Ghost hunt: 'The crypt was large and empty. Then I realised I was not alone’
Tim Stanley, who saw his first ghost as a boy, tests the limits of his belief at a 'haunted’ castle in Oxford
Some
time ago I wrote a flippant article for this newspaper about ghosts,
and received a lot of letters urging me to take the matter more
seriously. One asked me if I was aware that Nell Gwynne was presently
haunting a strip club in Soho. It turns out that such fancies are not
uncommon. A new poll tells us that 55 per cent of Britons believe in the
supernatural and one in ten think they have a supernatural gift.
The findings make sense. Why wouldn’t people want to believe in
ghosts? Doesn’t the thought that the “bump in the night” is more than
just the central heating playing up give us all a little thrill? It
means that the great adventure of life doesn’t end with death. You’ve
got many more years ahead of you of floating about invisible and
unhindered. No more long queues at airport check-in for this disembodied
soul...
So it was with a determinedly open mind that I
agreed to join Dr Ciarán O’Keeffe, a lecturer in parapsychology, on a
ghost hunt at Oxford Castle. I was half-hoping that Ciarán might be a
tweed-suited fraud who carried around a net for catching invisible
pixies in. But, actually, he was a serious academic studying the
psychological insights that “paranormal phenomenon” might reveal. He’s a
sceptic, but a curious and respectful one forever on the lookout for
things that can’t be explained by science.
Likewise,
Ciarán might have been surprised to meet a journalist who took the
matter so seriously. In fact, I was totally in to it. I saw my first
ghost at about the age of 10. I awoke in the middle of the night to find
a woman in white standing at the far end of my bed. I screamed and
screamed; a light went on and the figure disappeared. That’s always the
way with the ghosts: they are oddly shy for beings who hang around other
people’s bedrooms.
The encounter was scary but not a
big surprise. My grandparents were Christian Spiritualists and grandma
worked as a professional clairvoyant called Madame Clair, so I grew up
surrounded by hocus pocus. As I got older, I learnt to spot bunkum (and
bunkum it was), but I always retained a healthy belief that all things
are possible.
And that was the attitude that I took to
our ghost hunt. I joined Ciarán and his “investigative assistant” Tim
Brown from the Paranormal Intelligence Gathering Service on a cold, dark
night at Oxford Castle – a medieval fortress turned into a prison. Just
the kind of place where things go bump all the time. We started on the
top floor: the former staff quarters. Bare iron beds, wooden
floorboards, white-washed walls. We wandered around with torches, trying
our best to “feel” something in some dark corner. Mostly, I felt silly.
Childhood fantasies aside, was it right for a 31-year-old man to spend
his evening hunting for spooks with a gift-shop torch? Is it any wonder
that I’m single?
But then I did feel something.
Something quite odd. I ran back to Ciarán and told him I’d found a room
within a room that felt different from the rest. “Well, let’s shut
ourselves in it,” he suggested. It was small, cupboard-like, with a
thick door and a tiny, barred window. We stood inside in silence and
Ciarán asked me what I felt. Desperation. Loneliness. Anguish. Sadness.
“This was an isolation cell, where some of the most dangerous prisoners were isolated,” whispered Ciarán.
“Perhaps
I subconsciously guessed that,” I whispered back. “After all, I know
it’s a prison, this is a small room, obviously locked from the outside.”
“You’ve
got to try not to rationalise things,” Ciarán said. “Just try to feel
your way through the building, don’t be too logical. Shall we move on?”
He unlocked the door and we slipped out.
We descended
into the cells, where the temperature was lower, the rooms darker and
the mood more decidedly morbid. We fiddled with a radio, which was
designed to pick up any voices in the static between stations. Was that a
ghost or was it Nicky Campbell trying to reach us from the dark side of
Radio 5 Live?
When that produced nothing, we switched
on a tape recorder and took it in turn to ask the spirits questions
about themselves. “If there is anyone there could you please reveal
yourself to us? What is your name? Were you a soldier? Were you
imprisoned here?” I also wanted to know if all dogs go to Heaven, but I
didn’t want to ruin the mood by asking.
The strongest
emotion that I felt so far was disappointment that nothing serious had
happened and slight concern that I might still be doing this sort of
camp nonsense in 10 years’ time. So, I was about to call it quits when
we made our final, fateful descent into the crypt. That was where I met
Mary.
The crypt was large and empty. I found myself a
quiet corner, stood there in the pitch black and listened to the
silence. And I suddenly found that I was “not alone”. How to describe
it? It was similar to the feeling that you might get when your eyes are
closed and someone walks into the room. You cannot hear or see them, but
you know that they are there. I knew – knew – that standing to my right
hand side was a little girl. I couldn’t see her or touch her and she
said nothing. But she was there.
I told Ciarán that her
name was Mary. Out came all the equipment again: recorders and a sonic
device that set off an alarm when there was movement. Ciarán asked if
I’d like to communicate with Mary through the Ouija board, but I knew a
retired pilot who said that he’d once done this and been haunted by a
demon for the rest of his life – so I declined. Instead, we stood around
a table, touched it with our fingertips and beckoned Mary to talk.
“It
don’t think she wants to,” I said. “It’s not that kind of contact.
Mary’s just happy to be here.” And “happy” was the right word. If the
isolation cell was full of dread, the mood around Mary was warm and
friendly. It took a lot of encouragement to get me to leave.
Was
I going mad? Outside in the gift shop, I asked Ciarán to give me a
thorough explanation. Here comes the science: “First off, being told
that a place is haunted means you’re more likely to have experiences
that suggest a haunting ... There’s an added suggestion here at Oxford
Castle because you know it’s a prison and immediately that you’re told
it’s a prison, there’s everything you associate with prisons. The
negativity, the anger, the frustration, the sadness, all those
emotions.”
But, said Ciarán, there was something
“fascinating” about my experience in the crypt. Psychologically, it made
sense that I should feel something: “It is a very calm, peaceful area
anyway, so you could be building on that... But that you [sensed] a
little girl in a crypt is very unusual. You’re not going with the
stereotypes of the kind of figures who would normally be seen in that
location, which is a hooded figure.” Apparently, people see monks down
there all the time. But a little girl is unexpected. And then Ciarán
delivered the kicker: “Some mediums have, in the past few months, said
that they think there is a little girl in the crypt, too.” My fingers
tingled with electric excitement. According to the professional, I was
right.
But what do I think? First, that I’m an
overgrown boy with a very active imagination. But, second, that if I do
think I met a ghost then I have every right to do so and it’s a
perfectly natural, even healthy, thing to believe. On the train ride
home, I reflected upon how our world has become far too prosaic. Faster
transport has shrunk the world, science has killed mystery, all of human
knowledge is available at the click of a button, even Mars is just a
few decades away from being a tourist destination. So, to discover new
things we need to look not outwards, but inwards – towards the
metaphysical, intangible “somethings” that lend our lives a dash of
magic.
For some, that’s God. For others, it’s the
unseen universe of ghosts, poltergeists, fairies, vampires, witches and
werewolves. All uncluttered by common sense.
It’s not a
weird thing to believe in weird things, it’s all part of being human.
The British ain’t afraid of no ghosts, and that’s just fine.
Article > The Telegraph
© UK Paranormal Events
www.ukparanormalevents.com
Friday, 28 March 2014
Sunday, 23 March 2014
Is this Poltergeist Activity caught on CCTV on Gilford Store or just a breeze?
Ghost hunters to investigate Gilford store surveillance video.
The video from Ellacoya Country Store in Gilford depicts what looks a glass object flying off a counter and breaking with no one around.
A store employee is then seen rushing back into the room to see what happened.
The video was shared on the Ellacoya Barn & Grille Facebook page, with the simple description, "Haunted much?"
So, was it a ghost or something paranormal? The store commented on the Facebook post, saying ghost hunters will investigate the place soon.
Article WMUR
© UK Paranormal Events
www.ukparanormalevents.com
The video from Ellacoya Country Store in Gilford depicts what looks a glass object flying off a counter and breaking with no one around.
A store employee is then seen rushing back into the room to see what happened.
The video was shared on the Ellacoya Barn & Grille Facebook page, with the simple description, "Haunted much?"
So, was it a ghost or something paranormal? The store commented on the Facebook post, saying ghost hunters will investigate the place soon.
Article WMUR
© UK Paranormal Events
www.ukparanormalevents.com
Friday, 21 March 2014
Prague Ghosts, A Headless Knight & A Murdered Nun.
Ghosts & the Supernatural - Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is the fourteenth-largest city in the European Union. It is also the historical capital of Bohemia. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava River, the city is home to about 1.3 million people.
Prague is known for its mysteries and paranormal happenings. The Golem of Prague was created by Judah Loew. The Golem was to protect the Jewish people. Even though this story is far-fetched, I still feel that there is some truth to this myth.
The Headless Knight’s Templar
While in Prague, I went to the mystical labyrinth of this ancient city. There is a story that there was once a noble Templar Knight who rode a fanciful white horse and this is one of the most popular ghosts of Prague. The Headless Knight’s Templar reminds me so much of Sleepy Hollow’s Headless Horseman. If you have the chance of encountering this famous ghost, you will see the bright red cross on the Knight’s torso and in his hand, he is carrying his head! Many citizens have claimed that they have seen this ghost trotting down the cobblestone streets. Many citizens who have seen this ghost say that he is merely serving his ghostly servitude.
While trying to conduct an EVP session, I felt something kick me in the back of the leg. I feel like I have a sprained ankle and I have been limping. I have a huge bruise on my foot. Could I have provoked the Headless Knight’s Templar horse to stomp on the back of my leg? See photo of my foot. I have learned from experience that ghosts overseas don’t mess around.
The Murdered Nun
Around the area of St. Agnes Convent in Josefov there lurks a ghost that is known as The Murdered Nun. She appears only at night. She is known to be a moody and is seen sometimes covered in blood and crying hysterically. She is known also to smile and stare at loving couples on a bench. She was a child of a wealthy nobleman. She fell hopelessly in love with a desolate knight. Her noble father of course refused to give his consent for marriage and as her payment for her unforgivable sin she was to be sent to live in St. Agnes convent, where she still resides today but only in esoteric form.
The night before her transfer to the convent she decided to follow her heart and met with her beloved. Her father went psychotic and stabbed her repeatedly for shaming the family name. The Murdered Nun has been haunting the area of St. Agnes ever since. Legend has it that this ghost once appeared to a girl who wished to poison herself because of a tragic love affair. The Murdered Nun grabbed the poison from the depressed girl’s hand and placed a bag of coins in it instead, enabling her to live a happy and prosperous life with her true love.
The Murdered Nun and the Headless Knight’s Templar are the only ghosts I investigated due to time limitations, but Prague has many ghosts and they are so colorful! Like the Drowned Maid that is seen dripping wet with drooping hair. She has chattering teeth and crying eyes and she can be found haunting the House of the Golden Well. Yes! She was murdered! Many of the ghosts in Prague have colorful names and it appears that everyone knows the legends of these ghosts.
There are: The Iron Man; The Ghost of Miller’s Daughter; The Obese Merchant; The Begging Skeleton; The Mad Barber; The Fiery Turkey – yes, it’s a ghostly turkey that looks like it’s on fire; the Ghost of the French Major; the Headless Lady; The One Armed Thief; the Fish Eater of Stromovka Park and let’s not forget Karbourek the Water Sprite!
Article > costa rican times
© UK Paranormal Events
www.ukparanormalevents.com
Ghost of First World War Nurse.
A man who worked in a prominent Sheringham building 40 years ago claims it was haunted and is now appealing for more information on the “mournful” First World War ghost he met several times a week.
Gordon Buchan and his wife Sylvia arrived in Sheringham in September 1976 to take up posts as senior house parents at the Break charity’s Rainbow children’s holiday home, on Hooks Hill Road.
Mr Buchan, 72, who says he has experienced “time slips” since he was 18 months old, claims that he first encountered the Rainbow ghost the day after he started work.
During the two years the couple spent at the home, Mr Buchan said he saw the ghost every two or three days.
And he claims that – although it was never seen by his wife – one other staff member and scores of children staying at the home also saw it.
“She was a First World War nurse, wearing the uniform of the time. She used to follow me round the corridors. I put her age in the early 20s. She was slim with auburn hair and always looked mournful,” he remembered.
On many occasions children had reported seeing a woman throw herself out of a first-floor bedroom window, according to Mr Buchan.
“Dozens and dozens of children saw her – they were petrified – and I believe, while we were there, an exorcism was carried out, although that had nothing to do with us.”
One day a child’s grandmother had visited the home from Norwich and told Mr and Mrs Buchan that she had worked in the building during the 1914-1918 war when it had been a convalescent home for troops.
She said a young nurse had cared for, and fallen in love with, a corporal who had been injured. He had recovered and been sent back to the front where he had been killed.
In her grief, the nurse had thrown herself out of a window to her death on the ground below.
“We have wondered about it ever since,” said Mr Buchan, who now lives with his wife in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria.
“While it was still operating as a children’s home we didn’t feel it would be right to go public about it but now it’s closed we would like to know more – has anyone else heard this story and does anyone know the nurse’s name?”
Break shut Rainbow as a children’s holiday centre in October 2012 after nearly 40 years.
Sheringham historian Peter Cox said he was aware of the story but had never found any evidence to substantiate it.
Before Break, the house had been run as a children’s home since the 1920s by the charity NCH, according to Mr Cox.
And before that it had been a private house. He added: “Many large private houses were requisitioned by the military.”
Article > EDP24
© UK Paranormal Events
www.ukparanormalevents.com
Gordon Buchan and his wife Sylvia arrived in Sheringham in September 1976 to take up posts as senior house parents at the Break charity’s Rainbow children’s holiday home, on Hooks Hill Road.
Mr Buchan, 72, who says he has experienced “time slips” since he was 18 months old, claims that he first encountered the Rainbow ghost the day after he started work.
During the two years the couple spent at the home, Mr Buchan said he saw the ghost every two or three days.
And he claims that – although it was never seen by his wife – one other staff member and scores of children staying at the home also saw it.
“She was a First World War nurse, wearing the uniform of the time. She used to follow me round the corridors. I put her age in the early 20s. She was slim with auburn hair and always looked mournful,” he remembered.
On many occasions children had reported seeing a woman throw herself out of a first-floor bedroom window, according to Mr Buchan.
“Dozens and dozens of children saw her – they were petrified – and I believe, while we were there, an exorcism was carried out, although that had nothing to do with us.”One day a child’s grandmother had visited the home from Norwich and told Mr and Mrs Buchan that she had worked in the building during the 1914-1918 war when it had been a convalescent home for troops.
She said a young nurse had cared for, and fallen in love with, a corporal who had been injured. He had recovered and been sent back to the front where he had been killed.
In her grief, the nurse had thrown herself out of a window to her death on the ground below.
“We have wondered about it ever since,” said Mr Buchan, who now lives with his wife in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria.
“While it was still operating as a children’s home we didn’t feel it would be right to go public about it but now it’s closed we would like to know more – has anyone else heard this story and does anyone know the nurse’s name?”
Break shut Rainbow as a children’s holiday centre in October 2012 after nearly 40 years.
Sheringham historian Peter Cox said he was aware of the story but had never found any evidence to substantiate it.
Before Break, the house had been run as a children’s home since the 1920s by the charity NCH, according to Mr Cox.
And before that it had been a private house. He added: “Many large private houses were requisitioned by the military.”
Article > EDP24
© UK Paranormal Events
www.ukparanormalevents.com
Tuesday, 18 March 2014
Objects that are claimed to be Haunted or Possessed. Part One.
Throughout the ages of history there have always been
objects that people have claimed to be either haunted, possessed or that hold
special powers, objects that people have owned but have come to fear.
Here we will look at some of these objects that are claimed
to be possessed by an evil spirit, haunted or have been cursed.
Robert the Doll.
Many popular horror films have featured children’s dolls that
move from the chair in the corner of the bedroom as the frightened child lays
in bed afraid to look, but there have been many reports of these children’s
toys taking on a life of their own. Robert the Doll is one such toy.
Robert Eugene Otto was born in October 1900 to a wealthy and
successful family living in Key West, as with many wealthy families of this era
the Otto household employed a number of servants from the Caribbean and the
Bahamas. Robert Eugene Otto being an only child was cared for by a nanny who is
believed to have originated from the Bahamas.
By 1904 when Gene as he was referred to by his family was
four years old, the nanny had become dissatisfied with her role and the way she
was being treated by the Otto family. The Nanny who is supposed to adept in the
arts of Black Magic and Voodoo made a doll out of wire cloth and straw and even
used cutting from Gene’s own hair for the hair of the doll. The nanny made a
nice sailors outfit for the toy to be dressed in, and once complete she gave
the doll to Gene as a present. The doll had a remarkable likeness in looks to
Gene and he took to the toy immediately.
Gene called the doll Robert after himself and would take the
doll around with him whenever he was home, the family would hear him talking
away to Robert but thought nothing of this as most children of Gene’s age would
have an active imagination and pretend that they can talk to their toys and
imaginary friends. However the family started to hear a strange spine tingling giggles
coming from a room that no one other than the doll was in, it would also happen
as Gene was talking to the doll so he could not have made the laughter at the
same time.
The family got more suspicious that something was not right
when they started catching glimpses out of the corner of their eye of the doll darting
from room to room. Things became a little more concerning for the Otto family
when several neighbours reported to Mr and Mrs Otto that they had seen the doll
moving from window to window, what made this more worrying for the Otto’s was
that many of these sightings by the neighbours were at times when no one was in
the house. The family also swore that
the dolls facial expression would change while you were looking at it or that
Robert would even wink at you.
Gene however adored the toy and his attachment to it grew as
time went on. The family would often be woken up in the early hours of the night
by Gene screaming and crying, as his parents would run into his room to see
what was wrong, they would find furniture in the room knocked over and room in disarray.
The boy would be curled up in terror on his bed while Robert would be sitting
on the edge of the bed gazing at the doorway where the Otto’s were standing. Once
they had managed to calm down their son, they would enquire what the matter was
and what had happened to his room. Gene would just point at the doll and say “Robert
did it”.
As the months and years went on Robert was blamed for all
the wrong doings that Gene was suspected of doing.
The doll remained a companion for Gene even into adulthood,
as an adult Gene lived a solitary life for a while, keeping himself to himself,
remaining in the house and not often venturing out, but one day he did meet a
woman who he was to fall in love with and they finally got married.
Anne moved into the Otto house once they were married and
for a time everything appeared ok, but as time progressed Anne and Gene would
argue a lot more and Gene became prone to fits of rage and anger. After the
argument when the couple were making up and discussing the argument, Gene would
always blame his behaviour on Robert.
Years moved on and Anne grew tired of her husband’s childish
behaviour and attachment to the doll and decided to relegate the toy to the
attic. However neighbours and children would often make comments about how they
had seen the doll looking out turret window, children would be scared while
playing in the street saying the doll was watching them, Gene who insisted that
the doll was in the attic so could not be seen in the turret window finally
went up to
investigate, even he was surprised when he fund the doll sitting and
rocking back and forth in a rocking chair at the window of the turret room. The
doll was placed back in the attic but each time it was, Robert managed to find
his way back to the rocking chair by the window.
Living with Robert and Gene had its toll on Anne and she was
finally diagnosed as officially being insane, not long after her diagnosis she
passed away. Gene was once again alone with Robert and once again he became the
recluse.
Robert was brought back out of the attic and Gene decorated
a room and filled it with furniture for the doll.
On the death of Gene the house remain empty for a while
until it was finally bought in early 1970’s by a family. The new owners of the
house had a 10 year old daughter and while moving in she found a toy that had
been left behind by the previous occupants.
It was not long before the parents of the young girl started
to be woken up in the early hours of the morning by the screams of their
daughter, they would run into her room to find everything had been turned over
and their little curled up in a tight ball shaking and crying, her explanation
for the mess her room was in was “Robert did it”. As time went on the
relationship between the young girl and the doll deteriorated, the girl would
tell her parents that the doll would attack her and that she felt the toy
wanted to harm her, Even to this day she still recalls how she felt the doll wanted
to cause her harm.
Robert was finally removed from the house and his new home
is in a glass case at the East Martello Museum in Florida.
Today Robert’s features are reported to have changed over
the years, his hair is said to have become much greyer. Staff at the museum have
often reported that Robert has moved position in the case or that his head has
turned to look in a different direction or the expression on his face has
altered.
The museum allow their visitors to take photographs of the
doll but do ask that they
ask for his permission before hand, this may sound a little
strange but even to this day, Robert has powers that cannot be explained,
people who have taken pictures of Robert in the cage without first asking his
permission, have reported their cameras malfunctioned or the pictures did not
come out. Legend has it that you put yourself at risk of grave misfortune if
you do not first request Roberts’s permission to photograph him.
How much of the above is real and how much is made up or Chinese
whispers is hard to say for sure, but there must be something to the tale
because even over 100 years after the dolls creation it is still the subject of
reports of strange or paranormal activity.
In 2005 the then president of the United States of America,
George Bush sent a letter to Robert the doll, congratulating him on his 101st
birthday.
To this day the East Martello Museum receive letters addressed to
Robert form all over the world.
Robert the doll is said to have been the subject and
influence behind Chucky, the star of the Child’s Play Franchise.
Watch Out for Part Two.
© UK Paranormal Events
The Historic and Haunted Jamaica Inn is sold for over £2M
Bodmin Moor's historic Jamaica Inn sells for more than £2 million.
THE historic Bodmin Moor inn that inspired a best-selling classic has been sold for more than £2 million to a businessman from Surrey.
Immortalised in Daphne du Maurier’s historical novel, the 17-bedroom inn was once owned by thriller writer Alistair McLean and was sold by John and Wendy Watts, who bought it for £176,000 in 1976.
Matthew Smith of agents Christie & Co, which handled the sale, said that the inn had received an “extraordinary” amount of interest as a result of its iconic status.
Mr Smith, director at the Exeter branch, said that the time between launching instruction and exchanging contracts was the quickest that he had witnessed in his 12 years at the agency.
Mr Jackson, of Dorking, said he hopes to "breathe new life into this fantastic and historic location" and intends to split his time between Surrey and Cornwall.
"I saw it as a great opportunity to acquire Cornwall's most iconic, historic and famous inn,” he said.
“Providing traditional and high levels of service are core to what I will be offering in the future.”
He will spend at least five days a week at the inn running the business himself and will also appointing hospitality and admin managers to look after the business while he is away.
Jamaica Inn was built in 1750 as a coaching inn for travellers using the turnpike between Launceston and Bodmin.
Smugglers are believed to have hid contraband in the inn, which gained its name because of its considerable trade in rum.
The inn is the setting for Daphne DuMaurier’s bodice-ripper in which orphaned Mary Yelland discovers that her brutish uncle’s hostelry is a front for a gang of cut-throat smugglers.
Set in the early 19th century, the novel has been a favourite with film-makers since it was published in 1936, with Alfred Hitchcock making the first screen version in 1939. The BBC is set to air a new adaptation of the book this Easter.
“With the BBC adaption airing around Easter, I believe it is a very timely acquisition,” Mr Jackson added.
A number of rooms in the inn are also said to be haunted, and it was described as one of the ‘spookiest’ places ever visited by the team of television’s Most Haunted, when they filmed on location there.
Article > The Cornish Guardian
© UK Paranormal Events
www.ukparanormalevents.com
Monday, 17 March 2014
The Haunted Side of the UK, Part Three. Birmingham.
The Haunted Side of the UK, Part Three. Birmingham.
There are several high profile cases of poltergeist activity, in most of them the poltergeist focuses its anger and attacks on individuals or a family. The Birmingham
Poltergeist case is a little different in that it is not an individual or even a single family that is the target for the activity, but three families or rather five houses were the chosen target.
During the late 1970’ and early 1980’s the residents of five houses in Thornton Road, Ward End would have their lives disrupted by paranormal activity and their homes and gardens turned into a battlefield by unseen assailants.
Although five houses were affected by the incidents it appeared to be more concentrated on only three, numbers 32, 34, and 36.
As dusk fell on this quiet suburban road the residents settled down to enjoy their dinner or a night in front of the television, no one was prepared for what they were about to experience. Not long after the sun had settled and darkness had covered the
Houses the occupants of the five homes in Thornton Road were shocked and startled by what appeared at the time to be an attack on their property by vandals. Stones and pebbles of all sizes were being thrown at the buildings, smashing through the windows and breaking roof tiles. The bombardment went on for a couple of hours and by the time the rain of stones ceased there was hardly a whole pain of glass left in any of the rear windows or doors of these houses, many of the roof tiles had been smashed and the families had a huge task of clearing up and a huge bill for the repairs.
The following night once darkness had descended once again the bombardment started all over again, breaking the windows that had been replaced and destroying all the repair works that had taken place. Although this attack went on week after week the residents of Thornton Road could never see where the stones were being thrown from or by who, this was strange as this was the rear of the house so whoever was throwing the missiles would either have to be in their gardens or the adjoining gardens, but they were not able to see any movement in any.
Eventually after the vandalism had gone on for some time the police agreed to set up night vigils and patrols of the area in an attempt to catch the culprits or to scare them away from this activity.
By now the residents who were fed up with having to replace the glass in their doors and windows, had put up chicken wire and erected corrugated sheets to protect their property.
The police turned up and took their positions in the gardens and waiting for the sun to go down, once again the rain of stones descended on the buildings, the police were amazed at what they saw, the stones did not appear to be thrown but rather to have fallen from the sky, the officers searched the area but were not able to find anyone who could be throwing the stones.
When morning came the stones were collected from the gardens and taken away to be inspected.
Chief Inspector Len Turley who had been placed in charge of the case was expecting this investigation to take only a couple of days to resolve, however as the reports from his officers on the ground started to land on his desk he became aware that his thoughts on this case may be wrong. None of the officers had seen or heard any other people around, they had searched the area but had found no one, yet the quantity of stones and the damage caused would have to have been done by a at least a small group of people. The officers described it as being on a battlefield.
The officers kept turning up and the stones kept being thrown and more and more damage was caused to the buildings, cotton threads were stretched out around all the surrounding gardens, but none of these threads were ever broken. The police searched the area night after night but each time were unable to find anyone who could have caused the damage.
The attacks went on for several years but no one was ever arrested or convicted of the vandalism, Chief Inspector Len Turley later spoken of his frustration with this case.
He said: “We have spent more than 1,000 man hours on this case. We are keeping an open mind about the whole thing. We don’t know why it’s gone on for so long.
‘‘If we even knew the reason for it, we would be one step nearer.”
Baffled by who was causing this damage or even a motive for it, the police tried everything they could think off. The inspection of the stones proved that they were from this area and could be found in almost any of the gardens. The odd thing they did identify was that they all appeared to be smooth and clean as if they had been scrubbed or polished, none of the stones that were recovered from the properties had any dirt on them.
Going on the reports from his officers that the stones appeared to fall from the sky, CI Turley called in a ballistics expert to see if it was at all possible that the stones may have been fired or propelled from a distance. The finding from this ballistics investigation was that it was highly unlikely due to the relatively small area targeted and the accuracy involved.
The residents who were no convinced that the attacks were being made by something paranormal, called in the church to investigate, but the Vicar was not able to find a cause for the attacks either.
The residents were living in fear of being hit by stones or by flying glass from one of the windows. The noise caused by the stones hitting to roof and walls or breaking glass meant that they got very little sleep at night.
The police investigation was finally scaled back and eventually stopped. No one was ever arrested or convicted of causing the damage.
Then as suddenly as it the attacks had started, they stopped. The residents lived in fear of them starting up again but to this day there has not been another report of this type of thing happening in Thornton Road.
Many people still believe that the attacks on Thornton Road were the work of vandals, but it is hard to see how this can be the case.
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Aston Hall, Aston, Birmingham.
Aston Hall to me is a thing of beauty, and as a youth it is a place I would spend many an hour. As a child living in Birmingham I would often see this building in the distance as my parents and I would drive up the Aston Expressway, it intrigued me and in my infant years I vowed to explore its more deeply. Now days this spectacular building looks out of place amongst the factories and terraced house that surround it, but none the less it still remains a magnificent landmark.
Once I could drive and had the freedom to travel I visited this amazing property and it would become a place I was to visit often and spend many an hour exploring inside and out.
The building today is a Grade 1 listed property but it was back in 1618 that the building works began to construct the building, Sir Thomas Holte who was one of the wealthiest men in the country commissioned John Thorpe to design it.
Sir Thomas Holte was a personal friend of Charles the first and the king would often visit and stay at Aston Hall, in fact on the evening of 18th October 1642, just before he lost the Battle of Edgehill during the English Civil War. Support for the king resulted in a three day siege when Parliamentarians attacked the Royalist garrison stationed there, and the hall was badly damaged. Some of this damage can still be seen on the balustrade of the Great Stairs.
As with many buildings that have such a varied and colourful history, Aston Hall has its resident ghosts.
The Grey or White lady.
One of the ghost who is often reported as being seen around the hall is that of the grey ghost, this spirit is thought to be Mary the daughter of Sir Thomas Holte. The story is that Sir Thomas had been arranging for his daughter to be married to a high standing gentleman but unfortunately Mary detested this man, she could not bear the thought of having to spend the rest of her life with someone she detested. Mary had been seeing and had fallen in love with a local man of lower social status. The pair arranged to run away before Mary could be married off to someone she could never love, however the pair did not get far before they were found and Sir Thomas dragger her back to the Aston Hall.
In Sir Thomas’s eyes his daughter was now spoilt goods and he was unable to continue with arrangements for the marriage. Humiliated by his daughter actions he locked her away in one of the upper rooms in the hall and vowed to never let her out again.
Mary was imprisoned in that room for sixteen years, the only people she would see was the maids who delivered here food and cleaned up, loneliness and despair drove Mary insane and finally she starved herself to death.
Many people touring the upper floors of the hall have reported seeing a lady in white or grey, staff working at the hall have also on many occasions reported seeing this lady in white who said to be Mary. Visitors to the hall have also reported seeing a sad faced lady looking out the upstairs window as they walked the grounds below, on many occasions this has been reported when the property is closed and there is not even staff present within the building.
The Green Lady.
There is another long term resident at the hall, this lady has been spotted many times by staff and visitors. She is reported as sitting in one of the chairs in the Great Hall, described as wearing a green high collard dress. Witness’s say she is so life like that they thought she was someone in period costume who was working at the hall even though on investigation no one was employed to portray this role at the time. This ghost is said to be that of Mistress Walker who was an elderly servant to Sir Thomas Holte.
The kitchen area off hall is also known to be an area of strange phenomena, reports of sightings of what have been described as “a glowing white ball that appears from the wall and bounces around the room” have seen on several occasions. This is interesting as the kitchen area off the hall is known to have been damaged by cannon fire during the civil war.
Another area of the house where there are many sightings and reports of strange activity is again in one of the room on the upper floor. This room is now known as Dick’s Garrett, the history behind this spirit that is haunting this room is that a young servant boy called Dick was accused by other members of the staff of stealing from the property, he was marched up to one of the upper rooms and was locked in to wait for the master to return home and to deal with the situation and the young lads punishment. Knowing only too well that the master would punish him severely no matter if he was found guilty or not, the young servant chose to take his own life by hanging himself.
People report the feeling of being overwhelmed by despair while they are in this room , many people have reported seeing what they describe as a young lad in old clothing being seen in the room, while other have reported hearing cries for help. A caretaker of the hall has on many a time reported seeing a body of hanging in the room.
© UK Paranormal Events
UK Paranormal Events
www.ukparanormalevents.com
The Birmingham Poltergeist Case.
Poltergeist case is a little different in that it is not an individual or even a single family that is the target for the activity, but three families or rather five houses were the chosen target.
During the late 1970’ and early 1980’s the residents of five houses in Thornton Road, Ward End would have their lives disrupted by paranormal activity and their homes and gardens turned into a battlefield by unseen assailants.
Although five houses were affected by the incidents it appeared to be more concentrated on only three, numbers 32, 34, and 36.
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| The target houses in Thornton Road. |
Houses the occupants of the five homes in Thornton Road were shocked and startled by what appeared at the time to be an attack on their property by vandals. Stones and pebbles of all sizes were being thrown at the buildings, smashing through the windows and breaking roof tiles. The bombardment went on for a couple of hours and by the time the rain of stones ceased there was hardly a whole pain of glass left in any of the rear windows or doors of these houses, many of the roof tiles had been smashed and the families had a huge task of clearing up and a huge bill for the repairs.
The following night once darkness had descended once again the bombardment started all over again, breaking the windows that had been replaced and destroying all the repair works that had taken place. Although this attack went on week after week the residents of Thornton Road could never see where the stones were being thrown from or by who, this was strange as this was the rear of the house so whoever was throwing the missiles would either have to be in their gardens or the adjoining gardens, but they were not able to see any movement in any.
Eventually after the vandalism had gone on for some time the police agreed to set up night vigils and patrols of the area in an attempt to catch the culprits or to scare them away from this activity.
By now the residents who were fed up with having to replace the glass in their doors and windows, had put up chicken wire and erected corrugated sheets to protect their property.
The police turned up and took their positions in the gardens and waiting for the sun to go down, once again the rain of stones descended on the buildings, the police were amazed at what they saw, the stones did not appear to be thrown but rather to have fallen from the sky, the officers searched the area but were not able to find anyone who could be throwing the stones.
When morning came the stones were collected from the gardens and taken away to be inspected.
Chief Inspector Len Turley who had been placed in charge of the case was expecting this investigation to take only a couple of days to resolve, however as the reports from his officers on the ground started to land on his desk he became aware that his thoughts on this case may be wrong. None of the officers had seen or heard any other people around, they had searched the area but had found no one, yet the quantity of stones and the damage caused would have to have been done by a at least a small group of people. The officers described it as being on a battlefield.
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| Chief Inspector Len Turley. |
The attacks went on for several years but no one was ever arrested or convicted of the vandalism, Chief Inspector Len Turley later spoken of his frustration with this case.
He said: “We have spent more than 1,000 man hours on this case. We are keeping an open mind about the whole thing. We don’t know why it’s gone on for so long.
‘‘If we even knew the reason for it, we would be one step nearer.”
Baffled by who was causing this damage or even a motive for it, the police tried everything they could think off. The inspection of the stones proved that they were from this area and could be found in almost any of the gardens. The odd thing they did identify was that they all appeared to be smooth and clean as if they had been scrubbed or polished, none of the stones that were recovered from the properties had any dirt on them.
Going on the reports from his officers that the stones appeared to fall from the sky, CI Turley called in a ballistics expert to see if it was at all possible that the stones may have been fired or propelled from a distance. The finding from this ballistics investigation was that it was highly unlikely due to the relatively small area targeted and the accuracy involved.
The residents who were no convinced that the attacks were being made by something paranormal, called in the church to investigate, but the Vicar was not able to find a cause for the attacks either.
The residents were living in fear of being hit by stones or by flying glass from one of the windows. The noise caused by the stones hitting to roof and walls or breaking glass meant that they got very little sleep at night.
The police investigation was finally scaled back and eventually stopped. No one was ever arrested or convicted of causing the damage.
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| Sample of the stones from Thornton Road. |
Many people still believe that the attacks on Thornton Road were the work of vandals, but it is hard to see how this can be the case.
- The attacks occurred uninterruptedly for over three years.
- The attacks target five houses only, the people who lived in these houses had no disputes or issues with anyone else in the area. If it had been a case of vandals out for fun then surely they would have sought out another target of their entertainment once the police set up night vigils?
- Even with nightly police presence, no one was ever seen throwing the stones, nor were people even heard. The amount of stones thrown each night would make it impossible to stay concealed from the officers, the effort alone of throwing that quantity of stones would require a small group of people at minimum.
- No one was ever caught or arrested for this crime, even after an in depth police investigation involving many man hours the case remain unresolved.
____________________________________________________________________________
Aston Hall, Aston, Birmingham.
Aston Hall to me is a thing of beauty, and as a youth it is a place I would spend many an hour. As a child living in Birmingham I would often see this building in the distance as my parents and I would drive up the Aston Expressway, it intrigued me and in my infant years I vowed to explore its more deeply. Now days this spectacular building looks out of place amongst the factories and terraced house that surround it, but none the less it still remains a magnificent landmark.
 |
| Aston Hall |
Once I could drive and had the freedom to travel I visited this amazing property and it would become a place I was to visit often and spend many an hour exploring inside and out.
The building today is a Grade 1 listed property but it was back in 1618 that the building works began to construct the building, Sir Thomas Holte who was one of the wealthiest men in the country commissioned John Thorpe to design it.
 |
| Sir Thomas Holte |
As with many buildings that have such a varied and colourful history, Aston Hall has its resident ghosts.
The Grey or White lady.
One of the ghost who is often reported as being seen around the hall is that of the grey ghost, this spirit is thought to be Mary the daughter of Sir Thomas Holte. The story is that Sir Thomas had been arranging for his daughter to be married to a high standing gentleman but unfortunately Mary detested this man, she could not bear the thought of having to spend the rest of her life with someone she detested. Mary had been seeing and had fallen in love with a local man of lower social status. The pair arranged to run away before Mary could be married off to someone she could never love, however the pair did not get far before they were found and Sir Thomas dragger her back to the Aston Hall.
In Sir Thomas’s eyes his daughter was now spoilt goods and he was unable to continue with arrangements for the marriage. Humiliated by his daughter actions he locked her away in one of the upper rooms in the hall and vowed to never let her out again.
Mary was imprisoned in that room for sixteen years, the only people she would see was the maids who delivered here food and cleaned up, loneliness and despair drove Mary insane and finally she starved herself to death.
Many people touring the upper floors of the hall have reported seeing a lady in white or grey, staff working at the hall have also on many occasions reported seeing this lady in white who said to be Mary. Visitors to the hall have also reported seeing a sad faced lady looking out the upstairs window as they walked the grounds below, on many occasions this has been reported when the property is closed and there is not even staff present within the building.
 |
| Damage caused to the balustrade during the Civil War. |
The Green Lady.
There is another long term resident at the hall, this lady has been spotted many times by staff and visitors. She is reported as sitting in one of the chairs in the Great Hall, described as wearing a green high collard dress. Witness’s say she is so life like that they thought she was someone in period costume who was working at the hall even though on investigation no one was employed to portray this role at the time. This ghost is said to be that of Mistress Walker who was an elderly servant to Sir Thomas Holte.
The kitchen area off hall is also known to be an area of strange phenomena, reports of sightings of what have been described as “a glowing white ball that appears from the wall and bounces around the room” have seen on several occasions. This is interesting as the kitchen area off the hall is known to have been damaged by cannon fire during the civil war.
Another area of the house where there are many sightings and reports of strange activity is again in one of the room on the upper floor. This room is now known as Dick’s Garrett, the history behind this spirit that is haunting this room is that a young servant boy called Dick was accused by other members of the staff of stealing from the property, he was marched up to one of the upper rooms and was locked in to wait for the master to return home and to deal with the situation and the young lads punishment. Knowing only too well that the master would punish him severely no matter if he was found guilty or not, the young servant chose to take his own life by hanging himself.
People report the feeling of being overwhelmed by despair while they are in this room , many people have reported seeing what they describe as a young lad in old clothing being seen in the room, while other have reported hearing cries for help. A caretaker of the hall has on many a time reported seeing a body of hanging in the room.
© UK Paranormal Events
UK Paranormal Events
www.ukparanormalevents.com