2020-02-01_Fortean_Times

ROB GANDY returns with more real-lifeexperie ncesfromCheshir eand Staffordshire,including

abevyofghostly bridesfallin gfrom bridges,adisintegrating jogger andaspaceman on a

high-tech motorcycle who mayhavebeen aghost from the future...

RO

BG

AN

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42 FT389

I

nmyarticleStrangeStoriesfrom

Southport(FT370:42-45)Ihighlighted

how, followingmyOldMan ofHalsall

Moss(FT328:32-39)presentationin

Birkdale, severalpeopletold me of

theirownweirdexperiences,which

Iincluded in said article.However,one

talewas excluded becauseit wasnot local

to West Lancashireand required more

research becauseit seemedso fantastic.This

wasthe secondexperiencedescribed to me

by MissW, whoalso gave thedetails of Case

J(the DrunkenFarmer).Iam nowatapoint

where Icannottakethings anyfurther,

and soIset outherstory below, together

withother‘real-l ife’experiences collected

duringthe course ofmyinvestigationsinthe

Cheshire-Staffordshireborders.

THE BRIDE ON THE BRIDGE

MissWofFormby, Merseyside,wasinacar

being driven back from AltonTowersin

North Staffordshire afteraday visitingthe

amusementpark.Thereweretwocars,aboy

andagirl in each, withMissWbeing the

passengerinthe front car.Itwas lateone

summerevening–MissWrecallsthat itwas

gettingon for9pmon either 13 or 14August

in (probably)2008.Her friendChrishad

decided to drive on theback roads toavoid

majorroad works. Theweatherwasclear,

although theremay have been somedrizzle

in the air.

Theyhad beentravellingfor20to30

minutesand were driving upanarrowtwo-

wayroadwhentheyapproachedabridge.

Thebridgehad waist-high brickwallson

either side,and waslittlemorethan a

single-car’swidth overacanalorsmall

river. They then sawawoman inawedding

dress standing on the right-handside of the

bridge;just as they were drivingcarefully

pasther,she felloverthe side of the bridge.

MissWsaid to Chris thathe must have hit

her,but Chrisinsisted thathehad not.They

stopped and got out and lookedoverthe

bridge, down what appeared to bea12-15ft

(3.6-4.6m)drop. Therewas nothing to see

–nosignof thewoman or anything else.

Theycalled outbut got noresponse.

Theirfriends in the othercarhad been

right behind them. However,becausethey

were travelling in an unfamiliar area,they

had beenconcentrating on theroad.Given

the speed withwhichevents unfolded, they

bothknewthattheyhad seensomething,

butwereuncertainastoexactlywhat. They

BRIDES, BRIDGES

AND SPAC EMEN

“Then they saw a

ladyinaweddi ng

dress standing on

the bridge”

ABOVE:TheEssex Bridge at Great Haywood,

Staffordshire.