Sunday Mercury - Haunted

Prison Ghosts

2009-07-17T06:27:52Z

From medieval dungeons to modern American penitentiaries, prisons are truly frightening places - and they remain frightening long after the last inmate has finished his porridge.
One former prison that sees a lot of paranormal activity is Derby Gaol, owned by ghost expert and historian Richard Felix.

Derby Gaol was built in the 1750's on a traditional, and very busy, execution site. Death and suffering were associated with the building right from the start.
England at this time was experiencing a massive crimewave caused by terrible poverty and cheap gin which large numbers of the population were addicted to.

The gap between rich and poor was immense and the ruling classes were not about to let the peasants get their grubby hands on the family silver. If you were poor and committed a crime you could definitely expect brutal punishment.

Over 260 crimes carried the death penalty. A twelve year old who stole a handkerchief was just as likely to hang as a highwayman who committed murder.

Therefore, the vast majority of the poor souls who entered Derby Gaol had a rather unpleasant appointment with the hangman. Even those inmates not sentenced to death were probably going to die from the filthy conditions and the violence of the gaolers and fellow convicts.

As if the prospect of the gallows was not terrible enough, condemned inmates had an additional fear which caused them great anguish. Their bodies were often handed to the surgeons to be dissected and examined (and then put on public display as a warning to others). In these more religious times it was firmly believed that your soul could not enter heaven if your body had been dismembered. This belief could be a contributing factor as to why some spirits stay on the earthly plane and refuse to "cross over".

Derby Gaol is regularly visited by paranormal investigators and interested members of the public. Many people have witnessed unusual and sometimes quite scary activity within the building.

Even an experienced investigator like Richard Felix has been frightened by close encounters of the paranormal kind. He was once confronted by a grey haze in the shape of a man. This strange grey mist glided straight past him before disappearing at the end of the corridor.

A builder was once working in one of the cells when the heavy cell door slowly closed by itself, locking him in. This happened twice and no rational explanation could be found. These doors are very heavy and another person closing them would have been heard or seen. This builder also experienced feelings of nausea - a common experience in haunted locations. Many people visiting Derby Gaol begin to feel sick and have to leave. Some people seem to feel that they are being suffocated or strangled.

A very disturbing scene has been witnessed in one of the cells. People claim to have seen two young men hanging from a beam, their bodies slowly rotating. A similar vision has been seen in the Day Room where a visitor noticed a man hanging from a doorway. He thought that this was a very convincing stunt by an actor but was shocked to discover that nobody else had seen the hanging man. Could these frightening visions be somehow conjured up by the buildings long association with death by hanging?

One particular scary figure has been encountered lurking in a doorway of Derby Gaol. He has been described as an evil looking bald man wearing a kind of leather garment or apron. I remember reading that when prisoners were flogged, the jailer would wear a leather apron because it was easier to wipe off blood and bits of flesh. This leather clad bald man has also been seen to walk through a wall.

Another strangely dressed figure, a woman in a large fancy hat, was seen to walk down a corridor and through a door to the outside. The witnesses followed her outside to be confronted by freshly fallen snow - and no footprints!

Derby Gaol seems to be full of strange ghostly people. A man in a long scarlet coat is sometimes seen acting as if he is looking for someone or something. A "terrified looking" blonde woman was witnessed lying on a bed, a dark, shadowy figure seemed to be menacing her. People have commented on black shapes congregating around the fireplace in the Day Room.

Many people have commented on a strong tobacco smell. This is something that I and other investigators have increasingly begun to notice in haunted locations. The smell of strong tobacco smoke (mainly pipes and cigars) has become very noticeable since the smoking ban was introduced.

Derby Gaol also has more than its fair share of poltergeist activity. Cups, glasses and various ornaments have all moved by themselves - sometimes flying past the heads of shocked visitors and staff. A pair of antique spectacles seem to be able to move themselves around the building whenever they feel like it.

Other prisons, some still in use, also appear to be haunted.

For over a hundred years Wandsworth Prison in London has been the home of a well known ghost called 'Wandsworth Annie'. Many prisoners and staff have described her as middle aged and wearing a long grey woollen dress and black boots. She appears for a few seconds at various points in the prison and as soon as she is noticed she quickly vanishes. 'Wandsworth Annie' is thought to be a woman who worked at the prison, probably as a cook, in the mid nineteenth century.

Dartmoor prison also has a ghost with a name and, back in the 1930's, was even recognised as a former inmate called David Davies. He spent most of his life, over fifty years, incarcerated at Dartmoor Prison. For much of that time he looked after the prison sheep and was so devoted to them he gave them names and was able to tell them apart. He died in 1929 but a year later the prison governor was shocked to see him walking among his beloved sheep. Some prisoners also saw this figure and recognised him as their old mate David Davies.

A much more disturbing experience has been had by inmates at Durham Prison. In 1947 a brutal murder took place in one of the cells. One prisoner killed another with a knife stolen from the Dining Hall. The killer was eventually hanged but his malevolent presence lingered in the cell of his horrific crime. One prisoner who was locked up in this cell emerged screaming one morning. He claimed to have seen the murder re-enacted before his very eyes. Other convicts refused to enter this cell and begged to be put into solitary confinement instead.

The ghost of the infamous Dr Hawley Crippen has been seen at Pentonville Prison where he was hanged in 1910 for the murder of his wife. His bespectacled, sorrowful figure has apparently been witnessed standing over his unmarked grave, complete with a bent, crooked neck.

Many of our old Victorian prisons must still have their execution chambers and condemned cells and I would love to hear of any strange experience in these places.

Hauntings often occur in locations that have seen great trauma and suffering. Negative emotions - anger, hate, violence, fear, despair - have always been prevalent in prisons throughout history. These emotions tend to linger in the atmosphere, providing energy for spirits to manifest.

Cornish Ghosts

2009-05-15T14:55:53Z

Let's hope the weather people are right when they say we're in for a lovely, sizzling summer.

In these days of credit crunchiness a lot of us will be foregoing foreign shores in favour of a holiday in dear old Blighty.

Cornwall is a definite hotspot, and not just for surfers and sun worshippers. Just about every town, village and old smugglers pub has a ghostly tale or two to tell.

The most famous smugglers pub of all is Jamaica Inn which makes an ideal first stop as you enter Cornwall. I've been there a few times and have definitely felt an eerie presence, especially in the bar area.

Jamaica Inn was built in 1750 as a resting place for weary travellers. However, its isolated location made it an ideal hiding place for the smugglers that operated along the Cornish coast. Unsuspecting travellers often found themselves at the mercy of cutthroats and pirates.

One stranger, after an exhausting trek across Bodmin Moor, was standing at the bar enjoying a tankard of ale. He was lured outside by robbers and was never seen alive again. The man's body was found a few days later on the bleak moor. Since then, the ghost of this poor stranger has been seen at the bar, quietly supping his ale and staring at the door. Is he waiting patiently to take revenge on his killers?

The ghostly figure of a man wearing a tricorn hat and a long cloak has also been witnessed in the bar. People have described him as looking like an eighteenth century highwayman.

In the bedrooms some guests have been startled to hear disembodied voices and whisperings late at night. The language of these voices is not English but Cornish - the language that would certainly have been spoken by the smugglers.

Jamaica Inn lies on the edge of Bodmin Moor, home of the legendary Beast of Bodmin, a massive black feline creature that has been terrifying locals for centuries.

Nearby is Bodmin Gaol, definitely one of the grimmest places I have ever visited. The first thing you see outside the building is the gallows where dozens of men and women (some innocent, some very, very guilty) were publicly hanged.

The building itself is semi-ruined but you can go underground and walk around the dungeons. There are lots of cells with unearthly wax figures depicting the former inmates and the horrific conditions that they existed in.

One of these inmates was a crippled farmer by the name of Matthew Weeks. He was hanged for the murder of his lover Charlotte Dymond whose blood spattered body was found in a field in April 1844. Matthew Weeks protested his innocence right to the end and many people believed him. His ghost is said to wander the Gaol, furious at the injustice dealt out to him. Meanwhile, the ghost of the murdered Charlotte is said to be seen every April in the town of Camelford.

Another Ghost is that of Selina Wadge who was hanged in 1878 for killing her infant son. Her ghost is said to show a particular interest in young children.

In the early nineteenth century one unfortunate old woman, Ann Jeffries, became the victim of superstitious neighbours. She was accused of witchcraft and carted off to Bodmin Gaol where she was locked in a dungeon. Ann refused to confess to being a witch and was subsequently starved - the logic being that if she didn't die then she was bound to be a witch. Unsurprisingly, she died. Her emaciated spirit is sometimes seen in the bowels of this horrible prison.

Bodmin Gaol is a very interesting place to visit but has an extremely oppressive atmosphere. This is a place where thousands of people endured dreadful suffering and some people may find it an unpleasant experience.

A medieval lord of the manor, Henry Pengersick seems to be responsible for many of the castle's ghosts. By all accounts he was a violent psychopath who killed anybody that crossed him. One of his victims was the aforementioned monk sent by his abbey to collect the rent. The ghost of this monk has often been seen in the castle grounds.

A particularly unpleasant spectral scene is sometimes witnessed in the main bedroom. A woman is seen writhing in agony on the bed. Another woman (her maid?) is desperately trying to comfort her. Could this unfortunate woman be another of Henry Pengersick's victims?

Paranormal investigators have documented no less than thirty spirits at Pengersick Castle. There are also light flashes, mists and strange voices. These voices, like those at Jamaica Inn, are sometimes heard to speak in Cornish, a language that has not been in use since Victorian times.

One of Cornwall's grandest houses is Lanhydrock, a National Trust property. It dates from 1630 but had to be rebuilt in 1881 after it was destroyed by fire. The shock of losing their beautiful house sent its owners, Lord and Lady Robartes to early graves (they are buried in the grounds). It is thought that they, along with other long dead family members and various servants, have maintained a ghostly presence throughout the house's fifty rooms.

A little old lady, dressed in grey, has been seen sitting quietly in the Long Gallery. Some people, thinking she is a guide, have approached her only to see her vanish before their eyes.

I visited Lanhydrock a couple of years ago and definitely felt the presence of many spirits all around.

The Nursery, with its Victorian toys and books, seemed particularly active. Some people claim to have heard children giggling in this area.

In the Billiards Room, where the gentlemen would retire after dinner, I was certain I could smell cigar smoke (smoking, of course, is strictly verboten in modern day Lanhydrock).

One of the bedrooms belonged to a Robartes family member who was killed in the First World War. His uniform was laid out on the bed and the room was locked for several decades. This room has a very eerie and very sad atmosphere and I certainly felt a spirit present here.

Along with all the ghosts, Cornwall has giants, pixies (piskeys), various strange beasts that stalk the country lanes, druids and King Arthur.

There is so much in Cornwall that I will be returning to this enigmatic county in future blogs.

Haunted Hotels

2009-04-17T08:01:42Z

If you fancy doing a bit of ghost hunting, but don't fancy spending the night in a dark cellar with a bunch of nutters like me, then there are lots of hotels around that have some rather ghostly guests.

Birmingham Ghosts and Hauntings have conducted several investigations at the Station Hotel in Dudley. The building dates from 1936, but there was a hotel here for many years before that.

A particularly strong presence in the hotel is that of a spirit called George who seems happy to respond to "yes or no" questions by occasionally tapping on the walls and ceilings. He is most active in room 214. Be warned though, George is not a friendly chap and has been known to slap and push people, especially women.
It is thought that George is the ghost of a former manager of the hotel. He was having an affair with a maid called Elizabeth. When she threatened to tell his wife he flew into a rage and murdered her. It could be that George's guilt and anger has kept his spirit imprisoned at the Station Hotel where he takes great pleasure in giving the guests a good fright.

If you decide to visit the Station Hotel remember to pay a visit to Dudley Castle just over the road - you never know who or what you might encounter!

In Coventry you could spend a sleepless night at Coombe Abbey which has quite a few spectres in residence, including the inevitable ghostly monk.

The monk is thought to be the ghost of Abbott Geoffrey who was murdered in 1345. There are many accounts, stretching back through the centuries, of people being scared witless by a cowled figure that seems to float around the grounds. Poltergeist activity is associated with this ghostly monk. Objects are often flung around the rooms when his apparition is witnessed. It could be that the spirit of Abbott Geoffrey is venting his anger at being murdered.

Back in the 19th Century, the abbey was owned by the wealthy Craven family. A young Romany girl called Matilda was ill treated by one of the men of the house. She died in childbirth after putting a curse on the family. This curse may have worked. The Craven family were to suffer bad luck over the years and many of them were to die young.
A young girl, dressed in rags, has often been seen near the stables. It is thought that this is the ghost of the unfortunate and vengeful gypsy girl Matilda.

There are other ghosts at Coombe Abbey. A mysterious horseman has been seen to gallop through the grounds and a Victorian lady has often been witnessed on the road outside the abbey.

Many people have reported a strange, eerie feeling in some of the rooms as if they are being watched. Doors slam themselves shut and shadows have been seen in the corridors. Some people have been so frightened they have run out of their rooms.

Scary monks and scared guests are also a regular feature of Madeley Court Hotel in Telford. This place was built in 1553 during the reign of "Bloody Mary", a particularly gruesome time in British History. Like Coombe Abbey, a hooded monk is sometimes seen to float (rather than walk) around the grounds.

There is even a scarier monkly presence in the great hall. Several of these hooded figures have been witnessed sitting in a row on the wooden roof beams and staring at the guests and staff. Even an experienced ghost hunter like me would find that terrifying.

These monks seem to be aware of their surroundings, which suggests that they possess some kind of intelligence and have a desire to be among the living.
There is another type of haunting which can be witnessed at Madeley Court. This is where the ghost or ghosts do not realise the situation they are in and simply carry on as if they are still living in their own time. Victorian maids have been seen carrying out their duties in the rooms and corridors. These apparitions are said to be so real that they are mistaken for hotel employees in fancy dress.

This sort of ghost may be some sort of "recording" from the past that can manifest in the right conditions. Another example is a row of cottages in the grounds of Madeley Court. These were demolished complete with a smiling old lady in front of them.

These are just three local examples of Britain's many haunted hotels and this is a subject I'll return to in the future. (Hopefully I'll get to visit a few more of these places.)

What better way to experience a haunting than from the comfort of a king sized bed with a handy mini-bar within easy reach?

SURGICAL SPIRITS

2009-03-01T17:41:49Z

You may recently have seen a news item about ghostly activity going on at Derby City General Hospital. Staff and patients reported seeing an unearthly figure dressed in a long black cloak. Other reports stated that a Roman soldier had been seen marching around the hospital grounds (the hospital is sited on part of an old roman road).

Some witnesses were quite frightened by what they had seen. Hospital managers were so concerned that they apparently contacted the Church of England to ask if an exorcism could be carried out.

As a paranormal investigator I believe that spirits are all around us. For the most part they remain invisible, but there are certain places (and certain people) that give off extremely strong energies and emotions. Spirits are able to use these energies to make themselves known to us.

Hospitals, with their daily human dramas, are ideal places for a ghost to manifest his / her / its self. Britain is full of old hospitals, many of them dating back to Victorian times. For decade after decade these places have soaked up the intense feelings of sadness, fear and joy of the countless people that have passed through their doors. The ghostly sightings at Derby City General are by no means unusual and there are some haunted hospitals in and around Birmingham.

The City Hospital (formerly Dudley Road) began life as the Birmingham Union Infirmary in 1889. The most famous nurse of all, Florence Nightingale, was involved in its design.

The new hospital was actually an extension of an older building which had been a workhouse. A Victorian workhouse was a cruel place and people experienced an oppressive atmosphere in this part of the hospital. These buildings were still standing in the 1990's when demolition workers had quite a fright inside one of them. A group of workers heard what sounded like a child crying in a derelict old room. When they went to investigate they found nothing. Strangely, an old wooden door closed behind them trapping them inside for several minutes. When they finally got out they were quite relieved to see the demolition ball do its work.

The City Hospital has had several ghost sightings over the years and two spirits seem to have a romantic connection.
The story goes that many years ago a pretty, blonde nurse was having an affair with a surgeon. The nurse, who has been named Mary, died in mysterious circumstances. Her ghost has been seen watching over patients at night.

The ghost of a middle aged man in a long white coat has also been seen wandering the wards at night. Is this the surgeon looking for his pretty young nurse?

Another ghostly doctor has been spotted in the hospital corridors. Dressed in an old suit and a white coat, this spirit is said to look so real that he is often mistaken for a real doctor. People are rather surprised when he suddenly disappears!

At the nearby Birmingham Eye Hospital, CCTV cameras have caught an eerie grey figure wandering around.

The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital can boast an extra member of staff in the form of a kindly old nurse in an old fashioned uniform complete with a frilly bonnet. She is thought to be the ghost of a nurse who spent most of her life working at the hospital. She was so devoted to her patients that she couldn't bring herself to leave, even after she had died.

Like Derby City General, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital has a connection with Roman Britain. Nearly 2,000 years ago a Roman legion camped here for many years while they tried to subdue the unruly locals (I wonder how they would cope today?). Over the years people have been astonished to see ghostly Roman soldiers in and around the hospital. At the moment the Q.E site is undergoing a massive building project, so this could be an excellent time for disturbed spirits to manifest themselves.

People often send me emails telling me of their paranormal experiences and some of these have involved hospitals.

One gentleman told me of a strange encounter he had while recovering from a motorcycle accident. Next to his ward was a T.V room where he would go to relieve the boredom. One afternoon he hobbled into the room and saw a strange, dishevelled man staring intently at the T.V. He asked the man if he was alright but received no reply. Thinking that the man was a bit disturbed he decided to leave, but when he turned around the room was empty. The gentleman asked a porter if he had noticed anybody in the room. The porter said no "but sometimes people see funny things around here".

A woman wrote to me to say that during a week long stay on a hospital ward she had been saddened by the death of a middle aged lady in a nearby bed. On leaving hospital she saw this lady sitting on a bench, smiling at her. "She didn't look real, I knew I was looking at a ghost".

Hospital staff have more paranormal experiences than anybody else. A common encounter is a bluish / white light floating around wards at night. These are often thought to be long, dead nurses still looking after their patients.

Columns of white light have often been witnessed around desperately ill patients and there are many, many stories of dying patients smiling and whispering to unseen people.

In a hospital, life meets death on a daily basis. Physical bodies give way to spiritual souls. Strong human emotions are irresistible to our friends from the otherworld.

No wonder these places are haunted!

Electronic Voice Phenomena

2009-02-05T19:29:07Z

An essential piece of equipment we use on our ghost investigations is a digital voice recorder with an external microphone.

These are placed at various points at a haunted location in the hope that a spirit can utilise the electrical energy of the device to implant a message.

There has been interest in EVP ever since the first telephones and gramophones hit the Edwardian high street. It is thought the great American inventor Thomas Alva Edison (pictured) was convinced that the voices of the dead could be picked up on a particularly sensitive recording instrument. He was rumoured to be working on such a device when he passed over to the world of spirit himself.

A great many people since then have claimed to have heard or recorded unearthly, discarnate voices on different types of electronic gadgets. The phenomenon seems to have grown along with the technology.

Radio transmissions and the amount of people listening increased greatly during World War II. Some people reported hearing weird voices imparting strange messages. It was assumed, of course, that this was enemy code, but radio operators and code breakers remained baffled.

In 1952, in Milan, two highly respected catholic priests were engaged in a project to record Gregorian chant. One of them, Father Gemelli, was not happy with the sound he was hearing. In a moment of exasperation he implored his dead father for help. When they replayed the recording they were astonished to hear a voice saying "I am always with you and help you". The voice belonged to the priest's dead father.

The Pope was fascinated by this discovery and it is thought that the Vatican has become expert in EVP techniques. Hopefully, one day they will make their secrets known.

One of Britain's leading EVP investigators is Judith Chisholm who founded The EVP and Transcommunication Society in 1996.

Judith had suffered a terrible tragedy - her eldest son had died suddenly and unexpectedly. Like many others in similar circumstances she was desperate to contact her dead son. She joined a psychic group and got into the habit of tape recording the sessions. One evening she played the tape back and heard a woman whispering her name. The voice did not belong to anybody else in the group and sounded unnatural - a sort of flat, monotone.She was convinced a deceased person was trying to make contact with her.

Judith began to make recordings in her own house in the hope that her late son might leave a message. However, nothing happened for several months and, thoroughly disheartened, she was about to give up. Then, on playing back one of the tapes, she was amazed to hear the voice of a man saying clearly "I've been every week".

It was as if the spirits, sensing she was about to give up, decided to make an effort at contact.

The tapes began to pick up voices on a regular basis. At first they were very faint and difficult to understand. Gradually these disembodied voices became stronger and more meaningful and Judith's son did seem to make contact from the spirit world.

Strangely, he kept uttering the word "reason" over and over again. Judith was confused at first but later realised that her son was trying to tell her that he had died for a reason and that everything, in fact, happened for a reason.

Other voices were captured, some from other deceased relatives. One of them commented on the quality of Judith's tea. A voice she recognised as her dead mother-in-law informed her that it wasn't cold enough to snow. One spirit left a message that said "I'm praying".

In 1999 Judith bought a new-fangled digital voice recorder to replace her cassette tapes. She wasn't too sure about digital recording and wondered aloud if the spirits would like it. She was amazed at the response.

A mans voice, clear and happy, was caught on the recorder, "we like it" he said. This man was then heard to issue an order, seemingly to another spirit, "go and find Hallam".

Jack Hallam was a close friend of Judith Chisholm who had died a few years previously. A short while later the deceased Mr Hallam left a message on the digital recorder and has been leaving messages ever since.

I find this story intriguing, not simply because a dead person' voice can be recorded, but because it suggests that spirits form themselves into friends and groups just as we do in the physical world.

BGAH haven't been quite as successful as Judith Chisholm in the field of EVP, but we have managed to record the odd unexplained scream, moan, and whisper.

Some friends of ours set up recording equipment in some empty stables in South Birmingham. These stables were situated in a field where Cromwell and his army once camped. When they played back the recording they could hear horses even though the stables were completely empty. They could also hear metal bashing sounds as if a blacksmith was at work.

EVP is a fascinating subject and is pretty easy for anybody to experiment with. There are plenty of websites that give advice on how to get the best results, but all you really need to do is leave a digital voice recorder in an empty room. Obviously you will need a bit of patience when listening to the play back.

I believe that some people act as "beacons" where spirits are concerned. Spirits are attracted to some people and maybe you are one of them.

Who knows? You could get a message from your great grandmother telling you to wash behind your ears!

Near Death Experiences.

2009-01-19T18:10:12Z

A few years ago I was unfortunate enough to find myself lying on a hospital bed, in great pain, surrounded by doctors and nurses (I will spare you the graphic details).

As I slipped into unconsciousness I began to experience something very strange indeed. The pain simply melted away and my mind became sharper and clearer than it had ever been before.

I suddenly realised I was moving at great speed as if the race against time had begun. My body was hurtling through dark, twisting tunnels but I wasn't in the least bit frightened. In fact I felt immense happiness, excitement and an overwhelming feeling of love. There was a distinct feeling that something incredible was about to happen to me.

A soft female voice whispered to me, "Don't worry, everything will be alright". The next thing I remember was waking up in intensive care with a tube down my throat helping me to breathe.

The doctor told me that my heart had stopped but they had "jump started" me back to life. I was in fact lucky to have survived my ordeal.

I believe I had a near death experience. Though uncommon, an NDE is not rare. There are many, many accounts throughout human history and in all cultures. It is an amazing experience which is becoming more prevalent because, as in my case, medical technology is capable of bringing people back - even when they have "flatlined".

My experience is quite similar to the majority of others. Some people embark on profoundly spiritual and timeless journeys which takes them right up to the point of no return.

The classic NDE differs from person to person, but a pattern seems to be evident. As the body and brain begin the dying process, a person seems to have an out - of - body - experience.

A well known American musician called Pam Reynolds "died" during brain surgery. She felt herself "pop" outside her head and found herself looking down on her lifeless body. Pam later astonished doctors by describing complex surgical instruments being used and recalling the actions and conversations the surgeons had while working on her body.

The next stage seems to be floating or travelling at great speed down a long, dark tunnel (s) towards a pin prick of light which gradually grows bigger and brighter. As they travel along the tunnel some people report undergoing a "life review". They watch their whole lives pass before them in incredible detail. (Time does not exist in an NDE, at least not as we understand it). Every pleasure and every pain is re-experienced in vivid Technicolor. Every action and every decision is re-examined. People feel as if they are being made to pass judgement on themselves.

As a person moves closer to the light an overwhelming sense of love envelopes them. At this point people become aware that they are not alone.

Spiritual / religious beings are encountered and the presence of a god - like entity shines through everything.

However, for those who will return, the near death experience is about to end. The final stage is some sort of impassable boundary which can take many forms. In the case of Pam Reynolds she was stopped by several deceased relatives led by her grandmother. She was told it was not her time and that she had to go back. Reluctantly, she allowed a favourite uncle to escort her back down the tunnel. Re-entering her body was like "diving into a pool of icy water".

Other barriers are encountered such as fast flowing rivers that have no bridges to be found, or beautiful gardens cut off by never ending fences.

People are always reluctant to return to their physical bodies but, once back, they find that their lives have greatly improved.

Appreciation of life is massively increased and so is compassion for others. There is a heightened sense of self esteem and a voracious appetite for learning and knowledge. Problems become easy to solve.

After my experience I became much more spiritually aware than I ever was before.

Not all near death experiences are positive. Some people report having travelled to a frightening place of utter blackness. They felt as if they were in a massive crowd of tormented souls, but were unable to see, feel or speak to anybody else. Sometimes the presence of a demonic entity is felt to hover nearby.

However, even with such "hellish" experiences, people who return to life also seem to develop a more positive attitude to their lives.

One woman had a negative NDE after attempting suicide. She reported that she had been trapped in a cold, dark room. Black, hooded figures circled around her and she felt an overwhelming sense of fear and loneliness.

After returning to her body she decided to work hard at improving her life which had been beset by drug problems. She eventually found love and happiness.

One particularly interesting NDE I remember reading about concerned a young man involved in a terrible accident. He suddenly found himself walking through a baking, red desert. He eventually came across an uncle who had died a few years previously. The uncle was a picture of abject misery, sitting crossed - legged on the hot sand, head in hands, sobbing. Yet nearby was a beautiful oasis full of cool water and delicious fruit.

The young man was about to help his uncle when suddenly he felt himself being pulled back into his body. He later realised that this strange experience was some sort of lesson or, perhaps, a warning.

He remembered that his uncle had been an unpleasant and selfish man. He took no pleasure in life and was often the cause of distress and misery in others. He had taken these horrible characteristics with him to the afterlife and was now suffering as a consequence.

Like the woman who attempted suicide, the young man, not wishing to end up like his uncle, developed a more positive attitude to life.

Now, some scientists and sceptics will say that the NDE is nothing more than a hallucination brought about by chemicals flooding the dying brain. The afterlife, they say, does not exist...how can they be so certain?

For those who have experienced near death, it is all too real. We should never dismiss the possibility that when the brain begins to die that we embark on a different kind of journey.

Life is much more mysterious and complex than we are able to imagine and I think the NDE could be proof that our consciousness (or soul?) can exist outside of our physical selves.

There is no more compelling question than "what happens when we die?"

Every single one of us will eventually find the answer.

Why I spend my time studying ghosts!

2009-01-07T09:25:03Z

Every now and again I find myself sitting in the damp, black cellar of a creaky old building. It's 3 o'clock in the morning and I'm tired and cold. In the silence every sound is eerily magnified. A colleague thinks a spiritual presence is with us and I half expect some long dead old man to suddenly appear before my eyes.

Every now and again I ask myself this question: "Why am I doing this?"

The answer is that I, and my colleagues (and about another million ghost hunters around the world) believe that there is a spiritual realm beyond our physical existence. Most of us have had some sort of paranormal experience and we are determined to find some answers.

The whole subject is fascinating and once you have been on an investigation you can't wait for the next one - even if it means spending hours in a cold, dark cellar.

Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in paranormal phenomena. The internet has loads of sites (some good, some bad) on all sorts of subjects ranging from aliens and Bigfoot to Yetis and zombies.

Ghosts seem to be of particular interest to a great many people. This could mean that more and more people are witnessing ghostly activity and / or they are more prepared to talk about their experiences - the internet, of course, makes all of this a lot easier.

Organised paranormal research dates back to 1862 when Charles Dickens (yes, him again!) and a few other prominent London gents founded The Ghost Club, which is still going strong today and has a very interesting website.

Séances in Victorian drawing rooms gradually gave way to more scientifically minded investigation with the Society for Psychical Research founded in 1882.

The twentieth century saw a growing amount of serious research into ghostly phenomena, especially after World War I.

The terrible slaughter inspired a yearning for contact with the dead. There were also supernatural tales such as the "Angels of Mons", ghostly warriors that supposedly came to the aid of British soldiers.

Harry Price was a very popular investigator of the 1920's. His books and newspaper articles brought paranormal research to a much larger audience than ever before. His most famous investigation was Borley Rectory (pictured above). This place had it all - ghostly nuns, poltergeists, unexplained footsteps, disembodied voices and a phantom carriage complete with headless horsemen.

Other notable ghost hunters include Hans Holzer who investigated a certain house in Amityville (pictured at the top!), New York. Guy Lyon Playfair and Maurice Grosse investigated the infamous Enfield Poltergeist.

These chaps, and quite a few others, have written some great books on the paranormal and especially ghost investigations. In future blogs I will return to some of these researchers because they made me want to go out and do some investigating myself.

These days paranormal investigation is not the exclusive activity of clever people who write books. TV shows and the internet have inspired many ordinary people to get involved. Inevitably, the subject does attract its fair share of thrill seekers, dimwits and charlatans who sometimes tarnish the image of serious paranormal groups.

However, the more people who do take an interest the better. Sharing experiences, communication, and asking questions raises the game. We will become more knowledgeable and more instinctively able to separate what can be explained from that which is truly strange. BGAH is in contact with other UK groups and even some in Europe and North America. (People in San Diego know about the Old Crown Inn, Deritend).

We've got an interesting year ahead with some excellent locations in the pipeline.

Who ya gonna call?

A Christmas Carol

2008-12-23T12:34:06Z

"Mercy! Dreadful apparition, why do you trouble me? Why do spirits walk the earth, and why do they come to me?"

On a wintry evening in 1852 a rather special event took place at Birmingham Town Hall. Charles Dickens gave the first ever public performance of "A Christmas Carol".

Dickens imagined a series of ghosts haunting a selfish old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, one Christmas Eve. The ghosts showed Scrooge the error of his ways, that his wealth meant very little unless used for the benefit of others.

By the end of the story Scrooge had heeded the warnings and changed his ways. From now on he would endeavour to help his fellow man - starting, of course, on Christmas Day.

Since Dickens gave the first public reading, his "ghostly little book" has become an integral part of Christmas. In fact the book played a major part in helping to revive the Christmas tradition in Victorian times.

It seems strange to us now but after the English Civil War the celebration of Christmas nearly died out. (Cromwell and his Puritans didn't like Christmas at all, he really was the Grinch).

The publication (to great popular acclaim) of "A Christmas Carol" seemed to awaken some distant folk memory in Europe and America. Like all great Christian festivals there are strong elements of Paganism in the Christmas tradition. Dickens gave us a good example of this in the Ghost of Christmas Present - an early version of the modern Santa Claus.

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The Victorians began to re - invent the Christmas celebration with decorated trees (courtesy of Prince Albert), cards, gifts, parties and as much food and drink as they could afford.

Along with the festive theme, "A Christmas Carol" also, of course, has some very interesting ghosts that pop up throughout the story.

When Scrooge returns to his bare, dismal house he encounters his first ghost - that of his old business partner Jacob Marley. In life, Marley was as mean spirited as Scrooge. In death he is forced to walk the earth forever, bound in chains and made to witness endless suffering.

Marley warns Scrooge that he will meet three Christmas spirits and that, unless he takes note of them, he can look forward to a terrible afterlife.

The first spirit is the Ghost of Christmas Past who shows Scrooge some of the people and events that shaped his life. Lonely schooldays and a beloved sister. A kindly employer and a failed romance. Scrooge begins to get upset.

The second spirit is the Ghost of Christmas Present, a "jolly giant". This ghost takes Scrooge around London on that particular Christmas morn. He shows Scrooge the impoverished, but happy, family of his clerk, Bob Cratchit. However, their happiness would not last long because their sickly boy, Tiny Tim, is dying. Despite this, Bob Cratchit says a toast for his mean old boss.

The ghost also shows Scrooge two destitute children. If they are not helped, their suffering can only spread.

Scrooge gets even more upset, but the final spirit is by far the scariest. This is the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come and Dickens made him into the image of the Grim Reaper. Scrooge sees his own death, unmourned and unloved. In fact some people are very happy to hear of his passing, they steal his money and make off with his possessions. He also sees the Cratchit family grieving for their lost son Tiny Tim.

Scrooge is distraught but realises he has the power to change things for the better. On Christmas day he sends a massive turkey to the Cratchits and gets medicine for Tiny Tim (who did not die!).

He even surprises his own long suffering family by attending their Christmas party and having a jolly good time.

Ebenezer Scrooge became a kindly old uncle to all those who knew him, never once begrudging a penny for charity or a helping hand to those in need.

There are now hundreds of different versions and adaptations of "A Christmas Carol". The story has been turned into films, plays, musicals and cartoons. Even the Muppets did a wonderfully mad version (Jacob Marley had a brother called Robert).

So when the going gets tough, and you just can't face another visit to Tescos or the Bull Ring, think of uncle Ebenezer and Tiny Tim. Think of Christmas trees and brightly wrapped presents. Think of succulent turkey and cranberry sauce, mince pies and tons of chocolate. Think of that warm drunken glow while watching Corrie. Think of Dean, Bing, Noddy and the great Jona Lewie. Think of "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street". Think of partridges in pear trees and Pogues in drunk tanks.

Think of the Nativity.

Bah Humbug? No, No, No (as Amy Winehouse might say).

Happy Christmas? Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (as the Beatles might say).

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with peace, love and light.

Birmingham Ghosts and Hauntings UK.

Ghost trains and haunted railway stations

2008-12-09T17:05:58Z

On the 15 September 1830, an English politician by the name of William Huskisson had the dubious distinction of being the first man in history to be killed by a train.

George Stephenson was demonstrating his famous "Rocket" locomotive along a specially built track between Liverpool and Manchester.

Crowds followed the slow moving engine, fascinated by this noisy new invention.

Huskisson, however, was much more interested in speaking to the Duke of Wellington, inconveniently standing on the other side of the track.

So intent was he on getting the Duke's attention that he failed to notice the great belching, steaming contraption rolling towards him.

"Stephenson's Rocket" hit poor Mr Huskisson and crushed his legs. The stricken man was taken to the nearby village of Eccles where he died shortly afterwards.

Now, I don't know whether or not poor Mr Huskisson's ghost haunts the Liverpool to Manchester line, but one thing is for certain, he would not be the last to meet his maker under the deadly wheels of a train.

Railway lines and stations the world over have stories of grisly deaths in which the victims stick around in spirit form.

As I have mentioned before, some paranormal experts believe that a traumatic (and maybe sudden or unexpected) death could be the catalyst for a haunting.

And, let's face it, a hundred tons of train roaring towards you is pretty traumatic.

I think another reason why some railway stations (as opposed to railway lines) are associated with hauntings is because of human emotion.

Train stations are the sorts of places (castles, battlefields, courtrooms etc) where incredibly strong emotions can seep into the atmosphere.

How many joyous meetings and sad farewells have taken place at a railway station?

How many soldiers have waited excitedly on platforms, with clean new rifles and packs, finally getting their chance for war?

How many have returned to those same platforms, dirty and wounded, and minus their mates?

I think spirits are attracted to, and can feed off, such strong human energies.

Even modern, crowded New Street Station in Birmingham seems to be haunted.

About 35 million people pass through New Street every year and quite a few of them have reported ghostly sightings.

The station as we know it today was built in the 1960s, but the original station was opened in 1848.

Arthur Smith, author of "Haunted Birmingham" (a great little book, highly recommended) found out something very interesting about the original station.

The site the builders chose had one "minor" obstacle - a Jewish cemetery.

This didn't actually bother them too much. They demolished the cemetery and got on with constructing their great Victorian station.

Whenever cemeteries get destroyed you can be sure to awaken a few disgruntled spirits (you must have seen Poltergeist!).

Over the years quite a few people have died at New Street Station, either by accidents, natural causes and, unfortunately, suicide.

(For obvious reasons, railway lines and stations do tend to attract people who are determined to end it all.)

Unsurprisingly, in my opinion, some of these unfortunate people linger on in spirit form.

Some souls are possibly trapped in the physical area where their deaths occurred. This could be because they are confused and perhaps unaware that they have passed on.

Maybe this is why some ghosts apparently try to communicate with the living.

I also think that some ghosts are spirits that are able to travel freely between the realms of the physical and the spiritual. Some of these spirits may feel compelled to re-visit the location of their physical death.

One apparition at Birmingham New Street has even acquired a nickname, Claude.

Claude seems to be one of the most reported sightings, probably because he is so distinctive in his Victorian attire complete with top hat.

The next time you find yourself standing on a crowded train, take a good look out of the windows, do you see anything strange?

The next time you are waiting impatiently on a noisy platform, take a discreet look at the people around you - are they all they seem?

If you have any stories to tell about any train station, especially those situated within the West Midlands area, please contact Birmingham Ghosts and Hauntings UK.

We'd love to hear from you!

Close Encounters of the Harborne Walkway Kind

2008-11-27T08:56:40Z

I grew up near a pleasant little bit of woodland known as the Harborne Walkway. This is a lovely disused railway line popular with dog walkers, joggers and cyclists. Over the years I've heard many stories from people who have had strange experiences around here.

This was a busy railway line from 1874 to 1963. Bowler hatted Harborne gents would use it for the short commute to their offices in town and Chad Valley Toy Co, would send their tin plate penny toys and train sets to kids all over the world.

A lot of people will remember the noise of the old trains and the sight of their steam and smoke billowing over the rooftops. A later generation will remember playing in the derelict remains of the old station (now Rose Road Cop Shop).

In the midst of modern Harborne, the walkway can be an eerie, secluded place, especially at twilight or in the dark. The haunting sounds of owls hooting and foxes crying can be heard most nights. But these are not the only haunting sounds coming from the walkway.

I know of at least two people who swear that they have heard the sound of steam trains and whistles long after the last trains departed from the station. I am certain that these two people did not know each other and these accounts were told to me many years apart.

As a child I remember hearing stories of a ghostly Nightwatchman walking over the bridge on Park Hill Road. He was supposed to carry a glowing lantern and seemed to be inspecting the tracks. This is a classic ghost tale that can be associated with many railway lines and stations around the country (or even around the world). The story obviously originates with a railway man being killed by a train. However, I have not been able to unearth any evidence of fatal accidents along this stretch of line.

I also remember another childhood story of mysterious fires appearing on the walkway. The Fire Brigade (conveniently situated on Rose Road) would investigate only to find no trace of any blaze. This is another story which can be related to lots of other railway lines and would of course originate with an accident where the train had burst into flames (a not uncommon occurrence in the age of steam). Once again, I have not been able to find any evidence of such an accident. If any historians out there could enlighten me I would be most grateful.

A friend of mine used to live just off the Hagley Road in Edgbaston. A regular visitor to the hostelries of Harborne High Street, he would often end the night with a short cut home through the walkway. Scepticism and several pints of lager would always dispel any fears of this dark walk. But one night, while happily munching on a kebab, he became convinced that somebody was following close behind him. Of course, when he turned around, there was nobody there. He also has the distinct feeling that somebody (or something) was trying to say something to him "but couldn't quite get their words out". My friend was thoroughly unnerved by this experience and does not like to talk about it. These days he gets a taxi home.

I always find these types of strange encounters the most interesting because it suggests that ghosts seem to have the ability (or the need?) to communicate with the physical world. Other people have spoke of feeling "another presence" on the walkway and a feeling of being watched.

Two other people I know have had odd experiences in the area. One of them was walking along Gillhurst Road one night and claims to have seen red, blue and white lights floating above the trees. He said they "danced in the air" for several seconds. He didn't think it was a firework, or anything similar.

The other person had a bizarre encounter while walking his dog. A strange creature which he described as a "long black ferrety, weasely type thing" suddenly darted out into the middle of the path. He said the animal remained perfectly still and stared at him for quite a few seconds. It then very slowly moved into the undergrowth, never once taking its eyes off him or the dog. Does anybody know what kind of critter this could be?

If you or anyone you know has had any strange experiences around the walkway area, or if you know of any stories associated with this place, please contact us, we'd love to hear from you!

Ghosts of Warstone Lane in Birmingham

2008-11-20T12:30:11Z

In Birmingham's famed Jewellery Quarter we have the neighbouring cemeteries of Key Hill and Warstone Lane. You can't get buried here any longer, but you can have a fascinating stroll amongst the gravestones.

Some distinguished Brummies were laid to rest at Key Hill including the Chamberlains and Alfred Bird (the wonderful chap who gave the world custard).

Key Hill was opened for business in 1836. Anglicans had to wait until 1848 to get their very own cemetery at Warstone Lane. The area seems to have been associated with death long before the cemeteries were built. The junction where Warstone Lane meets Icknield Street (the site of the Birmingham Mint) was once known as "Dead Man's Lane".

Murderers were often executed and buried at a crossroads, as were suicides. People used to regard a crossroads as a kind of unholy no-man's land, a place between the physical and the spiritual. To be buried at a crossroads meant that your soul could never rest. It was intended that murderers and suicides should continue to suffer after death.

Key Hill and Warstone Lane were kept pretty busy in Victorian times. Life in an industrial city was harsh and unhealthy. A typical factory worker was lucky to reach his fortieth birthday and child mortality was incredibly high. Many professional undertakers firms were founded during this period. A Victorian funeral procession was an elaborate sight. Black coaches were pulled by black horses covered in black ostrich feathers.

Family, friends and even professional mourners would form a long procession on the way to the grave. The use of flowers, to overcome the stench of the corpse, began at this time. In fact, in the days before modern embalming fluids, a cemetery was a very smelly place. Gravediggers would have to fortify themselves with rum to carry out their unpleasant trade.

It would have been very unwise to light your pipe in the vicinity of the catacombs as gases from decomposing bodies could have caused an explosion! A law had to be passed that stated that only lead lined coffins could be placed in the catacombs.

Over the years, Warstone Lane and Key Hill have unsurprisingly, become associated with ghostly happenings.

The grey image of a young woman, dressed in 1930's clothes, has been seen on many occasions. Two men were astonished to see this strange figure walk straight through a wall. Another person was equally shocked to see her walk, or float, through a parked car. She even forced one driver to make an emergency stop, before smiling at him and promptly disappearing. An interesting aspect to these sightings is that people have reported a "pear drop smell" lingering in the air. This is what arsenic smells like and this substance was used extensively in the Jewellery Quarter. Could this be the ghost of a women killed by arsenic poisoning?

Back in the days when the Birmingham Mint was busy bashing out coins of the realm, it was decided that an extension should be built at the back of the building, on cemetery land. This meant moving a few graves and, as we all know, the dead do not like to be disturbed.

One of the builders was terrified to see what he could only describe as a "spectre". He and his colleagues refused to return to the site.

Another man was once bending over a machine, trying to repair it. He asked his mate to hand him a spanner and put out his hand behind him. The tool was put in his hand, but when he turned around his workmate was nowhere to be seen.

The ghost of a young man in a long army style trench coat was once seen at the catacombs. This encounter is particularly interesting because it seems that this ghost actually spoke to someone. The witness was walking through the cemetery during a downpour. He decided to seek shelter in the catacombs where he encountered the strange young man. They had a brief conversation in which the witness was surprised to hear the young man refer to Dudley Road Hospital as "the infirmary", an old fashioned name not used since 1948.

When the man walked away from the catacombs he turned around but could see no sign of the odd young man he had spoken to only seconds before.

If you like walking around old cemeteries and gazing at the tombstones of the dear departed, Key Hill and Warstone Lane are excellent places to spend a weekend afternoon.

Unfortunately these grade II listed cemeteries have been neglected for many years. However, plans are in motion, by groups such as Friends of Key Hill, to restore these valuable sites.

A word of warning: Do not visit Key Hill or Warstone Lane after dark. Sadly, in modern day Birmingham, there are real life monsters lurking amongst the gravestones.

Tamworth Castle and the Black Lady!

2008-11-11T10:09:11Z

Britain is full of castles; many of them are remarkably well preserved considering their great ages and violent histories. All of them have ghostly tales to tell.

We have some pretty fine examples here in the Midlands and I recently paid a fascinating visit to one of the best - Tamworth Castle.

Tamworth has a history stretching right back to Saxon times, when it was the capital of Mercia. Its strategic location meant that it has been fought over many times.

Ethelfleda, the Lady of the Mercians (and a daughter of Alfred the Great), built a wooden fort here as a defence against the Vikings. A couple of centuries later the Normans arrived and built a castle on the site of Ethelfleda's fort.

The first owners of the castle were the Marmion family who had helped William I invade England. One of them, Robert Marmion, seems to have had one of the earliest (and most painful) ghostly encounters on record.

For reasons best known to himself he decided, in 1139, to expel an order of nuns from their convent in Polesworth. The nuns were forced to join another convent in Oldbury. They were not at all happy and before they left they angrily prayed for help from their founder, St Edith, who had died two centuries before.

That night, the ghost of St Edith appeared to Robert Marmion in his bedchamber (now known as the Lady's Chamber). She told Marmion that unless he restored the nuns to their rightful home he would suffer an untimely death. Before she vanished, this scary nun struck the Baron with her crozier (a heavy wooden staff). Marmion cried out in pain and immediately promised that the nuns could return to Polesworth.

Whatever you make of this story it does seem that something made Baron Marmion jump on his horse and ride to Oldbury to personally inform the nuns that they could return to their convent.

The ghost of St Edith is known as the Black Lady and her spirit is said to have carried on haunting the castle long after the Marmion family had vacated the premises.

Apart from the Black Lady many people have claimed to have seen another spectre known as the White Lady. Her story seems to be based much more on legend since it involves the Knights of the Round Table. The White Lady was said to have been kidnapped and imprisoned by an evil Knight called Sir Tarquin, an enemy of King Arthur. Despite this she fell deeply in love with her abductor. However, Arthur's best Knight, Sir Lancelot was determined to rescue her. When he arrived at the castle he drew his sword and slew Sir Tarquin in front of her eyes. The White Lady was so distraught that she threw herself from the battlements. The gallant Sir Lancelot had obviously wasted his time.

Over the centuries the castle was passed from one powerful family to the next and was visited by many Kings and Queens. It narrowly escaped being destroyed by Cromwell in 1643. He was furious that he had been forced to lay siege to yet another Royalist castle.

In 1897 Tamworth Castle was bought by Tamworth Corporation for the princely sum of £3,000.

Since then a steady stream of visitors and staff have passed through its gates and wandered through its old rooms and corridors. A lot of these people have claimed strange experiences and ghostly encounters.

Late one night a member of staff was alone in the castle. She was waiting in the reception area while an engineer was outside checking the alarm system. She was startled to hear footsteps and furniture moving in the room above. The staff member knew that nobody could be in that room. Although she had experienced odd things before, this time she was overcome with fear and ran out of the building, where she met the alarm engineer. He told her that he had seen a strange figure looking down at him from one of the windows.

Another member of staff was working in the Tamworth Story room when she felt as if someone had thrown sand into her eyes. At the same time her colleague saw a blue mist swirl around the room.

A member of the public had an almost identical experience. Just outside a room known as the Haunted Bedroom. He felt as though somebody had thrown something in his eyes and then rush past him. When he told a staff member he was informed that strange things like that happen all the time!

We really enjoyed our visit to Tamworth Castle and many thanks to the friendly and helpful staff. The castle has fascinating exhibitions and an exciting programme of annual events.

We will definitely be making a return visit. I would love to get a glimpse of that scary nun, the Black Lady.

Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.

2008-11-05T09:31:28Z

After the witches of Halloween have sped away on their broomsticks we get November 5th, bonfire night.

Most of us will visit firework displays and watch the burning effigy of Guy Fawkes, who once tried to blow up the King, along with a few dozen of his cronies, in the Houses of Parliament.

Guy Fawkes is the gunpowder conspirator that we all remember but, in fact, he was a relatively minor member of the gang. He was the poor chap who got caught with the matches.

The famous Gunpowder Plot began in Warwickshire and its leader was Robert Catesby, a wealthy catholic who didn't think much of the new King James I. Catesby wanted catholic rule in England and, like extremists throughout the ages, he reckoned the only way to realise his aims was to blow up as many people as possible.

In 1604 Catesby began to recruit his fellow conspirators. Most of them, like him, were young men from prominent Midlands families. They were angry that, as Catholics, protestant England discriminated against them. Guy Fawkes, from York, was a late addition to the plot. He was a soldier with plenty of useful experience of setting light to gunpowder.

Their plan was quite simple. They would rent a cellar beneath the Houses of Lords, fill it with barrels of gunpowder and blow everything to kingdom come. A catholic England would be restored and everybody would live happily ever after. Of course, such a plan was bound to end in tears.

The gang spent many weeks during 1605 smuggling barrels of gunpowder into their cellar directly beneath the Houses of Lords.

By the summer of 1605 the gunpowder was in place and the conspirators (thirteen in all, an unlucky number) dispersed to their homes. The plot would be put into action on November 5th, the State Opening of Parliament. However, one of the conspirators, Francis Tresham, lost his nerve. Concerned that his brother-in-law, Lord Monteagle, would be killed. He wrote him a letter urging him not to attend Parliament on November 5th.

This was not the cleverest idea that Francis Tresham ever had. Monteagle took the letter to Robert Cecil, the Secretary of State. The gunpowder plotters were now doomed.

At midnight on November 5th, a party of soldiers raided the conspirator's cellar and arrested Guy Fawkes sitting next to 36 barrels of gunpowder.

James I ordered that Fawkes be taken to the Tower of London where "gentle tortures" were to be used to extract a confession.

Within hours the plotters were fleeing back to the Midlands, hotly pursued by a government posse.

Huddington Court, near Worcester, was owned by one of the plotters. It had priest holes which provided a temporary hiding place. Other conspirators made their way to Coughton Court in Warwickshire and Holbeche House in Staffordshire.

Holbeche House was besieged by the Sheriff of Worcester and a dramatic shoot out ensued. Robert Catesby, the gang leader, was killed. He was lucky.

The remaining plotters were rounded up and dragged back to London to face the most gruesome of executions - hanging, drawing and quartering.

This bloody punishment took place outside Parliament. The plotters were hanged until "almost dead", they were then taken down from the scaffold and laid out on a wooden table. The executioner would then proceed to mutilate their bodies in the most horrific way imaginable. Their arms, legs, and heads were put on public display as a warning to others.

James I was obviously very happy to have survived the gunpowder plot. So happy, in fact, that he ordered November 5th to be commemorated every year to celebrate his "joyful deliverance".

Poor old Guy Fawkes was not so happy. Does his indignant spirit float over the country every November 5th? Does his ghost see joyful crowds burning his likeness on thousands of bonfires, while we stuff our faces with jacket potatoes and groaty pud?

N.B
Coughton Court is in the hands of The National Trust and has a very interesting Gunpowder Plot exhibition. The Throckmorton family, although not directly involved, knew some of the conspirators. Some members of the family still live in the house which, like all good National Trust places has a suitably ghostly atmosphere!

What the devil is Halloween?

2008-10-31T13:50:12Z

Yes, it's that scary time of year again.

The shops are full of pumpkins and pointy hats. Little devils roam from door to door demanding money and sweets. If you don't pay up, you may well find your front door decorated with eggs and flour (the little monsters).

There is, of course, a lot more to Halloween than this recent import of American trick or treatery.

Most cultures, the world over, seem to have developed a "Festival of the Dead" which is basically what Halloween is all about.

The barrier between the physical world and the spiritual world is weakened and the dead are free to walk amongst the living.

On October 31st, if you see somebody dressed as a ghoul or a vampire, they probably don't realise it but they're acting out an ancient tradition.

They are mimicking the dead in order to protect themselves from the visiting spirits.

Halloween, in Britain and north America, has its origins in Gaelic culture. Indeed, the reason why it is so popular in the US is because of the mass Irish immigration of the 19th century.

There was an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain which marked the end of summer and the beginning of the long dark winter. This was a critical time of change and they believed that normal time was briefly suspended.

This meant that the spirits of the "Otherworld" - some good, some evil - were free to invade.

A "Feast of the Dead" would be held to honour and placate these spirits (and to hope they would return to their world without causing too much trouble).

This pagan festival, like so many others, was eventually Christianised and November 1st became All Hallows Day. October 31st naturally became All Hallows Eve which we now call Halloween.

The church meant for this festival to be a commemoration of the blessed dead, the "hallowed".

Over the centuries, All Hallows Eve became a raucous night of bonfires and bad behaviour. People could play tricks on each other and blame the evil spirits. (In some of our towns, Halloween is referred to as "Mischief Night".) This is obviously how trick or treating developed.

Many traditions and superstitions became associated with Halloween.

Familiar games such as apple-bobbing were once taken seriously by young men and women. If you managed to grab an apple with your teeth, you were supposed to then peel it in one unbroken strip. You would toss the apple peel over your shoulder. The shape of the peel when it landed was supposed to be the first letter of the person you would marry.

Young women also believed that if they sat in a darkened room, on Halloween night, and stared into a mirror, the face of their future husband would appear.

There was a downside to this particular form of divination. If a skull appeared in the mirror the unfortunate girl was not long for this world.

Another form of Halloween fortune telling began in Ireland. Various little objects were baked into a fruit bread (a barmbrack). When the bread was sliced, the object you received would determine your future.

If you received a pea then you were destined not to marry. If you received a ring you would marry within the year. A matchstick would mean an unhappy marriage; a coin would bring good fortune.

The tradition of the American pumpkin also originated in Ireland. Instead of a pumpkin they used a hollowed out turnip and called it a "Jack O' Lantern".

Legend has it that Jack was a drunken farmer who tricked the devil into climbing a large tree. Jack then trapped the devil by carving a cross into the tree trunk.

In revenge the devil placed a curse on Jack. He was condemned to forever wander the dark roads and country lanes. His only light, a solitary candle in a hollow turnip.

Our modern take on Halloween bears little resemblance to the festival observed by our ancestors. They literally believed they were about to be visited by all manner of devils and demons from the underworld.

Hopefully that won't happen to us this Halloween.

But you never know!

Have fun.

Some Gloucestershire Ghosts.

2008-10-22T08:24:09Z

Just down the road in Gloucestershire there are some wonderfully haunted old places. Most of them are open to the public and some offer special ghost tours and events.

One of the strangest and most well known is Woodchester Mansion. This place is weird, not only because of its haunted reputation, but because it was never lived in.

Actually, they never finished building it. One day, in the early 1870's, the builders put their tools down and never returned. There is a rational explanation for this.

The owner, a freemason called William Leigh, ran out of money and then died. However, nobody seemed too keen to step into his shoes and finish building this grand gothic mansion.

Indeed, it seems the builders did not even want to return for their tools which can still be seen to this day. Is it because they had seen and heard things which scared the living daylights out of them?

Woodchester was built on the site of a much earlier mansion called Spring Park. There is evidence though, almost certainly because of the area's natural springs, of occupation stretching back to Roman Times.

A ghostly roman soldier has been seen in the park and, yes you guessed it, our old friend the hooded monk is said to haunt one of the lakes. This monk sighting is quite strange because it involves a coffin floating above the lake. It is thought a monk once committed suicide here in the middle ages.

At least one of the owners of Spring Park was a murderer. A man called Sir Rupert de Lansigny killed his own cousin to gain control of the estate. A phantom horseman has been seen to roam the park. This is said to be Sir Rupert, condemned forever to wander the land he was compelled to kill for.

Inside the mansion, some witnesses have reported seeing a young girl running up and down the stairs. Two male spectres, dressed in black and wearing hats have also been seen. One of them is thought to be aware that he is being observed.

This, to my mind, is the most important form of sighting because it implies that ghosts have some sort of self awareness and are not simply "recordings".

During the Second World War a tragedy happened on one of the lakes. Twenty U.S soldiers, training for D Day, drowned in the lake. The presence of these GI's has been sensed by some modern visitors. People have heard swing music and laughter. Some claim to have smelt food cooking in the open air outside the mansion.

One of the more disturbing spirits of Woodchester is said to reside in the cellar. Some investigators have 'tuned in' to an entity that has been described as demonic. When it manifests itself this entity is said to resemble a dwarf in ragged clothes. The cellar is said to be haunted by many spirits, some of whom aren't too keen on visitors.

So, if you are easily spooked, don't go down the cellars!

Another fascinating old building in Gloucestershire is Berkeley Castle, one of the best preserved medieval castles in the British Isles.

Incredibly, it has been owned by the same family since it was built in 1154. The Berkeleys must have been a pretty clever lot to avoid all those beheadings. They even managed to survive the wrath of Elizabeth I who wanted to give the castle to her favourite, the Earl of Leicester. She was most annoyed when the Berkeleys, unsurprisingly, objected to this plan and refused to budge.

Like many other castles, up and down the country, Berkeley was the subject of a bitter and bloody siege. The Berkeleys had taken the side of King Charles I and, for this, Cromwell battered the castle into submission. Much damage was done, not to mention all the death and bloodshed.

Happily, the Berkeley family and their castle have survived into the 21st century. It is one of those great places, to be found all over Britain, where you can combine a love of history with a fascination for the paranormal.

You won't be surprised to hear that Berkeley's ancient rooms and corridors play host to all sorts of spirits from its long and turbulent history.

The last ever court jester in England died here after he fell (or was he pushed?) from a minstrels gallery. He should never have told that last joke about Lord Berkeley's mother-in-law.

The most famous ghost here though is Edward II, the subject of one of the most gruesome killings in Royal history.

Edward II was not very popular with his nobility (or even his wife Isobella). They thought him dangerously weak and too easily influenced by his undesirable male friends.

In 1327 his enemies finally deposed him and he was imprisoned in a squalid room at Berkeley Castle. His gaolers wanted to kill him but had to find a way which would leave no visible marks on his body.

The next bit is pretty horrible so, if you're squeamish, turn away now!

Edward was held down while a copper tube was inserted into his rectum. A red hot iron was then shoved through the tube deep into his intestines. Apparently his killers had forgotten to gag him and his screams could be heard for miles around.

Once a year on October 11, the date of his death, some people swear they can hear the dreadful screams of Edward II.