Story Search Results

Whodunit in the Library? #26

...y and the Library door locked, which was most unusual on both counts.  I eventually got in through the secret door to find blood all over the floor – and I mean loads of it - right in the middle of the room.  I thought I’d walked onto the set of a Hercule Poirot film – it was a real whodunit!  It looked like someone had been murdered and then whilst looking around I found the ‘weapon’ – it was a Victorian truncheon that we had on display.  This was a large wooden truncheon with a chunk of lead in the end - and it was covered in dried blood.  This could do some serious damage if you were hit with it although Victorian policemen didn’t worry abo...

Skools out for Summer! #58

...hosts! Library with secret door (far left corner)   Another time we decided to play tricks on the visitors by using the secret door in the Library. There were two secret doors, one which was always open and used by the visitors to wend their way around the house and the other was on the opposite side of the room and always closed. The doors, when closed, looked like part of the bookshelves and had a little brass catch on the ledge which you pressed to open them. One day I stood in the Library near the door and smiled at some visitors so they saw me standing there. When they turned to look out of the window I quickly released the catch and Janine and I sw...

Skools out for Summer #98

...or in the Library?   Another time we decided to play tricks on the visitors by using the secret door in the Library. There were two secret doors, one which was always open and used by the visitors to wend their way around the house and the other was on the opposite side of the room and always closed.  The doors, when closed, looked like part of the bookshelves and had a little brass catch on the ledge which you pressed to open them.  One day I stood in the Library near the door and smiled at some visitors so they saw me standing there.  When they turned to look out of the window I quickly released the catch and Janine and I swapped places – as they tur...

Alice - the ghost in the mirror #38

...rough the Library mirror   In the 1850s Charles Dodgson (Carroll’s real name) studied at Christ Church in Oxford. A new dean, Henry Liddell, began working there around about that time and brought with him his wife and young family. One of his daughters was called Alice and this little girl was widely thought to be the inspiration behind his stories but Carroll always denied this. In 1852 he became a tutor for the children of Charles Wood of Hickleton Hall in Yorkshire. During the summer a friend of the children, Mary Heath, stayed at the hall and this is the little girl believed to be his inspiration for Alice. But also, the room in which he taught the c...

The Haunting of Hoar Cross Hall #27

...ns in the Library. This was where they spent Christmas Day as, not only was it a nice room, but it had a large fireplace which meant a roaring log fire to keep them warm. Viv forgot about the attic tenants as she helped trim the tree and listened to her mother telling her about the new tenants that were moving into the West Wing apartment. “I hope they don’t hear all those weird noises that we hear,” said Viv. “They might leave!” Her mother laughed and told her that ghosts usually disappeared once a house was being lived in again. Viv sincerely hoped so! A week later, despite her vows about going to the attics, Viv was sitting in the den typing her...

Whodunit in the Library #24

...y and the Library door locked, which was most unusual on both counts. I eventually got in through the secret door to find blood all over the floor – and I mean loads of it - right in the middle of the room. I thought I’d walked onto the set of a Hercule Poirot film – it was a real whodunit! It looked like someone had been murdered and then whilst looking around I found the ‘weapon’ – it was a Victorian truncheon that we had on display. This was a large wooden truncheon with a chunk of lead in the end - and it was covered in dried blood. This could do some serious damage if you were hit with it although Victorian policemen didn’t worry about that wh...