Stapenhill Post Office

13 November 2004

People present – ESSIVE members Chris, Eleanor, Paul, Sue, Karl, Mark, with Pam and Bill from the property.

Weather - Dry and cold

Base-line readings - Nothing unusual, although a draft was noted through the letterbox in the shop.

As the location could have caused a few security problems if we made it public that we were investigation in advance we had not told the team where we were going. Six ESSIVE members were participating at the location and we decided to try an exercise in remote viewing and or ESP to involve two other ESSIVE members, Kev Isham and Vicky Greaves. We started at 21:00, armed with a photograph of Kev & Vicky’s children we stood and concentrated, after a while Eleanor and Paul moved into the post office shop to try and give Kev & Vicky more of a chance.

After about 30 minutes we stopped and Paul sent a text message to Kev & Vicky to see if they had got anywhere near our location, to our amazement Kev said Hill Street and Vicky said she thought we were on Woods Lane, both seemed to think we were at a Post Office. We were all amazed the following has been taken from an email sent at 10:05pm on 13/11/04 as requested:

Both Vicky and Kev agreed on one thing- the team was across the river in Stapenhill. Kev’s stone indicated the team were somewhere in the Waterside area, possibly Hill Street Post Office. Vicky got a location roughly a half-mile away, possibly round the St Peter's Street/ Woods Lane junction. Kev stated that he got Post Office very strongly from someone, whether it was from one of the team he was not sure, he did, however, start to experience some of Sue's 'flu symptoms around 8.30 pm- headache, blocked nose, sore throat. At 10.05pm while sending an email to Chris they seemed have gone off he supposed that Sue had stopped thinking about him and Vicky.  

Tour of the property

We had a look around the shop and the first impression we all felt was a very oppressive atmosphere behind the counter in comparison to the shop itself, which felt light and friendly.  The wind chime moved slightly and all the readings that were taken were normal. Whilst Chris and Karl lingered behind in the shop the sound of footsteps seemed to emanate from behind a door at the end of the passageway between the Post Office and the living quarters. Examination of the space behind the door revealed no more than a cupboard beneath the stairs. Could this have been the entrance to a long forgotten cellar with the residual sound of footsteps heading down them? Or, as the rest of the team and occupants were all accounted for in the kitchen, could it have been the ghostly echo of footsteps heading up the stairs to the upper floors?

The team then took a look around the rest of the property, the first stop the first floor office/study.  Eleanor picked up on a little boy aged 14 years surname Samuels who died of his asthma, his bed apparently under the window and that he could not move because of his asthma and unfortunately passed away.  Orbs were picked up on the video and we had several interesting photos.

The next room we visited was the workshop, which we had to go through the bathroom.  The room felt light with good cheer and laughter and not been changed. They used to make coffins in this room, it was also used as a Sunday school.

Our next stop was the 3rd floor where the grandson used to sleep, well he did until a female spirit came to visit by sitting on the edge of the bed. Eleanor picked up on Maud a spirit who stated that life was not worth living, she still sits crying and rocking back and forward, because she could not live without her baby and had taken her life without giving the baby chance to be born. Her mother and father would not allow her to keep her child, this happened sometime during the early 1800’s.  Going out into the corridor the atmosphere and feeling everyone was getting was off a tightening round their neck and throat. It is reputed that Maud committed suicide by hanging herself from the banister.

Séance 1

The starting temperature was 23 degrees at back of room and 20 at front, facing the video camera. Séance starting time was 12:44 and it was being carried out in the dining room, no EMF readings noted.

Eleanor, Mark, Paul, Sue and Pam were participating round the table, Chris and Karl were taking EMF and temperature readings and Bill had retired for the night.

At 12:54 the temperature dropped to 20.5 in the kitchen area and 17.0 in the dining room. Nicholas Samuels a 14 year old male who died before the second world war of respiratory failure probably caused by asthma, he is not resident at the property, only visits it on occasions. Nicholas wanted to know why we were in his great Aunts house, he also informed us he did not like to be called “Nick”. The names of Elsie and Annie picked up and when they were mentioned by Eleanor several of the sitters shivered, the names were mentioned again by Karl and once again there was a reaction from some of the sitters. Sue felt breathing on her right arm and pins and needles in her hand, she said it felt like someone prodded her in the ribs them put their hand on her right shoulder. When Eleanor said we had been joined by the spirit of a gentleman calling himself Dr Robert Flanagan, Maud reacted by moving around quickly, Pam, Karl & Mark all felt a cold draft go past them. Maud said that he was a doctor of science not medicine however he did treat patients, she was carrying Robert’s child when she caught him with her sister Elsie in the music room, she told him she was pregnant and he ended their relationship. She killed herself sooner than give up her baby.  At 1:42 temperature dropped to 16 around the table, however the spirits were withdrawing their energy so the séance was closed at 1:45 by 2:05 the temperature was back up to 22 and 19 degrees.

Top bedroom to left at top of stairs where Maud has been seen by the grandson. Maud just sits in the corner in a rocking chair crying, she claims to be happy and that she does not need help. Eleanor sat alone in the room and although the light was off it appeared to flicker however Maud refused to talk choosing to sit and wallow in her misery.

Start temperature - Chair 1 - 21.5 - Chair 2 - 21.5 - Chair 3 – 19 -Chair 4 – 19 - Chair 5 – 19

Daniel was trapped in the sitting room, with Thomas and his friend guarding the door stopping him from entering the dining kitchen. Maud was standing between Eleanor & Sue trying to pull their arms apart and Nicholas was standing between Eleanor & Mark in front of the radiator. Karl who was sitting at the window end of the table felt as if a pair of cold arms was wrapped around his waist then cold fingers running up & down his back. He then felt a tickling sensation on his ear and neck, this was later picked up as Becky the prostitute who walks the garden. None of the spirits seemed willing to communicate with the circle due to the presence of Daniel in the outer room. Rumbling was heard by the group, which appeared to be coming from the room above, knocking noises were also heard. Noises like machinery seemed to be coming from the shop and the workshop where they used to make coffins. Several members of the group heard children singing and music. All through the séance shadows were seen in the next room, as if Daniel was getting restless and frustrated at the thought of not getting too us, at one point, though he made Eleanor feel sick. At one point whistling was heard and when asked to repeat it was once again heard although very faint – seems like “Daniel” was taking the Mickey? When Eleanor called “Nick” instead of Nicholas, Eleanor felt her hand being squashed and her foot trodden on. Sue was tickled twice on her right elbow and her right hand felt extremely cold even though the temperature still read 24 degrees. To conclude, the séance proved very interesting with noises in response to our requests, including banging as if working in the workshop, whistles, cold spots, pulling of hands and shadows in the next room. 

End Temperature - Chair 1 = 19.5 - Chair 2 = 19 - Chair 3 =17.5 - Chair 4 =17 - Chairs 5 = 17.5

06:44 Outside temperature –2.5 inside Chair 1 – 21 - Chair 2 - 21 - Chair 3 – 19 - Chair 4 – 19 - Chair 5 – 19.5

As it was starting to get light outside and the dawn chorus could clearly be heard we decided to bring an interesting night to a close. We would like to thank Pam and Bill for their hospitality and Chris and Tracey Campbell-Brown for organizing this investigation.