Index of Haunting's
The Darlaston Poltergeist(s)
art 1: "You cannot touch it or feel it, but you know it's there…"
Part 2: "malicious intelligence behind that…!"
Part 3: Brief Speculation And Potential Foundation Stones?
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Part 2: "Now you tell me there was no sort of malicious intelligence behind that…!"
Ray Selman and his wife had lived on the 10th floor of Great Croft House, Darlaston, for 6-7 years when they first started noticing 'odd happenings' around their flat.

Remarkably, at the time that Mr. Selmans activity began, he had only just recently struck up a friendship with Tom Whatmore. Ray had only previously visited the home of his new friend on a couple of occasions and a third visit happened to correspond with the most virulent period of the Whatmore activity. Upon being informed of the latter mentioned, Ray actually joked with his friend, saying that he 'hoped no ghosts would be following him home that night'….
Ironically – and almost immediately – Ray’s own 'odd happenings' suddenly began.

Objects were found to have been inexplicably moved around the flat - or blatantly hidden - while the Selmans experienced a constant feeling of being watched. Doors closed of their own accord, inexplicable noises were heard, and a pile of loose change left lying on a sideboard was found to have been neatly stacked, in a vertical column. 
Ray was cooking one day, when his wife suddenly burst into the room and angrily accused him of almost scaring her to death.

Unfortunately, her husband had no idea of what she was talking about. Mrs. Selman explained that she had been watching television, when, from her peripheral vision, she suddenly became aware of a head poking through the kitchen / living room partition. As she turned to look at it fully, the head quickly withdrew into the kitchen. Ray maintains that he had been busy cooking at the time and had, at no point, looked through the partition.

On one occasion, Ray had a pen bounce off the top of his head as he lay on the floor watching T.V. one night. The pen in question had been resting on top of the television set only seconds earlier and had to travel some feet 'across' the room in order to land where it did.
While some physical interaction was light, almost playful at times, Ray also found himself suffering inexplicable scratches on his arm and, one morning as he lay in bed, something slapped him hard across the face.

Unfortunately, life in the flat was becoming increasingly disagreeable and Ray eventually turned to the Church for help. (He was actually advised to contact the vicar of Darlaston by Tom Whatmore). Unlike the Whatmore outbreak, the blessing actually seemed to have a positive effect on the troublesome activity and it abruptly stopped. 

Sadly, this respite was not to last however and, only a month later, Ray claims to have witnessed an exceptionally tall, dark, transparent form float across his hallway from the living room to the kitchen area. This proved more than enough for Ray and he sought alternative accommodation immediately.

Having soon cleared his former home of all furniture and belongings, Ray took one last look around the flat with a friend. As they made to leave, the friend pointed out that a front door alarm had somehow been overlooked during the removal. Endeavours were made to unscrew the device, but, with all of the tools having been taken from the flat, their ministrations were in vain. Angered and frustrated, Ray admits that he finally ended up taking one of his shoes off and smashing the alarm to pieces. Upon finishing, he then decided to take one last glance around the flat. There - sitting dead centre in the middle of the bedroom floor - he found a solitary screwdriver….. 

Click Here for Part 3: Brief Speculation And Potential Foundation Stones?
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