Friday 2nd August 2019
I've quite recently been speaking to someone who has experienced something a little 'strange' in a Wolverhampton street that I've known quite well for a number of years now.... The thoroughfare concerned is Bath Road, which runs next to the famous 'Banks' Brewery' and runs from Chapel Ash High Street to the Western side of the main Wolverhampton Ring Road system. While semi-industrialised, because of the presence of the Brewery, it has also always struck me as rather quiet and quaint, being half-lined by quite majestic, old, family houses.
It was rumoured by some members of staff that the aforementioned Brewery houses a resident ghost - allegedly that of a suicide victim - but, despite such rumours, this was the only story that I'd ever come across associated with this particular region until recently......?
The witness in question claims to have used this stretch of road many times - it's frequently used by people as a short cut, or as a way of missing traffic queues, etc - and, while driving along there, she had seen the figure of a young man, standing by the edge of the road. The figure was spotted standing under a street light, seemingly - she believed - in the process of 'waiting to cross the road'!? The figure was described as having wavy hair and a thick mustache..... and wearing a yellow, check waistcoat - rounded collar shirt with tie - and a thick overcoat.
Interestingly, she says she saw the figure very clearly..... but her passenger didn't see a thing!? She specifically asked her sister / passenger to look at the somewhat peculiar appearance of the man as they passed by..... but she couldn't see him!?
The witness says she's actually seen the man twice.... and, on both occasions, despite the fact you cannot possibly miss the figure, no one else has seen him!? One sighting was after 1 am.
She admits she didn't think anything untoward about the figure - he was so clear, about to cross the road - but just had to suspect something 'ghostly in nature' on learning others hadn't seen him!?
Coming forward just a couple or so days later, I had mentioned the above matter on Social Media and a member of the page - Hannah Ord - kindly came forward and commented on the piece.
Hannah told us: "I also had a very strange incident here... witnessed by my sister-in-law as well. We both saw a 'open umbrella', walking along by itself, as if some one was holding it and putting it down every time they took a step..... It was a really strange thing to see and I turned to my SIL, thinking I was going crazy, and she was as shocked as me as she saw it as well!
The umbrella was crossing the road and carried on down the street. I slowed down when I first saw it, just to make sure of what I was seeing! It was a black, old-style umbrella with the curved handle which looked wooden or made of cane. I would say it was a mans umbrella."
I asked Hannah if it couldn't have just been an umbrella in the process of simply 'blowing along the street in the wind'? She responded: "No - it was too rhythmic in its movement; it had the same movement as a walking stick.... I think I noticed it more as it hadn’t been raining, then my brain noticed there was no one holding it! We drove past it as it crossed the road parallel to the car but it had just reach the curb to cross over when I spotted it and slowed the car right down as I honestly thought I was either going mad or hallucinating, if I hadn’t someone with me who also saw it without me pointing it out, I probably wouldn’t of ever told anyone. Someone else walking down the road also saw it because as we passed they just stopped and stared at it."
Unlike the first, night-time instance mentioned here - a few years old now - this second 'bout of utter strangeness' occurred only (approx) 18 months ago.... and around 12 noon!
Again - while some properties in the general Chapel Ash region are said to be haunted, I'd not heard of anything specifically related to this stretch of road until now... so.... needless to say..... all concerned would very much love to hear from anyone who could possibly shed light on - or perhaps 'add to' - these baffling incidents?
