At last, the day I had been looking forward to for what seemed like an eternity was here. I could hardly contain myself with excitement, weeks and weeks of planning, researching, liasing with staff members and library staff had finally come together. I arrived 10 minutes early than the other members of the team, I sat in my car, eagerly awaiting their arrival, where were they, why were they late? They weren’t late, it is me chomping at the bit, ready for the roller coaster ride of my life I thought was head of me, and after all, it was my suggestion to the team to do an investigation at this lovely post war theatre. I knew that this theatre was a little different (so I thought) having sensed ‘things’ in particular areas. Dressing room 4 had always seemed so unwelcoming on previous visits, but not on this night, it warm and welcoming, I could easily have pulled out my sleeping bag and slept like a baby in that room! I wondered why can a room feel horrid one time and nice the next? I set up my ‘old pennies’ as a trigger object, had a little go with the dowsing rods and vacated the room to start the investigation.
We all assembled on the stage, it was a mutual decision to check that all seats in the auditorium were upright, this theatre does not have an circle or upper circle, so a quick walk up the aisles with a our torches (I felt like an usherette in a cinema) as the seating area is the same layout as a cinema with seating to the left, centre and right, confirmed that all seats were in their correct position.
The evening began with protection given by Jacquie, and then progressing onto asking if any spirits were present, I eagerly awaited any responses, none arrived, oh no I thought to myself, where were they, these spirits of folk who lived here so many years ago, please come out to play, say hello, touch one of us, oh go on, pleease,…. Nothing but deathly silence. I thought it maybe a little early and that things will kick off later,
At this stage we split into teams. And it was at this moment the smoker’s decided to have a quick break. Kath and I were left on the stage alone, to my astonishment I noticed some tobacco and cigarette ends on the stage floor close to where Kath was setting up her camera. Was this the sign from ‘the other side’? Had they finally made contact to warn the ‘smokers’ that it is harmful? Kath and I couldn’t believe it? But no, what had actually happened was that Shula had grabbing her coat and one of her pockets had her dead cigarette ends in which must have flung out of her pocket as she swung her jacket over her shoulder to go outside, it was so funny, Kath and I couldn’t help but fall about with laughter.
While the others were outside enjoying a quick puff, I went to check on the chairs in the auditorium, as I approached the back of the seating area, I noticed that one seat was down, I thought this a little strange as it wasn’t down before we started, and everyone was accounted for seated around the table on the stage. Andy (one of the staff members) said, “That’s Mary Blakemans seat”. Even I, who has some knowledge of The Mitch, didn’t know about Mary. Who was she? What was her association with the Mitch? Andy showed me the Hospitality room where there were photographs of Mary. She seamed such a lovely lady, and was apparently very partial to the odd custard cream, well if only I’d known; I would have brought her some, as some kind of offering. Maybe Mary had come to see us all perform? She must have thought, ‘what are these daft folk up to’. After various pictures had been taken of Mary’s seat, the team split into three groups.
I was with Steve, Andy and Karen, (the later two are staff members), and we started our 20 minute vigil in the workshop at the back of the theatre, I hated this room, it is the only room that has got a hot drinks machine and on many occasions in the past have felt as though I was being watched, but not tonight. Again, this room felt warm and welcoming which was unusual? Just as we were about to give up the ghost, (sorry, pardon the pun), we saw a shadow walk across the gantry, with a lot of tapping being heard from the gantry’s metal handrail, we noted the time of this phenomenon at 11.31pm.
Next stop for us is Trish’s office, again, phenomenon has been logged in the past about a little boy called Jack, who likes to move her pens etc, well Jack must too have been at the spirit convention too because he didn’t interact with us at all. I did set up a trigger object with three marbles, but I left them for Trish to find on Monday morning.
Next and final stop for us was the control room. Again a person has been seen by one of the company’s who perform at the theatre. He stated that a man was seen watching his show from the control room and insisted ‘this man’ had not paid for his ticket! A search was carried out by staff members which resulted in nobody being found, we called out but again, although the control room is a ‘blacked out room’ it still felt completely warm and welcoming.
ConclusionsI was really disappointed that no interaction with spirits from a past era was reached, after all the hard work I had endured finding out about former residents of The white House, non of them could be bothered to come and make themselves known to us, I gave up one of the most romantic evenings of the calendar year to spend an evening with, well living people who share the one same passion as me – to continue to search that life does continue after death……….
