Hello all,
John here from the BCPS team! We hope you all had a fun Halloween and are looking forward to the festive season?!
I thought I would write up a quick piece about my visit to the infamous Blair Street Vaults in Edinburgh a few weeks ago. The vaults are one of the most infamous haunted places in the UK and has been a life-long desire for me to go there, so when the opportunity came up, nothing would hold me back!
Because the Vaults are a very busy tourist attraction on a daily basis, my time there was limited but I made the most of it, and encountered a few unusual things along the way.
Owned by Mercat Tours, and according to them, the history of the vaults is that they were uncovered in the 1980's and were excavated to reveal a series of tunnels and rooms/vaults. The vaults were used after the creation of a bridge in edinburgh, to try and offset some of the cost. Shops and services were set up down there, but due to the rates, these businesses moved out, and more illegitimate activities moved in. In fact the vaults were left and almost forgotten, until a few policemen decided to take an impromptu look down there, and what they saw horrified them to the point of them fleeing the vaults, before it was raided and emptied, filled in and forgotten about.
Mercat werent expecting the vaults to be haunted, that came as a surprise as tours started operating down there. The vaults are known to be a paranormal hot spot, and high on the list of dream places for an investigator, myself included, so it was a dream come true when I finally descended the stairs, leading down underground. The place is a maze of rooms, all varying in size, shape, height and direction, with no discernable pattern or order to them. The place is lit only be candles dotted in a few places here and there, plus the occasional, obligatory fire exit sign for safety.
The first thing I noticed was how warm it was down there. A person could quite comfortably spend a few hours down there without the need of a coat, because you are deep underground by about 3 stories if I remember correctly. The next thing you notice is the eerie, unexplainable noises. It is hard to tell if they are in the distance or all around you, as well as what is causing them. Its like the echoes of the past are still carrying on. According to my guide, nobody can determine what the noises are or what causes them. It cannot be street level noise as we were too deep undergound. This intrigued and excited me from the start, but better stuff was yet to come!
As we moved from one chamber to the next, listening to stories of encounters and possible explanations, I deliberately stayed behind to get the chamber/room to myself, in order to get undisturbed photos. I always take 2-3 shots, one after the other, of a particular room or composition, so I can compare them afterwards for anomalies and try to rule out rational explanations for anything I might catch. One photo did intrigue me (see our Flickr album) as the middle of a sequence of two photos, as it turned out very dark with a strange light or moving object passing through the middle, when the previous shot showed the entrance to a chamber. Nothing was infront of me, nor did I move the camera, so what caused this photo is still a mystery to me.
As stories and accounts were described from room to room, the notorious name of Mr Boots came up, the apparition that seems to be the only one to move about the place, trying to make visitors feel very unwelcome and to leave. Some accounts were quite vivid and must have been pretty intense at the time. As the guide was talking about another room, I hung to the back as usual, and waited in the arched doorway. In addition to the warmth, there is no wind or noticeable draughts down there, but all of a sudden, it felt like someone blew a short puff of air right into my ear, as though they were standing right by me. My first reaction was to say something, but I bit my lip and didnt do a thing. Then a few seconds later, the same thing happened again. This intrigued me, as a draught would be impossible to be so concentrated as to pinpoint the inside area of my ear. I privately spoke to the guide once she had finished and told her what had happened, she smiled and said that has happened in the past, and in different places. She said that it was especially interesting as she had to pause from talking around the same time, as she was sure she had heard footsteps from the adjacent empty chamber - the infamous Mr Boots had made his presence felt!
The rest of the tour was entertaining and interesting, but uneventful. Regardless, it is an incredible place, run and owned by a fantastic company who are respectful of the alleged spirits that haunt the place, which is something I greatly admire. The last impression I got of the place as I left (the last man out), was that the guide said each night, a member of their staff goes down and blows out each candle, one by one before locking up. That must be a pretty intense nightly experience!
For more information on Mercat Tours and to make bookings, go to http://www.mercattours.com
Thursday, 12 December 2013
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Happy Halloween! BCPS on the Radio
Greetings all!
Well, our live radio broadcast on BRAAP with presenter Darren Yates, AKA "Cheeky Daz" was a great success! We took Darren and his two colleagues/friends to one of our favourite outdoor locations, Gibbett Lane, so they could experience a paranormal investigation without all the bells and whistles of an events company. We are pleased to report they all thoroughly enjoyed the experience, even though at times they were a bit scared with all that was going on, as the new faces certainly seemed to spark some activity!
Here you can listen to some of the highlights:
https://soundcloud.com/cheekydazza/cheeky-ghost-hunt-black?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=facebook
Towards the end, you can hear BCPS team member John and Darren saying they thought they could hear voices. Darren kindly sent us this clip which seems to show some kind of noise directly before them saying they thought they heard a voice. We are currently reviewing this clip, but hear it is anyway to see what you think:
https://www.facebook.com/ajax/messaging/attachment.php?attach_id=3599095b4e93e0ba87966362f2259c39&mid=mid.1381942167979%3Ac969d54fe51989c658&hash=AQAs7cB0KeMyhWyy
Anyway, Halloween is nearly upon us, and from the BCPS, we hope you have lots of scary fun! Please be safe if you are taking part in an paranormal experiences and investigations, and please be wary of playing around with potentially dangerous things such as Seances and Ouija Boards. Our previous blog post gives you our little guide to enjoying Halloween safely!
Finally, team member John will be heading up to Edinburgh this weekend to represent the BCPS, where he will be heading down underground into the Blair Street Vaults, allegedly one of the most haunted places in the UK! John will be taking some equipment with him and we will post photos etc soon!
Well, our live radio broadcast on BRAAP with presenter Darren Yates, AKA "Cheeky Daz" was a great success! We took Darren and his two colleagues/friends to one of our favourite outdoor locations, Gibbett Lane, so they could experience a paranormal investigation without all the bells and whistles of an events company. We are pleased to report they all thoroughly enjoyed the experience, even though at times they were a bit scared with all that was going on, as the new faces certainly seemed to spark some activity!
Here you can listen to some of the highlights:
https://soundcloud.com/cheekydazza/cheeky-ghost-hunt-black?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=facebook
Towards the end, you can hear BCPS team member John and Darren saying they thought they could hear voices. Darren kindly sent us this clip which seems to show some kind of noise directly before them saying they thought they heard a voice. We are currently reviewing this clip, but hear it is anyway to see what you think:
https://www.facebook.com/ajax/messaging/attachment.php?attach_id=3599095b4e93e0ba87966362f2259c39&mid=mid.1381942167979%3Ac969d54fe51989c658&hash=AQAs7cB0KeMyhWyy
Anyway, Halloween is nearly upon us, and from the BCPS, we hope you have lots of scary fun! Please be safe if you are taking part in an paranormal experiences and investigations, and please be wary of playing around with potentially dangerous things such as Seances and Ouija Boards. Our previous blog post gives you our little guide to enjoying Halloween safely!
Finally, team member John will be heading up to Edinburgh this weekend to represent the BCPS, where he will be heading down underground into the Blair Street Vaults, allegedly one of the most haunted places in the UK! John will be taking some equipment with him and we will post photos etc soon!
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
BCPS Paranormal Investigation on the Radio!
Hello all!
Sorry for the delayed blog posts, lots of things going on the the BCPS, mainly personal lives taking up our time, but we still press on and keep active with lots of things in the pipeline!
Some exciting news, the BCPS will be taking a popular radio DJ (and his co-host) to a secret haunted location this weekend to conduct a paranormal investigation, which they will record to be broadcast close to Halloween across a number of radio stations! We dont want to reveal details of anything just yet until the DJ is ready to promote the broadcast, but stay tuned to this blog, our website and facebook for further information! The great part about this is that you will get to experience (even though its just in audio form) one of our paranormal investigations! The DJ will no doubt post photos and any findings on his site, as will we, so you wil have a visual reference too.
Halloween is coming up, that annual tradition where we celebrate all things scary! If you are going to take part in the occasion, I recommend you find a local ghost walk, as they are often a family-orientated event and usually great value for money as an informative and entertaining alternative, should you not wish to do anything too intense such as a Ghost Hunt/Paranormal Investigation!
Should you wish to go for something more extreme such as an investigation evening, personal opinions of them aside, please research events companies that you are thinking of choosing, and go with someone with good reviews that are reputable and dont charge the earth for something they may not have much real expertise or experience in. I also recommend that you take whatever happens with a pinch of salt as I think it is best to take them as an 'experience evening', as their job is to entertain you and provide as many scares and activity they can find. Also understand that these are not controlled environments, so findings are harder to evaluate as well as their guest mediums who have no doubt been to locations many times before. Also please be aware of any groups or companies who practice dangerous and unorthodox methods such as ouija boards and use antagonistic methods to try and communicate with whatever spirits/ghosts may be there. It is a risky thing to do.
Regardless, enjoy whatever you get up to, stay safe and enjoy the evening! We will be back with more information on the radio show and how you can listen very soon!
As always, this blog a personal viewpoint only and does not reflect the opinions and beliefs of other members of the BCPS team or the team as a whole. If you would like more information on the BCPS and what we do, just visit our website at www.bcps.moonfruit.com
Sorry for the delayed blog posts, lots of things going on the the BCPS, mainly personal lives taking up our time, but we still press on and keep active with lots of things in the pipeline!
Some exciting news, the BCPS will be taking a popular radio DJ (and his co-host) to a secret haunted location this weekend to conduct a paranormal investigation, which they will record to be broadcast close to Halloween across a number of radio stations! We dont want to reveal details of anything just yet until the DJ is ready to promote the broadcast, but stay tuned to this blog, our website and facebook for further information! The great part about this is that you will get to experience (even though its just in audio form) one of our paranormal investigations! The DJ will no doubt post photos and any findings on his site, as will we, so you wil have a visual reference too.
Halloween is coming up, that annual tradition where we celebrate all things scary! If you are going to take part in the occasion, I recommend you find a local ghost walk, as they are often a family-orientated event and usually great value for money as an informative and entertaining alternative, should you not wish to do anything too intense such as a Ghost Hunt/Paranormal Investigation!
Should you wish to go for something more extreme such as an investigation evening, personal opinions of them aside, please research events companies that you are thinking of choosing, and go with someone with good reviews that are reputable and dont charge the earth for something they may not have much real expertise or experience in. I also recommend that you take whatever happens with a pinch of salt as I think it is best to take them as an 'experience evening', as their job is to entertain you and provide as many scares and activity they can find. Also understand that these are not controlled environments, so findings are harder to evaluate as well as their guest mediums who have no doubt been to locations many times before. Also please be aware of any groups or companies who practice dangerous and unorthodox methods such as ouija boards and use antagonistic methods to try and communicate with whatever spirits/ghosts may be there. It is a risky thing to do.
Regardless, enjoy whatever you get up to, stay safe and enjoy the evening! We will be back with more information on the radio show and how you can listen very soon!
As always, this blog a personal viewpoint only and does not reflect the opinions and beliefs of other members of the BCPS team or the team as a whole. If you would like more information on the BCPS and what we do, just visit our website at www.bcps.moonfruit.com
Friday, 2 August 2013
Friday, 19 July 2013
The Radio DJ and the Aliens.
Hi all,
Things are certainly picking up in the Black Country Paranormal Society. First of all, Spitfire Radio's one and only Darren Yates (Cheekydaz.) contacted the B.C.P.S asking if we'd like to co-ordinate a ghost hunt with him for one of his radio shows. And we accepted his kind offer. So we will be appearing on radio alongside Darren and the cheeky team. So watch this space!!!!!
On Saturday 13th July, we at the Black Country Paranormal Society, undertook a Skywatch at Kinver edge, by the Toposcope. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM6KW9_Kinver_Edge_Toposcope
Present were the usual B.C.P.S team and joining us was Darren Yates from Spitfire Radio. A good night was had by all. The weather was great and the view from Kinver edge was clear. Sadly E.T nor their ships chose to make a appearance. Although at 12 midnight exactly, shortly after Darren and his family had left, a bright light was seen to appear high up in the atmosphere for a few seconds and then faded away.
The B.C.P.S intend to hold a further skywatch at Kinver Edge on Saturday 10th August for anyone who would care to join us. Feel free to do so. And if you should care to join us and unsure where the Toposcope is. Drop us a line via our email address, blackcountryparanormalsociety@hotmail.co.uk or call us on 07816284845. You could also visit our Website at http://bcps.moonfruit.com/ or our forum at http://blackcounpara.freeforums.net/
Until next time, happy hunting!!!!
Things are certainly picking up in the Black Country Paranormal Society. First of all, Spitfire Radio's one and only Darren Yates (Cheekydaz.) contacted the B.C.P.S asking if we'd like to co-ordinate a ghost hunt with him for one of his radio shows. And we accepted his kind offer. So we will be appearing on radio alongside Darren and the cheeky team. So watch this space!!!!!
On Saturday 13th July, we at the Black Country Paranormal Society, undertook a Skywatch at Kinver edge, by the Toposcope. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM6KW9_Kinver_Edge_Toposcope
Present were the usual B.C.P.S team and joining us was Darren Yates from Spitfire Radio. A good night was had by all. The weather was great and the view from Kinver edge was clear. Sadly E.T nor their ships chose to make a appearance. Although at 12 midnight exactly, shortly after Darren and his family had left, a bright light was seen to appear high up in the atmosphere for a few seconds and then faded away.
The B.C.P.S intend to hold a further skywatch at Kinver Edge on Saturday 10th August for anyone who would care to join us. Feel free to do so. And if you should care to join us and unsure where the Toposcope is. Drop us a line via our email address, blackcountryparanormalsociety@hotmail.co.uk or call us on 07816284845. You could also visit our Website at http://bcps.moonfruit.com/ or our forum at http://blackcounpara.freeforums.net/
Until next time, happy hunting!!!!
Friday, 28 June 2013
Churning away in the background...
Lots of things are happening at BCPS HQ, First off, we have now added a gallery on Flickr which can be accessed by clicking the 'Gallery' button on our Website menu (www.bcps.moonfruit.com). This gallery contains some of our favourite photographs from various investigations over the years, and we hope to continue to expand on this in the coming months!
In addition to our recent Youtube channel, we now have a Twitter account (www.twitter.com/BCPS_Paranormal) feel free to follow us or join us on our new Myspace account (www.myspace.com/bcps_paranormal) if you prefer Myspace to Facebook!
We also have some other big announcements to make in the coming weeks, with one in the final stages of preparation for all to enjoy!
Don't forget that we will be hosting two sky-watch evening's for all you UFO enthusiasts, on Saturday 13th July and Saturday 10th August, weather permitting, at a great location in the West Midlands. This will be a chance for you to come along, free of charge to meet the BCPS team, bring along some food and drink (strictly non-alcoholic only) for a bit of a night time picnic too! This area is known for UFO sightings and provides a great view, so who knows what we might glimpse in the night sky! Join our facebook page and register your interest, or email us (blackcountryparanormalsociety@hotmail.co.uk) to let us know if you are interested and we will post more details next week!
In addition to our recent Youtube channel, we now have a Twitter account (www.twitter.com/BCPS_Paranormal) feel free to follow us or join us on our new Myspace account (www.myspace.com/bcps_paranormal) if you prefer Myspace to Facebook!
We also have some other big announcements to make in the coming weeks, with one in the final stages of preparation for all to enjoy!
Don't forget that we will be hosting two sky-watch evening's for all you UFO enthusiasts, on Saturday 13th July and Saturday 10th August, weather permitting, at a great location in the West Midlands. This will be a chance for you to come along, free of charge to meet the BCPS team, bring along some food and drink (strictly non-alcoholic only) for a bit of a night time picnic too! This area is known for UFO sightings and provides a great view, so who knows what we might glimpse in the night sky! Join our facebook page and register your interest, or email us (blackcountryparanormalsociety@hotmail.co.uk) to let us know if you are interested and we will post more details next week!
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
A few interesting articles...
Good afternoon everyone, sorry for the lack of updates lately but we are busy at the BCPS working on some new projects and plans to involve you all, more to follow soon. In the meantime, we have announced on our facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/305441396231415/) that we will be hosting two sky-watch evening's for all you UFO enthusiasts, on Saturday 13th July and Saturday 10th August, weather permitting, at a great location in the West Midlands. This will be a chance for you to come along, free of charge to meet the BCPS team, bring along some food and drink (strictly non-alcoholic only) for a bit of a night time picnic too! This area is known for UFO sightings and provides a great view, so who knows what we might glimpse in the night sky! Join our facebook page and register your interest, or email us (blackcountryparanormalsociety@hotmail.co.uk) to let us know if you are interested and we will post more details soon!
In the meantime, here are a few very interesting articles from the BBC News website. The first one kind of relates to UFO reports, as quite often people think they see a UFO which can be easily confused for many things, such as strange shaped clouds, hovering aircraft, balloons, even satellites and the orbiting space station. Have a read anyway and see what you think:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22686500
The second article follows a similar theme but pertains more to ghost hunting, in particular Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). This is a bit of a talking point at the BCPS, as a few of us take the view that compelling EVP evidence is not found by tinkering and playing around with recorded sound and distorted to the point of becoming almost artificial, which leads the brain into thinking what it wants to hear. Clear EVP sounds that can be understood and listened to by the naked ear are far more convincing and harder to discount as something else. Once again, read the article and we would love to hear your opinions on the fascinating subject:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21922834
As always, this blog a personal viewpoint only and does not reflect the opinions and beliefs of other members of the BCPS team or the team as a whole. If you would like more information on the BCPS and what we do, just visit our website at www.bcps.moonfruit.com
In the meantime, here are a few very interesting articles from the BBC News website. The first one kind of relates to UFO reports, as quite often people think they see a UFO which can be easily confused for many things, such as strange shaped clouds, hovering aircraft, balloons, even satellites and the orbiting space station. Have a read anyway and see what you think:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22686500
The second article follows a similar theme but pertains more to ghost hunting, in particular Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). This is a bit of a talking point at the BCPS, as a few of us take the view that compelling EVP evidence is not found by tinkering and playing around with recorded sound and distorted to the point of becoming almost artificial, which leads the brain into thinking what it wants to hear. Clear EVP sounds that can be understood and listened to by the naked ear are far more convincing and harder to discount as something else. Once again, read the article and we would love to hear your opinions on the fascinating subject:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21922834
As always, this blog a personal viewpoint only and does not reflect the opinions and beliefs of other members of the BCPS team or the team as a whole. If you would like more information on the BCPS and what we do, just visit our website at www.bcps.moonfruit.com
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