GATEWAY PARANORMAL SOCIETY BLOG PAGES

Friday 13th January - A Pleasing Terror - Two Ghost Stories Production

01/10/2012 13:27:00

The production is taking place completely by candlelight in an area of the Theatre which is said to be haunted!!

They also have some fantastic productions coming up throughout the year so take a look....

A PLEASING TERROR

Two Ghost Stories by M R JAMES

Friday 13th January 2012

http://www.bedfordtheatre.co.uk

Performed by Robert Lloyd Parry

Over a century after they were first published, the ghost stories of M R James retain their power to terrify and amuse. Award-winning and critically acclaimed Robert Lloyd Parry brings two of James’ classic spine-chillers back to life.

In Canon Alberic’s Scrap-book, a young antiquary discovers the devil in the details of an old book in a medieval town in the French Pyrenees. In The Mezzotint a ghoulish revenge is enacted within a work of art, before the helpless eyes of a museum curator in Oxford.

"Lloyd Parry is always absorbing, and catches the sense of dread that gives James his originality"
THE TIMES

"Wonderful, magical storytelling" THE DAILY MAIL

"Lloyd Parry's beautifully modulated performance is perfectly judged to send an enjoyable chill down the spine" THE METRO

"Storytelling at its finest" THE STAGE

This Production is taking place entirely by candlelight in a small backstage area of the theatre which itself is said to be haunted!

For further details please visit the Bedford Theatre Website: www.bedfordtheatre.co.uk

Halloween Fundraiser 2011

11/12/2011 03:36:00

Our Halloween Fundraiser for 2011 was a Decorated 'Haunted' House and Garden with Synthesised Light and Music Display.

We had never tried this before, so we were unsure how successful it would be.

We raised just over £400 in donations from people who visited over Halloween - we were totally overwhelmed by the support and intrest we received!

Further details and pictures of the event can be found here

People asked about the system we used for the display so we've put the link below.

www.setsandeffects.co.uk

You will also find on the sets and effects website details of future light and music displays, including our own Christmas display and Halloween 2012 display (because that will be even better!!)

THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED & DONATED!

The Ancient Ram Paranormal Investigation - October 2011

11/12/2011 03:16:00

The Ancient Ram Inn, in Wooton under Edge, Gloucestershire is regarded as one of the most haunted venues in England. It has been widely reported in local and national press, as well as appearing on many Paranormal T.V. programmes.

It is probably on most P.I. groups and Investigators 'to do' list given the number of ghosts and entities the venue claims to host, and the (very well) documented catalogue of previous Paranormal Activity.

Because of this as a group it was difficult to go there without any preconceived ideas of what we might find, so we went there open-minded, but quietly optimistic that it should be a fairly eventful night!

Unfortunately our optimism wasn't really rewarded, and we had a very quiet night in all!

We tried most P.I. equipment and techniques, but found no 'physical' proof at all.

Of course, for every group that may experience nothing at The Ram, there may be 10 that say they found evidence. The Paranormal after all is highly subjective! - maybe it just wasn't our night... But, as a group, we've always said that we'd rather admit to finding nothing at a venue than fake or exaggerate for the sake of a good report.

We did get some strange results, but nothing relating to the most well documented ghosts and entities that are claimed to be there. An abbreviated report can be found here

and for anyone thinking of Paranormally Investigating the Ram a few things worth remembering:

The venue is VERY COLD - there is no heating, and the old walls act like a fridge so the inside is often noticeably colder than the outside! Wear warm clothes and gloves.
Take warm drinks & snacks, cutlery and mugs - water/kettle are there but you will need warming up through the night and there are no nearby convenience shops open!
Respect the locals - its their village, and not all of them like the idea that the place has received so much attention especially when people are excessively noisy in the middle of the night - we know this because we asked them!
Be objective - there are so many natural explanations for things like orbs, taps, footsteps, creaks, etc - it's an ancient building and over the centuries its fallen into disrepair, so much of our 'evidence' on the night was attributed to natural, non-paranormal factors.
Respect the Building - It's old and frail - many people have been through it over the years and evidence of their lack of respect is evident - unfortunately......
Be honest in your findings - we've spoken to other P.I groups who have been there and, like us, found nothing - with a place like The Ram, you can have high expectations especially if you've researched it well, so you may feel dissapointed that you experienced very little - don't be - it's better to be honest than fake results! It helps other people get a true indication of places if people report the facts.

Halloween Fundraiser 2011

09/28/2011 12:46:00

HALLOWEEN 2011

We decided when starting the Group that we wanted to incorporate some sort of Fundraising into what we do. One of our members has disabled children, and has close links to Watling View School, St.Albans (a Severe Learning Difficulties School) and Young Carers in Hertfordshire (which offers respite and days out for Young Carers throughout Hertfordshire).

Our first Fundraiser will be held in October 2011, and has a 'Haunted House' theme - what else would a P.I group do ;-) and our target is to raise £1,000.

We hope to do this by decorating a house in a full 'Haunted House' style - complete with a light and music show (as well as the obligatory Spooks, Spectres, Ghost and Ghouls of course....) we hope to get members of the Public to come along to visit us between the 28th - 31st October and give a small donation.

Everyone involved has given a lot of time and effort already and we are in the final 'planning' stages before advertising the location, times, etc.. so please check back from the 1st October 2011 for further details.... (which can be found here)

If you can't make it to the event we are hoping to have a live link, or video of the event available on the Website.

We hope that our First Fundraiser is a success!

Local Halloween Events 2011 - Free Local Link

09/11/2011 21:43:00

LOCAL HALLOWEEN EVENTS 2011

We are currently working on a page of Local Halloween Events for 2011 in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire & Hertfordshire.

If you would like to add details of your Venue or Organisations Halloween Events we will add a FREE Link to our page.

Details can be found on our WEBSITE Link.

If you are looking to attend a local Halloween event, details can also be found on the above link.

We will be updating the page as required.

Ghost of Three Horseshoes, Winkwell, Hemel - info needed

08/22/2011 16:11:00

We recieved an email from someone regarding the male ghost who haunts The Three Horseshoes Pub, Winkwell, Hemel Hempstead. They would like to know if anyone who maybe worked or drank regularly in the Pub knows anything further about the ghosts that reside there?

One of our Group members worked there a few years ago, but apart from what they experienced first-hand they have no recollection of any ghost who was well known for haunting the Pub..

Any information on this would be gratefully received. Thank You!

(Please note, if you post on this blog, it will have to be moderated first we would be overun with Spam otherwise!!)

KELVEDON HATCH GHOST - HUNTS

08/22/2011 16:02:00

We returned to Kelvedon Hatch in July 2011, after an eventfull Investigation 2010.

If you are going there to investigate, we found that the Second Floor was once again the most 'active' part of the Venue. Things you may want to look out for are the Secritarait Room (where we had large temp. fluctuations and electronic malfunctions) and the large room next to it, where we once again felt the sensation of 'being followed' . We held a very successful Ouija Board session in this room with a very talkative 'spirit'.....

If you do go, and would like to compare findings we have an abridged version of the nights Investigation available on the Website, or please feel free to contact us!.

Ghost in old Postcard of Hollyrood House??

08/22/2011 15:36:00

I was given this by someone who thought I might be interested in it...

It's a Postcard entitled 'Lord Darnleys Bed Chamber' in Hollyrood House.

The postcard is believed to be about a hundred years old.

In the doorway to the right of the picture there appears to be a ghostly shadow (looks to me like a girl with her head bowed down) there's no mention on the postcard of there being a ghost, it's just a typical tourist type card of the time.

I've shown it in close up below.

Can you see it???

It would be interesting to find out more about this...

Devils Bridge

06/06/2011 13:55:00

Our recent Investigation of Devils Bridge, Nettleden - a few notes if you're thinking of Investigating the area:

RESPECT THE RESIDENTS!!! -

Nettleden is a very small village, and Devils Bridge is known locally as a 'Paranormal' hotspot - it attracts a lot of interest from P.I groups and 'thrill seekers' - unfortunately the latter have caused some problems in the past! Be aware that you are very near peoples homes at the bridge and keep the noise to a minimum- especially if you are there in the middle of the night! Be prepared for residents to keep an eye on things - we contacted the police before we went there to let them know what we would be doing and how long we would be there for. During the night we also had cars come up the path and stop - either another group or someone keeping an eye on us - again another good reason for getting a police reference number just in case it's needed.

PARKING

The roads in the village are very narrow, so safe parking can be difficult to find - where possible you don't want to turn up in a large convoy of vehicles or park blocking residents driveways.

TERRAIN

It is very uneven on the roadway under the bridge, and if you walk to the top of the bridge it is a steep drop on one side with dense foliage and trees in places which can make walking through difficult. Be careful when it's dark as it's easy to trip and fall! There's also things like barbed wire at the top of the bridge and large rocks in places so be careful as (obviously) it's pitch black without a torch!

EQUIPMENT

Hand-held portable items are best - there is a road under the bridge, and although no-one came through it while we were there it could be used. For that reason we took portable items that could be picked up and moved easily if needed. We went on a very windy night and didn't think that voice recorders would pick anything up, but they worked surprisingly well due to the shelter of the bridge. Good torches are a must-have as there is very little light. Even though the evening was relatively warm the loaction of the bridge was freezing cold due to it acting as a 'wind trap' with the wind howling through it - warm clothes and a hot flask are advised!

THE NICKEY / NICKY LINE

05/24/2011 17:01:00

THE NICKEY LINE 2011

As some of our group members hadn't been there before, we investigated part of The Nicky Line last week for the second time.

We are still in the process of writing up a full report, but here are a few things if you are thinking of Investigating the area yourself.

Go during the week - The area has a large field to one side and at weekends, and school holidays in the Summer it can get very busy with groups of (sometimes drunk) teenagers. The line is also used as a walkway and after the local pub is closed you can get some groups walking down it. Having been there at a weekend and weeknight we would definately say the weeknight was quieter.
Be careful and take good lights! - It is very, very dark in places and there are some very steep 'drops' in places (the original railway embankments) - It is easy to wander from the track and slip down them!
Wear flat, comfortable shoes - there are some steps and uneven terrain in places, and some climbing may be involved to reach certain places - shoes with some sort of grip are preferable.
Go in a group! - We wouldn't suggest going down there alone, we had a good group of male/female members and took walkie-talkies so members could walk further along the line if they wanted.
Take a table - as with Snooks Grave, if you are thinking of holding a Ouija Session or similar then a table and chairs help as you really don't want to sit on the ground!
It's in a residential area - on one side of the track there are houses so don't draw too much attention to yourself, or what you are doing. Also the noises coming from the houses can be misleading - we heard several noises that could have been misheard as 'Paranormal' but more than likely came from the residents nearby!
The line itself runs from Hemel to Harpenden, which is about 7 miles - we'd suggest if you wanted to investigate the entire line driving to each area is best - it's a long walk!