Last summer Jayne and I visited Wales<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our main idea was to take a walking holiday <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But due to the ferocity of the weather <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We decided to take shorter walks <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then travel by train when time allowed
The Abermule train crash happened on the 26th of January 1921<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seventeen people died in this terrible accident <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was caused by slack working practices at Abermule Railway Station<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which over-rode the safe operation of the electric tablet system <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Causing two trains to collide head on near the station<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abermule not longer has a railway station which was closed in 1965<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although trains still run along along the single track Cambrian line<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had read about this ghastly accident <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When reading a history of the area <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And this was the reason for our visit to Abermule <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As there was a faded photograph of the wreckage <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it was not this that attracted my interest<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the house and outbuildings seen in the distance <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wondered if these buildings were still standing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which I found was still to be the case<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the years improvements had taken place <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But essentially it was the same as it had been in 1921<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we were both trespassing <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I took a couple of photos<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And we later retired to the Abermule Hotel <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was not long before I was told a story <\/p>\n\n\n\n
About a haunting associated with the crash<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two of the seventeen fatalities on that awful day<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Were both students travelling back to school<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their names were Ralph and Guilford Onslow<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For some reason the unusual name of the younger brother<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Was retained in the memories of the village and often recalled<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were sightings of the two schoolboys<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In years after the accident <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially there were together <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But after 1940 only the younger brother was seen<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It appears that Guildford <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Was searching for his brother<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If approached he would always ask the same question <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My name is Guildford Onslow and I seem to have lost my brother<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I hate being alone please would you help me to find him<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n He would then start walking <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the general direction of the crash site<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then fade into the stillness of the hour<\/p>\n\n\n\n I actually heard this story a number of times <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes the details varied <\/p>\n\n\n\n But the distant recollections<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of grandparents both alive and dead<\/p>\n\n\n\n Always remained essentially the same <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n