June 19: Young Jane Eyres seeking the opportunity to live out their own personal gothic fantasy need look no further.
A want ad on a British child care site has attracted a great deal of attention for its major caveat: You may have to work in an extremely haunted house.
“We were told it was ‘haunted’ when we bought it, but kept our minds open and decided to buy the house regardless,” the listing for a nanny in Scottish Borders reads. “5 nannies have left the role in the last year, each citing supernatural incidents as the reason, including strange noises, broken glass and furniture moving.”
The family has two children, ages five and seven, and, as the parents are gone “up to 4 nights per week” for business, the nanny will often need to be home alone with the kids. The home is described as a “lovely, spacious, historic property in a remote spot.” The final detail lingers ominously.
The Telegraph spoke to the CEO of Childcare.co.uk, and he confirmed that the advertisement on his site is indeed legitimate.
“When we saw the advert we were stunned,” Richard Conway told the Telegraph. “Some of the guys at HQ were skeptical but after talking to the family and their previous employees we realized it was a genuine position.”
The family is willing to offer £50,000 per year and 28 days holiday for “the right person,” which presumably would be someone with a strong constitution who isn’t deterred by ceaseless, untraceable knocking.
“We haven’t personally experienced any supernatural happenings, as they have been reported only while we’ve been out of the house, but we’re happy to pay above the asking rate, and feel it’s important to be as up-front as possible,” the ad reads, sparking more questions than answers.
-sfgate.com