An Interview With
Issue 15 December 2012
Derek Acorah Investigation Report The Wakes House
Rachelle Marie Walsh Talks to the Paranormal Press
The Appliance of Science. Using Heterodyne Meters Within Paranormal Investigations
Haunted Southampton
At The Wakes House
HAUNTED SOUTHAMPTON Haunted Southampton arranges and hosts paranormal investigations across the South of England. Working with experienced and knowledgeable psychic practioners and using our scientific equipment and approach to investigating, we hope to establish if indeed these venues are as haunted as they claim to be .
Join us for the night , all tickets for our event investigations are available at the website
www.hauntedsouthampton.com
Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year!
www.hauntedsouthampton.com
Inside This Issue Features
Paranormal Press
Regular Features
Paranormal Press
INVESTIGATION SPOTLIGHT A look at our investigation of The Wakes House.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR Stuart Bazga takes us upon a journey of Haunted Castles Part 1.
Facebook Page
December 2012 Issue 15
THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE
EDITORIAL
The use of Heterodyne Receivers.
Content
—————— THIS MONTHS ARTICLES Andy Ford talks to Derek Acorah for The Paranormal Press. “No holds Bard” Kingsley Glover talks about the ghostly experiences in Shakespeare’s home town. We take a closer look at The Falstaff Experience . Julie Simpson talks to The Paranormal Press from New Zealand 12/12/12 & The Winter Solstice - Thoughts upon both by Andy Ford Famous Ghost Hunters. Maurice Grosse Rachelle Marie Walsh - one of the UK’s youngest mediums - talks to The Paranormal Press How to improve your night time pictures - Michael Palmer. Contact The Paranormal Press
Peter Collins _____ Contributing Articles
Andy Ford Derek Acorah Rachelle M Walsh Julie Simpson James Lysandrides Juliet Collins Stuart Bazga Kingsley Glover Penny Legg Michael Palmer
An interview with
Psychic Medium Derek Acorah
Over the years Derek has achieved international success with his television, radio and personal appearances across the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.A.
Andy Ford asked Derek about his journey and plans for the future plus find out what was for him the location that has been the most exciting for paranormal activity. Hello Derek– how did you end up on your Spiritual Pathway?
Derek Acorah
I was aware of spirit from an early age as my grandmother was a medium before me. It was not my desire to follow in her footsteps and become a medium myself, as my main and enduring ambition as a boy was to become a professional footballer, which I did. My grandmother always told me that I would work for spirit but of course I did not think that this would ever happen. I was in my late 20’s when I sustained a very bad injury which ended my footballing career and I felt drawn to spirituality and the workings of spirit. I started attending the Spiritualist Church and joined
circles with the eventuality that I began demonstrating at churches around the north west area of England. The rest is history. Who is Sam? And, when and how did you become aware of him? Sam is my main Spirit Guide. My grandmother told me about my main Spirit Guide Sam when I was a youngster but I was a little older when I first saw him and in my late teens when I began hearing him speaking with me. Do you have any other guides besides Sam and if so when do they work with you? Yes, we all do. We have our main guide and then inspirers and helpers who come in on our lives at different stages to help us through that particular phase. Our main guides remain with us exclusively though. It amuses me when I read that other people claim that Sam trots along and is their guide too. This is impossible. When working on stage with another medium does this change the way that you have to work? I only and will only ever work with Colin Fry. We work differently in that we have different methods of delivery but that delivery does not change because we are working together. How did you first end up working on Television? I was doing private readings from shop premises in Liverpool and had been doing so for a year or two whilst working with and demonstrating for Spiritualist churches. I had, I believe, gained a small reputation for myself. I was guesting every Sunday on Red Rose Radio and every Friday on Radio Merseyside. I received a telephone call one morning from a researcher for Granada Breeze television who told me that it was National Tea Week and their programme “Livetime” was looking for a tea leaf reader. The researcher’s aunt had visited me for a sitting and was impressed with what I told her and so she (the researcher) thought that I may be able to help by appearing on their programme. I explained that I did not read tea leaves but was a medium. She told me that this would not matter and invited me along to appear the following Friday on “Livetime”, which I did. My segment caused such a stir and response that I was asked back the following Friday. From that time on I appeared every week on “Livetime” which then became “Psychic Livetime”. They also created programmes for me such as “Psychic Zone” and “Predictions with Derek Acorah”. When working in other countries giving messages from the Spirit World are the expectations different? No, everybody wants to hear about their loved ones in the spirit world or to find out glimpses of what the future may hold for them.
Asking Derek about his thoughts for haunted locations, what he is up to at the moment and future plans here is what he said , Andy started with asking Derek his opinion about investigating the paranormal. For you, which is the most Haunted location within the UK?
There are lots of very haunted locations throughout the UK and it is difficult to choose one but I would say that for me, Pendle Hill was the “busiest” in terms of negative spirit presence and scariness. Asked, Is there anywhere that you have not worked in that you would like to - I would love to investigate the Tower of London. Lower Well Head Farm is located in a rather well known region of Lancashire known as Pendle Hill. Records date the farm to about 1600. The area is famous for the witch trials of 1612; a host of witches were blamed for a total of ten murders. Eleven witches were tortured and then executed in the August of 1612. The farmhouse, it is said, would have been home to a number of these witches.
Tower of London
So, Derek, what can people expect to see when they come to see your Psychic and Science show? The Psychic & Science Show is ground-breaking and innovative in that it allows the audience to take part in the show. After a brief demonstration of mediumship by me, there are then experiments such as human pendulum and table tipping in which the audience take part, there is a lone vigil and then the spectacular Stone Tape Projector experiment in which ALL audience members are invited to take part. It’s a fun and fascinating evening. What advice would you give people who would like to explore their own psychic abilities? Go ahead and do it, but make sure that you do it responsibly. I get tired of people contacting me wanting help because they have opened themselves up to spirit influence by joining internet forums/chat rooms and then finding that they have problems. I am sure that there are some very good tutors running courses on the internet, but there are plenty who just wake up one morning and decide that is what they will do. It is a very serious business and before anybody commences tutoring, they should have had a good, solid background in church circle attendance and demonstration. What plans do you have for the future? The thing that I would most like to do has nothing whatsoever to do with my work and that is fly a microlite. I did gain my pilot’s licence with this in mind but never did get to do it. I shall continue on with my theatre tour which for 2013 is the Eternal Spirits Tour. I shall be travelling over to the States very shortly to do some recording for a programme there. It is a great pity that Broadcasters in the UK are currently shunning the idea of making home-grown paranormal programming… they seem more interested in buying in, principally from the USA. There are some wonderful up and coming mediums in this country and they deserve to be given their chance. I was fortunate in that the approach came to me from a television company before anybody had seen mediumship live on air on a weekly basis. It was new to a lot of people and so became a very popular subject. Now, of course, things are unfortunately different.
Really appreciate the time Andy Ford and Derek Acorah offered for this interview and was nice for us to hear about his thoughts and future plans, you can find out more about Derek's tours, appearances and much more information by visiting his website
http://derekacorah.com/
The Paranormal Press, catches up with Rachelle Marie Walsh One of the UK’s youngest working psychic mediums. An opportunity came along to finally catch up with Rachelle, who took some time out of her busy workload for us. It was a real pleasure to finally “have a chat” and find out a bit more. I asked Rachelle how her journey began - she went onto explain “The first experience I can remember is when my Granddad passed over and I saw him at the end of my bed at the age of 6. This was not a clear physical image of him, but more of a hazed form with a knowing that from that day on, I would not be alone. I would see ''healing swirling'' colours around the room every night before falling asleep, feeling people at the end of my bed which later on from the age of 10, they would start vibrating my bed, tapping on different things and call my name. From the age of 13, I started to question, what was the purpose of life? Why am I here? Is this it? This led me on to understanding my thoughts and why I did not feel I was living my life to the true purpose I was given. The journey of questioning begun and after a short time, these questions started to be answered in my dreams. This is where I met a beautiful energy of a woman….Sarah. Sarah shared her love, compassion and truthfulness with me each time we met. The tenderness of the warmth I felt every time I was within the presence of Spirit, made me feel whole and at one ‘again'. My life journey of understanding the self had consciously begun! I started to realise whilst talking to different people, I knew a lot more than I thought I did, inspiring words, and messages, flowed from my mouth and made sense to me and those around that would be listening. By the age of 15 I started to research into the paranormal and how I could start to develop the communication with the spirit world. On the internet I found a few different websites that allow amateurs to practice their ability, and offered advice and guidance. By practicing often I took the opportunity to demonstrate my communication in a Live Chat class, which was open for people all over the world. From here, my life's journey has blossomed into demonstrating within Spiritualist Churches, Centre's, Charity Events, Public Events and being given the opportunity to work with amazing people.” Rachelle went onto give an insight into her work -
when we chatted , who she works with and how her public demonstrations started. “My journey of communicating in front of an audience began whilst working alongside another medium who had a little more experience than myself. Together we grew confidence and understanding of how each other worked, but for me it gave me the opportunity to develop as a medium naturally. I knew how the communication was important to spirit and also how I felt it was important to have my ‘own down to earth, open minded’ but not 'deadly serious' approach. As I was becoming more confident within myself and continuously developing naturally with my 'team' (from spirit), I moved on from a duo to a solo medium so I now am experienced in working with or without other mediums on the platform with me and my team. I certainly feel it is beneficial to work with other mediums as it can create such a different experience for the medium, audience and also for spirit. For me it gives an extra excitement knowing that spirit have two ‘channels’ to communicate through whilst giving an insight of how other mediums communicate with ‘their team’. Although I primarily work as a solo medium, I am always open to work with other mediums as I love the new experiences and different personalities who are also, shining a light and being a voice for the other side. We went on to talk about places that Rachelle has worked and the sort of invitations she has received: “Although I primarily work in and around Kent as this is my home town but I am always pushing the boundaries so that I can connect with more families who need a voice for the other side. My travels have taken me to Cardiff for an interview on The Moore Show, Gloucester visiting the spectacular Woodchester Mansion and to work alongside Ian Lawman on a ghost hunting event, Manchester for a private one to one reading whilst being filmed, and parts of London for platform readings”. With a huge amount of interest in her work and having features in magazines and television , we chatted about being
within the media spotlight - “The media spot light is not always a positive experience as they can create and sculpt you into an image of which they choose. I have experienced this but yet I have also experienced amazing moments within the spot light. The first media spot light experience was when I was still in college at the age of 17, the magazine wanted to hear about me and how Derek Acorah highlighted to my parents that I was experiencing spirit and how I would develop as a medium. After this magazine interview the others followed covering different topics, mainly being the experience I have had with my twin sister and feeling her physical pains relating to her Crohns disease. Alongside magazine interviews I have also been invited to various different radio shows that are aired across the world, speaking of my journey as well as giving live readings to the hosts. I had been approached for a show that was advertised as highlighting ‘young people’s talents’, this show was for Fiver which I originally declined to be a part of. My instincts told me that the show would be more of a comedy and not highlighting talent or abilities in a positive light. After being persuaded that the producer and director really wanted me to be apart of the show and they promised it was to highlight talents and ability’s of young people, so I decided to go against my instincts and travelled to Manchester for filming. The airing of the show was edited in such a way to ensure the ‘comedy’ side was prominent which did not show the truth in my ‘talent or ability’, which reflects back to my reasoning of, ‘the media can create and sculpt you into an image of which they choose’. From here on I had interest from a wide range of different TV shows but I was and am very weary now of which shows I accept or decline. I have been very fortunate to be contacted by Mr Kevin Moore who invited me to Cardiff for a personal interview on ‘The Moore Show’ which I must admit, was a fantastic experience whilst being in front of the camera. The experience put my faith back into the TV spot light but also gave me valuable lessons and the understanding that I don’t need to accept every available opportunity, as not everything is my ‘cup of tea”. As this year is coming ton end, I was keen to know what 2012 has been like for Rachelle. “2012 has been a very challenging year on various different levels of my life yet it has also been one of the most self rewarding. I have learnt so much about myself on a personal level and I have also grown with the understanding of my direction in life. I have overcome self doubt and gained so much more self confidence that I have been given a reason for my life, that I am here not only to enjoy life, but to shine a light that there is a ‘heaven’ and that I am a voice for the other side. This year alone, I have attracted a younger generation to events I am involved with and I have spoken to many different individuals who are looking for
guidance, advice or reassurance. By focusing on developing and overcoming my self doubt and confidence, I now am attracting many private readings which in turn I am meeting some incredible souls and friends for life. One to one readings were also my ‘fear’ due to my self confidence, yet platform readings are my favourite which I am now organizing my own events for. This has been very challenging indeed as I want to explore new area’s but there is so much background work that needs to be done before making an event successful. This starts from finding a great venue, to designing posters to delivering leaflets and promoting the event at every opportunity. Yes this is hard work and is very time consuming but it is so self rewarding to see a fantastic evening created and loved ones brought together in an environment that I created with the help from my loved ones. Overall 2012 has been a fantastic experience and has been a year of growth in many area’s of my life but it is not over yet, 20.12.2012 is my twins and I birthday” So, with this mind, and with so much happening over the last few years, I enquired what the future holds. “Next year I am looking to organize more events during to invite other mediums to the platform. My main goal for next year is to start creating a development circle and encourage the younger generation to come forward, to help them learn to control their sensitivity and to channel their gift naturally. These two goals will bring many other exciting and different adventures, which is the beauty of life and I just can’t wait.”
It really was great being able to catch up with Rachelle, I know how busy she is and we do appreciate the chat and interview. You can catch up with Rachelle herself by visiting her website , Facebook and Twitter Pages
www.rachellemariewalsh.com
www.theschoonerhotel.com
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The Mayan Calendar 12/12/12
By Andy Ford
Winter Solstice
The Mayans developed their own calendar the Long Count around 355 B.C. They studied the stars and with their mathematical abilities were able to calculate the movement of the stars across the sky. They came to believe that the sun was God and the milky way the access to the afterlife which they called the sacred tree. The Mayans also studied the effect that the earth wobbling on it's axis had on the stars as it rotated, meaning that the stars drifted in the sky in a 5125 year cycle. They also discovered that once every cycle the dark band within the milky way intersects the plane of the sun's movement across the sky. During the year of this cycle the sun reaches it's solstice the Mayans concluded that in the past it was the moment of creation and the next one, which is in 2012, would be some sort of end and new beginning. There are other calendars that end in 2012. The Cherokee ancient calendar also ends in 2012 and other cultures also have an end date. The Hopi predict twenty five year period of purification followed by the end of the fourth world and the start of the fifth. The Maoris say as the veils dissolve there will be a merging of the physical and the spiritual worlds and the Zulu's believe the whole world will be turned upside down. The Incas call it the age of us meeting ourselves again and the Aztec's say it is a time of transformation and a creation of a new race. Even the stone calendar at the Great Pyramid in Egypt comes to an end in the year 2012 AD. The New Age interpretation is that this is the start of a time in which the inhabitants of the Earth will undergo a positive spiritual transformation and that the 12/12/12 marks the beginning of a new era. There are many in the World including specialists who met at an ancient Mayan city in southern Mexico who have stated that it just marks the end of one period of creation and the beginning of another. This does not mean the end of this World but merely the start of a new time. With the collapsing economies around the world, people's lives being turned upside down, the weather issues and the natural disasters occurring it is adding to fuel of the end of the World fire. Is this true or just a coincidence! I believe that we will be here on the 13/12/12 but with the materialistic world that we now live in being in turmoil, I do not think that our lives can stay the same. It is a time of change and we must now re-evaluate what is important and how we should live
The Winter Solstice is a pagan celebration which is also known as Yule and is one of the oldest celebrations in the World. The seasons and the weather played a very important part in the life of the ancient people who worshipped the sun. The Norseman saw the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons and it is from their word for wheel that the word Yule is believed to be derived from. The Norseman at this time would tell stories and drink sweet ale. The Winter Solstice was important because communities were not certain of living through the Winter months and it had to be prepared for during the previous months. Some of the cattle were killed at this time so they did not have to be fed and it was often the only time of year when fresh meat was available. The Solstice is one of the sabbats that the pagans celebrated as they believed it was the rebirth of the sun God and the days with more light and lasted for twelve days. The Solstice falls on the shortest day of the year, the 21st December and was celebrated in Britain before the arrival of Christianity. The Celtic priests would take the mistletoe from the great Oak trees and then bless it, as the Oak was sacred and the mistletoe seen as the symbol of life. The tradition of bringing Holly and Ivy into the home honours the masculine and feminine elements. As evergreen plants it is a reminder that the earth never dies but merely sleeps during the winter months. The Celts believed that the sun stood still for twelve days in the middle of winter and during this time a log was lit to banish the darkness, evil spirits and bring luck for the next year. In England, Germany, France and other European countries the ash of the log was spread on the fields as fertilizer every night until the twelfth night or used as a medicine or charm. This started the tradition of the Yule log. It is believed that the Christians celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ which falls on the 25th December was set on this date to offset the pagan celebrations. It was synchronized with the December solstice because of their belief in the birth of the true light of the World because the days began to become much lighter.
Andy Ford
By Pete Collins
Famous Ghost Hunters Ghost stories have been around for many years ...but who where the early investigators? Maurice Grosse: famous ghost hunter or famous for his investigation of a council house in London, which was to become known as the Enfield Poltergeist. ‘The Enfield Poltergeist’ documented a period of reported poltergeist activity in London, England between August 1977 and September 1978, with an added outburst in August 1980. Born in 1919, Maurice Grosse served in WWII. Post war he became an inventor, and he filed the first of his many mechanical patents in 1945. His most successful invention was the rotating advertising billboard. In 1961 Grosse founded his own design and engineering consultancy business which became responsible for launching many patents throughout the world. His interest in paranormal investigations stems originally from a personal tragedy. Grosse launched into psychical research when his daughter Janet was killed in a motorbike accident in August 1976. Following her death, members of Grosse's family experienced a number of coincidences and psychic happenings. These led him to join the Society for Psychical Research and the Ghost Club, in September 1977. The Ghost Club was founded in 1862 and is widely believed to be the oldest such organization in the world. Its prime interest focuses on paranormal phenomena such as ghosts and hauntings. True to his investigative style , Grosse spent long periods of time at the house in Enfield , gathering hours of video and audio footage, analysing all of the material looking for signs of paranormal activity and working with his co investigator Guy Lyon Playfair, who went on to write a book called ‘This House is Haunted’ (1980), as a summary of their investigation. During his time with The Ghost Club, Maurice also put together an extensive collection of alleged examples of psychic photography and investigated numerous claims of precognition. His work, approach and ability to document his work gained him a high reputation within paranormal circles and he continued his work up until the summer of 2006. He reported episodes of various forms of paranormal activity during his time as an investigator, holding the post of Chairman of its Spontaneous Cases Committee, a division of the Society for Psychical Research's Council. But his most notable contribution to the researching of all things paranormal , will always be the investigation into the house in Enfield, London.
Maurice Grosse (1919 - 2006)
Enfield Poltergeist Case The activity occurred at 284 Green Street, Enfield in North London, at a council house rented to Peggy Hodgson, a single parent with four children. During this time furniture is said to have moved by itself, knockings on the walls were heard, and children's toys were said to have been thrown around and to have been too hot to touch when picked up. A police officer signed an affidavit to affirm that she saw a chair move. Reports of the activity attracted various visitors including mediums and members of the press. One photographer reported being hit on the forehead with a Lego brick. Although it was suggested that some of the activity witnessed may have been instigated by Peggy Hodgson, Maurice Grosse reported that at least 26 incidents the investigators considered could not be accounted for by fraud. These included moving furniture, flying marbles, interference with bedclothes, cold breezes, pools of water on the floor, apparitions, physical assaults, graffiti, equipment malfunction and failure, disappearance and reappearance of objects, apparent levitations, and fires which spontaneously ignited and extinguished themselves. This House is Haunted A recommended read for all those investigating the Paranormal.
Taking Better Pictures at Night.
Peter Collins
I was able to catch up with internationally published photographer Michael Palmer for a coffee recently. We came in contact with each other through Twitter, as Michael is a keen photographer of the city of Southampton. As we chatted over coffee we discussed how to get the best from night time photography, an interest of mine due to the paranormal investigations we undertake, mostly undertaken at night. Here are a few tips from Michael which you may be able to put to the test next time you yourself are in the vicinity of an alleged haunted building in the dark taking pictures, trying to capture any evidence of paranormal activity. Night Photography - With a little bit of knowledge, a semi decent tripod, and a will to get out and experiment it’s not actually as difficult as you might think. Get to know your camera - Most of the time when you are shooting long exposure night images you will be working in the “M” mode of your camera. This means you’ll be changing Shutter & Aperture settings manually, so spend a few moments with your camera prior to the shoot (ie where you can actually see what you’re doing) to familiarise yourself with changing these. Remember you will be working in the dark, so if you know what buttons to press without actually looking the night shoot probably go much better. ISO - I often hear people say “I will need a high(er) ISO for taking photos at night”. Normally the opposite is true. If I am shooting long exposure images (with a tripod) then I will almost always be at 100 ISO. Focusing at night - Depending on your camera you might struggle to focus on certain subjects while shooting at night. Far off subjects, eg buildings, roads etc aren’t so tricky, but if you’re trying night portraiture you might find it tough to use your camera’s autofocus. Manual focus is probably even harder because you can not properly see what you are photographing. A little trick is to use a bright LED torch (and by bright I mean BRIGHT, not one of those throw away torches you get from the Poundshop!). Aim it at the subject (although do be careful not to blind them) and hopefully this will help your camera obtain its focus point. Once you’ve focused on your subject, turn the torch off and take your photo. Using a tripod - For long exposure night photography you will need a tripod (or some alternative camera support system). At times when I’ve been out without a tripod I’ve managed to balance cameras on walls, fences, and even on rocks but obviously this is far from ideal. For maximum stability keep the tripod as close to the ground as possible. In other words extend as few of the leg sections as you need. If you’re shooting on a calm evening then maybe this won’t be much of a problem, but if its gusty out, then you’ll be good to follow this advice. Likewise try not to extend the centre column of your tripod unless absolutely necessary. Some tripods have a small hook at the bottom of the centre column and if you attach a weight (your camera bag, a bag of sand, or even a weight from a dumbell) it will increase the stability of the tripod, especially if its windy. If you have an IS (image stabilisation) on your lens or camera, turn it off when using a tripod. One of my best accessories for night photography is a head torch. So much easier than trying to juggle a normal torch while adjusting the tripod with it gripped in your teeth. If you can get one with a “red” light mode as you’ll probably be able to leave it on during exposures without it interfering with the picture. It was good to catch up with Michael and hopefully some of his suggestions for night time photography can help us all in capturing better pictures. My own simple rule for taking pictures during investigations: take two or three shots of each picture, as this enables a comparison if some thing unusual appears i.e shadows, especially using the Laser Grid experiment. It is always good practice to see the before and after pictures - it is hard to explain away something it if is there in the first picture and in the next it is gone. Can’t wait to see some pictures taken using some of Michael’s tips for night time photography.
Penny Legg. Hi Everyone! October saw the publication of my latest book, Eastleigh Then and Now. This is a photographic look at the town most famous for its railway works. It has been well received and was featured in a double-page spread in the Southampton Daily Echo. I had hoped that my latest book of ghost stories would be out in time for Halloween but it was not to be. I lost a chapter when an event that was to be featured in the book was cancelled and some of the content I particularly wanted in the book has not been forthcoming. Never mind! It will be out in time for next Halloween and will be all the better for the wait. Watch this space! In the meantime, I have been busy promoting Under the Queen’s Colours, which is a book of the reminiscences of service men and women who have served under the Queen’s colours in the sixty years of Her Majesty’s reign. The book raises money for three service charities. Promoting the book has led to my making appearances at the War and Peace Show, several veterans events around the country and at Australia House in London. I have been privileged to meet some super people and it is great to know that the book will, in a small way, go towards helping those who have served their country in both Britain’s and the Commonwealth’s armed forces. Recently, I have had to take a step away from writing, although I am busy working on two new books of local history, because I have had serious family illness to cope with. If you were to attend events I have had to cancel, I am sincerely sorry to disappoint you. I had hoped to come along to some of Haunted Southampton’s investigations, but it was not to be. Becoming a carer for a while has been an eye-opening experience. I know now, from firsthand experience, what a wonderful job nursing staff, social services and care staff do. As the year comes to an end and we look forward to Christmas and the New Year, I wish everyone a very happy festive season and I look forward to joining some of you in spooky locations great and small in 2013. Merry Christmas Everyone! Penny X
You can find out more about the work of Penny Legg by visiting her website, where also signed copies of her books can be purchased , a great Christmas gift.
http://pennylegg.com/ Merry Christmas Penny , from us all at Haunted Southampton
INVESTIGATION SPOTLIGHT WITH HAUNTED SOUTHAMPTON.
The Wakes House
The Wakes House Investigation Date. June 2011 Time 10pm - 06am
Located deep within the Hampshire countryside is the Wakes House. This is a privately owned house which came to my attention a long time ago, and I often wondered, due to its age and its historical connections if it had any reported ghost stories or paranormal activity. Speaking to the owners in late 2010 I was surprised that no reports of such events had been noted. However I just wondered if it was a venue worth holding an overnight investigation to find out. So agreement was made for June 2011 to hold what for me was indeed a night to remember. The ‘Wakes House’ (the original name) is famous for two reasons: it was the home of Gilbert White plus it holds artefacts from the original South Pole expedition undertaken by Capt. Scott in 1911. Captain Lawrence Oates had a connection to the house and it was his famous words “I am just going outside and I may be sometime” that beguiled me into finding out if The Wakes House could possibly have any signs of paranormal activity. Building originated in the 1600’s; the house has been extended from its original size and covers three floors so there was a lot to investigate . The investigation of The Wakes House started at 10.30pm. We started upon the lower floors of the house , mainly within the state rooms which were once used for entertaining purposes, although all seemed quiet it was noted that one of pictures upon the gallery wall was a bit of a mystery - looking at the picture through night vision cameras, you could clearly see that another picture of a man was underneath .
We then moved into the old Kitchen area - one part of the house that, during the night’s investigation, small shadows were seen quickly darting from one side of the room to another. It did seem a very busy area with some good reports during vigils, including the movement of utensils above the range upon asking for evidence of spirit.
Haunted Southampton Team plus 20 guests.
Psychic Team Kathy Bavister & Andy Ford
The Wakes House , Hampshire England
Moving to the grand staircase - an area where I undertook several vigils during the night. During our pre– assessment of the building no responses were noted in this area from any of the EMF Meters we use. At 02.15, I sat in the middle of the stairs and set up an EVP and K2 Meter - asking out for any responses. The K2 did respond several times, especially when I asked if I could have permission to go to his private study. Upon playback several sounds were recorded upon the digital voice recorder - I was alone. (18 July 1720 – 26 June 1793)
Gilbert White His family moved to The Wakes when he was about seven or eight, and he remained here until he passed away in 1793
I remember the anticipation of taking the long walk to Gilbert White’s private study room. Myself and several of the night’s guest decided to set up a vigil in the room and see what would happen.
The vigil within Gilbert White’s bedroom was of real interest. Still in its original condition from 1793, we all wondered if any contact could be made - after all this was the room he passed away in. Setting up an enhanced sound recorder, K2 meters and a few hygrometers we started asking out.
The study room is quite small and half the room is roped off, so we sat on the floor and asked out for any responses. One thing of note that did occur was a quick drop in the temperature, which is not usually expected when you have five people in a small closed off room. We all took notice of the chair at his writing desk and undertook some baseline assessments during our vigil of the study. What was of real interest was that the seat part of his chair was becoming warmer and warmer. Using the thermal image camera we were able to actually see the seat getting a warmer glow, taking note that the seat is within the roped off area of the room. It was quite eerie watching the process - it was like someone had decided to let us know they were there sitting in the great man’s writing chair ... was it Gilbert ?
On playing back the recording of the vigil the enhanced sound recorder seemed to pick up what sounded very like movement: you could suggest these may have been footsteps or a shuffle of feet moving around the bed. The rest of the group was in agreement. The temperature also dropped by 2 degrees whilst we were in the bedroom: with four of us in the room you would think that an increase would occur. There were also a few K2 responses but that particular instrument was quite quiet in the whole.
After about 15 minutes watching the temperature upon the seat increase , it then cooled very quickly. We all thought just how odd and unexplainable that was - for no reason the heat just seemed to disappear. Upon hearing some excitement downstairs I went down to hear from another group undertaking a vigil in the ball room. Excitedly they told me about the shadows moving across the door area - and one of the parlour doors closing on its own . Checking the location of each person during the shadow’s appearance we were able to establish that no one was walking the very long narrow corridor outside of the ball room. With us all taking a breather in the tea rooms we chatted about what had occurred so far and decided who was going where next. The bedrooms and the area of the house where Lawrence Oates’s artefacts were upon show and the kitchen areas were chosen. Myself and few others were allocated the bedrooms, so off we went to see what we could find.
Captain Lawrence Edward Grace Oates An English Antarctic explorer known for the manner of his death - when he walked from a tent into a blizzard, with the words “I am just going outside and may be some time." The Wakes house has strong links with The Oates family - including artefacts from the South Pole Expedition 1911/12
Lawrence Oates My own last vigil during the investigation was within the area where all of the artefacts are on show for the 1911 expedition of The South Pole. I was aware that during the whole investigation of The Wakes House members of the team and our guests for the night did manage to have a lot more activity occurring in this area, so I also wanted to spend some time in this particular area to establish for myself if I could replicate any of the occurrences witnessed and reported. Myself and Juliet undertook a vigil at 03.15 and although we spent about forty five minutes there, apart from a few tapping noises in response to questions asked it was an area that did not produce any form of exciting activity for us so we reported back to The Hub for coffee and a sandwich, and to chat with the others. In summary, The Wakes House for me was very interesting. I can’t explain the increase of heat within the private study and the shadows along the corridor, though for me nothing of note occurred in The Oates Room. Overall the house may require another look after all it is another of those places that have never undertaken a paranormal investigation, and for a house that is more than 400 years old, it seemed to raise more questions than it answered.
Editors Thoughts... This year seems to have past with the speed of a jet engine. It seems like only yesterday I was arranging to host an overnight investigation of an alleged haunted hotel in Titchfield, Hampshire, all way back in January. Twelve months on it seems that things have snowballed forward much quicker than I ever imagined from four years ago, when Juliet, Pat and myself started this company, with the intention to investigate venues claiming to be haunted. I set myself a few objectives to achieve for 2012, one of them being to get off the ground a regular series of Ghost Walks for Southampton. In my opinion the City of Southampton has an incredible history, famous for not only the departure of the Titanic but also numerous ghastly tales, including the ghosts of the Henry V conspirators, and also has what is claimed to be the second oldest inn in the country - with its reported twenty one ghosts still in residence. Working in conjunction with The Southampton Tourist Boards official guide Derek Callaghan, The Southampton Ghost Walks have been a huge success: over 200 people have joined Derek and myself upon a tour since September 2012 and the walks for December 2012 have all sold out as we speak. As awareness develops of Haunted Southampton, not only in regard to the public paranormal investigations or but also with the Ghost Walks, it seems more and more people want to interact with us. It was a real surprise to be offered an opportunity to entertain some tourism experts over dinner at a local manor house. An evening of my own ghostly experiences, historical ghost stories and the exchanging of ideas made for a wonderful night and I hope to take up the offer of visiting some of the areas the guests covered . It is surprising when I explain to people that, as a company we have been hosting paranormal investigations for nearly four years now. The team has grown, we have explored further afield and in 2012 it was nice to take that short boat trip to the Isle of Wight to undertake an investigation at Northwood Manor, which for me was a great trip to one of the most notable properties upon the Island, and the night was a huge success. Another amazing place for me was The Almshouse, Winchester. It was a venue that had often captured the attention of all the team as discussed and planned our diary of events. Being in situ for nine hundred years and built by William the Conqueror’s grandson - surely it must have some ghost stories. It has been a real privilege for us to be allowed to use this venue for events, and for me it is one of those places that seems to breath ghosts and I look forward to a return in 2013. Also, during 2012, I was approached by a lady called Heidi Rehman, who was raising money for her cause, Breast Cancer. Where we can, the company is happy to do whatever we can to help. We can’t always meet the requests to host events for various charities, but the investigation of The Plaza Theatre, Romsey managed to raise cash for Heidi’s Walk the Walk year. It was humbling to meet her - a very brave lady who, whilst fighting her own personal battle has continued to walk marathons, host parties and dinner dances - all to raise money for the treatment of cancer. I hold the lady in the highest admiration. So as the year draws to a close, looking back it has been a very positive one for Haunted Southampton. But all this could occur without the help and assistance of Juliet, Pat, James & Rebecca: as a team we laugh, we plan ahead, laugh again and seem to get through copious amounts of tea and bourbons when we have our meetings - they really are the backbone of this company and I am always in debt to their professionalism. I hope you have a peaceful and enjoyable festive season ,
Pete Collins
Contributors
Penny Legg
Rachelle Marie Walsh
Derek Acorah
Writer, Editor, Photographer, Tutor.
Derek has achieved international acclaim with television, radio and personal appearances across the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand and the USA. Derek has also conducted telephone consultations for people as far south as India, Australia and New Zealand .
http://derekacorah.com/
I am a British author, journalist and writing tutor. I also take the photographs to illustrate my books and articles. I am the editor of Bulletin magazine and I tutor nonfiction students for the University of the third Age. I am the founder of Writing Buddies, the group for writers in Southampton. I run workshops and give talks on aspects of writing , my life and work.
Based in Kent, United Kingdom One of the Uk’s youngest mediums demonstrating her skills and abilities throughout the country
www.rachellemariewalsh.com
James Lysandrides
www.pennylegg.com
Andy Ford
Location Manager - working for Haunted Southampton Ltd .
I am an experienced psychic medium and Tarot reader. I undertake paranormal investigations and work as an individual running workshops and public mediumship demonstrations. I also take personal booking for 1-1 readings
Company director at Haunted Southampton.
Taking the role to source new venues for the undertaking of various events and paranormal investigations.
Researcher and article writer of paranormal investigation reports.
Contact via E mail to discuss venue location E Mail Here
Julie Simpson
Michael Palmer
www.andy-ford.com/
Kingsley Glover Employee at The Falstaff Experience Museum
Owner of The Spiritualist’s Online Network based in New Zealand.
Stratford Upon Avon
Spiritualist’s Online network’s Retreat In Kumara Junction, West Coast, NZ
www.falstaffexperience.co.uk
http://spiritualistsonline.com
My work has been internationally published numerous times in a diverse range of publications from newspapers and business magazines in the UK to major fitness magazines in North America. http://www.michaelpalmer.com/
Current Project Spotlight - January 2013 The Southampton Ghost Walks Haunted Southampton & Southampton Tourist Guide Derek Callaghan
Thursday 20th December - Thursday 10th January - Thursday 31st January The Southampton Ghost Walks The next available walks are for Thursday 6th and Thursday 20th of December. January 10th and 31st now available All ghost walk tickets are advance purchase only. 7 pm start from The Bargate tickets are available now on line through the website page http://hauntedsouthampton.com/GhostWalks.html Hearing the ghost stories outside The Red Lion, Southampton
I
A stop at The Dolphin Hotel , Southampton
Ghost Stories inside the Undercroft Vault
Tickets can be booked on line or by e mail . To book online visit the Haunted Southampton Ghost Walk page here Haunted Southampton Ghost Walks or E mail petercollins@hauntedsouthampton.com Cost ÂŁ7 pp. A 90 minute guided walk within the inner city of Southampton.
Please remember to wear comfortable shoes and bring your cameras , camcorders and a torch, you never know what you may capture during the tour of the inner city. The walk is led by Derek Callahan, a professional Green Badge Tourist Guide and member of the Institute of Tourist Guiding.
Guest Contributor:
Freelance writer Stuart Bazga The Ghosts of The Tower of London: Part 1
Over the coming few issues, I hope to lead you on a journey of discovery and adventure. Briefly taking a glimpse into a past so horrid. Of haunting tales and ghastly ends that awaited so many of her most famous occupants. Firing your imagination, so that you will delve deeper into her history for yourselves. During her long and illustrious 900 years, The Tower of London has developed into one of the most haunted places in Britain. She has been home to beheadings and murders, torture and hangings, as well as being a prison to Queens and Nobles alike. Thomas A. Becket is "the first reported sighting of a ghost at the Tower of London." During the construction on the Inner Curtain Wall in the 13th century, Thomas appeared apparently unhappy about the construction, and it is said he reduced the wall to rubble with a strike of his cross. Henry III’s grandfather was responsible for the death of Thomas Becket, so Henry III wasted no time building a chapel in the Tower of London, naming it for the archbishop. This must have pleased Thomas’ ghost because there were no further interruptions during the construction of the wall. The Bloody Tower was the scene of the infamous disappearance of the two princes; Edward V (12) and Richard Duke of York (10), who are thought to have been murdered in 1483 on the probable command of the Duke of Gloucestershire, who was to be crowned Richard the III. According to one story, guards in the late 15th century, who were passing the Bloody Tower, spotted the shadows of two small figures gliding down the stairs still wearing the white night shirts they had on the night they disappeared. They stood silently, hand in hand, before fading back into the stones of the Bloody Tower. These figures were identified as the ghosts of the two princes. In 1674 workmen found a chest that contained the skeletons of two young children, they were thought to be the remains of the princess, and were given a royal burial not long afterwards. The story of the little princes is still to this day a heartbreaking story. They are "among the most poignant ghosts" in the Tower of London. The most persistent ghost in The Tower of London is the ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn. The King, Henry VIII, after learning the baby she carried for nine months was a boy and still born, accused by her of infidelity. She was taken to TOWER GREEN and was beheaded on May 19, 1536. Queen Anne appears near the Queen’s House, close to the site where her execution was carried out. She can be seen leading a ghostly procession of Lords and Ladies down the aisle of the Chapel Royal of St. Peter and Vincula.
Thomas A Becket - is he haunting the Tower of London? She floats down the aisle to her final resting place. Queen Anne is buried under the Chapel’s altar. Her headless body has also been seen walking the corridors of the Tower. Sir Walter Raleigh lived quite comfortably compared to others who were imprisoned within the walls of the Bloody Tower. His "rooms" are still furnished as they were in the 16th century, and can be seen when visiting the Tower today. He was executed by James I, and has been seen looking exactly as he does in his portrait hanging in the Bloody Tower. I hope you have enjoyed Pt1 to The Ghosts of The Tower of London. In Pt2 we discover what happened to Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey as well as the Horrific end to the Countess of Salisbury. If these tales have brought your imagination back to life and you want to discover more ghostly and gruesome stories of times past, I hope you can read my future articles for The Paranormal Press, Best wishes and have a great day.
Stuart Bazga
Tools of The Trade The appliance of science within paranormal investigations By Peter Collins
During any paranormal investigation it would make good practice to look at the various pieces of equipment used to try and establish or even discount if any paranormal activity is occurring. So often I see or am made aware of some thing new coming onto the market that is supposed to enhance the toolbox of any paranormal investigator, and often I am quite surprised when I see items for sale with a large difference in the price because something is labelled for ‘ghost’ detection. In my experience often the eyes and ears are the best pieces of equipment - however I do enjoy using equipment as neither I, nor any of the Haunted Southampton team, claim any psychic ability. Here are some thoughts about some of the specific equipment we use during investigations.
The Magenta Heterodyne
Super Heterodyne Receivers The word "super" referrers to "super-sonic" (ultra-sonic today) meaning the IF frequency that is superior to or above human hearing. One theory often suggested is that ghosts or spirits communicate with us upon wavelengths we as humans cannot hear, which is maybe why animals such as dogs are often reported as refusing to enter such rooms or areas - an occurrence I have witnessed myself . It sounds a very posh name - ‘Heterodyne Receiver’, so what are they and of what use can they be within any paranormal investigation? If you assume that spirits can communicate with us through different wavelengths, and use Franks Box or white noise enhancers to record voices i.e EVP then using a simple Bat Detector can add to your tool box of equipment. Sound travels in waves through the air, ground and various other substances and cannot be seen, but felt as vibrations. These vibrations can easily be detected by using Heterodyne Receivers, which translate inaudible sound into audible frequencies. Research suggests that ‘spirits’ operate at a much higher frequency than us. By setting the device to above the human hearing range you can use a ‘Bat Detector’ to augment your own range of hearing. One experiment is to ask for a specific number of responses and wait. If you are using this equipment during a vigil it is best practice to record your experiment using voice recorders, or alternatively the Heterodyne receiver we have has a jack plug that can be plugged directly into a recorder.
The above device is one we use during all of our investigations. The benefits of this particular model is that the ranges available enable you to use a wide range of settings for all environments.
The ability to hear within the Ultrasound range is of real use during any paranormal investigation. If you assume the theory of spirit communication with different frequencies is correct, a Heterodyne is for you. *****************************************I In my experience this piece of equipment has been of real use in establishing recordings of ultrasound in responses to specific questions. It can help determine the possibility of paranormal activity if used in conjunction with various sound recorders, K2 meters, hygrometers and our weather station. If we are getting environmental changes, along with a form of electro magnetic build up these indicators when all put together are of interest. One thing to check - the presence of bats within any building should easily be able to detect and discount using a good quality heterodyne meter.
A Haunted House. With many reports of ghostly activity we asked for more information about The Falstaff Experience.
Spirits at the Falstaff
The Falstaff Experience 40 Sheep Street Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 6EE. Tel: 01789 298070
www.falstaffexperience.co.uk
My name is Kingsley Glover, one year ago I started working for The Falstaff Experience Tudor World, a museum of Tudor life in the heart of the historic county of Warwickshire that was described by the author of the best selling series Horrible Histories, Terry Deary, as the most haunted building in Britain! I am an actor and I was employed originally as William Shakespeare on the walking town tour of Stratford-upon-Avon, “No holds Bard”, but after a few months I was asked to learn and start taking guests around the building on the nightly ghost tours. At first I didn’t know what to expect after all it’s only a job isn’t it? My first paranormal experience was on my very first ghost tour. I was in the middle of a tour when suddenly we all heard a voice talking over mine, it was a child’s voice. I stopped talking to listen and the voice didn’t speak again. We all decided it was very strange and carried on with the tour. After the tour my boss and owner of the museum, Janet Ford, asked me if I would like to go on my first vigil, an all night ghost hunt from 10pm to 4am, as I had just finished my first ghost tour. I said yes it sounded like fun and joined the vigil. The first of many things that happened that night was the medium telling me that a little girl had followed me around on my tour and she wanted to make her presence known. I had told no one about the voice we had heard. Also that night I The Falstaff Experience Museum was sitting in the attic room of the museum on my own after being asked if anyone wanted to sit closer and closer … I waited until the footsteps had reached my on their own in the room with a K2 (Electro side, it was deadly silent in the room, one could have heard a pin Magnetic Energy) Meter. drop… quickly I snatched up my phone from my side switched I agreed not out of interest but mainly to give me on the light and shone it into the face of the person who had crept up on me, the only problem was, there was no one there! I an opportunity to roll a cigarette as I was still had heard footsteps, clear as day! It was that that made me think very skeptical, having worked in the theatre all there was more to the building that meets the eye. Since then I my life and also having worked with stage have been growled at, had conversations with people who aren’t magicians. I was sitting in the dark when at the there, seen shapes moving through the darkness when I have end of the room about 20 feet away in the darkbeen on my own in the building and also been poked prodded ness I heard the door squeak open slowly and I and jabbed in various ways ranging from playful to actually quite heard soft footsteps coming towards me as if someone didn’t want to be heard sneaking across forceful. the room.
I know what you are thinking, this man has taken leave of his senses! But no I am not insane. I can however tell you this. I I sat silently, listening. At this point I was not scared I was more annoyed that someone thought can’t confirm or deny if the activity we get is caused by spirits or something else. However, in the same way that a UFO can be that it would be funny to sneak up on me in the unidentified and not necessarily of alien origin. I don’t know if darkness to scare me when everyone had been the activity we get is caused by spirits but I can tell you that the taking it so seriously! I thought I would get my revenge on the prankster by holding my phone in activity is certainly paranormal and there is a lot of it! I honestly recommend a visit! my hand and listening to the footsteps getting
Julie Simpson Talks to The Paranormal Press Julie Simpson aka JulieSOC. A Durham lass now affectionately nicknamed “Spirits Medium” Opened a chat room in 2002, little knowing the change it would have on her life.
The Spiritualist’s Online Network - The story that started from a child’s thought. Asking Julie how her journey started, she explained it all happened in 2002 when she was looking for some spiritual chat abroad but found nothing that sparked her interest, so putting her thinking cap on Julie asked her son Colin “what else can you do on computers and this internet thing then?” Colin replied “start a chartroom” - and this is how a major international online community began to what it is today ten years on, “what started as an extension to my interest and wishing to share my abilities was to take me from the UK to New Zealand and a retreat I now run .on New Zealand's South Islands stunning west coast”. The online community that Julie operates offers services ranging from that first chat room, websites and a full teaching lyceum for it’s members. SOCLIVE is a pay per minute platform which helps support the network that has been run voluntarily by its staff and members for the last ten years. The Online TV site covers all spiritual genre plus a new radio show “Circle of Mediums” offering freely to those who tune in - mediumship, healing, tarot, palmistry, and more from the stations staff and guests worldwide. With so much on offer we asked Julie if she could break down each service upon offer so individuals could find out more; Circle of Mediums Radio show from SOC now on BlogTalk Online Radio; as part of the networks sponsorship of mikespirit.fm - chats with hosts and various guests of all manner of specialities in the spiritual field. SOC Lyceum A teaching arena with members from as far as Alaska , USA, UK, Dubai , Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The Lyceum offers an opportunity for everyone to learn and develop their own intuitive, psychic and mediumship abilities. Also available is classes, courses, plus, teachings from our staff and special guests, which in the past has included international medium Rachel Beavan, UK favourites Ray Booker and Co-Owner of the network Rosemary Sladden. SOCLIVE Offers all of the above to the general public on a pay per minute platform. With up to 30 staff available for sharing and teaching all spiritual abilities. Soctvnetwork Is a site showing paranormal and other genre shows from providers and other sites freely to those offering and to watch. Most viewings come with interactive chat rooms so that viewers can join in and discuss the shows.
With a busy on line community to run and oversee, Julie also runs her own retreat . Located at Kumara Junction, between Hokitika and Greymouth. Julies South Island retreat offers weekly spiritual development groups, with accommodation available for short stays. It is an environment where you can stroll in the beautiful grounds and be at peace with nature. Julie explained that her retreat, which is a part of the Spiritualists Online Network “our retreat offers all aspects of mediumship and spiritualism. We have visiting mediums from all across New Zealand plus resident mediums are available seven days a week.”
Spiritualist’s Online network’s Retreat In Kumara Junction, West Coast, NZ
Contact The Spiritualist Online Network
http://spiritualistsonline.com
http://spiritualistsonline.org
http://soctvnetwork.com
Looking back from when it all started 10 years ago, Julie continues to develop the online world she and her team have created, plans are in place for going back to doing live shows in New Zealand and hopes to return to the UK to do a tour with her staff and guests who have supported the Spiritualist’s Online Network & Lyceum for so long. At the start , from a small on line chat room. “the days turned to weeks, two months and then its a year, 6 years, 10 years later and visitors to the site became members to friends and more, all colours, creeds, faiths and beliefs join us here” Finally, asking Julie about her son Colin she went onto explain “well as for Colin; whose idea started it all, he’s now 25 year old - a Bachelor of Science, University Graduate in Film and Media Studies. Than you to Julie for letting us know all about her work and life in New Zealand , you can find out more about her work and all about The Spiritualist’s Online Network & Lyceum using the contact details opposite
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JulietWrites It Down On 29th November I took my father on the Haunted Southampton Ghost Walk. He thoroughly enjoyed it (well I would say that) and went to bed saying how much he had enjoyed the history and the locations. The next morning however, he said something completely different. He told me how much he had enjoyed the spirituality of it. I must admit it took me back a little – especially as the walk is intended to enlighten those attending on our interesting and gory past, not necessarily to enrich our souls. But then I thought – why should it not?
As a species human beings try to encourage progress and enlightenment, but as a rule also take pride in our past. The British in particular have a love affair with history, which we meticulously record, catalogue and ruminate every minute detail that is uncovered as we pillage our green and pleasant lands. Programs such as ‘Time Team’, ‘Meet the Ancestors’ and ‘Who Do You Think You are’ fascinate us and the country is saturated with museums filled with everything from china dolls to toilet seats and all sorts in between. Pride of place goes to our Churches and Cathedrals; some of our oldest historical records were patiently and lovingly copied by Monks and Brothers in ancient places of worship - glorious manuscripts with amazing illustrations and incredible colours. Becky and I have spent many a happy hour poring over crumbling documents, filled with spidery writing - often in Latin (okay so we don’t read Latin) but it is a privilege to be able to handle actual pieces of our past.
As a country we seem to feel a deep connection with our roots. Our Olympic Opening Ceremony was an incredible testament to how highly we regard our history. However something we also seem to feel is a deep connection to the people who have helped us become what we are today. Our ancestors endured awful conditions, cruelty, injustice, disease and civil war to create this thriving nation, and we love having that depth of history behind us – it provides income and education, and why should we not find that we empathise with those who have enabled us to live our lives in freedom? Their stories, bloody, romantic and downright gory at times help us, standing by the buildings where these unfortunate souls met their fate, connect with our past in a way that films and books never can.
Bearing witness to the past seemed to enhance this mysterious connection – standing in a Vault that saw such carnage that it was once ankle deep in blood brings it all uneasily close, and the guests shuffled uncomfortably, some with nervous grins. Morally, as history has marched on uncaring, we have moved on, but just for a moment there, in the dark, our spirits were confronted with a fate we will never have to concern ourselves over. Spirituality indeed. Thanks Dad.
I hope you have a peaceful Christmas and joyful New Year celebration and look forward to seeing you on an overnight investigation or Ghost Walk soon. Take care of yourselves...
Juliet Collins