Barry Dodds
that you would consider dangerous?’ I ask nervously.
‘Yes,’ Neil replies, ‘The big mirror in the Victorian séance room is a portal where spirits come and go. There is a spirit attached to it that some say is demonic, a very negative energy.’
Memorabilia
10pm: Neil has left us to it and we’re investigating the army room. All around us are items from the
1940s – an old pushbike, a wheelchair from an asylum, gas masks, even a defused hand grenade. We sit at a table using a recording device and an EMF meter, a device that can detect changes in the energy in the air. However, everything is quiet.
We decide to try calling out to the spirits.
‘Can you push the old bike?’ I say aloud. ‘And by that I don’t mean Ju…’
%HIRUH , FDQ HYHQ ¿QLVK P\ FUDVV joke, there’s a thump from next door. We gather our things and decide to investigate further.
Steer clear if dolls scare you
Name calling
10:40pm: We are in the doll room where the loud noise came from. We set the EMF meter near the doll in the glass cover, turn the lights out and wait.
We can’t work out what is going on. ‘Margaret, if you are here, and this is your doll, can you let us know?’ I ask.
Instantly the EMF meter lights up, a very strong reading – and then it starts hitting levels I haven’t seen before. ‘Thank you Margaret, that’s amazing!’ I exclaim.
Again the device screeches into OLIH WKH EOXH OLJKW ÀRRGLQJ WKH room. Suddenly I feel incredibly cold. We certainly are not alone in here and a quick check of the thermometer FRQ¿UPV WKDW WKH temperature has indeed dropped.
11.30pm: The results in the doll room have been incredible but we need to investigate the other rooms. We move to the witches’ room where there are items that I can’t even bring myself to go near. There is a Dybukk Box, a box sealed with wax that supposedly contains an evil spirit, and many examples of witchcraft from around the world. It certainly is an impressive collection but I have to be honest, it has me scared. We sit down around a round table, the huge imposing mirror Neil mentioned looming over us. Suddenly we hear a scratching from the corner behind us. Could it be rats?
12:15pm: Apart from the scratching it has been fairly quiet. Calling out has had no response and the temperature is normal. We have relaxed a bit. I’m chatting casually with Judi when suddenly the light on my torch turns on by itself. The beam is shining straight into the PLUURU 6ORZO\ WKH OLJKW ÀLFNHUV RXW by itself. This place has really started to get under my skin now and I decide that it’s time to respectfully say our farewell.
1:05am: We meet Neil in the tea room downstairs where he has been patiently waiting for us.
‘What an amazing place,’ I tell him. ‘Margaret really seemed particularly active!’
‘Maybe that’s because you got her name wrong,’ Neil points out. ‘You should actually have been asking for Mary!’
I blush. Of course! I was saying the wrong name all night. It seems that I got Mary mixed up with a lady in a painting in the same room. It certainly got a response though – was she cross that I was getting her name wrong?
We say our goodbyes and head out into the mild evening air.