According to an old story, in the 1870s, an old lady living on Annesley Street asked some children who were playing near to her home to continue their games at the far end of the field in front of her home as they were disturbing her. The children agreed, and went across the field as requested. On the other side of that field was a building site and the children decided to play in there, not realising the danger. Tragically, a frame supporting a large pile of bricks gave way. Two of the children were tragically killed and some of the others were seriously injured.

The community was devastated but the old lady felt the full weight of responsibility for the tragic accident, and died not long after.

Her house was soon leased to a young family who moved in and began to make it their own. But not long after they arrived, they began to see her ghost at the property and their youngest child even refused to enter certain rooms. Nevertheless, they stayed for a few years. When another tenant moved in after them, they did not see the old woman but they did describe an “uncomfortable” atmosphere and would notice the curtains twitching as if someone were pulling them back to peep out.

Some time later, a workman reported seeing an old lady standing in the middle of a nearby building site. He diverted his attention to ask what she was doing, and as a result he fell and required hospital treatment for (thankfully) minor injuries. From his hospital bed, he enquired whether any of his colleagues had seen the old lady, but none of them recalled seeing anyone on the site who should not have been there.

In 1941, Annesley Street was practically obliterated during an air raid. When people returned to survey the damage, an old woman was seen standing in the ruins of one of the houses, but she disappeared when she was approached. As an aside, the lady was standing in what remained of her former home.

In 1942, a young couple happened to spot the old woman standing in the corner at a function they were attending. She seemed out of place and the couple made enquiries about her, but nobody else had seen her. Later that same night, they visited another venue and happened to mention their experience within earshot of an elderly gentleman who remembered the story of the old woman. But he had a grim warning – the figure was now considered to be a harbinger of misfortune. The couple shrugged this off, but later that evening, the couple were struck by a bus and the young woman later died of her injuries.