An Interview with Ghost Hunting Group ‘Phase Paranormal.’

Published on 31st December 2023. Happy New Year everyone!

An Interview with Phase Paranormal

Local Paranormal Group

Met with a representative from a very 'spooky' and interesting local group today. More to come on that very soon. Sign up to the newsletter to keep in the loop.

https://www.spoldhamauthor.com/

Image from Unsplash. I do not own rights.

Llancaiach Fawr

This past Thursday evening I went on a Ghost Tour of the beautiful sixteenth century Llancaiach Fawr Manor with my mother -in-law and daughter-in-law.

Llancaiach Fawr has been featured on television many times. It was used as a location for filming (I believe) ‘Dr. Who’ amongst other things and is well known for its beauty and intriguing history. Above all, it is famed for being ‘one of the most haunted houses in Wales.’ Taking the guided tour by torchlight, it is easy to believe that might be true.

Even the grounds leading up to the house are thought to be haunted, many people reporting seeing figures there. Various parts of the house are believed to be haunted, some areas more so than others. I am being deliberately vague just in case anyone plans to go there. I don’t want to give anything away.

Anyway, on the tour a few people reported being poked in the back, having their hair pulled and other similar things. Now, it might be that some of us are highly suggestible, especially in such an atmosphere of expectation. It might also be that these people were genuinely touched by spirits. Who am I to say one way or the other? However, there was one thing that gave us all pause, as a group. Only a very small thing, but it was odd.

We had all gathered in the final room of the tour. One of the guides was telling us about the ghosts that are said to haunt that particular area. We were having a moment of silence, listening for anything out of the ordinary, when a tiny stone rolled across the floor.

Big deal, you might think. Except I was sitting opposite the direction it came from. There was some muted torchlight on, allowing me to see the feet of the people opposite. They were leaning against a table, nothing behind it but a bare, whitewashed wall. I was looking at the ground, concentrating. I did not see the stone, but we all heard it rolling across the stone floor.

A few of us said, at the same time, “What was that?” One of the tour guides (there were two) switched on the big torch and began to search the ground. She found the tiny stone in the middle of the room. To demonstrate the noise, she threw it so that it rolled across the floor and sure enough, it was the same sound.

Nothing big. No apparitions or strange vapours. No moaning or rattling of chains. But something caused that stone to be thrown between the legs of those people standing opposite, to come to rest in the centre of the room. Strange.

I should also add that two of our group were given EMF metres to carry round. I am on the fence about whether these things work. I suspect that there might be natural electricity, so to speak, in certain areas, or electrical cables or whatever that we don’t know about that set the devices off. Regardless, one of the EMF metres flickered quite vigorously at certain points during the tour, mostly when the names of individuals who existed were spoken. Like I say, I am not entirely convinced, but it was interesting.

There were definitely parts of the house that made me uncomfortable to stand in, especially in the dark. Suggestibility, or genuine haunting? Who knows.

The house is most definitely creepy at night, as beautiful as it is. A family lived in it until fairly recently. They have reported all kinds of weird, unsettling events happening there.

All I know is, I would not sleep in it and I certainly wouldn’t stay there alone! Don’t listen to me though, go see for yourself.

They are about to run mock Witch Trials there, based on real-life trials that were held there. If I get a chance to visit when they are on, I will share the experience here.

Happy Halloween!

Put you in the mood to visit? Find out more here: Llancaiach Fawr -What's On

Have you been there? Experience anything? Feel free to share in the comments!

Urban Explorers - Abandoned Properties

Been watching some good Urbexers (that's Urban Explorers for those of you who are not young and hip like what I am) on YouTube lately. I watch for the intriguing back stories, the history, the beautiful houses, to see the material remnants of what were once vibrant, active lives of people long gone. Some of the homes were once murder scenes. Others bear evidence, even now, of the poor souls who died in them, alone, only to be found much, much later. So sad.

It always makes me wonder why family don't come forward to claim property, documents, photos, mementos and so on. Breaks my heart to see these things left to rot and fall apart. Some of the buildings are furnished with such great quality, expensive, truly beautiful items of heavy furniture I can't help thinking it would be better to let people just take it, rather than leave it to go moudly and eventually to collapse. Such a waste. Though I also understand the need for respect. The idiots who go in just to trash the place and break things, spray painting walls and smashing windows, are no better than the four-legged vermin who live there now, in my view.

Of course, there are a whole host of reasons why family might not want anything to do with the deceased's former home. Some interesting stories right there, I bet. My daughter in law Rebecca Oldham just happens to watch the same Urbexer as me. She was telling me of a local property which is often explored by people. I did not even know it existed! Only down the road from me. It was once a mental asylum. Such sad places, as I have said here before.

If I was in better shape, to climb over things, up dodgy stairs and so on, and if I could still run away from the angry individual who seems to be a self-appointed guardian of the place and regularly chases people away (with a gun once, allegedly,) I would go for a look myself! Have any of you ever done anything like this? Investigated abandoned mansions, hospitals, schools? Anyone want to do it but haven't taken the plunge yet? I would love to know!

Image credit: Jamison Riley for Squarespace.