Hypnogoria: THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS ADVENT CALENDAR - Door 5 - The Surly Spectre of North Road Station

The town of Darlington in the North East of England is the birthplace of the railways. It was here that George Stephenson opened the world’s first railway line which ran from Darlington to Stockton. And the very first rail station at North Road has a ghost story…

One December night in the 1850s, a night watchman was on duty at the station, a Mr James Durham. He used to go on duty around eight o'clock in the evening and finish at six in the morning. This particular night was very cold, and not long after midnight Mr Durham decided to grab a bite to eat. And so, he headed for a porter’s cellar where there was a coal house and a fire burning. He descended the steps, turned on the gas lights, and warmed himself by the fire.

He was just getting comfortable when a strange man came out of the coal-house, followed by a big black retriever. He had a stand-up collar and a cut-away coat with gilt buttons and a Scotch cap. He walked over to the fire and stared at Mr Durham. A strange smile played across his face and then without warning, he struck the night watchman, and the black dog attacked his legs. Mr Durham naturally hit back, but his punch passed right through this strange man, and hit the wall above the fireplace, skinning his knuckles.

The mystery man staggered back, called for his dog and both retreated back into the coal-house. Mr Durham grabbed his lantern and followed these weird intruders. However inside the coal-house, there was no one to be found and no doors or windows for them to have exited through.

After Mr Durham reported the incident, several people who had worked at North Road Station recognised the description of the mystery man, even down to his clothes. He had been a clerk there many years ago, he had been called Thomas Munroe Winter, and hehad indeed owned a black retriever dog. However in 1845 , he had committed suicide with a pistol, and what's more, had done so in that very coal-house.

Over years the shade of Thomas Munroe Winter and his dog have been spotted several times. Visitors report hearing footsteps and the smell of tobacoo when there is no else there. This spectre seems to favour manifesting in the winter too. In the early 1950s, one winter night brought a fresh flurry of snow which quickly covered the platform. A train drew into the station, and the ticket collector heard a door open and someone get out. He waited for the passenger to present his ticket for inspection. He heard the door close and the train move off, and then he heard footsteps crunch in the fresh fallen snow as the passenger approached his booth.

But no one presented their ticket. No one came past his booth. And when he looked out expectantly across the platform, there was no one to be seen - and no trace of footprints on the carpet of white, virginal snow.