Friday 26 February 2010

Brum. Club Investigation....

From The Archives:

INVESTIGATION REPORT: Edwards No.8 Rock Club – Lower Severn Street – Birmingham City Centre.

Present:

Investigative Team - Leonard Jackson; Frazer Smith; Nick Duffy; Kerrey Cooper; Steven Cooper and Vicki Cooper. Also present on site were Club Manager, Colin Wall, Peter Wall, plus Mr. Wall (Snr.) and two members of Club staff.

This daytime group visit to the Club was made in the presence of three non-team members – Kerrey, Steve and Vicki Cooper – who are relatives of (W.M.G.C. member) Frazer Smith and have accompanied the group previously on investigations. As a matter of interest to our visit was the fact that Vicki Cooper is believed to have a heightened receptivity to potentially paranormal atmospheres.

It has to be clearly stated that the W.M.G.C. ‘strictly’ do not endorse the use of psychic / mediumistic types on investigations. However, for the sake of true objectivity, the group has on occasion incorporated potentially ‘sensitive’ people into an investigation scenario.

[I]. Aims / Inv. Process:

General investigation of property, mainly focussing on sections of building noted as being of particular relevance / importance regarding the paranormal history of the site.

Investigation procedure incorporating:

1st person audio / visual observation. (‘Casually staged’ in this instance. See ‘Summary’ section below).

Static (area based) audio / visual recording, incorporating standard video camera’s.

General temperature / humidity recording. (Incorporating ‘ambient’ devices).

Note* No ‘trigger objects’ were used during this particular visit. Also, because of the fairly open plan nature of the site, no thermometers were employed – save for a standard, ambient unit situated on a table top (under the portrait of Jack Nicholson) in the Gothic Room.

[II]. Primary (1st Hand) Notes: Investigation Procedure, plus Findings, Experiences / Poss. Significant Events:

Immediately following our arrival at the site, we were given a guided tour of the property – and the attached Gallows Bar – by Pete Wall.

At one point in the tour, we were shown a stairway which runs the full height of the building and is situated on the Lower Severn Street side of the property. Upon mounting the staircase and moving to hold onto the handrail, Vicki Cooper says that she felt a ‘pushing’ sensation. She found that she had to walk around the area concerned before continuing down the stairs.

Upon entering the Cellar, Vicki also said that she received the mental image of a young boy waving at her. He was described as being approx. 8 – 9 yrs old, with short, dark brown hair.

Following the tour, the group split into three groups of two and begin a series of (casual) ‘vigil’ sessions.

Session One – 1.20 p.m. to 1.50 p.m.

Nick Duffy / Len Jackson - General Cellar Area.
Frazer Smith / Vicki Cooper - Lwr. Severn Street Stairway.
Kerrey Cooper / Steve Cooper – Store Room. (Formerly a bar area, but now used for general storage).

During this period:

Vicki Cooper says that she heard a single ‘cough’ sound. (Not heard by Frazer Smith). She also picked up the name ‘Louise’, which she believed was associated with a separate part / level of the building.

Nothing was reported from either of the other two groups.

Session Two – 2.10 p.m. to 2.40 p.m.

Nick Duffy / Len Jackson – Store Room. (Vigil conducted in presence of Mr. Wall Snr. who told us some historical information about the property and guided us around some ante-rooms).
Frazer Smith / Vicki Cooper - General Cellar Area.
Kerrey Cooper / Steve Cooper – Lwr. Severn Street Stairway.

During this period:

Both Vicki Cooper and Frazer Smith report having heard a distinct ‘cough’, which was loud enough to have been heard over the native sounds in the Cellar. No one could be found to account for the noise.

Vicki also reports having seen a ‘light anomaly’ – around 2” wide and 5 feet in length – near the cellar door frame. This occurred at a time when Frazer Smith was conducting a ‘prompt’ session (i.e. asking questions out loud to the general room).

She also picked up the name ‘Joseph’, which she felt was being called out by someone situated behind the Cellar doors.

Session Three – 3.00 p.m. to 3.30 p.m.

Video recording session staged in Gothic Room, incorporating three separate video camera’s running at the same time. Frazer Smith asked Pete Wall if the room could be kept empty (of staff) for the sake of the recording session.

It is believed that Colin Wall was situated in the general area of his office – on the same floor - for the duration of the session.

Camera One: – situated near main entrance to room, just in front of Jack Nicholson portrait, facing towards the Stage Area.
Camera’s Two and Three: situated on the Stage itself – ‘one’ stage left / ‘two’ stage right – both facing towards bar area.

During this period:

Entire group situated downstairs in main Rock Bar area.

Session Four – 3.35 p.m. to 4.05 p.m.

Nick Duffy / Len Jackson – Lwr. Severn Street Stairway.
Frazer Smith / Vicki Cooper - Store Room.
Kerrey Cooper / Steve Cooper – General Cellar Area.

During this period:

Nothing of potential interest / relevance reported by any group members.

Approx. 4.30 p.m. – group vacates the premises.

[III]. Secondary Notes: Audio / Visual Results.

Of the video recordings made during ‘Session Three’, all cameras detected the sound of a door closing (distant, in building); a brief sequence of footsteps (distant, in building) and a sharp, loud crack / brief crash that, by it’s clarity and volume, would appear to have originated somewhere within the Gothic Room. (Or potentially outside, but close by).

[IV]. General Observations and / or Summary.

* Due to the situation under which members had decided to make this visit – during daytime hours; staff members present and operating under daily working conditions; the size of the property and it’s position within a busy city centre, etc – a number of aspects of usual W.M.G.C. investigative protocol were dispensed with. The visit was staged in a general and casual fashion and treated mainly as reasonably brief, acclimatisation exercise.

* The building itself – the former Birmingham and Midlands Skin Hospital (Ref. ‘Kelly’s Directory of Birmingham’ for 1932, 1940, etc) – is truly immense and has evidently been structurally changed, most dramatically, over the years. While potential paranormal activity has been experienced at the site, the general layout / size / appearance / former use of the building would also, on a psychological level, potentially have some influence on it’s status as an allegedly ‘haunted’ property(?)

* One particular aspect of the buildings (current) make-up which could possibly have a bearing on supposed activity at the site, is the situation of the buildings full height stairwells……… in particular, the one which leads from the Gallows Bar, up past the Rock Bar and into the Gothic Room. It was noticed that this stairwell certainly appears to channel a considerable amount of sound from (suggested by Pete Wall) the air conditioning process inside the property.

While only being a matter of conjecture, in lieu of the proper, defining experiments, the stairwell concerned could possibly be responsible for channelling / causing ‘Infra-Sound’ waves, which – as suggested by some researchers – could well have an adverse effect on certain people within the building.

Doc. Ends.

All the best,

The W.M.G.C.

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