Haunted Story Inn Still Serving Up Spirits

By Joy Neighbors

Wine is a great equalizer and so are ghosts, so put the two together and you have for an interesting evening in southern Indiana …

The village of Story Indiana is a rural town burrowed between  the Hoosier National Forest and Brown County State Park. Local physician, George Story established the village back in 1851. This logging community had a school, post office, grain mill, saw mill and general store. Oh, and the inn.

Story Inn

George Story and his wife Jane ran the inn, what is now known as the oldest country inn in the state. At some time during the inn’s history, guest books were placed in each room so that visitors could record their thoughts, and say a few words about their stay. Once the books were filled, they were taken up to the attic and stored.

Somewhere along the way, guests begin to write about hauntings and incidents that involved what they came to call “The Blue Lady.”  Visitors mentioned that they would smell of cherry tobacco in their guest room, this was a favorite smoke of Jane Story’s, George's wife. Blue objects like ribbons and bows would appear in the rooms, and some guests said they actually saw Jane, especially in the Garden Room.

The Blue Lady Room

Today, the Story Inn is a quaint bed-and-breakfast without the diversion of televisions or radios in the rooms. The inn’s restaurant boasts fine dining with rustic charm, and warm Southern Indiana hospitality.

“The Blue Lady” is still a regular at the inn. In fact, a “summons light” has been placed in her favorite room. Legend has it that if you switch the blue light to the “on” position, you will summon Jane’s spirit to appear. But she doesn’t necessarily have to be summoned to show up, at least according to the many guests who have stayed throughout the years at the Story Inn.

Want a chance to possibly see The Blue Lady? Put on your Halloween duds tomorrow night, October 29, and attend the free “Blue Lady Halloween Bash” held on the inn’s patio from 8:30 to midnight. You never know what special ghoul might show up …

Story Inn

http://www.storyinn.com

6404 IN-135
Nashville, IN 47448

(812) 988-2273

Halloween Candy and Wine Pairings

 

By Joy Neighbors

It’s October, that time of year when our craving for chocolate and all things sweet magically coincides with Halloween.

Although most adults tend to limit their dressing up to adult gatherings and escorting the kids through the neighborhood, we don’t have to give up the candy. Especially not when we can pair it with the perfect wine.

Here’s a few popular candies paired with a couple of wines each to make your Halloween gathering even sweeter.

Favorite Candy                              Perfect Wines

Butterfinger Bar                              Chardonnay or Sherry

Candy Corn                                    Chardonnay or Moscato

Carmel Apple                                  Chenin Blanc

Hershey’s Chocolates                       Merlot or Port

Kit Kats                                          Sparkling or Merlot

M&Ms (preferable Autumn variety)    Merlot or Syrah

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups              Zinfandel or Cabernet

Skittles                                           Riesling or Sauv Blanc

Snickers Bar                                    Malbec or Zinfandel

Sweet Tarts                                     Moscato

Tootsie Rolls                                    Merlot or Syrah

Twix                                               Cabernet or Malbec

Stock up on your favorite wines now because Halloween’s less than 3 weeks away.

October Headlines: Pub’s Specter Stolen

By Joy Neighbors

Welcome to the annual Joy’s Joy of Wine spooktauclar series of October-themed blog posts. This is the time of year for tales of hauntings and things that go bump (or burp, as the case may be,) in the night.

Bolton, England

Some people brag about having a ghost, others don’t want to discuss the subject, and then there are those who relish the thought of a haunting. The folks in Bolton, England take their ghosts seriously. So seriously that when one went missing, they demanded he be returned!

Ye Olde Man and Sythe Pub

Last year a Chinese student contacted Ye Olde Man & Sythe Pub claiming that he had stolen their ghost. The specter is said to be that of James Stanley, the Seventh Earl of Derby who has haunted Bolten’s oldest pub for centuries. According to the student (who possibly had a dram too many), the Earl agreed to go with him and willing went into a metal canister so that he could be “exhibited” at the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art in Manchester.

Richard Greenwood

Richard Greenwood, the pub’s owner wrote a letter to the student saying, “I feel very strongly that James Stanley’s ghost should remain in Bolton and at Ye Olde Man and Scythe to preserve the natural order of things.”

Greenwood continued, “That said I do believe that your exhibition should travel and be seen by many people around the world and I would like to contribute to this as long as at the end of your exhibition it returns home.”

Apparently, Greenwood didn't mind being accommodating but he’s not willing to “give up the ghost.”

James Stanley

According to lore, Stanley spent his last few hours in the pub before being beheaded outside the building for his part in the 1644 Bolton massacre. Why is the Earl attracted to the pub? His family owned it at the time of his death. The chair he sat in to eat his last meal is still there. And Greenwood, (very generously, I think) volunteered to allow the chair to accompany the traveling art exhibit.

No word if his offer was ever accepted or if the Earl has been returned, but here’s a  short video clip from the pub’s interior camera with what the staff believe is their ghost dropping in for a visit.

Pour a glass of wine, or something stronger because there's more to come next week - Enjoy the season!