Uncle Norman was killed in 1914 whilst charging a German machine gun armed only with a sword as it was considered ungentlemenly for officers to carry guns. His ghost appeared on the Castle terrace in broad daylight a week before his death. A few weeks later, Marjorie Leslie awoke one night to see him in a cloud of light as he rummaged through bundles of letters. But when she addressed him, he just smiled at her and faded away.
The most sporting of four brothers, Norman was a crack shot, a great horseman and polo player. You’ll find his trophies adorning the entrance hall walls. He was also top cadet at Sandhurst and won the Sword of Honour. Norman’s brother Shane recovered this sword from a ploughed field in Flanders, and it is now in the Gallery.
Norman would have inherited Castle Leslie, as Shane had been intent on becoming a priest until he met and married Marjorie Ide of Vermont USA.
In Norman’s Room, the 1607 four-poster has been known to levitate its occupants during the night. The bed came from Brede Place, the most haunted house in England – a picture of the house hangs by the bed.