Thursday 20th October 2022 

In my last update, at the beginning of this month, I had mentioned some 'peculiar occurrences', taking place in the business premises of an acquaintance.  A week or so after that post, I was able to speak to the person more fully and briefly interview them about the happenings concerned in a little more detail.  I was told that they had only taken over the property in December 2021 and had seemingly noticed 'strange occurrences' from the get-go...

As previously mentioned, the owner had entered the premises one morning - to 'open up' for the day - and was perplexed to find that loaves of bread had been 'placed in a row' on the floor, forming a 'proper straight line'!?  Following the initial incident, this is said to have occurred fairly regularly... even happening when customers are being served, or in the few minutes when staff have 'popped outside for a cigarette' during the working day.  They will turn around - or re-enter the premises - to find the loaves placed on the floor, all facing the same way...?

Akin to the above, three small tin boxes were found to have been stacked, one on top of the other, to form a tower...  The owner had attempted to re-stack them in the same way, but reports that, because of their shape, this was very difficult to do...  Objects are also said to 'go missing' and - after considerable searching - 're-appear' again, in the very place that they had vanished from!  A staff member present mentions a little jug, that is always kept in a specific spot, recently disappearing for 2 days... before seemingly returning to it's usual resting place again, as an example.  Another item moved in recent days was a 'throw rug' that had been placed on the rear of a chair in the toilet area.  After closing for the day, it was found to have been thrown on the upstairs landing.  The owner brought it downstairs to mention the matter to staff... and it has subsequently vanished?  Staff also suggest that chairs, which have been placed flush against tables at closing time, are sometimes found to have been moved again in the morning... and cupboard doors inexplicably opened.  

Lights that were definitely 'switched' off upon closing were discovered 'on' again the following morning... This would include all of the upstairs lighting.  Friends of the owner would sometimes ring at night to say that they were passing the site and had noticed that the lights were 'on', despite the fact they'd all been turned 'off ' at the end of the working day.

Motorised shutters that cover the windows of the premises - and are closed with buttons inside the property - occasionally begin to close of their own accord, with customers sitting underneath or near them...  Staff have to rush to the buttons and manually re-open them!  

On the day before my visit in question, the upstairs of the site was said to have been particularly noisy, with a sound akin to a handful of people 'running around' for most of the day, accompanied by doors banging and clattering.  This is a regular occurrence, it seems; particularly the slamming of doors.  One staff member refers to a store room - situated above the kitchen area - and says that you will hear a loud 'Bang, bang, bang, bang...' sound and question what could possibly be causing such a noise?  Upon investigation, however, nothing will be found to account for such disturbance...?

Initially, because of a lot of the things being discovered to have occurred overnight, it was believed that someone might have - some how? - been entering the premises after closing and actually 'living there'?  A thorough check of the building was made, to try and discover how access might be attained, but no possible entry points (apart from the obvious ones) could be found?  At times, the workforce said that they could smell a perfume-like odour - a man's aftershave - as well as other unexpected smells.  The toilet area was also found to have been disturbed, as if someone had possibly been 'washing' in there? 

Because of the above-mentioned, the owner installed cameras that could be monitored and receive 'movement alerts' at home...  However, this system proved to be something of a pain, as such 'alerts' were a constant occurrence... but, upon checking via the cameras, nothing could be seen to account for the disturbance?  It was noted that a faint 'chattering  sound' - akin to people talking, but quietly enough as to not be able to ascertain what was being said - could sometimes be heard on the audio of the footage, along with a heart-beat-like noise at times.

One night, after receiving an alert, the owner checked along the external shutters of the premises to see if someone might have been - perhaps - standing against, or close to, them and setting the system off that way?  Scanning around with the remote camera, they had a view of the street outside the property and spotted what they initially believed to have been a 'figure', squatting down against the wall of the property opposite...  This was during the early hours of the morning and, scrutinising the form, they came to the conclusion that it wasn't a real person, but more of a silhouette... with the wall of the site behind somehow visible 'through' the form!?  They had the distinct impression that whatever-this-was was somehow 'staring back at them'...  As a result, the owner removed the cameras the very next day!

 

Sadly (Lol!) it seems that no more 'writing' had turned up on the walls of the upstairs room since I was first shown, a couple or more weeks ago!  The owner says that they had only really noticed the wording after entering the room to make a phone call and - mid-conversation, upon seeing the script - they had fallen silent in utter bewilderment, causing the person at the other end on the line to enquire whether they were still there!?  (Lol!)  Upon ending the call, they had immediately rushed downstairs and actually dragged a member of staff away from customers... in order to show them what they had discovered!  As previously mentioned, I believe, the lettering had clearly been written in 'pencil', while I am assured that not only is there not a pencil on the premises... but, to their knowledge, there has never been a pencil in the property either!?   

The owner had initially been afraid that the main word - 'Kenneth' - had been an attempt to write 'their' surname; an assumption that was backed up by staff.  It has to be mentioned that - in this (albeit erroneous) belief - the owner admits to a fair degree of trepidation: something had written their name... so could this intimate some form of nefarious intent, maybe?  (Shades of the character Eleanor Lance, in the classic movie 'The Haunting', viewing her name mysteriously written on the wall of a corridor in 'Hill House': "It knows my name, this time it knows my name!"  Lol!)  In showing the wording to our old friend, veteran investigator, historian and author, Andrew Homer, he had commented that the lettering was what they would term 'Hooks And Hangers'... a style that used to be taught in schools, but many years ago now.  When he had been working at the 'Black Country Living Museum' and emulating a 'classroom / teaching' scenario, this type of lettering was actually featured... but in a scene dated to 1912, over a century ago!

Following recent notions re. possibly getting the W.M.G.C. 'back into' a little first-hand investigating again, after the space of a number of years now, I had asked the owner if it would be possible to organise an overnight stay for some investigators?  Such a visit had been kindly suggested previously, by the owner...

As a result, a small group of people descended on the property on the night of Saturday, the 15th of October, including 2 members from the 'West Midlands Ghost Club', a good friend from the 'Black Country Paranormal Society', and investigator John Chance of 'GhostCallers UK'.  The intention was to perform a small, informal, objective, 'stake-out' of the premises, with a specific view to focusing on the presumed happenings and related spaces outlined by the owner and staff as 'of potential interest'.  As with any investigation, while remaining objective and employing a sober stance, a degree of acceptable experimentation was introduced to the overall scenario, such as 'calling out' sessions - introducing yourself to the atmosphere of the site and inviting a response - and, in this instance, the simple taping of a 'pencil' - on string - to the wall containing the allegedly inexplicable text, with the spoken permission to answer some basic questions utilising the implement provided, etc.

During a vigil in which John Chance was alone, in a main, downstairs room (with digital voice and video camera equipment recording), he reported that he had heard a number of sounds that he would associate with a 'human' agency - from relatively close by - including 'breath-type' noises, laboured breathing-like sounds and also 'chatting', but the voices involved being too quiet to make out.  (Refer back to notes earlier in this post, related to what the manager had 'heard' over the CCTV. John had not been aware of that particular detail until 'after' he mentioned such sounds himself).  In this same period of time, the three other investigators sat in the room where the writing had seemingly appeared, but heard / experienced nothing at all throughout.

In later checking his audio footage, John discovered clear examples of the noises reported / experienced and copied a number of these into a sound file that was shared with the other investigators present and the owner of the premises too.  As with most W.M.G.C. investigations, however, time at the property went - otherwise - quietly and uneventfully though further visits are 'on the cards'... which is greatly appreciated indeed, needless to stress!

 

In just drawing this post to a conclusion, it should probably be mentioned that this isn't the first time that this specific area had generated some interest of a potentially 'ghostly' nature, as, going back just over 50 years to 1971, a nearby business unit also played host to spooky happenings too!  The premises - a hairdressers at that time - is in the same block of buildings and stands not 10 yards distant.  Maybe it's just a matter of frequently 'similar activity' taking place in poltergeist-like outbreaks, but this site also reported doors opening and shutting, lights switching on and off... and footsteps heard in an upstairs area when there was no one there to make such sounds!?  It is not revealed precisely where the information comes from, but a newspaper article reporting on the matter mentions that a young boy was said to have died in a property that formerly stood on the spot and it is his ghost that was believed to be now haunting the site....? 

Again - make sure to watch this space for further updates!

 

Sunday October 2nd 2022

Kicking off this most recent update... we thought we'd start by telling you about the latest - absolutely brand-spanking-new - book from our old friend, Andrew Homer: 'Ghost Hunting In The Black Country And Beyond'.  As regular visitors to this page will certainly know, Andrew has released a number of superb volumes over the years, on both the paranormal and local, historical topics...

Referring to Andrews page andrewhomer.co.uk, we were highly intrigued to discover that:

"This book is about what really happened when experienced paranormal investigators were given access to some amazing properties. Mainly due to the immense popularity of television shows such as Most Haunted, ghost hunting has changed almost beyond recognition in a relatively short space of time. Whereas we were mostly invited in to investigate phenomena as it was occurring, locations are now more likely to be booked by paranormal event companies. Nowadays, it is possible for anyone to pay for an organised ghost hunt in buildings which previously would only have been open to established research groups.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, as there is clearly a great deal of interest and many of the locations in this book now host organised ‘ghost hunting’ events. However, in the author’s experience, paranormal activity is far from reliable and established ghost stories often bear little or no resemblance to what is actually happening when a site is active. We were fortunate during our investigations that we were generally called in because the locations were actively experiencing periods of paranormal activity.

This book chronicles well over 25 years of investigating anomalous phenomena in a variety of locations in conjunction with various paranormal research groups. Many were investigated more than once and some on multiple occasions over a long period of time. 

There are some very well-known haunted locations within these pages. In the Black Country there is Dudley Castle, West Bromwich Manor House, and the Black Country Living Museum whilst further afield we have the Ancient Ram Inn, Belgrave Hall and Woodchester Mansion to name but a few of the fascinating cases recorded here.

This book then records the highlights of those occasions when something ‘other worldly’ really did manifest itself whilst 'Ghost Hunting in the Black Country and Beyond'...".

And, if that doesn't sound exciting enough... as a matter of 'added intrigue' with this particular volume, we are told to look out for the video symbol within the book, which denotes actual location footage available to view on YouTube!  Apparently, this added feature can be easily accessed by simply scanning the QR codes with a suitable mobile phone application...

Anyone interested in obtaining a copy can either do so via Andrew's own page - link above - or directly from Amazon, by clicking HERE

As with all of his previous projects, the W.M.G.C. wish Andrew every success with this latest volume...  We know it will make a fascinating, top-class addition to the paranormal section of anyone's bookshelves...!!

 

Sunday October 2nd 2022

In speaking to a local acquaintance - in fairly recent months - I had been informed that they believed the premises of a business, which they have fairly recently taken over, was possibly 'haunted'..?  Needless to say, I was intrigued... especially so when some of the details they related about the matter smacked of more 'traditional' sounding poltergeist-like effects.

The first thing that was mentioned to me was the discovery of a number of examples of the same item being discovered 'in a line', on the floor of the premises, seemingly having been placed there when the site was closed and completely empty of human agency.  In another instance, three identical items had been discovered piled-up in a pyramid-type formation.  Empty rooms upstairs had their lights switched off and doors closed.. but, upon returning, the doors would be open and the lights switched on again!?

The owner had become so perplexed, they had gone around the building checking to see if there was any possibility that someone might have been getting into the premises at night from the roof, or some such entry point?  Nothing was found, however...

On occasion, it was believed that there was a smell of something akin to aftershave in the air upstairs... the impression being that someone had been 'getting themselves ready' for something up there?  The owner admitted that they didn't feel unduly bothered by what might have been going on, but other staff were... one person refusing the even visit the toilet alone, it seems.

Upon visiting the site concerned last week, with a 'ghost investigator' friend (though not on 'spooky business', I hasten to add!), the owner had called out to me and, perplexingly, asked me to go upstairs and take a look at their 'writing on the wall'...!?

 

In following, I was led into a disused front room of the property and shown a plaster wall that clearly had the word 'Kenneth' written on it - along with what looked to be some initials, possibly? - in pencil, in a rather flamboyant / flowery hand.  The main word is sizeable, perhaps around 6 feet in length and is preceded by an indistinguishable initial / letters (above), with a smaller pair of initials below the 'K' of the main word.  (Below).

 

Needless to say, I was informed that the lettering had seemingly just 'appeared' and the business owner couldn't explain it?  (The room itself was never kept locked, however, so would basically be 'open to' anyone who ventured upstairs in the property).  The owner had initially wondered if the word had been an attempt to write their own name, but I had assured them that the word concerned was indeed 'Kenneth', which they could call to mind no connections with.  I had asked if they perhaps saw any similarities between the text and any members of staff, but was told 'no'... and that - because of feelings about the site - no staff members would venture inside that room anyway!  As a further point, it was mentioned that there wasn't even a pencil in the property, to their knowledge.  (There were other places on the same wall that contained writing in pencil, but these were old marks made by workmen making notes and diagrams about electrical systems and so forth).

With regards to the images shown here, the picture immediately below this paragraph is how the camera on my phone recorded the wall, which, unfortunately, replicates the lettering a reasonable amount 'fainter' than with the naked eye...  I am greatly against the enhancement of images generally - for example, in order to make anomalies seem more prominent than they are and so forth - but, for the sake of this post, I have 'altered' the photos to show what can be made out when not relying on my phone!

 

It had previously been mentioned that I was welcome to 'investigate' the site if I wished to, but, as I'd not really been pursuing such situations for some time now, I hadn't taken them up on their kind offer.  However, due to this recent development, I had enquired whether myself and a small group could possibly visit at some point soon, with a view to carrying out a small, informal examination of the property, overnight.

Watch this space...

 Sunday October 2nd 2022

I must admit that I never buy newspapers these days - I haven't for a long time now - but, if something of potential 'spooky interest' does come up in one of the local journals, there are a number of friends on social media who will kindly 'send me a link' and let me know.  One such notification in the past few days drew my attention to the article being mentioned here - see original, 'Daily Star' piece by clicking this LINK - which concerns a middle-aged lady, April Brown, who apparently believes she is being haunted by a 'Black Witch'... the entity concerned apparently following her from her former home in Walsall to a new address in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

As frequently happens, I subsequently shared the link concerned with a couple of friends and one recipient, my good friend John Chance, of 'GhostcallersUK', sent a return message to say that he believed he'd had dealings with April Brown at some point during the past decade or so, possibly?  As John is infinitely more 'free-flowing' than myself, re. hands-on / face-to-face activities and visits, etc, I wasn't entirely surprised by his suggested pangs of recognition?...

In immediately looking back at the piece involved, I suddenly found myself also experiencing a sensation of - albeit quite distant - familiarity with the name 'April Brown' and desperately stared at the accompanying photographs for some sort of lead..?  Eventually, the penny did actually drop and I dug into my older diaries to discover that I had indeed met April previously...
 

It transpired that, speaking to a relative in September, 1999, I was told that they had just heard a news report (on local radio) concerning a (then) Darlaston family that had apparently 'had to' move house 5 or so times because they were supposedly being dogged by 'ghostly activity'.  I instantly called the station concerned and explained my interest to a member of their news team... and they promised to pass my contact details on to the family concerned.

 

 

Within 24 hrs of the call, I was contacted by the mother of the family - April herself - and invited to go along to her (then current) home to speak with her about what had been going on.  A little strangely, I had been informed that the family wished to remain completely anonymous in this matter, but, as I arrived at their comfortable, little flat, I happened to pick up a copy of the local, free-paper (which had just, coincidentally, dropped on their doormat) and, in casually looking at the front page, discovered a headline article about the haunting... including full details, such as names, addresses and so forth!?  (See article above).  This information didn't go down at all well with April, who said that she would be contacting the paper concerned and complaining.
 
With regards to the 'activity' supposedly experienced, initial reports seemed to indicate that they were experiencing a considerable amount of poltergeist-like effects, which had seemingly started with a knocking noise heard coming from the headboard of the parents bed, which seemingly moved from one side of the board and back again.  Quite soon afterwards, other, peculiar, matters developed, such as glasses being heard smashing in the kitchen and wax crayon found to have been scribbled down the walls of the staircase, in a position where it would have supposedly been very hard to accomplish such vandalism.  April's underwear had also been found to have 'gone missing' at times: either never to be seen again, or, sometimes, returning under mysterious circumstances!?
 
Intriguingly, it was mentioned that one of the addresses that they had moved into – while attempting to flee their own peculiar problems – had actually 'already been haunted', which, she believed, had made their own troubles worse?  She reckoned that the already existing haunting had given their own activity more impetus, possibly?
   
A disturbing 'phenomenon' that they claimed to have been experiencing, at the time that I spoke with them, was a typical 'Old Hag' scenario - or episodes of 'Sleep Paralysis' - during which they were seemingly (and quite typically) 'pinned down' by something and found themselves unable to move.  This was experienced by both April and her partner at different times.  I was told that, during such episodes, they had also sometimes seen a 'black figure' in the room and heard what seemed to be a 'shuffling sound'.  April informed me that she believed two, separate 'spirits' were taking part in these attacks – one performing the 'pinning' activity and another moving around the room and producing the 'shuffling' sound.  The episodes also seemed to be preceded by a pulsating sound – a 'wow-wow-wow' effect – described as akin to something from a Sci-Fi movie!?  These attacks were, at the time in question, occurring approximately every two weeks or so. (It was also mentioned that this was something of a 'reduced figure' re. regularity, as they had been more frequently experienced previously).  The last 'attack' had happened to April some 4 nights before our initial contact.  It was suggested to me that the assaults tended not to happen if the lights were left on and 'they' certainly seemed to 'favour the dark'.  Sue admitted that she had – on occasion – experienced the 'pressing' effect at different times throughout her lifetime.  One such attack had occurred in a hostel that she was staying in and was witnessed by another girl sleeping in the same room.  (*Needless to say, this type of experience is entirely explainable - as a human, sleep-related phenomenon - but it is still worth noting here to simply record that such events are frequently associated with / reported in 'paranormally charged' situations.  In the last couple of years, for example, I was asked to visit a family living in my own street who were experiencing poltergeist-like activity AND episodes of paralysis along the lines mentioned.  This 'connection' is a very common motif).

Throughout our meeting – at different points - April emphasised that she was desperately worried about the effect that the activity concerned might be having on her young child.  She believed that they were already able to 'see' things in their bedroom that the parents could not, as they seemed to be 'watching something invisible' moving around the room at times.  She basically lived in fear of the child being assaulted in some way, the same as both she and her partner had supposedly experienced.

The church had allegedly become involved in these matters some 8 or so times during the course of the experiences – at different properties across the Black Country region – but activity still persisted.  One vicar had told the family that their problems had something to do with the practice of 'devil worship' and that 'something' was now 'after their souls'!?  At an address they'd occupied in the Halesowen region, they had discovered a box full of books that appeared to be 'Satanic' in nature.  It should perhaps be added here that - as a brief 'life history' for April - there had seemingly been a degree of (what would be construed as) 'occult activity' relating to her family and family life, including dabbling in forms of 'negative' magic, as well as devotion to the usage of the Ouija board too.

 

           

It was also mentioned that, when April was some 8 or so years old, her mother had been to see a clairvoyant and was told that April was 'highly gifted', in a spiritual sense.  I was asked if this might have something to do with the problems they had been experiencing?  She admitted that she believed herself to have had certain powers or gifts throughout her lifetime, which she openly tied in with what was currently happening around her.

It should just be noted here that, regarding the references made by the vicar above concerning 'Devil Worship' and details mentioned in the recent article also, we have to take it that a 'potted history' of what had been going on - including family / life history, etc - would have been mentioned to all characters 'entering the scenario'.  As a result, such details as 'something being after their soul' and the 'haunting by a Black Witch' motif (as well as many other paranormally biased angles) have potentially been suggested purely 'as a result of' people simply learning and reacting to such 'pro-spooky' and 'leading' data?  

With regards to the newer article, I have made endeavours to contact certain, relevant sources, purely to discover precisely who has been involved in the ongoing saga - i.e. just who are those 'paranormal experts' mentioned? - and a small handful of other considerations.  As with a lot of these posts, I refrain from giving my personal thoughts on 'what might be going on' in the brief write-up - at least in any real detail - and simply try to remain neutral in greatly relating matters 'as they came to me'...

 

Friday August 12th 2022

In furtherance to a post that I made on Saturday the 23rd of July - re. the allegedly haunted churchyard that I had purposefully left unidentified in the write-up - I find that I am now, only a matter of a couple or so weeks later, in a position to 'say more on the topic' concerned...

As mentioned, I had neglected to say exactly where this site was in deference to a group who had been investigating the site back in the early 2000's.  As I had not heard from the people concerned since that time - and not really thought of the location itself much, subsequently, given it was 'out of my area of geographical interest' - I was completely unaware of the current status of the site with regards to it basically 'being known' as an allegedly haunted location... it's potential fame or popularity, in more recent times, among ghost groups and so forth.  Again, having recently mentioned the location in passing, to John Chance (of GhostcallersUK), I happened to tap the place into Google and discover that it was - today - an exceedingly well-known and 'trendy' spot to 'investigate', it seems...?  Under such circumstances, my previous reticence to reveal the name and location of the graveyard - for fear of 'giving anything away' - struck me as a somewhat sterile and worthless pursuit!

 

Having sent the information that I'd found to John, he had voiced an interest in going to take a look at the location - St. John The Baptist Churchyard, at Boughton Green, in Northamptonshire - and asked if I'd like to go with him for a look-see...  The visit was made on Sunday the 31st of July.

The graveyard itself - barely noticeable in the countryside thereabouts - contains the ruins of the former village church of Boughton.  (See photograph at top of post).  The building is recorded as 'already falling into a state of ruin by the end of the 15th Century', but, quite surprisingly - despite it's truly secluded position - the surrounding grounds are still consecrated and contains an array of burials of different periods... some only a matter of a couple or so decades old.  An ancient well - dedicated to St. John The Baptist (unsurprisingly) - lies just beyond the church itself, on the Eastern side of the ruin.

 

    

The site has, seemingly, both been described as 'The most haunted site in Northamptonshire' and 'One of the most haunted graveyards in the country', in the past...  

The most famous 'ghost' associated with it is said to be that of a beautiful, young, red-headed woman.  Legend has it that she is the shade of an unfortunate widow, who - having her husband pass away quite suddenly, only days after their wedding - committed suicide next to his grave in the cemetery.  Interestingly, however, she isn't just a typical, lonely, wandering apparition... but is said to specifically appear to passing men and offer them a kiss!  Should the man be brave enough to accept though, he is destined to die within the space of a month!  Apparently, it is said that this very fate befell local man, William Parker, who is recorded as having died in January, 1876, after such an encounter with the ghost!?  Probably just a matter of bastardisation over time and repeating, the above story has an alternate version (in some tellings) wherein a passing man will see a beautiful, young woman - and is offered a kiss, etc - and passing women will see a man... and so on!?  Despite this suggestion, there doesn't seem to be any recorded instances of females having an experience of the manner concerned... nor any suggestions as to how - from the 'widow' origin story suggested - the manifestations have, somehow, adapted to both sexes?

 

 

The general area is also said to be haunted by a somewhat 'noisy ghost'... allegedly that of the Northamptonshire highwayman, George Catherall - aka 'Captain Slash' - who, with his gang, made a habit of targeting local fayres and fetes.  During his day, a rather famous and popular fete was still being held on Boughton Green and, after waylaying a trader and robbing him, 'Slash' was eventually caught.  Being found guilty, he was executed in Northampton, in 1826... though why he should choose to return and haunt Boughton Green is something of a mystery, it seems?  His shade has been associated with both the graveyard and a nearby crossroads too.
 
Also - according to some online sources - the ghost of a woman in white and that of a headless man have been reported at St. John The Baptist graveyard... but no reasonable origin stories for such hauntings are mentioned?   Children have also supposedly been spotted in the graveyard and recordings made there have allegedly contained the voice of a girl 'apologising for committing some unknown, unremembered crime'?  With regards to the latter-mentioned, I have to refer back to the July 23rd post and repeat that it was the recording of what appeared to be the voice of a female child - seemingly saying 'Please help me' - that actually caused us to be first involved with this matter, of course...  (*I did take the liberty of making a small handful of audio recordings while we were recently there, but having subsequently listened to them, I can only report that there doesn't appear to be anything of potential interest on any of them).

 

It should be pointed out that, as with most 'popular' sites these days, the established or long-term known ghostlore of the place seems to have been 'added to' over time.  This is, needless to say, entirely unavoidable - given the silly state of the investigative field currently - which is why I always endeavour to trace older, references to a site, mentioning known or established lore from years gone by, to compare to the 'fresh' data that research will invariably uncover on the internet, etc.  Personally, I tend to dismiss the bulk of the latter - when looking for something approaching a baseline level of activity or legend to work from - as the 'avid experiencer', posing as paranormal researcher these days, has almost entirely destroyed the 'naturally occurring' ghostlore of Gt. Britain in the last couple of decades, sadly...

Once again, I end this little post in offering my gratitude to my good friend, John Chance, for kindly taking me with him on this trip!  As always - excellent company and a most enjoyable visit!

Saturday 23rd July 2022

Just a little note to say that we've recently been made aware of a cracking website, 'Mysteries Of Mercia', created by the author, Hugh Williams.  (Click on highlighted title for link to page). 

While I've only had time to briefly skim over the page currently, it's clear that it's a well constructed and most informative site, which I'm sure will be highly interesting to our page visitors!  As a proud 'Mercian' myself, I love nothing more than to see the folklore of our Midland counties being outlined and discussed in such a manner.  Fascinating reading for anyone that makes this region their home... or, equally, for any of you pesky 'outsiders' simply interested in a highly enjoyable trudge into 'the lore of our land', for that matter too!  Lol! 

 

Within the last year or so, Hugh has also released a book - 'The Mystery Of Mercia' - the intriguing publicity release for which describes it as:

"A fascinating journey around the Midlands of England, walking the borderlands between history, folklore and the paranormal. The name Mercia means "borderlands" in Old English and this is the concept Hugh Williams uses to take the reader on a series of strolls, hikes, even overnight camps - around some of the most mysterious and iconic places in the Midlands.

Expect to learn about cunning folk, ritual murders, Arthurian legends and cryptozoological beasts on this ten chapter journey, nicely illustrated along the way".

If the brief description above has served to 'whet your appetite' - as it most surely should have done, we reckon! - then copies of Hugh's book can be obtained from this LINK. 

 Saturday 23rd July 2022

I thought I might post this little 'dive into the archives' here, as this was an item of conversation mentioned to my friend John Chance, during the recent trip into Oxfordshire.  Sadly, it's only a fragmentary account at best, but I still hope that it might be of passing interest to visitors, possibly...

Back in the very early 2000's, we were contacted by another, regional 'ghost group' who told us about a churchyard, local to their area, that had a reputation of being (allegedly) haunted.  At that time, I'd never knowingly heard of the location previously - it being well out of our usual, geographical area of interest - but, in checking up on the place (on my bookshelves), I was gratified to discover that it was, indeed, an historically 'known' site...  (This in comparison to the usual 'Oh, it's a graveyard... Dead people are in there, so it just HAS to be haunted!' style scenario that we've seen so much of over the recent years!)

As well as the ghosts / haunting associated with the graveyard area, there was also a crossroads - within a stones throw of the plot - which was also said to be haunted by a figure in historical garb.  Interestingly, it seems there were probably more sightings of this figure than anything associated with the aforementioned cemetery!?  There was also an historical property just a short way along the road that was also said to have played host to a number of 'ghost sightings' too...  Needless to say, they were researching the church / graveyard - and the surrounding area - and had unearthed a number of of legends about the general locality, it seems.  

Because of only having recently learned of the overall location though, members from the group concerned visited the locality, but reported that - as far as their simple 'presence on site' and 'observational' work was concerned - it was an uneventful journey...

However, in subsequently coming to view the footage that they had taken during their visit, they realised that they had, seemingly, caught the inexplicable voice of - what appeared to be - a 'young girl' on the tape!?  They told us that they hadn't got the technology to 'clean up the recording', but would desperately want to hear it clearer, if at all possible.  As a result, they asked if we might have been able to help?   Encouragingly, it was immediately suggested that there were 'a few things to bear in mind when watching the recording'...  It had been shot by the older brother of our contact and two friends.  The tone of the visit being recorded was 'light' (*which I prefer anyway) - jokes, conversation, slight messing around, etc, etc - mainly, it was suggested, as those in attendance were probably trying to conceal their sense of trepidation and so forth.  The date on the camera was wrong... basically because no one had been able to figure out how to change it.  We were warned that the sequence to watch out for was when one attendee - the person carrying the camera - said that he 'sees a dog', at a point when the camera focuses on three certain graves.  At this point, one of the radios goes off (of it's own accord) and one of them responds (to the 'dog' suggestion) by saying: "It looks like a bird, XXX..."

Our request for a copy of the recording was soon met and - if I recall correctly - the VHS tape received actually seemed to be their original video!  (I had promised to send it back to them as soon as we were able to sample the footage involved, however).  At the point of sending the footage, it had been mentioned that - after further scrutiny - they believed that a 2nd, anomalous voice appeared on the footage... this being that of a woman,  coming through a walkie-talkie, just after the investigators had settled down on a couple of the tombstones.  They could not agree on what they thought this voice said, although our correspondent suggested something like the word 'Coffin', possibly?  supposedly, none of those present heard it on the day and the radios were said to be pretty cheap models - working within a miles radius - while the location involved is literally 'in the middle of nowhere'.....  
   
In sending the recording, it was mentioned that the group now planned yet another visit to the site - within a few days - with a local psychic and a little more equipment.  (*Neither of which would be of any use, I had delicately suggested in response!)  However, the hope of the team was that they might obtain a little more evidence and research the local lore more in depth, possibly. 

Unfortunately, this follow-up visit seems to have been something of a failure - 'Went a bit tits up!', they had suggested!  Lol! - as the 'psychic' was said to have 'freaked out big time' as soon as she got to the gates of the location!  Rolls eyes!  She had apparently 'refused to go in', saying she saw 'something with a candle, guarding the gates'...?  Interestingly, our contact admitted that they did seemingly see a 'light across the gates' ('moving across the gates', did this mean, perhaps?)... as did a few of the others in attendance at that time.  A dictaphone had been left running in the graveyard but, when later retrieved, nothing of interest had appeared on the footage... 

Another weird situation was said to have occurred as they were subsequently traveling home with the psychic mentioned.  She had seemingly never viewed the tape concerned and they had allegedly not told her anything of the legends associated with the site, or of what they believed about it, etc.  However, she began talking about a dog in the graveyard and that she had seen the face of a little girl, who was lying 'face down' in the nearby brook!  It was stated that the girl was 'saying sorry' for having 'run away'!?

*At this point, I have to say that this kind of scenario is exactly why we have never 'used psychics' in investigative situations and precisely why I have no interest in such matters, personally.  Simply put... for an investigative / research framework...  what is the actual point?  All of the above is, IMHO, absolutely typical for such a scenario; the usual, random-seeming 'waffle' that anyone expects - and will generally get, time and again - from such an alleged 'interaction'.  If indeed 'true' and / or accurate to the case in question, then what actual use is this information anyway?  Where has the data concerned actually come from... 'the great beyond', or - as invariably denied in such scenario's - a quick look on a bookshelf or the internet before visiting a site?  Of course, we invariably see the 'The psychic didn't know where they were going before the visit!' protestation from the groups / individuals concerned (almost always in defence of their 'psychically produced' data, it seems... which is somewhat revealing, I always think?), but, even if this is true, allegedly haunted sites are generally 'known' to the inhabitants of a particular region... and, if someone is supposedly involved in the local(ish) paranormal field, then more so to those specific people, eh?*    

At the time of writing this latter note, they were supposedly planning yet another daylight expedition... with a different psychic (One who might actually go inside the graveyard, this time... they optimistically said!  Lol!)  This latter was said to be an internationally acclaimed medium.  (Her name and credentials were supplied).
 
Upon receipt of the recording, I'll admit that I did initially sit through it without noticing the relevant 'anomalies' to begin with.....  Upon a 2nd viewing, however, I managed to eventually find the brief, tiny voice!  Lol! (The most interesting feature of the tape - the 'little girl voice' - occurs early on in the hour-plus recording, appearing at 5.00 / 5.01 mins on the timer?  It has to be said that the 'radio' voice wasn't anywhere near as clear and impressive and simply sounded like a simple / typical 'glitch', to me).  I don't mind admitting that - upon actually identifying the anomaly - I was quite blown away by the voice... IMHO clearly that of a small child saying: 'Please help me!', with obviously female characteristics!  While certainly quiet, the voice - unlike most alleged EVP recordings that you come across - was remarkably clear indeed!  (*I hasten to add here that I'm not at all believer in so-called 'EVP', though I am quite open to the simple fact that 'anomalous voices' could possibly - somehow - become recorded on some form of recording media, etc.  I mention this, as I'm certainly not a 'believe every gnats cough on a recording is a disembodied voice' type of person!  Lol!)  

Having received permission to share some of the details of the case - along with a sample of the voice involved - on our (then) website, we subsequently posted a write-up.  The piece concerned was - as with this note - left free of detail re. the actual location of the site, as requested by the group concerned.  (*Quite understandably, IMHO).

Sadly, this pretty-much draws our association with this matter to a bit of a scrappy-ended conclusion.  As this wasn't 'our case', then our brief involvement with it was 'done and dusted'.  It goes without saying that we'd have loved to take a look at the location involved, but I don't believe an invite by the group concerned was mentioned (?) and, besides, as noted earlier, the place was well outside (what we would have then regarded) our usual 'catchment area' re. cases, etc.  It's been so long ago now, I can't actually recall how the association was concluded, but I don't believe we've ever heard anything from the people concerned since?  Most unfortunate angle of all is the simple fact that I 'lost' the samples of the voice concerned many years ago, so there is no way of actually hearing the recording again today!  Rolls eyes!

It goes without saying that, if you are one of the people involved with that group - or perhaps 'formerly' involved with the group - then we would absolutely love to hear from you and find out what eventually became of all of your focus on the site concerned.  Please do drop us a line... it would be fantastic to hear from you again! 

 Monday 18th July 2022

Over the Summer period (so far), an old acquaintance of mine - the veteran 'paranormal investigator', Peter Crawley - has been making a most determined effort to investigate the magnificent ruins of Minster Lovell Hall, in Oxfordshire.  For anyone who has read more than a couple of books on the paranormal heritage of Britain, I'm sure that the aforementioned site will be highly familiar, as it certainly ranks as one of the most famous (historically speaking) haunted locations on the map!

During one of his most recent visits, my good friend John Chance (of Midlands-based 'GhostcallersUK'), traveled down to Minster Lovell to meet with Peter, for a few hours, and get a look around the location for himself.  He was so impressed by the site, he subsequently chose to visit again a couple of days ago (Sat. 16th July) and kindly invited me to go along with him for the journey...

 

The hall remains that you can see today were built around the middle of the 15th Century, though there were earlier structures on the same spot.  One of the main 'paranormal associations' ascribed to the building is that it served as the location for the rather famous 'Mistletoe Bough Bride' legend.  Of course, I have to use the words 'associations and ascribed' there, as the hall is only 'one of a number of' properties across the country that have actually been suggested as the source of this tale...  For anyone not actually familiar with the story, it is said that, in centuries gone by, there was a grand, Yuletide, family wedding being held at the hall.  The service over, celebrations were now in full swing... food and drink being consumed and party games played.  Someone (it is sometimes said the bride herself makes the suggestion) declares that they should play 'hide and seek' and the beautiful, young bride is picked as the 'quarry' for the other guests.  She runs away to hide... finally choosing a large, linen chest - in a remote part of the building - as her hideaway. Sadly, at this point, joy turns to tragedy, as the catch on the chest clicks shut, trapping the unfortunate girl within!  The 'seekers' fail to hear her muffled cries and, despite a considerable search being launched, she is left to a lonely and tragic demise!  Wracked with horror and mithered to madness by uncertainty, the young groom spends the following years in a constant, manic search for his beloved... until the fateful day someone finally discovered the chest and opens it... and the truth of the tragedy is revealed!  (*In furtherance to the Minster Lovell claim to the 'M.B.B.' legend, the actual 'chest' said to feature in this particular version of the story is kept at Greys Court, Henley, Oxfordshire!)      

Whatever the basis of the aforementioned legend, if any, of course, there is said to be the apparition of a young woman in white, sometimes seen around Minster Lovell Hall ruins.  Tending to appear mainly in December, it is suggested that SHE is actually the shade of the unfortunate 'Mistletoe Bough Bride'?

One sighting of the ghost - which took place almost 30 yrs ago now - witnessed by two men.  They had visited the ruins when they saw what they described as the figure of a very young woman or girl - they estimated around 14 to 16 yrs old - with long, dark hair and a garland of flowers on her head.  The dress she wore was white, like a night dress, with a long, gold cord tied around her waist...  As they watched, she moved across the Great Hall area and was seen to 'walk up a staircase that wasn't there any longer'!  At a height of around 15 feet, she simply vanished...!  (*The badly drawn, 'orange arrow' on the image immediately below shows the general location of the missing staircase.  Clearly, when the property was in original condition, there would have been a stairway here).

 

 

The men instantly went over to investigate the spot concerned, but, apart from a cold chill where the staircase would have begun, there was nothing to account for what they'd seen!?  They later admitted that they felt privileged to have witnessed such a sight!  (And rightly so, of course!)

Yet another 'ghost' associated with the hall - and tying in another legend of grim, lonely death - is that of a mounted knight, in full armour.  I have emphasised the word ghost in inverted commas here, as the experience - if true - might not actually be 'ghostly' as such... but an example of a time-slip, perhaps?

In early 1983, a group of American women were staying in Witney (2 miles distant) overnight and chose to take a look at Minster Lovell.  Upon visiting what they'd expected to be a ruin, however, they were amazed to find themselves looking at a magnificent, old mansion house instead!?  They describe seeing doors, stained and plain-glass windows and a roof (all of which the ruin certainly doesn't have!)  While admiring the site, they suddenly became aware of - in the nearby courtyard - a large horse being led by an old man in smock and leggings.  Sitting atop the mount was a long-haired man, wearing a breastplate and chain mail armour, carrying a visored helmet.  They reported that the horse was clearly mud spattered and covered in lather... and the feeling they got from animal and rider was complete exhaustion.

 

As they watched this bewildering, little procession, the figures moved from left to right... and simply vanished from sight through a wall in the complex!

One of the sites former owners - Lord Francis Lovell - was forced to go into hiding after the 'Battle Of Stoke' (in 1487), when the forces that he supported were defeated.  Local legend has it that he took refuge in a 'secret chamber' at Minster Lovell Hall, relying on one of his most trusted retainers to bring him food and drink.  Unfortunately, it is said that the servant suddenly took ill and died almost immediately... meaning that his master was left to an horrific and solitary death, somewhere in the bowels of the building!?  It is said that, in 1708, renovation work being carried out at the site revealed this long-lost chamber...!?

 

 

Ghosts aside, the little village of Minster Lovell itself appears to have come straight from the pages of a 'Beautiful Britain' calendar... although, situated in the stunning Cotswolds, I guess this is something most would already expect, basically!?  Lol!  The hall ruins - edged on one side by the pretty River Windrush and St. Kenelm's Church on the other - is a particularly peaceful and charming location to spend a few hours.  I'd imagine the area might possibly take on a slightly different aspect after nightfall, perhaps, but it's certainly one of the most charming locations I recall visiting and somewhere that I'd love to investigate personally, at some point...

As with any such adventure, I'd like to extend a massive 'THANK YOU!' to John Chance for his unfaltering kindness!  VERY much appreciated indeed matey, I assure you!

Monday 18th July 2022

Around the beginning of April, this year, I happened to be reminded of the Paul Screeton book, 'Quest For The Hexham Heads', and - being a subject that had fascinated me from an early age - I decided to check online prices.  Being a miser, I genuinely balk at paying more than a couple of pounds for a book (99% of my purchases are from charity shops), so, with the ridiculous prices constantly found online for such things, 'internet shopping' has never really ever been a consideration for me.  (In all honesty, I think I've only ever bought a small handful of books online, over the years).  Having previously looked at the Screeton book, I'd found asking prices to be far-too-much for my tightness and, in searching again in April, the same results appeared once more... £16 and upwards for a paperback copy.

Somewhat fortuitously, my partner had - at that point in time - happened to ask me what I might want for my birthday in early May.  Pretty much never knowing what I want, I decided to 'kill two birds with one stone' and asked her to buy the volume for me.  The matter ended with her placing an order with the popular High Street shop 'Waterstones', some 3 weeks before my birthday.  I can't recall the suggested 'waiting time' now, but there was one, and we had been informed that - when the order came in - I could pick it up at the Wolverhampton branch of the store.  With such a readily available book, we had hoped 3 weeks would probably be sufficient time for it to be obtained, but, if not, I didn't mind an extra week or two (perhaps) wait.

We now scroll forward to a week or so into July and - my partners queries to Waterstones re. the book having been ignored - I finally decided to 'cancel the order'... which I did with no real comment from the Waterstones sources that I spoke with on the matter!  (I genuinely got the impression they either didn't give a toss - no explanations were given as to why the 'in stock' book hadn't actually appeared yet - or such cancellations were a regular, daily occurrence, maybe?  A close friend tells me he has been waiting literally months for something he ordered from them?)  Whichever, as I was hanging up the phone, my partner was tapping the title into Google - despite my protestations not to bother, as it was too expensive online - and she informs me that someone is selling it on Ebay for just £8!?  Of course, it's a 2nd-hand copy, but this doesn't bother me as I only own about 10 books that were actually purchased brand new anyway!  Lol!

So - long story short - she responded to the sale on Ebay and, 5 or 6 days later, the book plopped onto my doormat!

Beginning to slowly work my way through the volume, I'd basically found it to be everything that I'd hoped for. My concentration levels being well into minus figures, these days, I have taken to snatching an hour or so of scrutiny whenever I get the opportunity.  In settling down (with our chickens) in the garden recently, I did the usual, page flicking, 'Now where the hell did I get to?' search and happened to spot 'Cannock Chase' being mentioned (on a page I'd not reached yet).

 

 

Wondering how this (distant from Hexham) topic might be related to the overall subject, I was delighted to spot the 'West Midlands Ghost Club' being mentioned in the text below!  Okay, okay... it's only a 1 line mention, but - by God! - I'll take it!!  Lol!

Despite being an incredibly pedantic researcher, Screeton didn't bother contacting me over the Chase-related content, otherwise I could have saved him the time it took to tap out that (albeit fairly brief) section.  Whatever - it was doubly delightful to eventually get my hands on a copy of the volume concerned AND discover that the W.M.G.C. had merited a small mention therein! 

 

Thursday 23rd June 2022

At the beginning of June, we were contacted by a Gentleman who expressed an interest in a piece from the blog, posted on the 29th June, 2020, concerning the alleged haunting associated with the Turls Hill Wood area of Sedgley.  At the time of writing, he had recently been talking to a friend about ghosts and - in musing over his own experiences in this region - most kindly took the time to relate the encounter to us... 

During the 1990’s - he being around the age of 25 to 30 yrs old at the time - the man and a few friends had been on a night out in Sedgley. They lived in Coseley, so would walk back home along Whites Lane / Turls Hill Road.  He admits that, on the night in question, the group were all drunk... but not in any extreme state where they might be prone to hallucinations, or any such extreme state!  It was estimated that the time would have been around 12 midnight, following the call of 'last orders' at  11 p.m., the subsequent grabbing of a bag of chips, and so forth.

It was said to have been a fine night, hence the decision to walk home.  Turls Hill Lane was dark - no street lights along the stretch of thoroughfare concerned - but not pitch black, so visibility was good.  As you enter the lane from the Sedgley end, the view along the left-hand-side of the path becomes more visible, as the higher ground in that position drops away and the bordering hedges thin out a little.  There were / are usually horses kept in the fields concerned.

It was at this point in their journey that someone shouted out "What is that over there?" (or words to that effect!) and pointed into a particular area, towards where there is a big tree.  The group all stopped... moving to the left-hand-side of the lane and looked...  A few yards from the tree, there was something that appeared to be a 'glowing white light', which seemed to be 'floating' there!?  There were no real, identifiable features to whatever they were observing, but the witness said that - if he had to try and explain it - it resembled a fairly bright, shrouded figure...

The group were all astounded by the sight and were shouting "What the hell is that...!?" (or words to that effect!)  At this point, the 'light / figure' started to move down the field, floating parallel to the lane.  It was not a horse, as there were no horses visible in the field that night.

somewhat bravely, the group hurried down the lane, as best we could, pausing to look across to the form as they went. The 'figure' continued to 'float' down the field. 

Someone suggested they try and get to the path - which runs alongside the nearby brook - as this leads to the woods and they could 'head it off' and actually see what this thing was...  At this, they ran the last few yards down the lane, turned left where the track opens out, and along the path to a point where they thought the thing would come out... or at least a position as close as they reckoned they could get to it.  (Between where they thought the best vantage point was, there is the brook, a small section of land and then the field involved).

However, when they reached the spot, whatever it was they were looking for had gone!?

They stood in-situ for a short while, one of the group now suggesting the 'shape' was possibly a goose, flying down the field, though the rest of the assembly disagreed... 

After a pause - having nothing to keep their attention now - they turned around to head back to the lane and continue their journey homeward.  However, as they looked at the spot they had just, only minutes before, come from themselves... the 'light / figure' was now standing there!!  As they watched, it moved away and disappeared up the lane in the direction the group had been traveling from...

At this point he admits that they lost all desire to 'go after it', as they had become 'rattled' by the events.  The ended up walking the rest of the lane 'arm in arm'... nervously laughing!

Our witness went to view the area again, the next day:  horses were now present, but no Geese!  On a radio show he was listening to, one of the DJ’s mentioned it had been 'the longest day of the year', the day before, which, he believes, served to add a little more mystery to the night!

In furtherance to the above, a few days later, he was telling another friend about what had happened.  The listener let him finish his story and then said…" You are not going to believe this...!"  He went on to tell of an experience from a few years earlier, where a couple of lads from Coseley had cause to flee a 'touch of trouble' in Sedgley, whilst on a night out...  It wasn't known precisely what the issue was, but they had ended up heading home in the direction of  Whites Lane and, in fleeing down the lane, they had cause to climb a fence, into the horse field, and hide behind a big tree.  While hiding, a 'white figure' appeared and started to move along, close by...  Quite needless to say, I'd imagine... the lads ran away!  (It was stated that, in knowing who the lads concerned were, it was quite unlikely that they would 'make up' a random ghost story.  As anyone who has read our previous coverage of this site may well know, we have - in quite recent years - reported on a very similar account to this latter-mentioned experience?  Needless to say, we are all wondering whether these two reports might well be exactly the same incident, perhaps?)

Our correspondent admits that, to this day, when telling anyone of this encounter, he never fails to get goosebumps!  Over the years he has gone over the scenario in his mind as to what it could have possibly been - Gas cloud?  Passing heron? -  but he just cannot explain it; especially the 'form' having reappeared, in the lane, behind where they had just come from!?  He and a friend (not one of the group present on that night) have returned to the spot a couple of times, over the years, on the longest day, but never seen anything since...

Just as a matter of being 'par for the course', I had asked our confidante if he had ever heard of the haunting associated with the region prior to their experience?  He replied that, growing up, they'd had many a happy day along Whites Lane / Turls Hill Lane, in the nearby woodland and even down the caves, but, in all that time, they had never heard of any ghostly goings on.  The matter was mentioned to a work colleague at the time, who actually lived in that area, and she had said she'd heard rumours of a 'grey lady'... but this was 'after' what had happened.