Mary Danby - Armada Ghost 8

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Mary Danby (ed.) - Armada Ghost 8 (1976)

Josh Kirby

Mary Danby - Introduction

Rosemary Timperley - The Terrible Gaoler
Roger Malisson - Sarah
Joyce Marsh - Sir Harry Mortlake's Clock
Rosemary Timperley - The Haunted Pillar-Box
Sydney J. Bounds - Dream Ghost
Rick Ferreira - Crusoe's Parrot
Margot Arnold - The Girl in the Mirror
David Langford - Takeover
Ruth Cameron [Rosemary Timperley] - A Red, Red Rose
Catherine Gleason - The Woodseaves Ghosts
Charles Thornton - The Haunted River
Mary Danby - Time After Time

Blurb:
A dozen creepy stories - to send icy shivers up your spine!

Come inside and meet THE TERRIBLE GAOLER. Swim for your life in THE HAUNTED RIVER. Solve the weird mystery of SIR HARRY MORTLAKE'S CLOCK.

A pile of bones ... a spooky computer ... a deadly invitation
Twelve tales of fiendish fun!


A headless warden .... death in the well ... people post the ghastliest things - and another haunted library.

Rosemary Timperley - The Terrible Gaoler: Roger, holidaying in Morocco, explores the ruins of a white-walled prison dating back to French colonial days. In a cell the size of an outhouse, he meets a deranged Cockney who insists that he is the ghost of the man the prisoners knew as 'the Terrible Gaoler,' doomed to haunt this place until he can find his head, which was lopped off during a revolt.

Roger Mallison - Sarah: Lawnside House, a century-old mansion in Raynsforth, W. Yorkshire, has stood empty for 45 years. Owner Miss Heseldine lives elsewhere, explaining that the property is simply too big for her. The truth is, it is haunted by the ghost of Sarah, the sickly fifteen-year-old serving girl Heseldine worked to death. Sarah can only be free of her duties once she's traced the tyrannical old woman to her secret address and settled the score.

Sydney J. Bounds - Dream Ghost: Fourteen-year-old Mandy is troubled by dreams of a sad little ghost girl haunting a ruins. Dr. Thompson suggests a holiday, so she and her brother travel to Dartmoor as guests of their uncle George, who designs covers for pop records. When Mandy chances upon the exact location she's dreamed of so often, the spectre grabs her wrist to prevent her falling down a well. Uncle George urges the police to inspect the well. A skeleton is recovered.

Catherine Gleason - The Woodeaves Ghosts: David Mitchell and little sister Sally know the library at Woodeaves Hall is haunted. One hundred and fifty years ago, Lucretia and her brother, Comus, were poisoned here by their grasping stepmother who'd only married dear Papa for his money. Tonight is the anniversary, and the dead children are bent on taking back the lives denied them - by any means necessary.

Rosemary Timperley - The Haunted Pillar-Box: Rushing home from school in the snow, Jim almost knocks a French woman off her feet. Madame requests directions to the nearest pillar-box as she wishes to retrieve something posted in error. Jim explains that this is impossible, but she is insistent. Apparently her mission is a success; Madame thanks him with a peck on the cheek, but when he turns to wave her goodbye she has vanished. And how comes there are but one set of footprints in the snow?

Jim is not feeling so good. A kind-hearted postman drives him home, relating on the way the strange saga of a customer who accidentally (!) sawed off his wife's finger and dropped it through the slot in a pillar-box ....

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"Extraordinary ... How little we know about life, for all our science and our book-learning." - Martin's boring Dad.

Ruth Cameron - A Red, Red Rose: As unashamedly romantic as the title implies. Father takes Tom with him to Devon to visit reclusive Great-great-aunt Emily, who lives in a caravan in Green Pool Wood. Walking through the trees Tom chances upon a pair of young lovers playing kiss chase. The boy, Martin, hands the girl a rose, which she tosses into the pool. If Martin loves her so much, he can retrieve it. He wades in, is dragged under by weeds and drowns!

Tom is woken by his father. Thank goodness it was only a nightmare! But Dad's news is no less sobering. Old Emily is dead, of a heart attack by the looks of it.

Dad explains that Emily wasn't always a recluse. When she was seventeen, she fell in love with a boy, Martin, but the relationship was to end in tragedy ....

Rick Ferreira - Crusoe's Parrot: "It only comes to the lonely and the unhappy people, but they don't stay that way long ... It'll stay with you just this one day. Then, come sundown, it will go. Or he'll come to collect the parrot -"

Robin and his mum are holidaying in Tobago, birthplace of Dad who they've recently lost in a car accident. Both are sinking beneath the weight of bereavement until the ghost of Robinson Crusoe's extrovert parrot works its magic.

Charles Thornton - The Haunted River: Dad finally consents to take twelve-year-old Brian night-fishing but, uh oh, the river is home to the ghost of a greedy baron who continues to pursue his vendetta versus poachers and anglers.

Mary Danby - Time After Time: Gentle tale of reincarnation. After her father died, the narrator's mother secured the post of housekeeper to Sir William & Lady Penderby of Sandings Manor, Dorset. From the first the little girl feels as though she's been there before - but that's impossible as she's spent her childhood in Wembley. Her fascination with a late eighteenth century portrait of Miss Kate Penderbury and her dog, Fern, leads to a fantastic revelation.

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Final batch from #8. Particularly liked Sarah, A Red, Red Rose and the first and third of these.

Margot Arnold - The Girl in the Mirror: "She put a David Cassidy record on the turntable and continued her restless ramble of the room."

Jennifer Vidler detests living in London, even if it is the school holidays. Why can't she live in the countryside like Belinda, her ancestor and near identical twin, even if the silly girl went mad and had to be locked away in the attic? "Oh how heavenly it must have been to live on that farm, away from everybody!"

Thanks to an enchanted antique mirror gifted her by a great-aunt, Jennifer and Belinda are given opportunity to exchange places. Too late the modern Miss learns that the grass is seldom greener on the other side!

David Langford - Takeover: Dr. Clark arranges for sons John and Garry to visit the computer room at his university. Garry, who is obsessed with ghosts, prevails upon their host to ask computer if the room they are in is haunted.

Joyce Marsh - Sir Harry Mortlake's Clock : The Rowan family are spending the holiday at Pontpelly House, Devon, which the present Mortlake is obliged to rent out to stay solvent. Pontpelly is home to an extraordinarily large grandfather clock, legacy of Sir Harry, who vanished under mysterious circumstances some 200 years ago. No-one has managed to get it to work since. Until ...

Sir Harry's ghost appears to little Gillian Rowan and teaches her how to operate the pendulum, prior to leading she and brother Anthony through a secret passage down to the beach .....

Discovery in the cave qualifies as mild terror but otherwise story radiates good vibes.