Introduction
In early November, 2001, the Ghost Club received a letter from a Miss Lisa Downes, concerning a series of paranormal happenings at a disabled centre which she helps to run and raise funds for. A preliminary - daytime - visit was made to the site later that month and arrangements were made for group members to spend a night at the centre in late January, 2002.
The ground on which the centre stands was formerly the site of the Ogley Hay and Brownhills Gas Company works, which was built in 1870. The entire area was levelled in 1964 in preparation for the sizeable housing development which now covers this particular area of Catshill in Brownhills. (The blocks of Council flats which formerly overlooked the centre were built in 1964 - 65).
Catshill is believed to be the oldest inhabited area of Brownhills - the name itself is believed by some to derive from the title: Canutes Hill – and 2 barrows (burial mounds) have been found in the area. Historical documentation claims that Catha, an Anglo Saxon Chief, is buried here. He was the brother of Caewlin - King of Wessex - who was killed in battle in 594A.D. Unfortunately, the remains of an ancient enclosure and any burial mounds that may have existed were destroyed when the Wyrley and Essington Canal was cut through the area in 1797.
Reported Phenomenon
The figure of a fresh complexioned woman - with long, straggly blonde hair and wearing a cardigan and full length skirt - is said to be frequently seen around the building. Witnesses have suggested that her clothing possibly dates from around the 1970’s period.
The most impressive encounter with this particular apparition happened to Lisa Downes mother, who came face to face with her while making preparations for a jumble sale some years ago.
Mrs Downes tells us that she had turned round to pick up some object or other and suddenly found herself standing literally inches from the woman - an experience which, she readily admits, scared the life out of her! (She blatantly refused to come back into the Centre for some time afterwards).
In one particular corner of the buildings main room, the sound of a young boy has been heard calling ‘Hello’. Mrs Downes tells us that she is frequently upset when she hears the voice, as the boy appears to sound so lost and pathetic.
A group of Centre patrons were seated in the main room one day, when they clearly heard a woman ‘singing’ in a rather lovely voice. Upon ceasing, the voice was suddenly heard to say: “Graham, don’t do that!”, as if someone were telling off a naughty child.
A considerable amount of Poltergeist activity has been reported at the Centre - the bulk of which is attributed to a male ghost which has been nick-named Graham. Visitors to the centre have apparently heard someone moving crockery and cutlery about in the (empty) kitchen area - a sound akin to a spoon stirring a cup of tea, etc - and Lisa’s Grandmother was actually hit in the back by a salt cellar on one occasion.
The anomalous movement and disappearance / re-appearance of objects is a common occurrence throughout the Centre and Lisa tells us that her Father actually ‘lost’ two hefty sledgehammers at one point! A crucial (and somewhat chunky) piece from a popular board game was once found to be missing and no amount of searching could find it. Some time later, one of the Centre members was sorting through a bookcase in the main room and the missing piece was discovered tucked into one of the volumes on the shelves.
One of the ghosts associated with the centre is said to take particular exception to the 'expulsion of bodily gasses'! One gentleman -having just vented himself - was apparently struck around the back of the head by some unseen force while standing by the front door!
(Given the past track record of Ghost Club members in relation to this particular bodily function - we suddenly began to feel a little worried.............!!)
A phantom car has been heard pulling into the centre car park. The slam of a car door and the noise of feet approaching the front of the building can be heard, but, upon investigation, there is no one there and no vehicle to be seen. Lisa Downes herself has seen a car - with passengers inside it - pull into the car park and stop. She initially thought that it was just someone paying a visit to the centre, but - when no one subsequently entered the building - she checked outside and found that the vehicle had vanished.
Upon entering the car park herself one day, Lisa clearly saw the figure of a man standing up against the inside of the kitchen window. The centre was locked at the time and no one was meant to be in the building. Investigating, she found the place to be completely empty.
Strangely, Lisa describes the man she saw as seeming somewhat out of proportion to his surroundings. From the dimensions of the figure, she believed the man to be fairly tall - though his head only appeared a moderately short distance above window sill level. From this, Lisa had the impression that the figure wasn’t actually standing on the present kitchen floor level, but some 12 or so inches below it.
Our first investigation of the Centre was carried out on Friday, January the 25th 2002.
A number of video recording sessions were mounted throughout the night employing both standard and night vision cameras. Also, 2 manned vigils were conducted between the hours of 1.50am and 3.30am.
Group member Leonard Jackson placed a number of ‘Trigger Objects’ - some old coins and a small Buddha figurine - in certain positions around the building. All objects were ringed with white chalk.
Over the week following the visit to the B-Cass Centre, all of the material recorded was thoroughly checked (a) by team members and (b) by employing specialist computer software. Nothing of an obvious paranormal nature was detected on any of the recordings made.
Temperature levels fell approx. 5 degrees over night in the main room and 3 degrees in the kitchen area. All of the group found the air temperature in the building (and especially the main room) to be exceptionally cold throughout the night. A couple of group members suggested that the cold felt almost preternatural / supernatural in origin.
It was noted on a number of occasions that the acoustic properties of the Centre building itself was quite exceptional.
The only anomalous incident of the night occurred during the 2.45am to 3.30am vigil. Approx. 2 or 3 minutes prior to the end of the vigil, a fairly loud ‘clunk’ or ‘crack’ came from a couple of feet in front of Darren Simpson in the dining area. (Roughly from somewhere around the right hand side of the fridge). The noise - also heard by some of the other researchers - sounded ‘plastic’ in origin, very much like a noise made by someone tapping something on one of the chairs situated in the dining area. Nothing could be found - or suggested - to account for the sound.
None of the ‘Trigger Objects’ appeared to have been moved during the night.
Our second visit was conducted on Friday the 15th of February 2002
Accompanying the Ghost Club on this investigation was Steve Bullen, a 3rd year Media Degree Student at the Farnborough College of Technology in Hampshire.
Steve initially contacted us in early November 2001, asking us if we would possibly take part in a 20 minute documentary he was making as part of his coursework. He told us: For years I have had an interest in the paranormal and have always wanted to find out more This was the perfect way to do it, so I decided to create a documentary on the facts about ghosts.
As Steve had already committed a considerable amount of Interview style footage to tape - talking to such veteran researchers as Robin Furman (of Ghostbusters U.K.) and Maurice Grosse (Enfield Poltergeist) - we thought it might be both interesting and fruitful for him to come along with us and take part in one of our vigils…....
While Ghost Club members have, on a number of occasions, helped out local Media Students in similar situations, we have to admit that we were particularly impressed with Steves obvious dedication to his work.
Following our initial visit to the site in late January, a number of paranormal happenings are said to have occurred at the B-Cass centre. It was hinted to the group, by Centre members, that this activity may well have been a consequence of our primary investigation..?
The morning after our first vigil, a number of boxes situated in a store room at the rear of the premises were found to have been mysteriously thrown onto the floor. This particular room was locked throughout the duration of our stay and none of the group had access to the area. The keys to the room in question were in the safe keeping of Centre members who were not present overnight.
Other reported activity since our visit includes the general movement of objects; the mysterious male figure being seen in the window at the front of the building; shadows regularly seen passing along the hallway and the sound of crockery being moved in the kitchen.
During the second stay, three video and audio recording sessions were mounted at intervals throughout the night, employing a standard camera and mini disk player. Also, 3 manned vigils were conducted between the hours of 12.10am and 4.00am.
Again, L. Jackson was responsible for placing a number of Trigger Objects - old coins and a Buddha statue - in certain, marked positions around the building. All objects were ringed with white chalk.
Again, over the week following the vigil, all of the material recorded was thoroughly checked (a) by team members and (b) by employing specialist computer software.
A number of unexplained sounds were detected on tapes made during all three recording sessions. A low, click was picked up during each of the three sessions. Peculiarly, the sound - much like that made by an electrical switch - happened only once during each separate recording. No one present had manipulated any switches at the time, nor was there any such sounds detected - by ear - throughout the night. This click was the only sound detected throughout the whole of sessions 1 and 2.
Recording 3 contained a number of (as yet) anomalous sounds. As well as the particular noise mentioned above, this footage contained a number of other Clicks of varying intensity and a most peculiar sequence of sounds which we can only relate as a faint (mechanical) whistle, immediately followed by a chain-like tinkling and a strange squeak!
As always with such recordings, the Ghost Club is in no way implying that these sounds are in any way paranormal in origin. They are, however, quite inexplicable at the time of writing.
Temperature levels fell by just over 3 degrees in the main room and 3.5 degrees in the kitchen area. Externally, the temp. went from -3 to -1 overnight. None of the Trigger Objects appeared to have been moved during the night, save for one coin which was accidentally disturbed by researchers whilst setting up recording equipment.
Over the next couple of years, W.M. Ghost Club members paid a total of 6 more, overnight visits to the Centre and kept in constant contact with the site. Some of our investigations were held purely as W.M.G.C. investigations, while a couple involved other, local societies and researchers.
At the time of writing (early 2008), the patrons of the Centre have been in residence in their ‘new’ B-Cass premises in Brownhills High Street for almost 2 years now. The old Centre building – and all of it’s potential, ‘otherworldly residents’ – are now long gone……