Paranormal Night at Heartlands Pool the Review
Three things were running through my mind in the week that led up to, ‘Paranormal Night at Heartlands Pool’. The first was it could be just a pantomime with people hiding behind things making ghostly noises and jumping out on me when I least expected it. The second thought was nothing at all would happen and we were just going to be treated to an out of hours tour around a dark cold building in the hope that our heightened senses would turn us into quivering wrecks, (to be honest this was the scenario I was leaning toward). Thirdly there is always the possibility that something paranormal really is going to happen. I knew that the only way to get the most out of this night was to arrive with an open mind and embrace every opportunity available. Still, the only way to keep a straight head as we approached the dark ominous Robinson’s site surrounded by a blood red sky was to hum the Ghosbusters theme tune.
Blood Red Sky
After meeting the, ‘G.H.O.S.T.UK’, team, watching a video of the previous private investigation results and signing a disclaimer that alleviates anyone of blame, ‘in the unlikely event’, of my death, I and twenty plus other people head off to conduct our own investigations.
During the introduction guests were invited to sign up to a number of extra investigations and of course I wouldn’t be able to bring you a thorough review without signing up to them all. The, ‘Spirit Board’, lottery, (I am pleased to say my number wasn’t drawn although I did observe it), ‘Table Tipping’, and the, ‘Vigil in the Engine House’. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t mildly terrified as I walked across the dark courtyard and entered the even darker work rooms of the mine.
The white washed walls of the AV room was arranged with various tools of investigation, lit by candlelight with seats arranged in a circle. I don’t mind admitting I felt like I had just arrived in an episode of Britain’s most haunted. The one thing that stood out though was how warm it was in the building and how surprisingly inviting it felt.
The AV Room
The first investigation took place in the old locker room which without the added promise of paranormal activity naturally exudes a history that stimulates the imagination. You can’t help but wonder what events and situations had occurred here in a room where hundreds of miners had prepared to enter the dangerous dark depths of the mine. What had those who returned here to change experienced? As if in answer to my silent questions two mediums began to, ‘connect’, with the spirits of miners who had experienced accidents. One suggested they had back pain and pain in their legs that may be due to accidents the miners they were engaging with had experienced. ‘Norman’, was about and he got rather annoyed that we weren’t wearing hard hats! I have to be honest at this point I really wasn’t getting it and I needed to feel and experience what the mediums were suggesting to really believe in the existence of paranormal activity.
Trigger Objects in The Locker Room
Trigger objects placed in various areas of the building had been set. In the locker room there was a ping pong ball in the center of a small glow hoop, a crystal hanging from a makeshift stand and two spanners on white paper that had been drawn around to detect movement. During the first 15 minutes in the locker room one guest announced the ping pong ball had moved. It had indeed moved but I had not physically seen it. I could however see the crystal swinging but again I could attribute this to a number of factors especially considering the number of people around the table.
As we passed among various rooms in the building I naturally experienced what I would call intuitive feelings incited by the history of each room. For example in a room with large wheels of twisted steel that had been used for hauling great loads I got a feeling of oppression and a slight headache. Of course many accidents would have occurred here and I have visited this room in daylight and experienced exactly the same oppressive feelings.
So did anything actually happen to make me believe?
While I didn’t win the opportunity to participate in the, ‘Spirit Board’, investigation I was invited to spend time conducting a vigil in the, ‘Engine House’. I my partner Dan & one other guest who was also rather sceptical yet open minded went off to the engine house with two of the professional investigators. The engine house was dark and cold and much more in keeping with the sensations you would imagine to experience on a ghost hunt. Again trigger objects had been set up and were reported to have moved. Sensors had been set up on the top flight of stairs and it was suggested that a lot of activity had already been experienced and recorded during the evening. Two children, ‘William’, &, ‘Harry’, (no cliché intended), had been running up and down the stairs creating icy drafts around the legs of previous guests on vigil. So as parents I and Dan thought here was our opportunity and we started a good old fashioned game of hide and seek. Yes here we were at 10pm in an old dark engine house conducting a game of hide and seek with the spirits of children.
Trigger Objects in The Engine House
What happened next will stay with me forever as one of the strangest yet pleasant sensations to date. I had already seen a shadow pass down the upper stairs and rationally convinced myself it could have been caused by anything other than a ghost. I was standing backed up against a wall and as our game began I felt the clear sensation of someone standing behind me or perhaps hiding behind me at waist height. I became dizzy and very hot to the point where I had to sit down and remove my scarf and coat yet the room remained icy cold. I sat there for a few minutes and gathered my thoughts. I was not scared at all instead I felt that excited feeling you get during a game of hide and seek. The room was freezing yet I was hot and I had clearly felt someone behind me even though I was against a wall. One of the G.H.O.S.T pointed out that the children liked my voice and were responding to it and I made a mental note to inform my own children, who rarely liked or responded to my voice, of this fact. Sadly our time here was short and after saying our goodbyes to the children and ensuring them someone else would be along shortly to continue the game, we left.
Only one other experience left me wondering about the credibility of the paranormal and this was during the use of dowsing rods. Dan and I took some dowsing rods and decided to go off on a little investigation of our own. Away from the influence of the rest of the investigators and in an area that had not yet been investigated by the group we took off alone.
Dowsing Rods
The Dark Empty Room Where A Lot of Activity Was Felt Through the Dowsing Rods
The area we chose may have been used as a meeting point or change room and we invited any spirit who wished to join us to do so. Dan started and indeed had a faint response to his questions as the dowsing rods moved freely. When I took over the rods became increasingly animated and I could feel the energy as the rods clearly moved. I asked the rods, (or the spirit), to lead me where he or she wanted to go and the rods pointed to the direction of a dark and empty room behind the AV room where the rest of the group were, ‘Table Tipping’. I asked several yes and no questions that resulted in the spirit telling us how happy they were feeling. Eventually I ran out of things to say and said goodbye but not before another member of the group entered the room with the K2 machine. This device picks up on any electromagnetic energy in the area. The room we were in was completely empty except for me, Dan and now the lady carrying the K2. Immediately on entering the area we were standing in the K2 flashed up to red and stayed there indicating there was indeed an energy other than ourselves in this room.
Is this a Spirit Orb?
The evening was one of great interest and while I am still unconvinced of the credibility of many activities that can be influenced by an individual such as, table tipping, spirit boards and medium interpretation, I can’t deny that I personally experienced things that I still can’t explain.
I strongly urge anyone who is interested or curious in the paranormal to try an evening of paranormal investigation at Heartlands. The G.H.O.S.T team are very professional and knowledgeable and will not expect you to do anything you don’t want to. If you are looking for a night of terror with lots of bangs, groans and ghostly apparitions this night is not for you. If you want the space and support to explore the possibilities in a safe welcoming environment then this night is for you. Give it go and if nothing else this is the perfect opportunity to explore a wonderfully well presented area of our counties heritage.
