Lopdell House will get its share of visitors on November 12?not all of this world, writes Merilee Andrews
Frances Baker swears she works with ghosts. ''I would suspect that she's a junior maid, a scullery maid or something like that,'' says Frances, who insists that over seven or so years working
in Lopdell House, the Titirangi arts centre, she has been treated to regular sightings of the maid's spirit in and around the old kitchen. ''She's nice. She's just a sweet, simple, young girl.'' Add to that other reports from staff members ? peculiar human-like sounds recorded on the gallery computer, riotous clinking and clanking in an empty kitchen, toilets flushing and doors opening in empty corridors ? and it's not as if Frances' experiences are isolated. Soon members of the public can check out the ghost rumours for themselves, at a special open day to celebrate Lopdell House's 20 years as an arts centre. Tours of the building will run on November 12, from 10am to 3pm. There will also be entertainment, including children's workshops, street performers, live music and theatre rehearsals. ''We've got very few beautiful heritage buildings in Waitakere city,'' says Waitakere City councillor and arts representative Judy Lawley, who is involved with the anniversary celebration. ''I find even people who work in the village don't know what's in there.'' The building was opened in November 1930 and started out as a hotel, complete with the first sprung ballroom floor in the country. The hotel struggled to survive without a liquor licence and in 1942 the building was passed to the Department of Education. It served as both a school for the deaf and a teacher training facility before it finally became an arts and culture base in 1986. Community arts have flourished since. The biggest annual exhibition is running there at the moment ? the Portage Ceramic Art Awards. The centre has also attracted a number of arts supporters to its cause, like Frances ? and perhaps a few other unique well-wishers: ''They are not bad ghosts. They don't go out of their way to frighten anyone. They are just interested in people.
