My Nightmare Before Christmas !!

Well Hello There !

Merry Christmas Ho Ho Oh! Hmm it's been an interesting night for me tonight...

Three of my elves decided to take me ghost hunting tonight. A little introduction to it... here's what happened...

We went to a cemetary which dates back to the 12th Century. Yes, I know cemetaries are generally peaceful places, as the souls of those passed have already left the body, but this one has a certain ambience about it. It's creepy ! Now, the fact it's creepy, I don't know if it was just me shaking in my little black boots, out on my first ghost hunt, or if it was the dark ?

My elves assured me that I was safe and that they had been there a few times. Although they did tell me they have had a few strange occurrences there, but they didn't tell me what they were, thus eliminating all auto suggestion.

Anyways, we climb the steep steps up into the churchyard, the church itself is bizarre, it's like a mish mash of four different styles ! As we entered the churchyard we turned right (me and one of my elves) and I switched on my camcorder (Rudolph bought me it a couple of christmases ago). We came across a gravestone dated 1641, gosh that person is old!! Not as old as me though... I am amazed that the epitaph is still legible, but it is and is written in Ye Olde English.

As we walk along the path between the trees and the gravestones I am suddenly aware of our solitude, we are the only living people around. My elf suddenly starts rubbing her coat, and when I ask what is wrong I discover that a noise was heard, and she was trying to ascertain what it was. It wasn't the coat !! Phew for a moment there I thought my elf had some strange coat fetish !!

The strange thing is, as we were walking it really doesn't feel like we were alone. It felt as though we were being followed, and there is the occassional twig snapping sound, an old cliche I know, but.. whenever we turned to see, either they're good at hiding behind the trees and gravestones, or it is our imagination !

It was an interesting walk through the churchyard, and one I'd like to do again. After our little walk we headed back to the car (we couldn't take the sleigh as the reindeer are down the Gym getting ready for Christmas Eve). As we drove along we decided to retrace the steps of a famous local murder.

In 1683 Andrew Mills slaughtered three members of the Brass Family. This happened at Hall Hill Farm in Ferryhill, which is now the site of a Day Spa and an old Mill converted to a house.

It was New Years Eve 1683 and Mam and Dad Brass went out to a party at a friends house, leaving their three children and farm hand Mills back at the farm.

For reasons unknown, other than "it was the voices" , Mills flipped and murdered all three of the Brass children, by stabbing them. He then went on the run for a few days and was belieed to have been sheltered by a family member. He was caught and hung at what is now the Thinford inn roundabout, on the edge of an old Roman road. His body was then placed inside an iron gibbet and hung at the side of the road (A167 ~ old A1) halfway between Thinford and Ferryhill, now the site of two houses. His spirit is said to walk between, seeking solace and forgiveness.

As we passed the houses, all the hairs on the back of our necks stood up, but, unfortunately, that could be the power of suggestion.

One of my elves did have an unnerving experience on the road adjacent to where Mills was hung, as we drove past a crash barrier, she saw the solid figure of a man. Nobody else in the car saw him. But, at the same time another elf suddenly felt sick.

So, as you can see, an interesting step out of the box for me before Christmas, am not sure Mrs. Claus would approve but Ho Ho Oh !! This is one adventure I would love to repeat.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my nightmare before Christmas and I look forward to your comments.

For now...... MERRY CHRISTMAS HO HO HO......

Santa & The Elves xxx