With the Clear Books offices in Hammersmith being located next door to a small church and graveyard, no one will want to be the last person left in the office this Halloween.
While we’re yet to see an actual ghost though, the employees at the following companies haven’t been so lucky….
1. Ye Olde Man and Scythe – Bolton
There’s probably no other type of business with more spooky goings on than a great British pub – must be all those spirits behind the bar…
It’s no surprise there’s so many ‘haunted’ pubs though when you consider how old many of the buildings are and the many stories that have unfolded within them. Ye Olde Man and Scythe in Bolton is one of Britain’s oldest pubs and dates back to 1251, and is supposedly haunted by the ghost of James Stanley – the Seventh Earl of Derby.
Stanley was arrested for treason after the Civil War in 1651, and had his final meal at Ye Olde Man and Sycthe before being executed in the square outside the pub. The chair on which he sat for this final meal is still in the pub today.
Stanley’s ghost may even have been caught on camera twice at the pub last year.
2. Ettington Park Hotel – Warwickshire
Much like pubs, there are no end of hotels that are supposedly haunted. Ettington Park Hotel in Warwickshire has been described as ‘the most haunted hotel in Britain’, and was even used as a location in 1963 film ‘The Haunted’.
There are several ghosts reported to haunt different parts of the hotel, including that of a priest that has been spotted in various rooms of the 17th century house. A ‘priest hole’ was found in the chapel of the house – these were hiding places built in to Catholic houses during the period of Catholic persecution in the 1500’s and 1600’s.
The hotel is visited throughout the year by ghost hunters and thrill seekers, many of whom report candlesticks floating through rooms, strange footsteps and even the sound of children singing.
3. Thorntons – Chester
The Chester branch of chocolate retailer Thorntons, based in a 15th century building, is said to be haunted by the ghost of a bride who hung herself on after being jilted on her wedding day. Her misdemeanours have included possessing the store manager and pushing a sceptical American tourist down the stairs.
An incident on Valentine’s Day in 1991 brought ‘Sarah’ to public attention, after staff opened up the shop and found that she had taken offence to the Valentine’s display in the shop window. The heart-shaped boxes were scattered across the floor, with the regular boxes completely untouched.
4. Bank underground station – London
A deserted tube station at night must be one of the creepiest places to work, so the job of night supervisor at Bank underground station in central London can’t be an easy one.
It probably doesn’t make matters any better when numerous people report sightings of ghosts, and a ‘general feeling of sadness, hopelessness and anxiety’ that accompany people in certain corridors and passageways of the station.
The ghost is said by some to be Sarah Whitehead, whose brother Philip worked for the Bank of England and was hanged for apparently forging cheques in 1811. Every day for the next 25 years, Sarah would come to the Bank of England dressed in black, looking for her brother.
However, as far as evidence for ghosts goes, a ‘strong smell’ and a feeling of anxiety in a London Underground station seems a little weak, as anyone who has ever used the tube will know.
5. Wintern Day Centre – Pembrokeshire
Staff at a care home in Pembrokeshire refused to work after dark after a series of strange occurrences in their building. Employees reported that keyboards were turned upside down, unplugged printers have started printing and objects such as staplers were flung across the room, while the smell of bluebells would waft through the room while all this was going on.
The local council was even called in to investigate, looking for structural faults or another rational explanation for the events. Sadly, there was nothing unusual discovered, leading the poor staff to consider calling an exorcist as a next drastic step.
Has anything spooky happened in your place of work? Let us know in the comments!
