Well, a bit of background info on myself, my involvement in the Paranormal and what I will be blogging about in the future.
Ever since I was a kid I was always interested in ghosts and the Paranormal. What kicked this off was the movie Ghostbusters (hell, I was a child of the eighties). Shortly after seeing the movie, I got to the local library after school the next day, and took what reference books I could find on the subject from the junior section. Over the next few weeks I moved over to the adult reference section, under the guidance of my Dad looking at the books themselves before allowing me to borrow books with content he approved of. Because of this restriction, I then started to order in books to loan from other libraries in the county and within the course of the next year or two I think I must have read every junior book on ghosts, UFO's and the Paranormal in North East England!
My first ghost investigation was at my primary school, I was told of the ghost by an old friend, possibly creating a fantasy or genuinely shared my enthusiasm on the subject. Anyway, we investigated the supposed 'ghost' haunting the school on breaks and lunchtimes for a while before I became bored with the illusion. From what I can remember my enthusiasm for the subject dropped off until the BBC played their infamous 'Ghostwatch' programme on Halloween, 1992. I remember being scared witless from the initial home video footage (not realising until later it was a big scam and seeing the credit for the actor playing the ghost), so I went back to the library and was able to get a few more of the adult section books out. The one that fascinated me and rocked me to the core was 'This House is Haunted' by Guy Lyon Playfair. This gave me the bug for wanting to investigate the paranormal myself. Unfortunately, a 12yr old kid isn't likely to be let loose around a haunted pub, mansion or museum by himself! So school took over.
Fast forward to around 2001/2 where I was studying at University. It was here where things 'kicked-off' big style as I became involved with two separate cases, one at a store where I worked part-time (I will keep the location confidential out of respect for my former employers and friends) and the other was at a 24hr snooker/pool hall, my housemate got a job doing the night shift and found out he wasn't working alone! More on both of those cases in a future blog ...believe me they are good ones!!!
At the same time as these cases, the notorious (and happily now deceased) 'Most Haunted' TV started on cable TV. As a newbie to paranormal investigation, I was hooked for the first series, but slowly my enthusiasm dropped as I found the show to be laughable, embarrassing, insulting to serious paranormal enthusiasts and irresponsible. That last criticism I want to make perfectly clear as I clearly recall some of the stuff the team attempted over the years, including but not limited to: Ouija boards, seances, table-tipping, challenging and aggresively calling out to the unknown, demon summoning, witchcraft, chants, sensory deprivation experiments (being put in straight jackets, tied to chairs, locked in coffins, cells, mortuary slabs etc) ....I could go on and on. These so-called experts (really TV crew and presenters along with ever-changing guest psychics) showed the uneducated viewing public how to do all these things, all the while becoming 'possessed' and relying on the old 'knock once for yes, twice for no' routine that they loved to fall back on, after a noticeable lack of other evidence, especially for the live shows to keep the audience entertained. This irresponsible behaviour has virtually raped the world of Paranormal Investigation. Places of reputed hauntings, now charge per head for the armchair enthusiast to join in on the scream-fest, running around hysterical at the slightest sound (believe me, I tried one of these fright nights once). The companies who run these excursions have monopolised the field, forcing out geniune investigation groups or making them pay for something they were sought out for as a service before. Thankfully, Most Haunted is no more and hopefully the public will soon forget about Yvette and her Scooby gang, and go back to Alton Towers for their thrill-seeking.
Anyway, rant over. More positive posts to come. I welcome any and all valid feedback and points of view. In the meantime I recommend you read the blog of the Black Country Paranormal Society, my friends, a great bunch of people and total professionals in the Paranormal field. To quote a section from my favourite movie: Who ya gonna call?
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