and with an AMAZING tale, I wish some of my lot would put in an appearance and reveal where they were hiding in 1871 !!  --- On Sun, 1/11/09, Dawn Griffis <dg21340@comcast.net> wrote: From: Dawn Griffis <dg21340@comcast.net> Subject: Re: [BAN] Ghosts? You want ghosts? To: eng-banbury-area@rootsweb.com Date: Sunday, 1 November, 2009, 1:16 PM Smokey, you have done it again, another for the memories page Rosemary! Have missed your stories, so glad you are back writing Dawn -----Original Message----- From: eng-banbury-area-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:eng-banbury-area-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Joe Connell Sent: 01 November 2009 4:31 AM To: eng-banbury-area@rootsweb.com Subject: [BAN] Ghosts? You want ghosts? I was born immediately prior to the last World War and have long been an atheist and a sceptic in matters of the supernatural.  My story starts one early December evening, some eight years ago.  I live alone, and was returning home by public transport after spending a Sunday with my sister; having enjoyed the usual splendid meal and a glass or two of wine.  I think it important to provide all facts that could possibly be relevant. It was my usual bus, travelling from Walsgrave to Alderman's Green, and at that time of the evening it carried very few passengers, indeed very often I was the only passenger.  The journey would last some twenty minutes and I would alight at the penultimate stop.  This particular evening I was vaguely aware of occasional fellow passengers as we stopped and started along the route. As I looked out of the window at passing houses and idly reviewed their Christmas decorations, I became aware of a lady seated several seats ahead of me.  I had not noticed her board the bus, but she sat in those few seats that faced across the bus, such that she was in profile to me, and I realised that I knew her.  Wearing dark clothing, she seemed about my age, was clutching a round, woven basket on her lap; and wore an old-fashioned hat with a small sprig of white berries pinned to it. As I searched my mind to identify her, she seemed to sense my attention and turned to smile in my direction.  Yes, I certainly did know her, but who was she?  I smiled back politely, as one does to acquaintances encountered in the street, and turned back to look out of the window. She was not a neighbour, I was certain - was she a member of a walking group, or had I met her in one of the historical societies? The time came for me to alight, and as I passed her she gave me a beaming smile and deliberately held my eyes with hers; but did not speak.  I felt a wave of familiarity and warmth, but could still not remember where we had previously met.  The bus pulled away from me and I watched it reach the terminus and round the little island without stopping, before returning in my direction.  I determined to look again at my mysterious friend who would now be facing me from the brightly-lit bus.  As it passed I was surprised to realise that the bus contained no passengers at all, only the driver. I mused on this event many times in the subsequent months and recounted the story to several friends and family members, who all responded the way that I would have done in their position; a shake of the head and a knowing smile.  Ghosts are supposed to be accompanied by feelings of fear or apprehension, but my passenger had exuded warmth, friendliness, and something that can only be described as 'knowingness'. Several years after this incident, a cousin and I were researching the family tree and had traced the sole surviving nephew of our grandfather, who was seriously ill.  We sat around his bed and talked of family relationships as we examined his cache of certificates and memorabilia.   One photograph completely took my breathe away - staring straight out and apparently looking directly into my eyes, was my mysterious bus passenger.  I could not speak, and was asked what the matter was, since I had gone somewhat pale.  Eventually I asked our host about the lady in the photograph.  She was Rebecca Sidwell, his grandmother's niece.  My first cousin twice removed. Subsequently I pondered many times on this occurrence.  A heavy meal, wine, a cold evening and a warm bus could very well produce a state of mind conducive to imaginings.  Leaving the bus and its warmth could well have snapped one back into reality.  But why Rebecca?  A lady I had never met, and who I had consciously never been aware of.  I had to accept the possibility of my mind raising a phantasm - but why Rebecca?   A relative, yes, but at some distance, and not even in direct lineage.   Why had she seemed familiar to me, was it perhaps a subconscious family resemblance? I determined to research the Sidwell family, to which I had previously not given any deep attention.  When researching family history some boundaries have to be applied or the tree become quite unwieldy and can divert attention away from the more difficult and earlier ancestry. Eventually I received the third surprise to my disbelieving and materialistic attitude. The 1881 census stated it quite plainly.  John Sidwell, his wife Martha Jaques, and their large family occupied Victoria Farm in Alderman's Green.  Today a major artery through Alderman's Green is Jaques Road; halfway along it lies the Victoria Farm Estate; and GPS positioning together with the 1886 OS map shows that my flat sits on the exact spot of the farmhouse which belonged to the Sidwell family. -- Smokey Firefox & Thunderbird portals Sunbelt Vipre & Firewall protection Some useful websites: FREECEN - http://www.freecen.org.uk/ FREEBMD - http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ FREEREG - http://www.freereg.org.uk/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-BANBURY-AREA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message Some useful websites: FREECEN - http://www.freecen.org.uk/ FREEBMD - http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ FREEREG - http://www.freereg.org.uk/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-BANBURY-AREA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I am certainly a sceptic. Sorry to disillusion some of you, but there is no such thing as ghosts. However, I will concede that odd things, that cannot be explained, do and have happened. My personal two are as follows: 1) My Dad died, and my Mum decided she was going to move away from the house she had lived in for over 40 years. I went over to see her and she told me about the dream she had the night before. I stopped her midstream and told her the rest of the dream. She asked me how I knew the ending. I had had exactly the same dream the same night. It was a dream that my dad was walking up the road. I asked him where he was going and he said he had to go back, but he had to come to make sure everything was alright before mum moved. Quite a specific dream I think. I cannot explain that one. 2) My Mum had a pacemaker fitted. She could not travel in the passenger seat of my car as the seatbelt hurt her. She had to sit behind me, and as I am over 6ft tall, I had to have the seat quite a way back. If she moved her legs I felt her knees in my back. A couple of weeks after she died, I was driving along, and felt that distinctive knee in my back. It kind of spooked me, so I stopped the car and looked at the footwell behind me, expecting to see a can of oil or similar, that had fallen into the seat. No, nothing there that could possibly have caused it. I am not saying it was her spirit, but I cannot explain it. Maybe it was psychosomatic. That is my only rational explanation. It happened once more a few weeks later, but it has never happened since. Ian -----Original Message----- From: M HOWES <m.m.r.howes@btinternet.com> To: eng-banbury-area@rootsweb.com Sent: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:36 Subject: Re: [BAN] Ghosts? You want ghosts? nd with an AMAZING tale, I wish some of my lot would put in an appearance and eveal where they were hiding in 1871 !! -- On Sun, 1/11/09, Dawn Griffis <dg21340@comcast.net> wrote: rom: Dawn Griffis <dg21340@comcast.net> ubject: Re: [BAN] Ghosts? You want ghosts? o: eng-banbury-area@rootsweb.com ate: Sunday, 1 November, 2009, 1:16 PM mokey, you have done it again, another for the memories page Rosemary! ave missed your stories, so glad you are back writing awn -----Original Message----- rom: eng-banbury-area-bounces@rootsweb.com mailto:eng-banbury-area-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Joe Connell ent: 01 November 2009 4:31 AM o: eng-banbury-area@rootsweb.com ubject: [BAN] Ghosts? You want ghosts? I was born immediately prior to the last World War and have long been an theist and a sceptic in matters of the supernatural. My story starts ne early December evening, some eight years ago. I live alone, and was eturning home by public transport after spending a Sunday with my ister; having enjoyed the usual splendid meal and a glass or two of ine. I think it important to provide all facts that could possibly be elevant. It was my usual bus, travelling from Walsgrave to Alderman's Green, and t that time of the evening it carried very few passengers, indeed very ften I was the only passenger. The journey would last some twenty inutes and I would alight at the penultimate stop. This particular vening I was vaguely aware of occasional fellow passengers as we topped and started along the route. As I looked out of the window at passing houses and idly reviewed their hristmas decorations, I became aware of a lady seated several seats head of me. I had not noticed her board the bus, but she sat in those ew seats that faced across the bus, such that she was in profile to me, nd I realised that I knew her. Wearing dark clothing, she seemed about y age, was clutching a round, woven basket on her lap; and wore an ld-fashioned hat with a small sprig of white berries pinned to it. As I searched my mind to identify her, she seemed to sense my attention nd turned to smile in my direction. Yes, I certainly did know her, but ho was she? I smiled back politely, as one does to acquaintances ncountered in the street, and turned back to look out of the window. he was not a neighbour, I was certain - was she a member of a walking roup, or had I met her in one of the historical societies? The time came for me to alight, and as I passed her she gave me a eaming smile and deliberately held my eyes with hers; but did not peak. I felt a wave of familiarity and warmth, but could still not emember where we had previously met. The bus pulled away from me and I atched it reach the terminus and round the little island without topping, before returning in my direction. I determined to look again t my mysterious friend who would now be facing me from the brightly-lit us. As it passed I was surprised to realise that the bus contained no assengers at all, only the driver. I mused on this event many times in the subsequent months and recounted he story to several friends and family members, who all responded the ay that I would have done in their position; a shake of the head and a nowing smile. Ghosts are supposed to be accompanied by feelings of ear or apprehension, but my passenger had exuded warmth, friendliness, nd something that can only be described as 'knowingness'. Several years after this incident, a cousin and I were researching the amily tree and had traced the sole surviving nephew of our grandfather, ho was seriously ill. We sat around his bed and talked of family elationships as we examined his cache of certificates and memorabilia. One photograph completely took my breathe away - staring straight out nd apparently looking directly into my eyes, was my mysterious bus assenger. I could not speak, and was asked what the matter was, since had gone somewhat pale. Eventually I asked our host about the lady in he photograph. She was Rebecca Sidwell, his grandmother's niece. My irst cousin twice removed. Subsequently I pondered many times on this occurrence. A heavy meal, ine, a cold evening and a warm bus could very well produce a state of ind conducive to imaginings. Leaving the bus and its warmth could well ave snapped one back into reality. But why Rebecca? A lady I had ever met, and who I had consciously never been aware of. I had to ccept the possibility of my mind raising a phantasm - but why Rebecca? A relative, yes, but at some distance, and not even in direct lineage. Why had she seemed familiar to me, was it perhaps a subconscious amily resemblance? I determined to research the Sidwell family, to which I had previously ot given any deep attention. When researching family history some oundaries have to be applied or the tree become quite unwieldy and can ivert attention away from the more difficult and earlier ancestry. ventually I received the third surprise to my disbelieving and aterialistic attitude. The 1881 census stated it quite plainly. John Sidwell, his wife Martha aques, and their large family occupied Victoria Farm in Alderman's reen. Today a major artery through Alderman's Green is Jaques Road; alfway along it lies the Victoria Farm Estate; and GPS positioning ogether with the 1886 OS map shows that my flat sits on the exact spot f the farmhouse which belonged to the Sidwell family. -- mokey Firefox & Thunderbird portals unbelt Vipre & Firewall protection Some useful websites: REECEN - http://www.freecen.org.uk/ REEBMD - http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ REEREG - http://www.freereg.org.uk/ ------------------------------ o unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NG-BANBURY-AREA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without he quotes in the subject and the body of the message Some useful websites: REECEN - http://www.freecen.org.uk/ REEBMD - http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ REEREG - http://www.freereg.org.uk/ ------------------------------ o unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-BANBURY-AREA-request@rootsweb.com ith the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of he message ome useful websites: REECEN - http://www.freecen.org.uk/ REEBMD - http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ REEREG - http://www.freereg.org.uk/ ------------------------------ o unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-BANBURY-AREA-request@rootsweb.com ith the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of he message