Peter James: Novelist and Film Producer: My Night Of Ghostbusting!

Peter's blog

Tuesday, September 15, 2009
My Night Of Ghostbusting!

I was recently invited by Scott and Rebecca Simpson to a night of ghost hunting at Brighton's most haunted house, the handsome Edwardian Preston Manor.

Preston Manor - the most haunted house in Brighton.
(No mean title in a city full of ghosts!)

The house featured in a recent episode of "Most Haunted" and this was their web report: "For the episode filmed at Preston Manor, the TV crew experienced one of their most active nights of paranormal activity. Yvette Fielding, the show's host, said 'We were thrilled by our experiences at Preston Manor. The house has a fascinating history and our investigations were more than fully rewarded. Karl is convinced he was confronted by the Manor's White Lady!'

The drawing room - very spooky and atmospheric

Tales of ghostly sightings and supernatural experiences at Preston Manor go back through history, including Sister Agnes, the medieval nun who helped travellers on their way; a body buried under the patio; a disembodied hand floating by the four-poster bed; the White Lady and the elegant Lady in Grey who descends the grand staircase with nowhere to go. One friendly ghost was even seen trying out a child's toy tractor during the 1960s.

The reports continue with modern day sightings of non-existent visitors, doors locking themselves and lights turning off for no reason, and the ghostly hand holding onto a doorknob.

So full of expectations, and stomachs full of butterflies, Helen (who has been developing as a medium) and I went along, not armed with any ectoplasm-nuking gear, but a small torch and a camera...

Some of my fellow ghostbusters for the night

The place certainly has a spooky atmosphere. We were told of the son of the original owners, Mad Jack, who likes to pinch ladies' bottoms and plays a mean trick with cameras, by draining their batteries for his energy, but perhaps he reckoned he had met his match that night and kept on best behaviour...

Mad Jack, the wayward son, whose ghost likes
to lift ladies' skirts and pinch their bottoms...

I did have one extremely uncomfortable moment, when we went in a child's bedroom, pictured below. Helen and I both felt very bad vibes in there - seriously not a room I would have wanted to sleep in. Afterwards we were told a seven-year old girl had died in this room, and there is now frequent poltergeist activity, with the furniture being moved around during then night, when the house is locked and alarmed.

The haunted child's room

As many of you know I've long been fascinated by the paranormal and have a very open mind. Our bodies give off 2 kilowatts of energy every day, and I'm sure some of that energy must remain behind, trapped in the walls, floors, ceilings of buildings we have been in. Having lived in two haunted houses, I am one hundred percent certain that ghosts exists.

Beginning of spirits contact

The team sitting around a table ready to try to summon the spirits

What I am less certain about is whether they are evidence of an afterlife, or merely a passive replay of the energy of a particular person. There are countless such sightings, from too many people, for them all to be dismissed as fancy. But normally these ghosts do very little, such as simply move across a room, in the same path each time they are seen. What intrigues me far more is the concept of the "intelligent" ghost, such as the ghost of Hamlet's father, who tells him how he was murdered and what he needs to do. Sightings such as these are incredibly rare, but they have been known. As Elizabeth Bowen once wrote along the lines, "Of all the thousands upon thousands of sightings of (intelligent) ghosts throughout the history of the human race, it only needs one to be proven - just one - and our perceptions of our world would be changed for ever."

posted by Peter James at 8:30 AM 8 comments

Comments:

Anyone who doesn't believe there is more out there than we could ever imagine, needs their head read!
I can see something from here being weaved into one of your books at some time :)

By Jo Adams, at 6:45 PM

Hi Jo, yes, for sure this will be appearing in a future Roy Grace story!

And I totally agree with your comment.

By Peter James, at 10:04 PM

Hi Peter

Totally agree with the ghosts part, having just demolished latest Roy Grace, ordered faith,denial,dreamer and prophecy, the whole ouji board idea terrifies me, even more so after reading prophecy!! Once did a haunted tour of London it was fab, sadly no unexplained phenonemon, other than how quickly my money disappeared that night ha ha...convinced I saw a ghost as a child as I scared my mum to death when I desribed the man I saw in my Grannies back bedroom when I was about 9,apparently her grandad had died on their many years before?? Who knows?

By donna, at 2:43 PM

Gosh, what a scary experience as a child, Donna!

I agree... who knows.....?????

By Peter James, at 6:45 PM

paranormal activity is a huge exspirience for you peter...in your book the host i felt it had a feel of paranormal, and it was eerie good read.....by way good to see you at lewes book signing have a great picture of you and me all the best

also keep on your hunt for the paranormal

By Zak, at 6:24 PM

I think that to go into anything without an open mind is just foolish - after all, whilst I may not be able to prove ghosts exist, you can't prove that they don't - impossible to prove a negative! And I do certainly believe in 'something' - atmospheres that aren't quite right, the sight of something out of the corner of the eye that can't be explained. If some of us choose to believe in the paranormal, then why not? I do remember a while ago sitting with my friend in his new basement flat and seeing a movement three or four times at the same place in the flat, and in the end I asked if there had been a door there, and it turned out we were sitting in the old butler's pantry, and there did indeed used to be a stairway and a door in the place I was looking. I like to think that I saw the butler, still going about his job. It certainly felt like that to me.

By Alison, at 5:07 PM

Hi Peter,

It was a pleasure to have your company at Preston Manor. I have to agree with the comments you make about how we leave an alomost forensic trace of our very essence behind and that these are by far the most common types of haunting, although there are more 'Inteligent' hauntings than you would at first suspect. using methods like EVP you are sometimes able to record such hauntings as they answer questions that are asked at the time. If I can ever be of any asistance to you or Roy please do get in touch.
see you around some time.
Scott and all at The spirit parlour.

By Scott Simpson, at 11:09 PM

Thanks Scott, it was great to meet you both too and we had a fascinating evening. I will certainly be in touch early in the New Year. All my best for Xmas and 2010

By Peter James, at 12:30 PM