CREEPING DEATH

As requested, readers of this site have contributed stories featuring supernatural phenomena. 60 year old Jeff Anderson from Washington, County Durham, talked of his experiences.

The paranormal equates to something or some activity that is unknown now but is likely to be known and possibly understood in the future. So, a good example of paranormal activity would include ghost sightings and other spiritual activity of that nature.

It’s the stuff of sixth sense, which we are all aware of in situations when somebody is staring at us from behind, we look around and sure enough someone is. And vice-versa when we stare at someone suddenly they become aware of our stare.

I have over the last few years been equally fortunate and unfortunate to have been exposed to very real paranormal activity.

It was the very height of the Covid-19 pandemic I had been to Lidl one Saturday morning, nothing unusual there. Bonnie my German Shepherd was eagerly awaiting my return to the car. No sooner had I done so when quite inexplicably the car radio started playing and this despite being most definitely being switched off. I had the presence of mind to video the occurrence for future reference.

It sounded like Metallica playing but I wasn’t sure of the song. It turned out to be Creeping Death. I learned later it’s a song about the Biblical pass over featuring the Angel of Death. Creepy right?

On my weekly visit to my elderly parents house I explained to them the car radio occurrence and showed them the video I made that day. I felt someone somewhere was trying to communicate something.

In an instant a powerful gust of wind blew in through the upstairs front bedroom window, it came down the stairs twisting and turning and blew into the living room with such force that it actually blasted open the living room doors. It then turned back on itself and blew out of a small living room window. I mentioned it to my parents but they didn’t want to discuss it.

Unfortunately, my mother suffered a stroke a few year later. One afternoon I visited her in hospital with my Auntie. My mother occupied a room with three other stroke patients. There were just the six of us in the room on this occasion with no medical staff in attendance.

Of the four stroke patients three were asleep including my mam. The other patient was awake lying on her back, staring at the ceiling and occasionally crying out for her mother every few minutes or so, even though she was in her 70s herself. She was unaware of anything going on around her due to a possible dementia diagnosis.

The next thing it started raining mixed with hail and with such force and intensity I thought the window nearest to her might be blown in. After a short while things settled down.

However, the woman in the bed nearest the window was like someone possessed, she no longer cried out for her mother and was now fully aware. She turned her head and looked directly at me in the eye, diverting her gaze away from the ceiling. She even attempted to get out of bed at one point and come over to me. It was then I decided it was a goodtime to leave.

Sadly, my mother died a few months later. Two nights before her funeral I had left my bedroom window open only to be awoken at 3am by a strong gust of wind, so powerful it took every ounce of my physical strength to slam the window shut. Before I managed to close it the wind blasted me directly in the face, at which point an image of mother’s face unexpectedly appeared in my mind’s eye.

More revelations of supernatural phenomena will feature on this site. If you want to share your experience don’t hesitate to get in touch.

October 2025

SHORT BACK & SIDES  – with South Shields veteran barber Vernon Gray.

A post on this site back in December 2019 featured memories of Billy Roberts, known locally as Billy Meths (link below). They were written by a 63 year old South Shields resident operating under the pseudonym Tinwhistler.

Recently he got in touch about another well known character from the town somebody who could be in the Guinness book of records.

79 year old Vernon Gray lives in Washington, Tyne & Wear and for four days a week works as a barber at Westoe Bridges in South Shields.

Vernon Gray in his barber shop, South Shields.

‘According to research on the Internet I’m the joint longest surviving barber in the UK! The other fella is 3 years my junior so I’m at least the longest surviving senior barber in the land!’

‘I left school at 15 year old and started as an apprentice way back in 1961. My mother was a hairdresser so that gave me the motivation. I learnt my trade at Melvins on Dean Road, South Shields. Neighbouring businesses were Quigleys, Robertsons who were both fruit and veg and Tissemans the watchmakers and jewellers.’

‘I was at Melvins for a year and a half and then did about a year with Norman Craig at my current Westoe Bridges address. Then went on to do a further two years or so with Ross Neal who had two shops – one at Gaskell Avenue and the other at Whiteleas Way. When Norman Craig retired, he offered me first refusal on the Westoe Bridges business. That was in November 1968’.

‘My favourite part of being a barber is meeting and chatting to customers and members of the public. The hardest part is often having to stand for up to 4 hours per shift without a break. If yer wondering, it’s my sister who cuts my hair!’

Having a bad start to the day or dealing with some awkward customers has brought challenging moments, Verne remembers a couple of incidents.

‘I recall a situation during a Christmas period, the last customer of the day. ‘What are we having?’ I asked. ‘You tell me’ he replied. ‘It doesn’t work like that’ I stated. His reply was that he didn’t like my attitude. I then removed my gown and told him to fuck off! ‘You’re losing money’ was his response and he left the shop’.

‘On tidying up I noticed he’d left an XXL sweater behind, so, hoping he’d return for it I held onto it. I would have asked for a description of it so as to confirm ownership. He never returned but I had a response prepared to say that it wasn’t an XXL but an FB – Fat Bastard.’

‘One morning I turned up possibly not quite alert. I opened the shop up and when I went over to the chair, I suddenly kicked a brick on the floor. ‘That’s funny’ I thought, ‘I don’t remember putting that there.’ Turns out some likely pissed lout had thrown it though the shop window during the night and I hadn’t noticed the massive hole in the window.’

One customer of Verne’s didn’t want a haircut he requested a singing barber.

‘That would be when local town celeb and friend Wavis O’Shave had a non-musical troupe called The Borestiffers. He talked me into being recorded singing ‘Obladi Oblada’ in the shop after hours. Under his instruction I played the scissors, clippers and hair drier. He put it on a cassette album!’

‘Wavis would call me ‘Sweeney’ for fun and when I once went to Malta I saw a barbers there actually called ‘Sweeneys’ which I found amusing.’

The scorching heat during summer 1976 brought some unwanted guests to the shop.

‘Three whopping great rats had come out of Hornsby’s bike shop garage next door to my shop. They hid under a parked car so I’m told and then trooped into my packed out shop which emptied in a second. Two blokes tried to hit them with rolled up newspapers and I came out armed with scissors and a trimmer. I saw two fellas who I knew sitting on the nearby wall and asked if they’d sent them in!’

Verne talked about today’s barbers and his plans for the future.

‘Modern day barbers have their place and seem to suit people. I’m not interested in offering advice to them as this is a totally different era. For me, I never thought of quitting. The job suits my personality.’

Original interview by Tinwhistler.

Edited by Alikivi  May 2025.

Link to feature on Billy Meths >>>

BILLY’S STORY -The artist formerly known as Meths. | ALIKIVI : NORTH EAST UK CULTURE