Report on the Spooky Stay OverWhole Team

The night started at 8pm and we received a tour of the Hall from the housekeeper. The tour gave us an insight into the history of the hall and the ghosts that allegedly haunt the place. We then regrouped and split into three groups. Each group took a different room and spent 45 mins to an hour in each room. The rooms we explored were the main hall, the priest room, the parlour, the entrance hall, the Whittaker room- formally the chapel, the old kitchen and outside where the white lady is supposed to walk. The lights were then switched off and off we went into our three teams, torches in hand. Most people had cameras and took pictures, which did capture orbs and light anomolies.

We did have a bat that got into the foyer and this upset a few people, but it did set the mood for the night. A few people did experience being touched and two people had their hoods pulled down in the chapel - I do not think the ghostly residents liked the hoods. They possibly found it disrespectful. Several members of the other teams also experienced cold spots and had electrical problems with the cameras.

We picked up a ghost of a servant in the great hall. We asked several questions through the divining rods and some of the group members experienced breathing problems - it came to light that some of the previous residents had lung problems. One of the more brave ghost hunters sat in the whale bone chair in the priest room. This was were one of the Catholic priests was found and murdered during the reign of Elizabeth I. His body sat in the chair until the body was buried. The gentleman who sat in the chair experienced someone sitting on his chest and started having breathing problems. We had to go back downstairs before the feelings left him.

We had records of temperture fluctuations in most rooms and many people felt breezes pass them. We also heard bumps and bangs in most rooms and one of the teams did a table tipping exercise which resulted in the table moving and the team experiencing the sound of footsteps from the kitchen area.

All had a good night and, at a very tired and bleary eyed 5am, we all decided to go home and get some well-deserved sleep!

Many of the members raised money on the night.

The following are the people who raised money:

Angela Williams- £219.80 plus £40.00 (Just Giving website- I have had the letter confirming the fees by Just Giving so the total was £258.00)

Carol Cosgrove- £111

Penny Berisford- £70

I have still to receive a figure for Katrina Wheatcroft

And we raised all together £439.00 for Rosemere Cancer Trust, Preston, Lancs.

The team members were:

Angela Williams, Katrina Wheatcroft, Alison & Bex Weatherburn, Gill & Andrew Hinksman, Liz Burton, Carol Cosgrove, Lorraine Ashworth, Yvette Lee, Penny Berisford, Debbie Little, Carley Cooke, Karen Howard, John Silvester, Joanna & Dom Bateson, Sue & Geoff Tansey. 

The photo is of the whole team at the end of the night and the image used on the news page is what we think is the face of a ghostly soldier.

Everyone who took part would like to do more, so these types of events are clearly popular.

 

Angela Williams