Thursday 30 April 2009

Manor House Experiences - Part 2.

I've long maintained that, if ghosts do indeed exist and any one, particular place is actually 'haunted', then this place would be the Manor House. I'm not a betting man, but I'd be more than willing to risk parts of my anatomy in a wager that ghostly activity does actually take place in that property...

In my last scribblings on such matters, we covered the topic of potential 'ghost sightings' at this popular site, as experienced during W.M.G.C. investigations. In this section I'd like to run over some of the more varied audible and physical happenings that we have catalogued. For the sake of brevity - this could be an exceptionally long list indeed - I've dispensed with time / date references and any semblance of chronological order, etc.

And so...

One of the most startling incidents to have happened to the group occurred during one of our later investigations. A vigil had just taken place in the upstairs chapel room and attendees had just filtered back down the stairs and into the great hall. After a brief discussion, it was suggested that a certain experiment be conducted in the area just vacated - so some of the group members began the return journey to the room.

One of the peculiar things about this experience was that the 'penny didn't actually drop' until later than would have been expected under such circumstances. While walking through the remarkably small doorway at the bottom of the chapel stairs, the club members had found themselves literally 'squeezing past' an inconveniently placed chair, smack-dab in the doorway itself. One person had edged past the obstruction and a second had just started the task when the 'hang on a minute?!' moment actually struck!!

Where had the chair come from? We had all come down the stairs together not a minute and a half earlier and there had been no chair there at that time!?

On another visit, two group members were standing just inside the door to the ladies toilet - above the main bar - when they heard another group member climbing the stairs just outside (and leading directly to) their position. They identified the member concerned by the sound made during the climb, as he had a habit of emphasising the effort of such matters vocally - i.e. making mock puffing and panting noises, groans, etc.

Wondering why the member hadn't entered the toilet after the climb, but was now seemingly standing stock still and silent outside, they opened the door to find that there was no one there! The member concerned was in a completely different part of the building at that time....

A lot has been said in the past re. 'phantoms of the living', though this is frequently a phenomenon that doesn't sit well with the more 'traditional' - less questioning - ghost enthusiast, of course! Digressing slightly, but such notions call to mind a certain Birmingham publican who had a tendency to frequently see fleeting figures dressed in denim blue garb flitting around her pub at times when she was completely alone. It was interesting to note that the staff costume for the place was blue denim jeans and a similarly coloured t-shirt.... The woman concerned did something of a double take when we suggested it was possibly her staff that she was seeing at such times. 'But the staff aren't on the premises at these times' she stressed to us again. No, we said that we understood that fully, but it was still probably her staff she was seeing!!

More on the Manor House to follow shortly....

Regards to all,

The W.M.G.C.

2 comments:

Jeff Crook said...

I grew up in a house that was remarkable about displaying this "spirits of the living" phenomenom. It was also a rather haunted place, so it tended to create consusion.

The first time it happened was when I was about 14. I was home alone, standing at the toilet taking a wizz, when I heard my mother call my name - from behind the toilet. Another time, my wife and I arrived at the house and were about to enter the garage when we both heard my parents talking in the front yard, so we headed around front and found no one there. We went back through the garage and they were in the house.

Years later, my parents moved out and we moved in. My wife woke one night, about 2 AM, to the sound of my voice shouting her name from the sun room. She said I sounded like I was in distress. Of course, she didn't investigate because at the time I was 600 miles away at a convention. She turned on the television to drown out any further noises and went back to sleep.

W.M.G.C. said...

Hi Jeffery,

Thanks for leaving your comment....

Many years ago, I was sitting in the bath, when I heard my grandmother call out to me. She had been out shopping and I presumed that she had returned and shouted out my name to let me know she was home. I called out in return, but received no answer.

Having exited the bath, I went downstairs to find no one in the house. My grandmother returned an hour or so later, much to my bewilderment!?!?

Strangely, I have never experienced this sort of effect in any of the haunted sites I've visited over the years.... so why should it have happened just once in my own home? Laugh!!