Wednesday, 18 April 2012

TV CREW FILMING AT ANCIENT WEST MIDLANDS HAUNTED MANOR HOUSE

Manor House
TV presenter Michaela Strachan will be at West Bromwich's Manor House on Friday (20 April), to talk to staff about their spooky experiences.
She will be filming for a programme called Great British Ghosts which will be aired on the satellite Yesterday channel.
The first series of the programme was shown last autumn and quickly became one of the channel's highest rated shows.
Michaela will be touring the Manor House in Hall Green Road, parts of which date back to the 13th century.
She is also planned to meet and interview staff who have ghostly tales and experiences to tell.
The Grade 1 listed building is said to be haunted by three ghosts.
It is said to be haunted by three different spirits, including a bearded man and two young girls, who are said to live on the kitchen stairs.
Just months ago the three regular tour guides were really spooked by the latest incident.
They were just closing up after the end of the afternoon tour and were alone in the building when they suddenly heard loud footsteps coming from the back of the main hall.
Fearing that there was an intruder in the building they quickly carried out a search but no one was there.

Michaela Strachan
 Museum staff said they thought someone might still be hiding in the building so they started to walk upstairs to check part of the building that is still under renovation and not open to the public.
But halfway up they heard a noise coming from the toilet area.
On checking they found the hand dryer on full and it took several attempts to get it to turn off. Yet it was the type that you have to put your hands underneath to make it work in the first place, but there was no one else in the room.
On another occasion they heard footsteps in the 16th century gatehouse. They went in to investigate while another colleague stood by the exit to check that no one ran out.
On entering a second room there was an almighty bang on the floor and the floorboards started moving.
Over the years staff have reported a variety of mystery knocks and bangs, shadowy figures and footsteps that seem to follow them across the building.
There have been cases of lights going on and off by themselves convincing staff that they are not alone.

Source: Sandwell Council

See: HAUNTED ACTIVITY AT ANCIENT MANOR HOUSE MUSEUM (with ghost picture)

Okay, I have something to add here. I wrote to Sandwell Council last year asking to investigate this property when a similar press release from them spoke of `haunted activity` at this building.

After receiving a reply in a PDF format that the email was being passed to a relevant dept. I eventually received a response that I could investigate but that it would cost me quite a bit of cash. 

I know they have held similar events with groups there, but I wanted to minimise numbers to ensure a better filmed investigation, but without selling tickets (which defeated the purpose) I had to decline.


I later investigated Thorpe Lodge - headquarters of Broadlands District Council without any paper shuffling, and for free by special arrangement.
I suppose if I was a well known TV personality, the reaction may have been different, but who knows:) 

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