SIGNS ACROSS THE divide

Grandfather George

Sally Windsor, 40, from Crawley, West Sussex

My tall, blond and gorgeous boyfriend gave me a cheeky grin. ‘I’ll meet you after the shops close,’ he said.

His name was David, then aged 20, and it was August 1997. I was a 17-year-old A-level student.

We both worked in a shopping FHQWUH LQ GL HUHQW VKRSV DQG WKDW¶V how we’d met. He’d walked past the candle store I worked in dozens of times until I agreed to go on a date with him. Then when I said yes, we KLW LW R VWUDLJKW DZD\

That night, our plan was to go back to my mum’s house, where I lived too, in Crawley, West Sussex – then I’d later drive him home to his parents’ in Horsham, a town nearby. It was about a 20 minute drive and on a balmy August night.

Summer hols

It was the summer holidays from sixth form and, while I had my weekend job, I was spending some lovely time with my mum Brenda, then 57. That day, we were looking at some old photos.

‘Now that’s your grandfather George, my dad,’ she explained. I looked at a photo of a man, smartly dressed in an army uniform. My mum looked just like him.

As I stared into his face, I felt a strong connection. Was it a just a family bond? It was a feeling that I’d felt looking at other photographs before, but I let it wash over me.

When the shops closed, I picked up David and a few hours later, took him home.

We said goodbye and I started the journey back. With the radio up, and the windows down, I was halfway down the dual carriageway when I felt a shudder and a strange feeling behind me – like there was someone else in the car.

Of course there wasn’t. But I was compelled to turn around.

There, in the back seat, sat my grandfather George, pale in colour and wearing the same smart uniform I’d seen in the photo. He gave me a big smile but didn’t speak.

I didn’t scream. I just smiled back at him.

When I quickly turned my attention back to the road, I looked in the rear view mirror, and to my dismay – he was gone.

I couldn’t believe that I’d just been visited by his spirit. Was he there for a reason? I never really JRW WR ¿QG RXW 6LQFH WKHQ ,¶YH looked for Grandfather George but never seen him again.

All I remember is that his spirit was a good one, and that he wanted to tell me I was cared for. Spirits can be a wonderful, reassuring thing and I for one will never be afraid of seeing a ghost.

Mum looked just like him

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