Writer’s retreat: A haunting night at the Skirrid Inn changed one reader’s life
SIGNS ACROSS THE Dividedivide Writer’s retreat Divide
I struggled with depression A glimpse into readers’ lives
A s the door closed behind me, leaving me alone in my bedroom, I felt a thrill ripple through me. I was staying in the Skirrid Inn, the oldest pub in Britain – and, some say, the most haunted. It was the place where the ‘hanging judge’ Judge Jeffries began his career, condemning to death 700 men who rebelled against King James II. A beam in the inn still bears the rope marks of these hangings.
Fascinated by the horror genre, I’d read about the guests at the Skirrid Inn who’d seen shadows, felt cold spots, and seen glasses thrown by invisible hands across the bar. Now I wanted to see all this for myself…
As a child, I’d spent all my spare time writing stories. But when I hit my teens, I stopped writing. I married young to escape a troubled relationship with my mother, but it didn’t work out. After six years of hell and three miscarriages, I got divorced.
Bereaved
I remarried, but in May 2001, my daughter Emily passed away a minute after being born. My life shattered.
Four months after Emily died, I fell pregnant again. It was a high-risk pregnancy and I spent eight months in a high-risk ward at Birmingham Women’s Hospital. Finally, my miracle daughter Megan was born safely in May 2002. But the stress of the pregnancy and my bereavement led to me developing postnatal depression.
Sadly, my marriage ended and I found myself moving from England to South Wales. I began another relationship, but after three years together, I was alone once more.
I moved into a rented house by myself, still suffering from depression and chronic pain conditions, and wondered what the hell I was going to do with my life. That’s when I was lucky enough to visit the Skirrid Inn for a night’s stay.
I’d always loved the paranormal. From a young age, I’d experienced too many things not to be a believer. The inn did not disappoint. I was woken up in the night with a strong feeling that someone was in the room with me. My possessions had moved without me touching them, and I had the sense that I was being watched. Next morning, over breakfast, I grabbed a pen and a piece of scrap paper, and for the first time in years, I began to write. The words flowed out of me - my life story, intertwined with a paranormal storyline inspired by the Skirrid Inn. Success
Five years on, I finally completed my first novel, The
Spirits of Mynydd Eira. The main character Rosie escapes an abusive marriage. Finding herself in Wales, she dares to to be happy – but the village of Mynydd Eira has its own deep, dark secrets…
My nephew Jake designed the cover and helped me selfpublish it on Amazon. I hope it will encourage and inspire people dealing with domestic abuse or bereavement.
My life experiences, my love of writing, and the paranormal, led to me to finally achieving my life’s dream.
And it’s all thanks to the Skirrid Inn!