TWENTY years ago, as we were moving from Ascot to Lower Ley Farm, Lower Ley Lane, we found all the fittings had been torn out of the house leaving the place flooded, without electricity and with no means of boiling a kettle. A neighbour very kindly offered us an evening meal before our return to Ascot.
During the meal the sister of our hostess, a complete stranger, remarked more than once, "Someone is trying to contact you. Do you have someone called Sally – it's not Sally, but something like Sally?" She also asked whether we had seen the ghost at Lower Ley Farm–she had seen her when sitting on the courtyard wall and it was a little girl.
Upon returning to Ascot, as we opened the door the telephone was ringing and we saw that a huge oil painting had fallen from the wall. (We were conscious of the old saying that when a picture falls from the wall it means a death in the family).
The telephone call was from America asking us to come immediately as our daughter was dangerously ill. Her name? Soni (not Sally!)
Sixteen years later, on my husband's return from hospital, two occupational therapists from Gloucester Royal visited Lower Ley Farm to install special equipment for his needs. As they were going from room to room, one of them suddenly stopped and said " Have you a ghost here? Yes, you have. It's a little girl. She's a nice little girl so you have no need to be worried."
We have named the little 'Rosie' after the occupational therapist's name.
It would be nice to know the identity of Rosie and if indeed she did exist. We did wonder whether she had drowned in the well in the courtyard. If anyone has any knowledge of the history of Lower Ley Farm, built about 500 years ago, we would be interested to hear from them. Unfortunately, we have only a Land Registry Certificate – the deeds of the property are still held by the Gloucestershire County Council who sold the farmhouse, but retained most of the land. – Dot Shields, Lower Lane Farm.