Spit is Poison

In the early 20th century Llanbedr Hall was adapted in order to become a sanatorium, primarily for the treatment of Tuberculosis (TB), and a building was erected next to the hall with huge windows and balconies so that beds containing the afflicted could be wheeled out. This was, even in the coldest temperatures of winter, in order for the patients to breathe the icy mountain air.
TB affected the whole community but especially children, and patients could be kept in the hospital for years on end, in isolation. This was particularly devastating for the children separated from their parents - in effect imprisoned and very often ill treated by today's standards.

Displayed repeatedly around the walls of the hospital was the warning 'SPIT IS POISON' a very apt alert to one of the ways of spreading the bacterium, particularly as spitting was a very common habit.

                     

                        Steps leading to the old servants entrance where the patients were admitted.

                                        Entrance to the morgue situated in the old walled garden.


Book Two - a work in progress.  'Spit is Poison'   by Polly Mullaney

It comes as no surprise that Trio Theo find themselves back in Llanbedr - desperately summonsed to the village school. But this is no wholesome rural scene:

' The swing is swaying to and fro; squeak, squeak, back and forth; a sharp, eerie sound; stark amongst 

the bleak silence.

The atmosphere is desolate, but the swing goes on and on carrying a lone figure sitting upon it. Dusk is creeping up, darkness rising around the school playground.

 Gradually, the only light filtering through the heavy air is the moonlight illuminating the scene… yet the swing goes on…to and fro, back and forth. There is a girl on the swing - friendless and abandoned.

  Clang! A bell is ringing. Clang!  The heavy school door opens slowly and a woman stands in the dark holding the large bell, tolling it up and down, up and down.  But nobody comes. No children run from the playground. No voices are shouting and laughing.  Nothing.'

Three Kids Gripped By Evil By Polly Mullaney        

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Nurturing The Work

Where to start? Characters - twin sisters and their brother; a trio. We'll have Sebastion, an impulsive boy, Elspeth, a practical girl, and Phoebe, with tendencies towards drama. These names  are typical of the sort I would choose, so because from my experience most children like 'ordinary', simple names, certainly not the ones parents choose (much reiterated by my own children) I guessed what the characters would say - "Seb, Elle and Phe to you and me."
 A favourite surname of mine from my teaching days is Theobold; yes, Trio Theo!

Then I must introduce their Welsh heritage, directly from their grandparents. Grandmother, or 'Nain' as it is in Welsh, often read tales from the Mabinogion, so to begin, 'the seven knights from the story of Branwen'. This, within the prologue.

Then comes everyday life when the adventure unfolds - little clues, odd opportunities, strange coincidences leading to the thrill, the risk and even danger of the supernatural which entices these intrepid children into the horrors of past centuries.

Eventually the three children find themselves within the old estate of Llanbedr, North Wales and the tragedies which occurred in the Victorian era. The trio travels further back in history through one awesome experience after another, but innocently oblivious to their own vulnerability and convinced they can alter the course of history even if only in a minor way, but a major help for the trapped and tortured spirits.
Nevertheless, goodness prevails and the trio triumph but they emerge with a taste for meddling in the past, albeit for the best of intentions.

Where do those seven knights feature; how does the thread run through this tale ? If truth be told - they succeed just a fraction in fulfilling their duties and yes, changing the course of 'history' in a minuscule way!
The question is - will the trio return?!

                                         

 ' This is a story not meant for the faint- hearted because parts of it can scare you out of your skin, especially the ghost dogs in the kennel. These dogs were really vivid and very, very frightening.

The plot line was brilliant because I didn’t know what was going to happen but I really wanted to know what was round the next corner. There were so many twists and the ending was exciting and made you want to read the next book.'

Isabel aged 11.

Three Kids Gripped By Evil By Polly Mullaney        
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From Tales to Literature

The little girl rushed into the classroom bursting to tell me her story; excited but rather unsettled she went on to recall how, at the weekend, she was playing in the field with her friends by the old, derelict church within the estate of Llanbedr Hall, when suddenly, appearing from nowhere was a figure all dressed in black and waving a stick.
The children were terribly afraid at the sight of this 'really, really scary and ugly and cross bent old man!' and were rooted to the spot. As he slowly advanced from the church towards them one of the children screamed thus shocking them into flight.
They 'ran for our lives as fast as we could until we reached the houses and when we looked back he was gone!'
I invited the child to tell the story to the rest of the class and we then discussed the history of the estate and the nature of ghosts.  It is all according to how we perceive them we decided, but one thing we can be sure of is that if they do exist, they cannot hurt us, they are made of  'thin air' and we are strong, solid, physical beings.
So we agreed it was great to be scared by a book or a film therefore we will keep our tales and experiences within fiction, hence I found myself promising to write a book!


THREE KIDS GRIPPED BY EVIL  by  POLLY MULLANEY

'  A shiver creeps down my spine, even now, as I think back to that first summer in our new home. But I would never wish that those adventures had not happened to my sisters and me because we had wicked fun, as well as scary, spooky, mind bending escapades! '

                                                             

Seven Little Souls

Seven little children, seven little souls, their initials engraved on the headstone of the grave; the weather-beaten, neglected, forgotten grave containing the remains of the children of one family all dying around the same time, but before their parents.
  Folklore tells of a tragic event in the mid 19th century when a cottage near the estate of Llanbedr Hall was on fire and as a result the seven little children perished.within that cottage.
  Almost a century later a school head teacher came upon the property which was for sale, although completely without most basic living requirements the teacher felt such an affinity with the cottage, bought it and gradually made it into an unsophisticated but comfortable little home in which to bring from Liverpool her, mostly deprived, young pupils in order for them to experience the countryside of North Wales.

Those were memorable visits but the most remarkable happenings were of the spiritual kind. The teacher and her friend were sitting just outside the open front door when the sound of a whimper was heard - they listened carefully as it became louder and more distinct, turning then into the heartfelt weeping of a child who appeared faintly sitting at the foot of the stairs. This greatly disturbed the two women who since then often heard in the silence of the night the distant screams of a baby.
  On other occasions the teacher sensed the presence of a very distraught man who once, apparently, crept into bed with her. She felt his touch, she perceived his torment, but the bed and the room were empty except for herself.
  Fortunately the visiting school children never seemed to be susceptible to the supernatural phenomenon within the cottage and the surrounding area, especially as the occurrences usually involved children in distress, as in one of the most agonising incidents the adults experienced.
  It was a warm summer evening  and there was a slight sound of tinkling bells, then sweet voices carried by the breeze, singing and giggling; then very vague, almost imperceptible, ghostly figures of children. They chased, they danced until one cried out and the once joyful sounds quickly turned into fearful screaming which gradually subsided into painful, horrendous sobbing and a low, wretched, collective moan as the figures faded away into the distance.
  The grief and sorrow of that experience clung to the witnesses of that scene for a long time to come; in fact it still lingers.

Ghosts Benign and Ghosts Evil

A few years ago I escorted my new neighbour, who was also becoming a friend, around Llanbedr Hall in Denbighshire especially because she is an historian and archaeologist and at the time I was managing the manor house as an apartment block and events centre. We entered a corridor in the part of the house which dates from C13 ( a large section of the manor house was destroyed by fire then rebuilt in the Victorian period) when I heard a gasp, I turned to see a now familiar sight of my neighbour covered in 'goosebumps' and her hair standing on end, literally!
I will enlighten you as to the first time this happened - when we explored the old church ruins in the grounds of the estate, a place I used to come to for solitude when I wanted to think of a close friend who had died not long before. As my neighbour followed me through the remains of the entrance I experienced  a most tranquil sense, an extraordinary atmosphere of serenity. Although I saw no physical evidence of my recently departed friend I absolutely knew she was there and I called out her name.
Quickly coming back to reality I turned to my neighbour thinking she would believe I was deranged and I was shocked to see her hair standing on end and those goosebumps up her arms!
She, thinking I thought she was mad, rapidly reassured me that all was well, she understood my spirit friend was here and brought tremendous peace.
My neighbour then explained her susceptibility to the paranormal which she did not generally welcome.

                                       

So , I was very perturbed when on this second occasion in the old hall she had an expression of sheer horror and together with the other symptoms was shaking with terror and distress. She then fled in panic.
All my neighbour can explain is that the corridor had an oppressive, suffocating, evil atmosphere,with malevolent phantom figures passing through. She is utterly convinced it was the scene of a most wicked deed in the very distant past.

                                       

     

Branwen, the Knights and Llanbedr Hall

The eleven stories of the Mabinogion taken together are a  fine example of medieval European literature. The stories are contained in two Welsh collections, the White Book of Rhydderch, recorded about 1300-1325, and the Red Book of Hergest written down  about 1375-1425.

BRANWEN DAUGHTER OF LLYR
Bendigeidfran son of Llyr was crowned king over the Island of the Mighty and made noble with the crown of London. The king of Ireland, Matholwch, came towards the land with thirteen ships from the south of Ireland to ask for the hand of Branwen the daughter of Llyr.
Branwen returned with Matholwch to Ireland, and there was great joy towards her. A son was born to them, Gwern son of Matholwch,.who was given to be fostered in the best place for men in Ireland
However, within three years Branwen had dishonour brought upon her and was ill-treated so she sent a letter, attached to a starling, to her brother Bendigeidfran in Wales telling him of her troubles. There and then the king decided to muster an army from his Island and sail to Ireland to rescue his sister. He left seven knights to take charge of this Island based in the township of Ederirnon, thus the name of Seith Marchawg - seven riders - was given to the township
Much fighting and strife ensued with Bendigeidfran having his head struck off and Branwen dying as a result, as she saw it, of two good Islands laid to waste because of her.

Seith Marchawg - now known as Bryn S M -  is not very far from Llanbedr Hall Estate which is within the path and jurisdiction of the knights, to the coastal area of Wales for the passage to Ireland by sea.
Are the seven knights of the story of Branwen the seven phantom riders of the many sightings witnessed over the years?

                                                                Illustration by Alan Lee

Pursued by the Paranormal

The teacher arrived at the Welsh class somewhat late and a little agitated. There was a sudden hush in the room as the students quickly gathered that Bethan Jones was rather too troubled to be simply upset about being late. After sympathetic enquiries her emotions overcame her and she was visibly shaking.
" I am so sorry for keeping you all waiting, but I found it so difficult to drive here. I kept stopping through fear and panic, and no rational reasoning could make it stop."
She then proceeded to relate the terrifying, supernatural incidence which happened the previous day.

Bethan and her husband Bryn were driving along a main road through Denbighshire:

 Bethan said, ‘Bryn, I can hear horses… galloping along… honestly, there are horses.’

    ‘Oh, yes dear, horses do usually gallop along a main road - I don’t think,’ replied Bryn.

    ‘Bryn, I tell you, horses are galloping along the road.’  Bethan was getting agitated. ‘Can’t you hear anything?’

As Bethan spoke those words the noise became louder and louder, on and on, clatter, clatter, pounding, thundering, booming into their ears!

Just then a group of horses and their riders came right up to them, alongside the car, going in the same direction; first blocking the light, then spreading round the whole of the vehicle, engulfing them, smothering them as if the metal object they were travelling in could be crumpled in a second by the power and strength of the massive horses.

 The riders seemed to be dressed as knights from the Dark Ages, armoured warriors trained to fight on horseback, brandishing their swords. But the most shocking thing of all was when each of them turned at exactly the same moment and peered into the car, staring at Bryn and Bethan with the most icy, empty glare, straight into their eyes.

The couple were gasping for air, their hearts pounding and their bodies shaking with fear as Bryn clung onto the wheel, and Bethan grasped the door, desperately holding on for dear life.

They were petrified; cold shivers running through their bodies. Fear seemed to paralyse them like a clamp, making them powerless to escape from the horrifying images pressing onto the car windows.

The knights held their gaze as they galloped along, trying to force their will over the driver’s control, but Bryn realized, in the grip of his fear, this was something supernatural. He also realized their only hope of beating it was the car. He called out to Bethan, ‘Hold on! We have to beat them. We’ll try to drive through them.’

His foot hit the accelerator, and they shot out of the ghostly trap, like crazed animals suddenly released from a cage.

The students were fascinated although rather sceptical, until one member of the class said, " Actually I live in Llanbedr Hall Drive and I have heard a very similar story several times but in different circumstances. Certainly, the ghostly knights on horseback feature every time.

"Next week I will tell you from where I think they came."