Tuesday 28 February 2017


Tuesday 28th February 2017

From The Archives:

In early 2008, we were contacted by a gentleman involved in the legal profession and his wife, concerning their home in the South Staffordshire region.  The matter wasn't regarded as 'pressing' by the residents, but they explained that they were interested in possibly finding out more on the history of the site and the strange occurrences they'd experienced in their time there.  From their own research they had discovered that the property itself was built in 1910 and was said to have part of a network of tunnels underneath it, leading to the local church.  The church was believed to date from the 1200's, while the tunnels allegedly dated from the 16th Century, used for the smuggling of priests and monks, in the reign of Henry VIII.  A nearby property - where both had previously worked - also housed the end of one of these tunnels.

On visiting the couple, we were told that activity had started in the house - initially, just small happenings - within the first few days of occupancy.  Since that time, however, the situation had intensified.  While things had initially started occurring every few weeks or so, perhaps, by the time of our visit they estimated that things were then occurring 3 or 4 nights per week on average.    

One of the very first, noticeable, events was the sound of keys jingling in the hallway of the property.  This was first heard by the wife, but her husband was asleep at the time.  A few night later, however, he was awake, in bed, and also heard the sound himself.  The keys would jingle once...... then a pause of a few seconds...... then jingle again.  A small, ceramic 'bell', also situated in the hallway, would sometimes be heard too.  Interestingly, the keys - kept on a table in the hallway - made a noise when you picked them up or put them back down...... and this sound was never heard when the 'jingling' noise manifested? 

One night, while they were in bed - husband asleep - the wife heard a pile of papers in the corner of the room start to rustle.  She woke her husband and, as they both, sat there and listened, a small, white light - akin to a flash light - moved over the corner of the room for 6 to 8 seconds, in a dancing fashion, and disappeared into the ceiling. 

The sound of footsteps were frequently heard in the hallway outside their bedroom door at night - going backwards and forwards.  They had the impression that it was the sound of someone 'endeavouring to be quiet'; the sound of a step... and then the floorboard creaking.  The same sort of sound had been heard around their bed too!  (Latter was described as a little disconcerting!!!)

Following the footsteps one evening, a sensation akin to someone 'sitting on the end of the bed' was experienced.  The husband was fully awake at the time - lying on his back - and says that his leg 'went down', with the bed, as the pressure was applied to the mattress!  This was the first happening that they noticed in their bedroom, but, since then, the wife had felt her legs being physically 'slapped' while in bed.  The husband has also felt a sensation as if someone were 'digging their fingernails into the crown of his head' too!!  He had cried out loud from this effect, due to the pain generated!!  The week prior to our visit he had also felt fingers moving across the side of his head on waking.  He also, sometimes, felt a hand rubbing across his head as he lay there - and someone touching his back.  (At the time of our visit, we were told that activity in this particular area seemed to have been intensifying over the previous three to four weeks.  They had suggested that the activity was somehow 'progressing'?) 

If the couple ever - independently - heard anything, while lying in bed, they would habitually wake their partner with a 'Hey, hey - did you hear that?'  The wife reports hearing a voice whisper 'Hey!'.... but, when she looked, her husband was fast asleep!?  Wife asked 'it' to 'show itself'.... and saw a blonde, unshaven mans face - in front of her - in the middle of the night!

For some reason, they had dubbed their visitor 'Sheldon'.  If things sometimes got a little-too-much for them, they would call out:  'We don't mind sharing this place with you Sheldon, but you're scaring us!' and the activity would seem to calm down......

The husband had been in their kitchen, around 5, one morning, with their 2 cats.  He heard the distinct sound of a 'sigh' from the hallway.... and both cats reacted, sitting upright and staring.  He had searched the flat, but found nothing.  Their cats were often said to react to things around the place.  The animals had always slept elsewhere in the flat, but appeared to have become 'disturbed' - potentially made ill - by the activity and had subsequently moved into the bedroom at night.

Again, in the kitchen one morning, the husband had been looking for their measuring jug.... but couldn't find it anywhere!?  Eventually giving up his search, he walked into the hallway.... and there it was!!  

A door that you had to 'slam' to physically shut, had been discovered 'open' again in the mornings.  Around midnight - again, while in bed - they had both heard a downstairs door being unlocked and opened..... but there was no one there when they checked....  Loud banging had been heard on the window of the bedroom during the early hours of the morning and and enormous 'crash' from somewhere in the house.  Upon checking, nothing was ever found to account for these noises!?

In staying in the nearby property - mentioned above - the husband had sometimes heard the sound of someone, as if wearing heavy, work-boots, walking along a hallway in the middle of the night.  The steps would stop.... and return, time and again!?  This would happen for the duration of 20 minutes or so.  On the one occasion, he said that he had blatantly though 'Sod it!!' and got up, opening the door at the exact moment the steps were passing!!  There was nothing to be seen!!  Someone had previously spotted the figure of an elderly lady at the rear of the building....

Interestingly - the previous occupants of the property had been approached over the happenings concerned, but that said that they had never experienced anything untoward in their time there at all?

No comments: