Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a ghost ''story'' so... Having read Seattle's account of his experience of staying in a large country house, I find it so coincidental of my own recent experience. My partner (a country girl) is well know in her ''village'' as a baby sitter. She was recommended by a friend to someone who was looking for a ''House sitter'' for the weekend. She couldn't say know to the offer made, especially since I was invited to ''sit'' as well. It was a large modernised farmhouse with lots of old features retained, high beams, floorboards (now highly polished) and a well in the kitchen covered over by 'armored glass', so as to leave a view of an old brick tube descending to water about eight foot down. Drawback, also looking after dog and chickens. The dog seemed a cross between a staffie and a boxer and was brindle brown with a dark face which made it hard to see its eyes. Straight to the spooky part... It was on the last night and we were in bed, the dog was friendly and slept on the bedroom floor in its circular basket. Now, if you wanted to ''go'' during the night, it meant a walk down the corridor and past the open doors of the other rooms. I'm a twenty first century man, but I made sure the dog accompanied me when I left the bedroom. I didn't take a minute whilst the dog sat outside the open door. Washing my hands I glanced at the dog, it was looking intently up the corridor, I said to it, ''What are you looking at, you trying to scare me?'' The dog didn't even look at me, but just got up and walked back to the bedroom, its nails clipping on the boards. I dropped the towel and was straightening up when I noticed the dog back sitting at the door again. I said ''I didn't hear you clippety-clopping back''. Straight away I noticed its white muzzle and white patches around the eyes...''Who the f**** are you?'' I said. ''How did you get in here?'' Now, concerned there must be an open door downstairs, I stuffed the towel on the rack and looked back at the dog, it was gone. Well, the next day we were expecting the house folks to return. My partner couldn't take me serious, but I noticed she didn't like walking off into the other rooms if I wasn't with her. Putting the milk back in the fridge I noiced a photo on the door, there was both dogs with the family. On the family's return, I bucked up courage to ask a silly question, pointing to the photo on the fridge I said, '' have you got two dogs?'' ''We did have, we lost Kipper last month, she was run-over''. My parner and I didn't say nothing about my experience. Ps. It's a ghost ''story'' for Christmas not a '' story'' set at Christmas time.
