Before I began the reading, I felt I just had to know who this woman was. Her presence was so clear to me, I actually thought Yvonne herself must be aware of it. But she wasn’t. When I told her what I could see, she looked surprised. No, she hadn’t lost her mum, or an aunt, or sister, or anyone that close to her. But as I described the lady, and how exceptionally pretty she was, Yvonne did become thoughtful. She opened her handbag and fished in it for a moment or so. Then she produced a photograph. It was of a very handsome young man. The hair was dark but the eyes were entirely the same as the woman’s.
‘That’s Pete, my boyfriend,’ Yvonne said. ‘Does he look like the woman?’
It turned out that Pete’s mum had died when he was only two and he had never really known her, but he had been told about how stunning she was to look at. He had always longed to know her and regretted never having the chance. His dad had remarried and he was close to his stepmum. It was just that he wished he had known more about his real mum, so I was glad of this opportunity to tell Yvonne some things about her.
In particular, she had been very musical. She also suffered from a circulatory problem which meant her hands were always cold, no matter how many clothes she heaped on. As I relayed this to Yvonne, she smiled. This was one of the few things Pete knew about his mum.
‘You know,’ I said, ‘She’s come for another purpose. You’re going to have a baby before the year is out and she wants you to know everything will be fine.’ This was especially poignant because Pete’s mum had died following complications when she was giving birth to Pete’s sister.
Yvonne was surprised by this. I don’t think she believed me, or wanted to at that stage! But Pete’s mum was adamant. She went on to say that the baby would be a girl, and that she wanted Pete and Yvonne to get married, although she understood that Yvonne was waiting for a divorce.
As things turned out, Pete’s mum was surprisingly accurate about these things. I hadn’t even begun to read Yvonne’s cards and didn’t know that this was the situation. But Yvonne soon confessed that it was true.
After the reading, Yvonne got back in touch. It was to say that she had talked to Pete and, although at first he had been sceptical, the woman I had described was his mum. He was going to send me a copy of a photograph he had of her with her lovely auburn hair. And he did. In it she was exactly as she came over. And I still keep it to this day to remind me of that special session.
Yvonne did become pregnant and she and Pete had a little girl, who was later a bridesmaid at their wedding! So far as I know, they’re still happy. Pete’s mum certainly never said they wouldn’t be. And her predictions were absolutely a hundred per cent correct. In some ways, though, I’m glad she’s a spirit. She might put me out of business otherwise!
Picture the Scene: My Own Ghostly Encounters
This is my favourite chapter. Some would say that’s because it involves talking about myself – and they are probably right. Here I describe experiences I have had personally. My diverse encounters range from seeing the ghosts of close family members to famous ghosts, such as Robert the Bruce, while at a haunted castle or while investigating a reported sighting. I try to convey these experiences vividly to you by describing what happened to me, what I saw and what I felt at the time.
The German Soldiers
A few years ago I made a trip to Neilston to visit my cousin and admire her new home. The house itself impressed me and, of course, she was as proud as Punch. We began walking towards the back garden, out through a large patio door. At first it was the size of the garden which struck me, but then, within a matter of seconds, another scene began to unfold in front of me.
I was amazed to see a whole troop of German soldiers. No one else could see them but they were so clear to me. To this day I cannot explain how I knew they were Germans – I simply knew they were. I also knew they were soldiers from the Second World War.
They seemed jovial and were happily chatting away with one another. I noticed they were busy making something, which looked quite intricate to me. I couldn’t see what it was but I could see them as clearly as the ‘real’ folk around me.
I told my cousin about this – she knows what I’m like and is never sceptical or unsure of anything I say anymore. She told me she would go to the local library the following day and find out if there was any explanation for this. Why were there so many soldiers here, all looking pretty relaxed and far from confrontational?
So intrigued was I and so desperate for an answer that I mentioned it in my column in the Sun newspaper. I invited readers to write to me with any explanation, if there was one, for what I had seen.
A few days later, my postbag was full. Apparently, although not held as prisoners, several German soldiers were punished and removed from war duties and placed in a farm behind the Neilston mill – a hessian mill. The soldiers were treated very humanely and fairly and were given duties such as making hessian slippers. If any of them misbehaved, they were moved on to a much less informal destination where I believe they weren’t treated with such privilege.
Most of them, however, were well behaved and caused the Neilston natives no concern at all. In fact, many became friends and some actually stayed on after the war and married local girls.
Indeed, one of the letters I received was from a reader in his 70s – a German. He had known many of the men serving in that area and was one of many who never returned to Germany.
I also received letters from locals who remembered the German soldiers, and a few letters from readers who were the children of local women and their German husbands.
I found out that most of the soldiers had now passed away but they must surely have remembered their war days and the town of Neilston with fondness. After all, it is Neilston they come back to, apparently preferring it to their own home towns.
Every time I visit my cousin, I make a point of going to the patio door and standing, just watching the German soldiers again. It never fails to amaze me each and every time.
My Captain
My own cottage is haunted by the spirit of the captain of a ship, which was once anchored out in the river Tay – the Mars Ship.
For many years, the familiar cry ‘Behave yoursel’ or ye’ll get sent tae Mars’ was the scourge of the male youth of Dundee. In this case, Mars was not a planet but a training ship that sat directly outside my house, docked on the river Tay. The ship was mainly used to house juvenile delinquents but I have subsequently found out it was also used for orphaned boys.
It has long since gone – many decades ago – but it is remembered still by the natives, its legend passing through the generations.
I’ll talk some more about the ship, its captain and its occupants later, but at this point I want to describe the first time I saw him. I wasn’t the first to see him – a couple of my clients saw him, months apart, and yet described where he was standing, what he was wearing and his physical appearance in the exact same words.
I had been eager to meet him but my first encounter was pretty scary. I’m fairly used to ghosts, as you can gather, but I have to be in the correct frame of mind, otherwise I jump out my skin just like everyone else. Well, the first time I saw him, that’s exactly what I did – I nearly jumped the height of myself with fright!
My office is directly opposite my bedroom. As I often do, I had been burning the midnight oil in my office. When I’d finished for the night, I began to walk from my office across to my bedroom. The hallway was in darkness and the only light came from the third-floor landing. Through the huge bay windows up there, a little light shone from the outside sensor light. It was by no means bright and yet, as I looked up, I saw the captain in all his glory, down to the clothes he was wearing and even the