The Haslingden Hairy man. He Was Peeping Around The Door !

The Haslingden Hairy man. He Was Peeping Around The Door ! -  Back in the 1970's Haslingden in Lancashire was a sleepy mill town and not much has changed in the intervening years. Haslingden means 'Valley of the Hazels' and it is a beautiful place to visit. Set in the Rossendale Valley and surrounded by moorlands and rolling hills it is similar to many Lancashire towns here in the North West. The town is not known for Paranormal events other than the odd Public House spectre. Yet over the years two very strange reports were made by two ladies who lived in the town.

The first event happened in the 1970's in an ordinary home on the outskirts of the town. One young lady snatching the opportunity to use the house phone when her parents were out for an hour or so in the evening had an experience that would make this an evening she would never forget. As most young folks would do back then given the chance she eagerly set out to ring her friend. This young lady who was 17 at the time waited until her parents car was completely out of sight and then promptly used the phone keeping an eye on the clock. It was around 7.45pm on a Winter's evening when an ordinary conversation went silent.

Witness Report: "This experience is something I don't tell people about. It's something I keep to myself. I may sound mad when I explain what happened but when I was about 17 I lived in Haslingden in Lancashire. My Mum and Dad were out for the evening and I was on the phone which was usual when my parents went out, back then it was the old rotary phone and you felt like you needed “written permission” to run up the bill (I think most people in my generation would remember doing this too). When this happened I was sitting on the phone cabinet and idly looking around the room chatting away. 

As I was sitting there I looked towards the kitchen/dining room and I saw that there was a person looking in at me through the door. “He” (it felt like a he?) looked like the character Chewbacca from Star Wars. I don't know how else to describe what I was seeing. His head reached only an inch or two from the top of the door frame and he'd sort of poked his head and upper body round the doorway like he was checking who was on the phone. I didn't feel threatened (except of course 'it wasn't supposed to be there! and this was not supposed to be happening). Honestly the feeling I got was it seemed more like he was curious to see who it was he could hear talking. 

We looked at each other for about five seconds. It's a really long time when it's happening. I don't remember anything unusual about his eyes, they were not glowing or red or anything like that. He was a sort of mousy blonde haired "Thing". We just looked at each other curiously. He was very tall and completely covered in hair from head to foot. Even his face was hairy. Then either he left or I freaked out and looked away, I really don't remember. My friend who was still on the phone was panicking because I'd gone silent mid-sentence. I was too scared to tell her what I'd seen, I didn't know how to explain what had just happened but I made her stay on the phone with me until my parents came home. 

When they got back Dad went into the kitchen but there was nothing in there. I didn't tell him what happened.  I didn't tell any of my family and I never saw 'Him' again. I've no idea what any of this is. How would something that big get into my house? By the way it was about 7.45pm (Top of the Pops was on!) and it was sometime in October. 

So what did this young lady see? Was it a timeslip of some kind, a Supernatural Being, or something of a flesh and blood nature? Does something walk the moorlands going unseen peeping into homes and startling teenage girls? I guess we will never know. I wonder if this young lady is still living in the area? I also wonder if anyone living close by has experienced a similar encounter with this Chewbacca like Being? There is another strange report from the area which describes two Phantom Dogs, commonly known in Lancashire as Shucks. 

The Haslingden Shucks 2006/7  - Twice over a period of two years one witness walking with her own dog watched two phantom 'Shucks' run along the lane in front of her. She described the 'Shucks' as one black hound which was being chased by another Hound. The dogs were not domestic dogs or pets as they were both slightly out of focus and when they ran they were moving around thirty centimetres above the ground. These strange 'phantom dogs' were seen two years on the trot and they were witnessed by the same lady out walking her own dogs.

There is one further report a little to the south of Haslingden, but close enough that we could consider the possibility the cases are linked in some way.  

Helmshore Heavy Walker, Homeless Man Disturbed In The Night, Autumn 2016 - Witness Report: Alan Hedge - A homeless gentleman who had not long left the army was living in the hills around Helmshore, he had set up a decent woodland camp, with a tent, he had plenty of provisions and was not living rough. He had tried staying in the hostels in the bigger towns and found the constant drama and noise too much. He had always walked this land as man and boy so that's where he headed when he found himself homeless. At first he felt settled. He had his dogs with him and he had not come across another person for a number of weeks, unless he walked into the town for supplies. On a couple of journeys away from his camp set up he was certain someone had been checking out his camp in his absence. There were items that were misplaced, sometimes even missing. It looked as if someone had rummaged through his belongings and put things back together quickly and messily. 

Putting this down to other 'homeless people' even though he hadn't seen any in the area he beefed up his security and kept the dogs close at hand at night. Alan did set the odd strategic 'trap' leaving things in a certain layout when he left for the day and inverabley when he returned there were clear signs that things had been moved around. Then Alan felt that he was being watched. Over the coming weeks this would happen more and more. He would hear heavy footsteps around his tent and in the general area of camp throughout the night. The dogs who would normally have barked and made a fuss at this stayed completely silent and moved closer to Alan. In the mornings they no longer ran out as soon as the tent was unzipped. Now they hung back and waited for Alan to go outside first. 

Alan said he never saw what watch him as he moved around he would hear it clearly It sounded bulky and heavy like a cow but the shadows cast resembled something human, but as this thing crashed around out there it sounded much larger and far heavier than your normal human. Alan put up with this as long as he could, but when bad weather hit he moved closer to Haslingden where he felt safer. If only he knew about the Chewbacca Hairy man account, he may have chosen a whole new area entirely.

Until next time, Deborah


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