Residents across End reported being kept awake on Sunday night by a strange humming noise that seemed to come from “everywhere and nowhere at once.”
The low, vibrating tone began just after midnight and continued intermittently until dawn. Dozens of households phoned the council’s out-of-hours line, with complaints ranging from rattling windows to cats behaving strangely.
“It was like having a fridge inside your head,” said retired teacher Margaret Fowler of Elm Street. “I put in earplugs, but I could still feel it in my bones. My husband said it reminded him of standing too close to the church organ at Major Hogg’s funeral, only without the music.”
Others were less bothered. “Honestly, I found it quite soothing,” said taxi driver Richard Pall. “I slept better than usual. My wife enjoyed it too. She said it was like being serenaded by a giant bumblebee.”
Council engineers spent much of Monday inspecting possible sources, including power substations, air-conditioning units, and even the town’s experimental glow-in-the-dark wheelie bin depot. So far, no explanation had been found.
Local historian Dr. Clara Henshaw suggested the sound may not be new at all. “There are records from the 1890s of residents complaining about a ‘deep and holy drone’ heard across the valley,” she told The End Times. “It was thought to be the church bells resonating underground. Some even believed it was the earth itself humming. Maybe End does have different vibes to everywhere else in England.”
Not everyone was convinced. Builder Tony Briggs had his own theory: “It’s definitely the pigeons. They’re planning something.”
On Tuesday afternoon, however, the mystery was solved. A council statement confirmed the noise came from a faulty industrial extractor fan at End Meat Processing Plant.
“The fan blades had slipped out of alignment and were producing a low-frequency hum that carried unusually far in the still night air,” explained Environmental Health Officer Laura McKay. “It’s been repaired, and residents can rest assured the earth is not humming, and pigeons are not plotting anything.”
Even so, some residents admitted to feeling slightly disappointed. “I was hoping it was something mysterious,” said Margaret Fowler. “But at least my cat can finally relax.”
