Ghostly Encounter(s)

 

Ghostly Encounter(s)

So I was a bit concerned that I had not had the joining instruction from P.I.G.S for my second attempt at uncovering the secrets at Slough Fort - so I fired off an email asking for them. Tim replied quickly with a very apologetic email telling me that there had been a technical cock up with sending out the information and unfortunately due to a lack of interest in the location to hold the event it was not viable. He offered me a refund or a rebooking and holding out for my night at Slough Fort in the future we held it on file.

This left me feeling a little deflated – not the company’s fault at all – and I realised how much I had built myself up for hunting ghosts and how much I had been looking forward to it. After feeling sad and telling Mrs J that I felt sad (because it is healthy to talk about feelings) I hit Google to find something to quench my thirst for my newly acquired free evening.

I found an evening at the Alexander Centre in Faversham hosted by Ghostly Encounters UK, (GEUK) a local company founded by Keith Young who, after becoming disheartened with a lot of paranormal groups due to faking and acting, wanted to be true to himself and others who are interested in finding out more about the spirit world.

After booking – and then realising that Paypal had changed the submitted details into Mrs J’s name, I only had a few days to wait. I planned where to park and found my previous subdued mood transform to anticipation and excitement.

Chasing the setting sun as I drove down the M2 towards Faversham, I calmed my mind, listening to Rob Kirkup’s Podcast How Haunted. As Rob’s account of the Edinburgh Vaults ended I found myself pulling up, handbrake on and ready to face another challenge.

Arriving early (as usual - and as a frustration to Mrs J) I stood outside taking in the square brick building with uniform windows in the centre of Faversham’s Preston Street. Originally built as Gatefield House in the 1860’s the building has been used as a private residence, GP practice, Magistrates’ Court and now stands as The Alex, a community hub, events space and wedding venue. 

The Alex Centre, Faversham

Warmly greeted by the GEUK team I entered through the ornate entrance and took a seat on a comfortable leather chair. The dull murmurs of my fellow investigators lulled as Keith introduced us to the GEUK Team and assured us that what we would experience was not stage managed or faked in any way. Their technical specialist, Ed, gave an overview of the equipment we would be using – and I got to show off my previous knowledge as I correctly identified several pieces of equipment including a parabolic microphone.

Having signed their terms and conditions we filed into the main event space and formed a circle. After liberal application of hand sanitiser, we held hands whilst Keith explained that we were forming a protection circle. This ritual, using black witches salt and a candle was designed to protect us, whilst we investigated, from any malicious entities or harm. The candle would remain lit throughout the investigation to maintain the protection.

Armed with a spiritual shield we were divided into two groups, A & B. Finding myself in group A we set off to the kitchen.

As we stood surrounded by polished aluminium counters and cooking appliances we were asked “How do you feel?” The response came back unanimously – normal, it feels normal. After calling out for a short while and asking for the spirits to do something to show they were there, we received nothing. Giving up on the kitchen we returned to the main event space.

Ghost Hunting Tools App 

As the team were strategically setting out some REM-Pods and cat balls I sat down and got comfortable. I opened up an app that I wanted to try – Ghost Hunting Tools provided by Sven Camrath. Advertised as simulating a ghost detector and being for entertainment purposes only I had my doubts – was this just coded to spit out words and provide some interesting looking graphics – or was there something beyond that could influence the display?

As I sat there, people were calling out – words from the app begin to appear -Per, Minimal. Embark. They had no real correlation to the questions being asked until someone called out “Do you like girls?” In response the app spat out ‘Gay’. Ed had set up a laser grid, which was now projecting on the curtain at the far wall. A laser grid is a laser pen with a diffuser that projects a series of dots in that movement can be seen if someone – or something – moves breaks the lasers. On the grid being activated the app replied ‘Blanket’. Taking some picture – 3 in a row (trying to stay still) – forced me to close the app. On review of the images it appeared that humanoid shapes began to develop as shadow – there was no one behind me (and nothing else that could have blocked out the light between me and the laser grid).

Laser Grid 1

Laser Grid 2

Laser Grid 3

From the event space, the next stop was an adjacent room where GEUK had a spirit board set up. Wanting to experience this technique again I stepped forward and placed my finger on the planchette. The board was opened, and we waited, asking questions to which no one seemed to want to answer. As we moved the planchette to ‘charge’ the board I realised there was a large mirror in front of me. As my hand moved in circles around the board, I saw what looked like someone or something peering over my shoulder. I called it out, questioning if anyone was stood that close behind me but no one was. We closed the board and decided it was time for a coffee.

I was aware of cases where the batteries in investigator’s equipment would suddenly die – but not of a battery disappearing completely. As we walked away from the board the other male member of our group, Joe, said he was going to try a quick EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) experiment. His digital voice recorder had been hanging from his neck all evening and as he tried to turn it on, he found it was without any power. Opening the battery compartment, a simple flap on the bottom with a locking clasp, he announced that one of the batteries was missing. A search of the floor around the location where Joe was stood did not locate the errant cylinder and the AAA cell was promptly announced MIA and replaced. Was the battery apported by spirit or simply fallen out we will never know.

After a quick refreshment break we went upstairs where after some time on the landing, where I took a few photographs, and got no major response; we moved into a yoga studio. The room with a sprung floor and mirrors down one side was lit by the glow of the streetlamps outside. As we made ourselves comfortable in the space the Rem-pods and cat balls were deployed.

The ball rolled across the floor, the tell-tale red and blue flashing light illuminate the space around it. The ball stopped suddenly and after a couple of seconds stopped flashing. The calling out suddenly stopped as everyone’s gaze fell on the ball. It had lit up and was visibly moving, rolling around itself before rocking backwards and forwards until it was stationery, and the lights extinguished. Attempts to provide a normal explanation were conducted but nothing attempted could replicate what we had seen.

Firing up the Ghost Hunting Tools app again, the room began to feel crowded. Our group divided itself up leaving 5 of us in the yoga studio – all with variants of a word producing app. We continued calling out, asking for any spirits present to light up the cat balls or REM-Pods. As we were talking the apps began to churn out appropriate answers to our questions. Joe was told through 4 phones that the spirit present did not like him and wanted to harm him. This was laughed off but there was clear concern on Joe’s face. The equipment was moved closer together so 2 cat balls flanked the REM-Pod, and on moving them they lit up to the soundtrack of the pod’s siren. I asked out to change the subject if any spirit present could cause any of the equipment to light up. The left ball started to light up and when I asked if it could illuminate both at the same time I received the word ‘Button’. Speaking into the room I confirmed that ball had a button on it – the app said ‘mission’. Questioning if the task requested was too hard and offering out the use of my energy, I received two words in quick succession ‘ridge’ and ‘assistance’. 

2 cat balls 1 Rem-Pod

As I retrieved the balls the left ball lit up as expected as I had moved it – the right-hand ball didn’t. Thinking that the battery had died I pressed the button to which it promptly activated and made me think that if something was communicating through the mobile apps it was telling us that what we were asking was impossible as it had been turned off.

Elated with the findings from the apps and cat balls it was time to celebrate with a coffee and a snack.

Buoyed by caffeine, sugar and the experience in the yoga studio we set off down into the basement. In its past life the Alexander Centre was the local Magistrates’ Court. And where there are prisoners – there are cells. The basement is now home to the heating system. Large water heaters and copper pipes are the décor of choice in this subterranean environment. Checking how we felt, shoulder to shoulder a mixture of responses were returned. Claustrophobic and trapped was the majority verdict – but I felt surprisingly comfortable.

Opening a cupboard, the team had set up a mirror on a desk with a candle and asked the question – who wants to try scrying? Thinking back to my experience in Tonbridge Castle I wanted to give this technique another go. I felt my feet moving and heard my voice saying “I will” before I realised and found myself sat in front of an ornate mirror, the candle flickering in my peripheral vision.

The spirits were invited forward to use my reflection to show themselves with my permission, and I gazed into my own eyes.  As I gazed, I started to notice my forehead growing larger, my eyes sinking and face elongating. A pressure inside my head grew and everything went blue. I felt crowded in this already cramped space as a reassuring voice told me to tell this invisible crowd to step back and take their turn. Immediately as instructed the pressure lifted and I started to see different faces take the place of my own. It didn’t take long for me to feel very tired - sitting still and watching can take it out of you – I thanked the spirits and stepped away heading back for one final caffeine hit before the final area – the servants’ apartments – in the loft.

At the top of the building large space had been divided with plasterboard walls into smaller officers. As we walked down the central corridor we were split into pairs (I was partnered with Joe) and taking a REM-Pod we sat in the office chairs and started to call out.

Forbidden Chair

Joe had been here before – he told me that the spirit in this office did not like people sitting in the chairs. We started to call out asking for a sign, for a knock, for the REM-pod to activate. Firing up the Ghost Hunting Tools app I started to get words ‘Softly’, ‘Obstacle’, ‘Request’. Came the replies to our questions. Asking what the issue was ‘On Chair’ came back. After standing and continuing our pleas for some kind of noise we realised that the room felt flat and so explored 2 other rooms within the attic – receiving a similar non communicative response.

The time being called on the event we wearily traipsed back to the starting point, broke the circle of protection and I found myself back out on the street heading back to my car.