The Jantex ghost.

The following story concerns a business located in Milk street in the town of Congleton in the county of Cheshire just a short distance from where I live. I came across this account amongst newspaper cuttings in Congleton library, the story appeared in the Guardian on thursday, July 14th 1994 and is as follows:

A mystery ghost is giving Congleton workers the shivers! For the friendly spook has been seen flitting about the eighteenth century Salford mill by employees of Jantex the carpet and curtain showrooms.

And now the company wants to know the ghoulish tale behind its silent partner. Nicknamed “George”, the spectre is a short, round shouldered figure wearing overalls and he may date back to the times when the building was a fustian cutting mill.

Company director Janet McDonough, told the Guardian: “We have been at the mill for just over 20 years and George has been seen throughout that time. Sometimes you can hear footsteps when you know there is no-one in the room.”

Now Miss McDonough would like to find out the story behind “George” and any historical details about the mill.

She emphasised that George is not a frightening spook and many months go by with no incidents at all. “But over the years, now and again, different people have seen and felt things,” said Miss McDonough, “and we thought it was time to try to shed some light on it.”

And she admitted that she would rather not hang about on the occasional Sunday afternoons in the winter when she has been alone in the mill after dark. “Its not somewhere you would stay for very long on your own !” she confessed. “I don’t think anyone would volunteer to stay all night.”

The next account regarding this haunting appeared in the Chronicle on the 15th July 1994 and is as follows: A “shy” Congleton ghost has gone to ground to avoid the glare of publicity.

Affectionately known as “George” by staff at curtain and carpet firm Jantex, the ghost of a stooped man with grey hair has been spotted a number of times in the past.

The latest sighting occurred in May when sales assistant Mrs Kath Bostock saw the figure. “I saw this person walking into the office and when I reached the office, there was nobody there”, Mrs Bostock told the “Chronicle.” “After standing there for a while, I realised what I had seen was a ghost – a short man with grey hair and a stooped back wearing a grey working jacket.”

But now “George” has vanished into thin air, which Jantex director Miss Janet McDonough believes is due to intense media interest. “I think he is publicity shy, which is unfortunate because with some staff on holiday, we could do with a hand!”, she said. Despite his non –  appearance, Miss McDonough is appealing for any information about “George.” Staff believe he may be the ghost of a worker who killed himself when the 18th century building was a fustian cutting mill.

It is interesting to note that I wrote about another haunted building in Milk street which is only a matter of yards from Jantex, that story can be found by clicking on this link.  https://ludchurchmyblog.wordpress.com/places-of-interest-in-cheshire/manifestations-in-milk-street/