Laying A “Ghost” At Loscoe

During road works on Denby Lane, Loscoe, described as having “the unenviable distinction of being one of the worst stretches of road in the country,” a local character, Tom Allen, was given the job of night watchman. In the early hours of a dark misty morning, Tom was sitting half inside and half outside his watchman’s box, when he spotted something moving slowly up the lane, by the side of the palings running alongside the recreation ground.

Tom immediately thought it was a ghost, or, if not a ghost, then it had to be someone covered with a sheet trying to play a trick on him. The object was coming closer, and Tom did not want to be trapped inside his box, so, taking his stout walking stick for defence, he moved to the side of the road, away from the light of the fire, and waited for the arrival of the spectre. The suspense was terrible, and many thoughts passed through Tom’s mind – he was determined that he would get in the first blow. So, advancing with raised stick, he was about to hit out when the ghost shouted, “Hey up! Hold on!”

Whereupon our hero replied, “It’s a good job you spoke, or you’d a got one.” He immediately recognised the supposed ghost as one of the employees of the Midland General Omnibus Company, in white coat and white hat, who was returning home after working a late shift. Before leaving, he confided to Tom that other people had been frightened by his ghostly appearance in the past.

[Eastwood & Kimberley Advertiser, 25 July 1930]