Published: Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 5:06 pm
by Author: jagannadmin
Filed under: Write PR
Topics: Dame Vera Lynn, Fort Amherst, Lucy Jones, Surrey Paranormal Ghost Hunters
This week we thought we would let a jag team member tell us what they have been up to in their spare time. We aren’t all work and no play – we are in fact a pretty exciting bunch!!! So we thought we would let Lucy, a Senior Account Manager at Sussex-based jag press & publicity, tell us what she gets up to when she isn’t smoozing with journalists and writing communication strategies. It makes for some ‘spookily’ interesting reading!
Well this weekend I went on a ghost hunt… yes, you heard right, I went ghost hunting. So I thought I would share my experience with you.
We set off at 7pm from Sussex and headed to Chatham in Kent. I did wonder on the way what could be so spooky about Chatham but how wrong I was……
We arrived in the town centre and at the top of the hill was a very spooky, lit up fort. I did say to my sister at this point, ‘this better not be the place where we are heading’. Of course it was! So we drove up a long drive where we were met by a few other ghost hunters. We had arrived quite early so we got a cup of tea and then a tour of the fort commenced.
At this point the lights were all on and the fort was just a series of tunnels and really didn’t look very scary at all. We arrived at the gatehouse and were told stories about how the fort is the largest Napoleonic fortress in Britain and then we weaved through the tunnels, eventually reaching the top of the fort on the hillside which looked right over Kent. All seemed rather like a nice pleasant history tour so far. We then went for a tea break.
Once we warmed up with a nice cup of tea we met with our tour guide and the medium, who talked to us about being psychic and having the power to contact ghosts etc. I still wasn’t really convinced at all, especially when he started talking about psychic vampires!
After the introductions we went back into the tunnels, which were now pitch black, and we had our first séance. It was at this point where we first met the Surrey Paranormal Activity Investigators. They even all had matching coats! During our first séance we were asked to hold hands and hum. I really had to stifle my laughter at this point. My urge to laugh soon disappeared though when some distinct banging noises were heard at the top of the tunnel, followed by Bob (one of the Surrey team) rushing forward due to being pushed by a ghost.
Following the séance we roamed around the tunnels with our torches. My friends and I took this as an opportunity to scare each other as much as possible. Let’s just say it worked… many times!
After another opportunity to warm up with tea we were then taken into a very big dark room. Our medium explained the ghosts and figures he could see and there was a flash of light just by the side of my sister and I. We were then informed by one of the Surrey group that this was one of the first things you see when paranormal activity happens. Feeling slightly freaked out I was then lead up the stairs ready to complete the next séance and my sister then confessed she actually flashed her torch on her foot by accident so that ruined that.
This time our séance had music… We had to listen to the dulcet tones of Dame Vera Lynn to bring to the fore the spirits who had been using the fort during World War II. Again, a few noises were heard and the room did seem to get colder but that was all.
After this we got the opportunity to try moving glasses. The first group stood in a circle with the glass placed on the table in front of a small red light. Sure enough after about 15 minutes there glass violently slid across the table which scared everyone. Of course when it was our groups go, despite persevering for about half an hour, nothing happened.
Slightly annoyed at having no ghostly activity yet, we moved on to the next exercise. We were asked to wonder round the tunnels with a thermometer to track any unexplainable temperature changes of 5 degrees or more, either hotter or colder. Again, this was another opportunity for my group to scare each other. We heard a few screams at the top of the tunnel where another group of girls were sitting and had heard a bang on the door. This was our opportunity! We sat in the dark with our thermometer and called for the ghosts to come…. ‘Spirit, if you are there show us’, I said. At that exact moment one of our group then managed to break wind very loudly…. I think the ghostly atmosphere might have been somewhat ruined by this.
All was not lost. We still had one final activity and the last séance to go so there was still hope of experiencing the paranormal. We had to walk down to the old Gatehouse where the soldiers used to sleep. This place was by far the creepiest of all. We gathered in the dark in one of the bedrooms and all stood in a circle. I was then moved by our medium to be near the door, which I really wasn’t very happy about. We all stood in silence and listened as our medium called for the spirits to make themselves known. There was an almighty bang that came from outside the room and I was finally starting to feel scared.
Once this was over we reunited with all the other groups downstairs in the Gatehouse for the last séance. We were told by the medium he had checked the door to make sure it was locked so it couldn’t bang. My sister then said, ‘shall I go and check?’ Always the sceptic. Sure enough, she walked to the top of the stairs, on her own, in the pitch back and checked the door. When she returned she informed me that not only had it been left open, it was pinned back, so pulled it shut and locked it. I don’t think our medium was very happy about that! Needless to say, during our last séance nothing happened at all.
It has to be said I don’t think I have ever slept so soundly since my night ghost hunting. If there are ghosts around at least I know they aren’t likely to ever bother me, maybe just other people!
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