Pub haunted by ghosts of Christmas present

CHRISTMAS spirit has taken on a new meaning for regulars of the Bull’s Head in Ogden as they await their regular festive visits from ghosts.

The apparitions of a man, a woman and a dog have been seen by customers, the landlord Paul Whitmore and his wife, Marlene. They say glasses are mysteriously thrown from behind the bar when there is nobody there and a former chef at the pub was singled out by the spirits who constantly threw pots at her when she entered the kitchen.

The ladies at the pub invited two mediums, who announced that the pub was haunted by three spirits. Curiously, the spirits only turn up around Christmas and leave when the weather starts to get warmer.

AdvertisementMr Whitmore said: "One night at 5.30pm I saw a woman wearing a long coat walk through the pub into the restaurant. All the tables had been booked and I asked my business partner Henry Wakelin to have a word with her, but when he got into the restaurant no one was there.

"A customer saw what appeared to be a man walk through a door which had been blocked off. The ghosts are not frightening, they are quite playful. They throw pots and glasses off the shelves. This only happened last week.

"One of the theories as to why they always haunt the pub around Christmas and not during summer, is that they come inside out of the cold into the warmth of the pub.

"The ghosts are quite a talking point among regulars, who say they are here again. One of the ghosts is that of a dog. My wife Marlene said she had moved out of the way of a dog and then realised there wasn’t a dog in the pub. The customers aren’t frightened of the ghosts, but they can be mischievous."

Stephen Foster

First published by the Rochdale Observer