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Brummie Ghosts

Thank you for the update Astonian...... all very interesting indeed!!

I'm very interested by the fact that a lot of your relatives seem to experience the paranormal..... which is something I was recently discussing with another researcher. It's a reasonably familiar situation where this type of thing happens and it is perhaps a quite natural notion to consider that such things may boil down to genetics at the end of the day. Given the types of things that can be passed from generation to generation through genes, is it asking too much (we reason) to presume that a propensity for paranormal experience might not also be able to develop as a result?

Thanks very much Astonian!!!

All the best to you,

Nick
 
Been really enjoying reading this thread, thought id drop my 2pence off about my work in the paranormal field.

I did a ghost hunt at woodchester mansion for charity in 2008 and got addicted. Did a few more with Fright Nights, then joined a paranormal team or 2, left when the "paranormal community" got too bitchy as anyone who has been in a group can know about. have done 3 or 4 nights work for Fright Nights at places like the the Lawns Lincoln and hosted at Margam Castle, got myself into Ghost Voices Magazine https://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j48/stevenjoes/39193_457755041082_673091082_6695170_2445649_n.jpg and then brought a house and sort of left it behind for now. Hopefully will get my urge back soon but its a minefield out there.

Interesting things i have experienced over the years include:

Been at Woodchester Mansion in the dead of night and smelling food cooking in the kitchen for about 20 seconds before it completely dissapeared.

Been at Alton Towers and having a door open and close on command 2 or 3 times

Lots of strange noises in my time investigating Smethwick Baths but the most convincing evidence ive caught is on my video i made https://www.vimeo.com/4750172 where about 7 minutes in we get a noise and when going to investigate i get an EVP directly into the left microphone saying YOU twice.

i have a few more little stories but not enough time to write them at the moment.

Anyway, keep this up as i love threads like this, especially around brum!
 
Hi Steve - thanks for the input........ I hope you'll keep in touch!!

Unfortunately, for anyone coming into this fields in the last 10 to 15 years....... that in itself is more than enough to put absolutely anyone off the subject for good!!! Laugh, laugh!!!! In comparison, this fields has been re-invented, raped-backwards and completely ruined by the 'great, international paranormal furore' that began at the beginning of the estimate given above and which is only just beginning to die down (fingers crossed) now. I pity anyone seriously involved in both the subject long-term and beginners (who haven't been influenced to start by the 'Most Haunted' and commercial concern brigades, I hasten to add).

As for the paranormal community becoming bitchy - I can sympathise fully with what you mean there...... it's bitchiness born of politics, in the main. Unfortunately, the subject itself is an absolute non-starter now, from any angle really. The bulk of the newer groups are mainly fuelled by the 'Most Haunted' mentality (if they're honest) and, as in any 'highly populated' subject with tons of competition (as this field has become), also tend to be as mercenary as they can possibly be in their dealing with others. The older guard become more guarded and disillusioned by all of the 'new' pap that the re-invention of the subject spawns - i.e. blatant poaching / theft of information / cases, blind adherence to the silliest, non-objective viewpoints and so forth - and so there is conflict there too, etc. Laugh, laugh!!!

Regards,


Nick
 
I was working in a shop and I saw who I assumed was the manager walking towards me (on MY side of the counter), I moved aside to let him pass and as he did I saw the real manager at the back of the shop (he was the only male member of staff) obviously my head whizzed round to see who had just squeezed past but there was no-one there. All this took approx 5/6 seconds which would not be enough time for anyone to get out of the shop. Another member of staff saw him at the same time as me and accurately described what 'he' was wearing too, proving that I was not hallucinating, neither was I on any medication, asleep or in a draft.
 
patricia woolsey said:
I was working in a shop and I saw who I assumed was the manager walking towards me (on MY side of the counter), I moved aside to let him pass and as he did I saw the real manager at the back of the shop (he was the only male member of staff) obviously my head whizzed round to see who had just squeezed past but there was no-one there. All this took approx 5/6 seconds which would not be enough time for anyone to get out of the shop. Another member of staff saw him at the same time as me and accurately described what 'he' was wearing too, proving that I was not hallucinating, neither was I on any medication, asleep or in a draft.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good, strong experience Patricia...... In a perfect world (laugh!!) researchers would be looking for the sort of thing you mention here, as, for obvious reasons, multiple-witnesses to the same thing add a whole lot to an experience. Have I spoken to you - elsewhere - about this matter previously, as your details are reminiscent of a matter someone told me about (years ago), which was a shop in Blackheath (Black Country) I believe????

All the best,

Nick
 
hi patricia
there was a lot of spirits knocking about down and around dudley rd and i dont mean the ones in the pub years ago and i dont mean down the pubs eithr
there was one up spring hill passage that used to appear and i think it was number ten the frisby house hold whom are friends of mine
and our mate dave experience for him self he shot out of our other friends house at 3 oclock in the morning and he saw things moving around he would never stop there again
sadly our friend and his parents have since passed over but there was stories around the peel st and the lord peel pub up the street
best wishes astonian
 
Nicholas; the ghost in the shop in Blackheath wasn't me, this is the first time I've 'gone public' with my ghost hahaha. the shop I worked in has gone now, it was up town (Stephenson street) it's a bookies now.
Astonian; When I lived opposite Dudley Road Hospital I saw a completely white man walk very slowly past the foot of my bed, along the side of it then disappear through the wall behind my bed. His skin was completely white as well as his suit and top hat. There was no one else in my bedroom with me! I lay petrified unable to move or scream or anything BUT - I convinced myself that I dreamt it (but I don't think I did). After I got married and left there my Mom told me that a man had hanged himself in the attic before we lived there.
 
patricia woolsey said:
Nicholas; the ghost in the shop in Blackheath wasn't me, this is the first time I've 'gone public' with my ghost hahaha. the shop I worked in has gone now, it was up town (Stephenson street) it's a bookies now.
Astonian; When I lived opposite Dudley Road Hospital I saw a completely white man walk very slowly past the foot of my bed, along the side of it then disappear through the wall behind my bed. His skin was completely white as well as his suit and top hat. There was no one else in my bedroom with me! I lay petrified unable to move or scream or anything BUT - I convinced myself that I dreamt it (but I don't think I did). After I got married and left there my Mom told me that a man had hanged himself in the attic before we lived there.
Click to expand...

Thanks Patricia....... There I go - barking up the wrong tree again!!! Laugh, laugh!!!!

With regards to your experience in the property opposite Dudley Road Hospital - had you ever heard about the hospital itself being haunted? I recall reading about the site in an Andrew Green book as a child in the 70's, so it's got a good pedigree for such things in the area! I'm sure there has been something posted up about the spooky heritage of the place on this thread somewhere, perhaps?

Regards,

Nick
 
funny you should say that because the white man ghost happened in the 1950's. no-one had even heard of computers. As I said I convinced myself I'd dreamt it and that was that. Obviously in later years when most of us have internet access I googed 'ghosts, birmingham' and there was the story of a ghost who they think was a doctor who wanders around the hospital and the petrol station next to it. I used to be able to see into the hospital and petrol station from my bedroom window.
I started a thread about Dudley Road asking if anyone knows anything about the area but I may have been too vague and so far no-one has replied, but this is what I meant really. I just didn't want people to think I may be 'slightly potty' hahaha, sadly this is a risk you run if you mention ghosts
 
This has reminded me of a story my mother told me. We lived in The Broadway, Perry Barr (the terrace end, not the posh end) and a young family moved into a house two doors away from ours - I'd left home by then. Mom got friendly with the woman, who told her that her young daughter said she had seen a little boy in her bedroom, dressed in blue, and she asked Mom if she knew anything about it. All Mom could say was that at some time before the War a young child had died in that house and that the new family who'd moved in weren't the first to have seen him. The houses are mostly student accommodation now, and I wonder if the boy is still seen. Mom said she thought that a previous occupant of the house had had an exorcism service carried out.

Big Gee
 
patricia woolsey said:
I googed 'ghosts, birmingham' and there was the story of a ghost who they think was a doctor who wanders around the hospital and the petrol station next to it. I used to be able to see into the hospital and petrol station from my bedroom window.
I started a thread about Dudley Road asking if anyone knows anything about the area but I may have been too vague and so far no-one has replied, but this is what I meant really. I just didn't want people to think I may be 'slightly potty' hahaha, sadly this is a risk you run if you mention ghosts
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Yes - this data you mention is from the Andrew Green reference I read Patricia!! Laugh!!! Other stories have cropped up since, but this was the first stuff I'd read on the matter (and, funnily enough, these are references that don't seem to get mentioned [at all] in more contemporary stories!? Such is ghostlore, however!! Laugh!!)

Potty mentioning ghosts????? I think, these days, people thing you're potty (and worse) if you 'don't' profess a passion for such things!!! Laugh, laugh!!!! Throw caution to the wind, I say, and be blatant about stuff!! Glad your request / interest can be viewed in it's true light at last....... revel in joining the ranks of the 'potty'!!! Laugh!!!

Big Gee said:
This has reminded me of a story my mother told me. We lived in The Broadway, Perry Barr (the terrace end, not the posh end) and a young family moved into a house two doors away from ours - I'd left home by then. Mom got friendly with the woman, who told her that her young daughter said she had seen a little boy in her bedroom, dressed in blue, and she asked Mom if she knew anything about it. All Mom could say was that at some time before the War a young child had died in that house and that the new family who'd moved in weren't the first to have seen him. The houses are mostly student accommodation now, and I wonder if the boy is still seen. Mom said she thought that a previous occupant of the house had had an exorcism service carried out.
Big Gee
Click to expand...

I won't be indelicate and ask how long ago you learned of this matter BigGee!! (Laugh!!) It would be interesting to find out if anyone living in the house (or that general area) is experiencing anything they regard as 'untoward' currently, of course(?) I like to try and keep an eye on such things, over a fair period of time, as - from successive occupant to occupant - the 'activity' frequently seems to carry on in some form, but the nature of the happenings greatly differ from original reports at times......... which, of course, gives considerable scope for debate. A good example is the matter of the hospital mentioned by Patricia above - when Green wrote his book in the 70's (and at a guess, the data therein came straight from Erdington researcher Colin Smith) the activity at the hospital was as she has stated. however, more recent reports neglect to mention such matters and 'other ghosts' now seem to populate the region concerned.....

Fascinating stuff!!!

All the best,

nick
 
Nick,

re: the boy in the bedroom, my mother first told me about it in the early 1970's, but she'd known about it for years previously. I could only take her word for it, and I keep a fairly open mind about such things.

Big Gee
 
Thanks Big Gee!

I don't know if you'd have been aware at such an age, but I wonder if any of the adjoining / surrounding properties had any form of ghost stories attached to them too? I only ask, as this is frequently the case, I find..... I'm always interested in getting an overview of a region, as you frequently find more than one site (often within a very small area) where there are multiple, seemingly wholly unrelated cases. Only a couple of days ago, I was asked to go and speak with a family who live at the bottom end of our street because of goings-on in their house. I said to the head of the family that I wasn't at all surprised to be asked to go and speak with them, as theirs was about the 6th house in that portion of the street that I'd heard was allegedly haunted. In speaking about the matter with someone else on Tuesday night, I was told about weird experiences in a house situated around 70 yards to the rear of the property in my street...... Overall, this is far from being a rare thing......

All the best,

Nick
 
Nick, in the early 1970's I was in my mid-20's, sorry to say!

As far as I recall, there were no spooky tales associated with the surrounding area; at least I never heard any, apart from the one I described earlier. Perhaps people are reluctant to admit to strange goings-on going on in their homes.

Big Gee
 
I'd be interested to know if anyone else in the dudley road area has seen an all white 'ghost' of a man wearing a top hat, if not then maybe it was all just a dream hahaha
 
Big Gee said:
Nick, in the early 1970's I was in my mid-20's, sorry to say!

As far as I recall, there were no spooky tales associated with the surrounding area; at least I never heard any, apart from the one I described earlier. Perhaps people are reluctant to admit to strange goings-on going on in their homes.

Big Gee
Click to expand...

Laugh!! At times, I have a completely stupid (and wholly illogical) tendency to judge matters 'in comparison to myself' and, therefore, as I was a nipper in the early / mid-70's, I'd presumed you would be too Big Gee!!!! Laugh, laugh!!! Ahhhh - don't ask........ Laugh!!

On the reluctance front, you're totally right, of course....... The person I spoke with in our street recently said she had wanted to go to all of her neighbours and ask if they might have experienced anything untoward too. However, she said she didn't want to be dubbed the local nutter and so decided against such an experiment in the end!! Laugh!! The matter had been mentioned to one neighbour they knew, however - a couple of doors distant - and, before they could explain their situation fully, the neighbour stopped them and described some of the things they'd been experiencing to the letter, apparently. Needless to mention, they had also supposedly been experiencing things for some time.

patricia woolsey said:
I'd be interested to know if anyone else in the dudley road area has seen an all white 'ghost' of a man wearing a top hat, if not then maybe it was all just a dream hahaha
Click to expand...


I doubt if anything will tie in in the region concerned - if there is anything to report, of course - but I will take a look through some papers and maps in a while and see if I've got anything else listed for the area in question?

The figure you mention is most striking Patricia, and (correct me if I'm wrong) I'm envisioning something like a 'penguin' dinner suit, but white instead of black, perhaps? Strangely, not long after my grandfather died, I dreamed that he knocked on our front door one day and I opened it to him........ and was baffled how he came to be there, as I knew he was dead. He seemed to wait for me to ask him in and, as I did, I mentioned the peculiar situation and he said, he was indeed dead, but he'd just 'come back'...... I only mention this matter because, as with the sound of your figure, he was totally white - clothing, face, hair (which was normally jet black) and so on. He looked like a comedy ghost from an old black and white movie.

All the best,

Nick
 
Nicholas, I joined a ghost hunting group last year some time. I kept being invited to meetings where the lady who's group it was told us of all the haunted locations she wanted to investigate, how bad 'Most Haunted' on TV was, how bad other groups were etc. Then it dawned on me, after about 2 months that it was all meetings and no actual ghost hunts so I left the group.
I see that your group want people not just for ghost hunts but to search for haunted locations. I only know of the ones that are well documented (apart from my own house of course ha ha ha) and a plot of grassed over land where my old house once stood, so I don't think I would be much of an asset to them
 
patricia woolsey said:
Nicholas, I joined a ghost hunting group last year some time. I kept being invited to meetings where the lady who's group it was told us of all the haunted locations she wanted to investigate, how bad 'Most Haunted' on TV was, how bad other groups were etc. Then it dawned on me, after about 2 months that it was all meetings and no actual ghost hunts so I left the group.
I see that your group want people not just for ghost hunts but to search for haunted locations. I only know of the ones that are well documented (apart from my own house of course ha ha ha) and a plot of grassed over land where my old house once stood, so I don't think I would be much of an asset to them
Click to expand...

Hi Patricia,

The key failing with most paranormal groups these days is just what you have illustrated above.......: all meetings and no cases. I couldn't tell you how many emails and letters I've received over the years that basically begin with the sentiments: "We've set up a paranormal research group, so could you tell us where to investigate, please?" To me, this is akin to setting up a company of some kind and writing to your competition to ask where you can get customers from!!! Laugh, laugh!!!!

Sadly, this is also why the subject itself is in such a terrible state currently - the sudden furore created by such programmes as Most Haunted a few years back resulting in a dramatic increase in the number of ghost groups........ subsequently leading to non-stop squabbling over who investigates what and so forth. As I may have mentioned somewhere previously, when the WMGC was founded in 1989, we were the only research group in the entire West Midlands region. Today - in light of the upsurge in interest in 'ghostie stuff' - I stopped counting at 70 plus associations for the same region (at least 95 % of these groups having sprung up in the last 10 years or so).

We've specifically added to our website blurb that we're looking for people who want to actively become involved in the running of the group - in all the different angles that this might entail - as most people who express an interest in investigation simply want to 'visit haunted places'........ which isn't what an active group wants, of course. (And - again - this is why most groups tend to fold after a year or so).

All the best.
 
Nicholas

Look at it another way. you can go on a ghost hunt costing anywhere from £25 to - oh lets say about £80? that's why people want to join groups. I've been on two ghost hunts both at the Station Hotel in Dudley, very interesting but not much ghostly activity either time, but I also go there just to eat quite a lot (the food is delicious) and have had more wierd experiences just while eating my sunday roast!!!! i.e. an icy cold 'prod' on the back of my hand whilst holding my fork!! I thought it was my husband playing me up (the prod could be replicated but the 'icy cold' bit couldn't) odd knocking noises on the wall in the 'Ladies' I'm sure there is probably a rational explanation for the knocking though.

kind regards.
 
Hi Patricia,

Therein lies the crux of the situation, I'm afraid........ paying for investigations. This had been the thin end of the wedge with regards to the death of ghost research, unfortunately. We have a strict policy of never paying for an investigation......... but, I guess, this is the only way that a lot of people can actually get hands-on experience of (at least, alleged) paranormal investigation.

I visited the Station hotel as the guest of another group many years ago....... It hadn't been featured on Most Haunted by that point, so a lot of the stuff that's now (erroneously) associated with the site hadn't yet been thought up. The group concerned never had to pay for their investigations either....... it was basically something that was never thought of at that point in time, of course..... Laugh!!!

All the best to you,

Nick
 
As well as allowing in paranormal groups. the Station Hotel run their own paranormal investigations there. The second time I went I thought it was spoiled by their resident medium. She insisted on going into a trance, hobbling around dragging her leg behind her, making out she was taken over by a crippled person, shouting 'FIRE, FIRE, FIRE' and generally wailing and in my opinion attention seeking. I'd love to go again but am waiting until she's gone!!!
 
What tickled me about the Station Hotel is that they began charging more money (I think it was a tenner) for rooms situated on the 'haunted landing'!! Laugh, laugh!!! I don't know if they still do this, but a lot of the stories about the site involve unsuspecting people 'fleeing in terror' from the rooms concerned..... so some having to pay extra for staying in the same rooms seems a little ironic really? Laugh!!!

I've had contact with a couple of the groups that have hosted paid investigations at the Station, but, as mentioned previously I'm sure, I have very strong beliefs over this sort of concern and tend to avoid such things. I have to say that I take my hat off to anyone who can 'sit-out' a session with a medium in 'full flow' without bursting into hysterics..... Laugh!!! A friend of a friend went on an overnight investigation last weekend and, on speaking on the matter, said the event had been an utter shambles due to the resident psychic from one of the groups 'rolling around in some grass, seemingly possessed' for a considerable portion of the event!!!! Laugh, laugh!!! As you rightly say Patricia - attention seeking!!!! Laugh!!

All the best.
 
I said previously that I thought I saw a ghost of a completely white man in my bedroom in Dudley Road in the 1950's. Just by co-incidence but someone has posted a photo of my old house on the thread entitled 'Dudley Road, Winson Green'. my house is the one on the left. My bedroom was the 1st floor. The photo was taken many years after I left.
 
HI CHIPS 1965;
Many people do not beleive in the ghostly world or of the ufos; but yes they are out there
i personaly do beleive in the spiritual world and of the ufos and that is because i have witness these ghosts
and i do have a daughter whom is a very good medium whom works with a leading lady and a man whom are operating
within the birmingham and surrounding areas and my daughter is reconised for her work along
with two other people whom all orinate from worcestershire they operate a bussiness in eversham town centre they have a shop
where they operate from and bussines is roaring and the other lady whom is well known is rlelated to my family tree
and by chance of conversation with my daughter found out that now they work side bye side my mother was related to her
and they are fully booked up but yes i have experieces of the ghostly world
and yes alot of people do scoff at it but unless you have ever seen one you do not beleive in them
along with the mystrealal world of the ufos they do excist but yet to be more common in sight
many years ago late at night or should i say early moning around 2-3 in the morning coming back from winson green
a friend and myself was walking down baccus rd and benson rd and if you are aware of benson rd its on a hill
and as we walked down there reaching park rd end and factory rd a huge giant light swooped out of the very black sky
at a angle for a moment ad went back in to the black sky there was no trace of it behind the clouds the size was astral
gigantic i copuld not tell you the size of it but it made the lagest moon look like a button beleive we was shaking in our boots
we froze andsaid god blimey was was that we both ran home that night from the distance
where we was it was at the top of st michaels hill brow just by the church of st michaels my friend fred he left me to walk down
factory rd as i had to walk up st michaels hill on my jack jones as fred down park rd we spoke about for weeks after with people
and the following weeks there was reports of ufos all around birmingham and the country
so i do beleive in these things laugh one may but i truly beleive one day these things will be more regular may be not in our time but the younger generation
so you may get the ride back ;; astonian
 
very good write up yes it is a shame some people comment when they dont believe in any of it but at the end of the day thats up 2 them we have 2 medium in our group and one of them is my daughter iv also seen a ghost so joined a group and travel around a fair bit helping people.and as we do this for free when the are loads of groups that charge 2 do the research i think its only fair 2 say life would be much better if people didnt feel silly for believing or contacting groups in order the get there mind put at rest i believe the are ghost every where some make thereselfs known some dont but we cant all be mad after all how many people sit and watch taps ghost hunting ech lol https://mosthaunted.me.uk/ this is our site wmgs@hotmail.co.uk our contact :)
 
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