Strange Days

The BBC’s UFO fiasco

2012-10-16T17:38:00.001+01:00

Did anyone see Conspiracy Road Trip – UFOs on BBC3 last night? I never expect much from UFO documentaries, as most of the ones I’ve seen have been pretty one dimensional and disappointing, as they only ever seem to represent the two flip sides of the true believer coin. In other words, the documentary will either be dominated by rabid debunkers, on the one hand, or the tinfoil hat brigade on the other, with little scope for rational inquiry. Perhaps the BBC might take a more balanced and responsible approach, I thought, as I waited for the show to start. Wrong. This one was even more disappointing than usual.

The characters taken on the road trip came across as fully paid-up members of the true believer, tinfoil hat brigade, purposefully selected to heap ridicule on the whole subject. Yes, there are undeniably many absurd and laughable aspects to so-called ufology – the whole Billy Meier debacle for instance, with images of supposed intergalactic spacecraft clearly made from everyday items held close to the camera. Or Greer’s CSETI organisation claiming to have an image of an extra-terrestrial, which is clearly a cactus. Such absurdities deserve all the ridicule we can hurl at them. But the fact remains that unknown objects have been tracked on radar, reported by reliable witnesses such as pilots and police officers, and have, on occasions, endangered civilian or military aircraft with their antics. Surely THAT warrants a more serious approach to the subject?

Conspiracy Road Trip took the typical, blinkered ignoramus approach to the whole topic. It promoted the notion that the only people interested in the UFO topic are paranoid conspiracy theorists, extra-terrestrial hypothesis (ETH) enthusiasts, deluded, lonely females with a secret alien lover fantasy, or New Age hippy dippy types seeking to commune with the cosmos. What about those of us who come to the subject with an open mind, who won’t ignore the evidence presented by radar, pilots, police officers, etc, but who equally refuse to blindly subscribe to conspiracy theories or the ETH, who don’t fantasise about sexual liaisons with other-worldly beings or get our chakras in a tizzy every time a light zips across the night sky? What about those of us who say, ‘hang on, there’s SOMETHING going on here, we don’t know what, so we’ll keep an open mind and keep probing?’. As usual, the film-makers didn’t want to know, and chose the freak-show option.

I also have to question why they chose to include some of the so-called experts featured in the film. On the pro side, they trotted out John Lear. Like so many so-called UFO experts, he promulgates personal opinions and unsupported narratives as fact, without offering the tiniest bit of concrete proof of anything he says. Why not bring someone on to present radar data confirming the presence of an anomalous object? I’ll tell you why – there would be no giggle factor. They only wanted people who were prepared to make outlandish and unsupported statements in favour of the existence of UFOs. On the anti side, they trotted out Michael Shermer, founder of the Skeptics Society and editor-in-chief of Skeptic magazine. He seems pretty rational, at a first glance, but his refusal to accept any UFO sighting as potentially anomalous, is just as blinkered as a UFO true believer’s insistence that every light in the sky is an intergalactic mothership. Each stance is equally myopic and untenable.

As the film wound on, it became clear the Conspiracy Road Trip team had no intention of taking an objective approach to the subject matter. They had their own agenda, which was to entertain their audience by mocking the subject matter, and encouraging their unfortunate band of road trippers to make utter pillocks of themselves on camera. It was cheap TV, tackily assembled, without even the promise of a cheap thrill. All in all, the show was a total waste of licence payers’ money, and said more about the warped and condescending agenda of the production team than it did about any of the participants, pro or anti UFO, or the validity of their respective belief systems.

Out with the old…

2012-10-02T17:29:00.001+01:00

It’s been a very long time since I last posted here. Why? A mixture of reasons, including apathy, ennui, and the general need to withdraw from writing about the paranormal, at least on a temporary basis. I’ve met many wonderful online friends and acquaintances through Strange Days, but I’ve also encountered the darker side of paranormal blogging. It is this darker side which made me think twice about continuing.

I don’t see taking time out as allowing myself to be intimidated by these darker elements – they simply became too tedious to deal with, and life is too short to spend it wading, waist-high, in a mire of bullshit. First of all, I grew tired of the crazies this blog attracted. I received many a rambling comment and email expounding one mad conspiracy theory or another, followed by the usual abuse and accusations when I refused to publish such crap, or allow myself to be converted to their way of thinking. I’m sorry, but I truly believe Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, and 9/11 was a terrorist attack. If that offends anyone, tough. And no, I’m not a neo-Nazi, and don’t work for MI5, the CIA, Mossad or any other covert government organisation, anywhere in the world. I’m just someone who sporadically writes a blog about something I’m interested in. That’s the boring truth. Accept it or kindly jog on.

Another type of correspondent I attracted was somewhat more sinister. I had several attempts, I suspect by the same person, to convince me I was suffering from a severe psychosis, due to my interest in the paranormal. This person claimed to be a doctor, who wanted to help me. Of course, to get this ‘help’, I was expected to correspond with this so-called medic and confide all my inner thoughts, and so forth. Sorry, sicko, I’m a step ahead of your game. I know a creep when I smell one. Big yawn.

I’ve decided to start maintaining this blog again, but have removed all posts which document experiences I had when I was much younger, which could be attributed to some kind of paranormal events. I say ‘could be’ because ultimately, there may well be a totally prosaic explanation for any or all of these events, which my limited knowledge of science fails to explain. I’ve removed them from Strange Days, as they were the posts which drew most attention from the nut-jobs and trolls. Like I said earlier, I can think of better ways to waste my time, than galumphing through a quagmire of bullshit.

To those who have come here with a genuine interest and an open mind – I thank you for your support. I won’t be posting daily, but will try to post at least a couple of times a week. Please bear in mind that Strange Days is aimed at an audience with a general interest in the paranormal, so there will be no in-depth scientific, psychological, sociological, etc, analyses of paranormal phenomena, as these are, quite frankly, beyond my ability, but there will be an attempt to at least filter out bullshit. Here’s to reconnecting with old friends of Strange Days, and hopefully, making some new ones…

BBC News - 'Witch's cottage' unearthed near Pendle Hill, Lancashire

2011-12-08T23:20:00.000+00:00

BBC News - 'Witch's cottage' unearthed near Pendle Hill, Lancashire:

'via Blog this'

My visit to the Skirrid Inn

2009-09-30T21:46:00.000+01:00

I recently became fascinated by the haunted history of Skirrid Inn, which lies in the small Monmouthshire village of Llanfihangel Crucorney, in south-east Wales. When I realised a recent day trip would take me very close to the inn, I couldn't resist a detour to the location.

We arrived at sundown, finding the sleepy, rural village bathed in a pinkish-purple glow.

We drove through an archway into the pub's car park, and settled in the beer garden, as I had my dog with me. Within a minute or so of sitting, I got an overwhelming sense of misery and despair.

I reasoned with myself - I know a lot about the inn's bloody past, and that knowledge was probably clouding what I was sensing. But the feelings of utter despair simply grew more intense, to the point of being oppressive. I felt doomed, and as if I would never leave the place. Intrigued, I left the dog outside with my companion, and decided to explore the interior of the inn.

As I approached the low doorway, obscured in the above picture by a folded parasol, I got the distinct impression that what is now the rear of the inn, was in fact, its original facade. As I entered the doorway, I felt some of the gloom and oppression lifting from me. Within moments, I got my first glimpse of the spot where almost 200 convicts were executed.

After taking the above shot, I paid a visit to the bathroom. This is when things got a little stranger. It suddenly felt icy cold and I had a sense of someone repeating over and over to me, 'I didn't do it, I didn't do it'. Was this my imagination playing tricks? I had a further impression that the person was a young boy, maybe no more than 14 years old. Where the heck was this all coming from? As soon as I left the bathroom, it stopped, although the chill remained.

I returned to the corridor where the hangman's noose was located. The rope isn't the original, but it's suspended from the original beam, which bears impressions from the original rope.

I suspect the original rope may have been somewhat shorter than this one, because the noose is only about a a metre and a half from the floor - unless people were considerably shorter in the days of Hanging Judge Jeffreys than they are today.

Here's a closer look at the original hangman's beam - I wish I could have got a better shot.

I decided to climb part of the way up a flight of stairs to my left, to get a closer look at the hanging rope and beam. I spotted an ancient, wooden door at the top of the stairs, and decided to investigate.

As I drew closer, the temperature began to change, at a spot roughly half way up the stairs. I stood sideways on the stairs, and realised that my left side, facing upwards towards the door, was rapidly warming up. My right side, facing the rope and the bathroom, was still very cold.

I got a sudden sense of benevolence and welcoming, coming from the direction of the upper floor. I also got a sense of fussiness, like someone was bustling around, doing their best to welcome me and put me at my ease. At this point, I decided to leave, because I was a little spooked. This welcoming sense was definitely coming from behind that door. Why was I spooked? Well, this is what the sign on the door said.

The sign may be a recent addition, but it commemorates the fact that condemned prisoners were held in this room, a makeshift cell, prior to being led to the gallows. Was I being welcomed by a benevolent spirit, or being enticed by the hangman said to stalk the upper floors? Or did my imagination simply go into hyperdrive?

I decided to step outside, and take my dog for a walk around the front of the inn, before we left for the long drive home.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw this character standing at the inn's front entrance, next to the ancient front door.

Fortunately, it was just the publican's idea of a joke. Phew. Before I left, I decided to grab a shot of the mountain which gave the Skirrid Inn its name. I found the Skirrid Mountain, bathed in the last rays of the setting sun, just as eerie as the inn itself.

Despite sensing a number of anomalies at the location, if I'm honest, I cannot be sure if, or how much, my previous knowledge of the Skirrid Inn's haunted history, coloured my experiences. That said, my own experiences don't seem to correspond with reports I've read made by other visitors to the inn, so maybe there was something more than an overactive imagination at play. I will definitely return to the Skirrid at some point, to try to get a better feel of the place.

Skirrid visit planned

2009-09-14T14:00:00.000+01:00

I hope to visit the Skirrid Mountain Inn soon. I'll be updating my article about the pub's ghosts with any new information I uncover. I'll also add some personal impressions to the article, especially if I detect anything anomalous.

Changes

2009-08-06T00:24:00.003+01:00

I'm in the process of redesigning Strange Days (again), to give it a more professional look, so please excuse the mess at the moment. I've removed all monetized content. Hopefully, this will make Strange Days more attractive to visitors, easier to navigate, and more enjoyable to browse through.

I'm on the radio today

2009-08-04T11:59:00.003+01:00

Sorry for the short notice on this. I posted an announcement on Facebook, but forgot all about my poor old blog. My friend, Alison Lenihan, has invited me on her radio show this afternoon, to talk about UFOs and other paranormal topics. If you're in the Penllergaer, Pontarddulais, Gorseinon, Pontlliw and Gowerton areas, you'll be able to listen live, on 106.5 FM, between 2-4 PM. No worries if you're not living locally. You can also listen online. I don't think there will be a downloadable version of the show, though. Hope you can tune in, and once again, sorry for the short notice.

Ghosts of the Skirrid Inn

2009-06-16T16:19:00.011+01:00

Introduction

Haunted hostelries are a recurring theme in paranormal lore, their eerie environments often inspiring the works of famous novelists. Cornwall's famous Jamaica Inn inspired the Daphne du Maurier novel of the same name, whilst across the Atlantic, the Stanley Hotel, located in the Rocky Mountains, served as inspiration for Stephen King's 'The Shining'. The UK seems especially blessed, or cursed, depending on how you look at it, with tales of haunted hostelries, and one of the most notorious of these can be found close to the Welsh-English border, in south east Wales.

History

The ancient Skirrid Inn lies at the foot of the Skirrid Mountain, in the small village of Llanfihangel Crucorney, just off the main road between Abergavenny and Hereford. The Skirrid is believed to be Wales's oldest pub, and is amongst some of the oldest in the UK. It is also reputed to be one of the UK's most haunted locations. According to historical records, the inn has been providing its patrons with hospitality, and no doubt, a few heart-stopping moments, since at least 1104 - the era of the Norman conquest - and possibly, even earlier.

Image: Andy Dolman via Creative Commons Licence

The inn has a fascinating history, and is said to have played host to many historical figures. In the early 1400's, Owain Glyndwr, Wales's most famous opponent of English rule, is believed to have spurred on his rebels at the inn's courtyard, and indeed, numerous English kings are also reputed to have stayed at the inn - but presumably not at the same time.

Much of the inn's ancient construction remains. The building's exposed oak beams are said to have been fashioned from ancient ships' timbers, and many of its wooden window frames are considered to be of original construction, along with one of the inn's wooden doors. The Skirrid's dining room houses some authentic sixteenth century wooden panelling.

Image: Philip Halling via Creative Commons licence

The Skirrid Inn has a fascinating, though very bloody history. Between the twelfth and seventeenth centuries, it served as a court room. During this era of British history, harsh sentences, including the death penalty, were meted out to murderers and petty criminals alike. More than 180 individuals are believed to have been executed by hanging at the Skirrid Inn, during its days as a courtroom. The inn's first floor is believed to have housed the courtroom, and a holding cell for prisoners was located half way up the stairs. The former cell is now a store room.

Image: Andy Dolman via Creative Commons Licence

In 1685, during an exceptionally bloody period in the inn's history, 180 insurgents from the Monmouth Rebellion were hanged at the Skirrid. The hangings were ordered by the notorious George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem, more popularly known as 'Hanging' Judge Jeffreys.

George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem - William Wolfgang Claret

The Catholic King James II sent the judge to Wales to mete out harsh punishment to supporters of the Duke of Monmouth's failed Protestant rebellion. The rebels were executed by hanging from a beam beneath the Skirrid's staircase. The rope marks are said to be preserved in the wood of the beam.

Image: Philip Halling via Creative Commons licence

Many believe that the Skirrid's bloody history has left the inn with a whole host of non-paying guests, none of which show any signs of wanting to leave.

The Ghosts

Although there is no documentary evidence that he ever sat in person at the Skirrid's courtroom, Hanging Judge Jeffreys is rumoured to stalk the upper floors of the Skirrid Inn, no doubt looking for felons to condemn to death. One such felon, a sheep rustler named John Crowther, has reportedly put in many appearances throughout the inn. The malevolent presence of Judge Jeffreys' hangman has also been reported, along with those of several other hanged felons.

Not all the Skirrid's reported spirits are criminal or malevolent in nature. They include a local clergyman, Father Henry Vaughn, whose presence has been reported as friendly and harmless. Fanny Price, who worked at the inn during the 18th century, is said to be very active throughout the Skirrid. It is believed Fanny died of consumption in 1873, aged just 35. She is reportedly most active in Room 3. Other ghostly occurrences include sightings of a spirit dubbed the White Lady, the sound of soldiers in the courtyard, the rustling of an unseen lady's dress, a powerful scent of perfume, and glasses flying off the bar unaided by human hands. An estimated ten to fifteen glasses are broken in this way every week. In fact, glasses began to fly around the bar as a former landlady, Heather Grant, negotiated a potential sale of the inn.

Visitors, often totally unaware of the inn's haunted history, have reported a variety of disturbing phenomena. On more than one occasion, guests have complained of feeling as if they were being strangled, shortly before the appearance of welts on their necks, resembling rope burns. Other guests have become overwhelmed with dizziness, nausea or fear on the stairs, or complained of a palpable but invisible presence passing them at the same spot.

In recent times, eight late night drinkers at the bar reportedly witnessed a bizarre phenomenon, flying money. Some paper notes, weighted down by coins, levitated and drifted around the whole bar. The notes allegedly hovered briefly in mid-air, before crashing to the floor.

The inn also experiences peculiar knocking sounds, with doors either slamming shut spontaneously, or shaking violently before flying open unaided. Unexplained footsteps have been heard all over the Skirrid, and numerous cold spots felt, for which no logical cause has been found.

Conclusion

Are there rational, conventional explanations for the strange events experienced at the Skirrid Inn? Has the hostelry's bloody history somehow permanently imprinted itself on the building, to be spontaneously replayed over the years, by means and for reasons unknown? Sadly, these are questions none of us can answer with any certainty. All that can be said for sure, is that no-one has suffered serious or permanent injury at the ghostly hands of the spirits said to reside at the Skirrid. In fact, its ghostly residents seem to be one of the inn's biggest attractions.

Apologies

2009-05-28T01:02:00.002+01:00

My apologies to anyone who has recently been trying to view this site. It was hit by technical glitches which have now been resolved - something to do with DNS, hosting and other such nightmares. Hopefully, the problems won't be repeated. Once again, my apologies for any inconvenience caused.

The Gosford UFO incident

2009-05-13T16:16:00.002+01:00

I've come across a YouTube clip which detail a fascinating Australian UFO case. Known as the Gosford incident, its multiple witnesses included professionals, police officers, and dozens of other reliable individuals. The witnesses related almost identical accounts of an object hovering over a lake, and apparently sucking up, then ejecting water.

Strange Days is back!

2009-05-13T16:14:00.003+01:00

My apologies for the lack of posts here in recent months. I won't bore you with the why and wherefore of it all. Sometimes, I just have to step back from paranormal reading and research. I can't promise to post every day, but I hope to update once or twice a week from now on.

New article

2009-03-05T12:46:00.001+00:00

I've just published a new article over at the UFO Magazine blog. The first one for a long time!

Revamped

2008-11-09T22:59:00.002+00:00

I recently decided it was time to give Strange Days a makeover. Guess what? I HATE it! I haven't finished with it yet - I need to create my own custom header image, but I'm lacking inspiration at the moment. Maybe it'll grow on me. I hope so. I've spent ages redesigning everything, and really don't want to go through it all again.

Revamp

2008-11-09T17:45:00.001+00:00

Please bear with me, if this blog starts to look a bit messed up. I'm doing a complete re-design, as I've had enough of this template. I'm aiming for a more professional look! I should have it finished today sometime, but as my web design skills are limited, I expect something to go awry somewhere.

Declassified MoD UFO files

2008-11-02T15:49:00.005+00:00

I recently downloaded the latest batch of UFO files to be released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), here in the UK. In the files for 1986, I came across a document entitled UFO Interview. It offers no explanation, as far as I can see, as to who either the interviewer or interviewee may have been. The interview itself is prefaced with the now infamous MoD assertion that there is no evidence to suggest that UFOs pose a threat to national security. I have taken screen shots of both the preface, and the actual interview itself, and posted them below. In the absence of any explanation about who the participants are, I suspect that this so-called interview is nothing but a public relations exercise. It reads a little like the FAQ sections that appear on some websites. It all feels a little stage-managed to me. What do you think? Do you know who the participants were?

Click the images to enlarge them to a readable size.

Hear me on The Paracast

2008-10-20T14:40:00.001+01:00

I was a guest recently on The Paracast, with Gene Steinberg and David Biedny. The episode aired on October 19th, and is now available to download or listen to online. You can download it here (MP3 file, about 42 MB). If you prefer, you can listen to it online. Until October 26th, just click the play button on the embedded Quicktime Player. After October 26th, click here.

The Paracast

2008-10-15T21:23:00.002+01:00

I thought you may be interested to hear that I've just been interviewed for The Paracast. I was a complete nervous wreck! I've never been interviewed for anything before. I hope I didn't make too much of a twit of myself. The hosts, Gene Steinberg and David Biedny, were very nice, and a lot of fun to talk to.

It's weird - I was fairly releaxed to start with, but nerves suddenly got to me about 15 minutes in. I just thought, 'fuck! I'm on The Paracast'. Had it been any old podcast, I'd have been fine. But I'm a big Paracast fan, and and when realization hit, I got a little tongue-tied and flustered. Gene and David were very patient with me, bless them, and I think they understood that I was slightly hard work because I was more than a little nervous. They're great guys and I'm pleased to have had the chance to talk with them, even if I did sound a bit of a nitwit!

Sorry!

2008-09-26T12:34:00.001+01:00

My apologies - again - for the lack of paranormal posts here lately. I've been very busy in the real world, and quality articles take a long time to research and write. I have a number of plans, and hope to get a few articles online very soon. Once again, my apologies, and many thanks for continuing to visit. I hope you'll enjoy the paranormal articles I have planned for the near future.

Still working on it

2008-08-27T00:04:00.000+01:00

I'm currently doing some more research on the UK's haunted pubs, as well as trying to find out more about the paranormal tales associated with ancient sites. The area in which I live has a very rich folklore, including tales of fairy-like entities, known as the Verry Volk. In fact, one account I've read of the Verry Volk, sounds a little like a modern-day cattle mutilation. I hope to have at least one new article online within the next 24 hours or so, hopefully more.

By the way, is there any subject you would like to see more of on Strange Days? Would you find an article on UFO sightings during medieval and earlier times interesting? How about some more cryptozoology articles? I know I've been a bit slack with articles lately, but it's been a very busy time.

The Red Lion, Avebury

2008-08-15T13:26:00.000+01:00

Avebury, in Wiltshire, in the south-west of England, is a well-known paranormal hotspot. In fact, there are so many paranormal events and phenomena associated with Avebury, that I cannot possibly cover it all in one article.

I'd like to start off by telling you about Avebury's famous Red Lion Inn, which is one of the UK's most haunted hotels.

The Red Lion at Avebury. Image: Pamela Adam

Much of the village, including the Red Lion, is enclosed within an ancient stone circle. There are several small stone circles at Avebury, as well as a large henge. Avebury is located just twenty miles from the much better known Stonehenge, and at least two thousand years older. The tiny village is regarded as a spiritual centre for numerous pagan groups, such as the Druids and Wiccans.

Avebury, showing The Red Lion at centre right. Image: MomentaryShutter

It has been the subject of many paranormal TV shows, including the very popular Most Haunted. In October 2004, the Swindon-based Paranormal Site Investigators carried out a ghostwatch at the pub.

The Red Lion's best known spirit is that of a former landlady, Florrie. Local legend describes how Florrie had a number of illicit dalliances whilst her soldier husband fought in the English Civil War, which took place from 1642-1651. Her husband returned home and discovered Florrie's infidelity. He murdered her and concealed her body by pushing it down the village well. The Red Lion later expanded around the well, which now serves as a focal point in one of the restaurant's dining rooms.

Florrie's murder was not the only one to occur at the Red Lion. It is also believed that a local man was stabbed to death in the cellar during the 17th century. At the time, the cellar was used to conceal criminals, and priests escaping the wrath of the anti-Catholic monarchy.

It was on 1st October, 2004, that a dozen members of Paranormal Site Investigators arrived at the Red Lion, to carry out an all-night vigil. They were accompanied by a local press photographer. They witnessed a great deal of anomalous activity, some of which was photographed. The activity experienced included mysterious footsteps, appliances turning themselves on and off, light anomalies, and people being touched by an unknown source. An object was also hurled down the stairs, from the bar to the cellar, where the investigators had based themselves. No-one was anywhere near the area of the bar from which the object was hurled.

One member of the investigative team, who was ignorant of the inn's history, had a particularly disturbing experience. He had a terrifying vision, in which a man came up to him and made a number of violent, stabbing motions with a dagger. The pub's staff later revealed that a man had been stabbed to death in the cellar. Staff who enter the cellar regularly feel an angry and menacing presence within.

A closer look at the Red Lion. Image: carboncopyrocks!

Many writers and investigators believe that the Red Lion's location, in the middle of one of Europe's largest stone circles, plays a key role in its paranormal history. Do stone circles attract paranormal events? Or perhaps paranormal events have occurred at such sites for millennia, and prehistoric man built the circles in recognition of these phenomena. It's impossible to know for sure, but having had a very bizarre experience of my own within an ancient stone circle, I'm convinced some unusual kind of energy exists at some of these sites.

Series of articles about Avebury

2008-08-15T01:18:00.000+01:00

I'm currently working on a feature about one of the UK's most active paranormal hotspots, Avebury, in Wiltshire. This small village has been the scene of a huge number of hauntings, is home to one of the most haunted inns in Great Britain, has seen numerous UFO sightings and alleged alien abduction, not to mention encounters with other types of entities, such as fairies. As there is so much to cover, the feature will be split into a number of articles.

Is the USS Salem haunted?

2008-08-14T00:55:00.002+01:00

Investigators believe the USS Salem, an ageing cruiser from the Cold War era, to be haunted. Many on board have heard deck hatches continually banging open and shut in the middle of the night, but initially believed the noises to be a result of the vessel's age. Then, people began to see a ghostly form appearing to operate machinery on the ship's bow.

Michael Condon, the ship’s executive director, dropped a tantalizing, if somewhat non-committal hint. “I’m just going to say this: While I have not seen anything, I certainly have heard things,” he said.

An investigative team from Mass Paranormal, based at Quincy, Massachusetts, intends to spend a night aboard the ship, to see if they can witness the phenomena for themselves. A previous recce of the ship, with recording equipment, detected the voice of a woman, repeatedly telling them to get out.

Ghosts found in village pub

2008-08-14T00:35:00.003+01:00

One of my favourite paranormal themes is that of haunted pubs and inns. In fact, I'm going to bring you a number of articles on the subject, over the coming weeks and months. I'll start off my series of articles by looking at a news story that recently broke, about a haunted pub in North Wales.

Sam Nikolic, landlady of The White Horse pub, in the village of Overton, close to Wrexham, became spooked by a number of anomalous occurrences at her hostelry. Amongst the happenings were footsteps made by unseen walkers, and rooms filling with smoke, for which no-one could see any cause. Also, various electrical appliances and beer pumps switched on and off, when no-one was near them. On other occasions, objects would simply disappear, without explanation. She called on the help of a Wrexham-based paranormal organisation, Spirit Quest UK. Their investigation turned up some very interesting facts.

Spirit Quest UK's director, Howard Hughes, is very pleased with the outcome of the investigation. He told the Evening Reader that:

During the investigation a barrel was seen moving by itself by a couple of people in the cellar and the name 'Tom' was picked up by one of the two mediums. The smoking room revealed its secrets.

The mediums picked up the name 'William' as the invisible occupant's name although he said through spirit communication using a glass that he was happy with the name John, a name given to him by the landlady who thinks of him as one of the family.

Sam told of how "there was a lot of strange knocking and the glass was going mad on the table."

The group identified the conference room as the focal point of the paranormal activity. According to Howard:

a medium who came in as a guest also sensed a death by fire which might tie in with the historical evidence that shows that a fire gutted the building in 1904...

...The spirits of four holy men were sensed and that ties in very nicely with rumours that a tunnel once led from the cellar to the nearby church ... (and) mediums picked up on the identities of a little girl named Emily and her dog who loved to sit beside an old fire place.

The group also detected the spirit of an enigmatic woman in white, a former servant at the inn, called Florence.

Source - Ghosts found in Overton pub, say paranormal team.

Cuero 'chupacabras' is back in town.

2008-08-13T16:17:00.002+01:00

It seems the so-called Cuero chupacabras is back in town. This time, it's been caught on a police dashcam, as it was running along the road ahead of the car. I tried to embed a video of it from CNN, but it seems they've taken the clip down. However, you can see the dashcam footage of the creature here. To me, it just looks like some kind of canine creature. What do you think?

Click to read more about this story.

Majestic-12 Operations Manual?

2008-08-13T16:01:00.003+01:00

Not quite sure what to make of this. It's allegedly authentic MJ-12/classified US army documentation. Allegedly. I'm not especially convinced of the authenticity of any of the Majestic-12 stuff. I'm currently reading Stanton Friedman's Top Secret/Majic, so who knows? I may change my mind.

Just use the arrows at the top, or the scrollbar at the side, of the embedded object, to scroll through the document's pages.

SO-1 CLASSIFIED ARMY UFO MANUAL - Upload a Document to Scribd