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More featuresYou are in: Black Country > Features > More features > The gentleman ghost  Is that a ghost in the window? The gentleman ghostby Brett Birks Staff and locals claim that a ghostly presence presides over a Black Country boozer. But is it a case of too many pints or a very strong spirit? For decades it's been a place of fun and relaxation for Stourbridge residents; a comfy haven to have a drink, meet friends and unwind after a hard day. But for some of the staff and locals of the Oldswinford Pub in Stourbridge, there is another spirit on display here that you won't find on the top shelf.
For them, a ghostly figure of a man watches over the pub, presumably making sure that the beer isn't cloudy. "The first time I saw him it really spooked me," says Annmarie Wattam, the latest in a long-line of managers to have had an unearthly experience whilst pulling pints.  Annmarie saw him approach the door "I was walking through pub to let the cleaners in, early one morning. I turned round, and there he was. Just casually moving past the bar and towards the door where I'd just come through. I ran to the fire-escape and screamed at the cleaners to hurry up and get inside!" Indeed, sightings of an old, grey-haired man, clad in a black suit and top hat are part of the rich history of the building, a three hundred-year old structure which was previously a disused doctor’s surgery before it was converted into a pub in 1970. Seemingly everyone who drinks here has a strange story to tell, or knows someone who does.  Jackie Fisher has seen strange things Harry Wooldridge has used the pub on practically a daily basis since its opening and has seen dozens of workers- and drinkers- come and go over the years, and has heard all of the tales. Despite his own admission of being "very cynical about the whole ghost thing," Harry was forced to rethink his position some 12 years ago after his own close encounter. Whilst having a drink at the bar with his son one quiet Sunday afternoon, a framed painting apparently "threw itself off the wall" onto an unsuspecting family, ruining their dinner. The unfortunate victims though, he quips, "didn't get a refund."  The cellar - some are afraid to go down Unlike Harry, Jackie Fisher believes whole-heartedly that a ghostly presence lives in the pub. Having worked in the kitchen for over eight years, she has seen plates flying around, cups hovering and has witnessed the distress caused to younger employees. "A lot of the girls now won't go down the cellar alone. We've had relief-managers who've stopped here and haven't slept all week due to noises in the night. A cleaner quit on her first day after seeing him in the mirror in the ladies."  Neighbouring graveyard - an explanation? No-one knows for sure who 'he' is, but given the pub’s proximity to a local cemetery, not to mention Stourbridge folklore that the doctor who originally owned the land committed suicide, there is plenty of fuel for speculation. Despite the sightings and the stories though, manager Annmarie remains unfazed. "He’s looking after me!" she laughs. last updated: 26/07/07 Have Your SayDo you believe in ghosts? Have you had your own ghostly experience? Tell us about it
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