Back in 1987, Angie worked at the Cross Keys as a barmaid. The pub itself has now been demolished to make room for new housing, however, Angie remembers clearly some very spooky goings on there.
Adjacent to the pub were several terraced houses which were unoccupied and had been derelict for many years. They joined on to the pub on the first floor creating the alleyway which served as the exit to the car park, rather like an old fashioned coaching inn. Upstairs in the pub accommodation there had been - at some time in the past - a doorway into the adjoining property which had been bricked over. The landlord and landlady at the time lived above the pub. They had 2 young daughters who were often heard running about on the first floor.
After closing time the staff regularly sat down in the bar for a drink. This was when the strange happenings used to occur. One evening in particular they were sitting quietly chatting when they all clearly heard running footsteps above them. At first thought they assumed it was one of the children up out of bed, then they realised the children were not home that night. On investigation there was nobody upstairs. Another evening they were once again sitting down after work and telling a new barmaid some of the strange things that had happened in the pub. Suddenly there was a crash from behind the bar. A cork from a bottle of Cognac had shot out of the bottle and smashed into the optics. This was enough to convince the newcomer what she was being told was all true!
The landlady often had the feeling that she was being cuddled in bed at night when she was alone. Her bedroom was the one adjacent to the houses next door. She maintained it wasn't a sinister feeling, just scary.
At the end of the evening the staff would lock up. The window in the Gents was often opened during the course of the night so they would always check in there to make sure it was secure. One evening whilst doing this the toilet doors all slammed shut whilst the barmaid was closing the window. She turned to run out but the door to the Gents also slammed. In blind panic she wrenched at the door but it wouldn't open. In terror she screamed out for her boyfriend, who had come to collect her. Pushing on the other side of the door with ease - it opened as it normally would.
One of the stories that was often related was about a group of young men who had sat down near to the toilets one evening with a drink. They were happily chatting when one of the pints of lager raised up from the table and was tipped out. Apparently the men reported the incident to the landlord and then left, never to return.
Angie worked there for almost a year and she says it was never scary when these strange things happened, it was almost like the spirit was playing tricks on them. Was it a playful poltergeist, or a long dead drinker from the pub who didn't realise his last orders had been called.
