Puritan puzzlement

I think I can throw some light on the sighting of a man in Puritan costume mentioned in Peter

Moss’s Ghosts Over Britain (1979). The ‘Wandering Puritan’ story on page 69 mentions the historical apparition seen in the public lavatories at Keele Services by two Ipswich Town fans on their way to an FA Cup tie at Manchester United on 26 January 1974.

As an ex-member of the Sealed Knot, I know that we used to re-enact the Battle of Nantwich (1644) on this date. We would often travel in 17th century clothes, especially for this weekend as it was a one-day muster. I can’t solve the other part of the story of the figure seen in Colchester, but it was our habit in those days to don our costumes whenever we could. On one occasion we gave a fright to a local man as we took a late-night look around Borley Rectory on the Saturday of our re-enactment at Stowmarket. He skidded to a halt and only realised we were corporeal 20th century people after a few minutes.

Steve Watkins

Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands