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Goughie's goes ghost hunting at Whitby's Captain Cook Memorial Museum
WHEN there's something strange in the neighbourhood, who you gonna call? – Goughie.
Forget the Ghostbusters, Richard Baker from the Captain Cook Memorial Museum in Grape Lane, Whitby, thought of a great challenge in the latest effort to get me to take on a task.
Normally after a tough week at work, I'm out chasing spirits of a different kind in the pubs and clubs of Whitby.
But last week's challenge saw Richard persuade me to spend a night ghost-hunting with a team of experts from Scarborough.
Medium Angie Riley (44) and her husband Mark (40) have different views on the paranormal and jumped at the chance to work with me.
Angie and Mark research the paranormal and mediumship with a team of believers who take a sceptical approach at first.
During the investigations, Angie communicates with spirits and gives information such as names and dates.
Mediums can tell us why the spirit is there, and what they want and helps people understand why they are experiencing the things they are.
The investigations take place overnight and we were in the museum from 10pm until 5am.
Fellow ghost hunters included Whitby Gazette photographer Ceri Oakes, Mark (senior investigator), Angie (psychic medium), Mike Campion (investigator), Alan Willis (sensitive) and Chris Scott (investigator/cameraman).
Mark explained we could meet residual ghosts who can be seen going about their business as if they are still alive.
The ghosthunters heard a cat miaowing, the sound of footsteps and a man snoring on our mission to connect to the other side.
The team use gadgets including an EMF meter which measures electrical activity where the reading increases in the presence of spirits.
A sensitive thermometer reveals sudden changes in temperature which shows paranormal activity, and camcorders fitted with infrared lights are on hand so nothing is missed.
"I'm still sceptical when I investigate paranormal activity," said Mark.
"Angie tries to prove a spiritual link and I give a scientific explanation."
One of things I tried was scrying.
The term, which I foolishly kept calling skriking much to everyone's amusement, is also called crystal gazing, crystal seeing, seeing, or peeping.
We didn't see anything but the others did, when I was scrying they saw a little boy in the corner.
It's a practise that involves seeing things psychically, usually to obtain spiritual visions and more rarely for divination.
It can be used in mirrors, crystal balls and bowls of water.
It is a form of chanelling spirit and involved us gazing at ourselves in the mirror.
The spirits Angie picked up on were of John Walker and his brother Henry, Quaker shipowners engaged in the coal trade between the North East and London.
The spirits were Elizabeth Walker and Helen, daughter of John Walker.
Mary Prowd was a well respected housekeeper there, before Captain Cook was a captain she would give him a hug and upon his return as a captain she greeted him the same way she always had, despite being warned not to.
Mary was housekeeper to Captain John Walker.
Later we stood in a psychic circle and said a protection prayer.
Holding hands, we asked for the spirits to make themselves known to us.
Angie said: “I sense them instinctively, I hear them talk, sometimes it is just mumbling.
“I just know they are there.
“It drains me mentally and physically and I need to rest up afterwards especially if we do it back to back, night after night.
“It’s constant, since my earliest memories but my parents put it down to imaginary friends so in the end I just handled it myself and stopped telling them things.
“I have sisters and brothers but they are about as psychic as a house brick.”
The couple said it was a place that was worth an investigation, and Angie feels she needs to go back.
Personally, I would definitely like to try it again as I hope now the spirits have met me they would show themselves to me in future.
My mission to try things I’ve never done before continues.
I won’t rule anything out so to challenge me call me on (01947) 829904.
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Weather for Whitby
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
