Hearing footsteps in a shoe shop is not exactly unusual. But when you are the only one there & they aren’t your footsteps, it could be somewhat unnerving. But at Stainers Footwear the staff & Stainer family are quite used to it.
Paula, (Granddaughter of Tom Stainer who founded the business in 1912) said “Oh yes I have heard footsteps, seen things pop of shelves, doors open & so has my brother Jon, nothing menacing or really scary though”.
But none of this is really surprising when you know the buildings history.
In November 1940 a German bomber with four crew onboard fell from the sky engulfed in flames & crashed into what was then the Stainers shoe repair shop. Although Frank, Paula & Jon’s Granddad, grabbed young son David & began to run on sight of the fireball, he was not fast enough for moments later they were buried alive under the rubble.
When you see a photograph of the aftermath it is truly a miracle anyone got out alive. But someone was surely watching over them, for though badly burnt Frank & David survived.
As for the Luftwaffe crew – one baled over Kinson but his parachute failed to open & so was killed, the other members stayed onboard & either died on impact or were burnt alive.
Paula showed me actual pieces of metal from the aircraft that were found after the crash, along with a parachute document & most moving & amazing of all what is left of a gold ring.
The young men that died that day were our country’s enemy, nevertheless they had family, friends & seemingly at least one of them had a wife. I am sure they didn’t want to be over here dropping bombs anymore than our young men wanted to be in Germany doing the same.
Only recently Paula was told by a clairvoyant that she could see a man in German uniform who wanted her to know he meant no harm & was there to help. Paula was taken aback as no one outside the family & a couple of employees, even knew about the strange goings-on. And until that moment even Paula hadn’t thought there might be a connection with the fateful events of 1940.
David Stainer did do some research & managed to discover the names of the German crew. They were OBLT A VON KUGELGEN, FEL J DUCKGEISCHEL, JFFZ K LOHN & K HOPF.
Yet which one of them seems quite content to remain in Poole is unknown.
So next time you are in Stainers & can’t quite decide which shoes to choose, yet one pair seem to edge forward by themselves – don’t be alarmed it might just be a bit of spiritual intervention & advice.
http://www.boothugspoole.co.uk
