“I live in a house full of ghosts – and my kids love them!”
Natalie Reeves Billing is used to spooky happenings at her country house – and not just at Halloween – as she shares her home with four mischievous spirits!
When Natalie Reeves Billing bought her house in the middle of rural Merseyside, she felt sure she’d have some peace and quiet.
The last thing she expected was that she’d be sharing her house with noisy and mischievous spirits.
But even though they’ve had some terrifying experiences, Natalie, 39, her husband, Colin, 61, and their two children, Nathaniel, eight, and Ellie Rose, seven, have now got rid of the sinister ghost that used to lurk around. Instead, there are only friendly ones left.
Natalie says, “If anything, I find our ‘housemates’ comforting to have around. The children have grown up with them. They would chat to them and call them their friends – they’re not at all scared. And they love nothing more than dressing the house for Halloween and celebrating all things spooky!”
WELCOMING
Natalie, an author, and Colin, who is retired, bought the Victorian house, built in 1845, in 2011. She says, “I fell in love as soon as we viewed it. It just felt familiar and welcoming.”
After moving in, the ghosts of the property let their presence be known. Natalie says, “It started with funny smells and atmosphere changes, sometimes lovely smells such as orange peel and smoke, other times a rotten smell.
Then sometimes I’d be in the kitchen and feel like someone else was there with me. At first, if I had my back to the door, I’d presume it was Colin and offer him a cup of tea, but when I turned round the room was always empty.
“Then more things started happening. The doorbell would ring but nobody would be at the door, or the lights would go off and doors would slam for no reason. At other times, I’d glimpse someone moving in the garden.
“At times I was frightened, especially if I was home alone. As soon as it started to get dark, I’d hate walking from where I parked my car to the front door, as it would often feel like someone was walking towards me. We put up sensor lights, but often they wouldn’t work when we arrived home and then would come on at other odd times.
“But I have seen ghosts before at my grandmother’s house, so I was very open to the spirit world.”
Natalie researched the history of the house and discovered a monastery had been there at one point, and afterwards a court house. They also found a dagger while they were digging in the garden and sent it to the Archaeological Society, who analysed it and visited the house – they believe the grounds of their home were once the scene of a Viking battlefield. Natalie says,
“It’s mad to think that we are surrounded by so much history.”
When Nathaniel turned four, a more sinister ghoul began to cause trouble. Natalie says, “For a while, we’d sensed a dark presence. We’d get wafts of a rotten smell and the air would suddenly go cold and damp.
STRANGE PRESENCE
“One November evening, Nathaniel started screaming. I ran out of my room to find him standing on the landing. His bedroom was freezing cold and he looked over my shoulder, towards his bed, and said, ‘I don’t like the way he’s looking at me.’
“My heart was hammering as I looked over to where he was
pointing and heard a horrible, rattling intake of breath and then an exhalation.
“For the rest of the night the lights constantly flickered, the floor seemed to shake and a tap turned on for no reason.”
While Natalie isn’t religious, her sister is and she put a cross blessed with holy water in Nathaniel’s room. A medium also came round and spoke to the ghost. It hasn’t returned since, and it’s now only the friendly ghosts that make themselves known. Natalie is so fond of them, she’s even given them names.
She says, “I can’t describe their appearance, I only ever glimpse them. But it’s more of a presence. We have John, who’s rowdy. Things in our house are always found balanced precariously and mugs often break while you’re holding them. I put those happenings down to him.
“Then there’s Mary. She’s a motherly character, who I’d often heard singing through Ellie Rose’s monitor when she was a baby. It was mainly just humming, but if Ellie Rose was singing a nursery rhyme to herself, I’d hear Mary hum along. It used to terrify me and I’d run upstairs, but Ellie Rose was always perfectly happy.
“My mum heard her too once and took up a cup of tea, thinking it was me – she was astonished to only find my daughter in the room. Mary likes to follow me around. I often feel someone in the room with me.
“And then there’s Josie and Jess, the names we’ve given to the girls we hear outside giggling. When they were younger, our children would play with them. They’d roll a ball backwards and forwards and would chat.
“Nathaniel and Ellie Rose say that Josie and Jess are their favourites. They love telling their mates about their unusual friends!”
But even though the family don’t feel frightened by the ghosts, not everyone is relaxed about visiting the house.
CONSTANT COMPANY
Natalie says, “We’ve had babysitters refuse to come back, and some of my friends will only visit in daylight hours!
“I know that people who haven’t been to our house might think we’re a bit potty, but once they’ve witnessed some of the happenings, like footsteps upstairs when they’re all in the same room downstairs, they understand.
“We’re used to them now and love how playful they are – though it does get annoying when they move things around. We often can’t find our keys because they’ve been moved and I once found the kettle in the fridge!”
Despite that, the family see the house as their forever home – though Natalie admits it takes a certain type of family to stick it out. She says, “I realise it isn’t for everyone, but we love it, and the kids love the four spirits we live with. The incident with the evil spirit was scary, but he’s gone now. And we’ll never get bored – even when I am home alone, I always have plenty of company!”
WE OFTEN FIND THAT OUR KEYS HAVE BEEN MOVED – AND I ONCE FOUND THE KETTLE IN THE FRIDGE!