interview
Island Life - April/May 2011
because, she claims, she was too busy
his name used. He got in touch to find
other revelations it leaves so many
doing other things and it didn’t really
out if I had heard anything similar.”
unanswered questions. There are a lot
occur to her to write any more.
Ray Anker did not want to involve
The story goes that he and a friend
of similarities to the ghost stories she is
were driving out one evening in the
told. Apparently ghosts are not always
himself anymore, so Gay opted to
Porchfield and Newtown area for a
misty and transparent. Some are quite
go it alone, compiling a host of
drink when they saw a lane they did
solid, and they don’t just appear at
fascinating, spooky and sometimes
not recognise. They turned up it, and at
night.
almost unbelievable tales from Islanders
the end of the lane was a pub they had
who had been involved in paranormal
never seen before.
experiences.
Within nine months there was ample
Gay says she could never turn her
skills to fiction writing, although a lot
It was unfriendly and cold as they
of sceptics would argue that she is
entered and everyone stopped talking.
writing fiction anyway. She insists she
material for a second book, and even
They had their drink, and left very
simply reports on what she is told, and
a third. And the more Gay wrote, more
quickly with all eyes upon them.
converts the tales of the unnatural into
and more stories came to light. She
They couldn’t wait to get out of the
easy-to-read books.
says: “People began to trust me, and
place, went up the road, and were
knew I would not mock them. In fact I
very surprised to find themselves at
holds the dubious distinction of having
found the more bizarre the stories were
Calbourne. They couldn’t work out how
her books the most stolen from Island
the more believable they were.”
they had arrived there, but decided to
libraries! Gay says there may still be
go back and try to find the pub. They
more books to come, and one subject
found nothing, and never saw it again!
that fascinates her is the history of
So how about the strangest, most
unusual Islan d ghost tale of all? As Gay
sat in the kitchen of her home in the
They have become so popular that she
The man who told Gay the story thinks
some of the long-gone Island hospitals,
Cowes area, she paused briefly before
the pub was called either the Falcon
and the ghosts that roamed their wards
declaring: “The most intriguing was the
or the Vulcan, but much research has
and corridors – so watch this space!
one about the vanishing pub. It came to
revealed no clues to the goings on that
me from someone who was quite well
night. That story was used in Gay’s
known on the Island, but didn’t want
second book, and like so many of her
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