Tuesday 3rd March 2020

On Sunday the 1st of March, my good friend - John Chance, of 'Ghostcallers UK' (Facebook Page 'LINK') - kindly invited me to accompany him on a visit to the magnificent Aston Hall, in Birmingham.

This site has not only stood as one of my favourite locations in the West Midlands for many years, but it was one of the very first, allegedly 'haunted', sites that we visited after the formation of the West Midlands Ghost Club in 1989.  I couldn't rightly recount just how many visits we've subsequently made to this location, over the decades, but the hall was our very first suggestion to the BBC, in 2001, when asked which property we would like to investigate for their documentary 'Ghosts'.  As it turns out, of course, they were unable to secure the house for that project... but I was later able to take part in a small investigation of the site arranged by 'University Of Central England' some years later on.

Needless to say, the site itself is quite famous for it's alleged hauntings and supposedly houses a number of ghosts within it's walls...... and outside too!

By far the most famous legend associated with the house is that concerning a daughter of the Holte family, who was said to have been incarcerated - some tales say 'for literally years on end' - in a tiny room in the roof space of the building, by her wicked father.  The reason for this ill-treatment is said to be the simple fact that she refused to marry a man that he wanted to 'pair her with' and / or that she had taken a lover of her own that her father did not approve of!?  Whatever the reason, the legends say that someone was a little careless with the locking of the door to her prison room one day.... and she is said to have escaped.... throwing herself to her death down the nearby stairwell!!   

As with many such legends, there is no historical evidence to say that this story is in any way 'true', but - of course - that has NEVER kept a good tale down before, has it!?  Laugh!!         

As well as the aforementioned 'prison room', the attic area of the hall also contains the 'servants quarters', which include the room known as 'Dicks Garrett'.  Here, it is claimed, a young servant boy - by the name of 'Dick' - committed suicide (by hanging) after being wrongly accused of theft.  It has always been said that his ghost haunts this area, though, as far as can be ascertained, no one has ever actually reported an encounter with his ghost!?

On the middle floor of the property is the impressive 'Long Gallery', which has supposedly been the site of at least a couple of ghost sightings, over the years.  On one occasion, a member of staff says she saw a young boy dart into a doorway leading to the rest of the house.....  A little concerned, she attempted to closely follow the figure, only to find that there was no boy in the room beyond?  Widening her search, she discovered that there was no sign of a child on that entire floor..... and, finally, no lad she could see in the house itself either?

On another occasion, another member of staff claims to have seen a figure - seemingly made of 'mist' - disappear into one of the internal walls of the Long Gallery......!?

As noted above, there is also said to be an apparition associated with the park area, outside the hall.  In the late 60's or early 70's, it was mentioned that a ghostly figure had supposedly been spotted by the tennis courts in the grounds.  Local ghost hunter, Colin Smith, suggested that this was possibly the ghost of a 'tightrope walker', known as 'The Female Blondin', who fell to her death while performing at a gala in the park, during the Victorian period!!

I'd just like to take a second to extend a big 'Thank You' to John for asking me to visit with him on Sunday....  As always, a lovely location and great company to boot!

Tuesday 3rd March 2020

Within fairly recent weeks, I've been made aware of 2 different accounts that entail sightings of what appear to be unmoving, wholly 'static', apparitions.  

The first of these encounters occurred in 2011, on a warm, sunny, Summer evening.....

A gentleman was taking his dog for a walk in Swanswell Park, Birmingham, arriving around 8 pm. The car park, which housed around 20 vehicles (approx.), was almost full and numerous people - children and parents, other dog walkers, etc - were liberally dotted around the sizeable grounds and fields.  Because of a lack of parking spaces, he ended up using one of the only plots left available to him... situated next to another car, in front of the 'dog waste bin', shown in the accompanying photograph.

During the subsequent walk, he covered a lot of ground around the park - at one point, passing two, old, Asian men, sitting talking on a bench - before coming back within sight of the car park and seeing that all of the other vehicles had now left....  There was only his own car (of course!) and the other parked right next to it.  All of the people who were previously visible in the general area had apparently left too, by this point.

In walking back to his car, he kept glancing at the deserted car park from time to time - every few seconds, with the associated driveway also in view - when he suddenly saw two people situated right behind the car next to his.....  He admits that he thought this was rather strange, as one minute they were clearly not there.... then the next, they were!?!

One of the people - a woman - was sitting in a wheel chair, while the other... a man... stood right beside her.  They were in a position that placed them at a distance literally 'touching' the boot of the vehicle next to his!?!  The female, perhaps 45 to 50 yrs old, was seemingly bending her head and looking down at her thighs. He believed that she looked rather sad and sick..... The male looked to be around the same age, average looking and of average height, and looking straight ahead, over the roof of what he took to be 'their' car, with his arms down straight, beside his body.

The strange thing about them was the fact that they were completely motionless.... as if they were statues!?

In drawing closer, just at the very front of the cars now, our witness glanced again at the roof of the neighbouring vehicle to his - expecting to see the face of the man visible over the top - but he was no longer there?  THEY were no longer there.... so, in his mind, he was naturally thinking to himself: "How could he have possibly put his wife into their car SO fast.....?"

He then looked at the neighbouring car windscreen, but there was no one inside? He walked to the end of the car, but there was nobody there? He looked inside the car again..... again, no one to be seen?

At this point - around 9 pm - it was just falling dusk, though not yet dark. He couldn't help but feel a shiver through his body, so quickly put his dog in his bed, got in the car, and made a quick u-turn, ready to exit the scene.  However, he ended up stopping just prior to leaving, as, in the encroaching darkness, he saw two figures approaching the car park. This, it transpires, was the two, old, Asian men he had seen on the bench earlier.  The 2nd car, it turns out, belonged to them, and NOT to the strange couple, as he had assumed!?

He got out of his vehicle and told the men what had just happened. In response, they just said: "We live locally and we have heard about strange things happening in this park.  We think you just saw some ghosts!  You can come back tomorrow and light some incense sticks here and pray!!"

As it transpires, he did not return, as he reasons he did not know who this strange couple were.... and, in praying for them, exactly 'what' was he praying for? The peculiar experience did however have a rather negative effect on the gentleman concerned, as, on the drive home, he had the feeling that the vanishing couple were 'sitting behind him', staring at him, and that he was 'taking them home', to his house!?! 

On reaching home, he found that he could not leave his car - parked outside his own home - and had to phone his brother, asking him to come and walk him into the house, just so that he could switch on all of his lights!  That night, he slept with ALL of the house lights switched on and was subsequently ill for three days (as if he had a cold).  As a matter of interest - related to the latter mentioned - the gentleman was no stranger to peculiar, potentially 'ghostly', experiences, but none had affected him in this particular way before?  It is interesting to note that, in paranormal literature, it has been said that this kind of experience can somehow affect a person 'physically', leading to - sometimes - extended periods of illness or general ill-feeling?

Tuesday 3rd March 2020

The second instance of what appears to have been a 'static apparition' - as mentioned in the previous post - occurred in King George V Playing Fields, in Bloxwich, Walsall, some 20-plus years ago.....

Two girls, in their mid-teens, were in the process of cutting through the bowling green portion of the park - taking a short cut to the nearby Stafford Road - when they spotted what appeared to be a female figure, dressed in a black, cloak-like garment.  It was dusk at the time of the sighting, and the girls ended up standing still, to make sure they were actually seeing what they thought they were!?  As with the previous account, the figure concerned was stock still and completely unmoving and - at only a relatively short distance from the form - they were able to see that it was face-less and holding a crook-like stick in it's hand....... 

After they ascertained that they were indeed seeing something untoward, they did as any other self-respecting teens would do and 'legged it'...!!  Laugh!!  One of the witnesses admits that they still talk about their encounter to this day and - so others might get the gist of what they saw - she kindly drew a sketch (as shown at the top of this post).     

As a matter of interest in this particular case, it should be mentioned that - within a very small distance of the spot in question - there is a quite famous site, known for it's legendary, ghostly status! 

Just off the Stafford Road - on the edge of the area now occupied by George V Playing Fields - there was once a coaching inn known as the 'Old Kings Arms'.  It is said that a coach once stopped overnight here - on a lengthy journey to elsewhere - and the occupants took lodgings at the inn.  One of the travellers was a young woman who was supposedly carrying a bale of expensive silk with her.   During the night, so the legend goes, 'someone' attacked the unfortunate girl, robbing her of her cloth, and killing her in the process.....

For many years now, it has been said that the ghost of this murder victim has been seen sitting under a particular tree, at the side of a pool, near to the site of the old inn.

Around a century or so ago, the inn itself was transformed into a convent... which, a few decades further on, was then demolished and a housing estate built on the site.  In more recent times, the ghost of the young woman seems to have been greatly forgotten in the region and, instead, 'ghostly nuns' and poltergeist-like activity have been reported in some of the houses that now occupy the same land!?  

In light of the latter mentioned, given the description of the black-clad, female figure, seen by the two girls, is it unreasonable to consider that the form they saw that evening, two decades ago, was possibly something to do with the long demolished convent and it's former occupants, perhaps?