Thursday 15 October 2009

Gov. Related - Post 2....


This is our second post regarding the question of 'government related buildings' which have been investigated by the W.M.G.C. over the years.

The building involved in this particular section is regarded as having a number of allegedly 'haunted' sites situated around it - around the space of 100 or so meters distant. (Related data on such sites continues to roll in at a steady rate, yet another - fresh - matter of interest having come in to the group during the last week!)

The property concerned was built in the late 1800's - purposely constructed for use in a government related role. After it's closure some years ago, the site was taken over and utilised for alternative purposes, during which time, a number of potentially paranormal incidents have been reported. Incidents include:

Staff an office on the first floor of the building clearly heard a particular door in the basement area slamming of it's own volition. (No one else in the building at the time). The door concerned is heavy, made of metal and needs a lot of force to move by hand. It has a specific sound to it when slammed, which is why witness was able to identify it.

Two young men, who stayed in the property overnight, reported hearing many inexplicable 'sounds' from around the building during their stay.

People using a Hall on the ground floor level have reported seeing a 'figure' moving through a particular wall and passing across the room to a fire exit opposite. (Note* The history of a nearby property also concerns figures being seen passing through solid walls too).

Staff in the basement area have heard doors opening / closing on their own; potentially had objects thrown at them; heard footsteps from the empty floor immediately above and equipment in the basement area being manipulated.

On one occasion, a staff member in the basement was locking up for the night and had trouble setting the buildings alarm system. As he scrutinised the alarm, a billowing, grey mist appeared in a passageway immediately in front of him - 4 to 5 feet away - and he immediately fled the building in a state of panic. (The act of fleeing being caught on security surveillance equipment outside the building!)

$ members of the W.M.G.C. visited the site on Saturday the 21st of April 2007, along with 4 people from the property itself.

Investigation Notes:

Trigger Objects:

*Crucifix on table in bottom right corner of main Hall. On sheet of paper - drawn around - on table top, with audio alarm attached.

*Childrens chiming ball on floor of Hall, near counter area.

*Crucifix - on paper and drawn around - on floor of Front Room.

*Wooden mannequin on counter surface in Hall.

Session One: 10.00pm to 10.30pm

(*Note - Dan leaves building just prior to beginning of vigil one, saying he will be back later. Also, Lens motion detector moved from doorway between Front room of building and Hall because Frazer and Matt discover that their torch beams apparently set it off).

Steve and Jord in Basement.

Frazer and Matt in Hall.

Nick and Len on Top floor.

10.14pm - Matt and Frazer hear a sequence of dull sounding knocks / creaks. Matt comments that he cannot believe that the building is so warm tonight, as you can frequently see your breath in there because of the cold. (Mentioned a number of times during the stay).

10.25pm - Steve hears what he describes as a high, half giggle sound, seemingly coming from a 'female' source. He says that the noise seemed to come from the floor above, containing Matt and Frazer. (No females in property at time). Around this same time, he and Jord feel as if there has been a temperature drop in the area, followed by a slight, movement sound. (Though this was possibly the heater in the basement corridor cooling down?)

Session Two: 10.45pm to 11.15pm

(*Note - 10.52pm: Dan returns to property with partner and joins Matt and Frazer in Basement area).

Steve and Jord on Top Floor.

Nick and Len in Hall.

Frazer and Matt in Basement.

11.01pm - Nick and Len see brief sequence of dull flashes through windows in right hand wall of Hall. Later ascertained that flashes were caused by Steve taking photo's on floors above.

11.08pm - Nick and Len hear mild, solitary crack sound from direction of windows in Hall. (Possibly building cooling down).

11.12pm - Nick and Len hear sound like metal door crashing from direction of Hall / Basement staircase. Len also believes he may have heard a vioce.

Session Three: Video Recording Sessions - 11.40pm to 12.10am.

Steve's camera situated next to fire escape in Hall. Facing across area where figure allegedly seen walking, i.e. across room towards the counter area.

Matt's camera situated in Hall, in front of doorway to Front Room, facing across counters towards mannequin.


During this period, entire group seated in Basement area.


Session Four: 12.20am to 12.55am.

Mini disk recording session set up by Matt in basement area. (In Sofa Room).

Entire group seated around doorway between Hall and Front Room of property for duration of session.

12.32am - a sound like a table being knocked appears to originate from Hall / Basement stairway area.

12.36am - 'Clomp' sound seems to originate in Hall / Basement stairway area.

12.44am - sound akin to something being knocked seems to originate from curtains end of Hall. Or, possibly from Hall / Basement stairs.

Investigation period officially ends, but group stay in property for approx. 1 hr further.

Recording Results:

Approximately 11 minutes 45 seconds into the recording made by Matt's camera, a 'shadow' is seen to move left to right across one surface of a pillar situated in the left hand side of the footage. After seemingly pausing for a split second, the shadow continues and can be seen moving across the top of some vinyl seating in the foreground of the shot. The shadow itself is clearly cast onto the surface of the pillar, as it is affected and distorted by some decorative wooden coving which runs around the pillar.

A number of people have subsequently seen the footage - both group members and independent witnesses - and all have said that it is distinctly 'human' in intent….. not that the shadow being cast is actually human shaped - but in the way which it moves, pauses and then seemingly carries on. By all intent and purpose and logically thinking, it would seem that 'someone' had actually walked across the Hall while the footage concerned was being taken.

Interestingly, at the time that the footage was made, everyone in the building was situated in the Basement of the property and did not leave the area until after the session had finished. Steve's camera, which was facing across the width of the Hall towards the counter area, recorded nothing whatsoever, so - while not showing the shadow itself - the footage proved that no one had physically crossed the room and therefore made the shadow. Also of interest is the fact that there were no sounds whatsoever during this section of the footage - i.e. footfalls, etc - as the floor of the room is mainly comprised of hollow, creaky / cracking floorboards.

The only sound of merit caught on Steve's video recording in the Hall was, after 28 minutes, a loud echoing sound - a bit like a pebble being dropped on the floor of the empty room.

A number of knock / click sounds appear on the Basement audio recording - though most of these would appear to be native to the property concerned, i.e. heaters cooling down, etc. Of some interest were a series of three or so noises which could be interpreted as short 'breath' sounds. Nothing could be found to possibly account for the latter….

Regards to all,

The West Midlands Ghost Club

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