Nellie:

Eh?

 

Woods:

Yes? Come on friend, we can hear you.

 

Nellie:

You want me to go and talk to them ? What about ?

 

Flint:

Hmm?

 

Woods:

Yes ?

 

Nellie:

They won't want to listen to me.

 

Woods:

Mmm ? Can’t quite hear what you say, friend.

 

Flint:

Wonder who that is ? Are you recording this ?

 

Greene:

Yes.

 

Nellie:

The gentleman says as how as you'd like to talk to me.

 

(All at once)

 

Greene:

Yes I would friend, come along and have a good talk to us.

 

Woods:

Yes we would very much like to talk to you.

 

Flint:

Oh lord !

 

Woods:

Talk to us...

 

Nellie:

I told the gentlemen that you didn’t think… I didn’t think you would be interested.

 

Woods:

Oh we’re very interested. Come through friend.

 

Nellie:

My...

 

Woods:

What would you like to talk to us about ?

 

Nellie:

Pardon ?

 

Woods:

Talk to us.

 

Nellie:

Pardon ?

 

Woods:

Talk to us about anything you like, and what are you doing on that side ?

 

Nellie:

Are you, are you religious ?

 

Greene:

No.

 

Woods:

No we’re not religious.

 

Nellie:

Aren’t you ? I was.

 

Woods/Greene:

Were you ?

 

Woods:

Are you religious now ?

 

Nellie:

Not quite the same, as I used to be, but I used to be very religious in my time.

 

Greene:

Did you ?

 

Nellie:

Yes I did. I was in the Army for years and years. My mother - my mother was very interested in religion and I joined the Army when I 

was 17 and I was with them for oh 50 years, I suppose.

 

Woods:

Were you really ?

 

Nellie:

Right from almost the early years I was. My mother, she was Presbyterian.

 

Greene:

Was she ?

 

Woods:

And what were you ?

 

Nellie:

The Salvation Army. I told you. You’re Mr Woods aren’t you, because that’s what the gentleman just told me. He said, go and speak to Mr Woods. I said well who is Mr Woods and he said it was you. You’re a Spiritist aren’t you ?

 

Woods:

Well, I’m really not anything. I’m in research you see.

 

Nellie:

You’re what ?

 

Woods:

In the research, I study these things you see.

 

Nellie:

You don’t look like a research man to me.

 

Woods:

No I...

 

Nellie:

Not that I really know quite what they're supposed to look like, but you don’t look [a] scientific sort, do you ?

 

Woods:

No I’m not.

 

Nellie:

Have you been religious then ?

 

Woods:

Well yes but not in, as quite the same as the orthodox religion. I believe...

 

Nellie:

I don’t think you really know what you are.

 

Woods:

No...

 

Flint:

(Laughing)

 

Nellie:

This your missus ?

 

Greene:

No, no… I’m not no, I do…I help Mr Woods with his work.

 

Nellie:

Oh, what does he do for a living then, does he go out to work ?

 

Woods:

No.

 

Nellie:

I suppose you’ve got an office and all that I suppose. Oh, got plenty money I suppose.

​

Woods:

No, no, I spread this truth that’s what I do.

 

Nellie:

Your religious then.

 

Woods:

What ?

 

Nellie:

You’re religious.

 

Woods:

Well, I don't - you could call it that if you like.

 

Nellie:

You don’t seem to know what you are, what you’re doing half your time, do you ?

 

Wood:

Quite right.

 

Nellie:

Strike me as a bit of a case.

 

Greene:

Friend, can you give us your name, love ?

 

Nellie:

Nellie.

 

Greene:

I beg your pardon.

 

Nellie:

Nellie Wright

 

Greene:

Nellie Wright ?

 

Nellie:

Yes that’s right.

 

Greene:

Nellie may we...

 

Nellie:

Used to make a joke of that, you know. I used to say I’m Nellie Wright. They said oh right an' all. I used to go into the pubs I did, you know and sell the 'War Cry' and the 'Young Soldier' and all those things you know. Cause I’m going back now to the twenties and the thirties. I was killed in the Blitz.

 

Woods:

Oh were you ?

 

Greene:

Oh, in the last war ?

 

Nellie:

That’s right.

 

Greene:

Oh were you really Nellie ?

 

Nellie:

Yes. I lived in London all my life practically, well I did really excepting for a few odd years I spent out when I got married. That didn’t really work out, he wasn’t a good man. I suppose I shouldn’t say it, but I stuck it to the end.

 

Woods:

But you’ve done a lot of good work in the Salvation Army.

 

Nellie:

How do you know ? I didn’t tell you I had.

 

Woods:

No, but I know the Salvation Army has done a lot of work.

 

Nellie:

Oh well, whatever people might say about it they do good work you know sir, very good work. They'll go where others won’t go.

 

Woods/Greene:

Yes.

 

Nellie:

I always wanted to be a missionary, but I wasn’t - I suppose just wasn’t to be.

 

Greene:

Nellie ?

 

Nellie:

I was um… oh, years, you know, in the Army. What was you saying lady ?

 

Greene:

I was going to ask you Nellie when you was killed in the Blitz, now what were your reactions when you found yourself still alive ? How did you find yourself ?

 

Nellie:

Oh dear.

 

Greene:

Can you remember ?

 

Nellie:

Well I don’t know, I don’t really know. Excepting I saw my dear mother standing there and she was smiling at me and put her arms out towards me.

 

Greene:

Yes.

 

Nellie:

I don’t quite - I thought I was dreaming I suppose. Didn’t realise anything dreadful had happened. Didn’t of course even know what had happened. Of course it all happen so quick, one minute I was perfectly alright you might say. The next minute, well, I'd been walking along this street, it was dark you know, the sirens had gone you know, I could hear them up above you know, the planes and that and I thought well the Lord will take care of me and I had faith. Ah...next thing I know I was dead you might say. Still the Lord did take care of me. I have nothing to worry about. I’m happy enough with my people here.

 

Greene:

But when your mother met you...

 

Nellie:

But I didn’t know that, hum, all this business of being able to get back and talk to people was - well I heard people talk about it, of course, but I thought it was wicked. Oh, I thought it was terrible, anyone would try to get in touch with the dead. I thought there was only two sorts of dead; the good and the bad. And if you did get in touch, you only got in touch with the bad 'n's, so I steered clear of this sort of thing until just now.

 

I was - well I'd been thinking about things and of course I see things a bit different, but I’m still not quite sure about it. I suppose it’s got its good side, I can see that, but communication, as you call it, seems an odd thing doesn't it ?

 

I still can’t get over you; do you say you're, um. What is it you say you are sir ?

​

Woods:

Oh I study you see, so I can help other people. You see ?

 

Nellie:

Oh?

 

Woods:

(unintelligible) the communications and all that, so I can help other people in this work you see.

 

Greene:

You see Nellie we take these tape recordings.

 

Nellie:

What, What are they ?

 

Greene:

Oh well, I’m taking a recording of what you saying now you see.

 

Nellie:

What ?

 

Greene:

I’m taking a recording of what you’re saying.

 

Nellie:

Oh what I’m saying ? How can you do that then ? You ain't got no gramophone there, have you ?

 

Greene:

No we’ve got the tape recorders. They weren’t made in your day.

 

Nellie:

Oh don’t know nothing about them things.

 

Greene:

Well anyway, everybody can - these tapes go all over the world...

 

Nellie:

Have you always been a bit touched then ?

 

Woods:

Beg pardon ?

 

Nellie:

Have you always been a bit touched ?

 

Wood/Greene/Flint:

(Laughter)

 

Woods:

A bit touched, I don’t know about that...

 

Nellie:

Well I always thought people who were interested in Spiritualist – Spiritualism, as you call it, was a bit touched.

 

Woods:

Oh did you ? Well anyway...(Laughter)

I don’t feel touched anyway.

 

Nellie:

Well you look sensible enough. Course, you never can tell.

 

Flint:

(Laughing)

 

Woods:

Well no, you're quite right.

 

Nellie:

What’s he laughing for ? He don't say much that bloke does he ? He just sits there with his mouth shut, half asleep. What does he do for a living ?

​

Greene:

Well he’s a Medium.

 

Nellie:

He’s what ?

 

Greene:

He’s a Medium.

 

Nellie:

Medium ? He is ?

 

Greene:

Yes.

 

Woods:

Could you tell us...

 

Nellie:

I thought Mediums went into trances and things.

 

Woods/Green:

No, not all of them.

 

Nellie:

He looks half daft to me. I don’t know what to make of any of you. If it wasn’t for this other bloke - gentleman here, saying come on though and talk...I don't know what the devil he was on about. Funny business altogether.

 

What do you want dear ?

 

Greene:

Listen, when your mother met you where did you go, where did she take you, what did you do ?

 

Nellie:

I didn’t realise I was dead at first and then it suddenly dawned on me she’d died years ago. And then gradually she explained things to 

me.

 

I said, well I don’t understand it, I said I should probably see the General. And she laughed at me, she says 'the General ?' I said yes, the dear old General, you know. She says 'oh, you mean Booth', I said yes of course. So she says, 'oh you’ll probably see him.' I have met him of course, nice chap. Course, he don’t look like he did in them pictures I used to see in the Army Hall, with the big beard and all that, you know. Oh and his dear wife, they were wonderful souls they were, they were what I call real Christians. You know they were real 

Christians they were.

 

Woods:

Oh yes they were.

 

Nellie:

You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to get saved you know.

 

Woods:

It wouldn’t ?

 

Nellie:

No. I think you should think about it.

 

Woods:

Oh yes ?

 

Nellie:

Come to the Lord, you know. You will be much happier, both of you.

 

Flint:

Oh dear (Laughs).

 

Woods:

Tell us about your life on that side.

 

Greene:

What are you doing Nellie on that side ?

 

Nellie:

Eh ?

 

Greene:

What are you doing now ?

 

Nellie:

I’m doing the Lords work, among the children. Teaching them and helping them, the little ones that come over. And I’m still preaching, course I’m no real preacher, I haven’t had that kind of education. But I can talk to people down in the depths, down in the dark places I go - take the Light and the Truth of the Word I do. I teach them and preach to them, you know.

​

Greene:

Oh we’re doing the Lord's work too Nellie, because we're…

 

Nellie:

Oh I don’t think it’s the same.

 

Greene:

We’re helping people...

 

Nellie:

I don’t think it’s the same at all.

 

Greene:

Oh yes, were helping people to know there really is an Afterlife. People don’t know about that.

 

Nellie:

I think you don’t understand properly, things, you know, you two. I think I ought to try and help you. I think, you know, you should come to the Lord and get saved and then you can start talking to people about things - not until. Because until you’ve been saved you’re in no any position to preach to other people.

 

Greene:

Saved from what Nellie ?

 

Nellie:

Eh ?

 

Greene:

Saved from what ?

 

Nellie:

From the devil and from evil and all the wicked things that go on. Look at your world today.

 

Woods:

I know.

 

Nellie:

You know man has made all that. There’s nobody else as done it, only man himself. God hasn’t done it. God doesn’t interfere, you know. Man’s got his own freedom and if he thinks evil and bad thoughts and that, you get all these things happening. You know you ought to come to the Lord the pair of you - and him in the corner, that you call the Medium.

Flint

 

Oh dear...

Greene:

 

(Laughing)

 

Woods:

Have you met God ?

​

Nellie:

I don’t say you’re bad people. Don’t misunderstand me and I don’t want to appear rude, but you know you'll never know real joy and happiness until you've come to the Lord. You know he died for us don’t you ?

 

Woods:

Oh have you met him ?

 

Nellie:

I haven’t met him. NO, I’m not good enough to meet him yet dear. But one day I shall, but you’ll never meet him unless you accept him you know. You know you must accept the Lord Jesus. If you don’t accept him, your damned forever you know. You'll go down in the pit.

 

Woods:

Yes ?

 

Nellie:

You will, you know.

 

Woods:

Have you been down in the pit to see them ?

 

Nellie:

No, not exactly in the pit itself, but I’ve been to some of those souls who are, well - they’re not saved you know and I’m trying to help them, so that there's still a chance for them, once they accept the Lord you know. Oh it’s wonderful isn’t it, to be saved ? Course, you wouldn’t know !

 

Woods:

No of course.

 

Flint:

(Laughing)

 

Nellie:

It’s no laughing matter.

 

Woods:

Have you met any Roman Catholic Spirits ?

 

Nellie:

Oh, don’t talk to me about them.

 

Greene:

Ah, but Nellie now that’s not right, you shouldn't be intolerant.

​

Nellie:

I don’t mean to be, but I think, you know - well I don’t agree with all that Pope business, and all that pomp and all that ceremony and all that. That’s not Christ's is it ? I mean Christ was poor and hadn’t got anywhere to lay his head and all this business of dressing up, like as if they are in the theatre. That’s not religion, that’s not Christianity. Oh no.

 

Greene:

Christianity Nellie is the way you live and treat other people.

 

Nellie:

Oh but you’ve got to be saved first, you can’t be a Christian until your saved.

 

Woods:

How can you be saved, tell me how ?

 

Nellie:

Well, when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal saviour and you're washed in the blood and your sins are cast out and you are whiter - whiter than the snow. Do you remember that lovely old hymn we used to all sing together in the Citadel and all that ? Oh we used to have some wonderful evenings. I used to love the meetings you know. Singing [at] the top of our voices we was and we used to go out in the streets and the old harmonium we used to take with us. We used to have some lovely times, but I never could get used to the tambourine, I don’t know why. And I tried and tried and in the end I didn’t bother with it. I always seem to rattle the thing at the wrong moment.

 

Greene:

But you know Nellie I feel…

 

Nellie:

What ?

 

Greene:

I've got to try to disillusion here you a little bit.

 

Nellie:

What do you mean disillusion me ?

 

Greene:

Well you see, Jesus wasn’t the only…

 

Nellie:

I’m here. I should know more than you shouldn’t I ? Your down there.

 

Greene:

Not necessarily.

 

Nellie:

You don’t know, you’re not here yet you know.

​

(Laughter)

Woods:

Could you tell us what your world is like ?

 

Nellie:

Oh marvellous. Lovely. Beautiful. Beautiful. I still go to the meetings and we still sing our hymns and we all pray together and I go out, I go amongst the little ones and I teach the children, you know we have the – ooh, we have some wonderful times.

 

Woods:

Have you got a church as well ?

 

Nellie:

Oh a nice little place I got, a nice little place of my own.

 

Greene:

Have you ?

 

Nellie:

Oh yes.

 

Greene:

Do you live on your own ?

 

Nellie:

Yes I do.

 

Woods:

Have you got Salvation Army…?

 

Nellie:

I’m quite happy on my own. I think it is, when I was on your side, I don’t know, I suppose my marriage was a mess and I'm always - I don’t know. I’m glad to be on my own and I go see people of course.

 

Greene:

Have you got Salvation Army…?

 

Nellie:

Funny thing is I never see Fred. Now he was a strange man if ever there was one. He wasn’t a bad man, but he hadn’t got any time for the Army. You know looking back I think - I think about it and I think, I don’t know, why did I ever I get married to him ? But you never can tell. I was in love with him I thought, you know. But we - I don’t know, we drifted apart, you know ?

​

Greene:

So you’ve still got meeting houses on your sphere Nellie ?

 

Nellie:

Oh yes.

 

Greene:

You still have your flags and your banners...?

 

Nellie;

Oh yes.

 

Woods:

You play - do you play - have a band and everything like that ?

 

Nellie:

Oh yes there’s a lovely band.

 

Greene:

Nellie where did you live in London ?

 

Nellie:

Hoxton way.

 

Greene:

Hoxton way ?

 

Nellie:

I hadn't - of course, mind you, I moved about a bit. I lived in Hackney for quite a number of years.

 

Greene:

You were living there when you were killed were you ?

 

Nellie:

Oh no, let me - I got to stop and think now. Such a long time ago, where was I living last ? Was it in M...can’t remember if it was in Mare St...No. I don’t remember, well I think it was, I think it was Hackney was the last - I don’t know. I was - we shifted about a bit then of course there was the...Oh dear, then I went to Liverpool for a number of years, I was in Liverpool.

​

Greene:

Oh I see. You've been all over the place.

 

Woods:

Have you met General Booth ?

 

Nellie:

I told you I haven’t met him yet. I expect I shall...Course he’s risen higher you see, being - I mean, he’s founded the Army you see. I mean he was a man who, well, I mean he was really a God’s gentleman, wasn’t he ? I mean, I expect one day I shall meet him.

 

Woods:

And do you wear a uniform ?

 

Greene:

Are you still wearing your uniform ?

 

Woods:

Your uniform - Salvation Army uniform ?

 

Nellie:

Cause I’ve met one of the Booth's. Course, you know there’s a lot of them.

 

Greene:

Yes. You probably met one of the more recent ones. Are you still wearing your uniform Nellie ?

 

Nellie:

Oh yes.

 

Greene:

Nice little bonnet and the bow ?

 

Nellie:

Yes, nice outfit.

 

Greene:

They’ve changed it somewhat now.

 

Nellie:

I know there was one boy who used to annoy me something awful. Whenever he saw me coming, course I was getting on a bit then, he’d say 'Here comes Charlie's Aunt.' I expect it was the bonnet you see, you know. Course, when I was much younger I did go occasionally to theatres and things, and I remember that show, what - play, whatever it was, you know. Oh the little devils you know, some of them were. Still, from what I can see of what's going on in your world, they're a darn sight worse than they ever was in my day. Course you know, I think probably people have too much of their own way you know, too much in their pockets. What’s your religion then ?

​

Woods:

What ?

 

Nellie:

What’s your religion ?

 

Woods:

I haven't one Nellie.

 

Nellie:

Oh you must get a religion.

 

Woods:

What ?

 

Nellie:

You must have a religion.

 

Greene:

Nor have I Nellie.

 

Nellie:

Oh that’s terrible. That’s terrible, not to have a religion - even if it's Catholic, it's better than nothing.

 

Greene:

Nellie why should you have a religion when you’re trying to do good for people ?

 

Nellie:

Oh but you must have a religion.

 

Greene:

Religion can hold you back.

 

Nellie:

Oh it didn’t hold me back...

 

Woods:

Nellie...

 

Nellie:

...we did a lot of good work too.