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Investigators Present : DREW BARTLEY, FIONA VIPOND & LEE STEPHENSON.

Guest Iinvestigator: LLOYD WRIGHT.

Team Medium: RALPH KEETON.

Guests: CRAIG BEST (MANAGER), FIONA BEST, LOUISE LOCAL, ANDREW LOCAL, ANDY BRANDFORD & ANDY PACIOREK.

Sitting pretty in the heart of Co Durham stands Low Barnes Visitors Centre, previously a water mill. Today it houses a wildlife trust for school education & the general public.

This particular investigation had the team rather intrigued as the staff specified the location remained a mystery, thus we duly met the guests for the evening in the local pub in Witton itself.

With respect, Craig the manager explained to us that he didn’t want us to have prior knowledge of the building as another team of paranormal investigators had previously carried out an investigation with some results, so to be fair it was best to be kept in the dark.

After becoming acquainted with all present, we engaged to our vehicles & followed the guests into the night, along narrow leafy lanes for just a few minutes before we arrived at Low Barnes.

(Teams were split into two groups & Ralph as per usual intermingled between vigils)

N.B BEFORE THE VIGILS HAD EVEN GOT STARTED, DREW WAS SETTING UP THE LAPTOP TO USE AS A LOCK OFF IN WHAT WE WILL NAME AS THE "YELLOW ROOM", HE SAW THROUGH HIS PERIPHERAL HIS TORCH MOVE ON ITS HEAD AT LEAST THREE INCHES TO THE LEFT! WHEN HE PICKED UP THE TORCH, THE BATTERIES SIMPLY FELL OUT & WERE UNBEARABLY HOT TO THE TOUCH!

ANDY B WITNESSED THIS PHENOMENA FIRST HAND. WE QUICKLY TOOK A TEMPERATURE READING OF THE BATTERIES, WHERE THEY RAPIDLY FLUCTUATED BETWEEN 17c – 30 c !

Ralph picked up from the energy that someone had been extremely ill, maybe something to do with a bone disorder (crumbling).

Team 1: Fiona .V, Louise, Lloyd, Andy .L, Andy.B

UPSTAIRS ATTIC ROOMS

11.00AM

TEMP: 9c

EMF: 0

Vigil quiet! Andy. B recites prayers in Latin to increase vibrations, (this area had been used by priests long ago).

Andy.L’s temperature rises rapidly for no reason, when asked to remove the energies away from Andy, the temp began to drop.

A large light anomaly was captured around him at that very time.

Later in the same vigil, Fiona captured a spiral like light anomaly around Andy.

Team 2: Drew, Lee, Ralph, Andy.P, Fiona.B, Craig.B

DOWNSTAIRS / OFFICE

11.00AM

TEMP: 11c

EMF: NIL

Various noises heard from the back office.

11.10AM: Breath heard, a very loud noise was then heard in the back office.

Ralph picks up on the name "Pollyanna".

(RALPH THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA IF WE ALL GROUPED TOGETHER TO BUILD ENERGIES)

"YELLOW ROOM"

SEANCE

12AM -1AM

TEMP :9c

EMF : NIL

All present joined hands for a group séance. ( Drew filmed event with night vision camcorder).

During the séance there was rapid temp drops experienced by everyone in the circle, quite simultaneously.

Drew continually hears noises in the visitor area which is adjacent to the yellow room, the door has a window in it where it was closed & Drew periodically kept peering through to see if he could see any movement or any sort of activity, but it was too dark!

At 1.10am after the séance had ended, we all decided it was time for refreshments & a visit to the loos.

We vacated the yellow room & all walked through the visitors area, Andy P was literally seconds behind us towards the reception. He emerged, literally looking like he had seen a ghost! Andy then began to ask with annoyance which one of us had decided to tip one the exhibits onto its head, this exhibit being a beautiful owl that was on display near the entrance of the visitor area.

We all looked at Andy in disbelief, Andy was clearly upset, being a member of staff & and having the highest respect for this lovely specimen, it was highly unlikely that Andy would have even thought about playing such an unthinkable act.

Taking quite some time to discuss the phenomena, all present came to the conclusion that there were no answers & no reasonable explanations unless we could undoubtedly prove that the owl had been tampered with, to date this occurrence remains a mystery.

Refreshments were needed at this point, especially for Andy P, thus we vacated the area to the base room for a warm cuppa, hobnobs & chat, the upturned owl still very much the topic of conversation.

Later in the evening, the door that separates the yellow room from the visitor area was open. Craig was the only person to have a set of keys for this door. The door had previously been securely shut by the group after the séance. This enables the door to automatically lock. On venturing through, Andy B reports that the door had been opened. Craig stipulated he had certainly not opened the door. The weird thing was that the door could only be opened from the inside! Not tangible evidence, nevertheless still possible activity.

2.30AM SÉANCE VISITORS AREA

TEMP : 9c

EMF :NIL

Due to activity in this area, the team thought it most appropriate to carry out a joint séance to attempt to unravel the "owl" incident…………...it wasn’t a disappointment and totally unexpected!!!!

Drew recorded séance with night vision digital camcorder, also scanning the whole room to capture anything that happened surrounding the group.

The rest of the team joined hands to form a large circle in the centre of the room, where Ralph safely conducts the séance.

Ralph picks up that the visitor centre where we stood was once a courtyard, our guests confirmed this afterwards.

Within literally ten minutes into the séance, Fiona notices that Drew is standing in the vicinity of the "owl" looking completely perplexed! He then calls out to Fiona to join him (not taking his eye from what he was observing), where she carefully exits the circle.

Fiona immediately presumed that Drew has witnessed movement of the "owl", then realising he was focused on the corridor, he had seen something else!

(Testimony of Fiona Vipond)

"As soon as Drew called out to me to go over to where he was standing, I honestly thought that the owl had moved yet again. It took me about ten seconds to walk over to him where he was completely speechless! I could just make out in the dark that the owl had not moved, then I suddenly realised that Drew was staring into the corridor directly behind the owl, all he said was "come with me" where he took off towards the corridor shouting "who’s there"?

It was then I knew he had seen someone. I kept asking "what was it you saw"? to no avail!. In all these years as a paranormal investigator I have never seen Drew looked so shocked & bewildered!

All Drew kept repeating was "hello"? & "who’s there"? After scouring the area & eliminating any escape exits, we returned to the visitor area, where Ralph closed the séance after hearing the commotion.

After minutes of anticipation, although I have to say it felt like hours, Drew, unbelievably calm went on to explain exactly what he had witnessed" .…..

(Testimony of Drew Bartley)

"As I was walking around with my camcorder, I decided to film the owl, just in case anything happened. Something caught my eye & on looking up I could see a figure of masculine nature poised halfway behind an open door. Regrettably, I dropped my camera down as the area was dimly lit allowing me to see with my naked eye.

We literally stared at one another for at least fifteen seconds. When Fiona reached me, the figure casually turned & walked into the adjacent room. My instincts automatically told me the impostor was a burglar as Craig (the manager) had told me break in attempts had been made previously.

Worried for our safety, I ran towards the doorway really not thinking of any possible implications. I could hear Fiona asking me what was wrong, but my focus was finding this man who I had just seen as clear as day!

The realisation of the event on discovering the man had simply vanished left me shocked to say the least.

I know what I saw, that this was indeed what I perceive as a "ghost" or "spirit".

As the main sceptic of the team, I can now no longer deny their existence. For many years I dreamt of coming face to face with a "ghost" & my wish came true! It just makes me more determined to experience this phenomena again & again, I’m shocked but yet happy & fulfilled!

My only regret is that I didn’t film this apparition, I will kick myself forever for that blunder" Drew, like a true paranormal investigator consoles himself in the fact that he will catch a ghost on his next venture!

Craig & Andy P subsequently add that a man of this description had been seen several times before, which made this sighting all the more tangible.

The night unfortunately had to come to an end for us. This investigation certainly gave us the results we hoped to get, so we were not disappointed. Such a historic, wonderful building warrants further investigating, that’s if the hospitable hosts & spirits do not object.

On behalf of G.H.O.S.T & team members who could not be present, a massive thank you to Craig, Fiona, Andy L, Louise, Andy B & Andy P for the wonderful hospitality, kindness & patience that you gave us. We have made some great friends in you all!

Cheers folks!!!!

Lee sets up a trigger object	The Owl
Recording the temperature of the 'Hot' batteries	Reconstruction of the figure drew saw
Lee and Fiona in the tool room	Drew sets up his equipment