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!
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