On a gloomy winter's night nearly six decades ago, a mysterious pale figure struck fear into a group of children in Garston - little did they know that a witch had been haunting the area for years.
Today, a large dual carriageway sits on top of what was once Garston Dock Railway station, but years before the station was replaced, it was the site of a mystery that left a group of children fearing for their lives.
A Terrifying Encounter in 1959
Having been closed since 1947, Garston Dock Railway station had become something of a makeshift playground for children living in the area, and Sunday November 15 1959 seemed to be no different when a local 10-year-old boy decided to make his way onto the track with friends.
That was until an odd, pale-faced witch-like figure was said to have quickly darted towards them without even moving her legs. Screaming in a fit of terror, most of the children made their way to a nearby road, while the boy sought refuge at his nan's house on Russell Road, roughly 500m from where the station used to be.
After recounting his terror, instead of dismissing the story as a figment of his imagination, she confirmed that it was none other than Screeching Ginny.
The Legend of Screeching Ginny
Tom Slemen, who included the tale of Screeching Ginny in his 2011 book, Haunted Liverpool 11, also claimed that one of the children there that night saw Ginny open her mouth "wider than humanly possible" with her eyes "glimmering red".
According to local folk stories, Screeching Ginny reportedly came from a family of witches who lived in Cressington. One story has it that Ginny had fallen in love with a local boy and had even cast a spell on him to make him love her, only for it to be broken by her mum.
A Tragic End and Haunting Legacy
Later, the boy was engaged to another woman, leaving Ginny devastated. In reaction to the news, Ginny decided to seek vengeance and followed him to Garston Dock station, where she ran screaming onto the tracks before being hit by a train. She is said to have haunted the station ever since.
This article is part of the ECHO's ghost story of the week series. If you have a ghost story or unusual experience you'd like to share with the Liverpool ECHO, get in contact with rebecca.mcgrath@reachplc.com.
