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Black Stick Man

No shame in that - my own half-remembered post involves a woman who somehow came into the possession of a suitcase or other storage container that used to belong to someone who died. She saw glimpses of him around the house, and thought of him as benign. Her last post was of a sudden change in his demeanour, as he advanced towards her on the sofa, arms stretched out as though to strangle. But that's all I remember, and I haven't found it again.
Sounds like an episode of Black Mirror. *Shudder*
 
No shame in that - my own half-remembered post involves a woman who somehow came into the possession of a suitcase or other storage container that used to belong to someone who died. She saw glimpses of him around the house, and thought of him as benign. Her last post was of a sudden change in his demeanour, as he advanced towards her on the sofa, arms stretched out as though to strangle. But that's all I remember, and I haven't found it again.

Krepostnol, did the woman have a military connection...living on a barracks of some kind? I think I recall the post...
 
Sounds like an episode of Black Mirror. *Shudder*
Yeah, the gist of it I found really striking, and disturbing. The fact that the OP didn't post again after that last encounter simply adds to the sense of doom.
Krepostnol, did the woman have a military connection...living on a barracks of some kind? I think I recall the post...
But while the gist has stuck with me, the details haven't. I couldn't say either way, I'm afraid, about a military connection.
 
Right, I've had another look for this dimly remembered tale, and I have tracked down the OP: it was @again6, posting around 13 years ago. So it's recent, compared to the stick man story.

I couldn't find the original telling, but I did find quite a good recap of it by her here. Naturally, I'd misremembered many of the details - not least the fact that she never posted again... - but even though it is not the original account, I still think it's pretty compelling.

(@Seattle21 , there is some discussion of military clothing in the preceding posts in that thread, FWIW.)

ETA some months later: the board migration has given the search function a boost. I think this was the original account I remember.
 
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Having read this thread, in several sittings, I wonder if the sheer ubiquity of 'black stick men' in signage and symbols in our daily lives now renders us more likely to see and encounter their image in spooky circumstances?

We now see 'them' every day - road signs, instructions, toilet doors etc., I would guess this is something that has only happened in the past 50-80 years or so.

I am thinking about how once the classic 'alien' image became extablished through science fiction (big head and eyes), then reported experiences of seeing them seemed to rise accordingly.

Somewhat of a circular argument - do we 'see' them more often because we're used to the image, or are we more used to the image because we see them?

How the human brain sees and experiences odd phenomena is fascinating, in future years will people start seeing/experiencing yellow emoticon faces?
 
i was upstairs in a bar or cafe recently, but not sure exactly when or where, looking down on a pub sign showing a literal black stick man, made of branches, running across a field ... name of the pub was similarly relevant, obviously now i cant find it by searching etc ... i havent been out of north west much in the timeframe so manchester/south manchester/liverpool is the relevant axis, unless this was a transdimensional black stick man pub
 
How extra Fortean! :atom:

Some of these stories on this thread have reminded me of something that happened many years ago, and whilst not a stick man story as such, is quite interesting and a little poignant bearing in mind what is happening on Sunday.

Around 9 or 10 years of age, I was invited on holiday with a schoolmates family to a caravan park, which was in either in rural Suffolk or Norfolk.(I don’t remember which)

The owner of the park lived in a large farmhouse, and the caravans were dotted about in the farmhouse grounds, there were only about 6 or 7 of these static caravans so it was quite a small setup.

Our caravan only had 2 bedrooms, and with my mates parents in one bedroom and his sister in the other, we shared an inflatable bed on the floor in the lounge.

One night (it must have been in the small hours) I was woken up by my mate, who was tapping me on the arm - he was sitting bolt upright in the bed, so I also sat up to see what his problem was.

What we saw was like a dense black mass with a human form, it was standing very still directly at the bottom of the bed - I don’t remember feeling scared, just a little confused in my sleepy state as to what on earth it was.

We stared at it for probably no longer than 30 seconds or so, when the blackness of the shape seemed to get lighter as if it was fading, and just before it did fade away it gave us what was sort of like a military salute – with the right palm open, against the forehead in the British Army style.

The next thing I remember was being woken up in the morning for breakfast by my mates Mum.

Over breakfast my mate told his parents what we saw, and his father told us that during the first World War the farmhouse was used as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers back from the front.

I’m not contact with this old mate anymore ( it’s sad how people drift away) and haven’t been for many years, but the last time I bumped into him we had a little childhood reminisce, and he confirmed the Caravan story so it’s not a false memory or a vivid dream.

I don’t know what it was that we saw that night, but the thought that the spirit of an old soldier from WW1, coming back to salute 2 young boys back off to sleep, to my mind is very touching.

Sorry if it’s a bit long
 
Some of these stories on this thread have reminded me of something that happened many years ago, and whilst not a stick man story as such, is quite interesting and a little poignant bearing in mind what is happening on Sunday.

Around 9 or 10 years of age, I was invited on holiday with a schoolmates family to a caravan park, which was in either in rural Suffolk or Norfolk.(I don’t remember which)

The owner of the park lived in a large farmhouse, and the caravans were dotted about in the farmhouse grounds, there were only about 6 or 7 of these static caravans so it was quite a small setup.

Our caravan only had 2 bedrooms, and with my mates parents in one bedroom and his sister in the other, we shared an inflatable bed on the floor in the lounge.

One night (it must have been in the small hours) I was woken up by my mate, who was tapping me on the arm - he was sitting bolt upright in the bed, so I also sat up to see what his problem was.

What we saw was like a dense black mass with a human form, it was standing very still directly at the bottom of the bed - I don’t remember feeling scared, just a little confused in my sleepy state as to what on earth it was.

We stared at it for probably no longer than 30 seconds or so, when the blackness of the shape seemed to get lighter as if it was fading, and just before it did fade away it gave us what was sort of like a military salute – with the right palm open, against the forehead in the British Army style.

The next thing I remember was being woken up in the morning for breakfast by my mates Mum.

Over breakfast my mate told his parents what we saw, and his father told us that during the first World War the farmhouse was used as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers back from the front.

I’m not contact with this old mate anymore ( it’s sad how people drift away) and haven’t been for many years, but the last time I bumped into him we had a little childhood reminisce, and he confirmed the Caravan story so it’s not a false memory or a vivid dream.

I don’t know what it was that we saw that night, but the thought that the spirit of an old soldier from WW1, coming back to salute 2 young boys back off to sleep, to my mind is very touching.

Sorry if it’s a bit long

Absolutely beautiful, thank you!
 
Reminds me of when my second cousins were small. They were living in an older house in Brighton.
They told their parents that there was a young man in uniform who would talk to them and hold their hands when they were scared at night.
When the parents investigated they found that owners of the house before them had lost a son in the first world war.
 
I hate to think of "ghosts" -human or animal -as being souls stuck, and not knowing how to move on.
But perhaps some simply choose to hang around or revisit for whatever purpose. I hope so!
 
Was it this ad? It features from about 54 secs to 1 min 20.

Nah... don't think so... I think the one I'm thinking of was more of a brick wall and quite possibly a white-ish figure.

But thanks for posting an old advert anyway :)
 
Now they said his works of art were dull
No room all round the walls are full
But Lowry didn't care much anyway
They said he just paints cats and dogs
And matchstalk men in boots and clogs
And Lowry said that's just the way they'll stay

This review is in memory of Pete.

Mrs. Lowry and Son: Oh but it rained in Pendlebury, the Limerick of Angela's Ashes was suffering a drought in comparison. In this Dark Satanic Mill Town, L.S. Lowry (Timothy Spall) is caring for his aged infirm mother, Elizabeth (Vanessa Redgrave). It's not easy, she is disappointed in him. 25 years as a rent collector without promotion. Elizabeth was also frustrated at her husband's lack of success, she had aspirations for a better life but ended up in a two up two down terraced house, Redgrave is superb in her portrayal of Mrs. Lowry, cantankerous, ever worried about keeping up appearances, sometimes happy but never really approving of Lowry. Totally dismissive of his art, she only likes a painting because a new neighbour of "the right class" expresses an interest in it.

Spall as Lowry mostly delivers an understated performance, he greets most of his mothers utterances with wry humour, it is only her dismissal of his talent which really irritates him. But the joy and pride he feels when his work is being considered for exhibition in London transforms him. He is middle-aged, has no relationship, but he paints. He paints what he sees. In spite of her crankiness he loves his mother, he just wants her to appreciate that he is an artist and that his painting is not just a hobby. Fortunately the never ceasing rain helps to frustrate Lowry's plans when in a moment of despair/rage he attempts to burn his paintings.

Mostly set in Mrs. Lowry's bedroom the film does have some of the feel of a stage-play but a witty, emphatic script by Martin Hesford and clever direction by Adrian Noble allows it to transcend these limitations. 8/10.
 
Reminds me of...
images (1).jpeg
 
I was reminded of this thread recently while digging through a box of books I've kept from my childhood.

Just as a possible indication that some instances of what passes for internet lore are actually just old classics with a bit of a respray (in reference to everything from the older school Black Stick Men, to the more recent Slenderman), below you will find the Leathermen, from John Gordon's 1968 novel, The Giant Under the Snow - as imagined by the illustrator Antony Maitland:

20210114_185750.jpg
20210114_185800.jpg
20210114_185853.jpg


I'd forgotten all about the Leather Men, but they scared the shit out of me at the time.
 
I was reminded of this thread recently while digging through a box of books I've kept from my childhood.

Just as a possible indication that some instances of what passes for internet lore are actually just old classics with a bit of a respray (in reference to everything from the older school Black Stick Men, to the more recent Slenderman), below you will find the Leathermen, from John Gordon's 1968 novel, The Giant Under the Snow - as imagined by the illustrator Antony Maitland:

View attachment 33848View attachment 33849View attachment 33850

I'd forgotten all about the Leather Men, but they scared the shit out of me at the time.
Anyone remember the judderman?
https://owenknight.co.uk/2017/01/03/judderman-one-of-the-weirdest-adverts-ever/
 
I was reminded of this thread recently while digging through a box of books I've kept from my childhood.

Just as a possible indication that some instances of what passes for internet lore are actually just old classics with a bit of a respray (in reference to everything from the older school Black Stick Men, to the more recent Slenderman), below you will find the Leathermen, from John Gordon's 1968 novel, The Giant Under the Snow - as imagined by the illustrator Antony Maitland:

Gosh, I remember this - I must have read it because I recognised the cover instantly, but I can't recall the story.
 
Funnily enough, from the same year Durand Durand's heavies from the film Barbarella are called the Leathermen too.

Not to mention the one from The Village People.
 
Gosh, I remember this - I must have read it because I recognised the cover instantly, but I can't recall the story.
Same here Bugmum. I can't imagine that this got past me in my youth, and the cover is vaguely familiar. But, as Nanny Ogg would say, 'we've all passed a lot of water since then,' which may account for the not remembering the story.
 
And if we're talking shadow people in children's fiction, how about the guards in "Elidor"?

you can see them on the wall but you have to look away or they get more and more real... until the night you don't look away?
 
I know this is probably based rather more on Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's children's picture book Stick Man than the nightmare fuel chronicled above - but this music video seems to provide a visual imagining of a wood-based stick man.


It may have some some relevance the accounts mentioned upthread, even if just to provide a comparator of how it was/wasn't anything like that?
 
Now, here's the deal - I posted the above exactly 10 years ago, and I've been waiting years to be able to reply to this.
So, imagine how I felt when I found out the board is ending TOMORROW! The thread I post most on is 'Coincidences', so its probably the weirdest coincidence that the post I've been wanting to write more than any other on a specific date has been grasped from me by one day!

Like I said in the original post, I wonder if they're aware of the date tomorrow, and if they're all still in contact.

Anyway, I hope we all meet up again on the new board (or make the jump to hyper-space, as they say on Star Trek/Wars), and I wish you all the very best for the future!

Old 'Simonito' account now merged with new 'Simon' account [Yith]
I’m disappointed in myself that I missed the 45th anniversary of the initial occurrence in 1978, but that it’s also 5 years since the board near fell into a black hole!
Seriously, where has the time gone?
 
It's time which has gone into a black hole.

But don't despair, in North America this Sunday we get an hour back!
 
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