Sponsored by
A spectre calls as crew investigates museum
In a society where religion has made way for celebrity worship, we are desperately in search of something to believe in. With the soaring popularity of shows such as Most Haunted, it seems the paranormal has got people all shook up.
In a society where religion has made way for celebrity worship, we are desperately in search of something to believe in. With the soaring popularity of shows such as Most Haunted, it seems the paranormal has got people all shook up.Asha Mehta perfected her best Scully impression and camped out at the city's museum for a spot of ghostbusting.
There's a part of everyone that loves being spooked.
Think back to shuddering at ghost stories in the playground and shrieking behind the sofa when the Daleks trundled on to the screen.
A good fright gets the blood pumping and the adrenaline flowing – but we all know ghouls and monsters under our beds are just harmless hokum. Or do we?
Try telling that to the 16 city ghosthunters and crew members from Paranormal Tours who descended on Peterborough Museum on Saturday night.
The company specialises in staking out haunted buildings and collecting evidence to prove spirits are not just to be found in bottles behind the bar.
They decided to hold their latest vigil at the Georgian building in Priestgate, which is renowned for its ghostly goings-on.
It is said to be home to a gaggle of spectres, including that of First World War soldier Thomas Hunter, who died there in 1916.
So, armed with an eye-popping array of futuristic kit, the crack team and a handful of novices swapped their comfy beds for a night of thrill.
Convinced it would make for nothing more than a quirky pub tale, and with my friends' cries of 'It's all cobblers' ringing in my ears, I tagged along.
Expecting to be confronted by "anoraks", I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by bubbly crew leader Abigail Quinn.
So how had a seemingly down-to-earth woman found herself in this off-the-wall line of work?
"I went along to an investigation as a customer and I didn't scream like a big girl, and from that day I became hooked," she said. "I have had experiences, but I remain sceptical."
And then, Abigail hit me for six with her revelation. "On an investigation at the Galleries of Justice in Nottinghamshire, something extraordinary happened.
"This is going to sound really crazy, but I saw a creature that looked like a giant spider. The medium really panicked and was desperate to get everyone out."
The atmosphere was beginning to crackle with tension, although the unofficial motto of the evening was "expect nothing".
Next, I chatted to James Platt (29), a driving instructor from Wansford. So what made him part with his cash to take part?
"On a holiday in Ireland, I woke up at 2am and saw a man dressed in grey standing next to my bed.
"He stayed long enough for me to know that it wasn't the Guinness having an affect and then disappeared."
Abigail and another crew member Karmen Waldron (29) explained that they aimed to keep the conditions as scientific as possible without introducing suggestion, and at the end, the teams' findings would be collated and analysed.
Following workshops on dowsing, sprightly medium John Crowdey took us on a ghostwalk. We stopped at various points where he sensed a presence, and visitor services manager at the museum Stuart Orme, interjected with a historical account of the spot to see if it tallied.
John said: "I've seen spirits as clearly as you are seeing me. I saw my father at a church in Basingstoke after he had passed over."During one extraordinary moment, he singled out a woman and described seeing a man in front of him who he said was her late grandfather. She was overcome with emotion and nodded as he related his quirks and described his appearance.
Then the main event followed – four, one hour-long investigations at various hotspots.
I stayed on the first floor, where John had noticed an "oppressive" air. But it was when the group I was with carried out a glass divination exercise that things took a strange turn.
They began to ask the wine glass questions, resting the tip of their finger lightly on the base.
At the start, it remained frustratingly still, but as the team started becoming more confident, it moved. They remained calm as the glass whizzed back and forth in response to their questions.
Amazingly, they managed to find out they were in contact with an 18-year-old called Izzy, who had died of TB in the museum, a former hospital, and was waiting for her fianc.
Even more weirdly, she seemed to respond more to Sally Dunlop, a trainee GP from Wansford. Sally shivered as she felt a chill brush past her.
"I felt really cold. I don't know what to make of it," she said.
The team deduced Izzy died in the 1890s. The museum keeps surgeon's records, but Stuart said he needed more precise information to check it out.
I've asked him to call me if he comes across her. Until then, I'm putting my subscription to the National Enquirer on hold.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Peterborough
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Heavy snow
Temperature: -7 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -5 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.