Those who reside on a street overlooking one of the biggest graveyards in Manchester have shared what it’s like to live there.
Found just off Colindale Avenue is Blackley Jewish Cemetery – a graveyard that dates back to 1897 when it was acquired by the Central Synagogue and was later used by the North Manchester Synagogue, before both merged in 1978.
Mark O’Brien has lived on Colindale Avenue for 22 years and says, while he’s not a ‘big believer’ in spirits and ghosts, he has ‘seen a few things.’
‘There’s an old lady who haunts this house,’ he told the Manchester Evening News.
‘I’m really strict on my routine; I have epilepsy so I’m strict on habit. I got up in the morning and the TV was on and the lights were on.
‘It still doesn’t bother me. One time, I woke up in the middle of the night and there were all these flashing dots in a circle near the end of the door, just like in a circle.
‘I thought I was dreaming but I turned on my bedside light and they were still there. I turned the light off and went back to sleep. I’m a sceptic but I doubt there was a logical explanation.’
But 47-year-old Mark adds that his favourite thing about living next to the cemetery is the peace and quiet.
He added: ‘The graveyard attracts a lot of wildlife. You get a lot of foals, squirrels and bats. It’s quiet, but that’s why I bought it. That’s what I really don’t mind.
‘You’re not backing onto anything and you don’t get any noisy neighbours. I suppose it spooks some people, but it doesn’t bother me.
‘It’s not the greatest of views, but I used to live on an estate and there was noise. That’s why I moved here.’
This is something 38-year-old Marcio Souza – who has lived on Colindale Avenue for two years – agrees is a positive.
He explains: ‘It was scary at first, but it doesn’t bother me at all. There’s nothing really here – it’s not an active graveyard.
‘It’s quiet. I like it here – it’s not bad. It’s near the city centre. It’s quiet because there’s nothing there.’
Maureen Hutton, 75, also likes the peace and quiet – and adds it’s not as scary as people might think.
She says: ‘I’ve never seen anything spooky. I’ve alright; we have no problems. It’s peaceful. I’ve never seen anyone or heard anything.’
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