21st Century Antics - Revisit

21st Century Antics

Thursday 19th August 2010.

Phoenix of Wessex and Twilight Paranormal were asked to join a good friend our ours in a séance at 21st century Antics. On previous visits I have witnessed some very impressive activity in this lovely curious shop and it is a place I love to visit so we jumped at the chance.

Maria, Dave, Sharon and myself joined Ben and friends in this evenings investigation and we soon got busy setting up the séance. A very heavy wooden table had been chosen and placed in the centre of the room and we all set out our infra red camera’s and dicta phones in strategic places around the room.

Once settled we sat for a moment in the dark and I proceeded to open the circle of protection. Once this was done I started to call out to any spirits to see if they would make themselves known to us. This didn’t seem to provoke any kind of reaction so Maria had a go. We then asked Ben to try as I have found in the past that when he does talk he seems to get a reaction. I think it is because he works in the shop and the spirits are familiar to him. After a while we did start to here some tapping coming from under the table which did seem to respond to our questions. It was very slow and sluggish though and it was not an energy that I was familiar with in this building. Normally the energy is very strong.

As we progressed into the séance I became aware of a presence stood just behind me and in-between the gap between Dave and I. Initially I thought it was Dave but as I concentrated in the darkness I could see he was still sat next to me and had not moved.

We had all become aware of icy draughts moving across our hands, some members of the team felt like they had been poked or touched. We heard a noise come from upstairs and to me it sounded like a couple of footsteps. Dave also said that he could see a figure at the end of the shop in his peripheral vision and a few others said that they kept seeing this too. The shop had suddenly got very dark and had taken on an ominous feel.

Ben tried calling out and we heard a sharp rap under the table and another strange noise. Maria said it was like the swishing of material. Ben continued to call out which we would hear loud knocks and rapping coming from the table. These sounds were mostly coming from the end of the table that Dave and I were sitting. Jess, one of Bens guests said she felt a presence manifesting in between Dave and I and I must admit I could feel the presence there too. The spirit that was in communication with us didn’t seem to respond to any questions we asked but if we talked among ourselves it became very agitated. Again I didn’t recognise the energy with us and it felt very different and new. Ben suddenly asked me if I had moved and I replied that I had not moved or made a noise. Ben then said that he had heard something. The shop started to feel darker than usual again and Ben and Dave both remarked on this.

We all heard a sound upstairs once more and I could feel an energy building again. We heard a sharp knock rap on the table. At this point I said that I didn’t like my back being towards the rest of the shop. The knocking continued on the table. One of Ben’s guests asked the spirits present if they recognised any of the people sitting around the table. There was a loud rapping by Ben. Ben asked if the spirit worked in the shop?" There was no response. Ben asked the spirit if it lived there?" The table shuddered and then knocked. This was followed by a sudden burst of knocking which I then said that something was stroking my arm and I didn’t like it. I asked the spirit to Stop picking on me because I was feeling a little spooked at this point. There was a loud knock on the table. Jess asked if it could knock near someone else and a knocking seemed to move around the table. We also heard what sounded like something metallic being moved near to us. Ben made a request to the spirits to specifically move the table and explained it would be great if they could do this as there were some sceptical people among us who needs to see more proof to believe. As he was asking this the table moved quite sharply. I felt that this spirit wanted to make itself known but didn’t like our questions.

Dave asked me if I had just moved my foot and I replied that I had not. Jess then gasped out loud. She seemed quite rattled and when we asked if she was ok she said that she had seen a black shadow form behind me and she saw horrible E.T like fingers crawl up around Maria but disappear when she gasped. I suddenly felt a sharp poke in my side and exclaimed that I didn’t like this and pleaded with the spirits to stop picking on me. Jess asked out if this was the spirit she had just seen and to that we heard a loud knock on the table. She asked the spirit if it liked me and again we heard a loud knock then a thud upstairs. The table then moved and we heard a noise like a scaping sound coming from underneath the table.

I became aware of a new energy joining us and when I asked out we heard a rap on the table to confirm this. Someone had their shoulder touched and felt that this spirit had a preference towards woman. To this question the table moved and we heard a knock in response.

A lot of activity followed this. The table started to lift on two legs, members of the team felt like they had been touched by unseen hands, we heard noises from upstairs and around us and tapping on the table. The cameras also started to switch off one by one. This was really strange as we had all charged our batteries to max before hand and my battery alone has at least 200 minute on it once fully charged. After the last camera died the table really lifted onto 2 legs. Ben asked the spirit to walk towards his EMF reader to see if it would activate. He was some what perplexed that the meter had not given a signal but yet we were experiencing lots of activity. To his question we heard a very loud knock and scraping sound coming from underneath the table. I said in a joking way “and for my next trick” to which the knocking sound made a sort of drum role sound which we all found very amusing.

We decided to take a break at this point and took 5. When we got back the energy seemed to of died down. We asked out for quite a while and didn’t really get any reaction. Just as we had decided to call it a night the table really lifted. I noticed that Sharon had started to laugh and other people had joined in. This was usually a sign that Len a spirit we are familiar with in this building had joined us and his presence usually provokes giggles and laughter. The table kept lifting on two legs and would change sides if we requested it. The knocking also got louder and it was as if this spirit really didn’t want us to go. We played along for another 20 minutes or so but as we all had to work in the morning we had to wind the investigation down and pack away.

After Maria closed the circle down, we all commented on what a brilliant night it was and I really hope we can go back again soon.

My thanks to Maria for arranging this for us and to Ben for inviting us.

J Wicheard ©

Maria Williams account of the evening can be read below.

On Thursday 19th August 2010, Jacky, Dave, Sharon and I were invited back to the shop for the evening to see if we could make contact with the ghosts who live there. Ben had invited some guests, some of whom we knew and some who we didn’t know.

Jacky opened up and ‘called out,’ encouraging spirits to use our energies and make contact with us. We heard a noise, a small tap. Ben called out, asking any spirits present to hit the table as hard as possible. All was quiet. Ben asked again and the table tapped underneath. Ben asked "Could you tap louder please?" Ben called out the names he knows who are connected to the shop, Thomas, Ernest and Leonard. Jacky said that she could feel the energy building up but it seemed slower than usual in the shop.

Jess said that she could see something between Dave and Jacky and that it had leaned forward right by them. Jacky said that she thought that Dave had been leaning on her. He said that he hadn’t moved and I knew that he hadn’t as I was sitting next to him.

Dave said that his hand was icy cold. We had all been experiencing small draughts blowing over our hands. I ‘called out.’ I called Len, asking this hilarious spirit gentleman to join us. Jacky and I both wanted the scary female ghost to join us too, as although the atmosphere is terrifying when she joins us; we always enjoy her contact with us. Rhys said that he felt something touch his eyebrow. All was quiet in the shop.

Suddenly we all heard a noise upstairs, directly above us. We knew there was nobody upstairs. We were also aware of the draughts that had increased over our hands as we sat around the table. Jess ‘called out.’ There was a tap and a rumbling sound. The table shuddered and then started tapping. Several members of the team saw something standing at the end of the shop, behind Jacky, Dave and I. They said that it kept standing back when noticed.

Ben ‘called out.’ After a while, a sharp rap was heard, followed by another noise. The second noise was a swishing noise like the rustling of taffeta material. Jacky said "What the hell was that?" It came from somewhere nearby us. The table started to knock in response to our requests. Jess said that she thought that something was manifesting between Jacky and Dave. The knocking on the table was now by Jacky and Dave. We all heard more strange sounds coming from different directions within the shop.

We noticed that when we asked the spirits to bang on the table, it banged but it did not bang when we asked specific questions. Jacky said that she did not feel as if Len (our favourite ghost) had joined us.

Ben looked at Jacky and asked her "Is that you?" She replied that she had not moved or made a noise and Ben said that he had heard something shift. It seemed really dark in the shop, darker than usual. Ben and Dave both remarked on this. We all heard a sound upstairs. Jacky said that she could feel an energy building. A sharp knock rapped on the table. Jacky said that she didn’t like her back being towards the dark expanse of the shop. There was more knocking on the table. One of Ben’s guests asked the spirits present if they recognised any of the people sitting around the table and if they did, would they please knock the table near to that person. There was a loud knock by Ben. Ben asked "Did you work in this shop?" There was no response. Ben asked "Did you live here?" The table shuddered and then knocked. This was followed by a sudden burst of knocking. Jacky said "Something is stroking my arm and I don’t like it. Stop picking on me!” There was a sharp knock on the table. Jess asked if it could knock near someone else and a knocking commenced around the table. We heard something metallic being moved near to us.

Ben explained to any spirits listening to us that there were a few sceptical people among the group so it would be good to show them that spirits do exist. Ben asked "Please shake the table again" and before he had finished speaking, the table shook. Jess asked if the spirit knocking the table was a man and the table shook. Jess asked "Are you friendly?" The table knocked and the bangs were getting louder. We all felt that this spirit was a spirit that had been there a very long time. Jacky thought that the spirit person wanted to make itself known but did not want us to ask questions.

Jacky asked Dave "Did you just move your foot?" Dave said that he had not moved his foot at all and Jacky make a scared type of noise. Jess gasped and said that she had just seen something come from behind Jacky, it had manifested itself into a black shadow, moving behind Dave and then leaned over my arm with its arm and its fingers looked like the film character ET’s fingers. Jess appeared really shocked.

Jacky felt as if she had been poked. She said "Please don’t poke me." Jess asked "Are you interested in Jacky?" There was a loud knock. Jess said "Do you like her?" There was a sharp rap on the table. Jess asked "Was that you I saw standing behind Jacky?" We all heard a thud from upstairs. The table moved and then shuddered. We were all aware of a scraping noise coming from underneath the table.

Jacky felt like a different energy that we had never met before had joined us. She asked if this was so and a tap was heard on the table. Jess said that someone had tickled her shoulder and said that she thought that this spirit had a preference for women. The table knocked. Jess asked "Are you feeling playful?" A knock was heard and the table lifted up slightly.

The table lifted up from one corner. Ben asked "Did you just lift the table?" Jess said that something had just stroked her leg. Rhys said that he felt weird and floaty but his hands felt like a ton-weight. Jess said that something was pushing against her chest. There was a tapping on the table near to Dave. Most of the team members were experiencing different physical sensations.

There was more tapping and the table felt like it was trying to lift. Somewhere in the shop I heard what sounded like dog paws tapping towards me. Rhys also heard it. Gary said that he had been touched on the back of his neck. He then asked aloud "Are you touching the right side of my leg." Please knock if you are!” There was silence and then suddenly Rhys burst out laughing. He apologised for his outburst and tried to stop laughing. The table shuddered considerably. We all heard a footstep inside the shop. Rhys started laughing again, almost hysterically. During Rhys’s laughter, there were intermittent tapping sounds on the table. We all started smiling because Rhys’s laughter was infectious. Jacky said "Len’s here!" Rhys stopped laughing and then Sharon started giggling. She tried to stop but could not contain her mirth. She kept trying to explain that she didn’t know why she was laughing. Rhys started laughing again. Although we were all laughing by now, Rhys and Sharon’s laughter was different. It really was as if they were being affected.

We continued with our séance. Suddenly a camera which was recording the séance switched itself off; followed by another until systematically all cameras switched themselves off. Out of seven cameras, only two were left running. I thought there must be a natural explanation for this but some of the boys said that it was impossible that they had all run out of battery at the same time because they all had different life-length of batteries in them. Some batteries were eight hour batteries so they should not have drained so quickly. Jess said "It’s a power drain!" There was a knocking sound in the shop. Rhys and Sharon were still laughing intermittently and now two more of Ben’s guests started to laugh.

We all heard a rustling noise near to us in the shop. It sounded like fabric rustling, like a long skirt swishing as someone walked. Jess asked out "Can you touch one of us!" Jacky suddenly shouted out "No, No, No!" We all looked at Jacky and she said "Someone has just pulled my trouser leg up!" Another camera switched off. Jess told us that she saw something move behind Alana.

Dave said that he could smell burning. As he finished his sentence, we all heard a very loud knocking. Jacky asked for the table to be lifted and we could all feel an energy really trying to lift the table. We all tried to encourage whatever it was that was trying to lift the table. Another camera switched off so my camera was now the only camera running.

The table lifted. We asked it to lift the other side and it did. Ben wondered why his EMF meter had not been activated when we had experienced some very strange things. He asked if a spirit could walk towards us and activate his EMF meter. We all heard two loud knocks and then a scraping noise under the table. The table continued knocking and moving. Jacky said "And for my next trick" and there was an immediate tapping which resembled a drum roll. We all laughed and I told everyone about a previous time that I had tapped out the beats of a rhyme onto the table and something had tapped out the rest of the rhyme to the finish. I am inclined to think that it was our friend Len that tapped out the drum roll in response to Jacky’s remark.

We all heard footsteps from within the shop. The table moved and then after a while it moved again. This was followed by tapping from random areas of the table. Suddenly Ben’s EMF meter began to bleep.

We continued with our séance and the table continued tapping. Eventually it stopped and we started chatting amongst ourselves. As soon as we diverted our attention from the spirit activity, the table shuddered and lifted considerably. We were all surprised at the strength it would have taken to lift this heavy table. The table lifted again. Following this, the table moved, shuddered and tapped intermittently but eventually we had to end our paranormal investigation as it was a week-day and it was very late. Twilight Shadows Paranormal/ Phoenix of Wessex would like to thank Ben and his guests for a very enjoyable evening.