Southern Paranormal - Investigations
Abbey Hall Investigation Report
Friday 19th August 2011
Attending Investigators - Julie Harwood, Maria Street, Marie Holder, Steve Boston, Wendy Callaway, Maureen Taylor, Rob Butler, Amanda Horley, David Baxter, Paul Flexman & Laura Munday.
To view our previous report from this location please see - http://www.southernparanormal.com/reports/abbey-hall-2009.html
The Investigation
Teams
Team 1
Julie
Paul
Rob
Team 2
Maria
Steve
Marie
David
Team 3
Amanda
Wendy
Laura
Maureen
Vigil Areas
Foyer & Kitchen
Main Hall
Back Stage Corridor & Under Stage
Itinerary
10.30pm Arrive at Location
11.00pm Vigil 1
Team 1 – Back Stage & Under Stage
Team 2 – Main Hall
Team 3 – Foyer & Kitchen
11.40pm Vigil 2
Team 1 – Main Hall
Team 2 – Foyer & Kitchen
Team 3 – Back Stage & Under Stage
12.20am Break
12.45am Vigil 3
Whole Team Silent Vigil in Main Hall
1.15am Break to compare notes from silent vigil
1.35am Vigil 4
Team 1 – Foyer & Kitchen
Team 2 – Back Stage & Under Stage
Team 3 – Main Hall
2.15am Pack up & depart
Personal Reports
TEAM 1
Julie Harwood
Vigil 1 – back stage area. While in this area we heard a fairly clear knock that sounded like it came from the door leading to the stage. Paul also heard this noise and we both confirmed that we thought it had come from the stage. I went and checked the door and it was firmly shut. I then opened it and checked with Maria’s team in the hall that they had not been on stage and knocked. They confirmed they had not. Rob & Paul then heard a noise like a guitar string coming from the toilet area. I did not hear this but could not think of anything that could have made that noise. The most intriguing thing from this vigil was when we all discussing a sneezing noise we had heard. I then mimicked the sound by saying “achoo” and almost immediately we heard the sound replicated from Paul’s right hand side which was near the fire extinguisher in the corner. Try as we might to explain this we just couldn’t as the noise was so clear and we were in the wrong kind of environment for it to have been an echo.
Our next vigil was in the main hall and this was truly a surreal vigil for all 3 of us. We spaced ourselves out around the hall. I sat on one of three chairs that were placed directly in front of the stage. I had my back to the stage and the chairs had been placed there by the team who were in the hall prior to us. Paul stood on my right half way up the room and Rob sat on my left again at least half way up the room. As we started the vigil the chair next to me (on my left) started popping and cracking. We were tempted to ignore this at first as our initial reaction was that it was the chair settling from where a member of the previous team had been sat on it. The plastic was popping as you expect from these types of chairs when someone has either just sat down or just stood up and the plastic is popping in or out of place. The interesting thing was that the chair to my right was not making any noise and yet I know the team before us had used all of them (as I had seen them when I went to checked if they had knocked on the previous vigil). We almost tried to ignore it for a little while but every time we called out it started popping and cracking. As a control experiment I called out that we should try a 2 minute silence to see if the cracking/popping happened when we did not ask questions as prior to this it had been popping every couple of seconds. To our surprise (and I really did not think this would be the case) the chair stayed silent for the entire 2 minutes! Paul and Rob came over and spent ages trying to recreate the sound but to no avail. We then decided to swap the chair making the noise with another chair in the room. Rob placed the new chair in the exact spot the other chair had been in and after a couple of minutes confirmed that it was not making any noise. They then returned to their seat further up the hall. We called out and within seconds the chair next to me started popping just like the other chair. We tried as hard as we could to explain this strange behaviour but to no avail. The whole team vigil was next and so I put some kit on the chair to ensure no one sat on it during the team vigil. I wanted to see if it still did the same.
My first point from the group vigil is the chair in question did not make a sound! Not even a little click and I sat next to it for the whole group vigil. I had one name pop to mind during the silent vigil and this was the name Jane. I also heard several clicks to my right. Amanda was sat to my right and they came from beyond her. I questioned what these were at the time and made a note of them however when the lights were back on I saw a stack of tables there and so have to presume it was the sound of those settling as it only happened a couple of times and certainly not on demand as we were silent. The only other thing I observed was right at the beginning of the vigil, it sounded like I could hear distant talking. This was interesting however continually throughout the night there was a group of kids on the grounds around the hall and so we have to consider it likely to have been them.
Unfortunately this is where the night ended for me as I had to leave early due to family commitments however I was happy to leave Maria in charge of the team as they carried on for another hour or so.
I never bore of going back to Abbey Hall. Some nights appear to be very active or in this case appear to be very quiet. Whichever it is, I am never disappointed as that is what our investigations are all about. Thank you again to Hound Parish Council and Alex for making our visit possible.
Paul Flexman
Vigil 1 (Backstage and under stage area 2300 to 2340)
Julie was sat at the bottom of the stairs leading to the stage, Rob sat on the stairs leading back out to the main hall and I was stood to the right of the glass double fire exit doors.
23:10 Knock from stage area. This knock did not sound like those made by timber structures settling or one of the doors banging. It was more like the dead “thud” sound made by an object firmly striking wood. This sound was heard clearly by Julie and I and I did not state where I thought it originated from until Julie did. We both agreed that it came from the same location, the area around the door at the top of the stairs which leads to the stage.
23:20 Julie stated that she had seen the K2 EMF meter react to something. This may have been my mobile phone which was in my pocket as I had neglected to switch it to offline/airplane mode. Having switched the phone to airplane mode I placed it in the immediate vicinity of the K2 and there was no reaction.
23:23 A quiet “boing” sound was heard by Rob and myself. We agreed that it appeared to originate from the toilet which was located to both mine and Rob’s right hand sides. The sound was described by Rob as that made by a guitar string and by myself as that made by a spring when it is lightly struck. None of the team could think of anything in the area that would make such a sound.
23:25 I saw an object/anomaly, approximately 4 inches long and shaped like a triangular arrowhead, travel diagonally down the stairs, at banister height, towards the under-stage area. The object was not a shadow or self illuminating but appeared to be solid although a little hazy in its appearance. We attempted to debunk my sighting but were unable to come up with a normal explanation.
23:35 Whilst discussing what appeared to be sneezing sounds being heard by the other teams Julie mimicked a sneeze by saying “at-choo”. Almost immediately “choo” was heard by all three of us. It was agreed that the sound had originated from the area occupied by a fire extinguisher to the left of the glass fire exit doors. There was nobody outside the doors and we could not account for this sound.
Vigil 2 (Main Hall 2340 to 0020).
All positions are given as if stood on the stage looking out into the main hall. Julie sat on one of the three chairs located in front of the stage facing into the hall. Rob located himself on a chair against the left hand wall at the far end of the hall. I positioned myself on the right hand side roughly halfway along the wall. We were all facing into the hall and could see each other at all times. Due to what was happening during this vigil I neglected to write down times for what happened.
After sitting quietly for what must have only been a couple of minutes at the most the unoccupied chair to Julie’s right began to make popping /cracking sounds of its own accord. We initially thought that this could have been caused by the chair settling after having been occupied by a member of team 2 on the previous vigil but none of the other previously occupied chairs were making a single sound. Rob and myself attempted to recreate the sounds by applying pressure to the chair but were only able to make it happen randomly. It was decided by the team to replace the chair with another that we could confirm hadn’t made a single sound since our vigil began. Rob replaced the chair and I removed the suspect chair and placed it approximately 10 feet away to the left. Rob and I eventually returned to our seats having confirmed that the original chair was no longer making any sounds. Within seconds of us settling back into our positions the replacement chair began popping and cracking just as the original had done. It only appeared to do it when we were talking about something other than the cause of the sounds. Once the vigil ended the chair stopped making the sounds. Having been blessed with excellent (for a human) night vision I had a clear view of Julie at all times and can confirm that she was not creating the sounds either intentionally or unintentionally.
The room felt as if there was a presence there. I had the distinct feeling that it was an individual who wouldn’t stand and face you but would rather lurk in the shadows, wait for you to pass and then creep out to stab you in the back. A very unpleasant individual indeed.
Vigil 3 (Whole Group Silent Vigil in Main Hall 0045 to 0115)
All 3 teams settled around the room and made notes whenever they saw or felt anything. The only time anyone called out was to ask for a time check from Maria.
I saw various small flashing lights on the stage for almost the full duration of the vigil but put this down to my eyes playing tricks due to the darkness. Similar to the small lights that you sometimes see when you close your eyes.
00:59 The name “Simon” popped into my head for no apparent reason.
Towards the end of the vigil I could see two adult sized figures either side of, and slightly back from, Laura who was sat in the centre of the hall floor on the star. I could not state the sex or age of the figures as they were not that clear. I only say that they were adult due to their height.
Vigil 4 (Foyer and Kitchen Area 0150 to 0215)
Julie, unfortunately, had to leave early so Rob and I settled in for this one. Rob positioned himself so that he had a clear view down the foyer to the main entrance and I sat with my back to the kitchen area a couple of metres to the right of the kitchen door.
0155 Knocking was heard from the kitchen area. The knocking was similar to that described in vigil 1. A solid thud rather than the sound of a building settling.
Various other knocks were heard during this vigil and occasionally appeared to respond to our questions. I do not feel that there was enough consistency to state that they were definite responses though.
Rob exclaimed “did you see that!”. I stated that I hadn’t seen anything. He explained that he had seen a figure lean out, blocking his view of the wall mounted radiator, and then move back out of sight again. I moved to where he had seen this happen and, once he was happy that I was stood where he had seen the object I told him that it was the door into a broom cupboard. The door was securely closed and, on inspection of the broom cupboard, it was found to be unoccupied by anything other than cleaning equipment, a sink and some rather large spiders. There were no windows in the room and the only way in or out of the cupboard was through the door. Rob described the figure that he had seen and it was a maximum of 3 feet tall. This we assumed to be a child. I tried calling out in a tone of voice that I would talk to my own young children but nothing further happened.
Summary
Contrary to what I initially thought on first seeing the building, Abbey Hall was a very enjoyable, eventful location which I hope to be able to investigate further.
Rob Butler – TO FOLLOW
TEAM 2
Maria Street
Although I’ve done this location twice, it is one I could never tire of. It fascinates me that the experiences in the last two vigils totally belie the age of the building. A fairly modern community centre, Abbey Hall has more to it than toddler groups and council meetings. Long after the key is turned, the ‘residents’ are far from settled for the night.
Unlike the last investigation, the weather was calm and fairly warm. The skies were clear and the estuary beyond was still. We arrived in good time and set up for the night ahead, I was in Team 2 with Marie, David and Steve. Our first vigil was in the main hall and we settled ourselves down fairly quickly, we called out and it started quietly. I thought I could see movement out of the corner of my eye over by the cupboard door, I couldn’t be sure though. What was more interesting was the sound of disembodied breaths, which have been caught on our audio equipment. At one point they seemed to respond in answer to calling out, we still cannot determine where these sounds originated.
Our next vigil was in the foyer and although we were treated to some taps and clicks we are not sure if these were of electrical origin, they did seem fairly regular so that does seem likely. We had placed a K11 meter on the floor, unfortunately, it did not flicker once. We did hear some noise, which appeared to be coming from the main hall, so checked with Julie’s team who were conducting their vigil there, they were all stood still and had been for some time.
A quick break followed then we joined all the others for a silent vigil in the main hall. This is what I picked up on:
12.50 I felt the room getting bigger. I felt it should stretch out more towards the direction of the water.
12.56 Female voices could be heard from the foyer
I got the name of Margaret Reid in my head Voices again from the foyer
Were these disembodied voices or were they the teenagers we had spotted earlier in the evening? All I know is I hadn’t heard them before even when we were in the foyer and they were just outside the door.
For our final vigil we were to spend some time on the back stairs to the stage and under the stage itself. Marie and I positioned ourselves on the stairs whilst Steve and David went under the stairs. It was a very calm feeling and it actually felt feminine. It was very quiet otherwise and half way through the vigil we swapped areas. Marie and I went under the stage and first of all we pretended to rummage through things as staff has had experiences whilst going about their daily business. Unfortunately this did not elicit any response so we settled down and tried calling out. The area remained quiet for us however and very soon our night at Abbey Hall was over. I’m sure a quick glance back as we were leaving would have shown a face at the window as the ‘residents’ made sure we were definitely gone so they could carry on playing.
Steve Boston
Foreword
Having carried out an investigation of the Chapel Part of the old Military Hospital at Netley a few weeks previously and having had an interesting evening I was looking forward to returning to the area that is steeped in history and getting the chance to investigate another building.
I was aware that Abbey Hall was a much newer building constructed in the last 25 years, however this doesn’t always mean that it will be void of any paranormal activity. I was aware that the team had investigated here previously and they had got some results on the last visit that went as far as physical interaction.
We arrived at the Hall around 22.30 and after a quick walk around I carried out the tech set up. By 23.00 we were all ready to begin the investigation.
Vigil 1 – Team 2 – Mail Hall
We began the investigation in the Mail Hall at approximately 23.10 hours. The main hall is your typical village hall style lay out with a hard floor, high ceiling and a raised stage area at one end. We gathered at the stage end of the hall and all sat on chairs that were arranged in a circle. Three of the team were using hearing amplifiers to boost faint back ground noise and to try and capture real time EVPs. I carried out a sweep for any background EMF using a K2 Meter. There were none.
We all took it in turns to call out and try and get a reaction, asking for knocks or voices to reply to us. We had no direct responses to this. A short time into this vigil all the team thought they could hear groan type sighs and breathing. This occurred on a number of occasions and was also picked up on by Marie who didn’t have the aid of a hearing amplifier. We couldn’t find any explanation for this and it has been picked up on a few of the teams voice recorders. We had an IR Night Vision Camera operating in this room. The review of this footage has failed to pick up any strange activity. We had no strange fluctuations in the EMF Field.
Vigil 2 – Team 2 – Foyer Area
The main hall vigil ran for just under 40 minutes, from here we went to the foyer area. This area adjoins to the main hall by a number of double doors. There is also a kitchen area that links on to the foyer. Once again we began by calling out and I carried out background checks for EMF and found none.
This was another quiet vigil with no strange noises or any occurrences in direct reply to our requests for knocks or whistles. As this 40 minute vigil drew to a close it was time for a much needed break.
Vigil 3 – Whole Team – Main Hall (Silent Vigil)
For this part of the investigation the whole team gathered in the main hall and we all spread out so we covered the whole area. This was to be a silent vigil so there was no calling out. I made myself as comfy as possible on the hard floor and utilised the hearing amplifier to try and capture any voices or sounds.
This was another quiet vigil with no unexplainable sounds picked up on by myself, nor did we have any reaction on the K2 Meter. It was beginning to seem as if any spirits that may visit this building were not around this evening.
Vigil 4 – Team 2 – Back Corridor and Under Stage Room
The last part of night was spent in the hall at the rear of the building and in the storage room that is located under the stairs. David and I split from Marie and Maria and went first to the under stage area. We had an IR Night Vision Camera and a locked off K2 Meter already set up down here.
With no windows or natural light this room was extremely dark and it would be easy to feel a little spooked down here due to this and the claustrophobic feel of the room. However from an investigators point of view, we spend many nights hauled up in rooms just like this so I would like to think we are a little more immune to these kinds of influences.
In all we spent around 20 minutes in the storage room before making our way back to the other team members. They then took our place in the storage room while we monitored them on the DVR set up from the hall, just outside.
This area proved quiet once again for the team with no unexplainable phenomenon.
Afterthought
As mentioned at the start of the report. I was aware that in a previous investigation the team had had quite a strong personal experience whilst investigating the hall, however on this occasion the building was very quiet. This would lead me to believe that if this building is prone to the paranormal activity that is reported here it’s more likely to be a visitation style haunting over anything else. This would mean you had to be very lucky to be in the building at exactly the right time in order to capture anything. This kind of haunting is always harder to prove or record as we spend a very limited amount of time in locations and it really is a case of being in the right place at the right time.
On my own personal experience of Abbey Hall I would conclude that this location is not haunted, however with knowledge of previous investigations and staff experiences at my disposal I have to remain open minded.
Marie Holder
Introduction
I was really looking forward to doing an investigation here again as we had previously had some good results in the past and I hoped that this investigation would be the same.
Vigil 1 – Main Hall
After settling down Maria called out and we all heard what sounded like deep breaths or groans. I had my voice recorder going so I hoped I would be able to hear those when I played it back later. There were also several knocks and taps which could have been normal “settling” sounds. I got the name Harris in my head which I thought was quite unusual.
David and I decided to move down to the other end of the hall as we had all congregated up the stage end of the hall. After a while, for no known reason, I began to feel quite angry. Not towards anyone in particular but in general, the feeling past as suddenly as it started.
Vigil 2 – Corridor/Foyer
I decided to have a go on Maria’s microphone to see if I could pick up any noises or voices. After calling out several times we got no responses and I experienced nothing unusual in this area.
Vigil 3 – Silent group vigil in Main Hall
The whole team joined together in the Main Hall for a silent vigil. This is what I picked up during the vigil
12.56 Groan heard could have been somebody’s stomach
1.05 Constant cold breeze in front of me even though I was not sat by a door
1.12 Tingling sensation at the back of my neck and on top of my head.
Vigil 4 – Backstage and Under stage areas
Maria and I took a seat leading up to the stage and did some calling out while Steve and David went Under the Stage. Maria and I both agreed that the area felt ‘feminine’ and we both got female names in our head. I got ‘Sarah’.
After a while we swapped places with Maria and I going under the stage and Steve and David sat on the stairs. During our time under the stage I got the usual apprehension about turning the lights off that I always do when I’m there, other than that I experienced nothing unusual.
Conclusion
Even before the investigation started Julie and I heard strange noises coming from within the building so I was quite excited about the investigation. Unfortunately, for me, it was reasonably quiet compared to previous visits but is, I think, still worthy of further investigation.
TEAM 3
Amanda Horley
Although the group has investigated this location before, it was the first time here for me and I had deliberately avoided the previous reports, so didn’t know what to expect.
We set up the cameras and triggers objects and quickly settled down to our vigils. I was in a team with Maureen, Wendy and Laura. Our first vigil was in the foyer and kitchen area. As the lights in the kitchen were motion sensitive, we decided to settle in the foyer, and tried some calling out. There didn’t appear to be any reaction, and as there were teenagers walking past the Hall, it was difficult to decide what noises were coming from within the building, and what were outside. For me, it was a quiet vigil.
Our second vigil was under the stage, and again we quickly settled down. I thought I heard a shoe scuff on the floor outside the under stage area, and when I felt there was someone there again, I opened the door quickly. There wasn’t anyone there, and I didn’t really experience anything else on this vigil.
The third vigil was a whole group silent vigil in the main hall. I sat on the edge of the stage. My experiences were as follows:
12:56 – Noises from the foyer.
12:58 – Voices, again from the foyer direction.
01:05 – a click from above where Maureen was sitting
01:07 – a further click from above Maureen
01:10 – male voices from the kitchen/foyer area.
Unfortunately, we know that the teenagers were still outside the building, so could have accounted for the voices I heard. Above where Maureen was sitting, there was a fire alarm, but I only heard the two clicks in the whole of the vigil, it wasn’t a regular occurrence.
Our final vigil was a team one in the main hall. There was a chair placed in front of the stage which seemed to be creaking for no reason, as no-one had sat on it during our vigil. We placed a K2 meter on it, but this didn’t react at all. Other than this, I didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary.
Overall, this was a very quiet investigation for me. With nothing more than some sounds and noises that I couldn’t explain. The chair in the main hall was particularly interesting, as I believe one of the other teams also experienced strange things happening with it.
Wendy Calloway
We all met outside the location at 10.30pm and started to set up the cameras and trigger objects.
I was in team 1 with Amanda, Maureen and Laura
Vigil 1 – Foyer and Kitchen – Time 23.00 – 23.40
Temp 18
No K2 readings
Out first vigil was in the foyer and kitchen. Unfortunately the kitchen lights are on sensors so we ended up putting the shutters down and shutting the door to minimise the light in the foyer. We also had a lot of light coming in from the front doors from street lights and cars. Additionally, the car park was used as a thoroughfare for teenagers and was therefore quite noisy at times and out the back of the building there is an estuary and you could hear the noise from boats, etc.
I was sat in the far left corner of the room – as you look at it from the front door
During the vigil we heard numerous bangs and taps, however, with so much outside noise it was difficult to identify exactly where they were coming from.
23.53 - I briefly felt a breeze on my left arm, as if someone brushed past. At the same time Amanda said she had felt something similar (she was sat by the kitchen door)
Vigil 2 – Back Stage and Under Stage
Temp 14
No K2 readings
During this vigil was stayed under stage and I sat at the back of the room. Whilst there was no natural light in this room I felt like there was a light behind me. No one else could see it and said that it was pitch black around me.
I felt the presence of my aunt in the room with me and it made me feel very warm and relaxed. My aunt was murdered 3½ years ago, and whilst she did come to me when she first passed away, I have not felt her presence since, so I found this quite emotional.
I used Laura's enhanced listening device in this room but heard nothing other than the other teams.
I had no further personal experiences in this area.
Vigil 3 – Silent Vigil – whole team – Time 00.45 – 01.15
During our whole team vigil in the Main Hall I sat near the corner of the room where the trigger object table was facing towards the stage. During the vigil I had a number of personal experiences:-
00.54 – I heard 2 footsteps walk past me, heading towards the left of the stage
00.55 – I saw the middle set of curtains move like a child was behind them – however, this could have been a draught coming through the doors behind the curtains
01.00 – I got an image in my head of a man in Shakespearian dress. This was very much a costume as opposed to period dress. He was wearing red trousers (the shorts that are puffy) with light tights and top, and a red hat with a feather in. He had a black moustache that was very thin and straight. I also got the name Edward at this time
Vigil 4 – Main Hall – Time 01.35 – 02.15
Temp 17.5
No K2 readings
During our last vigil in the main hall I had no personal experiences other than a chair (situated in front of the stage in the middle), that kept creaking like someone was sitting on it. It seemed to respond when Amanda asked for the noise to happen again.
Maureen Taylor
Having had a very active time of it on our previous visit to this building I was hoping that we might get a repeat performance, but it wasn't to be.
Vigil 1 - Kitchen and Foyer
Having spent the first few minutes trying to work out whether or not we could turn the kitchen lights off we finally gave up and settled down to wait and see if anything would happen for us.Amanda started by calling out, but with no response, so I tried. When I did the K2 lights shot up to orange, but we later realised that it was my phone affecting the thing – I'd forgotten to turn it off.
After a few minutes I felt that there was someone sitting in the chair to my right, but I couldn't get any more information than that. Towards the end of the vigil I could feel a draught across the sole of my foot….a very odd sensation as I was wearing sandals so I shouldn't have been able to feel a draught there – across my foot perhaps, but not specifically across the sole of my foot, which is what I was getting.
Amanda felt a breeze coming from the main door; it swept past her and on towards Wendy, at that same moment Wendy's left arm felt very cold.
Not long into the vigil I started sneezing, there was nothing in the area that I could see or smell that would have set me off, but I continued to sneeze on and off right through the investigation – once I was outside and on my way home not a single sneeze...
Vigil 2 – under the stage
At about 11.53 we all heard a very faint whistling noise. Not long after this Amanda could hear shuffling noises that appeared to be coming from just the other side of the door into this area – but when she opened the door it all stopped.
Wendy felt that someone was standing near her, but again no further information was forthcoming.
Vigil 3 – silent vigil in main hall
I was sitting with my back to the stage, towards the windowed side of the hall.
12.56 heard what I can only describe as a groan from beyond the wall on the opposite side of the hall to where I was seated. This was followed by a creaking noise towards the back of the stage and a dull thud.
Otherwise this was a very quiet vigil for me and I had great difficulty in staying awake.
Vigil 4 – Main hall
All quiet to start with, just the usual sort of creakings and so on that you would expect from any building as it cools down through the night.
A chair in front of the stage seemed to emit creaking noises, but we couldn't establish for certain what was going on with it.
About 2.13, just before the end of the vigil I thought I heard three thumps on the wall beside me, but I can't be absolutely certain whether I actually heard them or whether they were just in my tired mind.
In all I found this was a very quiet investigation, nowhere near as much activity as we had on our previous visit and therefore just a little disappointing.