What happens if a shop has a ghost who hides things or throws items around when they get angry about the shop being rearranged? Well, I’m trying to find out!

I was out walking Scooby the other day, with Dearest Son and we went past one of the local charity shops. In the window, they had a book on display about the JFK assassination – a topic my husband is what I would call an expert on (he wouldn’t). As he doesn’t have a phone, I took a picture of the book so I could show him which one it was, to see if he already has it.

So, when we got home, I showed him the picture and he said he didn’t have that book – aha – a plan formed in my mind. Ok, it wasn’t that dramatic but one must make an attempt to keep the reader, well, reading.

The next day I phoned them and asked if they still had the book: they did. I asked if the lady could keep it for me till I could get down to the shop: she could. I was very happy to hear this and said I’d be down the next day.

So we went the very next day, with a box of donations (hoorah for more decluttering), only to be told the staff on duty couldn’t find the book and the lady who had put it aside for me wouldn’t be in for another 2 days. I said I’d be back.

Sure enough, 2 days later we went back to the shop and spoke to the lady I’d talked to on the phone. She told me she still couldn’t find it. She knew where she’d put it, and nobody had moved it or sold it. The other lady behind the counter told me that after my book had disappeared, a plant pot had come flying off the bookshelf, even though nobody had gone near it. I joked, ‘you’ve got a ghost’. Then when the other customers had left, the ladies leaned in and said, ‘actually we have’.

The shop is all on one floor downstairs now but it did used to have an upstairs area which I remember going to. The lady from the phonecall told me she had been downstairs one evening, getting ready to shut up shop when her and a colleague had heard golf balls getting thrown about upstairs. Thinking they had an intruder they both went upstairs to investigate – and found every single golf ball scattered in all directions but not a person to be found.

Books have come flying off shelves and once a railing which holds the clothing was found bent out of shape after much noise and confusion – yet nobody was ever seen. This apparently happens after the shop has been re-arranged and things moved about.

I asked some more questions about the whole situation and found out they had even brought in a psychic of some sort who had given the lady I’d been speaking to, a talisman to keep in her purse. Well she had kept it as she was told to – until very recently. She had taken it out of her purse and the ‘disappearing acts’ have started up again – including the book I’m trying to get for my husband.

She has my number as she is sure ‘the ghost’ will return the book when she isn’t quite so angry with them. I’ll let you know if we ever get it!