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Spooked On The Job: Your Haunted Workplaces

I've posted this before,I think.
I work in a cafe in what used to be the waiting room (the kitchen is where the gents toilets were) on a railway station here in Somerset

I was opening up at work one morning when I saw a gentleman come in, walk towards the toilets, I went round the corner to give him the key (they are locked usually and regular customers know to just ask for the key, there is a notice on the door saying to just ask) but there was no one there - yes the door was locked and there was no way he could have left the building without passing me.

Another morning,(alone again)I saw someone come in, walk past the fireplace towards the two settees in the corner, I popped my head round the corner of the kitchen and asked what could I get him - no reply as there was no one there, yet I'd clearly seen a smartly dressed man walk past. Reading about the history of the station later that day ,it describes how the railway workers always dressed very smartly except for the firemen and those in the ''dirty'' jobs


A week or two later (I hadn't mentioned any of this to anyone nor posted it anywhere online) one of my friends came in for a coffee and a chat, when I saw the same guy by the fireplace - I didn't react or say anything so as not to worry her, she then asked me had I noticed anyone stood by the fireplace as she sensed someone was around.
 
This popular thread has been merged with another on exactly the same topic that was established ten years earlier (and retitled accordingly). Fans of this kind of tale may now wish to read back from the first page.

edit: two more short threads unearthed by @escargot have also now been added.
 
I might have mentioned this before, but I used to work at a pretty well known DIY superstore. This particular branch was located on Stoneferry Road in Hull, on the site of the pub which accompanied the bridge over the River Hull. Many of the staff would report seeing the partially transparent figure of an elderly man walking through the store in the late evening....on his way for a pint maybe?

Anyhow, as I say, I used to work there. Our hours were early evening until midnight....shelf filling. As such, now and again a forklift would be used to move pallets from the storage areas above the shopping areas. When this happened, that's when we used to see the black fluttery thing, aka the BFT. This is how it used to be- the forklift driver would move the pallet of stock for us to locate into its selling location- as he did we would see the BFT fly out and then vanish in midair. We used to see plenty of moths, flies birds,etc, but the BFT was something different. We all saw it, several times, but it was only after we saw it that we would realise that we had seen it. It's difficult to put into words...it was as though it was normal, until you realised that it actually wasn't.
 
I might have mentioned this before, but I used to work at a pretty well known DIY superstore. This particular branch was located on Stoneferry Road in Hull, on the site of the pub which accompanied the bridge over the River Hull. Many of the staff would report seeing the partially transparent figure of an elderly man walking through the store in the late evening....on his way for a pint maybe?

Anyhow, as I say, I used to work there. Our hours were early evening until midnight....shelf filling. As such, now and again a forklift would be used to move pallets from the storage areas above the shopping areas. When this happened, that's when we used to see the black fluttery thing, aka the BFT. This is how it used to be- the forklift driver would move the pallet of stock for us to locate into its selling location- as he did we would see the BFT fly out and then vanish in midair. We used to see plenty of moths, flies birds,etc, but the BFT was something different. We all saw it, several times, but it was only after we saw it that we would realise that we had seen it. It's difficult to put into words...it was as though it was normal, until you realised that it actually wasn't.
Was the old guy wondering where the bar went?
 
I might have mentioned this before, but I used to work at a pretty well known DIY superstore. This particular branch was located on Stoneferry Road in Hull, on the site of the pub which accompanied the bridge over the River Hull. Many of the staff would report seeing the partially transparent figure of an elderly man walking through the store in the late evening....on his way for a pint maybe?

Anyhow, as I say, I used to work there. Our hours were early evening until midnight....shelf filling. As such, now and again a forklift would be used to move pallets from the storage areas above the shopping areas. When this happened, that's when we used to see the black fluttery thing, aka the BFT. This is how it used to be- the forklift driver would move the pallet of stock for us to locate into its selling location- as he did we would see the BFT fly out and then vanish in midair. We used to see plenty of moths, flies birds,etc, but the BFT was something different. We all saw it, several times, but it was only after we saw it that we would realise that we had seen it. It's difficult to put into words...it was as though it was normal, until you realised that it actually wasn't.

Fantastic. :cool:
I have questions. The BFT, how big was it? How long would you see it for? Where did it fly out from? What shape was it? How did the fluttering work? Was there any sound?

That'll do for a start. ;)
 
On my last shift, when I was filling out my time sheet so I could then go home, my chef walked up close behind me except he didn't. I sensed he was there, I heard 'him', and a bit of paper from the office desk fell on the ground. No one there when I turned around.

He's already told me he gets that all the time when I told him what I thought had just happened. "Leave them alone and they'll be fine. They're not going to hurt you.". So he's what my home crew call a 'sensitive' then. He reckons the owner of the hotel would be into my home crew doing an invest and video there ... at the end of the tourist season though obviously. Escargot 'knows of' my team leader and that woman's up for doing an invest there. We'll be the first (on record) since the place opened in 1895.
 
On my last shift, when I was filling out my time sheet so I could then go home, my chef walked up close behind me except he didn't. I sensed he was there, I heard 'him', and a bit of paper from the office desk fell on the ground. No one there when I turned around.

He's already told me he gets that all the time when I told him what I thought had just happened. "Leave them alone and they'll be fine. They're not going to hurt you.". So he's what my home crew call a 'sensitive' then. He reckons the owner of the hotel would be into my home crew doing an invest and video there ... at the end of the tourist season though obviously. Escargot 'knows of' my team leader and that woman's up for doing an invest there. We'll be the first (on record) since the place opened in 1895.
You need to keep a weirdness diary (or whatever it's called) to direct your investigation. :)
 
Already on that a little bit. I'm just collecting anecdotes atm.
I knew you would be. :hoff:

It's easy to forget the details when you're busy.
I once advised someone to keep a diary of the harassment they were getting from a manager; every single rude remark, slammed door, documents thrown across their desk etc.
When the union got stuck in the humiliating list came in very handy indeed and the manager was sacked.
 
This is my first post so please be gentle :oops:

I'd like to recount a spooky workplace tale that happened to me many years ago when I had a bar job at my local working men's club.

I often worked on the Tuesday night session at the club which just so happened to be Bingo Night. The older members of the club treated this as a real occasion, 'glamming' themselves up in suits and smart dresses. Typically, the ladies would get their drinks from the bar and then proceed to the upper floor of the club for the evening's bingo. The gentlemen would congregate around the bar and discuss the events of the day with a few beers or something a little stronger (once 'her indoors' had disappeared out of sight). There was one couple that I'd grown quite fond of. Don and Sue - both originally from the East End of London they were quite loud but very friendly and always showed an interest in what my younger self was up to at the time. They always dressed to impress but the one thing that always stood out was Don's highly polished black brogues - a lesson learned from his days in the forces. He also had an extremely deep voice and often cleared his throat loudly before speaking.

As time went by, and as is often the case, Don's health declined - to a point where he required a triple heart bypass. I, and his many friends, grew concerned for him, but after a few weeks of absence from the Tuesday Night Club he returned, albeit a lot 'less thirsty' than before his procedure. Sadly, the procedure didn't give him more than an extra year or so of life, and he passed away peacefully - survived by his wife and children. But even in his final days, he continued to dress impecably.

Some months later, on a Tuesday, I was setting up the bar for the evening session and of course, the bingo ladies and gents. This would have been around 5pm in the evening - we didn't open until 6pm. I was joined by the club's handyman / cellar man who was sat on the sofas at the far side of the club enjoying a cheeky pint before opening. I was stood at the bar (customer side) reading the Daily Express (don't judge me - it was the club's paper of choice). Looking down at the paper, which was on the bar in front of me, I suddenly heard a gentleman clear his throat next to me. Without looking up, out of the corner of my eye (to the right) were a pair of highly polished, black brogues. Startled, I turned to look next to me, but there was no one there.

I wouldn't have said any more about it, but almost immediately, our handyman / cellarman stood up and shouted across to me - "Did you see that"? He said he'd seen something - no more than a blur, moving extremely quickly right next to me. I told him what I'd seen, and we both instantly knew that it was Don, coming in early for Tuesday Night Club.

Although I never mentioned it to his widow, or the other members of the club - you're never sure how someone might react to it, it was always nice to know that he still joined us to pass his Tuesday evenings.
 
This is my first post so please be gentle :oops:

I'd like to recount a spooky workplace tale that happened to me many years ago when I had a bar job at my local working men's club.

I often worked on the Tuesday night session at the club which just so happened to be Bingo Night. The older members of the club treated this as a real occasion, 'glamming' themselves up in suits and smart dresses. Typically, the ladies would get their drinks from the bar and then proceed to the upper floor of the club for the evening's bingo. The gentlemen would congregate around the bar and discuss the events of the day with a few beers or something a little stronger (once 'her indoors' had disappeared out of sight). There was one couple that I'd grown quite fond of. Don and Sue - both originally from the East End of London they were quite loud but very friendly and always showed an interest in what my younger self was up to at the time. They always dressed to impress but the one thing that always stood out was Don's highly polished black brogues - a lesson learned from his days in the forces. He also had an extremely deep voice and often cleared his throat loudly before speaking.

As time went by, and as is often the case, Don's health declined - to a point where he required a triple heart bypass. I, and his many friends, grew concerned for him, but after a few weeks of absence from the Tuesday Night Club he returned, albeit a lot 'less thirsty' than before his procedure. Sadly, the procedure didn't give him more than an extra year or so of life, and he passed away peacefully - survived by his wife and children. But even in his final days, he continued to dress impecably.

Some months later, on a Tuesday, I was setting up the bar for the evening session and of course, the bingo ladies and gents. This would have been around 5pm in the evening - we didn't open until 6pm. I was joined by the club's handyman / cellar man who was sat on the sofas at the far side of the club enjoying a cheeky pint before opening. I was stood at the bar (customer side) reading the Daily Express (don't judge me - it was the club's paper of choice). Looking down at the paper, which was on the bar in front of me, I suddenly heard a gentleman clear his throat next to me. Without looking up, out of the corner of my eye (to the right) were a pair of highly polished, black brogues. Startled, I turned to look next to me, but there was no one there.

I wouldn't have said any more about it, but almost immediately, our handyman / cellarman stood up and shouted across to me - "Did you see that"? He said he'd seen something - no more than a blur, moving extremely quickly right next to me. I told him what I'd seen, and we both instantly knew that it was Don, coming in early for Tuesday Night Club.

Although I never mentioned it to his widow, or the other members of the club - you're never sure how someone might react to it, it was always nice to know that he still joined us to pass his Tuesday evenings.
Welcome! Great first post!
 
Welcome! Great first post!
Thanks for the welcome SimonBurchell.

I actually worked at the club for a little over 4 years. It was an extremely old building (used to billet Parlimentarian troops during the civil war I was led to believe) and always had that 'you're never alone' type feel to it. Many people over the years reported odd happenings and goings on although this was the only really spooky thing that I experienced in my time there.
 
Fantastic. :cool:
I have questions. The BFT, how big was it? How long would you see it for? Where did it fly out from? What shape was it? How did the fluttering work? Was there any sound?

That'll do for a start. ;)
About the size of a sparrow.

It would be seen for a few seconds, but as I say, it was as though it was only seen once it wasn't seen. Nobody said "Look at that", until they hadn't noticed it. It's really hard to put into words.It always flew out from the storage shelves when a
pallet was being moved. Like I say, sparrow size, but no fluttering or sound. Bluntly put, we used to watch something flutter away for a few seconds before it vanished in mid air.
 
About the size of a sparrow.

It would be seen for a few seconds, but as I say, it was as though it was only seen once it wasn't seen. Nobody said "Look at that", until they hadn't noticed it. It's really hard to put into words.It always flew out from the storage shelves when a
pallet was being moved. Like I say, sparrow size, but no fluttering or sound. Bluntly put, we used to watch something flutter away for a few seconds before it vanished in mid air.

Bat. (Sorry…)

maximus otter
 
This is my first post so please be gentle :oops:

I'd like to recount a spooky workplace tale that happened to me many years ago when I had a bar job at my local working men's club.

I often worked on the Tuesday night session at the club which just so happened to be Bingo Night. The older members of the club treated this as a real occasion, 'glamming' themselves up in suits and smart dresses. Typically, the ladies would get their drinks from the bar and then proceed to the upper floor of the club for the evening's bingo. The gentlemen would congregate around the bar and discuss the events of the day with a few beers or something a little stronger (once 'her indoors' had disappeared out of sight). There was one couple that I'd grown quite fond of. Don and Sue - both originally from the East End of London they were quite loud but very friendly and always showed an interest in what my younger self was up to at the time. They always dressed to impress but the one thing that always stood out was Don's highly polished black brogues - a lesson learned from his days in the forces. He also had an extremely deep voice and often cleared his throat loudly before speaking.

As time went by, and as is often the case, Don's health declined - to a point where he required a triple heart bypass. I, and his many friends, grew concerned for him, but after a few weeks of absence from the Tuesday Night Club he returned, albeit a lot 'less thirsty' than before his procedure. Sadly, the procedure didn't give him more than an extra year or so of life, and he passed away peacefully - survived by his wife and children. But even in his final days, he continued to dress impecably.

Some months later, on a Tuesday, I was setting up the bar for the evening session and of course, the bingo ladies and gents. This would have been around 5pm in the evening - we didn't open until 6pm. I was joined by the club's handyman / cellar man who was sat on the sofas at the far side of the club enjoying a cheeky pint before opening. I was stood at the bar (customer side) reading the Daily Express (don't judge me - it was the club's paper of choice). Looking down at the paper, which was on the bar in front of me, I suddenly heard a gentleman clear his throat next to me. Without looking up, out of the corner of my eye (to the right) were a pair of highly polished, black brogues. Startled, I turned to look next to me, but there was no one there.

I wouldn't have said any more about it, but almost immediately, our handyman / cellarman stood up and shouted across to me - "Did you see that"? He said he'd seen something - no more than a blur, moving extremely quickly right next to me. I told him what I'd seen, and we both instantly knew that it was Don, coming in early for Tuesday Night Club.

Although I never mentioned it to his widow, or the other members of the club - you're never sure how someone might react to it, it was always nice to know that he still joined us to pass his Tuesday evenings.
Excellent first post.
Welcome to the forum.
 
We quite often got birds flying in...even had a robin nesting once, but no bats. It's an answer I'd never thought of, but I think bats are more communal. Has anyone ever found a solo bat?
A quick search shows that bats can and do roost alone at times in the UK. A warehouse would not immediately spring to mind as a preferred roost, though.
 
This is my first post so please be gentle :oops:

I'd like to recount a spooky workplace tale that happened to me many years ago when I had a bar job at my local working men's club.

I often worked on the Tuesday night session at the club which just so happened to be Bingo Night. The older members of the club treated this as a real occasion, 'glamming' themselves up in suits and smart dresses. Typically, the ladies would get their drinks from the bar and then proceed to the upper floor of the club for the evening's bingo. The gentlemen would congregate around the bar and discuss the events of the day with a few beers or something a little stronger (once 'her indoors' had disappeared out of sight). There was one couple that I'd grown quite fond of. Don and Sue - both originally from the East End of London they were quite loud but very friendly and always showed an interest in what my younger self was up to at the time. They always dressed to impress but the one thing that always stood out was Don's highly polished black brogues - a lesson learned from his days in the forces. He also had an extremely deep voice and often cleared his throat loudly before speaking.

As time went by, and as is often the case, Don's health declined - to a point where he required a triple heart bypass. I, and his many friends, grew concerned for him, but after a few weeks of absence from the Tuesday Night Club he returned, albeit a lot 'less thirsty' than before his procedure. Sadly, the procedure didn't give him more than an extra year or so of life, and he passed away peacefully - survived by his wife and children. But even in his final days, he continued to dress impecably.

Some months later, on a Tuesday, I was setting up the bar for the evening session and of course, the bingo ladies and gents. This would have been around 5pm in the evening - we didn't open until 6pm. I was joined by the club's handyman / cellar man who was sat on the sofas at the far side of the club enjoying a cheeky pint before opening. I was stood at the bar (customer side) reading the Daily Express (don't judge me - it was the club's paper of choice). Looking down at the paper, which was on the bar in front of me, I suddenly heard a gentleman clear his throat next to me. Without looking up, out of the corner of my eye (to the right) were a pair of highly polished, black brogues. Startled, I turned to look next to me, but there was no one there.

I wouldn't have said any more about it, but almost immediately, our handyman / cellarman stood up and shouted across to me - "Did you see that"? He said he'd seen something - no more than a blur, moving extremely quickly right next to me. I told him what I'd seen, and we both instantly knew that it was Don, coming in early for Tuesday Night Club.

Although I never mentioned it to his widow, or the other members of the club - you're never sure how someone might react to it, it was always nice to know that he still joined us to pass his Tuesday evenings.
Same exact thing happened to me - though it wasn't on a job.
As I've posted here before, I was in the kitchen doing laundry on a warm day, and had the kitchen door open. Suddenly a huge noisy gust of wind came flying in the door. I looked up to see two small black feet walking in the door, with legs starting to form.
I screamed and it disappeared. Right away I thought of my Mum, sure enough she had passed on in another state and had come to say goodbye.
 
About the size of a sparrow.

It would be seen for a few seconds, but as I say, it was as though it was only seen once it wasn't seen. Nobody said "Look at that", until they hadn't noticed it. It's really hard to put into words.It always flew out from the storage shelves when a
pallet was being moved. Like I say, sparrow size, but no fluttering or sound. Bluntly put, we used to watch something flutter away for a few seconds before it vanished in mid air.
Perhaps dusty cobwebs caught in the movement of air from the pallet being moved? It is pretty rare for the paranormal to show up repeatedly 'on demand' like this.

(disclaimer: as ever, I wasn't there and so it is only a suggestion)
 
I used to work at the Crown Court at Snaresbrook in east London, it was originally an orphans’ asylum and then a school and was and is an extremely busy court.

It always had an odd atmosphere in the evening, but the only ghost story I ever heard was that a jury were deliberating long after the other courts were closed. The officer in the case was having a smoke in the grounds when he glanced up and saw a small boy on the roof of the building. He alerted Security, but they didn’t find anyone, and as far as I know there’s been no other sightings.

The only other story is that a road ghost has been side on the road at the side of the court, an Asian woman runs screaming into the road and then disappears, oddly enough, exactly the same ghost has been seen at another site a couple of miles away.
 
Perhaps dusty cobwebs caught in the movement of air from the pallet being moved? It is pretty rare for the paranormal to show up repeatedly 'on demand' like this.

(disclaimer: as ever, I wasn't there and so it is only a suggestion)
I don't understand why you would say it appeared 'on demand' as such. It didn't. It was just something that sometimes was there, and sometimes wasn't. Just one of those oddities. Quite a few of us saw it at separate times. The strangest thing was that none of us thought it a strange thing to see until 15/20 seconds later. That doesn't sound very convincing I know, but I can't think of any other way to describe the experience.

I've thought for a long time that the stuff we perceive of as 'paranormal' is only seen that way because our senses have developed in the way that they have. At the moment my beloved Springer Spaniel "Jay" is sat at my feet watching the TV. He enjoys it, or at least it gets his attention, but he doesn't seem to need to explain the phenomenon. Could it be that stuff happens which is explicable, but we're just not yet capable? I don't just mean because of the deathly blade of science. It's deeper and more fundamental than that.
 
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I don’t know if this counts but in they way past I worked a shift that ended at midnight.

There was nothing unusual in the manufacturing plant, but driving home going through some rural cornfields produced a probable sighing of a chupacabra or a poor mange dog.

Then there was the most beautiful, bright, powder blue UFO above the cornfield.
 
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