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‘I was sitting on a bus looking out of the window. Between Hammersmith and Kensington in London, there is a little park/open space. The bus was stuck in traffic, light was good, and there, sitting on the stone step, was a tiny gnome, with a little red hat, dressed in green looking at me! He was a dear little thing, probably about eight to twelve inches tall. Our eyes held and he was full of good humour. The bus pulled away and when I looked back he’d gone. I’ve gone that same route many times since but alas have not seen him since.’ ‘A classic gnome: scarlet hat, green roughly-hewn jerkin and trousers. Tough little boots.’ ‘I’ve seen a ghost and it was not like that at all. The ghost experience was chilling, to the marrow. The gnome was cheerful and benign. If anything, he brightened up the day!’ Fairies are ‘Many things. Spirits of the land, memories of a race that had to go underground.’ ‘I was a music journalist for years but finally found the courage to write about my first love the supernatural. My book *** about the rebirth of Pan has just been published. Nothing is a coincidence.’