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Windy Ridge by Anne Marie Whittaker
“I rounded the hillock. It did not conceal a tumbledown wall. Instead, to my utter amazement, I beheld a neat littlebungalow standing behind a trim lawn. It was sheltered below a high ridge in the land behind, and between the two acrescent of tall poplars embraced it to offer further protection from the elements. I was astonished – I could hardly havebeen more so if the little house been made out of gingerbread and Hansel and Gretel had been playing on the lawn.There was a low drystone wall around the garden, and a wooden gate set into it bore the name “Cefn Gwyntog”. Well-tended flower beds bordered the path leading to the front door, which was flanked by pots of pelargoniums. Tomatoeswere ripening in a small greenhouse and snowy white vests and bloomers hung from a washing line, but weremotionless - there was still no wind, and I could no longer hear the birds…”
Hello and welcome, dear listeners, to Haunted UK Fiction – a sister podcast to The Haunted UK which features original flash fiction, short stories, and novellas with paranormal themes. All stories you will hear were written by a collection of talented writers, authors, and storytellers, both independent and professional.In today’s episode we’ll be reading Windy Ridge which was sent in to us by Anne Marie Whittaker. Anne Marie Whittaker is originally from Lancashire but has lived in South Wales for many years. She’s always enjoyed reading and writing, as well as art and crafts – and was a graphic designer back in the day. Retired now, she loves the freedom it gives her to do the creative things she actually wants to do! Her inspiration for Windy Ridge came from a house she saw while out walking a couple of years ago. It fascinated her because its garden was cared for but the curtains at the windows were, quite literally, rags. She later learned the very sad, human story behind the condition of the house, which wasn’t related to us so as not to upset anyone who might recognize it. She was out on a walk not long after having had a knee replacement; she hadn’t been able to walk much for some time, which prodded her into writing more, and into doing more art and craft, like the narrator in the story. Like the character, she began to listen to podcasts about the ghostly and the paranormal while occupied thus at the kitchen table. She loved both real life accounts and fiction, and began to notice the structure in stories, what she found powerful in them, and tried to use this in Windy Ridge.
Anne Marie’s influences are, in her own words, Anything and anything! She has always read a lot, and feels MR James is a master of the genre - Casting the Runes being her favourite. In recent years she has discovered Robert Aikman, whose stories are not strictly ghost stories but are seriously disturbing. Since she began listening to ghost story podcasts, her favourite short story has been The Crown Derby Plate by Marjorie Bowen. It is beautifully written and there is some levity in it which sets off the ghostly side of things very well.
We truly hope you this time slip tale by Anne Marie Whittaker. Keep an eye in upcoming seasons as we have more of Anne Marie’s work to share with you.
If you have an original story that would send a chill down our spines, and you would like to submit it for review, simply send it in to mailto:hauntedukfiction@hotmail.com
Until next time, stay safe, and take care.
Episode Credits:Story by Anne Marie Whittaker
Narrated by Steven Holloway
Script prepared by Melissa West
Episode produced by Pink Flamingo Home Studio
