Where it all began........

Well, today has been an interesting day (Nov 11th, 08) as i've had the Bolton Evening News down to actually LOOK at genuine footage directly from the cctv hard drive that captures ORBS on camera on a daily basis.

The pub will be featured in tomorrows BEN edition as i contacted them a month ago to see if they would help me find a paranormal investigative team to 'move' a ghost that keeps appearing every week after the pub has closed for the evening.

To be honest we have all seen the orbs on the cctv and numerous customers have stood at the end of the bar and watched the screen in amasement.  Three members of staff have witnessed small items flying off the bar back. One member of staff had 5 pence pieces flicked at her, and on one occasion three members of staff (and 2 customers) witnessed a small plastic cherry-pot fly off the bar back as well.

The sceptical will probably mutter 'publicity stunt'. But this has nothing to do with publicity what so ever. But the invitation is there to come and watch the cctv monitor for yourself.  They can and are seen in daylight but not as clearly as evenings. The BEN reporter who called today actually recorded some footage onto his phone to show others at the paper!  Tonight we intend to leave a stand-alone digital cam-corder running when the pub is completely empty.  This will be in a controlled enviroment thus ruling out external interfearance etc - of which the BEN paper will then collect the footage and have indicated they will probably put it onto the internet for veiwers or readers to look at the footage.  There is one thing for sure though - and that is this, when the the reporter arrived he was clearly sceptic, when he left - he wasn't.  

see...  http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/search/3838289.

Scary_goings_on_at_the_pub_of_evil_spirits_/ 

Our latest update !!!

Obviously not many people wish to live and work amongst 'spirits' and as many of you know the Bolton News very kindly did a huge article asking for help for us to clear the pub.  This was a trying time indeed as you simply don't know who you can trust these days and we really didn't relish on the thought of whom the ad might attract....

Fortunately for us we were contacted by Shaun Booth from Warrington who owns probably the biggest psychic directory in the world (www.psychicdirectory.com) and he brought two other team members to assist him in the investigation.  Well cameras kept switching off, batteries drained and alsorts of perculiar things like that, but they weren't phased in the slightest. 

Shaun advised me that the pub was over 300 years old and that there was nothing bad here, just residual.  I was interested in learning that the massive amount of electricity pylons that run overhead also played a part in our situation, which was further magnified by the fact we have a free flowing brook that runs beneath the cellar.  Both are conductors - so in effect, we get a double dose!  To have total clearance here we would have to cleanse the pub every week apparently, but as time goes by we are adjusting to our companions and trying to leave them to their own devices - in fairness, they were here long before WE arrived...

It has absolutely dumbfounded me at HOW MANY people have contacted me wanting to do ghost hunts, psychic investigations, psychic dinners, paranormal meetings - and, and, and.........  My God, i had no idea this was even 'out there'.  Having said that i have met some wonderful people since this became public knowledge.  Many have called in to just have lunch and a walk around and take a few snapshots of their own, which we don't mind if they are discrete and don't upset other customers.  We certainly don't want camera flashes going off when diners are trying to enjoy a meal, so discretion is paramount.

Since Shaun's visit it calmed down considerably, but as he predicted - without regular cleansing it would increase bit by bit, and he was right.  At first there was nothing at all, total silence - like someone had pressed 'pause'.   But as the days went by the orbs started to appear again so i rang him up in panic and we discussed the regularity of the cleansing and so on.

We took each day just one at a time, and slowly but surely the orbs are returning slowly which we now don't mind at all.  At the beginning you could see them at any time, day or night on the digital cctv monitor, but nowadays its (temporarily) much quieter. 

The apparition my acting manager Steve kept seeing has not appeared since the clearing but he knows that her presence is now returning yet again - just not visually.  The other night as i was helping with the final shut down of the pub he said he could feel her, and surely enough - he was surrounded by an area of bitterly cold air that followed him wherever he walked!  I have to say that this was also backed up by a friend who is a well known tv psychic who'd called in for a beer and a chat with some friends. 

We don't know about paranormal worlds, we just accept that there's clearly something else beyond our own existence. We don't ask other's to believe or not believe us. 

One thing that cannot be denied is the fact that the toilets have severely cold areas for no logical reason.  We turn the heating to full, block the fans - and it makes no difference at all.  We have been told that these were key areas in the history of the pub, but beyond that - we have no idea.  It may well turn out to be something quite obvious and explanatory, but as yet - that remains unfound, so until that time - you make up your own mind.

UPDATE 8/12/08

The apparition has now re-appeared, which confirms that the advice we were given about cleansing weekly clearly carries weight as we have purposely waited to simply see if she would re-appear; and as pre-warned - she has.  The orbs have steadily returned as time has passed, last night i counted 8 orbs on the cctv in exactly 5 minutes.

BLAZE OF LIGHT - 7/12/08                                                                                              Yesterday a very good friend who is a well known medium (having read many of the coronation street cast, knows Derek Ackora etc etc etc) came to do my own personal reading.  As expected he was brilliant, but immediately afterwards two of my children and an independant customer actually saw a magnificent bright light downstairs in the pub area.  It was described as suddenly appearing from no where and was intensley brilliant white.  Their description was that it was akin to how a safety match would light in a flury, but the perculiar light had an energy that 'arked' like a jolt of electricity and was probably the total (illuminated) size of a beach ball.  They could not say what size the 'centre' was as it was too bright to ascertain, but they said it appeared to grow  and then shrink (but at speed) then disapeared.  They all saw it, then looked at each other in disbelief, then ran for me!! (like i'm the brave one, Not).  I had the electrics tested but there was no fault, and if there had been it would have tripped out.  We have no explanation, so again - make up your own mind. 

 Well christmas has come and gone and a pleasant time was had by all.  It seems our lady aparition - who has been given the name of Emily - is back...

Whilst her presence has been felt on close-down of the pub, we had assumed that she was no longer willing to be seen after us having the pub cleansed in November 08.   On the 3rd of Jan the asst manager Steve was setting the cellar up for the day ahead just switching the coolers on and checking the cask -when- he suddenly heard a woman's voice hastily say "get out!" he spun around as there were no staff on the premises at the time and instanteaniously a bulb exploded nearby !!  Needless to say he ran out of the cellar as best as he could in the pitch black, fumbled his way up the stairs to ground level and left the building to calm down.  Later in the day he went back into the cellar to sweep up the broken glass from the bulb but there was NOTHING to be found apart from the metal connector that originally was part of the bulb - so the glass had clearly been blown into dust! Go figure....

Two days later however - 'Emily' did re-appear.  She stood over on the upper raised area of the pub and when Steve noticed her, she just smiled and disapeared.   In fairness he was at ease with this one particular encounter as her smile showed him that she posed no threat.  He described it as being a pleasant smile that was non-threatening and peaceful. 

Then on jan 6th (2009) Emily appeared again during shut-down, but this time she did not disapear. Normally Steve would freeze on the spot and she would vanish....  When she didn't vanish he turned and walked in a different direction as he simply did not know what else to do.  This time he saw her watch him walk along the length of the bottom bar until HE disapeared out of sight.

When i questioned him about this he said he was praying she wouldn't be there by the time he'd walked round to the bar side where she had been stood as he had to pass that way to get behind the bar to continue the closing up.  (Much to his relief she had gone, but clearly there will come a point when she won't have).

FEB-MARCH 2009

This has been a very testing and trying time for businesses.  As the recession bit deeper, crime has increased. Two local pubs were recently under financial attack with menaces.  Our thoughts and prayers went out to those who were present, but it made us very fearful of our own staff and customer safety at the time.   We did all the necessary things, increased safety measures and alarms and defense routine etc...  The children and myself were very worried along with  no doubt every other local business in the area at the time!!   One morning - probably late feb, my acting manager Steve came up from the cellar in a clear state of shock..         I asked him if there was something wrong (thinking he'd mislaid keys or something) and he said "she spoke - she's spoken!"  Then he walked off heading for the door...   I slowed him down, asked what was said.  He explained that 'Emily' (as we call her) had said "We are the gaurdian's here" and then disapeared.  This had left him somewhat unerved as it was a 'NOW' statement, very relevant to the current happenings and OUR time zone.  This statement couldn't be excused as 'a time replay' as they say.    We did dwell on this to some degree as we didn't know if this meant we were protected by a higher force, or if it should be taken as a warning that danger was imminent. 

APRIL 2009

Just when you think you've got the 'angle' on this haunted business - something always seems to happen to gently (ahem..) remind you to take nothing for granted....   Mid April and again - poor Steve (my acting manager) was prepping the cellar for the day ahead just getting on with his work  when our lady apparition 'Emily' told him to "get out" (of the cellar).   And again, just as the words were filtering through his conscious a light bulb exploded !!  This is the second time this has happened.  We cannot fathem 'Why' he's being told to get out, or - Why the bulb is exploding.. To us, it has no obvious message other than it being an instruction...

Then on April 27th, it was around 9.30am, i was prepping the bar area and Steve had arrived and had gone into the pub kitchen to make a coffee.   Moments later i could here the humming of machinery coming from the dry-stores (kitchen larder). I saw Steve put the kettle down and head down the stairway so i immediately follwed.  To both of our amasement, the potato rumbler had been switched ON despite the fact that we were the ONLY 2 people in the building.  This was (and remains) somewhat unerving if i am honest, as this is heavy duty machinery and the Off and On button is very stiff and it is totally impossible for it to be switched on accidentally. Even a falling tin or pot could not switch this machine on.   This is one i am still sort of stewing on to be truthful... 

This is NOT getting any better...      April 30th 2.40am, i'd just settled into bed after closing and cleaning and locking up. The cctv was still running (its 24hr) and the alarms were all switched on and the place was in 'lock down' lol.     Just drifting off into sleep and i was abruptly awoken by noise which was close in proximity.  This wasn't a bang. The closest i can describe this would be to tipping a 50ltr bin of cuttlery into the sink!  Not only did it wake me up but i continued to hear the noise whilst i was sat bolt upright in bed.  I jumped out of bed checked outside - nothing. I then checked the pub camera's and the alarm, again nothing wrong.  The alarm here is very sensitive, so i knew there wasn't an intruder but i had no explanation for the noise.    Anyway nothing was found so it was left and forgotton about.   THEN on May 2nd the engineer came out to the gaming machines for an uprage and asked me IF they had been TIPPED OVER as all the coins had somehow come out of the trays and were on the floor of the machines!!!   Needless to say i am now having extra cctv fitted in this area and extra sensors to the alarm system.  From a logical point of view i can't see 'why' a ghost would tip the machines and put them back into position - but on the other hand, neither can i accept that an intruder could possibly bypass cctv and an alarm system then be foolish enough to tip the machines knowing full well that all the coins would make so much noise!  But - IF this behaviour is due to an unerathly source - it conserns me greatly at the strength involved, and i have to wonder what the h*** might happen next.

TUES FEB 3RD 2009 - PSYCHIC NIGHT WITH JAMES GRIFFITHS.  James is a world known phenomonon is the paranormal world. He is the researcher for Most Haunted on LIVING TV, and is also a regular host on City Radio discussing paranormal events.  To the best of our knowledge - tickets will be sold via James' staff on the night itself.   EVENT TIME 5.30pm-10pm. 

Feb 21st 2009.   We are pleased to announce that we have been chosen by the Lorraine Bamford team of psychic investigations to hold a ghost hunt in our pub.  Please note that tickets are selling fast and we DON'T have access to them, so cannot reserve places for you (sorry).  They can be obtained by going directly through her website:- www.lorrainebamford.com  .  This event is also being covered by 94.4fm SALFORD CITY RADIO and will be aired the following week.

We have been asked by Mr James Griffiths if we would be interested in possibly hosting a monthly event - be it a psychic night or ghost hunt or other - if you are interested in coming to the unity brook for these events - please contact James through his website on:-   www.mosthaunted-ghosttours.com .

 APRIL 24th 2009 -  11pm-12 midnight.   94.4 fm.                                      Salford City Radio are covering (discussing) the haunting of the Unity Brook.   Alan (the radio host & investigator) came to have a look around and presumed he would have a 10 minute slot for us - but - after our chat and his walk around he said to cover everything would take up the entire one hour slot!! lol.    During his visit i mentioned the orbs and to prove what i was saying was quite genuine i took him behind the bar to watch the monitor - to which he saw the orbs fly across the screen for himself.   His expression was sooo funny, he really is such a loveable character. 

MAY 4th (monday - Bank Holiday)

Car Park feat from 12 noon in support of RAISING FUNDS for our local parish church (St. stephens) for roof repairs.  Everyone is welcome to bring a table and set up a stall and sell their goods (have a clear out!!)  or promote your business, give your leaflets out etc etc.  We have got many stalls which include Tarot Card Reading, Crystal healing, Tombola's, Cake stalls, and loads of prizes like FREE driving lessons, dance lessons, drinks etc.  Hopefully the Greenwatch fire brigade will be bringing a fire truck to promote fire safety and show the children inside - AND we're trying to persuade 2 hunky firemen to have their legs waxed for charity!! woo hoo.   There's no charge for a stall or setting up but we would ask all that participate to make a donation to the fund for the church roof please.