Friday 30 October 2009

Shop Haunting????

West Midlands Ghost Club members were highly intrigued to recently learn of the following article appearing in an edition of the Sunday Mercury newspaper:

‘‬Ghostbusters called to Walsall school uniform shop‭’

Oct‭ ‬5‭ ‬2009‭

GHOSTBUSTERS were hired to clear a violent poltergeist-style spirit from a school uniform shop in the Midlands,‭ ‬the Sunday Mercury can reveal.

Psychic detective Angela McGhee teamed up with a Catholic priest to rid the demon force from Clive Mark Schoolwear in Walsall.

Shop bosses called in the pair after spooked staff complained of ghostly goings-on at the Park Street shop.

At first staff noticed some stock had been mysteriously placed in the middle of the sales floor.‭ ‬Then,‭ ‬they said,‭ ‬the clothes would move overnight from one side of the shop to the other.

Some staff complained they were being pinched by an unknown force.

And they complained items were regularly being thrown around the store with no explanation.

Eventually,‭ ‬after the happenings in early‭ ‬2008,‭ ‬management called in psychic detective Angela McGhee and Father Hugh Sinclair,‭ ‬spiritual director at the priest training centre,‭ ‬St.‭ ‬Mary‭’ ‬College,‭ ‬in Oscott.

Known as the Miss Marple of the spirit world,‭ ‬Angela said she has been communicating with the‭ ‘‬other side‭’ ‬since childhood.

As well as clearing spirits from Clive Mark Schoolwear,‭ ‬her duties have since included helping police solve crimes‭ – ‬including murders.

Angela said:‭ “‬There was definitely a restless spirit haunting that shop at that time.‭ ‬It is unclear why the spirit,‭ ‬or spirits,‭ ‬were plaguing the shop,‭ ‬but I felt it may have had something to do with somebody who had worked there many years before when there used to a butchers shop.‭”

Father Sinclair said:‭ “‬I don’t know if we could go as far as to say it was an exorcism.‭ ‬But there was definitely some kind of upset spirit present,‭ ‬more like a poltergeist,‭ ‬so we said some prayers and blessed the shop and as far as I know they have not had any more problems since.‭”

Last night Philip Linz,‭ ‬operations director at Clive Marks,‭ ‬said:‭ “‬At no stage was anyone injured or was anyone frightened,‭ ‬it all seemed to be a bit of a laugh and a mystery.

‭“‬Whatever Angela and the priest did that day did the trick,‭ ‬we have not experienced anything like it again.‭”

Our involvement with this particular matter began in late‭ ‬2006,‭ ‬following a call from a witness to the alleged haunting.‭ ‬Shop staff happily received group members as regular visitors to the shop over a period of four or so months,‭ ‬during which time a considerable amount of information was collected on the history of the supposed‭ ‘‬haunting‭’‬.‭

Of considerable interest from a research point of view was the fact that‭ ‘‬events‭’ ‬regularly happened at the store‭ ‘‬in the presence of‭’ ‬group members.‭ ‬Over a space of time,‭ ‬pens,‭ ‬rugby boots,‭ ‬screwdrivers and light bulbs were all witnessed,‭ ‬seemingly‭ ‘‬flying‭’ ‬around the store‭…‬..‭

On one particular occasion,‭ ‬a group member had a very narrow escape indeed‭!‬:

“‬Man A‭’ ‬goes onto the phone and‭ ‘‬Lady B‭’ ‬walks towards the changing room area.‭ ‬I follow‭ ‘‬Lady B‭’ ‬and she begins to tell me something.‭ ‬As I get within about‭ ‬8‭ ‬or so feet of her‭ (‬she with her back to me‭)‬,‭ ‬a knife flies past the left hand side of my head‭ ‬-‭ ‬coming from the direction of the counter‭ (‬and‭ ‘‬Man A‭’) ‬-‭ ‬missing me by a matter of inches.‭ (‬Blunt,‭ ‬eating style knife of solid metal.‭ ‬By weight alone,‭ ‬it would have delivered a fair‭ '‬knock‭' ‬if it had hit me‭!) ‬The knife drops‭ ‬-‭ ‬in a natural arc‭ ‬-‭ ‬and lands on the floor in front of me.‭ ‬I joke that someone is‭ '‬trying to knife me‭'! ‬I retrieve the knife and immediately find that it is slightly warm on the blade‭

‬After saying that things always seem warm‭ (?) ‘‬Lady B‭’ ‬calls to‭ ‘‬Man A‭’ ‬and informs him about the knife.‭ ‘‬Man A‭’ ‬comes across and I tell him that‭ '‬it almost took the back of my head off‭' ‬and that‭ '‬it was a good throw‭'!! (‘‬Man A‭’ ‬later says that a customer allegedly saw the knife come out of the air conditioning vent on Saturday‭?!?)‬”

It has to be said that,‭ ‬if the case were indeed true,‭ ‬it would easily rant as one of the most active and virulent‭ ‘‬hauntings‭’ (‬poltergeist-like effects‭) ‬that the group had ever heard of,‭ ‬let alone investigated‭……

More data to follow shortly‭!

Regards,

The W.M.G.C.

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