Ghostly Memories
A couple of very minor "ghost" stories from Sheilagh Banner.
Strange things when my Grandma Edmonds died in July 1972: The Gerrans was a very special steamer to her, as her father had come out of retirement to bring her over on her maiden voyage when she was launched, and the family always loved to go aboard her. Grandma hated the fact that she was being used as a disco boat. When Grandma died her body was in the front room at Roseland Cottage for three nights before the funeral. On these nights, the Gerrans came over from Falmouth as usual, but as she came round the point, the lights and music went off, and she came quietly into the quay. The night after Grandma was buried, she came round the castle, volume up and lights flashing as normal.
Several weeks later, my Dad was talking to her skipper (can't remember who that was) and asked him what had happened. He was told that some fuses had blown and they never really found out why, but thought it was salt or water somewhere in the system. We like to think it was the Gerrans asserting herself!
Second (and much shorter): My grandfather smoked heavily, and Dad would often find several cigarettes balanced on the edge of shelves in the upstairs storeroom of the grocery shop when Papa had been working there. On several occasions after he died, Dad would go up there and smell the tobacco smoke near the little burn marks on the shelves.
An apocryphal tale much loved by Sheilagh Banners dad:
"Ahoy St Mawe...s. Drop anchor and we'll come alongside you."