Reading

TEXT ONE

Dominic had always been a quiet and industrious boy and had emerged from his secondary school with good exam results but little else. He was expected to join the other pupils who had won a place at university. Yet, somewhere inside his head a voice said it was time he experienced the real world before continuing his studies, so to every-one’s surprise he decided to take a year off. “No good will come of it”, people said. Nevertheless, Dominic wandered into the bookshop by the market square, which he had frequently visited with his father and asked if there were any positions available. Jobs were rarely advertised and were usually filled through family connections. Yet, on this occa-sion, Dominic was in luck as one of the staff had just left. Dominic was given a job to begin immediately. Mr Pinkerton, the manager, felt he had made an excellent choice as Dominic was willing and hard-working.

Yet, three months later this easy atmosphere had become strained and tense. Large sums of money had been disappearing from the till. 

Mr. Pinkerton didn’t want to think that one of his assistants could be responsible and felt that the money had been taken by a customer when the till was left unguarded. Consequently, he decided that only one person of the five who worked in the English literature department would be in turn responsible for the till and the sales. The person con-cerned would be glued to his post all day long. Despite the new system, Variant 3. 9 form. Reading 75

the money continued to disappear and everyone including Dominic felt under suspicion. As time went on he started to question himself if he might be an unaware kleptomaniac. And whenever it was his turn to stand at the till he was terrified in case an honest mistake was inter-preted as criminal behaviour.

By now, the relationship between the team of assistants had been poisoned for good and they all took to watching each other. Neverthe-less, everyone found time to sympathise with Pinkerton who had aged ten years in just a few months. In true detective story fashion when the end came and the thief was unmasked it took everyone by surprise. 

Mr. Pinkerton had employed an agency to observe the activities in the shop and the offender turned out to be Caroline, the daughter of a Pro-fessor of Ancient Languages who had seemed totally above reproach and suspicion.

When Dominic decided to take a year off … .

Dominic had always been a quiet and industrious boy and had emerged from his secondary school with good exam results but little else. He was expected to join the other pupils who had won a place at university. Yet, somewhere inside his head a voice said it was time he experienced the real world before continuing his studies, so to every-one’s surprise he decided to take a year off. “No good will come of it”, people said. Nevertheless, Dominic wandered into the bookshop by the market square, which he had frequently visited with his father and asked if there were any positions available. Jobs were rarely advertised and were usually filled through family connections. Yet, on this occa-sion, Dominic was in luck as one of the staff had just left. Dominic was given a job to begin immediately. Mr Pinkerton, the manager, felt he had made an excellent choice as Dominic was willing and hard-working.

Yet, three months later this easy atmosphere had become strained and tense. Large sums of money had been disappearing from the till. 

Mr. Pinkerton didn’t want to think that one of his assistants could be responsible and felt that the money had been taken by a customer when the till was left unguarded. Consequently, he decided that only one person of the five who worked in the English literature department would be in turn responsible for the till and the sales. The person con-cerned would be glued to his post all day long. Despite the new system, Variant 3. 9 form. Reading 75

the money continued to disappear and everyone including Dominic felt under suspicion. As time went on he started to question himself if he might be an unaware kleptomaniac. And whenever it was his turn to stand at the till he was terrified in case an honest mistake was inter-preted as criminal behaviour.

By now, the relationship between the team of assistants had been poisoned for good and they all took to watching each other. Neverthe-less, everyone found time to sympathise with Pinkerton who had aged ten years in just a few months. In true detective story fashion when the end came and the thief was unmasked it took everyone by surprise. 

Mr. Pinkerton had employed an agency to observe the activities in the shop and the offender turned out to be Caroline, the daughter of a Pro-fessor of Ancient Languages who had seemed totally above reproach and suspicion.

How did he get the job at the bookshop?

Dominic had always been a quiet and industrious boy and had emerged from his secondary school with good exam results but little else. He was expected to join the other pupils who had won a place at university. Yet, somewhere inside his head a voice said it was time he experienced the real world before continuing his studies, so to every-one’s surprise he decided to take a year off. “No good will come of it”, people said. Nevertheless, Dominic wandered into the bookshop by the market square, which he had frequently visited with his father and asked if there were any positions available. Jobs were rarely advertised and were usually filled through family connections. Yet, on this occa-sion, Dominic was in luck as one of the staff had just left. Dominic was given a job to begin immediately. Mr Pinkerton, the manager, felt he had made an excellent choice as Dominic was willing and hard-working.

Yet, three months later this easy atmosphere had become strained and tense. Large sums of money had been disappearing from the till. 

Mr. Pinkerton didn’t want to think that one of his assistants could be responsible and felt that the money had been taken by a customer when the till was left unguarded. Consequently, he decided that only one person of the five who worked in the English literature department would be in turn responsible for the till and the sales. The person con-cerned would be glued to his post all day long. Despite the new system, Variant 3. 9 form. Reading 75

the money continued to disappear and everyone including Dominic felt under suspicion. As time went on he started to question himself if he might be an unaware kleptomaniac. And whenever it was his turn to stand at the till he was terrified in case an honest mistake was inter-preted as criminal behaviour.

By now, the relationship between the team of assistants had been poisoned for good and they all took to watching each other. Neverthe-less, everyone found time to sympathise with Pinkerton who had aged ten years in just a few months. In true detective story fashion when the end came and the thief was unmasked it took everyone by surprise. 

Mr. Pinkerton had employed an agency to observe the activities in the shop and the offender turned out to be Caroline, the daughter of a Pro-fessor of Ancient Languages who had seemed totally above reproach and suspicion.

At first who, or what, did Mr Pinkerton believe was responsible for the disappearance of the money?

Dominic had always been a quiet and industrious boy and had emerged from his secondary school with good exam results but little else. He was expected to join the other pupils who had won a place at university. Yet, somewhere inside his head a voice said it was time he experienced the real world before continuing his studies, so to every-one’s surprise he decided to take a year off. “No good will come of it”, people said. Nevertheless, Dominic wandered into the bookshop by the market square, which he had frequently visited with his father and asked if there were any positions available. Jobs were rarely advertised and were usually filled through family connections. Yet, on this occa-sion, Dominic was in luck as one of the staff had just left. Dominic was given a job to begin immediately. Mr Pinkerton, the manager, felt he had made an excellent choice as Dominic was willing and hard-working.

Yet, three months later this easy atmosphere had become strained and tense. Large sums of money had been disappearing from the till. 

Mr. Pinkerton didn’t want to think that one of his assistants could be responsible and felt that the money had been taken by a customer when the till was left unguarded. Consequently, he decided that only one person of the five who worked in the English literature department would be in turn responsible for the till and the sales. The person con-cerned would be glued to his post all day long. Despite the new system, Variant 3. 9 form. Reading 75

the money continued to disappear and everyone including Dominic felt under suspicion. As time went on he started to question himself if he might be an unaware kleptomaniac. And whenever it was his turn to stand at the till he was terrified in case an honest mistake was inter-preted as criminal behaviour.

By now, the relationship between the team of assistants had been poisoned for good and they all took to watching each other. Neverthe-less, everyone found time to sympathise with Pinkerton who had aged ten years in just a few months. In true detective story fashion when the end came and the thief was unmasked it took everyone by surprise. 

Mr. Pinkerton had employed an agency to observe the activities in the shop and the offender turned out to be Caroline, the daughter of a Pro-fessor of Ancient Languages who had seemed totally above reproach and suspicion.

What initial steps did Mr Pinkerton take to stop the disappea-rances continuing?

Dominic had always been a quiet and industrious boy and had emerged from his secondary school with good exam results but little else. He was expected to join the other pupils who had won a place at university. Yet, somewhere inside his head a voice said it was time he experienced the real world before continuing his studies, so to every-one’s surprise he decided to take a year off. “No good will come of it”, people said. Nevertheless, Dominic wandered into the bookshop by the market square, which he had frequently visited with his father and asked if there were any positions available. Jobs were rarely advertised and were usually filled through family connections. Yet, on this occa-sion, Dominic was in luck as one of the staff had just left. Dominic was given a job to begin immediately. Mr Pinkerton, the manager, felt he had made an excellent choice as Dominic was willing and hard-working.

Yet, three months later this easy atmosphere had become strained and tense. Large sums of money had been disappearing from the till. 

Mr. Pinkerton didn’t want to think that one of his assistants could be responsible and felt that the money had been taken by a customer when the till was left unguarded. Consequently, he decided that only one person of the five who worked in the English literature department would be in turn responsible for the till and the sales. The person con-cerned would be glued to his post all day long. Despite the new system, Variant 3. 9 form. Reading 75

the money continued to disappear and everyone including Dominic felt under suspicion. As time went on he started to question himself if he might be an unaware kleptomaniac. And whenever it was his turn to stand at the till he was terrified in case an honest mistake was inter-preted as criminal behaviour.

By now, the relationship between the team of assistants had been poisoned for good and they all took to watching each other. Neverthe-less, everyone found time to sympathise with Pinkerton who had aged ten years in just a few months. In true detective story fashion when the end came and the thief was unmasked it took everyone by surprise. 

Mr. Pinkerton had employed an agency to observe the activities in the shop and the offender turned out to be Caroline, the daughter of a Pro-fessor of Ancient Languages who had seemed totally above reproach and suspicion.

The thief … .

TEXT 2

The Most Haunted House in England

The peaceful village of Borley is not the sort of place you would normally think of as being associated with ghosts, yet it was the site of Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England. The rectory was built in 1863 on the site of an ancient monastery and stories of the ghost of a crying nun were already well known to the villagers at that time. The stories told that she had fallen in love with a monk from the monastery. The two had tried to run away together but had been quickly caught. The monk was executed and the nun bricked up in the cellars of the monastery.

The first resident of Borley Rectory was Henry Bull. He loved to watch the ghost as she walked across the garden. However, the mysteri-ous lady soon became a problem. She often frightened guests by looking at them through the windows. Once, Henry’s four daughters even saw the lady walking across the lawn in broad daylight. More ghosts were seen during the time Henry’s son, John, owned the rectory. A ghostly coach and horses were often seen racing past the rectory.

In 1927 Eric Smith and his wife began living at the rectory. They had been told of the building’s reputation and so invited the well-known ghost hunter, Harry Price, to visit. When Mr. Price arrived there was an immediate increase in the ghostly activities. Objects were smashed and stones were thrown at him. It was all too much for the Smiths so they left the house.

The next family, who lived in the house, also left quickly after several frightening events. For a time nobody wanted to live in the house and so it was empty until 1937 when Harry Price returned to investigate the ghostly happenings further. With a team of forty-eight observers he noted an amazing number of psychic phenomena. The Variant 5. 9 form. Listening 131

strangest happened on 27th March 1938 when a ghostly voice warned members of the team that the rectory would catch fire that night and burn down. However, it didn’t happen and Harry Price left soon after. 

The building was then rented to a man called Captain Gregson. He too experienced mysterious happenings, including the disappearance of his two hunting dogs. Then, exactly eleven months after the ghost’s warning, an oil lamp fell over in the hall and the rectory burnt to the ground. People who helped to put out the fire said they had seen ghosts walking through the burning building.

Harry Price returned to the site again in 1943. Digging in the cel-lars, he discovered the bones of a young woman. Believing that they were those of the dead nun, he tried to end the hauntings by giving them a Christian burial. It didn’t work. Supernatural happenings are still reported from the site of the former rectory today.

The village of Borley is quiet and calm.

TEXT 2

The Most Haunted House in England

The peaceful village of Borley is not the sort of place you would normally think of as being associated with ghosts, yet it was the site of Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England. The rectory was built in 1863 on the site of an ancient monastery and stories of the ghost of a crying nun were already well known to the villagers at that time. The stories told that she had fallen in love with a monk from the monastery. The two had tried to run away together but had been quickly caught. The monk was executed and the nun bricked up in the cellars of the monastery.

The first resident of Borley Rectory was Henry Bull. He loved to watch the ghost as she walked across the garden. However, the mysteri-ous lady soon became a problem. She often frightened guests by looking at them through the windows. Once, Henry’s four daughters even saw the lady walking across the lawn in broad daylight. More ghosts were seen during the time Henry’s son, John, owned the rectory. A ghostly coach and horses were often seen racing past the rectory.

In 1927 Eric Smith and his wife began living at the rectory. They had been told of the building’s reputation and so invited the well-known ghost hunter, Harry Price, to visit. When Mr. Price arrived there was an immediate increase in the ghostly activities. Objects were smashed and stones were thrown at him. It was all too much for the Smiths so they left the house.

The next family, who lived in the house, also left quickly after several frightening events. For a time nobody wanted to live in the house and so it was empty until 1937 when Harry Price returned to investigate the ghostly happenings further. With a team of forty-eight observers he noted an amazing number of psychic phenomena. The Variant 5. 9 form. Listening 131

strangest happened on 27th March 1938 when a ghostly voice warned members of the team that the rectory would catch fire that night and burn down. However, it didn’t happen and Harry Price left soon after. 

The building was then rented to a man called Captain Gregson. He too experienced mysterious happenings, including the disappearance of his two hunting dogs. Then, exactly eleven months after the ghost’s warning, an oil lamp fell over in the hall and the rectory burnt to the ground. People who helped to put out the fire said they had seen ghosts walking through the burning building.

Harry Price returned to the site again in 1943. Digging in the cel-lars, he discovered the bones of a young woman. Believing that they were those of the dead nun, he tried to end the hauntings by giving them a Christian burial. It didn’t work. Supernatural happenings are still reported from the site of the former rectory today.

Both the monk and the nun were severely punished.

TEXT 2

The Most Haunted House in England

The peaceful village of Borley is not the sort of place you would normally think of as being associated with ghosts, yet it was the site of Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England. The rectory was built in 1863 on the site of an ancient monastery and stories of the ghost of a crying nun were already well known to the villagers at that time. The stories told that she had fallen in love with a monk from the monastery. The two had tried to run away together but had been quickly caught. The monk was executed and the nun bricked up in the cellars of the monastery.

The first resident of Borley Rectory was Henry Bull. He loved to watch the ghost as she walked across the garden. However, the mysteri-ous lady soon became a problem. She often frightened guests by looking at them through the windows. Once, Henry’s four daughters even saw the lady walking across the lawn in broad daylight. More ghosts were seen during the time Henry’s son, John, owned the rectory. A ghostly coach and horses were often seen racing past the rectory.

In 1927 Eric Smith and his wife began living at the rectory. They had been told of the building’s reputation and so invited the well-known ghost hunter, Harry Price, to visit. When Mr. Price arrived there was an immediate increase in the ghostly activities. Objects were smashed and stones were thrown at him. It was all too much for the Smiths so they left the house.

The next family, who lived in the house, also left quickly after several frightening events. For a time nobody wanted to live in the house and so it was empty until 1937 when Harry Price returned to investigate the ghostly happenings further. With a team of forty-eight observers he noted an amazing number of psychic phenomena. The Variant 5. 9 form. Listening 131

strangest happened on 27th March 1938 when a ghostly voice warned members of the team that the rectory would catch fire that night and burn down. However, it didn’t happen and Harry Price left soon after. 

The building was then rented to a man called Captain Gregson. He too experienced mysterious happenings, including the disappearance of his two hunting dogs. Then, exactly eleven months after the ghost’s warning, an oil lamp fell over in the hall and the rectory burnt to the ground. People who helped to put out the fire said they had seen ghosts walking through the burning building.

Harry Price returned to the site again in 1943. Digging in the cel-lars, he discovered the bones of a young woman. Believing that they were those of the dead nun, he tried to end the hauntings by giving them a Christian burial. It didn’t work. Supernatural happenings are still reported from the site of the former rectory today.

Only the first resident of the rectory could see the lady ghost.

TEXT 2

The Most Haunted House in England

The peaceful village of Borley is not the sort of place you would normally think of as being associated with ghosts, yet it was the site of Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England. The rectory was built in 1863 on the site of an ancient monastery and stories of the ghost of a crying nun were already well known to the villagers at that time. The stories told that she had fallen in love with a monk from the monastery. The two had tried to run away together but had been quickly caught. The monk was executed and the nun bricked up in the cellars of the monastery.

The first resident of Borley Rectory was Henry Bull. He loved to watch the ghost as she walked across the garden. However, the mysteri-ous lady soon became a problem. She often frightened guests by looking at them through the windows. Once, Henry’s four daughters even saw the lady walking across the lawn in broad daylight. More ghosts were seen during the time Henry’s son, John, owned the rectory. A ghostly coach and horses were often seen racing past the rectory.

In 1927 Eric Smith and his wife began living at the rectory. They had been told of the building’s reputation and so invited the well-known ghost hunter, Harry Price, to visit. When Mr. Price arrived there was an immediate increase in the ghostly activities. Objects were smashed and stones were thrown at him. It was all too much for the Smiths so they left the house.

The next family, who lived in the house, also left quickly after several frightening events. For a time nobody wanted to live in the house and so it was empty until 1937 when Harry Price returned to investigate the ghostly happenings further. With a team of forty-eight observers he noted an amazing number of psychic phenomena. The Variant 5. 9 form. Listening 131

strangest happened on 27th March 1938 when a ghostly voice warned members of the team that the rectory would catch fire that night and burn down. However, it didn’t happen and Harry Price left soon after. 

The building was then rented to a man called Captain Gregson. He too experienced mysterious happenings, including the disappearance of his two hunting dogs. Then, exactly eleven months after the ghost’s warning, an oil lamp fell over in the hall and the rectory burnt to the ground. People who helped to put out the fire said they had seen ghosts walking through the burning building.

Harry Price returned to the site again in 1943. Digging in the cel-lars, he discovered the bones of a young woman. Believing that they were those of the dead nun, he tried to end the hauntings by giving them a Christian burial. It didn’t work. Supernatural happenings are still reported from the site of the former rectory today.

The Smiths, the other residents of the house, invited the ghost hunter Harry Price.

TEXT 2

The Most Haunted House in England

The peaceful village of Borley is not the sort of place you would normally think of as being associated with ghosts, yet it was the site of Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England. The rectory was built in 1863 on the site of an ancient monastery and stories of the ghost of a crying nun were already well known to the villagers at that time. The stories told that she had fallen in love with a monk from the monastery. The two had tried to run away together but had been quickly caught. The monk was executed and the nun bricked up in the cellars of the monastery.

The first resident of Borley Rectory was Henry Bull. He loved to watch the ghost as she walked across the garden. However, the mysteri-ous lady soon became a problem. She often frightened guests by looking at them through the windows. Once, Henry’s four daughters even saw the lady walking across the lawn in broad daylight. More ghosts were seen during the time Henry’s son, John, owned the rectory. A ghostly coach and horses were often seen racing past the rectory.

In 1927 Eric Smith and his wife began living at the rectory. They had been told of the building’s reputation and so invited the well-known ghost hunter, Harry Price, to visit. When Mr. Price arrived there was an immediate increase in the ghostly activities. Objects were smashed and stones were thrown at him. It was all too much for the Smiths so they left the house.

The next family, who lived in the house, also left quickly after several frightening events. For a time nobody wanted to live in the house and so it was empty until 1937 when Harry Price returned to investigate the ghostly happenings further. With a team of forty-eight observers he noted an amazing number of psychic phenomena. The Variant 5. 9 form. Listening 131

strangest happened on 27th March 1938 when a ghostly voice warned members of the team that the rectory would catch fire that night and burn down. However, it didn’t happen and Harry Price left soon after. 

The building was then rented to a man called Captain Gregson. He too experienced mysterious happenings, including the disappearance of his two hunting dogs. Then, exactly eleven months after the ghost’s warning, an oil lamp fell over in the hall and the rectory burnt to the ground. People who helped to put out the fire said they had seen ghosts walking through the burning building.

Harry Price returned to the site again in 1943. Digging in the cel-lars, he discovered the bones of a young woman. Believing that they were those of the dead nun, he tried to end the hauntings by giving them a Christian burial. It didn’t work. Supernatural happenings are still reported from the site of the former rectory today.

There were a lot of people who desired to live in the house.

TEXT 2

The Most Haunted House in England

The peaceful village of Borley is not the sort of place you would normally think of as being associated with ghosts, yet it was the site of Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England. The rectory was built in 1863 on the site of an ancient monastery and stories of the ghost of a crying nun were already well known to the villagers at that time. The stories told that she had fallen in love with a monk from the monastery. The two had tried to run away together but had been quickly caught. The monk was executed and the nun bricked up in the cellars of the monastery.

The first resident of Borley Rectory was Henry Bull. He loved to watch the ghost as she walked across the garden. However, the mysteri-ous lady soon became a problem. She often frightened guests by looking at them through the windows. Once, Henry’s four daughters even saw the lady walking across the lawn in broad daylight. More ghosts were seen during the time Henry’s son, John, owned the rectory. A ghostly coach and horses were often seen racing past the rectory.

In 1927 Eric Smith and his wife began living at the rectory. They had been told of the building’s reputation and so invited the well-known ghost hunter, Harry Price, to visit. When Mr. Price arrived there was an immediate increase in the ghostly activities. Objects were smashed and stones were thrown at him. It was all too much for the Smiths so they left the house.

The next family, who lived in the house, also left quickly after several frightening events. For a time nobody wanted to live in the house and so it was empty until 1937 when Harry Price returned to investigate the ghostly happenings further. With a team of forty-eight observers he noted an amazing number of psychic phenomena. The Variant 5. 9 form. Listening 131

strangest happened on 27th March 1938 when a ghostly voice warned members of the team that the rectory would catch fire that night and burn down. However, it didn’t happen and Harry Price left soon after. 

The building was then rented to a man called Captain Gregson. He too experienced mysterious happenings, including the disappearance of his two hunting dogs. Then, exactly eleven months after the ghost’s warning, an oil lamp fell over in the hall and the rectory burnt to the ground. People who helped to put out the fire said they had seen ghosts walking through the burning building.

Harry Price returned to the site again in 1943. Digging in the cel-lars, he discovered the bones of a young woman. Believing that they were those of the dead nun, he tried to end the hauntings by giving them a Christian burial. It didn’t work. Supernatural happenings are still reported from the site of the former rectory today.

Harry Price got very interested in this haunted house

TEXT 2

The Most Haunted House in England

The peaceful village of Borley is not the sort of place you would normally think of as being associated with ghosts, yet it was the site of Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England. The rectory was built in 1863 on the site of an ancient monastery and stories of the ghost of a crying nun were already well known to the villagers at that time. The stories told that she had fallen in love with a monk from the monastery. The two had tried to run away together but had been quickly caught. The monk was executed and the nun bricked up in the cellars of the monastery.

The first resident of Borley Rectory was Henry Bull. He loved to watch the ghost as she walked across the garden. However, the mysteri-ous lady soon became a problem. She often frightened guests by looking at them through the windows. Once, Henry’s four daughters even saw the lady walking across the lawn in broad daylight. More ghosts were seen during the time Henry’s son, John, owned the rectory. A ghostly coach and horses were often seen racing past the rectory.

In 1927 Eric Smith and his wife began living at the rectory. They had been told of the building’s reputation and so invited the well-known ghost hunter, Harry Price, to visit. When Mr. Price arrived there was an immediate increase in the ghostly activities. Objects were smashed and stones were thrown at him. It was all too much for the Smiths so they left the house.

The next family, who lived in the house, also left quickly after several frightening events. For a time nobody wanted to live in the house and so it was empty until 1937 when Harry Price returned to investigate the ghostly happenings further. With a team of forty-eight observers he noted an amazing number of psychic phenomena. The Variant 5. 9 form. Listening 131

strangest happened on 27th March 1938 when a ghostly voice warned members of the team that the rectory would catch fire that night and burn down. However, it didn’t happen and Harry Price left soon after. 

The building was then rented to a man called Captain Gregson. He too experienced mysterious happenings, including the disappearance of his two hunting dogs. Then, exactly eleven months after the ghost’s warning, an oil lamp fell over in the hall and the rectory burnt to the ground. People who helped to put out the fire said they had seen ghosts walking through the burning building.

Harry Price returned to the site again in 1943. Digging in the cel-lars, he discovered the bones of a young woman. Believing that they were those of the dead nun, he tried to end the hauntings by giving them a Christian burial. It didn’t work. Supernatural happenings are still reported from the site of the former rectory today.

Captain Gregson’s two cats disappeared in mysterious circumstances

TEXT 2

The Most Haunted House in England

The peaceful village of Borley is not the sort of place you would normally think of as being associated with ghosts, yet it was the site of Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England. The rectory was built in 1863 on the site of an ancient monastery and stories of the ghost of a crying nun were already well known to the villagers at that time. The stories told that she had fallen in love with a monk from the monastery. The two had tried to run away together but had been quickly caught. The monk was executed and the nun bricked up in the cellars of the monastery.

The first resident of Borley Rectory was Henry Bull. He loved to watch the ghost as she walked across the garden. However, the mysteri-ous lady soon became a problem. She often frightened guests by looking at them through the windows. Once, Henry’s four daughters even saw the lady walking across the lawn in broad daylight. More ghosts were seen during the time Henry’s son, John, owned the rectory. A ghostly coach and horses were often seen racing past the rectory.

In 1927 Eric Smith and his wife began living at the rectory. They had been told of the building’s reputation and so invited the well-known ghost hunter, Harry Price, to visit. When Mr. Price arrived there was an immediate increase in the ghostly activities. Objects were smashed and stones were thrown at him. It was all too much for the Smiths so they left the house.

The next family, who lived in the house, also left quickly after several frightening events. For a time nobody wanted to live in the house and so it was empty until 1937 when Harry Price returned to investigate the ghostly happenings further. With a team of forty-eight observers he noted an amazing number of psychic phenomena. The Variant 5. 9 form. Listening 131

strangest happened on 27th March 1938 when a ghostly voice warned members of the team that the rectory would catch fire that night and burn down. However, it didn’t happen and Harry Price left soon after. 

The building was then rented to a man called Captain Gregson. He too experienced mysterious happenings, including the disappearance of his two hunting dogs. Then, exactly eleven months after the ghost’s warning, an oil lamp fell over in the hall and the rectory burnt to the ground. People who helped to put out the fire said they had seen ghosts walking through the burning building.

Harry Price returned to the site again in 1943. Digging in the cel-lars, he discovered the bones of a young woman. Believing that they were those of the dead nun, he tried to end the hauntings by giving them a Christian burial. It didn’t work. Supernatural happenings are still reported from the site of the former rectory today.

The bones of a young man were found in the rectory’s cellar

TEXT 2

The Most Haunted House in England

The peaceful village of Borley is not the sort of place you would normally think of as being associated with ghosts, yet it was the site of Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England. The rectory was built in 1863 on the site of an ancient monastery and stories of the ghost of a crying nun were already well known to the villagers at that time. The stories told that she had fallen in love with a monk from the monastery. The two had tried to run away together but had been quickly caught. The monk was executed and the nun bricked up in the cellars of the monastery.

The first resident of Borley Rectory was Henry Bull. He loved to watch the ghost as she walked across the garden. However, the mysteri-ous lady soon became a problem. She often frightened guests by looking at them through the windows. Once, Henry’s four daughters even saw the lady walking across the lawn in broad daylight. More ghosts were seen during the time Henry’s son, John, owned the rectory. A ghostly coach and horses were often seen racing past the rectory.

In 1927 Eric Smith and his wife began living at the rectory. They had been told of the building’s reputation and so invited the well-known ghost hunter, Harry Price, to visit. When Mr. Price arrived there was an immediate increase in the ghostly activities. Objects were smashed and stones were thrown at him. It was all too much for the Smiths so they left the house.

The next family, who lived in the house, also left quickly after several frightening events. For a time nobody wanted to live in the house and so it was empty until 1937 when Harry Price returned to investigate the ghostly happenings further. With a team of forty-eight observers he noted an amazing number of psychic phenomena. The Variant 5. 9 form. Listening 131

strangest happened on 27th March 1938 when a ghostly voice warned members of the team that the rectory would catch fire that night and burn down. However, it didn’t happen and Harry Price left soon after. 

The building was then rented to a man called Captain Gregson. He too experienced mysterious happenings, including the disappearance of his two hunting dogs. Then, exactly eleven months after the ghost’s warning, an oil lamp fell over in the hall and the rectory burnt to the ground. People who helped to put out the fire said they had seen ghosts walking through the burning building.

Harry Price returned to the site again in 1943. Digging in the cel-lars, he discovered the bones of a young woman. Believing that they were those of the dead nun, he tried to end the hauntings by giving them a Christian burial. It didn’t work. Supernatural happenings are still reported from the site of the former rectory today.

After the Christian burial of the woman’s bones the ghost has never appeared again.

TEXT 2

The Most Haunted House in England

The peaceful village of Borley is not the sort of place you would normally think of as being associated with ghosts, yet it was the site of Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England. The rectory was built in 1863 on the site of an ancient monastery and stories of the ghost of a crying nun were already well known to the villagers at that time. The stories told that she had fallen in love with a monk from the monastery. The two had tried to run away together but had been quickly caught. The monk was executed and the nun bricked up in the cellars of the monastery.

The first resident of Borley Rectory was Henry Bull. He loved to watch the ghost as she walked across the garden. However, the mysteri-ous lady soon became a problem. She often frightened guests by looking at them through the windows. Once, Henry’s four daughters even saw the lady walking across the lawn in broad daylight. More ghosts were seen during the time Henry’s son, John, owned the rectory. A ghostly coach and horses were often seen racing past the rectory.

In 1927 Eric Smith and his wife began living at the rectory. They had been told of the building’s reputation and so invited the well-known ghost hunter, Harry Price, to visit. When Mr. Price arrived there was an immediate increase in the ghostly activities. Objects were smashed and stones were thrown at him. It was all too much for the Smiths so they left the house.

The next family, who lived in the house, also left quickly after several frightening events. For a time nobody wanted to live in the house and so it was empty until 1937 when Harry Price returned to investigate the ghostly happenings further. With a team of forty-eight observers he noted an amazing number of psychic phenomena. The Variant 5. 9 form. Listening 131

strangest happened on 27th March 1938 when a ghostly voice warned members of the team that the rectory would catch fire that night and burn down. However, it didn’t happen and Harry Price left soon after. 

The building was then rented to a man called Captain Gregson. He too experienced mysterious happenings, including the disappearance of his two hunting dogs. Then, exactly eleven months after the ghost’s warning, an oil lamp fell over in the hall and the rectory burnt to the ground. People who helped to put out the fire said they had seen ghosts walking through the burning building.

Harry Price returned to the site again in 1943. Digging in the cel-lars, he discovered the bones of a young woman. Believing that they were those of the dead nun, he tried to end the hauntings by giving them a Christian burial. It didn’t work. Supernatural happenings are still reported from the site of the former rectory today.

On the 27th of March, 1938 the rectory caught fire and burnt down.