The Horror House

Moving to a new country on the other side of the world is hard. Moving into a new home with a new baby in a new country is even harder. But dealing with an old ghost in a new home with a new baby in a new country—well, this is a paranormal ghost story worth remembering. Today, we chat with Breanda in Brisbane, New South Wales, as she relays her personal account of the Horror House. Today, on Homespun Haints.

Episode Show Notes

About Breanda

Breanda immigrated to Australia from the UK in the 1960s, but she’s lived many other places throughout the world since that time as well as her now-home of Brisbane. Please be sure to check out her podcast, Fast Fiction Podcasts, for more of her delightful stories, including her other ghost stories, The Street That Wasn’t There and Guest House Ghost Story.

The Blitz

From September 7, 1940 until May of 1941, the Nazi Luftwaffe repeatedly bombed London and other parts of Britain, causing some 182,000 British casualties and reducing whole streets to rubble. Recent comparisons of the “spirit of the Blitz”—the British ability to stand together and remain defiant in the face of the enemy—to the current coronavirus pandemic, have raised some criticisms. However, Breanda’s recalls the war, and its physical aftermath on her neighborhood, in a dark and humorous way. For instance, she saw the rubble surrounding her still-standing home as the world’s best playground, and fondly remembers the unexploded bomb in her yard.

As if the Blitz could be any more terrifying than it already is, Doctor Who took it to a whole new level in the 2005 episode “The Empty Child.” We love it because it’s that beautiful blend of science fiction and horror. Here is a snippet:

Armidale, New South Wales

Located about midway between Brisbane and Sydney is the city of Armidale, with a population of about 24,000. It is home to the University of New England and the Australian Wool Fashion Awards. If you venture west about 2 hours, you will encounter the unusual Mount Kaputar, home to rare giant pink slugs. To us, it sounds like the perfect setting for the Horror House that Breanda lived in all those years ago.

Cracow, Queensland

Breanda also tells us of some time she spent in Cracow, a real ghost town harkening from The Depression. Below are some lovely photos she sent us of how the town looks today:

Thanks for listening. Until next time, have a spooky day!