On
Due to the paranormal problem occurring in the attic of the building, a very small group of us attended this venue due to lack of space.
Upon our arrival we were met by John, the manager, who told us that the staff were afraid to go into the attic, during the day as well as the night. He showed us a door to the right hand side of the pub and we went upstairs to the attic. John told us that things are moved around in the attic, the most noticeable thing being the hat stand.
The attic was full of many things and we needed to clear a space big enough for us to assemble in the room. There was an adjoining room and we felt a very different atmosphere in there. It was very strange and slightly uncomfortable.
The attic was warm.
We found some old photographs. One photo was of a man with a white beard, a cap and a pipe. I instinctively felt that he had been a seafaring man and thought that he originated from
Another old photograph was a group of men from the pub in the 1920’s
Pete and Nettie arrived and before long Pete was describing a male. He described him as wearing a white shirt with an open collar. He was also wearing a waistcoat. We told him about the photographs and he asked to hold them. Pete said that his first impression was that he was a landlord but he now thought that he was a patron. He was in his 60’s.Eventually Pete said “Can I look” and turned it over and said “That’s him.” He is a sea-faring man originally from
We decided to put the lights out and switch our Camcorders to night vision. Pete started to ‘call out.’ Jacky noted that the warmness of the building was rapidly changing and the air was beginning to feel cold.
Chris was sitting alone in the adjoining room and Pete asked if Chris could feel the male spirit. Chris confirmed that he could and said that the room which he was in, used to be a bedroom and although the gentleman spirit did not live there, he sometimes stayed there. Pete said that this spirit’s name was Albert and he was standing to the left of the door frame and he kept looking around the door at us. Pete said that Albert’s surname was Parson’s or Parsonage. Jacky asked “What is his purpose?” Pete said that he is grounded here and he is looking for his lady. Pete said that this lady was called Lillian or Lily. Pete said that Albert feeds on fear and that he is the reason why the staff are afraid to go into the attic. Pete also picked up on a teenage lad in the attic.
Albert said he didn’t like the music in the pub. He was quite angry about it and described it as cacophony. Pete said that this building had been some sort of hostelry but not a legal one. He felt that the premises were used as an illegal distillery way back in time.
Dave took a photograph and there appeared to be a face, looking round the door.
Pete said that Albert did not like the men in our group as they were spiritually powerful. Some of the team said that they could feel a breeze across their hands.
Shortly afterwards the room started warming up again. In fact, it became uncomfortably warm.
We heard a noise in the corner where nobody was. It was a movement of some sort.
We decided to try some glass divination. After a while the glass started to move at our request but not in a ‘normal’ fashion. It did not slide but lifted up and rolled around on its rim. Jacky said that it looked as if the glass was walking.
Pete said that Albert was getting very impatient and said “If you want to ask a question, then ask!” We asked if Albert was the spirit who liked to scare people who came into the attic and the glass strangely began tapping.
Pete said that Albert told him that Lily was not his wife. She was a prostitute but Albert fell in love with her. He did not like the fact that he had to share her with other men.
Pete said “Somebody just tapped me on the shoulder!”
Matt started to shiver even though it was quite warm in the attic. Chris said “Whoever just came in, walked right past me and went to stand over by Matt.” Matt said that he could feel “A real cold blast of air!”
A female spirit entered the room. This lady was known as Lillian or Lily. In her normal life she was known as Lillian but when working as a prostitute she preferred to be called Lily. It was her way of separating her two different lifestyles. Lily told Pete that she was connected to Albert and also to a man named Bill who also ‘haunted’ the attic of The Griffin.
Jacky saw someone standing behind Chris. Pete said to Lily “You know both Albert and Bill loved you, don’t you?” Pete then said “There was also a third man, Lily’s husband.” At this point the temperature in the room plummeted. It got so cold that we had to put our coats on and pull up our hoods.
Pete continued to connect with Lily and told us that Albert and Bill did not pay for Lily’s services but they knew about each other. Lily felt special when they fought over her. Pete told us that Lily did love her husband but he did not give her much attention as he worked hard and very long hours to try to feed their children. Lillian did not feel special at home but she enjoyed all the attention her profession provided when she was working as Lily. However she was ashamed now and thought we may judge her which made her angry. Pete reassured Lily that we understood and asked her not to be angry. We had been feeling her anger. It was a strange coldness as we felt warm internally but felt as if our skin was ice cold and literally crawling. We asked Pete which time frame he thought that Lily, Albert and Bill lived in. He thought and said that it would have been late 19th Century and after a while discovered it was the year 1887.
Pete said that Lily would have had a fair walk to get to the pub. Pete reiterated that while in this building she was to be called Lily and not Lillian. Suddenly, we noticed that the room became very dark. Pete said that Lily was happy to know that we understood her plight and did not judge her. She had been desperately trying to communicate with the people in this place. She wanted release from this building. She missed her children and wanted help to release Bill and Albert. Pete said that Lily said “I loved everyone.” Matt heard a knocking behind him.
After a short break, we returned to the attic hoping that the hat stand may have moved but it was in the same place.
Pete reconnected with Albert. He was not sure that he still loved Lily but he did admit that he was very fond of her. Pete thought that he probably did still love her but he felt so angry which may have masked it. Pete told Albert that this was no longer his world and he couldn’t stay here. Pete reassured Albert that he would not take his anger with him to the other side. Pete asked Albert if he would like us to help him and Albert gave a resounding “No!” He told Pete that he would rather stay here. Pete told Albert that all his relatives would be waiting for him. Pete said that he knew that people had called Albert an evil man but he wasn’t evil really. He had just made some wrong choices. Albert said that he was an evil man and he listened and believed when other people said that this was so and we should take heed of this. Pete told Albert that we were not fearful of him and he did not consider that hiding in corners and scaring people was very brave.
Albert said that he had hurt Bill badly, all for the love of Lily even though he was aware that Lily led this double life.
While Pete was talking to Albert, some of us were still attempting glass divination and each time that Pete said that Albert was not evil, there was a violent reaction to the glass.
Pete continued to talk to Albert. He told him “The adults feared you but the children didn’t! They used to sit for hours while you talked to them. The kids kept this soft side of you a secret.” Pete told us that Albert loved the innocence of the children. Pete told Albert that the children would have since crossed over to the other side and they would greet him when he crossed.
Pete identified that Albert did not want to meet Lily’s husband on the other side. But Pete told Albert that Lily’s husband had forgiven all transgressions and reassured him that all feelings of anger and jealousy do not exist in the next world.
Pete acknowledged that Albert was a brave man as a soldier and said that he was proud of the medals which he was awarded. Pete asked Albert “You were brave then so why not be brave now, when all that awaits you on the other side is love, light and truth? Why would you want to hide in a dark place like this all alone, apart from brief visits from Lily and Bill? Do you believe it is your punishment?” The glass reacted strongly and spun around.
Pete said that Albert was standing on the stairs watching us. Dave asked “Albert, come up and join us.” Pete told Albert “You have been frightening the staff here. Lily wants to cross over and so does Bill.” The glass reacted to this statement. Pete said that Albert had considered Bill to be his friend and he was angry and jealous that Bill was also sharing the affections of Lily. But somehow he had got used to it in the end; although he wouldn’t say he liked it. But Albert was incensed about the other men who paid Lily.
The glass started spelling out ‘Mad.’ There were no letters around the table but the glass was making the letters in the shape with its movement and it spelt it over and over again.
Pete asked Albert to step back and let someone else come forward. Bill came through. He expressed a need to ‘move on.’ He said that he was being prevented from crossing over by Lily and she was being blocked by Albert.
Albert came back and said that he wanted to make Lily unhappy for eternity and so he wanted to keep her here.
We decided it was time to help these spirits. Chris was in the adjoining room and he asked Lily and Bill to go with him and he would pass them over into the light. For a while the room was icy cold and then the temperature and atmosphere lifted and eventually Chris said that they had gone.
It was now Albert’s turn. We all concentrated with Pete and after a small struggle, Pete passed Albert over to the other side. The room now felt very empty and devoid of any spiritual content.
We were all exhausted and decided to end our night at The Griffin. We were glad that our two mediums had managed to cross these troubled spirits over to the place that they should be. The teenager previously mentioned in this report was possibly a memory link as he did not manifest at all during our visit.
During our investigation, I did not get any positive readings on the EMF meter.
We would like to thank John and the staff of The Griffin for allowing us to investigate their pub.
Written by: Maria Williams
