Friendly Follower

Surprisingly, my time at the Sue Ryder Home did not present that many 'paranormal' occurrences considering the amount of death that took place there. I've worked out that during my six years at the hospice, there must have been close to 450-500 deaths - which averages around one to two people dying a week. Add to this the fear and sorrow which surrounds the majority of these, that's a lot of negative energy getting dispersed into the fabric of the building. And remember, that's during my time there. It had been a hospice many years before I arrived and another ten years since I left.

If you have read the Night Visitor story, you'll know that I used to live on the top floor with a few other staff.

One thing that all the live-in staff shared, but didn't realise until the subject came up after a few years - was a ghost. I use the term ‘ghost’ loosely as none of us had seen or heard it. What we did share though, was the sense of being followed.

None of us had ever felt threatened by it. I often would say, “hello,” and “bye,” as I made my way down the corridor and stairs to work each day. And sure enough, our friendly stalker would leave you at the top of the stairs (and sometimes meet you again afterwards). I had heard that many years ago, in the room next door to mine, number 23, a member of staff (pre-Sue Ryder days) had hung herself from a rafter. Could this have been our friendly ghost?

Our ghost wasn't there on a regular basis, but when it was you knew about it. The temperature would drop, the hairs on your arms and nape would stand up and you could sense its presence close to you, watching, waiting, and then follow you as you walked along the corridors. Did it want company? Was it looking for something or did it need help? It never entered the rooms or left the top floor at all. We all had our theories, but we all agreed that the rooms and stairs were like a barrier to it. And with all things that happen often, it becomes part of the norm. That is until I asked a fellow resident if they'd sensed the ghost recently as I hadn't, and to be honest, I was a little concerned.

After asking all of the live-in staff when was the last time they'd sensed it, none of them could remember. Sadly, that's the way it remained until I left in 1996. So, whoever it was, we never got to say good-bye but it was missed. I just hope our acceptance and friendliness towards it helped it to move on.

I'm glad our friendly follower bore no relation to the dark entity lurking the downstairs corridor!

To round off this Sue Ryder Home story, here are some stories that I heard about but didn't get to experience.

I never got to experience the violent ghost that used to pull the sleeping night staff off the chair in the middle of the night (but then they shouldn't have been sleeping!). I didn't see the ghost who would stare through the window of the back door of the downstairs ward. I didn't hear the footsteps on the wooden stairs of the upstairs ward. I never got to meet the spirit who wandered around the vast grounds, and I never got to see the ghost who would sit in the staff room.

My six years at the hospice was very rewarding and a life awakening experience. It was not morbid or depressing which is something a lot of people assume it to be. We were there to make people comfortable and ease their fear of death. I felt extremely lucky to share the last moments of these people’s lives and it is a period in my life I shall never forget.

I still work in the care field but with adults who have learning disabilities. It was while working in a residential home that I think I saw my first ghost – but that’s another story.

 
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