HAUNTED WIRRAL: The Park Road West Ghost

In this latest tale, Tom tells the tale of the Park Road West Ghost

THE gothic three-storey property that is the scene of so many terrifying ghostly goings-on stands on Birkenhead's Park Road West, which, as the address suggests, lies within a stone's throw of Birkenhead Park.

In the 1990s the detached house – which dates back to Victorian times – was put up for sale upon the death of an old woman who had lived at the residence for over 50 years, and the Conway-Blanche family of Woodchurch Road moved in.

Jonathon Conway-Blanche and wife Annette viewed the property in July 1996. 

Although Annette said she thought the place had 'something about it' (meaning some indefinable but ominous supernatural character) her husband told her she was being silly - that all old houses had that aura about them till they were given a lick of bright paint - and eventually Annette conceded that her husband was probably right, and the couple, and their three children moved into their new home.

The children of the couple were Daniel, 13, David, seven, and five-year-old Alice.

In the first week at the house, David said he had heard his name being called by 'someone with a posh voice' in the middle of the night as he got up to go the toilet.

The boy thought the caller was upstairs somewhere, possibly in the attic.

"Sound plays strange tricks at night, David," said the boy's father, "and it's been someone outside shouting to another David." 

The boy wasn't convinced and asked his mother: "If this place is haunted, can we move?" 

David's father quickly tried to change the subject but the talk of ghosts continued to teatime, where Jonathon Conway-Blanche lost his impatience and snapped: "Okay, stop it! There are no such things as ghosts!" and turned to David and said: "And you’re going to upset Alice talking about this nonsense! So let's drop the whole daft thing, eh?" 

Days after this, Alice wandered upstairs to the second-floor room - earmarked as the guest bedroom - which was being decorated.

There were white sheets strewn over the old faded carpet and a can of gloss paint in the corner which gave off a sweet smell.

As Alice looked about, she felt someone tap her shoulder.

It was a pale, chalk-white hand.

She turned around and standing over her was a stranger – a man, taller than her father.

He had jet black hair with a widow's peak, dark old-fashioned clothes, and he was smiling down at the girl.

He reached out and touched the pink bow on Alice's head and said: "Hello little girl. Don't tell me - your name is ..." 

And he paused, looked at the ceiling, then bent down slightly and said: "Alice; yes – Alice, what a lovely name." 

Alice turned away, sensing the man was a ghost, but he said: "Alice don't go - be my friend. I'll show you where Peter Pan lives." 

The girl was a big Peter Pan fan; she was always watching the old video of Hook – a 1991 film about Peter that had starred Robin Williams – and so Alice turned and said: ‘Where does he live?" 

"Alice, take my hand and I'll show you," said the pallid oddity and smiled.

Alice noticed his teeth looked yellowish.

The girl was just going to run when the man grabbed her hand.

He had an ice-cold hand, and he started to gently lead Alice to the window - which had been left open slightly to allow the fumes of the paint to escape.

"We can fly to Peter, don't be afraid Alice," he said. He picked up the little girl, put her on the window sill and pushed the window open wide.

Alice felt his palm on her back and realised he was going to push her to her death.

There was a scream, and Alice felt something shove her. She grabbed the window and its top hinge came off.

The girl felt hands pull her back.

It was Alice’s hysterical mother.

She had not seen the man and when Alice told her mum what had happened, Mrs Conway-Blanche blamed David for putting the idea of a ghost into the child's head.

Three days after this, Mr and Mrs Conway-Blanche went out for a much-needed meal and drink. 

The couple left their children in the care of a 22-year-old girl named Lisa for three hours, from 7pm till 10pm.

Around 7.30pm, three school friends of Daniel turned up at the house and although Lisa tried to send them away, Daniel pleaded with her to let them stay. Lisa reluctantly agreed.

Daniel sneaked into his father's bedroom and found a CB set.

His father had had the set for years as he used to be something of a CB enthusiast.

Daniel plugged the set in and used the TV aerial as an antenna. He and his giggling three friends, along with David and Alice, began to mess about with the transceiver.

"Ten-four, ten-four!" Daniel shouted into the microphone, "Is anybody there! Is smoky bear there?" 

"I'm there!" said a well-spoken voice on the CB set.

Alice recognised that voice; it was the ghost. 

He named everybody present, and where they lived, described what they were wearing, and then in a menacing raspy voice said: "I'll whistle outside the windows of your homes after midnight, and kill you all in your beds!" 

Daniel’s three friends left the house, terrified, and at midnight, the children heard someone whistling "Ringa Ringa Roses" outside – but their father could see no one out there.

After months of nerve-jangling antics from the ghost, the family sold the house and moved to Moreton.

The haunted house on Park Road West is currently vacant...

* All of Tom Slemen's books and audiobooks are on Amazon.