Dear Lister Friends, "From Ghostes and Ghoules And long leggedy beastes, And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us!" An old old prayer which I have often have cause to invoke! You have all "made my day" with your recent chatter about ghosts/spirits , real or imaginery. I have smiled my way through the emails and been comforted to know that I am not the only "Odd Bod' around! To the Lister who wished that the family ghosts would " come to the party" and maybe help with with Family History researches, I have to answer----"Mine have". Ahem!!!!! I have felt or "seen things" for years and had odd sightings, usually with my peripheral vision. Cats have been predominant, though why this should be so is a mystery to me--- some reveal themselves more clearly, and I have spoken to them, only to find NOTHING in the room they had entered! Last year the general pschic activity accelerated and often bothered me, but I took action/advice and seem to have got that sorted----mostly, anyhow! The majority are comfortable beings and I can live with them. A few months ago I was mulling over my PARRITT family, (paternal Banburyshire line), and as was my wont, was figuratively "leaning on the gate"---thinking that I should like to know more about my Great Grandfather's brother's line/descendants, than I already had on my chart. And what did they look like, and whch of the paternal lines did they resemble?. W--e--ll, about a week afterwards there was an email for me------yes, from one of John Astel PARRITT's descendants!!! Quite out of the blue, and how she got hold of me I have yet to find out! We corresponded and have caught up with some of info, although I still have more to do as because I haven't fully sorted out my usual chaotic mess----my New Year intenetions being shoved aside by a "busy" year. To my joy, in the photos exchanged John A's grandson John Henry looked SO familiar----he had the same "cut of the jib" as my grandfather George, father Len and my brother Roy! Wow! Also this had narrowed down the likelihood of which line they resembled in looks. It could be the illegitimate father's ASTILL Line or their mother's PARRITT family. Happily I continue to dabble, knowing that I am been "helped". I often have "nocturnal visitors" and in the main they have be from my father or folk that resemble him, or look familiar----but can they can appear and then morph into others. Having got over my initial reation of "Go Away", (mentally or aloud), I tend to get more from the visits now. The other week I threw out my hand, in my sleep, and encountered what felt like a glove! I started to "surface" and it became a warm living hand that held mine ---a masculine one, at that! Fully awake now, I waited, and a voice in my head said, clearly, "This is your father's hand." The encounter shook me, of course, but wasn unpleasant. Grannie LUCAS sometimess cruises by, in a cameo form, smiling benignly, and quite unscary. She was my most frequent visitor until lately. I do feel that her mother-in-law, whom, I have discovered had a Spiritualist burial service, (as did Grandma), is getting back at me for uncovering the LUCAS secret! You see the "awareness" is revealing itself in some of my descendants, too Spirits are happy when you recognise they are there. Like us, they get frustrated when they can't get through. So mentally smile, and give out feelings of Love.They generally mean well. Ian----I well believe your experiences---and those of other Listers----including the one of related by Barry! Thankyou, Joe, for your ever welcome reminiscences, and long may they continue! Funnily enough, though they concern the Alderman's Green/Walsgrave area and not your previous Holbrooks ones, again we "cross tracks" My PARRITT grandma was a PORTER from Woodway Lane, Walsgrave ,(Sowe Waste). I also did a 2 year stint teaching at Geoff Bourne's delightful Alderman's GreenPrimary School , before hieing off to Malaya! So Snap! I'm glad that you felt the warmth and interest of your lady, as many of my encounters feel the same. If the sceptical Joe feels it---it must be so. More than time for me to "Shut-up' but I wanted to have my say. Now for breakfast! Regards, Muriel. PS Oh I've just seen Angela's closure as I was about to SEND. I'll chance it, though!