The Horse Racing Years

A Memory of Crossford.

My father purchased Waygateshaw House, the Gatehouse, and 27 acres from Mr Campbell in 1989 for an equestrian pursuit, namely training racehorses.
We were called Silverbell Racing. We had many visitors from the racing world, Red Rum stabled with us, and Johnjo O'Neil advised on the gallop construction and Ron Barry built the stables, a 32-box yard, state of the art.We had a first class trainer, Ian Semple, who left John Dunlop in Arundel to join us, and many winners were trained at the yard.
The house itself was in a lovely private situation in the Clyde valley, but we believe it was haunted, we found tables and statues and ornaments turned in different directions at night when we came downstairs, and the noise of a train - yes, you read it correctly, a train! - used to emanate from the corridors upstairs. My window sometimes rattled furiously on calm nights, and a scratching noise was heard, and my sister-in-law Florence saw a woman in 18th century dress at the top of the stairs. One summer's day we were sitting at the front of the house and a couple pulled up in a car, they were visiting Canadians whose family used to live in the house, one of the first questions they asked was "Have you heard the train"?.
My father retired and sold the house in 2001.
I loved living there, I was married there and had a huge party for friends and family, but I think something malevolent lives there, and it brings bad luck.