in the certain knowledge that they will turn up....eventually.

Vanished saucepans have reappeared in the laundry basket,missing items of clothing have been found in the desk and as for my slippers, they go AWOL so often that I feel inclined to keep them on at all times.

Rugs frequently move about in a most peculiar fashion,my bedside rug manages to move several feet away from the bed overnight even when firmly anchored by the bed post!

So far all attempts to communicate with our invisible prankster have failed although I am certain he hears me cussing when ever s vital piece of kitchen equipment or a necessary ingredient does a vanishing act.. irritating but that's all.

Now we come to the events of this morning, when I went downstairs at six thirty to make sure of a bright fire for the boys when they came down for breakfast. On arriving in the drawing room I found the cat Moth asleep on the sofa,a most unusual occurrence as she seldom budges from the vicinity of the fire in the library next door.

Then I noticed the music. Emanating from the kitchen was as nasty a dirge as ever I heard , the radio ,switched off last night in the presence of all three of us was turned on and set to play far too loudly for comfort. This is not the first time our ghost has turned on the radio or television, the last time Pa was actually in the room when it happened!

The scullery lights were on ,the light in the cloakroom was also ablaze, and as I switched them off I remarked to the ghost that until he contributed to the cost of the electric bill he could remain in darkness!!

I had dealt with the fire,opened the curtains in the office and fed the cat, before returning to my neglected bed for half and hour I stood for a moment to admire the Christmas tree, which looked very beautiful in the half light. All at once, the fairy which graces the topmost branch of the tree flew at me with considerable force and landed half way across the room.................weird... I should say so!

By now the cat had fled in to the office, I put the fairy back where she belonged. Gave the cat a cuddle then made my way upstairs.

At breakfast we discussed the matter and wondered just who our ghost had been while alive; perhaps a puritan, they had a dislike of Christmas I believe. If the villagers know they are not telling so I expect we shall just have to rub along together as best we may. As long as the old so and so does not develop a taste for my single malt whiskey he is welcome to stay around and chill...if you'll pardon the expression.