Recent group interest in an allegedly haunted, local night spot has reminded us of previous dealings associated with such properties......
From The Archives:
In late July, 2005, the W.M.G.C. was contacted by the site manager of the allegedly haunted ‘Euphoria’ night club in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, and invited to investigate the allegedly haunted building.
While the Euphoria building itself has suffered many structural changes over the years, it originally began life as an early Victorian Baptist Chapel.
During the 20th Century, the site has played host to a variety of businesses – including a sweet factory, snooker hall and a cinema. For the previous six years leading up to our visit, the building has been the Euphoria Night Club.
The original building lay, slightly back, from the main road, with a small burial ground at it’s front. (A set of iron railings separating the street from the grave area). The current building lies ‘flush’ to the street, with the original grave area allegedly still extant under the raised wooden flooring of the current office and reception area. It is claimed that some of the grave stones are still ‘in situ’ under the flooring concerned, Manager James Hyde informing group members that he had actually seen the stones during the course of repair work some time ago.
Haunted History:
*The figure of a girl has allegedly been witnessed walking down the rear stairs of the Club and turning towards the cellar door before vanishing. The girl – medium height, with very long hair – doesn’t appear to walk on the present staircase, but partially ‘through it’, as if adhering to a previous flight of steps.
Local legend supposedly has it that a young woman hung herself near the Chapel Altar – which would have been situated near the present cellar door.
*The upstairs bar area is described as being very active. Glasses have slid across the bar in front of staff members, displays have collapsed of their own volition and doors have been heard banging when no one was in the area concerned. Glasses have been heard smashing in the bar by people situated downstairs, but, upon investigation, no glasses are found to have been broken.
*The figure of a tall man - dressed in baggy black trousers and shirt, sporting long, wavy hair – has been seen walking through the wall of the Club, next to the upstairs fire escape, and across the front of the bar.
*A number of staff members report having seen ‘pure white’ lights flashing around the upstairs bar walls.
*One previous Assistant Manager saw a girl standing near the downstairs bar and, thinking she was a customer, asked her to wait a second to be served. When they looked back, the girl had completely vanished.
*A visiting medium only stayed a few minutes in the Club because she said that the building made her physically ill.
Group members organised a visit to the property for Tuesday the 23rd August 2005.
Present:
Investigative Team - 4 W.M.G.C. members and 4 club staff.
Investigation:
A number of trigger objects – and security devices – were utilised during our visit:
*Coins ringed on paper situated on left hand side of upstairs bar.
*Coins ringed on paper situated on right hand side of upstairs bar.
*Mannequin figure, standing in cruciform position, on centre of upstairs bar with alarm attached to it’s stand.
*Door to right of upstairs bar (the one frequently heard banging) alarmed.
*Rope – for the purpose of potential motion detection – hung over speaker next to stairs down which figure of girl allegedly seen walking.
*Rear end of balcony area – coins ringed on paper, situated on balcony ledge.
*Cross situated on paper on middle landing of rear stairs.
*Child’s toy ball situated on top step to middle landing of rear stairs.
4 video recording sessions were carried out in the upstairs area of the Club during our stay. (All utilising night-shot capacity):
*Two recordings were made from the balcony area, overlooking the dance floor, and aimed at the staircase down which the young girl has been seen descending.
*One recording made from table top – right hand side of bar – facing upstairs fire door, left of bar.
*Final recording made from left of upstairs bar, facing across bar to right hand side of room.
Of the vigil sessions conducted during our visit, only one featured anything of ‘potential interest’. All present were situated in - or around - the Club VIP Lounge, when the sound of a drinking glass being struck – resulting in a sharp ‘ping’ sound – was heard. All present commented on the noise, which originated from the balcony area immediately outside the Lounge. A researcher situated in the open doorway to the Lounge reports that the noise concerned came – accidentally - when a Club staff member caught their drinking glass whilst moving. The researcher questioned the staff member concerned, who subsequently denied that they had made the sound…..
Following the vigil, Club Manager, James Hyde, maintained that he had both been aware of – and actually seen – both the girl and male apparitions during the period concerned. No one else in the group felt or saw anything.
Later on in the evening, Mr. Hyde seemingly detected a ‘cold spot’ at the bottom of the rear Club stairs. A digital thermometer was used to run comparisons in temperature readings from the rest of the dance floor / downstairs bar area and the spot concerned was determined to be no colder than anywhere else in the room.
Post-vigil: Nothing of any potential paranormal significance was discovered during the visit, nor on any of the recording made during this period.
Brief Summary:
It has to be said that there clearly was a considerable degree of paranormal credulousness with regards to personnel associated with the site. The personal belief systems that we came into contact with were highly pro-paranormal. It was mentioned to the group that the T.V. programme ‘Most Haunted’ had been contacted by Club management and the people that we spoke to appeared to adhere to this type of (ghost related) mindset.
Under such circumstances, it is highly understandable why such a building – i.e. an historic Chapel setting – might well develop a ghost related history.
With regards to the story concerning the young girl hanging herself in the former Chapel, we were told that the details concerned had been seen in the Town Museum. Subsequent contact with the Museum (by W.M.G.C.) members has resulted in the denial that such anecdotal data exists therein(?)
Concerning the notion that gravestones are still extant under the raised office flooring: it was noticed, during a brief reconnoitre of the outside of site, that a great many blocks of stone - of considerable size and age – are dotted around the surrounding landscape. (Possibly from some former, substantial building in the general area?) It is possible that a number of such stones might be present in the considerable void under the office flooring and shadowy sightings of such have probably given rise to the gravestone legend.
Regards to all,
The W.M.G.C.
From The Archives:
In late July, 2005, the W.M.G.C. was contacted by the site manager of the allegedly haunted ‘Euphoria’ night club in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, and invited to investigate the allegedly haunted building.
While the Euphoria building itself has suffered many structural changes over the years, it originally began life as an early Victorian Baptist Chapel.
During the 20th Century, the site has played host to a variety of businesses – including a sweet factory, snooker hall and a cinema. For the previous six years leading up to our visit, the building has been the Euphoria Night Club.
The original building lay, slightly back, from the main road, with a small burial ground at it’s front. (A set of iron railings separating the street from the grave area). The current building lies ‘flush’ to the street, with the original grave area allegedly still extant under the raised wooden flooring of the current office and reception area. It is claimed that some of the grave stones are still ‘in situ’ under the flooring concerned, Manager James Hyde informing group members that he had actually seen the stones during the course of repair work some time ago.
Haunted History:
*The figure of a girl has allegedly been witnessed walking down the rear stairs of the Club and turning towards the cellar door before vanishing. The girl – medium height, with very long hair – doesn’t appear to walk on the present staircase, but partially ‘through it’, as if adhering to a previous flight of steps.
Local legend supposedly has it that a young woman hung herself near the Chapel Altar – which would have been situated near the present cellar door.
*The upstairs bar area is described as being very active. Glasses have slid across the bar in front of staff members, displays have collapsed of their own volition and doors have been heard banging when no one was in the area concerned. Glasses have been heard smashing in the bar by people situated downstairs, but, upon investigation, no glasses are found to have been broken.
*The figure of a tall man - dressed in baggy black trousers and shirt, sporting long, wavy hair – has been seen walking through the wall of the Club, next to the upstairs fire escape, and across the front of the bar.
*A number of staff members report having seen ‘pure white’ lights flashing around the upstairs bar walls.
*One previous Assistant Manager saw a girl standing near the downstairs bar and, thinking she was a customer, asked her to wait a second to be served. When they looked back, the girl had completely vanished.
*A visiting medium only stayed a few minutes in the Club because she said that the building made her physically ill.
Group members organised a visit to the property for Tuesday the 23rd August 2005.
Present:
Investigative Team - 4 W.M.G.C. members and 4 club staff.
Investigation:
A number of trigger objects – and security devices – were utilised during our visit:
*Coins ringed on paper situated on left hand side of upstairs bar.
*Coins ringed on paper situated on right hand side of upstairs bar.
*Mannequin figure, standing in cruciform position, on centre of upstairs bar with alarm attached to it’s stand.
*Door to right of upstairs bar (the one frequently heard banging) alarmed.
*Rope – for the purpose of potential motion detection – hung over speaker next to stairs down which figure of girl allegedly seen walking.
*Rear end of balcony area – coins ringed on paper, situated on balcony ledge.
*Cross situated on paper on middle landing of rear stairs.
*Child’s toy ball situated on top step to middle landing of rear stairs.
4 video recording sessions were carried out in the upstairs area of the Club during our stay. (All utilising night-shot capacity):
*Two recordings were made from the balcony area, overlooking the dance floor, and aimed at the staircase down which the young girl has been seen descending.
*One recording made from table top – right hand side of bar – facing upstairs fire door, left of bar.
*Final recording made from left of upstairs bar, facing across bar to right hand side of room.
Of the vigil sessions conducted during our visit, only one featured anything of ‘potential interest’. All present were situated in - or around - the Club VIP Lounge, when the sound of a drinking glass being struck – resulting in a sharp ‘ping’ sound – was heard. All present commented on the noise, which originated from the balcony area immediately outside the Lounge. A researcher situated in the open doorway to the Lounge reports that the noise concerned came – accidentally - when a Club staff member caught their drinking glass whilst moving. The researcher questioned the staff member concerned, who subsequently denied that they had made the sound…..
Following the vigil, Club Manager, James Hyde, maintained that he had both been aware of – and actually seen – both the girl and male apparitions during the period concerned. No one else in the group felt or saw anything.
Later on in the evening, Mr. Hyde seemingly detected a ‘cold spot’ at the bottom of the rear Club stairs. A digital thermometer was used to run comparisons in temperature readings from the rest of the dance floor / downstairs bar area and the spot concerned was determined to be no colder than anywhere else in the room.
Post-vigil: Nothing of any potential paranormal significance was discovered during the visit, nor on any of the recording made during this period.
Brief Summary:
It has to be said that there clearly was a considerable degree of paranormal credulousness with regards to personnel associated with the site. The personal belief systems that we came into contact with were highly pro-paranormal. It was mentioned to the group that the T.V. programme ‘Most Haunted’ had been contacted by Club management and the people that we spoke to appeared to adhere to this type of (ghost related) mindset.
Under such circumstances, it is highly understandable why such a building – i.e. an historic Chapel setting – might well develop a ghost related history.
With regards to the story concerning the young girl hanging herself in the former Chapel, we were told that the details concerned had been seen in the Town Museum. Subsequent contact with the Museum (by W.M.G.C.) members has resulted in the denial that such anecdotal data exists therein(?)
Concerning the notion that gravestones are still extant under the raised office flooring: it was noticed, during a brief reconnoitre of the outside of site, that a great many blocks of stone - of considerable size and age – are dotted around the surrounding landscape. (Possibly from some former, substantial building in the general area?) It is possible that a number of such stones might be present in the considerable void under the office flooring and shadowy sightings of such have probably given rise to the gravestone legend.
Regards to all,
The W.M.G.C.
No comments:
Post a Comment