On Saturday 20th August 2016, Twilight Shadows Paranormal conducted a paranormal investigation at 21stCentury Antics in Salisbury, Wiltshire. We have investigated this lovely antique shop several times (2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010). Unfortunately, this would be the last time we would visit as the shop was closing and likely to be redeveloped as flats. We have always been fortunate on our visits to the shop as the spirits who reside here have always been happy to make contact with us.
WALK AROUND
When team medium Pete joined us, we had a walk around the shop together to see if Pete picked up on any spirit people. Pete immediately made contact with a lady at the front of the shop. He said that she was wearing a long, flowing, floral design dress. He thought that she presented as if she was living during the 1940's. There was also a middle aged man. Pete saw the lady as happy and dancing. He said that she was light on her feet.
We went upstairs and Pete said that he felt an atmosphere immediately. Nettie said, “This is heavy.” Pete said, “This one doesn't like us being here. He's shouting at us. He's shouting, get out, get out, you're not welcome here!” He said that he thought that furniture had been shoved up here. Pete told us that this entity had been brought in with something. He was attached to something in the shop. Pete said that he could hear a baby crying as well. (We had been told by a previous medium that there was a 'nanny.' who was a very strict upright lady, wearing a black uniform who walked through the shop pushing a pram. Pete did not know this). Pete said that he didn't know where the sound of the baby was coming from but he could also hear a woman saying,”Shhh, Shhh.” Pete said, “I asked who she is to the baby and she said that she's a nanny. She's a disciplinarian.” Pete said that the gentleman spirit that he picked up on earlier, was still angry. He also saw an elderly lady who was spiritually attached to a dressing table. Pete said, “It's so active up here.”
We walked into an adjoining room. Pete said that voices had been heard in here and someone had been sitting in a chair in this room. He showed us which chair. Everyone felt drawn to the chair. Tracey didn't like it and Rachel felt dizzy. Pete turned around and said that he could hear a female whimpering. Jacky and Dave joined us and they felt the heavy atmosphere straight away. Pete said that the 'nasty man' really didn't like him. Pete was wandering around and found a walking stick and said that the angry spirit was attached to it. Pete said that he was waving his stick at us.
Dave said that he could taste copper in his mouth. Pete took Ben back to the room where the angry spirit was and gave him the walking stick. He said, “He's up here, shouting that he is angry that we are here.” Ben said that he's had quite a few weird experiences up here. Pete told Ben about the couple downstairs and said that he felt that the gentleman had been a proprietor.
There was a sheet covering the doorway of another room. Ben told us to go on in there. Pete immediately heard a female crying. He also picked up on a spirit who growls.
DOWNSTAIRS
We sat around a large, heavy table. I 'called out' asking for the spirits of the shop to communicate with us. There was a single knock on the table, followed by further knocking. The temperature on the thermometer changed to 666 which amused us. We had a red light switched on, as it is perceived that spiritual energies are attracted to red light and are able to draw extra energy from it. We asked if the spirits present with us could utilise this red light.
It was quiet for a while and then we heard a gentle tapping. Lesley said, “It's getting cold in here.” Matt heard movement within the shop, even though we were all sitting together. Matt said that he was feeling strange and with that, the table started shaking. Lesley was right. It was getting colder and the digital thermometer was showing that the temperature was decreasing rapidly. Lesley and Rachel could feel breezes swirling around them. Suddenly, there was a really loud knock on the table, lighting the geo-phone. Pete said, “He's just trying to figure us out. He doesn't know why we're here.”
Jacky said, “Ooh, did you feel that? The table really moved then.” The EMF meter started to get high readings and everybody felt breezes over their hands. The table was moving and getting stronger. The geo-phone was reacting and Ben asked the spirits to knock and light the geo-phone to command. It did. As the table was shaking and moving, Jacky asked, “Is this your table?” There was one knock, indicating yes (two knocks for no). Pete said, “Let's see if we can bring the grumpy old man through.” There was a one knock response.
We started to chat amongst ourselves and Ben said, “Ooh, did you hear and feel that?” It was a huge thud to get our attention. Rachel said that she had felt a cold draught go past her and Matt said (at the same time), that he had felt a hot draught blow past him. The table was knocking and Pete said, “I know that you don't like the men but you like the ladies.” Pete had placed the walking stick that he had found earlier, upon the table. He said, “Were you always a grumpy old b******? You can bang, you can bump but you can't do us any harm. Is your name Eric?” Pete asked, “Do this” and rattled the walking stick on the table. The table shook forcibly which rattled the stick. After this, every time someone rattled the stick, the table shook it afterward.
Earlier, the atmosphere felt really powerful and tempestuous but now, the feeling was a little less angry. At times when we laughed at something, the atmosphere seemed lighter as if the grumpy spirit was laughing along with us. Dave smelt a floral scent and the table slid a little, across the room. The red light flickered and Jacky asked for the table to be lifted and it was. I asked for the spirit to scratch underneath the table and we all heard a scratch as if long fingernails scratched right across it. There were another two scratches. The K2 meter spiked and there was a massive bang on the table.
Pete asked, “You miss your wife, don't you?” I immediately felt sad and then Pete asked if one of the ladies present, reminded him of his wife. There was a knocking sound over by the workshop. Pete asked if the spirit that missed his wife could stand behind the female investigator that reminded him of his wife, and blow onto her neck. Matt said that he immediately felt a cold breeze behind him and he was standing next to Lesley. We asked if Lesley was the lady that reminded him of his wife and there was a huge bang. The table started moving and my Camcorder started to malfunction as it recorded. This has happened before in this shop. There was lots of strange thudding sounds and then fingernail scratching noises under the table.
The spirit seemed to withdraw and Jacky 'called out' asking for other spirits to join us. She asked for some of the spirits that we have previously met to join us. None of our old spirit friends (which we had affectionate memories of) seemed to be there anymore which made us wonder if they had been attached to some of the artifacts inside the shop and not the building itself. We heard the sound of footsteps upstairs. The table started to move and shake again.
We asked, “Do you belong in the shop?” The answer was no. The next question asked if this spirit had come into the shop with the furniture. The response was yes. We asked if the spirit could move the piece of furniture that they were attached to. The table we were sat around lifted. It seemed that we were now in touch with a female in her 30's. The table lifted again and Pete said, “You've often been misunderstood here haven't you?” We received a positive response. Pete asked, “Marian, were you married to the gentleman that we found in shop?” This time, we received a no. Pete didn't think that this lady was connected to the table. Kenzie said that she felt as if the lady was standing behind her.
The table was continuously tapping. Pete told us that the spirit lady who had joined us was an abundance of happiness and singing which reminded him of Julie Andrews in 'The Sound of Music.' Suddenly Pete said, “Did you fall down the stairs Marian?” There was an affirmative response. Ben told us a story about a lady who was allegedly murdered here in an alleyway, before the shop was built. Ben was told this story by an elderly man and he wasn't sure if it was true.
Pete said that he thought that Marian had taken her own life as she had lost a child. He said that she was married to one of the proprietors. He said, “She's connected to that gentleman.”
UPSTAIRS
We decided to conduct a séance upstairs and as soon as we sat in a circle, the table started tapping. I 'called out' and then so did Pete. There were three sharp taps and then a knock from underneath the table. We all introduced ourselves and received a tap of acknowledgment. Tracey 'called out' and the table started vibrating and moving. Pete was talking to us and then we all heard a female voice humming. Pete said, “Is that Marian?” There was an affirmative tap.
Jacky said that she could feel something building up behind her. The table which we were sitting around was shoved. Ben heard a noise and Pete said that it was behind them. Rachel suddenly jumped and said that something had just touched her foot. She said that it felt like a fingernail. We all heard a voice which sounded like 'Hello.' There was a scratch under the table. Pete said that he could feel an energy that was neither male or female. Tracey's chair juddered a bit underneath her.
Lesley 'called out.' There were two big knocks, a little gap and then a really large knock. The table was shoved forcibly, then scratched underneath and then jolted four times. A little while later, when our investigation was coming to an end, we were all standing around and starting to pack up and (to our absolute amazement) the table moved. Nobody was touching the table at all to create any energy. We told the spirit that we were shocked by this and we were sad that we had to go as it would be our very last time at the shop. The table moved again on its own, three more times. We closed down and at the very end, the table tapped and then all was quiet.
On behalf of the team, I would like to thank Ben for giving Twilight Shadows Paranormal access to his lovely shop, not only on this visit but for the many times over the years. We have thoroughly enjoyed every investigation here.
Written by: Maria Williams
