Monday 30th November 2020

Complementing our post below, about Moreton Corbet Castle, we briefly refer back to a photograph that was sent into the group following an appeal for ghost stories, in the Shropshire press, back in 2011.  In response to the plea, we were sent the image above.... 

This intriguing photograph was taken in the graveyard of St. Bartholomew Church, situated next to the castle, by husband and wife, Vikki and Andy Yeomans, in late December 2010.  They told us that they had seen nothing untoward at the time of taking the picture and the image was only obtained as a result of Vikki testing out the camera function of her new mobile phone.

 

Showing the image to a reporter from the North Shropshire Chronicle, in very late February, 2011, the picture merited considerable interest and the newspaper ran a sizeable article about the matter, the following week.  Some people, upon seeing the photograph suggested that the 'ghost' was simply a naturally occurring pale patch on the dividing wall... however, if you look closely (see blow-up above) you can see where the light coloured shape actually seems to jut slightly 'above' and stray a little 'below' the wall itself......!? 

Monday 30th November 2020

One site that I'd been desperately wanting to visit for a number of years now - but just never seem to get round to seeing - was the magnificent ruin of Moreton Corbet Castle in Shropshire.  I say I'd been and was there, as, on Saturday night - purely due to the kindness of family members, desperate for a little excitement during these annoyingly dull days of 'lockdown' - this omission was a long-standing 'itch' that I finally got to, well-and-truly, scratch!  Typically, it turned out to be a pitch-black, foggy, rainy night...... but, excited child that I am, when it comes to this kind of thing, even that couldn't detract from this experience that I'd waited so long for!     

Situated not many miles from Shrewsbury, construction of this impressive structure initially began in 1606, under the direction of Sir Robert Corbet, of Acton Reynald.  Sadly, however, Sir Robert was to prematurely die in London, of the plague, before his project got very far....  The considerable task of carrying on the work now fell to his brother - and successor to the baronetcy - Sir Vincent Corbet.

The latter was said to be a rather kindly man and - while not a Puritan himself - he clearly had no time for the related age of persecution that was sweeping the land during this period.  In fact, Sir Vincent had keenly pursued a friendship with a local Puritan called Paul Holmyard, who was a recognised target of such oppression.  (*Some variations of the legend say that he openly 'sheltered' Holmyard at Moreton Corbet?)

Whatever the truth of the tale, political pressure grew to such a level that Sir Vincent eventually had to be seen to be shying away from his bond with Holmyard..... and the unfortunate man is said to have ended up living in local woodland, basically existing, for a while at least, like a feral creature!!            

During this period, it transpires that Holmyard was passing near the castle one day when he spied Sir Vincent checking on the progress of the property!  Wholly distraught at his current predicament, Holmyard began to vent his anger on his former friend.... and is said to have 'cursed him' thus:

"Woe unto thee, hard-hearted man, the lord has hardened thy heart as he hardened the heart of the Pharaoh, to thine own destruction. Rejoice not in thy riches, not in the monuments of they pride, for neither thou nor thy children, nor thy children's children shall inhabit these halls. They shall be given up to desolation; snakes, vipers and unclean beasts shall make it their refuge, and they home shall be full of doleful creatures. Rejoice not in thy riches, not in the monuments of they pride, for neither thou nor thy children, nor thy children's children shall inhabit these halls. They shall be given up to desolation; snakes, vipers and unclean beasts shall make it their refuge, and they home shall be full of doleful creatures."

 

Well - whether you happen to believe in curses or not - it turns out that this magnificent property was never actually finished...  During the Civil War period, the Corbet family garrisoned the building for the Parliamentarians, resulting in it receiving a considerable battering from besieging Royalist forces!  

Of the ghost that supposedly haunts the site, you could have probably guessed that - on moonlit nights - the bedraggled spectre of the unfortunate Holmyard is said to walk the empty halls of the ruin.... supposedly checking that the building is still not being worked on....!

While the ghost clearly falls into the 'legendary' category - more tale than substance - the site has clearly become a very popular location with the ghost hunting fraternity, and a number of people report strange happenings here.  Some years ago, a number of West Midlands Ghost Club members visited the location and happened to accidentally capture some 'strangeness' on a recording.....

While generally touring the site, one of the members had a video camera running and, as the group passed over the thick grass between ruins and nearby graveyard wall, a sequence of 'footsteps' - on what sounds to be stone flooring - clearly ring out on the footage...!?!  This anomaly wasn't noticed until the tape was later viewed - it was not heard at the time of recording - but, at that exact moment on the tape, one of those present (off camera) calls out:  'What was that...!?'  Intriguingly, when this person was questioned subsequently, they did not recall speaking at that point in time and had no idea what they might have been referring to?

 

In mentioning my recent visit to friends, Carl Buttery - a veteran, North Staffordshire based investigator - describes Moreton Corbet as a 'superb location' and says that he has always picked up activity when visiting the place.  Similarly, my good friend John Chance, of 'Ghostcallers UK', has visited the ruins numerous times and reports quite a lot of happenings there.....  He tells me that he has detected the sound of 'heavy booted footsteps' near the Gatehouse portion of the site... coincidentally, in generally the same section where the aforementioned 'footsteps on stone' were recorded!?  In the main portion of the ruin, adjacent to the room containing the entrance to the cellars, he also detected a noise akin to a set of 'bellows' working?  This sound is said to have continued for a good 20 minutes!  He also reports 'large balls of light' in the same area of the building.....

Monday 30th November 2020 

While we realise that this is a matter that has briefly been mentioned on this blog at least a couple of times in the past, a recently discovered, 'fuller' write-up of the overall affair has recently been discovered on an old, back-up disk.... so we thought it might be worth sharing, just as a matter of interest, perhaps?

And so:  In the earlier months of 2009, the W.M.G.C. received an entirely random, terribly brief email - as many correspondence frequently begin - from a woman inquiring about 'help' with a proposed 'vigil', to be held at her place of work.  In response to our prompt reply, we received a little information about the situation concerned:

"In September 2008 I parked my car in the basement of the building I work in. My grandson and I went to the theatre and on our return (about 11.00pm) we were escorted down to the basement by our security guard. As we were about to go up the ramp, I happened to look down the bottom end of the basement. I know I saw a man peeping out from behind a pillar. In the seconds I saw him, I can only describe him as a young man, with very fine hair, or could have been bald. The security guard and my grandson were now half way up the ramp.

On my return to work, I questioned how many people were on site that evening (i.e. contractors, etc) and was informed that only two guards were on duty: the one that took us down to the basement and the one that stayed on reception.

Having always been interested in the supernatural, I started to dig and found out the history of the place.  As my interest grew, I decided that it was well worth an investigation.  XXX, who own the building, agreed for me to organise it.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, quite a few things happened:  i.e. trains were heard, ladies foot steps, coldness, some thing nasty in one of the shower rooms (when our group tried to get in, with the same key, we couldn't) classical music was heard by people in the two groups.  It was a interesting night. Since then, things have been heard, rather than seen, by myself and the security guards, although sceptical, report noises as if things were been thrown around...."

Needless to say, we have had to omit the name of the company that owned the multi-storey, office building from this write-up, for quite obvious reasons.  Suffice it to mention that the concern was a major, financial firm, associated with Birmingham area, in the West Midlands.

As a result of the above note, two members from the W.M.G.C. traveled to the location involved to interview Jane (we shall call her) - and her grandson - and receive a tour of the locations that featured in the stories associated with the overall site:

Apparently, on a staircase near the roof of the building - during their previous investigation - a 'guttural, breathy noise' was picked up on a digital voice recorder.  There is a shower room near to this location where many report having felt 'something nasty'!?  One of the company cleaners flatly refused to enter this room.  In another shower room - this time located in the basement area - one group of people claim to have experienced some inexplicable sounds, during their investigation.  A second group had, subsequently, gone to check out the matter concerned, but, when they tried to enter the room with the same key used by the first group, earlier, they discovered that the lock refused to open!?  In the end, they tried a number of keys in the lock concerned, but couldn't gain entry!? 

On touring the basement portion of the site, we asked about the 'peeping man' episode mentioned earlier.  Jane said that they had exited a lift and were in the process of walking up a ramp, when she happened to look back behind them and spotted the male figure.....  She didn't know why, but she had said nothing at all to her companions at that time(?)  However, in questioning the security guard on a later occasion (about how many people were present in the building that night), he had blatantly asked her:  "You've seen one of our ghosts, haven't you!?"

She replied that she didn't know, but - if there were indeed only 4 people in the building that night - she must have seen something strange!

Jane had subsequently questioned a gentleman who used to be head of facilities at the company concerned and blatantly said to him:  "I am going to ask you a question and I don't want any crap!  Is this building haunted?"

In response, he had simply said 'Yes!', without any pause......

 

Continuing the tour, we were informed that the figure of a young girl had supposedly been seen on the first floor of the building... which is an area said to play host to poltergeist-like activity too.  However, this portion of the site was not accessible to us on the night in question.  There were, apparently, a number of stories about the little girl being seen, including instances where people have felt themselves being 'poked in the stomach' by small fingers!  In a toilet block on this same level, people entering first-thing in the morning had frequently discovered items / objects inexplicably 'piled up in the middle of the floor'...?

At this point in our visit, we are informed that there have actually been a number of deaths reported in the building, with more than one member of office staff simply being 'discovered dead at their desks' over time!?

On Friday, Jane had to travel up to the 8th floor of the building in one of the lifts.  (Usage of the lifts being a daily, multiple times a day, thing).  On this occasion, she heard a noise.... something akin to a 'slowly released breath' noise.....!?  This wasn't a sound she'd heard previously, so she exited the empty lift and just stood, looking back into the entirely glass car... and the noise continued?  Intriguingly, Jane actually suffers with hearing issues - making her slightly deaf.  On occasions, she has also parked in the basement / car park sub-levels and heard a voice say:  'It's her!'

On the night of their investigation, the attendees had purposefully not been told of the history of the location, which Jane reports as significant in relation to the fact that some had reportedly heard classical music and trains in the basement area: something which has previously been reported by people, allegedly?  (*It should be mentioned, however, that a number of subterranean train lines run throughout parts of the city and the property is only around 400 yards from one of the cities train stations?  On the other hand, it is known that a subterranean mail train used to run close to the location of the company decades earlier).  On the classical music front, however, it was discovered that - during the 1930's - a classical concert was, apparently, held in tunnels running under the city centre!?

During the staff investigation, they had - because the location had previously been a hospital and a bank - used coins and bandages as trigger objects.  Because of the presence of the little girl too, they had also utilised such items as a toy doll.  Apparently, none of the items used had moved, during their stay, though group members reported more standard activity, such as battery drain on cam-corders and the locating of 'cold spots', etc.  Some of the trigger items had been left in place after their investigation ended, however, and it was discovered that money - left where the 'peeping man' had been seen - had indeed moved from its mark?  (Only a very slight movement, though).

At a point during the investigation, one group member had been taking a break in the coffee room area - off the main foyer of the site - when 'something' had apparently 'slapped the cup of coffee from her hand'!

At one particular door in the basement, 'noises' had been detected.  It is claimed that these noises got louder when actually asked to do so by people investigating?  The sound of female footsteps were also reported by team members, who noticed such noises coming from the car park level above, during a vigil.  Unknown to them, both Jane and a security guard had previously heard these same sounds.  It seems that they happened a lot.

While this tour / interview was being recorded (on tape) by one of the W.M.G.C. members, a 'glitch' was detected on the footage, obscuring the conversation between Jane and other group member.  While it is hard to distinguish precisely what this is, it was noted that it may well have been 'other voices' somehow superimposed over the conversation? 

Within a month of initial contact, a group of W.M.G.C. members visited the property, with a group of staff, including an alleged 'psychic' (also from company staff).  As the bulk of our investigations go, the night went rather quietly.

At one point, however - just prior to 12 midnight - the staff group were conducting a 'psychic oriented' sitting in the coffee room, on the ground floor, off the main reception area.   At approx. 12.20 am, a W.M.G.C. member - situated on a 5th floor balcony, conducting a vigil - heard voices from the reception area below and believe that their vigil must have come to an end?  In checking, Jane was found to be situated at the security desk with security staff.  We are told that she had decided to leave the seance-like session nearby, as it had been suggested she might well be 'inhibiting' matters, perhaps?  In explanation, she says that the psychic, at one point, said that she'd received a message pertaining to 'Morris Dancers' and - for whatever reason - another staff member present had suggested that 'Jane wasn't liked' by whatever was there!?  (It wasn't suggested just how they came to this strange conclusion, though, but Jane excused herself from proceedings, just in case?)  Just prior to this exit, both Jane and the psychic had believed they were picking up the sound of muffled voices, but it couldn't be ascertained what - if anything - was being said?  Jane also said she had personally been detecting 'faint breezes' around the same time......

 

 

At this point, where the above was being explained, the security officer at the desk says that they've noticed a distortion on one of the cam feeds, associated with a nearby fire exit.  The area is instantly checked, but nothing can be found.......

Following our investigation of the site - during which, nothing of a potential paranormal nature was noted - further visits to the location were discussed / offered.  However, it was clear from this brief dalliance alone that the location had clearly become (what we term) a highly charged, 'paranormal community' in itself, which is hardly a condition conducive to objective ghost research.  Mainly because of this latter-mentioned, it was decided not to pursue any more investigations at the site and the matter was greatly left untouched afterwards..... 

Wednesday 11th November 2020

A matter that has only come into the W.M.G.C. within the last couple of days or so is the story of some form funerary stone, or memorial marker, being discovered in the cellar of a fairly 'local' house....  

The family concerned have lived in the house for a number of decades now and the stone was discovered, secreted in a corner of the cellar, when they first moved in. The epitaph relates to one Mary Pearson, who was born in 1851 and died in 1890.  If actually made around the death date carved on it, the stone pre-dates the building of the house by approx 15 yrs (give or take).  There was once an occupant of the property with the same surname as carved on the stone.... so perhaps this person simply 'brought it there with them', when they moved in, for whatever reasons?
 
While we have not been able to visit the property as yet and examine the stone personally, it looks - from the photograph and video received - as if it is possibly made from a slim slab of sandstone-like material.  While fairly well executed - you can clearly make out the lines used to plan out the lettering - it still strikes as somewhat 'amateurish' in nature?  Rather than being a 'gravestone', it very much resembles an epitaph slab, for affixing to a wall, or perhaps a side slab from a table-top tomb, possibly?

In an endeavour to try and discover exactly who Mary Pearson might have been, we have once again asked our good friend, Genealogist, Lyn Tambe, to kindly look into the matter for us.  Within a very brief time, Lyn was able to suggest one candidate - with a given birth date of 1852 - for the area concerned.  It is, however, still early days yet.... so the search currently continues!  

There isn't exactly any hint of a 'pressing' case of haunting involved, as such... the occupant only report some slight, potential, 'activity'.... but, together with the presence of the stone, we did find the matter quite intriguing, it could probably go without saying!?

Tuesday November 10th 2020

The same as my long overdue return to Chester, of a few weeks ago, another place that I'd been itching to visit again was the lovely city of Worcester.  Going back around 30 or so years ago, I had gone to explore certain features of the area a number of times, in relatively quick succession, but then no further visits in the subsequent decades, sadly.....

However, come the very last afternoon before the UK 'Covid Lockdown' began again, in earnest... I once again found myself in a position to be able to tour some of the most haunted properties in this fair district!

Sadly, the magnificent Guildhall (shown at the top of this post) is one of those sites that has become rather popular - on the commercial ghost hunt front - which, in my humble opinion, invariably and completely ruins the ghostlore of a site... rendering it utterly useless to further, serious research......  It's haunted history, however - prior to all of this rubbish - is a matter of record.  In decades past, I recall that the site has been used on occasion by my old acquaintance David Taylor, his (now sadly defunct) group 'Parasearch'... as well as by the National association 'ASSAP' too. 

Not all that far along the High Street from the Guildhall is, what is thought to be, the oldest church-site in Worcester City.  I first visited St. Helens Church only my very first visit to the area,  when it still housed the County Records Office / County Archives.  Apparently, since then, however, it has returned to it's former usage as a place of worship and popular community hub.....

The site itself is said to be haunted by the apparition of a little girl, who - witnesses claim - appears to be in the process of 'looking for something'?  Just after renovation work, in the 1950's, a woman is said to have spotted the child in the Nave.  She reports that the little ghost actually 'spoke', informing her that she was 'looking for her collection....'  Unfortunately, the child neglected to say exactly what this 'collection' consisted of..... so the mystery continues!?

Whether it is related in some way to the above or not, the sound of a child crying is said to be one of the oldest ghostly effects reported at the site.....?

The ghost of a monk has also often been seen in the church over quite a period of time.  On one occasion, a young man, who was working at a computer in the Archives, was startled to have his ghostly figure physically 'brush by him', as it went about it's spooky business....!?   At another point, a young, female, staff member had been left to lock up the building after closing one night....  After securing the site, she suddenly realised that she had left something she needed inside the church and - upon re-entering - spied the dark figure of the monk loitering near an internal door......!!

One of the main reasons I was absolutely desperate to visit Worcester Cathedral, this time around, was to see the 'Miserrimus Stone'.... a spooky attraction that I hadn't actually been aware of, on previous visits! 

This memorial slab is situated at the bottom of a small flight of steps - from the body of the Cathedral to the Cloisters, via the South, or Misserimus Door - just outside the entrance to the Gift Shop.  Local legend has it that ON NO ACCOUNT must you step on this stone, as, if you do, you run the risk of summoning the ghost of Thomas Morris.......!?

Morris was a vicar of nearby Claines and a minor canon of the cathedral.  In 1689, he refused to take the oath to King William and Queen Mary and - as a result - was purposefully thwarted in his aspirations and chosen pursuits, during his lifetime.....  On his death, he is said to have asked to be buried at the foot of the aforementioned flight of steps, with just this one word carved on his stone.  He said that he had been 'walked over all of his life' and, therefore, would be 'walked over in death' too...!

I will admit that I did go there to specifically 'step on the stone'... a challenge is a challenge, after all!  However, when I actually  went to do it, such an act felt rather disrespectful - give the poor chaps story - so I ended up purposefully NOT treading on the stone, instead!! Laugh!!

As well as the above tale, there are a number of other ghosts (and strange occurrences) associated with the Cathedral and surrounding environs.....

On one occasion, two electricians were working in a terribly narrow crawlspace, with one man having to pass required tools along to his friend, who was then carrying out the work.  Getting a little bored in his tedious task, the former crawled out of the uncomfortable passageway, for a quick loo break and a snack.  Getting a little carried away with his 'rest', he eventually realised that he'd actually left his friend for an overly long period of time and - crawling back into the hole - he apologised heartily for being away so long.....  The man carrying out the work was somewhat puzzled by his friends admission, saying that he hadn't noticed, as the required tools had seemingly continued to be 'passed on to him', without any pause...... even when his mate was away, elsewhere!?

Interestingly, given the above story:  While I was conducting an investigation at a solicitors premises in Wolverhampton, some years ago, one of the staff present told me that a relative of his was somehow 'involved with' Worcester Cathedral.  (I forget exactly how now, however, as it has been such a while ago).  The relative had told the man that they had quite recently uncovered some form of small passageway that led to a tiny, cell-like room....  Apparently, anyone who had visited this room had found it terribly disturbing... to the extent that they could not bear to be in there for more than a minute or so at a time!?

On a number of occasions, different apparitions have reportedly been seen in the area around the Cathedral, including those of an elderly woman, monks and - since the Civil War period at least - the ghost of a bear!!

Only a couple of hundred yards from the Cathedral is the ancient thoroughfare of Friar Street, which - perhaps rightly so - is said to contain a number of haunted properties.  One such building is the 'Cardinals Hat' public house...

The apparition said to haunt this property is that of a young woman in white, nightdress-type attire, with long, blonde hair.  No one knows who the girl is, for sure, but she has been nick-named 'Emilie'.  Today, she is accused of playing playful pranks on staff at the site, but, local legend has it that her origins may lie within a terrible tragedy.....?

In an upstairs bedroom, a number of staff and owners have experienced somewhat bizarre temperature changes... uncommonly, for a haunted property, finding that the air had become 'steamingly hot'!?!  The apparition of the girl has often been seen in the passageway outside the room involved, so it has been suggested that the unfortunate creature may well have died here, in a fire, at some point in the buildings history, perhaps? 

Another Friar Street site - visited during my first trip to Worcester - was the 'Tudor House Museum'.  Interestingly, the property has apparently changed hands in the interim.  Formerly run by Worcester Council since the 1950's, it was eventually closed down in 2003... only to be later taken over by a collective called 'The Worcester Heritage Amenity Trust'.  It is this group of lovely volunteers who still proudly look after the site today.....

Sadly, nothing really seems to be known of the 'haunted history' of this ancient building under Council ownership, but - since the aforementioned 'W.H.A.T.' took over - a number of strange occurrences have seemingly been reported......?

An author, visiting the property as part of an event, had a pot of water 'jerked out of her hands' as she was walking up the stairs....  She says that she couldn't understand how this came to happen, but was apparently 'told off' by an angry kitchen staff!!  Laugh!!

Because of a succession of reported occurrences, a paranormal investigation was held at the site, during which the sound of women - shouting and screaming - was heard in the cellar.  One of the investigators present claims to have detected 'something swinging' out of the corner of her eye and, when she turned to look, she supposedly saw the form of a young man 'swinging from one of the beams'!?  Some while later, an electrician had to carry out some work in the same area and later emerged, saying:  'There's a lot of sadness down in that cellar.....'

Sadly, with our visit falling on their last day of opening before this further (ridiculous IMHO) lockdown, the site will not be opening again until very early December!  However, if you're ever in Worcester with a few minutes to spare, please DO pop along to the Tudor House Museum and show your support for such a beautiful, little attraction!!  The museum website can be visited via this LINK)

Monday November 2nd 2020

I'd only recently been joking with someone about the fact that the media hadn't been contacting us, with regards to articles and shows, etc, since the group took the decision to greatly 'back away from' a lot of media contact, off our own bat.  This decision came after many years of fostering healthy working relationships with numerous, different, media sources, which greatly ended - in more recent times - with a handful of instances where newspapers (in particular) took liberties with the group, resulting in a lot of wasted time and effort on our behalf......

Having said this, it was with a little surprise that someone kindly sent us a link to a 'Birmingham Mail' article from approx 5 days ago that gave the group a MINISCULE mention in a standard, Halloween piece, concerning the usual, run-of-the-mill, Black Country hauntings......

While we knew nothing about the piece concerned - re-reporting a Dudley Castle related spooky photograph from 2014 - we were subsequently contacted by a features writer from the 'Express and Star' newspaper who inquired whether club members might be interested in being interviewed for an article?  Long-standing W.M.G.C. member, Steve Chew, happily stepped up and the resulting piece - one of the best we've ever had published about the group, it has to be said - appeared in the 'Express and Star' Weekend Supplement for Halloween.....