Society of Paranormal Investigation

                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

The Golden Fleece,

             York         

 25.08.06              

 

SPI would like to thank Project: Fear, for allowing us to attend their night at The Golden Fleece.  This famous location has been visited by Most Haunted and is one of the most haunted places in the ancient city of York.

This report was submitted to Project: Fear, as SPI's recorded findings.  Project: Fear have published their own report from their findings and this can be viewed by visiting their website.

 

Minster Room

10:30pm EMF - Normal Temp - 21.1

Our group sensitive (Laura) picked up on a Lady in her late 20’s/early 30’s. Wearing a full length wide dress and white bonnet with dark hair. She felt the lady was crying, very upset

and walking around near the window. She sensed the lady had maybe a ‘Fever’ and the name Margaret or the initial “A” linked to her.

The name “Roberts” and Edward where sensed by Laura and a child named “John”. Laura felt coldness on her shoulders.

10:47pm EMF - Normal Temp - 26.9

Glass Divination in Lounge area: Nothing. No movement.

Glass Divination in Bedroom: Laura sensed the lady again by the window.

11:14pm Glass Divination move to bed: EMF reading by

window raised to ‘Mark 4’ and over the bed to ’Mark 2.5’.

Temp - 22.4

End

 

Saint Catherine Room

12.00am(Midnight) EMF Reading: Mark 5 by foot of bed by window. Mark 4 in centre of room. No reading in bathroom.

Laura sensed many presences.

A) A man with a moustache and a beard and wirey hair. Wearing a waistcoat, knee length trousers and long socks.

B) A woman of stocky build. Maybe a cook or maid.

C) A child, boy aged 2 or 3 years.

She felt the room was “oppressive” and smelt “flowers”. Whilst standing by the bed Laura felt someone/something poke her on the leg. At this time Laura also sensed an RAF man was in the room.

12:21am Séance conducted and a man was sensed by the bathroom door.

12:45am Glass Divination : A man came through, who claimed to be connected to the building. Indicating he was standing next to Laura. EMF at this position was Mark 3. Laura sensed the name Charles.

End

 

Front Bar

1:40am EMF - Normal

Laura Sensed a man by the bar with long hair, wearing a hat.

2:10am Glass Divination by bar. A man came through, Laura asked was his name Arthur, the glass went to yes. No other movement.

End

 

Shambles Room

3:00am EMF reading by left side of bed (near window) up to Mark 7. Laura sensed the name Agnes coming through.

3:10am Glass Divination : Glass moved instantly, but then stopped without giving any information.

3:18am Laura was seeing lace gloves on Sonia’s hands and was getting the name Reginald coming through.

End

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Private Location, Darwen, Lancashire

24^th November 2006

 

Present: Sonia Hutchinson and ex-members Steve Beckett, Phillip Bond,  Landlord/Owner and Two guests of Landlord.

Weather: Wet & windy

Outside Temperature: 10 decrees

 

This location was originally, two mill cottages in the 1600’s, knocked into one in the late 1800’s and converted into a Inn. Currently the property is a working rural Free House, owned by a down to earth guy, who doubles as the chef, running an honest rural local.

The drive over the West Pennine Way set the mood with its black emptiness across the wastelands, heightened by the thrashing rain off the car windscreen. On entering the buzzing atmosphere of the location, we where immediately made welcome.

We set up our equipment around midnight, as the last of the customers drank up and left. As we investigated locations with a scientific view, we have no need for information of previous activity to remain a secret. We gratefully accepted the information in order to help us decide where our equipment might be best placed.

Motion Detectors where placed across a corner seating section of the bar area, reportedly a place where on more than one occasion the sighting of a man smoking a pipe has been seen. With the hope that the mystery man may appear and break the infra red beam from the detectors, we couldn’t resist setting a night vision camera on the area too.

The Landlord explained another repeating occurrence. This time in the cellar. The cellar offered very little space, as it was quite cramped with only three of us in there. The Landlord reported that he has personal experienced, without any regular pattern, the gas cylinder valves would be switched off. An act that would not be apparent until trying to ’pull’ a pint and nothing comes out, or from regular checking of the gas valves. The landlord guided us to the two particular gas cylinders that on inspection needed some considerable effort to be turned off.

We decided that a locked off night vision camera and a motion detector would be ideal for this type of activity. The cellar was naturally cold and a considerable draught came from the cellar door leading to the outside. The temperature was a bitter 9 decrees.

A likely hiccup for any solid proof of ‘paranormal’ activity detected by the motion sensors, was the constant visitation of local wild life, namely several frogs preparing for hibernation. For this reason we had to place the Motion Detectors on high ground.

With our equipment in place, it was time for the vigils. With no reports of activity on upper levels and the locked off equipment in the cellar we had limited areas to investigated. The main bar area, partitioned into four by open fire spaces, was the only available room to carry out group experiments that we wanted to do.

Baseline Test of Bar Area

Time: 11:45pm

Temperature: 21.6 decrees

Humidity: 61%

EMF: Wall at back of the bar counter area was the only high level electrical reading, put down to wiring in the wall for appliances and controls in the

servicing area.

Vigil One

1:30am 

Readings: normal

This vigil was seated in one of the corner spaces in the bar room. The Glass Divination was the ideal experiment for sitting at this round table. Steve, Sonia, the Landlord and his two guests took up places at the table, all but Sonia, who was focusing herself in the seat that sightings of a spirit have been reported, placed their fingers on the glass and took a minute to clear and focus their selves. Phillip was recording the vigil on a Sony Digital Night Shot, Infra Red Cam.

The glass moved quite quickly and smooth across the table. As we asked out for answers to determine who or what we where communicating with. The only information we discovered was that it was a man, who wasn’t alone and was connected to the building. He denied being the man sighted smoking his pipe. The glass indicated a connection to the female guest, who was growing emotional. She sensed her mother and father where present. Sonia randomly felt cold as she switch from passive to active on the glass.

As with what followed became quite personal to the female guest, we feel no details need to appear in this report. Although she became quite upset, tearful and without offending her, calmly hysterical, after closing the vigil and moving to a cleaner atmosphere, she relaxed and even felt quite happy.

We unfortunately don’t feel able to accept this experience, as plausible positive interaction with spirit, for many reasons.

But what may prove interesting is the possibility of a light anomaly passing over the male guests head during the height of the female guests emotional episode on the digital night cam. This footage is in the process of being assessed.

No EVP was detected.

The Landlord never claimed or denied being a sensitive, so whether he is or isn’t a sensitive, isn’t for us to say, but during this vigil, he and Sonia, who is developing a sensitivity to spirit, picked up on a similar spirit. A young girl, with blonde hair and wearing a flowery summer dress. The Landlord also left something touch him ‘inside’ his ear. A feeling of being tickled with a cocktail stick.

Vigil End - 2:45

 

After a prolonged interval between the vigils, to ensure the female guest was fit to carry on, which she decided she was comfortable with continuing, we set out to carry out our second vigil. This time we decided to focus our attention in the bar area that has claims of sightings of a man sitting in the corner, smoking a pipe.

Vigil Two

3:00am

Readings: Normal

We sat in the very seat the man has been seen occupying and entered into a séance. After focusing ourselves, we begun the calling out. All attendees participated in this ancient ritual act of trying to communicate with spirit. The Landlord sensed pressure from underneath his hands and in particular his fingers left like they where being tickled from underneath.

At one point we thought we were receiving a response from spirit as we collectively heard what appeared to be tapping on request. At first it appeared to be coming from the open fireplace. Under further inspection, it was actually coming from the ceiling. As this location doesn’t offer B&B and the owners wife was asleep in bed, we could rule out any human movement from the floor above. After further tapping, the Landlord remembered a Central Heating Device was actually located closed to where the sound was coming from, but he was not aware of it making these sounds previously, but indeed the device was the cause of the tapping sound.

Vigil End - 3:45am

After a frustrating quiet second vigil, we decided to return to the scene of the first vigil. After a personal encounter and the sensing of a young girl, we thought it was worth staging our final vigil in this area.

Final Vigil

4:30am

Readings: Normal

We experimented with the glass in this vigil. In this session the glass was struggling to move. The answers where random and produced no real picture of whom we might have been communicating with. What was sensed by some participants was a feeling of aggression in the atmosphere or from the way the glass was being pushed. Quite quick and forcefully.

Unlike in Most Haunted, where Yvette would have returned the aggression back towards Spirit, we have more respect for the spirit coming through and the peaceful living of the living occupiers of our locations, and ceased communications and close the vigil and the evenings investigation.

Although the evenings investigations have come to an end. The hours of endless locked of camera footage and hopeful EVP evidence has to be scrutinise. Which will take this investigation further, hopefully.

Vigil End - 5:15am

Conclusion - Is it haunted? If so, by whom? Is it residual or in visitation?

A Spiritual View

What was experience at this location was, an honest view that a personal eyewitness accounts, was only added to with several similar sensations by some members. Sonia spoke to the Landlord at the end of the night to discuss the sensing of the young girl. Sonia’s description of a young blonde haired girl wearing a dress with red and blue flowers on it and having a bow on the back, was confirmed by the Landlord, at this point only, as an identical description a regular customer has witnessed too.

Cold sensations are a common feeling when a spirit enters the atmosphere and this was felt by more than one participant. These where sensed during the period that one member was having a personal encounter with passed loved ones.

Possible light anomaly during this same period.

EVP & locked off camera’s are still outstanding for this report, at this time. If we discover and further recorded evidence it will be added to this particular report.

A Scientific View

No evidence was witnessed on the night that would indicate paranormal activity. The cold sensation experienced by more than one member, could have been the result of ‘psychosomatic’. - one member plants a seed and others believe they are feeling similar sensations.

As we stated in Vigil One, the communication with spirit during this session is unfortunately unreliable evidence, for two reasons.

Firstly. It was clear from the start that the female guest was over enthusiastic and eager to communicate, although, at the time we where unaware why and who she wished to communicate with. A 12 year wait for communication with passed loved ones had clearly been building an emotional tidal wave. It isn’t uncommon for the living to seek answers and closure with passed away loved ones, via mediums and spiritual evenings, others see counsellors or therapists.

The investigation of this location is far from over. We still have video footage to watch over, EVP recordings to listen through and further visits to carry out more experiments and vigils. So this report is not in the lease bit finished.