When I was at school I knew this strange but likeable boy who came around my house a few times. At the time my Mother said he was very strange and romanticised a lot and lived in his own fantasy world.
When we left school I didn't meet up with him again until yesterday, 27 years later although we'd been in contact via facebook for quite a while. Turns out that that he is the leader of a local paranormal investigation group which mostly seems to consist of members of his own family.
Turns out he was trying to get a group together to do a spot of ghost hunting at some old disused ramparts in Portsmouth, after dark!!! How could I resist? I even dragged my horror film/zombie loving daughter along as well.
![[Image: DSCF0956.JPG_s.jpg]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_RjNrShFH0qQ%2FSOeBwPREKTI%2FAAAAAAAADtk%2FnENQcgcRdy8%2Fs320%2FDSCF0956.JPG_s.jpg)
![[Image: Untitled+1.jpg]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=1.bp.blogspot.com%2F_RjNrShFH0qQ%2FSJ7v-kHWknI%2FAAAAAAAACXI%2FECAjRiAQwlM%2Fs320%2FUntitled%2B1.jpg)
We all met up nearby the venue. Actually, when I say nearby I do so quite wrongly. It was about 2 miles away and the only way to get there was through dense undergrowth. Luckily however there was a convenient and very muddy trail to guide us. Eventually we got there and we were confronted by a huge second world war building which seemed to be dug into the side of a hill although I suspect it was actually the hill itself.
Inside were huge brick chambers, full of graffiti. Ideal for druggies and dealers was my first thought, but, we were the only ones there. We all shuffled in and our leader started to place little candles on various shelves, walls and other surfaces. "This draws them out." he proudly told me. This was my first conclusive clue that he, and by extension, the rest of his group were operating on, shall we say, a different level of sanity from my daughter and myself. The second clue came when his wife, clad on all sides by the rest of the group, suddenly started addressing a large and disconcertingly dark empty room. That classic phrase came earnestly and sincerely from here mouth. "Is there anybody there?" No, I thought. It's an empty room! Unperturbed by the lack of any sort of response, she continued. "Are you there Richard?" Richard? Who the heck's Richard?
It turns out that they, husband and wife, can made a quick visit to this place earlier that day and that our leader had picked up the vibrations of a 14 year old boy called Richard.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Richard did not respond. Neither did he respond to the many requests by 13 out of the 15 members of the group to throw stones or blow out candles. However, he did try for quite a while as many of the candles flickered and danced much to the excitement of one elderly member in particular. Excitement she could hardly contain as she jumped up and down in joy at one flickering candle shouting "Yes! Yes!" You can do it!! Come on Richard, you're doing so well!!" My daughter didn't have the heart to mention that everytime the candle flickered it coincided with a draught rushing through a nearby window!
http://www.oggtheclever.com/candle.mp3
This sort of behaviour went on for a couple of hours with people taking videos and photos using cameras with flashes the like of which could burn your retina to a crisp. Eventually it was decided that it had been a 'quiet' night and we should all go home.
However, it was really great fun and my daughter really enjoyed it. Not because of the ghosts but the fascinating behaviour of the hunters.
Can't wait for next time
When we left school I didn't meet up with him again until yesterday, 27 years later although we'd been in contact via facebook for quite a while. Turns out that that he is the leader of a local paranormal investigation group which mostly seems to consist of members of his own family.
Turns out he was trying to get a group together to do a spot of ghost hunting at some old disused ramparts in Portsmouth, after dark!!! How could I resist? I even dragged my horror film/zombie loving daughter along as well.
We all met up nearby the venue. Actually, when I say nearby I do so quite wrongly. It was about 2 miles away and the only way to get there was through dense undergrowth. Luckily however there was a convenient and very muddy trail to guide us. Eventually we got there and we were confronted by a huge second world war building which seemed to be dug into the side of a hill although I suspect it was actually the hill itself.
Inside were huge brick chambers, full of graffiti. Ideal for druggies and dealers was my first thought, but, we were the only ones there. We all shuffled in and our leader started to place little candles on various shelves, walls and other surfaces. "This draws them out." he proudly told me. This was my first conclusive clue that he, and by extension, the rest of his group were operating on, shall we say, a different level of sanity from my daughter and myself. The second clue came when his wife, clad on all sides by the rest of the group, suddenly started addressing a large and disconcertingly dark empty room. That classic phrase came earnestly and sincerely from here mouth. "Is there anybody there?" No, I thought. It's an empty room! Unperturbed by the lack of any sort of response, she continued. "Are you there Richard?" Richard? Who the heck's Richard?
It turns out that they, husband and wife, can made a quick visit to this place earlier that day and that our leader had picked up the vibrations of a 14 year old boy called Richard.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Richard did not respond. Neither did he respond to the many requests by 13 out of the 15 members of the group to throw stones or blow out candles. However, he did try for quite a while as many of the candles flickered and danced much to the excitement of one elderly member in particular. Excitement she could hardly contain as she jumped up and down in joy at one flickering candle shouting "Yes! Yes!" You can do it!! Come on Richard, you're doing so well!!" My daughter didn't have the heart to mention that everytime the candle flickered it coincided with a draught rushing through a nearby window!
http://www.oggtheclever.com/candle.mp3
This sort of behaviour went on for a couple of hours with people taking videos and photos using cameras with flashes the like of which could burn your retina to a crisp. Eventually it was decided that it had been a 'quiet' night and we should all go home.
However, it was really great fun and my daughter really enjoyed it. Not because of the ghosts but the fascinating behaviour of the hunters.
Can't wait for next time
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