My daughter, Kathy, can see and hear ‘dead people’. To her, these presences from the past look as real as real, living, people, although some she sees only from the waist up, or fleetingly. (It’s a giveaway when the ‘person’ she’s looking at suddenly vanishes!) She’s seen ghosts from when she was about nine – maybe before that, although I was unaware of her gift when she was younger.
This first ‘encounter’ was at a Battle of Hastings re-enactment. The event had finished and she asked when they would take away the dead man and the dead horse. I passed it off, as parents do, with a tactful answer. The following year, at the same event, she said the same thing. And the year after that. Only this time there hadn’t been any horses in the display – so how come she could see a dead horse?
Moving to Devon from London in 2013, it became apparent that Kathy, now a mature adult, could see and hear ghosts... it started with the residents from the past who remain in our 18th-century farmhouse. And there are several of them, from maid to master, from child to farmhand. All of them, nice, friendly [dead] folk.
In our village pub there are several ghosts present among the paying present-day customers. Ghosts can be seen (by those with the gift or ability to see them) anywhere and at any time, not just during the dark hours of night. And the least likeliest place to see a ghost is in a cemetery, where the inhabitants really do simply ‘rest in peace’.
Ghosts are found anywhere, not just where some tragedy happened or where they died. A presence can linger where that person had some emotional tie, maybe a tragic incident, yes, but more often something of great importance, or where they were particularly happy. And finally, to shatter what you thought you knew... the majority of supernatural presences are not hostile or evil. Most are perfectly friendly, with some as unaware of us as most of us are of them.
Our village pub here in Chittlehamholt, North Devon, hosts several such residents. The Exeter Inn became a coaching inn during the late 1600s - early 1700s, being the first ‘comfort break’ en-route from the Colonial trade ports of Barnstaple and Bideford to Exeter, thirty or so miles away. There was a collection of ‘Exeter Inn’ public houses in our area, varying from thirteen to nine miles apart – usual distances for a coach and horses, depending on the terrain, and conveniently placed along the regular route.
Pre-mid-1600s travel would have been by foot, horseback or carrier cart, with only the wealthy or tradespeople having their own transport. A Tudor couple arrived at our village inn with their own coach, some time during, we think, the age of Queen Elizabeth I. Kathy has fleetingly seen them several times, identifying the era they belong to by their costume – typical Elizabethan, wealthy garments. They appear to be newly married. She seems quite shy and is dripping with pearls and sparkling jewels. We think they have stopped to rest the horses. Barnstaple is about thirteen miles away, with some steep hills in between.
But where were they heading to? Who were they? Sadly there is no way of knowing. Frustrating, but the one thing ghosts can’t do, by the look of it, is leave us a explanatory note!
Helen Hollick
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About the Authors
Known for her captivating storytelling and rich attention to historical detail, Helen Hollick might not see ghosts herself, but her nautical adventure series, and some of her short stories, skilfully blend the past with the supernatural, inviting readers to step into worlds where the boundaries between the living and the dead blur. Her historical fiction spans a variety of periods and her gift lies in her ability to bring historical figures and settings to life, creating an immersive experience that transports readers into the past. Her stories are as compelling as they are convincing. Helen started writing as a teenager, but after discovering a passion for history, was published in the UK with her Arthurian Trilogy and two Anglo-Saxon novels about the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, one of which became a USA Today best-seller. She also writes the Jan Christopher cosy mystery series set during the 1970s, and based around her, sometimes hilarious, years of working as a North London library assistant. Helen, husband Ron and daughter Kathy moved from London to Devon in January 2013 after a Lottery win on the opening night of the London Olympics, 2012. She spends her time glowering at the overgrown garden and orchard, fending off the geese, helping with the horses and, when she gets a moment, writing the next book...
When not encountering friendly ghosts, Kathy's passion is horses and mental well-being. She started riding at the age of three, had a pony at thirteen, and discovered showjumping soon after. Kathy now runs her own Taw River Equine Events, and coaches riders of any age or experience, specialising in positive mindset and overcoming confidence issues via her Centre10 accreditation and Emotional Freedom Technique training to aid calm relaxation and promote gentle healing. Kathy lives with her farmer partner, Andrew, in their flat adjoining the main farmhouse. She regularly competes at affiliated British Showjumping, and rides side-saddle (‘aside’) when she has the opportunity. She produces her own horses, several from home-bred foals. She also has a fun diploma in Dragons and Dragon Energy, which was something amusing to study during the Covid lockdown.
