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Index of Haunting's
The Starting Gate Public House
Introduction, Reported Activity
Part 1: Fri. 21st – Sat. 22nd
June 2002
Part 2: Monday 10th to Tuesday 11th
February 2003
Part 3: Friday 2nd to Saturday 3rd of
May 2003
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The Starting Gate Public House
By
Nicholas Duffy – West Midlands Ghost Club (Click
for Website)
Inv. One: Fri. 21st –
Sat. 22nd June 2002.
Investigators Present: Nick Duffy, Darren Simpson, Roger Simpson
and Len Jackson.
During our visit to ‘The Starting Gate’, a number of
video and audio recording sessions were conducted in different locations
around the premises. Following our vigil, all of the recordings
were thoroughly checked over and nothing of a potentially paranormal
nature was detected.
The only peculiar incident to occur during the visit was when group
member, Len Jackson, encountered inexplicable ‘feedback’
from his micro cassette recorder during an early morning interview
session with Steve Grigg.
Appendix To Inv. One
As often occurs following our investigations, we subsequently
learned that alleged activity at the site in question apparently
intensified since our visit. In the days immediately following
the vigil, inexplicable noises were heard around the building; the
lights on the pubs main stairwell switched on and off 6 times in
one night and a hose pipe in the cellar was unravelled and a quantity
of water sprayed around the room.
Following our initial visit to the Starting Gate, landlord Steve
Grigg was literally inundated with information on the history of
the pub from members of the public. One letter even came from
Turkey, sent by an ex-landlady who had experienced considerable
paranormal activity at the pub during her tenancy. (Margot
Vincent – as mentioned during the initial section of this
diatribe). News of the case was even found to be doing the
rounds of U.S. paranormal related web sites into late 2003.
Press coverage regarding our initial visit also inspired members
of the public to call us with information. One elderly
gentleman rang the group with intriguing data on the alleged murder
of a barmaid during WWII and Mr. Chas Mason of Brownhills kindly
offered his considerable knowledge of ‘Ethel’ (the suicide
landlady) and priceless insight into pre-1980’s ghostly activity
at the pub.
Alleged ghostly activity continued in the interim between visits,
with one of the most spectacular occurrences happening just after
our 1st investigation.
Apparently, around 8 pints of beer mysteriously poured onto the
bar floor one day when a pump appeared to turn itself on in front
of a room full of customers. What puzzled Steve so much was
the fact that the pump concerned wasn’t actually connected
to any beer barrels at that time!
The incident clearly left staff feeling jumpy about entering the
cellar and stock now has to be stored in the pub kitchens.
A system of smoke alarms, situated throughout the building, kept
going off by themselves. For some reason, the alarm in the
cellar always seems to be the first to trip, despite the fact that
there is no obvious cause.
On one occasion, the power to the stereo behind the bar switched
off and on again, and the C.D. running at the time had simply carried
on playing. Steve pointed out that this should have been quite
impossible, as, under such circumstances, the C.D. resets itself
and doesn’t play until the relevant button is manually pressed.
Steve believes he saw the figure of a young woman with blonde, bobbed
hair, wearing a knitted suit, standing at his bedroom door on one
occasion. (Described as very 60’s in appearance).
A female member of staff also reports having seen a woman with long
hair and wearing what appeared to be a ball gown on one of the upper
floors of the building.
Just after Christmas (2002), a novelty Santa figure – who
had been hanging from a top floor window of the building for the
duration of the festive season - was found lying on the 2nd floor
landing. No one on site could account for it having been moved.
One of the bar girls at the pub recently complained to Steve that
a barrel of mild needed changing. Knowing that the barrel
concerned shouldn’t have run dry so quickly, Steve checked
it out and found that the pump tap had been switched off in the
cellar.
Late 2002, Steve allowed a number of (so called) ‘psychics’
to spend a few hours sitting in the pub cellar. Unfortunately,
one of the group concerned was believed to have been working in
conjunction with the W.M.G.C. – which they most certainly
were not! - otherwise such an event would not have been allowed
to take place.
Despite psychic powers and the use of a divining pendulum, the group
concerned apparently came up with very little. They did however
claim to have detected ‘something’ in one of the corners
of the office section of the cellar and at another site under the
cooler unit…….
Click here
for Part 2: Monday 10th to Tuesday 11th February 2003
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or an individual that takes part in Paranormal Investigations?
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