The Grey Ladies

Official Paranormal Investigation Report

Present:  Angela, Carole, Nicola (The Grey Ladies Team)

Malte Iden, Forestry Commission Staff

Derek Proud and his Assistant, Tyne Tees Television

Members of the Public

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Acknowledgements:-

The Grey Ladies Team would like to thank the Forestry Commission who granted us permission to lead this event.  The catering hospitality was much appreciated (and yummy!) and thanks also go to the members of the public who participated with us.

Setting the Scene:

The Grey Ladies Team prepared the timetable/schedule of events for this Halloween Paranormal Investigation prior to arriving.  The members of the public would be divided into four teams:  Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw (copyright of JK Rowling/Harry Potter).

On arrival at approximately 7.15pm, the Grey Ladies team unpacked their equipment and had a quick discussion with Malte about which areas were accessible and a reminder of the layout of the Castle.  We also met up with Derek Proud, the Tyne Tees TV producer/cameraman and his Assistant who would be following us around the castle during the vigils throughout the evening. 

The team then proceeded to conduct a series of baseline tests which involved taking temperature readings and (EMF) electro magnetic field meter readings in the rooms where we would be later carrying out vigils with the public.   Generally, the temperature readings were as expected – cooler near windows and doorways, etc and a couple of stairwells showed a slight fluctuation on the EMF meter.  On completion of the baseline tests, we made our way to the tea room where we met the participants and enjoyed our buffet supper.

Preparing The Teams:

We made our way up from the tea room to the main Meeting Point of the evening.  This was referred to as our “base” and where people should return to, should anyone become unwell or when they have completed their next task/vigil.  Angela divided everyone up into four teams and prepared all the name/team badges.  While the TV camera was rolling, Angela explained that the evening would consist of six vigils for each team – a series of 6 x 30 minute tasks in pre-determined Castle locations.  Each team was asked to nominate a team leader.  The four team leaders were then given their schedule of vigils – a grid which was divided into various times and locations – all carefully prepared so that no two teams would be in the same place at once – except for the final vigil – when they would work together with another team and both assist The Grey Ladies Team.

During each vigil slot, one team would be joining the Grey Ladies team and the other three teams would be heading off on their own.  All four teams were all asked to record any experiences which they couldn’t explain in the notebooks they were given during every vigil throughout the evening.  The notebooks were collected at the end of the investigation.

For the purpose of this report, the following is an account of each vigil which the Grey Ladies team participated in – showing a note of which team/s had joined them.

The vigil locations pre-determined by the Grey Ladies Team were as follows:-

Cinema

The Back Door Room (where the key hangs)

Attic Room 1 – the large room

Attic Room 2 – with the tables and chairs

The Bird Room

Outside Well

Pre-Investigation Information from our Medium Clairvoyant

Unfortunately, our medium clairvoyant was unable to attend this event, due to having suffered a bout of vertigo earlier in the week.  However, working with her spirit guides, she was able to give Angela the following information on the afternoon of the investigation:-

“I'd suggest you concentrate on the attic areas - absolutely loads of activity up there.  The Grey Lady mentioned on Sunday is not a duchess, she's a housekeeper - I get the sense of keys & very upright person (very straight back) long dress.  I want to call her Magdelena and I feel that she's not entirely Scottish (hint of Spanish in there).  She's rather proprietry about the castle, not surprisingly.

Emma, the serving girl you'll catch on the back steps (the ones leading up from the kitchen area) or in the room where the back door is (the one we were to use when leaving) also down by the well - incredible amount of sadness from her there.  She probably used going for water as an excuse to get out from under watchful eyes & cry her eyes out.

Also on the back steps I heard voices, male voices.  No anger or confrontation just a general discussion about daily events.

I know the chap on Sunday mentioned a couple of other names but I didn’t get a sense of them at all.

In the cinema room there is "something" by the bay windows - not sure what it is, exactly, but you might get chills or shivers or temperature differences (weather & drafts not withstanding).”

The Vigil Reports:

Vigil 1 – The Grey Ladies and the Gryffindor Team.

Location:  The Cinema

 Photo 1a – drafts were felt around the fire extinguisher.

On arrival into the cinema, we carried out another EMF meter test.  The machine started to bleep around the fire extinguisher.  It was noted however that some sort of cable box was probably within the wall, however, Nicola felt a definite draft around her legs in this area.  So we asked for a volunteer to stand beside it.  They too claimed they felt “cold spots” around their legs.  (PHOTO 1a).

Photo 1b – Wind/rain was heard outside these walls.

Meanwhile, down the other end of the Cinema, Angela called out to invite any spirits present to make a noise or move something to show us that they were there.  Immediately, we could all hear the wind/rain increase directly outside the Cinema (to an outside wall).  (PHOTO 1b).  It built up to an intense level, then within a couple of minutes, suddenly died down again.  At the time, we didn’t think that much of it – until we re-grouped back at base and all the other teams agreed that they didn’t witness any evidence that the wind/rain had changed during the previous 30 minutes.  This included the fact that one team was outside down at the Well…..  Still photographs were taken inside the Cinema and many “orb” like shapes were visible on inspection.   30 minutes had now passed and it was time to head back to base.

Summary:      

EMF meter fluctuations, cold spots felt, orb like shapes caught on camera.

Vigil 2 – The Grey Ladies and the Slytherin Team.

Location:  The “Back Door” Room with the hanging key

As we stood quietly inviting any spirit into the room to make themselves known, Nicola was filming and replaying the film footage clearly shows a definite “orb” like moving white shape whiz across passed Angela’s shoulder – just after she called out to spirit.  It looked like a white light, followed by a trail of orbs.  At the same time, Angela says she felt a definite draft right in front of her legs, level with the knees.  Members of the public claimed they felt a cold breeze on their face and legs and even a shadowy movement coming from above the back door.  On checking the photos that they had taken, they were surprised to see that all the photos had came out blurry.   EMF meter readings did not change, despite several drafts being felt.  (PHOTO 2 – Room shot only).

 Photo 2 – White Light “orb” caught on film in this room.

Summary:

White, moving light and orb like shapes caught on video camera, cold spots/breezes felt on people’s face/legs, shadowy movement seen above back door.

Vigil 3 – The Grey Ladies and The Hufflepuff Team.

Location:  Attic Room 2 (with the tables and chairs)

We asked the team if anyone had an objection to sitting around the table that we had prepared in this area during our baseline tests.  Everyone was happy to oblige and we positioned ourselves comfortably and called out to invite spirit into the centre of the circle.  We increased the level of energy we had between us by linking hands.  The table was very dusty – you could see this by the circle of hand prints.  The degree of what people felt during the task ranged from nothing to feeling something breathe/touch them on the neck.  Some people also claimed that the table even moved slightly.  Despite an encouraging start, nothing really much else happened during this vigil and we made our way back to base.  An interesting orb was captured hovering above the centre of the table as we made our way back downstairs.  (PHOTO 3).

Photo 3 – Slight table movements, drafts, orbs.

Summary:

Some people felt something on the back of their neck, possible table movement. Orbs caught on camera.

Vigil 4 – The Grey Ladies and The Ravenclaw Team.

Location:  The Cinema (2nd Visit)

Nothing untoward happened during this vigil, despite inviting spirit to join us and trying very hard to capture any light anomalies or pick up sounds on tape – until that was, near the end of the vigil, when one person’s personal torch/personal alarm piece of equipment suddenly went off on it’s own accord, scaring everyone to death!  We initially assumed she had knocked it on accidentally, but she said she was only carrying it to use as a torch which was definitely turned off at the time the alarm was set off.  She said you have to physically switch the button across and activate the alarm.  It can’t possibly just go off on it’s own.  (PHOTO 4).   So that was very peculiar!  During the vigil, a few cold spots were felt.

Photo 4 – The offending item!

Summary:

A Personal Alarm unexplainably went off on it’s own, cold spots were felt.

Vigil 5 (Joint) – The Grey Ladies and The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Teams.

Location:  Attic Room 1 (large attic room)

As this was a large room, we asked if everyone was happy to form a standing circle and ask spirit to join us.  Everyone obliged and I invited everyone to introduce themselves to spirit and say their name.  As we went clockwise around the circle, some people felt a definite presence behind them.  It was as if something was walking around and inside the circle that we had formed, checking us out.  Several people were able to take still photographs and it was interesting to see that more than one camera had captured what looked like a dark sillouette of a male figure standing in the doorway.  (PHOTO 5).  Several people admitted that they felt shivers just standing in this attic, as if an unknown presence was making them feel uneasy.  There are bats up in these attic areas and there was a slight draft coming into the room via a window which had a tiny hole in it to allow access for the bats.  Several orb like shapes were caught on still camera, although this could have been dust particles due to the amount of people in the room at the time.

Photo 5 – the doorway where a shadow of a male figure was seen.

Summary:

A feeling of spirit presence was claimed by several people.  Multiple still cameras seem to capture the same shadowy outline of a male spirit standing in the doorway. 

Vigil 6 (Joint) – The Grey Ladies and The Slytherin and Hufflepuff Teams.

Location:  The Cinema and the adjoining Bird Room

We divided our time between the two areas.  Despite attempts to capture spirit energy on film or camera, nothing appeared to respond to us.  (PHOTO 6).  Some people thought they sensed cold spots and the floor boards were creaky – but not caused by anything paranormal!  We headed back to base to discuss our conclusions of the whole evening.

Photo 6 -  Nothing much in here now!

Summary:

Cold spots. Orb-like shapes on camera.

Our Conclusions of the Evening:

We conclude that if there were any spirit energies wandering around, then they probably wondered what all the fuss was about and why were so many people waiting around!  The most common types of “paranormal” activity that occurred were as follows:-

• EMF meter fluctuations.
• Cold spots.
• A presence of something behind you.
• Wind and draft fluctuations on command.
• Orb like light anomalies caught on still camera.
• White light orb like anomalies caught on video camera.
• Spirit shadows lurking in the doorways.
• Personal emotions – headaches, burning pain, icy blasts, feelings of being watched.

Before We Headed Home:-

Some participants had brought their sleeping bags to spend the rest of the night inside the castle (as you do!).

The Grey Ladies team, however, decided to take a wee walk down to the Well.  (Incidentally, the Well was part of the vigils – but the Grey Ladies did not have a time slot with the teams down at this location).  The Teams did advise us that they didn’t like it down there!  The Ravenclaw Team specifically heard footsteps near the Well and claimed to have seen lights and sounds in the bushes to the right of the Well.  One of their team members also claimed to have felt a spray of water on her face whilst standing around the Well.   Anyway, when we got there, we all agreed that there was a definite sense of being watched – the classic scenario of eyes from within the woods.  But again, in this situation, your mind plays tricks on you.  We took a few photos and “hung around” but nothing specifically happened down there.  So we made our way back to the car, packed up, said goodbye and headed home.

The fact that it was the night of Halloween, raised everybody’s expectations.  However, it’s a well known fact that paranormal experiences can occur at any time – night or day, during any date in the calendar.  So with that in mind, Halloween was just another night in the Castle.  So we will just have to return for another evening visit and see if we can capture more sights and sounds on camera, in our never ending quest to prove whether there really is life after death!!

Regarding the Tyne Tees TV filming - there was a short report shown on Tyne Tees TV the following evening on the 6pm news.  The cameraman had cleverly edited the snippets of film to create an eerie, Halloween effect.  However, he also cheekily edited my comments, so some of them didn’t quite make sense, as the words were not in the order I said them!!  He also interviewed some of the participants, but focused on the sceptics, rather than the believers!!   He also left before the vigils were finished, so wasn’t there to find out our conclusions at the end of the night.

Finally, thanks to all our participants!

And many thanks again for all at Kielder Castle for inviting us for Halloween.  We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Report compiled by Angela Chatterton

The Grey Ladies Team