Wednesday 31 October 2012

GHOSTLY EVENTS IN PERRY, KENTUCKY

During an investigation this photo was
 taking showing what Engle believes
is a soldier in the mirror. The face can be
 seen in the reflection of her hair.

HAZARD — While parents have often tried to convince children that the things that go bump in the night are creaking floors or wind through the trees, some say there are places here in Perry County where it might just be the spirits of the past.
Perry County resident Mary Engle literally wrote the book on searching for the paranormal called Ghost Hunt Like a Pro, and was featured in a special on the Bio Channel investigating the infamous Lizzie Borden House that was the home of two brutal murders. She has also investigated haunted places across the country for ghost activity, but says she has found quite a bit of it in her own backyard.
Hazard and Perry County have played host to some of the bloody history that covers the United States during its early days of growth and industry. The push to connect the country through the railway often led to unsafe work conditions and major disasters. The sight of one of these disasters is rumored to be the Dunraven Tunnels near Krypton. It is believed that several men died in the construction of these tunnels and may continue to haunt the area today.
It is accepted in the paranormal investigations field that there are three major types of paranormal activity. The first is a ghost, or the spirit of a person, that is aware of what is going on in the physical world and reacts to it such as answering questions on recordings. This is considered an intelligent haunting.
The second is typically associated with ghostly figures, such as a bartender, regularly seen at a bar in period clothing. They are acting out part of their former life. Theories posit that this person does not know they have died, and their energy was left in this world when their spirit crossed over to the afterlife.
The third kind includes beings that never existed in the physical world. This is the demonic. It is typically associated with demon possession, attacks on people, and the overall evil side of the paranormal.
It is possible, Engle noted, that the tunnels in Dunraven have paranormal activity from all three of these sources. “Probably one of the most interesting places I have investigated in Dunraven here is Perry County,” she said. “There is definitely haunted history there.”

While doing an investigation on train tracks this photo was taken showing what is thought to be a sign of ghostly activity. The white substance in the photos is believed to be ectoplasm which presents itself in the presents of spirits.
Engle claims that she and her team of investigators, Overnight Ghost Hunters, have captured several photos of a substance that is referred to as ectoplasm. In scientific terms, ectoplasm is the very outer membrane of cells, but in paranormal terms this ectoplasm is believed to be evidence of ghosts. While it is invisible to the naked eye, it can be captured in photos and looks like mist or smoke and often appears directional or in the form of a person.
The tunnels are rumored to be the home of some dark spirits that have even allegedly chased and attacked people that enter them. Old time train whistles and lights can reportedly be heard and seen when no train is coming. Unexplained lights are also believed to glow from manholes in the walls.
While this is a great place to find ghostly activity, Engle said it is not safe to explore.
Another place rumored to be wildly haunted is the old Hazard ARH building in Airport Gardens. “When you think about the Hazard ARH and it being a hot bed of activity, you have to realize about how many people died in that hospital,” said Engle. “They used to have a psych center there that was quite active. They would house some very severe cases.”
Engle has not been able to go inside the building to investigate since it is still a working office for the hospital which moved to Morton Boulevard. Despite this, she and her team have conducted some investigative work outside the building and gathered many stories from people that have worked there.
“Everyone that I have spoken to have given me the history of the nursery,” said Engle. “Several people have talked about a nurse standing with a baby in a white uniform. They also report that they smell a lot of baby powder.”
While this nurse apparition seems to be a stored energy or repetitive haunting, activity in the mental facilities area seems to take on a dark sort of paranormal activity. “That is primarily demonic. Pretty scary stuff,” said Engle. “Things levitate. They are able to manipulate lights.”
Another place notorious for reported ghostly activity is Main Street in Hazard. Hazard has been the home to thousands of people and businesses as well as bloody feuds and hospitals. Engle said that where Main Street is situated today has not always been where it was historically.
During the days of the deadly French Eversole War, Main Street was the home of many of the bloodiest scenes of the feud. Several of the men killed in the war were shot on Main Street, and this is one of the reasons Engle said she was found so much activity.
Using what is known as a Frank’s Box, which is a scanner working on radio frequencies, it is believed that the voices of the deceased can be heard. Using this piece of equipment along with digital voice recorders and flash lights, Engle said she was able to talk to several spirits on Main Street, including the wife of one of the Eversoles involved in the war.
While some spirits are not seen as a threat or unfriendly, it is believed that one that resides in the Typo area is not so pleasant. There is a long-standing urban legend of a man being killed on the train tracks there after being held down by his attackers while a train hit him. Since his death, he has allegedly haunted this area and will even hold unsuspecting victims on the tracks.
“The tale is that you go over there, especially on a full moon, and something will hold you on the tracks,” said Engle. “You physically cannot move. You cannot run you cannot scream.”
Engle said there are hundreds, even thousands of spirits among us in Perry County mostly due to our history. She and her team are happy to take people on hunts to find some of the ghost residing here. You can find out more about Engle and about going on an investigation by visiting www.OvernightGhostHuntersInc.com.

Story: HazardHerald


PETER UNDERWOOD WRITES ON BRITISH AND IRISH GHOSTS


From ghostly galloping horse-drawn carriages at Antrim Castle, to rustling silk and eerie knocks at Ballygally Castle, to bumps in the night at the Flax House in Belfast city centre – Co Antrim is our most haunted county.

Renowned Investigator Peter Underwood
‘Irish Ghosts’ by paranormal expert Peter Underwood has brought every ghost legend – along with original research – together in one book.

In his introduction, the 89-year-old said Ireland contains the most varied range of ghosts in the British Isles.

“In England there seems to be a preponderance of white ladies, Scotland has an inclination towards green ladies, but Ireland, with a richness and opulence reminiscent of that green and pleasant land, presents us with a wealth of widely different ghosts and ghostly activity,” he wrote.

“Throughout the length and breadth of the Emerald Isle you will find phantom white, grey and red ladies quite apart from the ghostly nuns, monks, children, soldiers, horses and cats – even a swarm of supernatural fish.

“Here too are phantom boats and horse-drawn coaches, a ghostly hand, a skeleton-like form, a portrait that loses a face once a year, mysterious marks on window panes, a head that rolls across the floor, inexplicable lights and of course the eternal footsteps, the most common of all reported phenomena in haunted houses.”

One of the most haunted properties chronicled in the book is Ballygally Castle close to Larne, now a four-star hotel in the Hastings Group, yet the oldest section has long been home to some much spookier guests.

It was built in around 1615 with five-foot walls, slit windows and original carving, by James Shaw, a descendant of MacDuff, Thane of Fife, whose family was murdered by MacBeth in 834AD, in a tale made famous by playwright William Shakespeare.

Shaw’s wife Lady Isabella died tragically, either murdered or committed suicide after reputedly being ill-treated by her husband. She is thought to have fallen to her death from a castle window. Rustling sounds, as if from a silk dress, have been reported in the ghost room in the castle as well as unexplained footsteps and knocking on doors. There are four executive rooms in the tower which Ballygally Castle Hotel manager Stephen Perry said were much sought-after among guests. He told the News Letter that their guests really enjoyed hearing about the ghost story.

“There would be ones that come to the hotel and they know about the ghost, and there would be ones who don’t and we tell the story and we have literature about the ghost,” he said.

“Some enjoy it, while there are others who are a little perturbed that there may be something passing through their room during the night.

“Any of our guests are welcome to walk through the old original building, up into the ghost room, the dungeon room and the 1625 room which is the original living room/dining room to the old castle.”

Meanwhile, Mr Underwood has singled out Belfast as being “full of ghosts”.

He wrote: “A quick resume includes the ghostly old woman in Annesley Street, two apparitions in the old Smithfield Mill, several ghosts in Raglan Street, the haunting of Belfast old waterworks, the disturbing ghost of Glengyle House, the ghost of ‘old Corby’– and others in the area known as Sandy Row, the ‘bright figure of a girl’ seen in a house in Tomb Street, the ghost of Crumlin Road jail, the haunting of Benn Hospital, Lord Kelvin’s ghost, the York Street ghost, a ghostly figure and strange happenings at the York Road railway depot and many, many more.”

While south of the border, every Twelfth of July, the sound of marching men, galloping horses and the rumble of cannon fire echoes around the Boyne Valley where King William III famously defeated King James II in 1690.

Mr Underwood is one of the world’s best-known experts and authors on the paranormal. He lectures regularly and has written a string of other books including a series of regional ghost tales including Ghosts of London and Ghosts of Wales, as well as the classic Gazetteer of British Ghosts.

Source: Newsletter


GHOST CAPTURED IN BILLIARD HALL OR A HOAX?

People live upstairs at the Coach Inn — and a few have died there. That may be of no consequence to this story. But read on.

Real ghost or Photoshop?
In recent weeks someone in the Coach billiard room snapped a picture that has spooked regulars and staff. A ghostly white image appears behind the subject, Paul Ford, who is striking an air guitar pose.
Depending on who you ask, the unexplained figure behind him — an apparition some say — is a uniformed man holding a musket or a lady with a pool cue. Copies of the photo hang in two places in the bar now. Remember, Halloween is coming.

Yes spirits pour forth into glasses in this old downtown landmark. Those convivial glasses are raised and good cheer is generally on tap. So the picture might be a prank. Or the play of light from the flash was playing tricks.

A man who brought the picture into The Sun Times, though convinced the ghost held a musket, said he understood the photo had been enhanced.
That could not be confirmed and Ford has been unavailable for comment.

But this is hardly the first time staff at this 125-year-old drinking establishment have been spooked.
Meet Manda McCartney, a Coach Inn bartender who says a wooden plaque — which proclaimed bartenders are never wrong — “bounced” off a shelf from behind two heavy beer steins about four months ago. The plaque had fallen and been placed back on its glass shelf twice by other bartenders.
McCartney set the steins in front of the plaque to prevent it from falling again. She was behind the bar, facing bar maintenance man Mike DeAdder, just before the plaque leapt off the shelf.

“Amanda had walked by it or something down by the sink and had just started walking back towards this end from the other end of the bar,” DeAdder recounted. “And I guess it, actually just flew. I don’t know, like how to describe it. I just seen it out of the corner of my eye really.”
Though the plaque had moved, the beer steins remained undisturbed. McCartney believes in paranormal activity. “I definitely believe in it. For sure.” She said they put the plaque away, feeling “spooked out.”
“No. I can’t explain it,” DeAdder agreed with a chuckle. “It just happened. I don’t know why it happened. I have no idea. There’s no physical reason it happened, it just happened,”

Asked if he believes in ghosts, he said “I’m not sure I do or not. I do see that picture (of the ghostly figure in the billiard room). It does intrigue me a little. I have to understand, I wonder what that is.”
Another time DeAdder left a third-floor room at the Coach, where he’d placed a table saw. He returned to find a mattress had slid 12 feet across the floor and leaned itself on the saw, he said. The mattress had been leaning with another mattress against a wall.

There are no doubts in Leona Bennett’s mind about what’s caused doors to open and close, things to be knocked off shelves and cold breezes to blow when windows and doors were closed.
“There’s an angry ghost we called him,” said Bennett, who worked at the Coach for five years until 2006. “Like we figure it’s a man and we figure he’s just angry. But nothing ever happened to anybody that would cause you to (think) I can’t stay here. Like nobody ever got hurt because of him, they’re just there. So you just accept it.”

McCartney looked at that barroom photograph and said it looks like the apparition of a lady. She spoke with Ford, the picture’s air guitar hero and he told her no one was standing behind him when the picture was taken.

These weren’t her only encounters with the unexplained at the Coach either. In fact, many staff tell their own scary stories too.

Shortly after McCartney started working there, the juke box started by itself. It’s connected to the Internet and so she figured it was just an automated update. She turned it and the barroom lights off, then left the building for the night with her boss and her boss’s husband through the upstairs office fire escape door. It was 3 or 3:30 a.m.

They drove out of the parking lot and noticed from 10th St. E. the lights inside the bar were on again. When they backed up the car to have a closer look, all the lights turned off before their eyes. “There was nobody left in the building. Everything was locked up,” McCartney said. She herself had done the walk-around to ensure no one remained inside.

“It’s a little weird. It’s unexplainable but . . . . We just laughed and kept going. Yeah, we didn’t want to go back in.”

Sometimes she gets “chills” in the bar, other times there’s the strong smell of cigarette smoke in the upstairs office, as if someone blew smoke in her face. “We don’t smoke up there. It’s an old, old building. It was built in 1887, right? Been a lot of history in here” and time enough for a few spirits to be wandering about, she means.
Bartender and cook Melody Restrick admitted she’s seen things there she can’t explain either.
“I always see something out of the corner of (my) eye, like you know, and see someone kinda walking by,” said Restrick, who has worked at the Coach for 10 years. “Then you look and there’s nothing there.” Her laugh spoke volumes about knowing how unlikely that sounds.

“I just think that there’s a lot of people that have died here and they’re still hanging around,” she said smiling.
Wendy Whitmarsh was a Coach bartender for 25 years and now works in Bleinham, Ont. “Oh it is haunted. The place is haunted for sure.”

The office radio would be off and then turn on by itself. The adding machine would spew three feet of paper inexplicably. “It got to the point it didn’t bother me. It was like, OK, you want the radio on, have the radio on,” she said with a laugh.

One night she and other staff sat in The Dark Side — the bar in the other half of the building —when the lights in the windows facing 2nd Ave. E. came on, one at a time. “And they’re on a breaker that would, if it was on they would all come on,” she said.

“Maybe there was an electrical problem. I don’t know.”

Source: OwenSoundSunTimes



THE GHOSTLY FIREMAN`S HAND - A TRUE STORY


April 18, 1924 was a Friday. At 7:30 in the evening, a passerby noticed smoke coming from Curran Hall, a massive four-story brick building at 1363 South Blue Island Avenue. The man ran to the corner fire-alarm box and pulled the lever.

Two miles to the west, at Engine Company #107, fireman Francis Leavy was washing a window. The call came in and Leavy rushed out with the rest of the company. He told the captain he'd finish the window when they got back.


Five squads converged on Curran Hall. The blaze seemed to be minor. The firemen were getting it under control when one of the outer walls began buckling. Then it collapsed, trapping eight men.

The falling wall knocked out electrical power at the site. Portable lighting was brought in, while firemen combed the wreckage for their comrades. But all eight men had been killed. Among the dead was Francis Leavy.

It was later determined that Curran Hall had been deliberately torched for the insurance. The building owners were tried and convicted of the crime.

Now for the rest of the story . . .
The day after the fire, one of the men at Engine Company #107 noticed the window that Leavy had left half-washed. In the middle of the window was a handprint. The man tried scrubbing it out, but the handprint stayed.

From that time forward, so the legend goes, every fireman assigned to Engine Company #107 attempted to remove the handprint. They used water, soap, ammonia and acid; they scraped it with razor blades. Nothing worked.

The ghostly handprint in 1939
The Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company was called in. My dad was a glazier at PPG, though years later. The way he heard the story, PPG applied their strongest chemical solvents to the handprint–and still couldn’t remove it.
Was the handprint a ghostly souvenir of the dead fireman? It’s said that Leavy’s thumbprint was obtained from his personnel records, and compared with the print on the window. They matched perfectly.


The end of the tale is prosaic. A newsboy threw a paper through the window and broke it. Most accounts say this happened in 1946.
But one version claims that the window was broken on April 18, 1944 – 20 years to the day of Francis Leavy’s death.

Story: Wbez.org




Tuesday 30 October 2012

SOME HAUNTED BRITISH LOCATIONS AT HALLOWEEN


THIS WEDNESDAY people all over the country will participate in Hallowe’en, one of our oldest festivals, the origins of which date back to Celtic times when the year was divided into two seasons: Beltane, the season of life and growth, and Samhain, the season of death and decay.
For the ancient Celts the New Year began on November 1, which was also the first day of Samhain, and they believed that during the hours of darkness on this day our world and that of the spirits came together enabling the dead to return.
Feasts would be held and a place set at the table for the returning dead while precautions would be taken such as wearing disguises or carving spirit guardians out of turnips, to ward off evil spirits.
Later, attempting to absorb native beliefs into its own religion, the Christian Church declared November 1 “All Hallows,” or “All Saints” day. The night before, therefore, became “All Hallows-even” or, as we know it today, Hallowe’en.
On Wednesday adults and children will attempt to scare the living daylights out of each other with ghost stories; but which are the most haunted locations and where are the top 10 places where ghosts have been captured on camera?

1 THE BROWN LADY OF RAYNHAM HALL


Raynham Hall, in Norfolk, is the family seat of the Marquesses of Townshend. It is also the home of the spectral brown lady, reputedly the ghost of Dorothy Walpole. She was the second wife of Lord Charles Townshend who, on discovering that she had been the mistress of Lord Wharton, kept her locked away at Raynham Hall until her death in 1726. Her ghost has roamed the house ever since and her image was captured on camera descending the hall’s grand staircase on September 19 1936. 

2 THE GHOST OF ST BOTOLPH’S

Look to the upper right balcony


The figure can be seen to the right of the pillar 

A similarly mysterious figure was photographed in St Botolph’s Church on Bishopsgate in London by Chris Brackley while taking test shots for a wedding one Saturday in 1982. Only he and his wife were present at the time yet on the developed print the figure of a woman wearing old-fashioned clothes had appeared on the balcony to the right of the altar.

3 LORD COMBERMERE IN SHROPSHIRE


In 1891 while visiting her sister, the then Lady Combermere, at Combermere Abbey in Shropshire, Sybell Corbett took a photograph of the house’s library. The plate showed the faint image of a man, later identified as Lord Combermere, sitting in his Lordship’s favourite chair. The problem was that her brother-in-law had died five days before.

4 THE GHOSTS OF BELGRAVE HALL



The 18th-century Belgrave Hall, in Leicestershire, hit the headlines in 1991 when at 4.50am one day the security cameras picked up two ghostly figures, one of which appeared to be wearing a long Victorian dress. Whoever they were they joined a growing assortment of phantom residents that include a spectral lady in red and the ghostly aroma of cooking which drifts from kitchens that have not been used for years.

5 THE BLACK ABBOTT OF PRESTBURY


Prestbury, Gloucestershire, is one of England’s most haunted villages. Its most famous ghost is that of the Black Abbot who is said to appear on Christmas, Easter and All Souls’ days. However, breaking with tradition, the Abbot’s ghostly silhouette appeared on a photograph of the village’s floodlit St Mary’s churchyard, taken by Derek Stafford on November 22, 1990.

6 GHOSTS AT THE TOP TABLE


Coventry’s Guildhall has long had a spooky reputation but nobody thought to invite any of the ghosts to the Freemans’ Guild dinner, held on January 22, 1985. Nonetheless, one of them decided to take its place at the top table and was clearly visible on a photograph taken at the event, though no one could remember him being there at the time.

7 THE MONK OF MINSDEN

The crumbling remnants of the 14th-century Minsden chapel in Hertfordshire have tottered in ruin since it was abandoned in the mid-17th century. Its isolated location, however, is the perfect setting for the phantom monk who, in 1907, was supposedly caught on film. He is said to appear amid the ruins on Hallowe’en at midnight. His appearances are preceded by the tolling of the chapel’s lost bells and his passage is marked by the eerie sound of plaintive music.

8 THE GIRL IN THE FLAMES (Note from Ed: The photo in question was proven to be a hoax).

On November 19, 1995, Wem town hall in Shropshire caught fire and Tony O’Rahilly raced to the scene to photograph the conflagration. One of his pictures captured the figure of a ghostly girl standing amid the flames. It has been suggested that she might be the ghost of a servant girl who accidentally set light to a thatched roof and caused a fire that devastated the town in 1677.

9 THE GREENWICH GHOST


The Queen’s House is one of Greenwich’s most graceful and historic buildings. In 1966, the Reverend R.W. Hardy photographed its magnificent Tulip staircase. When the film was developed a shrouded figure was visible on one of the photos. Closer inspection revealed that there were, in fact, two figures ascending what had certainly been an empty staircase when the picture was taken. No rational explanation has ever been put forward to explain the presence of the figures.

10 HAMPTON COURT HAUNTINGS

In 2003 security staff at 16th-century Hampton Court Palace heard alarms ringing near an exhibition hall indicating that fire doors had been opened, but found the doors closed. Mystified, they examined CCTV footage and were astonished when the cameras showed the heavy doors opening, apparently of their own volition.

Suddenly, a figure wearing a long coat appeared and proceeded to pull the doors shut. The identity of this figure, which was nicknamed Skeletor, became the subject of intense debate with some even claiming it might be the ghost of one of Hampton Court’s most famous former residents, Henry VIII. Britain has many haunted locations and this Hallowe’en should you find yourself in the wrong place at the right time, or the right place at the wrong time, you might well manage to capture a ghost on film.



Story: DailyExpress
Pictures: Resourced from public domain

A SCOTTISH `GHOST STORY` AT HALLOWEEN


In the bleak upland district between Sanquhar and Muirkirk there stood, about 270 years ago, the sheiling of Lagminnan.
The man of the house was 83-years-old and referred to as Lagminnan after the name of his sheiling. Both he and his father before him had been born there. He had spent his whole life among his native hills and had never wandered more than 20 miles from his home.
His only companion was his housekeeper Marjory, who was nearly as old as himself, and his two collie dogs that helped him to take care of his livestock.
At length he went the way of all flesh and died, much to the grief of his faithful old housekeeper. As all his friends were dead, Marjory was the only one left to mourn his loss.
On hearing of his death, a number of young men and women from the neighbouring cottages went to Lagminnan to keep the old woman company and "wake" the corpse. That was done by sitting in the room where the body lay, day and night until the funeral.
On the night before the funeral old Marjory went to the house of a neighbour, leaving the body of her master in the charge of six or eight young women.
She hadn't been long gone when an equal number of young men put in an appearance. They brought with them a plentiful supply of whisky and other good things with which to pleasantly pass the long hours of night.
Soon the glass and song went merrily round, until the mirth and fun grew fast and furious. A dance was proposed, and as readily agreed to. They managed to play some sort of music and were soon dancing merrily.
When their fun and frolic was at its height, a dreadful thing happened – the dead man, dressed in his grave clothes, sprang out of the bed, and with his glassy eyes staring at the revellers, stood leaning against the end of the bed.
Had a thunderbolt or a bombshell fallen in their midst it could not have caused greater panic. Every man and woman present was seized by terror and it became a case of "de'il tak the hindmost" as they all made a mad rush for outside.
The bed in which the corpse had lain was close to the door, and as each individual made his or her exit, it was with a bound and a yell, as they were all terrified in case the dead man should clutch and devour them. When they did get outside, most of them ran without stopping till they reached their own homes, where they told of the awful thing that had happened at Lagminnan.
Soon the whole countryside was made aware of the startling occurrence, and by break of day a large number of folk gathered at a short distance from the house, although none had enough courage to enter it. Broad daylight, however, often dispels many a strange thing observed in the dark.
When the sun was well up in the east several of the more courageous ventured forward to the house and looked in at the window. There they saw the corpse standing with its feet on the floor, leaning against the end of the bed, in the exact position it had occupied when the revellers beat their hasty retreat.
Long they looked and watched but the dead man still kept his ground, never moving a muscle. At last two or three of the boldest ventured inside, and on making an inspection saw how the whole thing had happened.
The bed where the corpse was laid was low and supported by rungs. A large dog which accompanied one of the young men had crawled under it and fallen asleep. When it was suddenly awakened by the noise of the dancers it had risen to its full height. Being a powerful animal, it had lifted the bed on its back, the corpse had slid over the end, the feet had come to the floor and the body being stiff it had stood there.
Things were soon put to rights and old Lagminnan was decently "kisted" and as decently buried beside his fathers in the old Kirkyard of Kirkconnel in Glen Aylmer.
l This and many other intriguing stories can be found in Rog Wood's latest book, Upper Nithsdale Folklore, available from Dumfries Ewart Library for £9.99 +P&P. Telephone 01387 253820.

Source: HeraldScotland


Monday 29 October 2012

HALLOWEEN POLICE REPORTS OF THE PARANORMAL


HUNDREDS of spooked callers have inundated 999 operators with tales of supernatural sightings... including one who asked for Ghostbusters to be sent round, writes Jon Coates.
As Hallowe’en approaches, witches, werewolves, vampires and zombies have all been reported on the prowl across Britain.
The 999 calls include poltergeists stealing house and car keys, a devil possessing a doll on a sofa, werewolves trying to open a front door and the walking dead running across fields.
Not surprisingly, officers advised some callers to stop drinking and get some sleep, notified social services and when they did go round to homes, they found the alleged ghosts were actually just shadows on a wall.
In none of the 359 cases over the past five years did officers find evidence to back up the callers’ fears.
After investigating reports of zombies in Wales, officers actually found there was a horror film being shot at Pembrey, Carmarthenshire.
The call for the Ghostbusters team, from the Eighties comedy film starring Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, was logged by police in Maidstone, Kent, as a hoax.
In none of the 359 cases over the past five years did officers find evidence to back up the callers’ fears
Details of the calls made to 17 forces across England and Wales were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
Among the 26 calls to Gloucestershire Police was one from a woman saying a poltergeist had locked her out of her home after she returned from “dinner” at a pub.
Avon and Somerset Police received a report that a poltergeist had “moved things around and deleted files from a laptop”.
Norfolk Police logged five sightings of vampires, Merseyside Police were called seven times about ghosts, witches and a vampire, while Hertfordshire Police recorded seven ghostly reports and one about an “immortal bloodsucker”.

Source:DailyExpress

NEW HAUNTED EARTH `VIDEO SHORTS` ROLLS OUT

Haunted Earth proudly launch their new video series, `Haunted Earth Shorts`.
These videos show compelling evidence of the paranormal in short clip presentations.
Full length investigations within the `Haunted Earth Show` will continue once a month as always,
but the `shorts` will be posted regularly to introduce new viewers to the quality captures we strive to capture.

Here are some current new posts. If you like, please subscribe if you haven`t already done so.








Friday 26 October 2012

HAUNTED TALES OF RATHFARNHAM CASTLE DUBLIN IRELAND

An idyllic 18th century view of Rathfarnham Castle
The original castle at Rathfarnham dates back to the Elizabethan period and was built for Archbishop Adam Loftus, an ambitious Yorkshire clergyman, who came to Ireland as chaplain to the Lord Deputy and quickly rose to become Archbishop of Dublin, Lord Chancellor of Ireland and was closely involved in the establishment of Trinity College. The castle with its four flanker towers is an excellent example of the fortified house in Ireland. In the late 18th century, the house was remodelled on a splendid scale employing some of the finest architects of the day including Sir William Chambers and James 'Athenian' Stuart.

For many years, it was owned by the the Jesuits who sold Rathfarnham Castle to a property development group. Before leaving, they removed the stained glass windows from the chapel, made in the famous Harry Clarke studios and donated them to Tullamore Catholic Church which had been destroyed by fire in 1983. The other windows were donated to Our Lady's Hospice, Harold's Cross and Temple Street Children's Hospital, Dublin.

The Irish nation was so horrified that the site was going to be demolished that in 1987 it was bought by the Irish Government and was declared a National Monument.

Rathfarnham today - during preservation work
The castle is haunted, and here is an extract from True Irish Ghost Stories, by St. John D. Seymour and Harry L. Neligan, [1914]. The haunted history is still current today.

In the winter of 1840–1, in the days when snow and ice and all their attendant pleasures were more often in evidence than in these degenerate days, a skating party was enjoying itself on the pond in the grounds of the Castle near Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin. Among the skaters was a man who had with him a very fine curly-coated retriever dog. The pond was thronged with people enjoying themselves, when suddenly the ice gave way beneath him, and the man fell into the water; the dog went to his rescue, and both were drowned. A monument was erected to perpetuate the memory of the dog's heroic self-sacrifice, but only the pedestal now remains. The ghost of the dog is said to haunt the grounds and the public road between the castle gate and the Dodder Bridge. Many people have seen the phantom dog, and the story is well known locally.

The main castle entrance at Rathfarnham Castle
The ghost of a boy who was murdered by a Romany is said to haunt one of the lodge gates of the Castle demesne, and the lodge-keeper states that he saw it only a short time ago. The Castle, however, is now in possession of Jesuit Fathers, and the Superior assures us that there has been no sign of a ghost for a long time, his explanation being that the place is so crowded out with new buildings "that even a ghost would have some difficulty in finding a comfortable corner."



HAUNTED SAN ANTONIO AND THE ALAMO


The Alamo Mission

San Antonio's most noteworthy ghost stories date at least as far back as 1836, the year of the battle of the Alamo.

But the most celebrated tale, about a local railroad crossing where a busload of children reputedly were killed decades ago by a speeding train, has been widely debunked. And like many such stories, it endures anyway.

One of the earliest known local stories about ghoulish figures was passed on by Adina De Zavala, a historic preservationist and author of "History and Legends of the Alamo and other Missions in and around San Antonio" (Arte Publico Press,  1996).

De Zavala, who lived from 1861 to 1955, wrote that Mexican soldiers trying to destroy the Alamo after the April 21, 1836, Battle of San Jacinto "were everywhere met by spirits with flaming swords who barred their progress and soon frightened them off."

Although some have linked strange sounds at the Alamo with spirits of the defenders killed in the battle, De Zavala's account did not try to explain the origin of her ghosts. But De Zavala, who sought to preserve the Alamo compound, told of a curse that she said befell those who tried to dismantle it.

"These spirits ordered them to desist in hollow tones which struck terror to their hearts, 'Depart, touch not these walls! He who desecrates these walls shall meet a horrible fate! Multiplied afflictions shall seize upon him and a horrible and agonizing and avenging torture shall be his death!'" De Zavala wrote in a personal account edited by Richard R. Flores.

Another popular ghost tale dating to the 1800s is that of a chambermaid at the Menger Hotel whose spirit reportedly has been seen by guests and employees.

The young, attractive maid, Sallie White, was shot by her common-law husband, Henry Wheeler, in a nearby neighborhood the morning of March 28, 1876, according to "The History and Mystery of the Menger Hotel" by Docia Schultz Williams (Republic of Texas Press,  2000).

"She was employed in the second flood guest section of the original hotel and must have loved her work there very much. At least, that is why we believe she still returns to her place of employment, " Williams wrote.

There also have been downtown hauntings reported in La Villita and at Casa Navarro State Historical Park, at the home of Texas pioneer Jose Antonio Navarro.

Other, more bizarre urban legends have flourished in outlying areas. They include the "Donkey Lady, " a ghost with a beautiful woman's figure and hideous donkey head, said to frequent areas near Castle Hills and south of Palo Alto College; the "Dancing Diablo, " a charming but chicken-footed dancer last reported in the 1970s at the West Side's now-closed El Camaroncito nightclub; and a 7-foot-tall Asian female ghost that reportedly haunts an old cemetery near Stinson Municipal Airport.

Mark Louis Rybcyzk, author of "San Antonio Uncovered" (Wordware Publishing, 1992), ranked the tale of a far Southeast Side "ghost crossing" as No. 1 among local ghost legends.

The crossing at Shane and Villamain roads has long been a place of wonderment for teens and adults who put their car in neutral, then let it coast, apparently uphill, over the tracks. Some still say they believe the ghosts of children killed decades earlier push the vehicles over the tracks to prevent another tragedy. Some visitors even sprinkle powder on their car to check for  fingerprints.

In 1990, psychic consultant Elizabeth Paddon, visiting here from Toronto, supported claims of ghosts at the Alamo and Casa Navarro.

But Paddon, a self-described ghostbuster and Christian spiritualist, debunked the story of the ghost crossing, attributing the movement of cars to electrical underground currents, the Express-News reported.

Others have said the crossing is on an odd slope, where the lay of the land creates an optical illusion of uphill movement.

Docia Williams and others who have researched the legend have never found records of a bus accident there, and in fact learned that school buses likely did not pass there until the 1960s.

Williams, who conducts tours of spooky local attractions for Mission City Tours, has continued to dispute the legend. Police now discourage visitation at the crossing, especially at night, because of traffic and security concerns.

Even though it once was reportedly the site of a live radio broadcast, police have said some people there have been robbed while checking their cars for fingerprints.

Story: MySanAntonio




Additional reading on the ghostly history at the Alamo.

Source: MilitaryGhosts.com

The Haunting of the Alamo

Over the years, a large number of skeptics and believers alike have experienced startling unexplained paranormal phenomena at the Alamo. Invariably some of these events can be summarily dismissed as the product of overactive imaginations and some have even been explained by science itself. But like so many other famous haunted battlefields and forts that have experienced their own incidents of death, murder and extreme emotional crisis, the Alamo is probably the best-known psychic "dead zone" in the United States.

Ghostly tales about the Alamo can be traced all the way back to 1836. Several weeks after the Battle of the Alamo, Santa Anna ordered General Andrade to raise the Alamo and in doing so ensure that nothing was left standing. Like any military commander holding the rank of general, Andrade delegated this unwholesome task to a trusted subordinate, Colonel Sanchez.

Upon the arrival of Colonel Sanchez and his men, all that remained of the old mission was the chapel. Resolute to carry out Santa Anna's demands, Colonel Sanchez instructed his troops to begin tearing down the church. As the detail set about preparing to carry out the order, work was abruptly halted when six ghostly monks materialized from the walls of the chapel. 

The soldiers watched in stunned silence as these "diablos" slowly advanced waving flaming swords over their heads, while all the time issuing a warning in an inhuman screech, "Do not touch the walls of the Alamo". Heading the ghostly advice, Colonel Sanchez and his men retreated with their tails between their legs.

When General Andrade heard of Colonel Sanchez's cowardice, he returned to the Alamo himself with troops and a little insurance, a cannon. Andrade instructed his gunners to aim the cannon at the front doors of the chapel, but before it could be prepared to fire, the six ghostly monks re-appeared with fiery swords in hand. As the moaning figures approached the flummoxed general and his contingent, they again issued their unnerving warning. The ghosts moaning voices startled Andrade's horse and the general was unseated. When General Andrade had regained both his composure and the reins of his steed, he was disgusted to see his men fleeing for their lives. Considering the situation this was something the general should have done but instead, Andrade remounted his horse and turned to look at the Alamo one last time. 

To his horror, the general watched as a wall of flame erupted from the ground in and around the low barracks. The smoke from the unholy fire then congealed into the form of a large, imposing man. In each of the massive figures hands were balls of fire, which he hurled at the general like an avenging angel. 

General Andrade retreated from the scene presumably before the fireballs could hit their mark and no one has dared harm the sacred site since. Folks at the time believed that the larger than life spirit was an amalgamation of the spectral energy of all of the dead Alamo defenders that when combined, it created the missions menacing protector.

Official records and later archeological excavation's conducted at the Alamo seem to contradict the engrossing story of General Andrade's encounter with the six phantom monks. Factual evidence suggests that Andrade successfully leveled many of the walls of the fort and dismantled or burned the wooden palisade that had been erected in front of the church and along the south wall of the compound. Apparently General Andrade was not as scared by the fiery giant as the previous story suggests. 

During the late 1800's, the ghostly activity at the Alamo was big "news" in San Antonio. In 1894, the City of San Antonio pressed the mission into service as a police headquarters and jail. It was not long before, prisoners housed in the old barracks started to complain about all kinds of ghostly activity there. 

Several articles printed in the San Antonio Express News in February 1894, and August 1897, seemed to confirm that paranormal activity was in fact taking place on a regular basis at the Alamo. The articles detailed fanciful tales of a ghostly sentry said to walk from east to west on the roof of the police station. The ghostly manifestations, which included mysterious shadows and moaning sounds were said to be so prominent that the guards and watchmen refused to patrol the building after hours. This caused quite a stir at City Hall. Many of the councilmen felt that making prisoners sleep with ghosts was "cruel and unusual punishment". A short time later, the City of San Antonio abandoned its plans for the Alamo in favor of a jail site that was less haunted. 

The paranormal incidents reported in 1894 and 1897 seem to unabashedly replay themselves over and over even today. Several recurring stories tell of a phantom sentry that has been observed walking frantically back and forth across the top of the Alamo. Some witnesses believe the ghostly guard is looking for a means of escape while others are certain that the specter stands watch over the missing treasure of the Alamo. 

In addition to the presence of the ghostly sentry, tourists, park rangers and passers-by have reported seeing a myriad of grotesque man shaped forms emanating from the very walls of the Alamo itself after hours. Sometimes this paranormal menagerie is accompanied by disembodied screams and yelling of men trapped in the throws of an invisible conflict. 

Members of numerous tours groups, ghost hunters and psychics who have visited the site claim that they have felt invisible eyes watching them as they traveled down the dark corridors of the Alamo. 

Ordinary people insist that they have heard voices and whispers that seem to filter through the very walls of the mission as if they were attempting to communicate with the world of the living. Others tell lesser stories about their encounters with vanishing lights, eerie cold spots and a multitude of unexplained noises. 

In one instance, a park ranger at the Alamo encountered the ghost of a man dressed in attire from the 1830's. It was a really hot day in late spring when the ranger first viewed the suspicious man on the fort grounds, walking towards the library. As the ranger hurried after the man, he observed that the he was wearing tall boots, a plantation hat and long overcoat. To the ranger's surprise, the puzzling man faded away into obscurity when he neared the chapel. When the ranger investigated further, he could not find any evidence of the strangers passing. Others have alleged to have seen the same apparition numerous times in the courtyard of the Alamo, both during the day and at night. 

Generally the most often repeated ghost story about the Alamo defies all logic. It focuses on the spirit of a little boy who is rumored to haunt the parks gift shop. Both visitors and park rangers alike claim to have seen a blonde haired little boy, ranging in age from 10 and 12 years of age, staring out into the courtyard from one of the stores high inaccessible windows. The small boy is only visible from the waist up and has never become a full-bodied apparition. Rangers who have searched the gift shop in hopes of catching the ghostly prankster have come up empty handed. In each instance they have concluded that there is no way that a real person could perch him or herself in the window without something to climb up on or some way to support themselves. The mystery only gets more convoluted when you consider the fact that the gift shop was not built until the 1930's. 

Legend says that during the last days of the siege of the Alamo, a small boy was evacuated from the Mission. It is believed that this little child returns to the same spot where he recalls last seeing a loved one alive. The ghostly child may appear to be looking out of the down from the window at curious onlookers when in fact his eyes only search for a comforting glimpse of a father, brother, or another other family member who made the ultimate sacrifice there at some point in the Alamo's tumultuous history. 

One of the more interesting ghosts encountered at the Alamo is that of the "Duke" himself. As the director and leading actor in the bigger than life spectacle " The Alamo", John Wayne spent over $1.5 million dollars re-creating an exact replica of the old mission in Brackettville, Texas. In an effort to make the movie as historically accurate as possible, Wayne personally toured the original Alamo site and consulted actual blueprints of the fortress. 

While filming the movie, Wayne became obsessed with the sequence of events that led to the fall of the Alamo. This preoccupation with historical accuracy drove the Duke to spend a fortune bringing the Alamo to life for the silver screen. The Alamo set was so detailed that it became a tourist attraction in its own right. 

Shortly after his death, the "Duke's" ghost was observed at the real Alamo, walking the grounds. He has also been observed visiting and talking with the spirits of the forts patriotic dead. The story was so telling, that a psychic was enlisted to confirm the rumors that John Wayne's spirit visited the Alamo on a regular basis. 

The psychic substantiated the fact the Duke's ghost stops over at the Alamo about once a month but could not shed any light on where he manifests himself the rest of the time. Many believe that the Duke put so much energy and enthusiasm into the making of his movie that it seems only natural that he left a little bit of himself there when he himself passed into the afterlife. 

We could not in good faith delve into the various hauntings that are known to take place at the Alamo without discussing the most prominent ghost to make his presence known at the mission throughout the years. At various times during the year, park rangers have observed a transparent figure dressed in buckskin clothing and sporting a flintlock rifle, standing guard near the chapel. This is believed to be the spirit of none other than Davy Crocket himself. Other people, who have seen the phantom vigilantly standing at attention at various locations around the Alamo, describe the phantom soldier as wearing a coonskin cap, buckskin shirt and moccasins. In several instancing the figment has been observed by several different people, from different angles at the same time. These observations in themselves prove that the ghost, most generally associated with Davy Crocket, is not just an optical illusion. 

Could Davy Crocket's heroic death at the Alamo be forever immortalized in a haunted vignette? One of the grizzliest phantom images to play itself out at the old mission occurs in the Long Barracks. It has all the characteristics of a "Residual" type haunting but it is also very similar to the "fictional" way Davy Crocket was said to have perished. 

One night, a ranger entered the barracks and observed a hideous scene. There, leaning against a wall was a man, wearing buckskin clothing typically worn by frontiersmen during the 1800's. To the ranger's trained eye, it appeared that man's torso had been riddled with bullet holes! Before the ranger could react, the spirits of several Mexican soldiers stepped from the darkness and encircled the stranger with their bayonets at the ready. Like a coiled spring, the ghostly soldiers pounced, thrusting their long blades through the incorporeal body of the anguished buckskin-clad specter. In an instant the encounter plaid itself out and the ethereal apparitions just faded away, leaving one emotionally drained ranger in their wake. 



HAUNTED BANGOR MUSEUM


BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - When there's a city as old as Bangor, it's not uncommon to hear of spirits who prefer to stick around their former stomping grounds instead of fully crossing over into the after-life.

One building in Bangor in particular is believed to be the home of at least two ghosts who have been called "mischievous".

Although the Bangor Museum and Center for History is open to the public six days a week, some may tell you the house is never truly empty.
Bangor Museum and Center for History
Built in 1835, the Thomas A. Hill house is located on the outskirts of downtown Bangor on the corner of Union and High Streets. It's seen a lot of people over the years...some who have never wanted to leave.

Executive Director Jennifer Pictou says sometimes you'll just be sitting, working at your desk, and it will sound just like somebody's in the next room, and you will be completely alone in the house.

She believes spirits linger throughout the house -- too many strange occurrences take place on a daily basis to not believe that.

Sometimes employees smell floral perfume that no one who works there wears or it will suddenly feel and smell like a puff of cigarette smoke is getting blown in their face.

Museum employees like to keep an extra eye on their smaller personal items like their set of keys. One minute they can be there and the next minute, they're not.

Pictou says It's just an every day part of working here. I mean, coming in when I interviewed for my job, they let me know that the house was haunted, so I knew coming in.

Even after two paranormal groups had ghostly experiences here, Pictou says all the employees still feel safe. They even have an idea of who may be keeping them company. Among the paintings and nearly 1,000 pieces of memorabilia from the Civil War era, it's believed that Sam and Melinda Dale's spirits are the ones keeping things interesting.

Sam Dale was the mayor of Bangor and owned the home. His wife lived here for 50 years even after Sam died in his second floor bedroom. Scandal circulated Sam's death when $10,000 he raised for victims of the 1871 Chicago Fire was stolen. Rumors that he

A museum is a place where items are preserved so future generations can understand history. But those items used to belong to actual people...it's just that some of those former owners don't want to part with their belongings.



Story & Video: wcsh6 Portland

HAUNTED CHISLEHURST CAVES

Chislehurst Caves


“Some people believe when you die you go to a place where you feel happy and safe. For some kids during the Second World War that was the caves.”

The eerie words of Chislehurst Caves’ ghost guide Jason Desporte are what he offers by way of explanation for some of the haunting sounds he has heard in the 20 miles of tunnels.

The labyrinth has a long history of spooky encounters, from bizarre noises to the bizarre tale of The Challenge in 1985.



Two men, David Duker and Chris Perry, were challenged to stay in the caves overnight for the sake of a £5 reward. In the darkness, the sudden screams of Chris echoed before he was taken to Queen Mary’s Hospital.

A map showing the extensive cave system
“He severely broke and dislocated his shoulder”, said Jason. “It’s just one of those things, he doesn’t remember anything about it.

“You can’t put any explanation on it, they all get shot down. He was just in his sleeping bag and it’s not like he was a small guy, he was 6ft, 4ins and 17 stone.”

Other stories have emerged over centuries from the caves, including that of the White Woman who is said to have been murdered by her husband and now lurks around the haunted chamber.
Spiritual `Ecto` captured in the caves

Her bones were discovered during the early 1940s and her appearances have been reported by various visitors.

Jason added: “People believe it’s her and some believe she is a warning for something else.

“She’s a tragic case but there are lots of stories down there – one story is about a black wolf with glowing red eyes, and there’s the dead soldiers and miners who haunt the tunnels.”

Though he has never seen any otherworldly figures, Jason claims to have heard the sounds of young children in the caves.

“I have heard the giggles of little kids and heard the noises of them just generally playing. There are cases of children dying in the caves when they were used as shelters in the war – so maybe it’s them.”



Story source: BromleyTimes





GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE - SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY FROM TV


One of the most unusual mediums of attracting and capturing images of the dead, has to be spirit photography through television screens displaying white static `noise`.

The premise is for a photographer to simply aim and snap images from the screen in the hope that a spiritual anomaly in the form of a face, or body, will appear within the matrixing of the screen.

There are on the internet many examples of these images, and the main level of criticism has to be upon what type of set the image was recorded, and the conditions surrounding the capture.

Televisions connected to an aerial or other device run the risk of picking up weak signals of actual transmissions, and thus contaminating the possibility of a genuine capture.

Here in the UK at least, this issue can be simply addressed by utilising an analog  625 line television set, as all analog transmitters have now been turned off, thus making the capture of a contaminating `ghosted` image quite impossible.
There are also comprehensive studies on `white noise` EVP capture from televisions which are outside the remit of this article.

An excellent article which defines in greater detail with further references to this study through image or sound can be found here: SEEING AND HEARING SPIRIT ON TV

Currently, I am carrying out my own research with this phenomena, using a non-digital analog television set, and although it is early days, I have yet to capture anything that is compelling enough to share.
If I am successful, I will share the results from a new post on this blog.

Here are some examples seen on the internet with accreditation to the copyright owner or site.
I cannot verify their authenticity.

©AA-EVP - All Rights Reserved - http://atransc.org/examples/face_on_tv.htm





In 1986, Mainz physicist Professor Ernst Senkowski announced that the first recognisable images of deceased persons had been taped from television. Supporting his claim is the research of electronics engineer J.P. Seyler from Luxemburg. By filming a TV screen tuned to an open channel, Seyler obtained a brief videotape that portrayed a recognisable image of Hanna Buschbeck, a German researcher of electronic voice phenomena (EVP), several years after she had died in 1978.  Interestingly, the form in which she appeared on the videotape was as she had been in her youth, not as she had been when she died.


The alleged image of a youthful Hanna Buschbeck captured on videotape several years after her death 
http://eclectariumshuker.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/ghosts-in-machines-haunted-hardware-and.html



Thursday 25 October 2012

MYSTERY GREEN LIGHT CAUGHT BY SCOTTISH COUPLE


A STUNNED couple yesterday told how they captured a spooky green man on camera at their home.

Gary and Amanda Linney said the strange figure was spotted running away from their cottage as they
experimented with a new camera.

The bizarre snaps emerged just days after another family claimed to have filmed a UFO floating above their house about 25 miles away.

Former policeman Gary, 52, said there was no explanation for the figure.

He said: “It looks like a little green man running. It just disperses into the surface of the road.

“If you look closely, you can see a head. It’s very surreal. I was a policeman and a pilot for 20 years and have never seen anything like this before.”

Hotel owners Gary and Amanda, 46, from Collieston, Aberdeenshire, tried to recreate the picture but have never seen the strange light since.

But they said they weren’t spooked by the images after experiencing a string of paranormal happenings at the Slains Estate house.

Dad-of-three Gary said: “This wasn't a reflection. We live in two old cottages and my children have seen orbs floating around and heard footsteps. It’s usually around the staircase.”

Amanda, 45, said staff at their hotel – which is also thought to be haunted – suggested the ghostly figure may have come from there.
The mystery green light

She said: “I have no idea what it was. We have used the same setting, taken photos in the same location and in different locations and nothing has appeared again.

“We have experienced a lot of strange things since we took over the place two years ago so the staff think something spooky had followed me home that night.”

Last week, Morag Ritchie, of Fraserburgh, told how she was woken in the night by flashing lights outside her house.

The 50-year-old claimed several members of her family saw a UFO. Her daughter Cara’s fiance, Scott Bower filmed footage on his phone.

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman could not explain the sighting and Grampian Police said there had been no reports of lights in the sky.

Scottish paranormal investigator Malcolm Robinson is now reviewing the footage.

He said: “That area has one of the highest concentration of UFO reports in the UK, particularly the Aberdeenshire town of Muchalls.”

Source: DailyRecordScotland



GHOST CAUGHT ON CAM AT THE TAVERN ON MAINE - RHODE ISLAND


I chanced across this video on Youtube which purports to show the partial apparition of a ghost.
It was uploaded onto Youtube in 2006 and precludes the notorious `ghost app`, which is a bane to genuine paranormal research. Built in the early 1700s, the tavern was once an overnight stop on a stagecoach line running from Providence to Connecticut, and the site of Rhode Island’s most famous rebellion. Some claim spirits frequent the dining room. I find the capture quite compelling.

From the poster: This video contains a rare and vaguely impressive apparition of what is supposed to be a woman. This video was recorded at Chepachet, Rhode Island in November of 2004. The paranormal investigations group was named R.I.P.P.E.R.

Message from Witness:

My name is Andrew and I represent Greenville Paranormal Research. I not only live a few miles from the Tavern, but I also know Thomas D'Agostino, who is the local authority on the hauntings at the Tavern. The video you put up was filmed by a young guy that Tom knows through music lessons. It is real. What or who it is, is not known. The place is very haunted. Check out my video. Tom was there as well and can back me up, no one was near the camera! Best of luck, Andrew.

See ghostvillage.com for more information.

Tuesday 23 October 2012

HAUNTED LONDON - GHOSTS AND SIGHTINGS

The city of London, England, is reputedly one of the most haunted cities in the world with more ghosts per square mile recorded than anywhere known to man.
Over the centuries the city has suffered from war and disease, and many famous characters from history have lived and died here - some through royal imprisonment or at the tip of an executioner's axe.
Here is a special report from NBC News on the ghosts of London.


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


HAUNTED TALES OF THE AMERICAN WHITE HOUSE



Awhile back, Mrs. Obama detailed some strange activity both she and her husband had experienced. Michelle Obama reported that they were woken up by odd noises coming from the hallway. In general the Obama family alleges that they have heard many peculiar bumps in the night, on repeated occasions. As well, there have been accounts of something gnawing on their feet in the dead of night, even though nobody was there. This incident could just be a case of the most infamous haunting in America, the White House hauntings.
The White House is said to be one of the most haunted places in America. Spiritual activity is no doubt present, and has been happening for decades. Take for instance Dolly Madison. The ghost of Dolly Madison arrived to scold the workers as they on the brink of pulling her planted flowers. The men got so scared, they fled. The Rose Garden is still in place today, all flowers intact as stated by history.com. Other characters who haunt the scene are Andrew Jackson, Abigail Adams, Andrew Jackson, Annie Surratt, and even tales of a black cat. This phantom feline is said to appear right before a national tragedy occurs.

Flash forward to the here and now, and still, insiders of the White House agree, something‘s not right. Yet even when the most secure house on the block, the White House, is hearing creaks and feeling spooked, something has got to give. Who’s Haunting the White House?, a book authored by Jeff Belanger, figured out exactly how to answer that question which is also his book title, by doing some investigating of his own. Belanger got insider access to the White House in order to accurately write his book, and the people who spoke were serious about their encounters.

“Without pause he [the secret service agent] said, well we understand there’s been a British Redcoat that’s been seen outside the North Portico and of course a lot of people have been reported seeing President Lincoln up near the Lincoln bedroom,” said Belanger, who mentioned the secret service’s voice was kept at a normal tone, when talking about the ghostly appearances.

The highest forms of surveillance are used at the White House, including the secret service agents who keep a watchful eye out for possible dangers. Clearly, they do not miss a single step, and act like an instant replay as in some areas of the president’s humble abode, cameras aren’t present.

“Now the British Redcoat’s interesting because in August of 1814, Washington D.C. was sacked, it was practically burned to the ground during the war of 1812 by the Brits and the White House itself was just an empty shell, it was completely gutted by the fire and there’s two spots on the building to this day that have never been painted that still show those burn marks from 1814, it’s a window near the North Portico and there’s a window near the South Side and it’s there as a reminder. And I started wondering is that British Red Coat also there as a reminder,” explained Belanger to the Voice of Russia.

Time and time again, prominent figure President Abraham Lincoln is seen by many, both administration staff and political figures. His presence may be one of the most popularly seen spirits serving the White House.

“The chief foreman, Tony Savoy, his job was to go on the second floor and turn on the lights in the morning for the first family. To get above the first floor must be by invitation of the first family only, unless you have official business and you work for the building. Tony Savoy was turning on the lights one morning and he said I was walking down the hall and I stopped and he said right in front of him was President Lincoln, sitting on a chair with legs crossed and his hands resting on each other and described what he was wearing, Lincoln looked over at me and he disappeared,” told Belanger about Savoy’s experience with the ghost that looked like Abe.

All of these ghosts, however frightening they may be, have never harmed a soul. Though they make us shake and shiver and possibly lose some sleep, they are here for a reason. Some spiritual entities are thought to stick around to be remembered, while others heed warning. “I think it has a lot more to do with us than him [Lincoln]. I think we need him. He’s sacred, I know he’s a political figure but politically speaking he’s as close to sacred as we get. He just represents the guy that held it together,” said Belanger.

Belanger strongly believes there is a clear distinction between the British Redcoat and Lincoln who linger about on the president’s turf. The redcoat is thought to be a residual haunting, meaning he is just a memory and nothing more. Residual hauntings are simply a playback of a past event.

Whereas Lincoln is more of an intelligent haunting, which means he has the ability to interact with people. Honest Abe may be able to help guide a president in power, especially if they summon him on a subconscious level.