Haunted Magazine Issue 13 by Dead Good Publishing Ltd

FEATURING: FEATURING: BODDY BODDY TALK: TALK: WE WE CATCH CATCH UP UP WITH WITH PARANORMAL PARANORMAL AUTHOR AUTHOR STEPHANIE STEPHANIE BODDY BODDY

WIN!! WE HAVE 1O COPIES OF ZAK’S BOOK “I AM HAUNTED” TO GIVE AWAY

THE THE SECRET SECRET GHOSTHUNTER: GHOSTHUNTER: WHY WHY HE HE IS IS DRIVEN DRIVEN MAD MAD BY BY SCEPTICS SCEPTICS THE THE FEMALE FEMALE OF OF THE THE SPECIES: SPECIES: ARE ARE THEY THEY DEADLIER DEADLIER THAN THAN THE THE MALE? MALE? GHOSTHUNTING GHOSTHUNTING ON ON A A FRIDAY FRIDAY THE THE 13TH: 13TH: ARE ARE YOU YOU MAD? MAD? DE DE JA JA VU: VU: YOU YOU HAVEN'T HAVEN'T SEEN SEEN THIS THIS ARTICLE ARTICLE BEFORE, BEFORE, HONEST! HONEST! AND AND MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MUCH MORE... MORE...

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elcome to Issue 13 of Haunted Magazine, if you’re reading this for the very first time it’s probably because we have a certain chap by the name of Zak Bagans on the front cover, it’s amazing what a pretty face can do for you. I put me on the cover once and I think my Mum and my missis read it and that’s about it. Anyway we welcome the “Zak” cover and if it brings with it a wealth of new readers then the cover has served its purpose. Oh, there’s also the matter of 10 copies of his new book “I AM HAUNTED” to be won, details are in the magazine. Good Luck!! I am a massive believer in the paranormal being a personal journey, my personal journey is delivering a paranormal magazine that you enjoy, let’s be honest it’s not going to make you believe any more or less, so I am not going to waste yours and my time in preaching to you what the paranormal is.

I have no beef with anyone who thinks that Para-unity does exist, I’ve debated into the wee small hours about it and to some degree I can understand where there thought process is at. I love the paranormal and I’ll be the first to admit that I have great paranormal friends who I have worked with and have the upmost respect for, I also have good friends that I have met over the last few years and have high regard for, I have admiration for a lot of people involved in the paranormal sector, I also have paranormal contacts and associates that my path has crossed and then I have people who are in this paranormal world who I have no intention of my path ever crossing, hell I’d rather take the “psycho” path.

In my opinion Para-unity is a nonsense word that has entered into the paranormal ether and everyone should just go about their paranormal journey the way that they want to go about it. I am no psychic but I can You’re probably thinking about the title of imagine Arthur Conan-Doyle, Harry Price, my little editorial welcome and wondering Charles Dickens and other eminent people why and rightly so. Recently I was the subject interested in the paranormal shuddering of a public spat on social media when I in their graves at the very thought that said these words “Para-unity doesn’t exist”, everyone should be unified and on the same ironically the post wasn’t about para-unity though process in their search for questions it was about the paranormal in general but about the paranormal. some people decided to piggy back the post Remember, this is your paranormal journey, and pick up on that comment and turn it start wherever you want to, and believe into an attack on me and my integrity and character, which to me shows me that para- whatever you want to ….. if your journey can include our magazine then thank you very unity doesn’t exist as, apparently, I wasn’t much. allowed to have that opinion.

Paul #dontbenormal – BE PARANORMAL!!

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

ISSUE

FEATURING: 06 THE DAILY SCREAM 08 HAUNTED CITY 12 DON’T BE NORMAL, BE PARANORMAL!

24 ASYLUM SEEKERS 32 TOM BUCKMASTER 40 ZAK BAGAN’S COMPETITION 42 PARANORMAL STAFFORDSHIRE PART 3

ZAK BAGANS

48 THE SECRET GHOSTHUNTER 52 DEADLIER THAN THE MALE 62 THE PEFECT HAUNTING 64 VILLAGE PEOPLE 70 DÉJÀ VU 72 INTERVIEW WITH STEPHANIE BODDY

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

CONTENTS

ADVERTISING: advertising@deadgoodpublishing.com EDITORIAL AND FEATURES paul@deadgoodpublishing.com Haunted Magazine Issue 13

THE ONLY TITS YOU’LL FIND IN THIS NEWSPAPER ARE THE ONES WHO PRODUCE IT!

In November last year we were given two photographs by Russ Bark that his wife Dawn had taken during their afternoon tea treat at The Ritz Hotel in London. We got in touch with The Ritz to ask for their help with these photographs and for their opinion. All we said was that the photographer and her husband are as sure as they can be that there was no one in the room when the pictures were taken. They replied saying that they have checked their CCTV and it is woman in the picture. We asked them if they wouldn’t mind showing us so that we could kill the

story they refused (which is within their right). If Haunted Magazine has to believe the Ritz that CCTV shows that it is a woman walking down the stairs then we also have to believe Russ and Dawn who say that no one entered the room whilst Dawn was down there. You’ll no doubt have your own opinion but we remain openminded and are a little bit frustrated that the Ritz declined to show us concrete proof, we even offered to drive down to view the CCTV on their systems, and they again refused. At the end of February, the Daily Star picked up on the story and the

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response has been truly amazing. Russ and Dawn have given their picture to the newspaper free of charge and like us just want to know what it is they captured.

So what do you think? We would like to thank Russ and Dawn Bark for allowing us to investigate the photograph further and to Tom Rawle at the Daily Star for taking it to a different audience. Here is the link to the article in the Daily Star http://bit.ly/1AFDq2Z

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had a father that wanted to show me, his eldest son, what he had experienced and open my eyes to the possibility that there was so much more.â&#x20AC;? James Pykett

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

PERSONAL PARANORMAL!

Is my city, THE most haunted city? I don’t know... BY JAMES PYKETT The first investigation that I ever went on was at what is known as the most haunted building in the UK. I was 16 years old… yes…16! A parenting decision that although could and should be open to criticism, really changed my life as I knew it – and for the better…I think?! I had a father that wanted to show me, his eldest son, what he had experienced and open my eyes to the possibility that there was so much more. His reasoning may have been so that as a young man I may feel more fulfilled, more educated and more rounded, but as I sit typing this I’ve never felt so empty, so lost and so short of answers.

I’m James, I’m from the Great City of Nottingham! We are not short of our ‘Haunted’ building/ locations, to be honest we have an abundance of them. I have visited a huge amount of them, I feel a great sense of pride when I do. Aside from my passion for the paranormal, I just love my City. I always have, when I hear the word Nottingham I get a feeling of ownership, a feeling that I need to protect and to stand up for what is mine. It is a mixture of all of these emotions that has led

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

to me showcasing to the world exactly what we have to offer here. I have said it already, we have what is widely known as the most haunted building in the UK – The Galleries of Justice. I have been multiple times and the place never ceases to amaze me. Activity under the right conditions can baffle and astound even the most experienced of investigators, and it really is a privilege to witness it.

PERSONAL PARANORMAL! Layer upon layer of history lie there right in the centre of the City I know, accessible to anyone. In the City centre itself there is enough for any investigator to keep themselves busy for years on end. From Nottingham Castle which has had its fair share of turbulence since its birth back in 1067, to Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem which claims to be the oldest drinking establishment in England. I have been to them all, multiple times even. I know their history, I know the stories of those that went before me. To be honest I could probably bore you to death and I wouldn’t have even scratched the surface. You see, this is one of the biggest problems. For all of the visits that I have conducted, for all of the events that I have attended and for all of the evidence that I have witnessed, I feel more unfulfilled than ever. I have so many questions yet very few answers. My City has shown me so much that it has to offer, yet it feels that it holds back so much more. I am

starting to realise that I am part of my City’s story, it is not part of mine. Many people have come and gone long before me. They played out their stories under the watchful eye of my City. When she allows, those stories are replayed and shown to those that want to see them, and for that I am forever grateful.

bigger than I could ever have imagined. When complete, it will be stored away until the time is right, to only be replayed when my City decides. I know my City is haunted, but is it the Most Haunted City I know?… yes it is, no it’s not, I don’t know and I don’t think I know it at all…

It is clear that I am nothing other than a new story, a minute chapter in something that is far

James Pykett is a paranormal investigator and enthusiast from Nottingham. You can follow his journey via Facebook - Haunted Nottinghamshire or on Twitter @ HauntedNottm Are you on a personal paranormal journey? Does the paranormal frustrate you as much as it excites you, whatever you think about the paranormal please do let us know and you could feature in Haunted Magazine, email personalparanormal@ deadgoodpublishing.com

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#dontbenormal

BE PARANORMAL!

ghost story, don’t od go a ve lo l al e W ted Magazine we we? Here at Haun e ghost stories that love rooting out th heard about... you may not have a of them just do us d ar he ve ha u yo If u d for a bit that yo favour and preten haven’t… (please)

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

The Greenbrier Ghost

n January 23, 1897, 23-year-old Zona Heaster Shue died under mysterious circumstances at her home in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Strangely, by the time a doctor arrived, Zona’s husband, Erasmus “Trout” Shue, had already moved her body from the downstairs area to the bed and dressed her. Throughout the next few days, Trout displayed some bizarre behaviour over his wife’s passing, but since the cause of death was initially believed to be heart failure, no one suspected foul play. However, weeks after Zona was laid to rest, her mother, Mary Jane Heaster, paid a visit the local prosecutor to ask for her daughter’s body to be exhumed. This decision was motivated by alleged visits from Zona’s ghost. Mary Jane claimed that Zona’s ghost had visited her over the course of four nights and revealed that Trout was an abusive husband who had broken her neck by strangling her in a fit of rage. The authorities agreed to Mary Jane’s request to exhume her daughter. An autopsy revealed that Zona’s neck had been broken. Trout was arrested and charged with his wife’s murder, even though the evidence against him was very circumstantial. When Mary Jane was called to the witness stand at the trial, Trout’s defence attorney challenged the story about her supposed encounters with the “Greenbrier Ghost.” However, Mary Jane never wavered from her original story, and her testimony proved to be so convincing and believable that the jury could not disregard it. In the end, they would find Trout Shue guilty. He was given a life sentence at Moundsville Penitentiary, where he died three years later.

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The Ghost of James L. Chaffin Ghost Helps Family Find His Missing Will

n 1921, James L. Chaffin, a farmer from Mocksville, North Carolina, died after a fall. He left behind a wife and four sons. James’s will, which had been written out many years beforehand, left the family farm to his third son, Marshall. However, legal problems arose the following year, when Marshall unexpectedly died. Since there were no provisions for the rest of the Chaffin family in the will, they wound up losing their estate to Marshall’s widow. However, in 1925, James’s second son, James Pinkney Chaffin, shocked everyone by filing a lawsuit to challenge the will’s validity. Even more shocking was the fact that this lawsuit was brought on by alleged interactions with a ghost.

James Jr. claimed he had been having a series of dreams where he was visited by his father’s spirit. One night, James Sr. suddenly appeared wearing his old overcoat and told his son that a new will could be found in the inside pocket. When James Jr. retrieved his father’s overcoat, he discovered that the inside pocket was covered by a new lining. Hidden in the pocket was a note that read: “Read the 27th chapter of Genesis in my daddy’s old Bible.” James Jr. soon tracked down his grandfather’s old Bible and was shocked to discover that a new will was actually hidden inside, right next to the 27th chapter of Genesis. It had been written by James Sr. in 1919. James Sr. now wanted his estate to be divided equally among his four children. At the trial, experts seemed to agree that the handwriting on the will actually did belong to James L. Chaffin. Even Marshall’s widow became convinced that the will was genuine, so she agreed to a settlement that returned control of the estate to the Chaffins.

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The Montrose Ghost

n the morning of May 27, 1913, Lieutenant Desmond Arthur, an Irish-born pilot in the Royal Flying Corps, took off in a B.E.2 biplane for a seemingly routine training flight at the Montrose Airfield in Scotland. However, the right wing of the aircraft suddenly snapped off in mid-flight, and Arthur was killed in the subsequent crash. Initially, it was believed that the tragedy was caused by a faulty repair job on the plane. However, three years later, an official government investigation would determine that Arthur himself was at fault for the crash. Many of Arthurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fellow airmen were unhappy about this black mark on his record, but it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t long before Montrose Airfield would be plagued by a series of unexplained supernatural events. In August 1916, personnel stationed at Montrose started having visions of what appeared to be the ghostly apparition of a pilot. Some of the witnesses recognized the mysterious figure and believed it to be the ghost of Desmond Arthur. The sightings became so widespread that terrified airmen started abandoning their posts or requesting a transfer from Montrose. Finally, C.G. Gray, the editor of the flying magazine The Aeroplane, decided to push forward the theory that Arthur had returned to haunt his former airfield in response to the government investigation that smeared his name. Gray successfully lobbied for the investigation into the crash to be reopened. This time, the verdict was that Desmond Arthur was not responsible. After Arthurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name was cleared, the Montrose Ghost would disappear, save for one last sighting where he appeared to be smiling.

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The Cock Lane Ghost

here have been numerous recorded cases of alleged hauntings that turned out to be complete hoaxes, but few of them created the sensationa lism of the “Cock Lane Ghost.” In 1759, Wi lliam Kent and his spouse, Fanny, moved into a house on Cock Lane, a narrow alley in the Smithfield section of London. Six mo nths later, the couple would move out afte ra dispute over money : The landlord, Ric hard Parsons, refused to pay back a loan Wi lliam had made to him. Shortly afterward, Fanny passed away from smallpox. In Januar y 1762, William was shocked to read an article about himself in The Public Ledger. The arti cle implied that William had murdered Fanny. The person responsible for this story was Richard Parsons, who claimed that the house on Cock Lane was now haunted by Fan ny’s ghost. Fanny allegedly appeared before Par sons, telling him she did not die of smallpo x and that her husband had poisoned her wit h arsenic. William was invited to his form er home for a séance, in which a clergym an named John Moore would summon Fanny’s spirit. When asked a series of questio ns, the ghost responded with a series of kno cks that painted William as a murderer. The Co ck Lane Ghost became such a sensationa l story that large crowds would flock to the location. Séances became a frequent occurrenc e. Eventually, the whole story was largely considered a fraud when Parsons’s you ng daughter, Elizabeth, was caught rappin g on a board to simulate the ghostly knockin g sounds. In order to clear his name, Wi lliam Kent filed a lawsuit charging Parsons, Reverend Moore, Parsons’s wife, and a servant with conspiracy. They were give n short prison sentences and forced to pay restitution to William.

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Lowes Cottage

n 1994, an English couple named Andrew and Josie Smith moved into Lowes Cottage with their three children. The house was a centuriesold sandstone residence located in the village of Upper Mayfield. The Smiths had purchased it from a pair of sisters, Susan Melbourne and Sandra Podmore. However, according to the Smiths, they would soon discover that Lowes Cottage was haunted. Objects in the house started moving on their own and visions of ghostly figures appeared. At one point, Josie claimed that an unseen spirit attempted to rape and strangle her while she was in bed. The Smiths would also learn of a local urban legend, involving a young milkmaid who once lived in the house before she was raped and murdered.

The family decided to flee Lowes Cottage, but the previous owners filed suit against them for £3,000, the final instalment of the Smiths’ down payment. In response, the Smiths filed a counter-suit against the former owners for failing to disclose that the home was haunted. The two sisters claimed they had never experienced any paranormal activity during their time there and believed the Smiths were fabricating the story to get out of paying what they owed. The case was heard at Derby County Court in 1999, and the Smiths made an attempt to make the far-fetched story sound convincing. A priest named Reverend Peter Mockford had been brought in to bless Lowes Cottage, and he would testify that he believed the house was haunted. In spite of this testimony, the judge did not believe the story and ruled in favour of the two sisters, ordering the Smiths to pay them the £3,000.

A HAUNTING AT LOWES COTTAGE http://youtu.be/FfNQdg4PGcs http://youtu.be/cvTU8i-CM84

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Stambovsky v. Ackley

t’s very rare for lawsuits involving haunted houses to find success in a court of law, but the case of Stambovsky v. Ackley is an odd exception. In 1989, a man named Jeffrey Stambovsky purchased a house in Nyack, New York, which had previously been occupied by Helen Ackley and her family. However, it was not until after Stambovsky and his wife moved in that he learned that the house had attained much notoriety and was rumoured to be haunted. For years, Ackley had been claiming that her house was occupied by ghosts, and she even sold her story to Reader’s Digest and other media outlets. The problem was that neither Ackley nor her realtor bothered to disclose this to Stambovsky before he purchased the home. Even though Stambovsky never saw any ghosts and did not believe in them, his wife was still terrified of the prospect of living in a haunted house. He decided to file a lawsuit against Ackley and her realtor for fraudulent misrepresentation and demanded to be let out of his contract. He initially lost his suit in lower court, but after a successful appeal, Stambovsky’s case would be heard in front of the appellate division of the New York Supreme Court in 1991. Believe it or not, the court actually ruled in Stambovsky’s favour. He was allowed out of his contract, and his down payment on the house was returned. The ruling was based on the fact that Ackley had publicly advertised her home as being haunted and made money from selling that story, so she was obligated to disclose this fact to potential buyers. In the words of one of the judges: “As a matter of law, the house is haunted.”

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The Gray Man

awleys Island is a small coastal town in South Carolina. The town has become notable for the presence of a spirit known as “The Gray Man.” Ever since 1822, there have been numerous sightings of a mysterious spectral figure who wanders the area’s coastline. Much folklore surrounds the Gray Man, and there are numerous theories about his identity. One popular story is that he was a young man on the way to ask his lover to marry him but died after getting caught in quicksand. Because of this, he is forever condemned to wander the area, searching for his lost love. However, what elevates the Gray Man from being more than a standard ghost story is the longstanding belief that seeing him could potentially save your life.

It’s rumoured that the Gray Man always makes an appearance before a major hurricane hits the area. If you happen to encounter him, you will be spared from the storm’s destruction. Eyewitnesses have claimed that the Gray Man allegedly warned them to leave the area before a hurricane arrived. When the hurricane passed, these witnesses would return to the area to find their homes completely undamaged. While these stories may sound like urban legends, there is at least one documented case of such a situation happening in modern times. In September 1989, an elderly couple named Jim and Clara Moore claimed to have passed by the Gray Man during a walk outside their beach home. Not long afterward, Hurricane Hugo hit the area and caused widespread destruction. However, even though the surrounding homes were completely destroyed, the Moore’s’ residence was inexplicable left unharmed.

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

The Hammersmith Ghost

n January 3, 1804, Francis Smith, an excise officer from the Hammersmith area of London, was arrested for the shooting death of a bricklayer named Thomas Millwood. However, Smith claimed self-defence and had one hell of an excuse: Millwood was dressed in white clothing, so Smith thought he was shooting a ghost! Believe it or not, at the time, this did not seem like a farfetched story. Throughout the previous month, Hammersmith had been plagued by numerous sightings of what appeared to be a ghostly apparition. Things got really serious when a pregnant woman claimed to have been attacked by the ghost and died two days later. Armed vigilantes started searching for the ghost, which is what Francis Smith just happened to be doing on the night of January 3, when he shot Thomas Millwood. Because the community was so terrified of the “Hammersmith Ghost,” people wondered whether Smith should be held liable for Millwood’s death, but he was still charged with wilful murder. At the trial, witnesses actually testified about previous incidents where Millwood’s white clothing had frightened people who mistook him for a ghost. The jury initially decided that Smith should only be convicted on the lesser charge of manslaughter. However, the judge overruled their verdict and told them they needed to either find Smith guilty of murder or acquit him altogether. They chose to find him guilty of murder, and he was sentenced to death. However, Smith was soon granted a royal pardon, which commuted his sentence to one year’s hard labour. After this incident, the Hammersmith Ghost was never seen again.

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The Ghost of Russell Colvin

n May 1812, a man named Russell Colvin mysteriously disappeared without explanation from his hometown of Manchester, Vermont. Colvin happened to be the brother-in-law of Jesse and Stephen Boorn, who never liked him. Colvin’s whereabouts would remain unknown for the next seven years until the Boorn brothers’ uncle, Amos Boorn, shared a crazy story. Apparently, Amos had been having recurring dreams where the ghost of Russell Colvin appeared at his bedside. The ghost said that he had been murdered and directed Amos toward a cellar hole on the Boorn family farm, where his remains were supposedly hidden. A search of the cellar hole turned up no remains but did uncover some items that allegedly belonged to Colvin. Shortly afterward, a dog dug up some bone fragments at another location near the Boorn’s property.

The Boorn brothers were subsequently arrested and charged with Colvin’s murder. After a forceful interrogation, both of them eventually confessed to the crime. Even when it became apparent that Colvin’s so-called remains actually belonged to an animal and that the Boorn’s confessions had been coerced, there was enough circumstantial evidence for them to be convicted. Jesse would receive life in prison while Stephen was sentenced to death via hanging. However, in November 1819, when the New York Evening Post published an article about the Boorn’s convictions, a witness came forward to claim he had seen Russell Colvin in New Jersey. Colvin was eventually tracked down and brought back to Manchester to prove he was alive. On December 22, 1819, just one month before Stephen’s scheduled execution, Colvin shocked the community by making a surprise appearance. The Boorn brothers were officially exonerated.

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Booty vs Barnaby If one was to look through centuries’ worth of court records, they would be hard pressed to find a more bizarre case than Booty v. Barnaby. Some specific details are unknown (such as the first names of the participants), and the whole thing sounds too unbelievable to be true. Yet, an official excerpt from this case was actually found in the records of the Court of the King’s Bench from 1688. The story goes that on May 15, 1687, a sea captain named Barnaby and his crew were shooting for rabbits on the island of Stromboli in Italy. That afternoon, they saw a man being chased across the island by a figure dressed in black. Barnaby recognized the man being pursued as Mr. Booty, his neighbour from back home in Gravesend, England. The two figures ran toward a volcano and mysteriously disappeared into some flames of fire.

Months later, Barnaby returned home and was shocked to learn that Mr. Booty had died around the exact same time Barnaby saw him being chased on Stromboli. Barnaby became convinced that he had seen Booty’s ghost and that he was chased into the flames of Hell. His story soon spread around town, but Barnaby received a stunning surprise when he found out that the deceased man’s widow, Mrs. Booty, was filing a lawsuit against him for slander. Apparently, she did not like the idea of Barnaby spreading rumours that her late husband had been condemned to Hell. Believe it or not, this case was actually heard at the Court of the King’s Bench. Barnaby had recorded the incident from Stromboli in his ship’s journal, and at least 30 witnesses backed up his story. Many of them testified that Mr. Booty appeared to be dressed in the same clothing he was wearing at the time of his death. The court came to the conclusion that a whole 30 witnesses could not be mistaken. They ruled that Barnaby had not committed slander. Mrs. Booty lost the case.

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ASYLUM SEEKERS No, we’re not writing this from beyond the grave, providing unequivocal proof ghosts exist (sorry). While most people were out drinking, we investigated Liverpool’s Newsham Park Hospital in true Calamityville style: hiding in naughty cupboards, commandeering morgue fridges and making enemies out of peroxide blondes.

Newsham Park began life in 1874 as The Royal Liverpool Seaman’s Orphanage, designed by Sir Alfred Waterhouse. Liverpudlian ship owners and merchants, led by James Beazley decided to establish an institute for families of sailors and those lost at sea. One donor was White Star Line, who built the Titanic. At this time, 75% of the British navy couldn’t swim, which resulted in many sailors drowning, so the orphanage built a swimming pool in 1900 to teach the children. Hopefully it wasn’t so they could rescue their fathers.

The orphanage was designed to hold 400 children, but in WW1, housed 1000. During WW2, the children moved to Hill Bark in Frankby and the orphanage became a military hospital. On 19th October 1940, an undetonated bomb damaged it in the Liverpool Blitz. Despite good intentions, the orphanage wasn’t a happy place. One former resident claims siblings were separated and the

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“After one death pose too many, we were locked inside a morgue fridge. Just another Friday night with Calamityville Horror.”

matrons were cruel. Children suffered pitch black solitary confinement in the boiler room and naughty cupboards which flank the attic corridor. The orphanage closed on 27th July 1949, becoming Newsham Park Hospital in 1954. It stopped taking patients in 1988 and by 1992, everyone was relocated. Rainhill Lunatic Asylum closed that year, so its patients moved to Newsham Park. It closed in 1997 and was bought by a property developer. Newsham Park looks like it belongs in a horror film, but are the ghosts’ fictional extras or real life legends? Doors slam in the attic corridor where a child apparently died. People feel uneasy in the basement. Dragging noises plague the dining room. Dark shadows and voices echo through the staircases, corridors and wards, especially Ward G. White mist has been seen in the cinema, where patients were reputedly bound to chairs and left to watch films on

ASYLUM SEEKERS Newsham Park Hospital Investigation a pull down screen (they’d have to restrain us too if they showed romcoms). Rope strangles the beam in the bell tower where a person who hanged themselves still lingers. Workmen’s tools disappear, reappearing elsewhere in the building. A horse walked through the ground floor wards. A nurse who often saw ghosts was found dead on the staircase by the main corridor. Psychiatric patients talked to children no-one could see, but their stories were dismissed as lunacy. We couldn’t verify or debunk these stories or find death records relating to the hospital, but Liverpool Park Police records state between 1878 and 1891, four people drowned themselves in the park’s lake and one man attempted suicide. We were more excited than Leatherface in a chainsaw convention. We met Neen in Gloucester at the Galavant film set where she was the scenic artist. After abandoning our car in a layby off the M5, we set off in Neen’s campervan at 4:20 p.m. We

“We were more excited than Leatherface in a chainsaw convention.” 26

reached the orphanage at 8:50 p.m. The M6 is not our friend. Bet the queen never has to tolerate traffic on the M6. We’d booked with a company we’d never used before. They’d promised three hours of sole investigation time. We had two. Five hours of group vigils soon got boring. We were initially pleased that organiser Matt was a fellow sceptic, until his introduction and vigils consisted of rants about paranormal programmes he’d worked on faking everything. Fishing line doesn’t show in night vision – fakers take note. We did a vigil in the school house and three women (we’ll call them Mystic Megs) experienced everything. One woman was escorted out after feeling faint. Our request that she faint on camera sadly wasn’t

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met. Calamityvilles never had a fainting. People felt cold or hot. All we felt was hungry. Everyone was split into three groups, with ours joining the medium, Phil. Our belief in mediums matches our belief in Santa, but he was pretty good. He believed in the power of suggestion and said if he claims a clown is in the room, we’ll see it. We hoped to Red Bull there wasn’t a clown. We’d knee him right in the juggling balls. During a séance in the naughty boys’ corridor, Phil saw a child loitering by Cat. Her K2 and camera didn’t detect it and we’re as sensitive as quick mud. The Mystic Megs called out for Jeff. Neen said: “it’s not Jeff, it’s Tommy.” People always blurt out names and we roll our eyes. But we’ve known Neen since we were 5 and it’s never happened.

ASYLUM SEEKERS Newsham Park Hospital Investigation Perhaps because this was her first sober investigation. She heard a voice saying ‘Tommy’ and he was 5. Phil confirmed it then locked her in Tommy’s cupboard. We claimed adjoining cupboards but no-one else wanted to experience them. That would be like visiting Wonka’s factory and not diving into the chocolate river.

of the Mystic Megs, a peroxide blonde with a poodle perm said:

Cat wore our new shoulder rig for the Sony and was still adjusting to the spatial awareness, so when we moved into the psychiatric ward, she walked into a wall.

Poodle Perm: “You could turn it off.”

Our group joined organiser Natalie in the school house, where she requested knocking responses. We got nothing. One

“I can’t concentrate with that camera whirring.” Sitting in the dark doesn’t require much concentration – we weren’t counting crumbs in a biscuit. Cat replied: “I can’t do anything about the whirring.”

If she’d asked politely, we wouldn’t have minded, but her bitchy, entitled tone riled us. We were raised to be polite so Cat switched the camera off. Instantly, the Mystic Megs heard knocking no-one else heard.

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Funny that. Downstairs, an upturned glass acted as a planchette. We don’t trust strangers not to fake these, so didn’t participate. Eventually, one woman felt the glass shift. Seconds later, our K2 bleeped for the first and only time and it wasn’t captured because Poodle Perm ‘couldn’t concentrate’, yet the ghost box’s deafening static didn’t hinder her concentration. Our final vigil was with Matt, who ranted about paranormal shows faking stuff for money. Why would a strong disbeliever run a ghost hunting company? It wouldn’t be for the money,

ASYLUM SEEKERS Newsham Park Hospital Investigation morgue. Natalie was locking up, so we begged her to let us in. She said: “I’ll have to lock you in for half an hour. Is that ok?” We practically barged her aside and scampered in. There, like a glowing beacon accompanied by angels singing, was the fridge. This was our only opportunity to get inside a morgue fridge while we were alive to enjoy it. It was surprisingly roomy on top bunk. Neen shut us in and explored while we did a 25 minute EVP session and tweeted.

would it? We didn’t pay to listen to ranting. We can watch that on YouTube for free. Unsurprisingly, his rants didn’t encourage spirit activity. We moved rooms where he antagonised the matron. Apparently this achieved responses with the other groups. It’s always ‘the other group’ who experience stuff. Neen asked if someone was in the circle then stepped forwards to check. She’d seen a stocky, miserable woman. Matt said this was how people describe the matron. Finally at 2 a.m. we were given free rein. We were like dogs let off leads. It was all we could do not to run off barking and biting the

other guests. We rigged cameras either end of the naughty boys’ corridor and positioned motion sensor lights opposite our trigger objects: Roxy, our punk sock monkey and Ketch, our cuddly executioner. We fetched our crystals and DVRs but the crystals refused to respond, so we did an EVP session. We were constantly interrupted by people walking through the corridor and our equipment obstacle course so we locked ourselves in the cupboards. Cat suddenly wanted to vomit. We attributed this to tiredness and lack of Red Bull. Neen moved to the psych ward by herself and heard voices. After 15 minutes, we headed for the

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Neen joined us inside. We were so comfortable, we could’ve slept there. When Neen slid her slab back to get out, it tilted, nearly pitching her onto the filthy floor. Naturally, we filmed her struggle. We finished the night by crawling into the cremation pit. Cat had no balance and Lynx tripped, both of us fearing we would face plant into ashes and bone fragments. We left Newsham at 4 a.m., parked the camper in a housing estate and bunked down. Is Newsham Park hospital haunted? Personally, we’d say no, though Neen’s experiences were interesting. We want to investigate alone but overnight locations cost £600 plus public liability insurance. We know we’re liabilities but we can’t afford to pay for our calamities. *Dons balaclavas.* If anyone wants us, we’ll be at the bank…

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was told by my parents that I would talk of seeing and hearing things in the house or seeing people in the room, when no one was there from the age of around 2 yearsâ&#x20AC;? Tom Buckmaster

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WHO THE SCOOBY DOO IS

TOM BUCKMASTER? W

here to begin? My name is Tom Buckmaster and I am the Host, Lead Investigator and Executive Producer of the Haunted Finders paranormal web series. I guess I should start by telling you all a bit more about me and how I came into the paranormal and what made me start hunting Ghosts. I was born and grew up in a small Nottinghamshire Village called Calverton, funnily enough Calverton is supposedly one of Nottinghamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most haunted villages. The paranormal was always a talked about subject in my house growing up and one of the reasons being was that my house was extremely haunted. I was told by my parents that I would talk of seeing and hearing things in the house or seeing people in the room, when no one

was there from the age of around 2 years. This was a common thing that would happen in my house as I grew up. I guess you can say I grew up thinking it was normal to have things like this happen. Obviously as I got older I found out it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. I remember a time in our house in Calverton, my sister was babysitting me and the lights in the house kept turning on and off. This again was a regular occurrence. The lights would go off and you would hear noises downstairs and muffled voices coming from the living room. It used to scare the crap out of us and just thinking about it now sends shivers down my spine.

of Witchcraft and according to legend some say the whole area was a mass, unmarked burial ground for them. Very creepy indeed. It was my experiences as a child that really got me into the paranormal world and made me want to find out more and the truth behind hauntings and sightings, if that meant spending the night in extremely haunted locations in the complete pitch black, that is what I would do.

When we moved out of the house and when I was about 16 years old. We did a little research on the area and found out that just up from my childhood home, they used to hang people accused

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WHO THE SCOOBY DOO IS TOM BUCKMASTER?

started investigating the paranormal further at the age of only 16 years, not professionally as I do now, but I would travel to haunted graveyards, woods and haunted ruins or anywhere that had a history of sightings and paranormal occurrences and try to find out more. Many times I did experience things some quite frightening others I would get nothing at all. I guess that is the paranormal all over. You can go to any haunted location even the most haunted in the world, with all the best equipment but that doesn’t mean something’s going to happen or you’re going to see a ghost. It wasn’t till the start of 2011 that I began investigating locations professionally; I carried out many paranormal investigations in some of Britain’s most active locations. I experienced some amazing things at certain locations and some I came to the conclusion there was really nothing much there. I have to say one of my all-time favourite locations was the Ancient Ram Inn in Gloucestershire. I recommend that any paranormal enthusiast or investigator to

spend the night in that place. It is truly one of the scariest places I have been to. I started the Haunted Finders series in April 2014 where we filmed season one at various locations around the UK, I wasn’t really expecting much to come from it. It is something I wanted to do for a while to share our experiences and findings with as many people as possible. I wasn’t expecting it to be a success not only in the UK but the US and Australia. We have had some amazing support through our first season of the show and it has kept us going and made us want to make more and more shows for the world. We are currently in our second season of Haunted Finders at the moment and have even had the pleasure of working with Lesley Smith from Living TVs Most Haunted. We filmed a special episode at Tutbury Castle a few weeks back and Lesley was kind enough to give us an exclusive interview for the show.

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You can watch this episode on our YouTube channel along with all of our other past and future episodes. I hope you have enjoyed reading my first feature in Haunted Magazine, I thought I would just tell you a bit more about me so that you can all get to know me a bit better. Tom Buckmaster Haunted Finders Executive Producer

Links: YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/ hauntedfinders Tutbury Castle episode: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6tbkHfwDl0E Toms Twitter: http://www.twitter. com/tombuckmaster Haunted Finders: http://www. twitter.com/hauntedfinders

“Life is all about finding yourself through experiences, and about learning more and more about who you are and what you’re capable of. If you’re getting older and not succeeding in anything or doing anything to make a positive impact on people, then you’re not living. You’re just waiting for death. Get out there and make an impact on people, whether it’s by helping them directly or by doing research to make their lives better or just by inspiring them. Do something good to be remembered for. This is more important than money.”

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GHOST ADVENTURES IN THE WORLDWIDE WEB OF

ZAK BAGANS

a.k.a Come on Zak, sort out the interview you promised us!

Yes Zak is on our front cover of this issue of Haunted Magazine, much to our delight and his fans AND there’s the chance to win a copy of his new book “I am Haunted”. We were thinking what the heck do we write about Zak to accompany his presence on the front cover, then we thought lets google him and see what pops up and 0.01241345 seconds later there’s a whole world of Zak, facts, pictures, art, quotes, some you may have heard of or seen and some you may have not, so we’re going to sit and wait patiently for Zak to answer YOUR questions but in the meantime her is “the worldwide web of Zak Bagans”…. Enjoy!!

“Zachary Alexander (Zak) Bagans was born on April 5, 1977 in Washington, DC and currently lives in Las Vegas. He is the lead investigator and co-founder of the "Ghost Adventures Crew" organization, one of the largest worldwide network of professional paranormal investigators and is mostly known as the host and lead investigator for the reality TV series on The Travel Channel's "Ghost Adventures", which is currently in its tenth season” “As a former sceptic, Zak says that his passion for investigating the paranormal resulted from a faceto-face encounter with the spirit of a suicidal woman in his apartment building in Trenton, MI, in 2002” “This passion has certainly kept him busy. Outside of his busy schedule of filming and producing "Ghost Adventures" since its beginning in 2008, he has been involved in numerous other projects. In 2011, Zak hosted and produced the show “Paranormal Challenge” which aired on the Travel Channel. The Travel Channel

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special “Ultimate Travel: Legends of the Parks”, about paranormal activity in national parks was also narrated by him. Then, in 2011, to share an even more indepth experience with his fans and sceptics, Zak wrote a book with Kelly Crigger titled “Dark World: Into the Shadows with the Lead Investigator of the Ghost Adventures Crew”. The book was a great success as it debuted at number 18 on the New York Times Best Seller list on September 23, 2011” “In 2013, his success continues as he launched his private clothing brand “Reaper” and has been in two music collaborations. The first collaboration was on a track within the Lords of Acid album “Deep Chills” with a song called “Paranormal Energy”. The second collaboration was with Praga Khan. This lead to a full length album entitled “NecroFusion”, which was released on October 23, 2012. Within the day, "NecroFusion" topped the 'Electronic' album charts on iTunes”

FUN ZAK FACTS: *if any of its wrong, blame SIRI!* • Zak used to work as a wedding DJ. • Zak owns the Copyrighted 1897 First Edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. • Zak is afraid of snakes, heights and crazy looking dolls: During their investigation at the Old Idaho State Penitentiary (Season 1), he faced a field with snakes; he freaked out, but grabbed one either way to face his fear. In season 3, Bagans summarized his greatest fears while climbing an aged staircase inside a shot tower at the Remington Arms factory: “Heights, snakes, and crazy-looking dolls…Those are on Zak’s top three I-don’t-like list.” Zak encountered situations involving these fears in the episodes at Sloss Furnance, Idaho State Penitentiary, and the Riddle House, respectively. Recently Zak added a new fear to his list *elevator shafts.* “let’s just say elevator shafts are now on my phobia list! 0 HOLY SH#T!!!!!!!!!!!!!” – Zak Bagans • Zak’s favourite colours are black & red • Zak’s favourite Ice cream Flavour is Cookies ‘n Cream (He said it in Aaron’s Vlog while they were doing the Moon River Brewery investigation in Savannah Georgia) • Zak is allergic to red food dye (He said it in Aaron’s Vlog during their investigation in Poveglia Island, Italy as well as during their investigation in Ireland at the Stewards house where he mentioned that red dye gives him zits.) • Zak likes to eat Wild Onions/Green Onions (He said his father taught him how to pick them in the wild, he then proceeded to pick and eat some in Aaron’s vlog while they were doing the Ancient Ram Inn investigation in England)

• Zak plays the piano since he was four. He knows concertos and offered to play a Tchaikovsky for the lady giving them the walkthrough in season 4 Hill View Manor episode, when in their walkthrough they walked by a piano. • Zak does not like creepy looking dolls. (He said it during one of the live chats (don’t know which one). He also said it on the Remington Arms Factory episode when the crew went into John Zaffis’ house and he might have also said it on Birdcage theatre episode… • Zak does not like drama from women. • Zak likes Cinnamon Roll Toaster Strudel. • Zak has an aquarium in his house. • Zak has a Yorkshire terrier named Ridley, who now lives with his mom. (He named him Ridley after Bladerunner’s director Ridley Scott) • Zak now is the proud daddy of a beautiful Border collie girl named Gracie. • Zak’s shoe size is 11. • Zak has 7 tattoos: • Zak has 7 tattoos, 6 that are visible and 1 other that only he knows where in his body it is. • He has a Tribal/Aries tattoo on his right arm (only he knows what it is, since it’s always covered by those tight shirts he wears.) • a GAC Cross on his left arm (it’s a modified version of Celtic Cross that also represents the GAC logo, which is a Celtic Cross in the middle of a coffin.)

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• a “secret” symbol in his right inner wrist (it’s another type of cross called Dracula’s Order of the Dragon Vampire Cross; which he says it’s a representation of his darker side, and also represents Dracula and Vampires (which he is a huge fan of.)) • A big “Good vs. Evil” custom drawn on his back. “it represents the constant fight of good and evil…something I’ve seen in both worlds…..custom drawn” – Zak Bagans •the words” ”Denn die Todten reiten schnell” on his inner arm. “had “Denn die Todten reiten schnell” tattooed on my inner arm means “For the dead travel fast” page 11 Bram Stoker’s Dracula I’m also German.” – Zak Bagans •a blue cross on his right index finger

“When you are in the dark and you can’t see anything, something is looking at you seeing everything” Zak Bagans

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COMPETITION

10 COPIES OF ZAK BAGAN’S “I AM HAUNTED” UP FOR GRABS

From the New York Times-bestselling author of Dark World and presenter of hit TV series Ghost Adventures comes a selection of bonechilling, real-life stories of the paranormal, the haunting and the unknown. Here in the offices of Haunted Magazine we love a good competition and boy have we got a beauty for you this time! The editor has only gone and secured 10 copies of Zak Bagan’s brilliant new Biography “I Am Haunted” to give away. “So what do I have to do to get one?” I hear you ask. At first we thought of some private dances on Skype but thought that may be too risqué! So then, in his infinite wisdom, the editor decided to hide them in the magazine - all 10 of them which represented a bit of a headache for the designer and a veritable challenge to the reader! So all you have to do is find the pages where they are hidden and email them to bagabagansbook@deadgoodpublishing.com

with your name and full address and where you think the books are. Each entry will be given a number and each number will be put into a special sorting hat. NB: You CAN enter as many times as you want if you have different email addresses.

THANKS TO CHARLES HENRY, ZAK BAGANS AND THE PUBLISHERS FOR ALLOWING US TO GIVE 10 COPIES AWAY.

The competition closes on March 13th 23:59 (GMT) and we will ask Zak for 10 numbers between 1 and whatever the final amount of entries finishes at. Those 10 lucky numbers will each win the entrant a copy of Zak’s book. Anyone in the world can enter and we will post the book in the first week of April. Good luck!

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LOVE HORROR? LOVE THIS!

HAUNTED MAGAZINE’S AFTER DARK ISSUE 8 IS OUT NOW. FREE TO VIEW AT: www.hauntedafterdark.com

Location: Keele Hall Tunnel

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

PARANORMAL STAFFORDSHIRE

PART 3

It’s the third and final part into our look at spooky Staffordshire and we take a look at the scary moorlands and the dominating and prestigious Keele Hall.

WRITTEN BY THE CALLAGHAN’S - VON AND A.D (MOTHER & SON) The Staffordshire Moorlands are beautiful and picturesque in the day time. At night, they are especially eerie and scary, with all kinds of spirits from local legends and folklore appearing. The moors can be quiet, secluded and foggy, and when you throw supernatural beings into the mist, you have a recipe for an unpleasant atmosphere that can drive you mad. Keele Hall is similar. Its architecture is sublime, and the grounds are green and lush. It’s hard to imagine the location has a history of the occult. Anyway, let’s begin with a mermaid, or two.

lake Mere Pool is said to be inhabited by a mermaid. Legend has it that several hundred years ago, a beautiful young woman rejected the advances of a man named Joshua Linnet. In revenge, Linnet accused the young woman of witchcraft, which resulted in her being drowned in the Blake Mere Pool. As she drowned, she cursed Linnet before sinking

to the bottom, that she would have her revenge. Three days later Linnet’s body was found beside the pool, with deep claw marks all over his face. It seems that the young woman had had her revenge, though her spirit continues to haunt the pool to this day. A different legend simply claims that the body of a woman, a local pedlar, was dumped in the pool by a serial killer in 1676.

Location: Blake Mere Pool

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PARANORMAL STAFFORDSHIRE PART 3 Furthermore, another account claims that a sailor from nearby Thorncliffe fell in love with a mermaid, and brought her home, only to abandon her in the pool. Either way, the Mermaid of Blake Mere is said to rise from the pool at midnight to lure unwary travellers to their deaths in the dark and murky waters. She most notably attracts and then kills unmarried men. The attacks seem to happen specifically at midnight, however, as despite the legends people have swam in the pool without being harmed, or even experiencing anything unusual. Eyewitnesses have reportedly seen a pair of pale hands rising up from the murky waters to attract the attention of anyone passing by. Blake Mere Pool was reputedly bottomless, until recent surveys discovered that it is no more than six feet deep, and has a muddy bed. Bizarrely, in spite of its depth the level of water never alters, even during dry seasons. In fact, a couple of decades ago there was a fire on the moors, and the fire brigade pumped approximately 90,000 gallons of water out of Blake Mere Pool in an attempt to extinguish the inferno. Even then, the Fire Chief noted that the water level hardly varied at all. This may be attributed to the pool being connected to an unknown water source.

oxey Pool, which is about 2km away from Blake Mere Pool, shares some of its attributes. It is claimed that both pools are sourced by a spring, however, both pools are situated higher than every known spring in the area. Both pools are also reportedly connected by an underground water passage, though there is no evidence that supports this theory. The legend of Doxey Pool is that it is inhabited by a mermaid called Jenny Greenteeth, which is known to be a blue nymph in folklore. According to legend, Jenny fell into the pool on a foggy day whilst walking along the Roaches, a prominent rocky ridge in the Staffordshire Moorlands. Ever since she drowned in the pool that day, she has been enticing unsuspecting victims down to the pool, to their watery grave. It is interesting that both of these pools share similar stories of a mermaid. One mermaid this far inland is remarkable on its own, but perhaps two mermaids are too farfetched; even if you do believe in mermaids.

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PARANORMAL STAFFORDSHIRE PART 3

ot too far from Blake Mere and Doxey Pool is a chasm located near the village of Gradbach, named Ludchurch. The crevice is 100m long, 18m deep, and is unusually wet and cool, even on the hottest of days. It was considered by early Pagans to be a sacred place, most likely due to the sun which shines light directly into Ludchurch at midday on the Summer Solstice. This is perhaps where the chasm gets its name, as Lugh was a Celtic sun god, and when you anglicise his name, it becomes ‘Lud’. Another explanation is that the chasm is named after a huntsman’s horse, ‘Lud’. The huntsman was pursuing a deer on Lud’s back towards the ravine, only he was unaware due to foggy weather conditions. At the last moment, his horse realised the peril of falling into the chasm and bucked, vaulting the huntsman to his death at the bottom of Ludchurch. The huntsman may be the reason for the apparition of the ‘Green Man’. However, the ‘Green Man’ has also been known as the ‘Green Knight’. This is because Ludchurch may have been where Sir Gawain killed the Green Knight during a duel in the Arthurian poem ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’. Ludchurch is itself said to be the ‘Green Chapel’ from the same writing. The Green Man, or Green Knight, has made his presence known in the area by appearing before visitors covered in head to toe in moss and leaves. During the 1400s, a banned religious group known as the Lollards used Ludchurch as a place to worship in secrecy. The Lollards were followers of John Wycliffe, an early church reformer, and were thus condemned as heretics. A member of the Lollards, known as ‘Alice de Lud-Auk’ was killed when the local authorities discovered what the Lollards were doing and sent soldiers to raid the illegal gathering. Alice’s ghost has been seen in Ludchurch and the surrounding area, as other paranormal phenomenon such as orbs and spectral lights.

n Gradbach itself, there was once a family of cannibals. The story of the cannibals appeared in a book entitled ‘Legends of the Moorlands’. It tells the tale of a Pedlar from the nearby village of Flash making his way home. He was close to Ludchurch

when it started to get dark, and so he decided to have a quick drink in the local inn. As he quenched his thirst a young child ran up to him and said ‘What fat hands you have! What nice pies they will make.’ On hearing this the pedlar drank up and left, already aware of strange happenings and disappearances on the moors. As he quickly made his way through a wooded area by a brook, he heard the shouts of men and the barking of dogs pursuing him. He jumped into the brook to mask his scent from the dogs, and hid out of sight under a bridge. Once he had evaded capture he reported his pursuers to the authorities. They travelled to the inn and whilst searching the premises discovered the bones and gold of travellers who had gone missing. The family was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and acts of cannibalism; sentenced to be executed. The house in which they lived in has fallen to pieces due to lack of maintenance, but the remains can still be explored should one visit Gradbach.

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PARANORMAL STAFFORDSHIRE PART 3

n another area of Staffordshire Moorlands there have been many sightings of a Headless Horseman, seated on a white horse, galloping along the road between Onecote and Warslow. He is claimed to be the ghost of a murdered pedlar, killed by robbers, and his body placed back upon his horse. He may also have been a knight killed in combat with the Scots in Yorkshire. His horse brought his headless body back home to the moors. Either way, the Headless Horseman is said to be an omen, bringing bad luck to unlucky witnesses who either died or lost livestock in extraordinarily large numbers.

One winters night in the late 1800s a farmer was returning home drunk from Leek market. He heard hooves coming up behind him to which he thought was his neighbour on horseback. He requested a lift, but it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t till he was seated on the horse that he realised his mistake. In his inebriated state he had failed to notice that the man on the horse was not his neighbour, but

was actually the headless horseman. Before he could react properly the horse galloped off, clearing any and all obstacles in its way with minimum effort until it reached the farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home. The horse threw the farmer to the ground, and some days later he died of his injuries. Not long after this event, another local encountered the dreadful spectre. Fortunately he survived, but the day after

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his own horse died, and his dog also took sick, sadly dying at a later date. It is reported that due to the chaos of the Headless Horseman, seven clergymen were called to speak to and exercise the spirit. The horseman appeared and told them that he was one of four evil spirits condemned to wander the earth until the end of time. Needless to say, the exorcism failed!

PARANORMAL STAFFORDSHIRE PART 3

inally, moving away from Staffordshire Moorlands we have Keele Hall. Located in the village of Keele, Keele Hall was built in 1851. It is a prestigious building that stands in what is now the site of Keele University. It replaced the original hall which was of Tudor design, having been built in 1580 by the Sneyd family. The Knights Templar owned the land before the Sneyd family purchased it in 1544. Over the years various phantasms have been reported. One sighting is that of the ghost of Lady Sneyd, whose husband disapproved of her vanity and cut her hands off to stop her preening herself. Other people have seen a maid from the Victorian era on numerous occasions, in the building. It has been frequently reported that a network of tunnels exist underneath Keele Hall and its adjacent grounds. Originally constructed as a hideout for the Royal Family to hide them from the danger of local Bolshevist activity should their lives come into jeopardy during their stay. These tunnels may now act as service tunnels. Aleister Crowley visited Keele Hall in the early 20th century at the request of Ralph Sneyd, the owner. It is rumoured that Crowley was attracted to by the strong Ley Lines that supposedly cross the beneath the hall and grounds. In the grounds there is a tunnel in which Crowley and his followers created a creature known as an Ergegore to guard this area, which Crowley deemed special. There are also symbols carved on trees in the woods which are rumoured to be linked to the Ergegore. It is truly remarkable that we can find such a wide and diverse variety of paranormal phenomena in the Staffordshire Moorlands and at Keele Hall. We recommend a visit, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to admire the scenery, or to experience the truly weird and wonderful phenomena that these marvellous locations have to offer.

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THE SECRET

GHOSTHUNTER

DRIVEN MAD BY SCEPTICS

ou don’t get many sceptics on investigations. By definition they don’t believe in the paranormal or at least find much of it extremely dubious, so they’re unlikely to want to spend hours sitting at a Ouija board in rickety old buildings or rural backwaters trying to make contact with Judge Jefferies, that most popular of law-establishment spectres. And they’re even less likely to happily stay awake until 3am or later in the elusive hope that “something will turn up.” Sceptics probably think it’s a waste of their time. So it’s no surprise when they’re rarely invited along by paranormal groups. It’s a bold bunch that drags a naysayer along with them on their adventures, knowing the selfconfessed sceptic will dampen enthusiasm with their cold rationality. In response sceptics are made to feel unwelcome by the believers in the team. This reaction is understandable and I’ve felt it myself: you feel uncomfortable around them, afraid to express your thoughts or vocalise feelings because you

dread their scornful laughter. The fear of being labelled a freak or a charlatan is enough to shut you up, so you can’t relax or relinquish your inhibitions. You speculate whether they’re picking apart everything you do or say as you try to communicate with spirits. When you mention to a sceptic that you’ve witnessed phenomenon it’s boiled down to figments of a fanciful imagination. Try asking aloud in an empty room “is there anybody here with us? Give us a sign of your presence” when a sceptic’s about and see if you feel like a prat. It’s almost-certain they’ll make you feel embarrassed. I clearly remember one investigation with my ghosthunting team when we spent the night at a very famous haunted house. The entire investigation was undermined because I invited along a friend who happened to be a sceptic. He wasn’t offensive or anything, and he tried to keep an open mind, but it didn’t matter. No one wanted him there. He’s not a believer, and he’s not sensitive to spirits, so he wasn’t aware of

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the peculiar atmosphere at this location. He assumed that all the unusual activity we picked up on such as rapping, sudden bangs, dramatic changes in the temperature were naturallyoccurring and he wouldn’t accept our interpretation. It didn’t matter how spectacular it seemed to be. A heavy wooden door slammed solidly shut behind us when we were walking through the building, with no discernible draughts or human interference. It shook the whole building, it was that powerful. Yet my friend was adamant it wasn’t spirits. “It can’t be ghosts,” he told me. “Why would they want to slam the door?” I had to answer “why not?” He didn’t take part in tabletipping, though we had impressive results, and he scoffed at dowsing. I was frustrated with him, and the rest of the team were sick of it. They felt restrained, and could not settle into their work. The fun had drained away. It was like being kept under observation by a parent who tutted at all the naughty children. It was not enjoyable. More galling was when he nodded off to

“It’s a bold bunch that drags a naysayer along with them on their adventures, knowing the self-confessed sceptic will dampen enthusiasm with their cold rationality.”

sleep during a vigil. Though in hindsight it was better when he slept! We weren’t under any kind of scrutiny and could let rip with a séance. And when he decided to leave early (i.e. before 1am) because of boredom we were all relieved. It was nasty of us to wish him gone, and much worse was my betrayal. In his own way, my friend – the sceptic – showed integrity and candour: he didn’t pretend to believe in ghosts, or surrender to browbeating and accept our assertions at face value. He tried to apply reason and logic. And in return we resented him for it. It was uncomfortable having our vocation (or, to some, our “special calling”) opened up to scrutiny and mockery. There was a niggling fear that the light of probity might undeservedly depict us as frauds, no matter our honest intentions. If there’s a lack of certainty or the tiniest hint of suspicion then ghostly encounters are chucked away as garbage by the cynical general public.

That’s something I hate, sceptics’ incessant need for proof – undeniable proof, mind! – without which our discoveries are discarded as wishful fantasies or sheer stupidity. It puts investigators under pressure, and it’s annoying to consider that even the most wonderful, substantial evidence would have critics picking holes in it. There’s no sympathy given to people who have actually had genuinely odd experiences which cannot be easily categorised or explained. Much of it is down to observations and feelings which are hard to objectively assess. Like most investigators I dislike being preached at and criticised for lack of scientific vigour or clear methodology. I had to remind my sceptical friend that it was a ghost hunt, not a bloody report into quantum mechanics! With their steadfast disavowal of the supernatural sceptics turn it into a long, lethargic slog. Don’t get me wrong, I can empathise with both sides of the argument. To some extent I’m a sceptic too. I’m a firm believer in the paranormal but I don’t always

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buy into outrageous claims about demons and evil entities, many of which are patently the result of naivety and exposure to horror films. I know when to question things and use my common sense to look for a natural explanation before settling on ghostly intervention. That sounds stupid - ‘ghostly intervention’ – but when you’ve heard unearthly screaming in a cellar, like I did long ago on a ghostly vigil, you might not think of it as so wishy-washy. Thankfully the ‘sceptical’ side of my nature took a grip and I discovered in conversation with a building contractor that the cellar wall was vaguely close to a tube tunnel (it was in London), and I was hearing the sound of the underground. So scepticism is necessary for weeding out the liars and the fantasists and the well-meaning mistaken ones. The scrutiny tempers our enthusiasm and puts the brakes on a near-desperation to believe. It’s unfortunate that it sometimes takes away all the fun.

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

DEADLIER THAN THE MALE? In the last issue of Haunted we ran a feature on Madame LaLaurie and it got us thinking about “the female of the species” and “are they more deadly than the male”… we’ve done the research and we’ve found that there’s quite a few, some are quite famous and you’ve probably read about them, so here’s some not so infamous ones… we’ll let you decide for yourself.

JOANNE DENNEHY “The female serial killer deemed so dangerous she received a whole life sentence… “ 31-year-old Joanne Dennehy is one of only three women in English criminal history to be assessed to be so dangerous she can never be released from prison. (She shares this notoriety with Moors murderer Myra Hindley – now deceased – and Rosemary West, who murdered at least 10 people with her husband, Fred.) Dennehy, a mother of two, was driven by a “sadistic lust” for blood. She stabbed three men she knew to death in Peterborough, England during a ten day killing spree before traveling to Hereford, where she knifed two men at random in broad daylight within nine minutes of one another as they walked their dogs. Dennehy had wanted to kill nine men in total. She claimed to hunt and stab men for the purpose of entertainment, telling an accomplice, “I want my fun. I need you to get my fun.” She later told a psychiatrist that she had found murder to be “moreish,” and that after the first killing she “got a taste for it.” During sentencing, Dennehy laughed, smiled and swore as she was told she would die in jail.

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

DEADLIER THAN THE MALE?

JEANNE WEBER “The French child killer who kept evading justice“ French child killer Jeanne Weber strangled at least 10 kids, including two of her own. With each killing, Weber, for one reason or another, skirted justice before being convicted of murder and declared insane in 1908: • In 1905 two of Weber’s three children died. No red flags were raised – they were thought to have died of natural causes. • While babysitting her sister-in-law’s daughters, her 18-month-old niece suddenly “fell ill” and died. The bruises on her neck were ignored by the examining physician. • Weber continued to babysit her surviving niece. The two-year-old died while in her care. The doctor blamed her death on “convulsions.” • Weber also babysat for her brother. His daughter, 7-year-old Germaine, suffered a “chocking attack,” complete with red marks on her throat. She survived, but was less fortunate the following day when Weber returned. Her death was blamed on diphtheria. Her brother’s death, which occurred only four days later, was also blamed on the disease. • A month later, while babysitting yet another nephew, Weber was caught in the act of strangling the child by family members. She was soon charged with multiple murders. However, Weber was defended by a brilliant defence attorney, and jurors were reluctant to believe the worst about a grieving mother. She was soon acquitted. • 14 months passed before Weber (now going by Madame Moulinet) was once again on the radar of authorities. Another child was dead in her care. His death was initially also blamed on convulsions. However, the doctor changed

his opinion once he discovered Madame Moulinet was Weber, but the autopsy listed the child’s death as typhoid. Weber was once again free. • Weber resurfaced as an orderly at a children’s hospital, moving on from there to a children’s home. She was discovered strangling a child, but the owner of the home quietly dismissed her and covered it up. In 1908, after months of vagrancy, prostitution and a short stint in an insane asylum (doctors found her sane and set her free), Weber was again found in the act of strangling an innkeeper’s son. She was finally declared insane and survived ten more years in another asylum before hanging herself in 1918.

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

DEADLIER THAN THE MALE?

AILEEN WUORNOS “The social outcast and prostitute who was responsible for the deaths of seven men…”

More than a decade after her execution, the public is still fascinated with hitchhiking prostitute and Florida serial killer, Aileen Wuornos. It seems Wuornos never had a chance at a normal life. She was raped and abused while growing up in Michigan. Her father, a sex offender, committed suicide in prison. Her mother abandoned her altogether. She was kicked out of her grandparents’ home by age 15, and made her way to Florida where she survived as a prostitute.

was working as a highway prostitute, and shot them in self-defence after they attempted to sexually assault her. The jury didn’t buy it, however. She was found guilty and received a death sentence for six of the seven men. (No charges were brought against her for the murder of the seventh man, as his body was never found.)

Wuornos was frequently in trouble with the law. By the time of her arrest in 1991, her record included (among other felonies and misdemeanours’) arrests for illegal possession of a firearm, forgery, assault, and robbery. Between December 1989 and September 1990, the bodies of several men were found murdered along Florida highways. Items belonging to the men were pawned near where they were discovered and the alias names used were traced to her through thumbprints left on the pawn shop cards. Wuornos confessed to the murders of seven men. She claimed she was picked up by them when she

Wuornos was executed October 9, 2002. Her last words before the execution were, “Yes, I would just like to say I’m sailing with the rock, and I’ll be back, like Independence Day with Jesus. June 6, like the movie. Big mother ship and all, I’ll be back, I’ll be back.” Actress Charlize Theron won an Oscar for her portrayal of Wuornos in 2003’s critically acclaimed film, Monster.

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

DEADLIER THAN THE MALE?

IVANOVA and olga TAMARIN

“The burly woman who murdered more than 40 people for money”

“The Estonian mother and daughter serial killers who lured people to their deaths…”

Little is known about Estonian mother and daughter Ivanova and Olga Tamarin, but the ladies appear to be bandits and serial killers with cannibalistic tendencies. The women were tracked down in 1912 following the discovery of a number of corpses “mutilated beyond recognition.” After this discovery, the house was surrounded by authorities and the women were arrested. A search inside resulted the discovery of another 27 corpses in a storehouse, as well as a great number of watches, purses and other articles of value, and a quantity of male and female garments. According to the July 21, 1912 issue of the San Francisco Call newspaper, 17-year-old Olga lured victims into their home. “The eating room of the house was furnished with a trap door, through which the victims were precipitated into the cellar. In the cellar murderous instruments and fetters of all sorts were found. The women confessed to being at the head of a band which, during recent months, had robbed and murdered 40 people who had been decoyed to the house by Olga, and mentioned thirty other peasants belonging to the band, who were also arrested, while nine others escaped.”

BELLE GUNNESS

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Wherever Belle Gunness went, trouble seemed to follow. The burly Norwegian woman, who stood at imposing 6’ and weighed 200 pounds, came to the States in search of wealth. What followed were a series of insurance frauds and crimes, escalating in size and danger. After marrying Mads Albert Sorenson in 1884, the couple’s store and home mysteriously burned down. They claimed the insurance money for both. On the one day Mads’ insurance policies overlapped, he suddenly died of heart failure. Belle’s two infant children were also believed poisoned for an insurance pay-out.

DEADLIER THAN THE MALE?

BEVERLEY ALLITT The Angel Of Death “The paediatric nurse who murdered children in her care”

Belle married again and gave birth to another child, but her second family went the way of the first. A succession of suitors (who answered her ads in the matrimonial columns of all the Chicago daily newspapers), became her next victims. By the time family members of the missing gentlemen callers started becoming suspicious, a lovelorn, jealous farmhand, Ray Lamphere, burned her farm to the ground. In the ruins, workmen discovered four skeletons.Three were identified as her foster children. However, the fourth was inexplicably missing its skull, and though thought to be Gunness, was never formally identified. Her victims were recovered from shallow graves around the farm, with more than 40 bodies of men and children exhumed. Gunness was never jailed for her crimes; she emptied her bank accounts and disappeared sometime in the early 1900s.

Some say Beverly Allitt is afflicted with Münchausen syndrome by proxy, in which a perpetrator ascribes to, or physically falsifies illnesses in someone under their care to attract attention. Others believe she merely has a “pre-disposition to kill.” While her motives are still unclear, her guilt is not in question. She is responsible for the murder of four children, the attempted murder of three other children, and grievous bodily harm to a further six children while working at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital, Lincolnshire, during a 59 day period in 1991. Allitt, born in 1968, had a normal upbringing. She had two sisters and a brother, her father Richard worked in an off-licence and her mother worked as a school cleaner. She volunteered for babysitting jobs prior to taking a course in nursing at Grantham College. Over a 59 day time period in 1991, medical staff became suspicious of the number of cardiac arrests on the children’s ward and police were called in. It was soon discovered that Allitt was the only nurse on duty for all the attacks. Allitt was found guilty on each charge and sentenced to 13 concurrent terms of life imprisonment, of which she is serving at Rampton Secure Hospital in Nottinghamshire.

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DEADLIER THAN THE MALE?

Dana Sue Gray “The cash crazy serial killer who preyed upon elderly women…” Before selling her panties to murderabilia websites, Dana Sue Gray made her money by murdering old ladies and stealing their credit cards. By all accounts, Gray also had a normal upbringing. Despite her mother’s death from cancer at an early age, Gray was athletic and popular in school, and succeeded in achieving her ambition of becoming a nurse in five years. While on the job, she met husband William Gray, and the couple were married in 1990. They made good money (William was a machine operator), but spent it as fast it came in. Soon they were bankrupt, and filed for divorce. By 1994, Gray was left with a 5-year-old son and lingering expensive tastes. She turned to murder, and later told detectives, “I got desperate to buy things. Shopping puts me at rest.” Four women were attacked. One, Dorinda Hawkins, survived, and gave police a description of her attacker. The stolen credit cards in Gray’s possession also left a trail.

MARIA CATHERINA SWANEBURG “The Dutch woman who poisoned 100 people for money…” Maria Catherina Swanenburg has a higher body count than most of the ladies on this list. This Dutch serial killer murdered at least 27 people, but her tally could be as high as 90. Her motive? Money, in the form of insurance pay-outs or inheritances. Outwardly, Swanenburg was well liked. She was affectionately nicknamed “Goeie Mie” ( Dutch for “Good Me”), which she got for taking care of children and the sickly in the poor neighbourhood of Leiden in which she lived. However, it’s been established that she poisoned 102 people – 16 were relatives, including her mother and father –between 1880 and 1883. Of the survivors, 45 sustained lifelong health problems from the poison. The jig was up finally for Swanenburg after she was caught attempting to poison the Frankhuizen family in December 1883. She was tried and convicted of her last three murders in 1885. After receiving a life sentence, she died in prison in 1915. (Note to our female readers: WE DO LOVE YOU REALLY… JUST NOT THE DEADLY ONES...)

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

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The Perfect Haunting By James Pykett

s a Paranormal Investigator you are forever looking and searching for locations in which you can access. Some are more popular than others, and unfortunately that is very much reflected in the price of hiring or getting entry to them. It’s the simple economic theory that if demand exceeds supply, then the value increases. This I can accept. What bothers me more though, is that through all of the investigations and evidence gathered, the hours of work and research that we conduct, are we missing something that would make even the most experienced of researchers look naïve? Murder, suicide, torture and death. Not many people will say these words when you ask them what they think is a good night out. Yet if you ask any

self-proclaimed ghost hunter or investigator what they believe could fuel a powerful or demonic haunting, then these words would come up time and time again. Let’s be honest, there aren’t many ‘haunted’ houses where someone hasn’t died or passed as a result of the above. They are powerful events, full of emotion, a mixture of pure rage and sadness. As many of you will agree, these high energy events have to leave a ‘footprint’ in some way. Screams of pain and sorrow, EVP recordings of ‘Get Out!’ and people being scratched would surely back this up? I agree that the history of a building can certainly add fuel to the paranormal stories that reside there. For one, they actually happened in many cases right where you have

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stood. It gives you a feeling of connection and it can mess with even the most hardened person’s emotions. This alone though is still not enough for me to say… this location has ‘The Perfect Haunting’ I think that although this can help, there needs to more.

hen we look outside of the Paranormal, the most powerful one force for me has to be Mother Nature. Look at her power, her strength alone has to be a thing of beauty. She chooses to display it in many different ways and at some of the most inconvenient and unexpected times. She does not discriminate, she does not judge and she has no conscience. She doesn’t need to. She is in a position of power by default. If you think that a mobile phone

can make a change in the electromagnetic field around us, then think of the reading on your EMF meter that nature can create when it lights up the night sky with blue and white. For me, conditions that are created by this super power are the direct fuel for many of the recorded paranormal activity. The very elements that surround us, living trees, cold faced Sandstone rocks and the atmosphere itself are all charged by her. I honestly believe that when the conditions are right, when all pieces of the puzzle are in place, spirit will be able to harvest and at times exploit that energy to do as they so wish. Again though, for me, Mother Nature and all of her power is still not enough on its own to create ‘The Perfect Haunting’.

want to now tell you what I believe is the one thing that many of us overlook and miss when we are searching for the truth. Of course, give me an old prison where murder was committed, suicide was a part of day to day life and let me investigate it on the night of the biggest storm surge recorded. That would combine two of the most important aspects that I have already covered and yes, could it be a great night for evidence…I’m sure it could. But I ask you, what would be the main reason that I would have been there that night? I’ll tell you… Love. In my opinion Love is the strongest single emotion that any human being can feel. It has the power to push even the most level headed person into making the biggest and most

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life changing decision in a split second. It is this emotion that I feel many of us have lost touch with. When love is displayed, innocence beauty and trust are too. Remember why you do this. Remember what you started your journey for. Above all, remember this; if you as a spirit could use the energy to communicate, would it be with someone that had underlying motives of money and power, or would you use your one opportunity to feel what you once did when living? There is no ‘Perfect Haunting’ if there was it would have been discovered by now. If you don’t do what you do for love, then I believe that it may be you that is perfectly haunted…

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

VILLAGE PEOPLE!

“It’s fun to hunt at the HE:UK”

fter the winter break it was time to dust of the Ghost Hunting gear once again and begin the Ghost Hunting season. Haunted Events UK prides itself on many historic and beautiful locations such as Wollaton Hall, Newstead Abbey, Sherwood Forest and Nottingham Castle but in 2014 we added a new addition to the family.

The building known as The Village in the town centre of Mansfield Nottinghamshire is a Grade 2 listed malt house, a two-storey, 20,000 sq.ft building which dates back to the 18th century is a remnant from Mansfield’s brewing heritage and is the only building left of its kind in the town. The building was last used as a nightclub but has been vacant for at least eight years since the Village nightclub closed in 2002.

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

“A ghost hunt on Friday the 13th? Are you mad?”

I remember in the mid 90’s finishing off in the nightclub and even making full advantage of the early admission 10p a pint offer… yes 10p a pint! It didn’t taste too good but at that age who cared. The building is huge with 2 floors but endless rooms of old nightclub décor to new laser tag equipment to make the place look like a war zone. Together the location makes an ideal location for a spooky ghost hunt. When I found out the building was reopening as a laser tag venue I quickly approached the new owners and asked what their thoughts were on Paranormal events, they had already been approached by half a dozen event companies and teams to run events but they were impressed with our exclusive venues and were eager to join the team.

VILLAGE PEOPLE! The Village Investigation

After two very impressive events in the first year I was looking forward to returning for the first event of 2015 to see if we can look deeper into the activity already found there and also offer a longer event, usually we ran a short event up to midnight but this time for the first time we were there till 2am and ironically it was on Friday 13th which always helped. The event was a sell out to 35 guests and you could see the mixture of excitement and anxiety in the guests as they arrived, so familiar faces but also lots of newbies not only to the company but to ghost hunting in general.

The 35 were quickly split into 3 teams and split them up into 3 areas of the building; all teams were accompanied by the Haunted Events UK experienced team of investigators. •

Team 1 – Jason Wall and Simon Powell

•

Team 2 – Pete Cox, Helen Brice and Mat Davis

•

Team 3 – Rosie Knight and myself

The events are designed for the guests to investigate as much of the building as possible, concentrating on the most active locations and also working on experiments from way back when like glass and table tipping to the more modern techniques like the spirit box and the ALICE box. I was looking forward to the vigils as it was the first time I had control of the ALICE box on an investigation

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with guests. The ALICE box is a program for a tablet or laptop that is programmed with 10,000 words and is designed so the spirits can manipulate the program and push words onto the screen so the guests can communicate. What we are looking for is word relevant to the building, persons present or something solid so we can research and define as factually correct. I decided that we would also have a spirit box with us and also some old school techniques like the dowsing rods and some board work to see what worked

VILLAGE PEOPLE! The Village Investigation best along with ALICE. Rosie & myself decided to work in the new party rooms next to the briefing room, although they are bright and fun for parties, when the lights are off they soon become very very spooky, they are also the rooms where the most recent paranormal sightings have been reported. When they were refurbishing the property a couple were paining the middle party room when a middle aged gentleman entered the room, standing at 6 ft tall and wearing a brown leather apron and high white collar the couple asked how they could help him, he soon backed away out of the door he came through, the male who was decorating got up and went after him but could not find this strange gentleman, after further inspection they realised that the building was closed, locked and there was only 3 people in the building, the two painting and the manager. They checked CCTV and there was no sign of this man either. Who was he, what did he want?

The first group of guests arrived and we started up ALICE after a brief explanation, it began slow, throwing out random words but nothing really meaningful. As we moved into room 2 the group began joking about the break time and a chip cob they had to look forward too, Rosie said she hoped they had Vinegar, straight away the ALICE beeped at us, and on screen was VINEGAR! How was a laptop program able to hear Rosie and out of 10,000 random words why at that point did it throw out the same word Rosie had said? We were all shocked but found it highly amusing. We asked out to the spirits to communicate to us through the device, CAN’T came on the screen… we asked “Why?” and on screen came HE HELD ME DOWN. What did that mean, we were all

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shocked but puzzled wanting to know more, we tried to communicate more but nothing more major appeared. After a short break we were joined by the second lot of guests, they decided they wanted to use some board work along with ALICE, the results were brilliant. The glass seemed to move to two people for yes and no answers but were also throwing words out on ALICE. At one point we knew we had a gentleman called Geoff with us, he used to drink in The Village and also liked the ladies, when the male figures moved away from the experiments the energy got stronger, when we asked if he liked the ladies ALICE showed COWS on the screen which brought a big laugh to the room.

VILLAGE PEOPLE! The Village Investigation When team 3 arrived the energy seemed different, there was something still there but weaker, no way near as strong and we found it hard to get answers on any experiments. Speaking with the other 2 teams they had similar results, good first vigil, and very active second and slow third. The other teams reported strong activity on the table tipping experiment and also some good results using the lasers down in the basement area. The Village is a strange location, one where you just know it is buzzing with activity but you need the right mixture of people and experiment to unlock the answers. Although we touched on a few good bits of evidence through the night there was nothing there consistent to really get our teeth into.

The energy seemed to be growing, we were getting knocks on a fire door from outside, on inspection no one was there, a guest also saw a strange figure peering through the door window at us which spooked a few of the guests out, and we also got some good interaction on dowsing rods too, in each group we had the mention of a preacher appear on ALICE, for a program to have 10,000 words

why choose PREACHER with each group? I found it very strange, as a open minded sceptic I am always very apprehensive over new equipment and devices, how if we have no proof of the other side can someone design a piece of equipment to contact them? So I always take the results with a pinch of salt but as the night went on there were too many good bits of evidence coming up for me not to believe.

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We are returning at Halloween to see if that might boost the energies and see if we can get to the bottom of this strange figure roaming around on the upper floors. NEXT ISSUE: WOLLATON HALL INVESTIGATION

Lee Roberts www.officialleeroberts.com Twitter: @MrLeeRoberts Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ Officialleeroberts

DÉJÀ VU – PAST LIVES, PARANORMAL INVESTIGATIONS & THE PARANORMAL MEDIUM... IS THERE A CONNECTION? BY DAVE VICKERS

et’s set the scene, a renowned haunted, spooky location steeped in history, a cold damp dark night, well normally, a group of liked mind paranormal investigators and their psychic medium. We know the roles of the investigators are to search for and record/ document evidence of “Paranormal Activity” but what of the role of the Medium?

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

Many paranormal investigations teams, ghost hunters if you like often use a medium to try and obtain information from spirits, or so it’s believed, about the location being investigated and its previous inhabitants. The medium picks up, senses energies from the building or location and or the spirits present, they then process this information within their minds, their subconscious to be exact and give an account of what may have occurred. This information may be linked to the known history of the building or location and is often linked to the previous lives of those inhabitants.

Previous lives of the inhabitants, past lives, memories of others, possibly imprinted within the fabrications of the building or the grounds of the location or received directly from the spirit. Where ever this information comes from it is linked to the “Past”. Information stored and retrieved from where, spirits that still linger upon this earth plane or maybe, just maybe the medium is linking into the Akashic Records, the “Past Lives” library of the universe….

THE AKASHIC RECORDS The Akashic records are normally described as being a full record of everything that happens. Not just in your life, but in the whole universe, the total existence of all life. Are the mediums on paranormal investigations linking in to these records, the past lives of many that have been here before? The records of those past life memories, the existence of every human being, of every single thought, every action taken or not, every emotion and every deed that has ever occurred. The past life of a building, a location the imprints of history from when time began or before… Many people believe that the Akashic records hold the relevant information of everything that will occur, our destiny if you like. Might the latter be an explanation to premonitions, now that’s another story..

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The actual word Akashic originates from the ancient Sanskrit language, meaning ‘primary substance’ or ether. It has been suggested by spiritual leaders that the Akashic records are imprinted within a higher vibration, in the universal ether, and it is said that it is this higher vibration that makes psychic perception and even clairvoyance possible. So that could raises the question “Do Mediums have a connection to an actual spirit or have they accidentally, or not, accessed the Akashic Records of another person”? Even as a working medium myself I can’t 100% say for certain but I’ll let your own beliefs answer that one… The Akashic records are often referred to as the cosmic mind, the universal mind or even the collective consciousness. Whatever it is called it always depicts “another place” of conscious happenings, perhaps it’s these happenings that are witnessed, searched for and documented by paranormal investigators and perhaps not… Remember an open mind is a curious mind …… International Medium David Vickers spookyhouse@ btinteret.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always knew that I wanted to be an author, with a degree in Media & Journalism and career in copywriting and marketing; but working full-time and running my own business, it was more a matter of when, than howâ&#x20AC;? Stephanie Boddy

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BODDY OF HORROR... Interview with Number #1 Horror/Paranormal Author & Novice Ghosthunter Stephanie Boddy with J.J. White Hi Steph! Thanks for agreeing to talk with me today! Please can you introduce yourself in the manner of a werewolf who realises that No-No is not going to help at all? Thanks for having me. Ha-ha OK well I’m just a young woman utterly obsessed with the horror and paranormal genre, desperately hoping to scare the living hell out of as many people as possible through my writing. So if you imagine Leatherface running around after helpless readers without the chainsaw but a pen and paper instead, that’s me! What’s the Paranormal Club about? It sounds like a mixture of book club, Jeremy Kyle and Most Haunted? Please dish the dirt!!! I actually like your description of it better than my own! It all came about when I did my first book

launch last year. I used an online media platform called Ginicam. It’s an online platform that works in a similar way to Skype but allows several users to interact online. I knew that there was a large paranormal following out there and most of whom have their own paranormal experiences and stories. The Paranormal Club is an online community that comes together once a month - the last Sunday of every month - to share their stories, listen to others, discuss news, movies, and more. As of last month I have introduced a short ‘book club type section’ to the end of the show. I suggest three books to the viewers and they decide their favourite which we all read and review the following month. I have had some great guests join me and some superb people in the field booked in over the next few months. This month I have Eamonn Van-Harris, the newest member of Most Haunted and EVP specialist

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joining me on the 29th March. Viewers are encouraged to ask questions and really get involved. It’s a superb opportunely. You can get your tickets from Ginicam’s website www.ginicam.com - there are three ticket options, each at a small price and all of my profits are donated each month to Parkinson›s UK. A charity I hold very close to my heart.

BODDY OF Interview with Stephanie Boddy with J.J. White HORROR... You started off copy-editing? How was working in the field? When did you decide that you would rather write than proofread it? I actually worked as a copywriter when I left university in 2005 in several Marketing and PR role. It was a position my lecturer suggested to me. I love copywriting, its good fun but the thing with me is that I have stay busy. So I started up my own company copy-editing and proofreading as well as working fulltime. I’ve always known that my passion is writing but it’s finding the time to write when you work full-time. It takes determination and plenty of late nights to write a novel! Who is the most important person in your life? What is it about them that makes them so important? Can you name only one Steph?

“The House on Poultney Road was born many years ago when I was told ghost stories by my family about the occurances inside the house they grew up in. ” Stephanie Boddy 74

That’s a tough one and as I can name only one, I will refer to my inspiration in writing. Mr Stephen King. I started reading his books when my friends were reading Enid Blyton. I absolutely loved how words on a page could frighten me. It fascinated me that something I read had the ability to have me lying in bed at night watching shadows on the walls, praying that they wouldn’t start moving in my direction. I have read most (not all) of his books. I have referred to his imagination as the Google of the horror genre. A mind filled with more evil characters than Blockbusters. My absolute ambition is to meet the King himself and thank him for bringing life (or death) to the genre for so many years. The House on Poultney Road sounds frightening! Can you give our readers a brief description as to what it’s about? You appear to have been inspired by tales from your Granddad. There’s also a sequel: It Found Me? I’m sure your Granddad would be very proud of what you’ve achieved with the book. My Grandfather died around the time I was conceived and then I was born early on his birthday. I was a bit of an odd child - I’d certainly be the entertainer at my friends sleepovers and most of my friends were too scared to sleepover my house. I always had

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a scary story to tell whether they were true or embellished. When I was young, too young to know better, I was too embarrassed to talk about my experiences. It wasn’t until I opened up to my Uncle that he then started to share with me stories about the house he grew up in on Poultney Road. I remember questioning my Dad about it and my Mum too. I was fascinated and it come as such a relief that I wasn’t going crazy and that my Grandfather had similar experiences. I have always known that one day I would write a book - I used to write hundreds of short spooky stories as a kid but I guess you get older and run out of time. It was one night on holiday when I was telling my now husband, Elliott, about my Grandfather and his experiences as a séance host that I decided

BODDY OF Interview with Stephanie Boddy with J.J. White HORROR... I would get home, buy myself a laptop and write my first book based on my Grandfathers life and experiences. And so became, The House on Poultney Road. The sequel picks up where the first ends, in 1983 when I was born. The sequel was written as so many people contacted me with questions from the first book. Although, as with anything in the paranormal, some things were left unanswered as I didn’t want to embellish on the truth. What is your belief regarding the Spirit World? Is there another plane where those who have passed on can exist, or is it just mere illusion playing tricks on people’s minds?

This is a hard one. I believe that when we die, a majority of us are able to rest - wherever that resting place might be. However there are some of us who aren’t able to, whether we are taken suddenly, die an unexpected death or have unfinished business - those spirits are restless. I believe there is a place called limbo that runs parallel with the living and sometimes our lives and their souls collide which is when we have a paranormal experience. Do you think horror has reached its zenith in terms of frights, thrills and chills? How does your writing differ from other horror authors? What makes your readers come back panting for more? No. I think that there are a lot of writers and directors out there who have a lot more to give - myself included of course. You think back to the seventies when The Exorcist was bought to the big screen - no one would have thought it could get scarier than that and then along came The Evil Dead and Poltergiest in the eighties. Candyman in the nineties, Session 9 and Martyrs in the noughties and so on. I have a lot of hope for the genre. As far as my writing is concerned, I like to think of myself as a fearless writer, someone who is prepared to delve into all subgenres in an attempt to scare my readers.

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“Writing has always been my passion and horror my obsession. ” Stephanie Boddy However, what makes me stand out is an aspect of realism. Things that scare me the most are themes that could actually happen. I think that’s why the paranormal frightens me as much as it does, because in the grand scheme of things being frightened of ghosts is actually being afraid of death and the afterlife. I don’t know if you’ve read Stephen King’s book Revival but this has such a daunting ending, it honestly turned my blood cold. The same as Lovecraft’s writing, it’s the realisation that death is waiting for us all. Aviophobia as we know is a fear of flying! What is your greatest fear? Have you overcome it or does it still lurk in the shadows, waiting to pounce? As with all writers, it’s easier to write what we know and what better way to start than to write about your biggest fear. For me that fear is flying. I hate it. Always have, always will. I’ve travelled as far as Thailand and I travel long haul regularly but every time I think the plane’s coming down.

BODDY OF Interview with Stephanie Boddy with J.J. White HORROR... Flying home from our honeymoon in Mexico a few years ago, I had a major panic attack and tried to get off of the plane! I actually feel sorry for people around me. How can someone find out more about Steph Boddy the poet, author and paranormal investigator? You can contact me through my website www.stephanieboddy. com or through my Facebook page. I try to reply to everyone who gets in touch. Finally what’s in store from you in 2015? I want to know it all!!!

WIN SIGNED COPIES OF STEPHANIE BODDY’S BRILLIANT “THE HOUSE ON POULTNEY ROAD” AND THE SEQUEL “IT FOUND ME” BY EMAILING COMPETITIONS@DEADGOODPUBLISHING.COM LEAVE YOUR NAME AND DETAILS AND PUT STEPHANIE BODDY COMP IN THE SUBJECT BOX. GOOD LUCK!! 76

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

2015 is an exciting year. My agent is working hard and we have several ideas in the pipeline. We are progressing with the Paranormal Club and are getting a great guest list. I am even broadcasting live from Hay Festival in May. As for my writing, I plan on completing my manuscript for Aviophobia in April and will be onto my fourth novel in no time. Watch this space. Steph, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. It has been an absolutely spooky pleasure!!! Thanks for having me. Stephanie Boddy was interviewed by Jason Jay White

Editor-in-chief Paul Stevenson paul@deadgoodpublishing.com Art Direction & Design Andy Soar andy@deadgoodpublishing.com

WIN!! WE HAVE 1O COPIES OF ZAK’S BOOK “I AM HAUNTED” TO GIVE AWAY

FEAT FEATURING URING::

Senior Staff Writer

BODDY BODDY TALK: TALK: WE WE CATCH CATCH UP UP WITH WITH PARAN PARANORMA ORMALL AUTHO AUTHOR R STEPH STEPHANIE ANIE BODDY BODDY

Jason Jay White jason@deadgoodpublishing.com

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Writing Talents

THE THE FEMA FEMALE LE OF OF THE THE SPECIE SPECIES: S: ARE ARE THEY THEY DEADL DEADLIER IER THAN THAN THE THE MALE? MALE?

James Pykett, Tom Buckmaster, Anne Deesore, Steven Paulson, Lee Roberts, Von Callaghan, A.D. Callaghan, Robin Warder, Cathryn & Lynsey Davies aka CL Raven aka Calamityville, Peter Drake and Dave Vickers.

GHOST GHOSTHUNTI HUNTING NG ON ON A A FRIDA FRIDAY Y THE THE 13TH: 13TH: ARE ARE YOU YOU MAD? MAD? DE DE JA JA VU: VU: YOU YOU HAVEN HAVEN'T 'T SEEN SEEN THIS THIS ARTIC ARTICLE BEFOR LE BEFORE, E, HONES HONEST! T! AND AND MUCH MUCH,, MUCH MUCH MORE MORE... ...

Special Thanks to

FUN, FUN, PHAN FUN, PHAN TOM PHANTOM S, TOMS, AND S, AND FLIPP AND FLIPP IN' FLIPPIN' IN'

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Charles Henry, Zak Bagans, Victory Belt, Turnaround (UK), The Secret Ghosthunter, Siri and Stephanie Boddy Got a story to tell? Want to feature in the magazine? Email us at features@deadgoodpublishing.com Got a product to sell? Want to use and abuse the magazine? Email us at advertising@deadgoodpublishing.com Haunted DIGITAL MAGAZINE on the web: www.haunteddigitalmagazine.com www.hauntedafterdark.com www.haunted-theblog.com www.facebook.com/HauntedDigitalMagazine Twitter: @hauntedmagazine @haunteddigital

Check out these fantastic range of magazines brought to you by Dead Good Publishing Ltd Haunted Digital Magazine www.haunteddigitalmagazine.com Haunted: After Dark, the FREE digital horror mag www.hauntedafterdark.com UFO Today http://www.ufotoday.net/ Space Monsters http://spacemonstersofficial.blogspot.co.uk/ We Belong Dead http://webelongdeadofficial.blogspot.co.uk/ Scarlet: The Film Magazine http://scarletthefilmmagazine.blogspot.co.uk/

Haunted Digital Magazine Issue 14 returns spring 2015 when UK-Haunted take over the magazine © DEAD GOOD PUBLISHING LTD 2015 All the respective photography in this magazine © is held by the individual photographer concerned. All rights reserved. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, display, modify, plagiarise, transmit, or exploit any of the material from this publication. You are permitted to produce one print copy for personal use.

Haunted Magazine Issue 13

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