Ummm, no vampires I'm afraid Boatman, but plenty of things to ponder.
The evening started pretty calmly, the team from Swadlincote Paranormal Investigations seemed a little keener than Trace Law, Lynn & I to venture across to the Tolson Mill.
On arriving in the car park behind the dark forbidding Mill, yep, it looked very strange, almost daring us to enter... (ohhh eck!)... It was the moment of truth, kit was grabbed from the back of the cars, a deep breath and then over to the doors, which swung open, without me having to use the key....
OK, me thinks, expect something to leap out, a 'glow in the dark skeleton' or something I bet Mr G has left us a welcome scare somewhere!
Oh, the lights won't work... Yep I'm very, very suspicious now.. do I reach for the phone and talk to Mr G? Nahh, we carry on, up the stairs, up and up... to the top floor!
Out of breath, certainly not cold... we step into a large open space... find a large table and start to set up. While I'm setting up the OB kit, the Paranormal Investigation Team set out doing their 'baseline' checks. This is a series of readings, temperature, etc.. to see what the building is doing/like. It gives them a guide if anybody reports changes in temperature, if they know what the temperature was when they start the investigation they can note any swing in temperature as the investigation unfolds!
A quick look around, a chat to the investigation team and we're underway. What to look for? What to listen for?... Who knows...
A shout from the corridor.. things are happening already. A chair has moved from the floor to a table? Lots of hurried questions... "Did you do it?", "No"... I find myself looking around for Mr G, surely this is one of his tricks? He has a 'spy' in the building.. putting us off the scent... ??
The 'Team' set up a static camera, the results from which were to cause some excitement in the studio later!
Off we go again... Simon D and I decide we need to make notes and take a walk back down the stairs, heading for the car-park to get a notepad and pen... on the way down, something catches Simon's attention.. We slide back a heavy door, oddly weighted so that it seems as if it is trying to close on us before we can enter. Simon takes a few quick photo's of a very dark corridor... if only we knew that we'd spend a lot of time behind that door as the night unfolded, I think we might have passed by, or at least I would have done.. (whimp that I am!)....
On our return from the cars, I check in with the studio, yep things seem to be working OK. A quick word from Simon D and the team...
They've noted the temperature in the building, it ranges from between 9-11 degrees C. There are some metal 'poles' (supports) that run throughout the building, that would allow sound to travel as they run from the top to the bottom... We're also asked to note that the floorboards 'butt' right up to these and could cause noise as we walk around...
OK, doesn't sound too scary so far!
Our first report back to the studio, we explain the chair, the strange lights and the 'orbs' on Simon's Photo's....
From there we split up into smaller groups. The building seems more 'forbidding' now, daring us to 'snoop' about.
We gather in the room at the end of the corridor on the 'Second' floor, on our way there we've noted the old drive shafts and gears that used to drive the machines in the Mill. The room where we stop smells strongly of oil and old machines, a hint of sulphur possibly.... It is dark, certainly not as friendly as our base on the top floor.
The floor creaks, pops, whines and moans as we move around. The remnants of the workings cast strange shadows, suddenly Anita, (a member of the investigation team) and I spot what seem to be 'sparks' of light at the end of the room. We wait, they reappear, dance briefly and then vanish. We move forward to check, but can't find anything to explain them. Simon & James are picking up on something or somebody.... Six men, five standing watching us, the sixth more elusive, a name, Rotherford or Rutherford, a 'silent partner' and a lady who really doesn't want to be noticed, she is afraid! She's afraid, yea gads, something has just run down my leg, I hope it's sweat!
Somebody may have died from Hypothermia in the building in the past. Our lady has an injured neck.. oh boy... Time for a report....
Simon D tells the world about our lady, Simon G gives more background to the story of the lady.. but Simon D can't hear what Simon G is saying I can... I write down a few notes, tell Simon D that she was 'strangled'.
Our group of gentlemen sounds interesting, but names don't ring any bells.
We split up into smaller groups, I'm with James a very experienced medium, I feel safe, if a little nervous. We are allocated our 'spot', oh great, back to the 'Machine Room', yep, just my luck.
James takes up a place on one side of the room, I'm on the other, we sit down and wait. The walkie talkie crackles into life. "Are we moving around?", "Nope" sat still... Footsteps have been heard, they appear to be coming from the corridor that leads to the machine room, (oh joy!)...
Thinks quieten down, James tells me that he is picking up on our 'Five Men', standing watching what we are doing! The sixth is hovering, out of range, not wanting to be seen.
A shadow, at the end of the building appears to move, (nahh I'm just getting tired and cold or am I?). The moon seems to be nice and bright in two windows but not the other two. I ask James, he says that it is the 'energy' building up from our 'friends'. A strange feeling of being watched even challenged creeps into me. I can see the shadow from a fire reel, but there is something next to it, nahh just my imagination, nope there is something there. Right sod this I'm going to have a look. I move forward, the hose reel clear now, the moon seeming to brighten as I walk to the end of the room. I get to the hose reel, there is nothing there. Then.. "Sssssshhhhhhhh".
"Sorry James, what's the matter."
"Nothing Paul, did you tell me to Shush?"
"Nope, I thought it was you!".
"Sssshhhhhhhh". Louder this time.. from the black space to my right... OK, I'm a mug, I've got to go and have a look, the black space to my right turns out to me the ladies loo.. Nothing.
I move back toward James, crouch down and take a couple of photo's. James tells me that someone is giving me a bit of a stare, I stand, James tells me that the person? has gone..
Back for another report.
Simon D fills in the gaps to the story of the lady, oh eck, now I'm a bit spooked. We decide that we should head back to the studio for a warm and a well earned cup of coffee. Before tackling the Peel Mill.
We head back, Vince & Anita stay behind, they want to check out more, eliminate the possibility that the large group moving around may have made the noises, disturbed dust etc... (Rather them than me!).
We head back.
The studio is warm and inviting, I have a coffee, feeling much better now.
The Peel Mill proved interesting but not as exciting, a great night, more questions than answers, we've got to do this again.
My feelings, well like I've said I now have more questions, the Paranormal Investigation Team have more questions, what do I believe, I'm not sure, but I do want to know more!
Cheers
Prog Paul
I think I'm staying in to wash my hair that night....!!!!
;D