Let Sleeping Ghosts Lie
Where shouldn't you go ghost hunting?
I grew up, for a short while, in a pub in the Black Country. A heavily industrialised area in the West Midlands of England. I lived there with my parents, my sister, and a ghost called ‘The Grey Lady’.
Ye Olde Seven Stars in Kidderminster, was originally a coaching inn. It’s recorded as being an inn as early as 1736, although the property itself may be a little older than that; my family certainly believed so. The cellars had multiple blocked off tunnels, which locals said were smugglers tunnels, and my father was convinced that the panelled hidden door under the stairs between the first and second floors, leading into a small storage area was once a ‘hide’ hole. The dates don’t quite match up for it to have been a reformation ‘priests hole’. But, if the old coaching inn was a hub for smuggling and nefarious activities as local lore would have you believe, then a hiding spot would have been a useful addition to the property. So he may not have been entirely wrong.
Strange goings on were part of our everyday life, so it’s not surprising then, that I have an avid interest in the paranormal. My shelves are littered with books on folklore, mythology, criptid and faery sightings; my socials even more so. A ‘good’ friday night in often involves a glass of wine (or two) watching the paranormal investigation channels on Youtube. The UrbEx style channels are a particular favourite1. Which leads me to the point of this post.
I love a good ghost hunt. I’ve spent more than a few freezing cold nights with spirit boxes, EMF meters, cat balls and other equipment calling out in the dark in the hopes of witnessing the same kind of activity that I did as a child. Trying to prove to myself perhaps, that my early memories were not some figment of a childish imagination heavily influenced by listening to inebriated adults sat around the inglenook fire telling ghost stories during a ‘lock in’.2
During my adventures in ghost hunting, I’ve heard the voice of an angry man tell me to f**k off, I’ve had my bottom pinched (with bruises) and seen objects rattle and shake for no discernable reason. On the X-files scale of belief, I am definitely more a Mulder than a Scully. It’s not just that I have experienced some strange shite. I actively want to believe. If someone tells me that they, or someone they know has explored somewhere and experienced something strange and would I like to come and investigate it, then I am a ‘hold my beer’ kind of girl.
Most of the locations visited are entirely abandoned, old derelict buildings, owners or family members non existant or unknown. These properties are often sitting rotting as part of our probate systems and are regularly explored by UrbExers, then through the grapevine investigators move in if something unusual is reported. I am totally fine with that. However, of late, there has been a growing trend of visiting known places of death and tragedy. Places with no previously reported activity, they then call out in the hopes of finding something. Ignoring the potential spiritual implications of this course of action3, these tragedies are in living memory with relatives still in the area who could be watching, just like me, glass of wine in hand. I know they have to keep churning out content to stay relevant in the algorithms, but this turn of events has left me a little uncomfortable. I can mostly ignore the internal nagging poo-poo head that wants to tut like the Nan I seem to be turning into, but that voice is still there. Is is respectful to attempt to make contact with the dead in these places? Without family permission?
My personal opinion is no, no it’s not.
For anyone outside the UK, we have some funny trespass laws. It is a civil matter and as long as you haven’t caused damage and leave respectfully if requested then it isn’t an arrestable offense.
What can I say it was the early 80’s, after hours drinking was a thing, and as the child of a landlord my weekend sleeping routines didn’t match other children. If I crept down quietly and didn’t make a fuss I would be allowed to join the group to listen.
That’s probably a post for another day.