Alone In The Dark Entertainment

The Marquis of Granby pub lies on Streetgate in Sunniside. Records of the premises being used as a public house date to 1861, but as the road is the route of one of the first wagon-ways, built in 1710, it is believed that the building may have been used for resting and watering horses in earlier times. Indeed, a man named Bill Dobson kept a public house here in 1841 and in 1856 it was known as the "Granby Arms". The pub is named after John Manners, the Marquis of Granby, born in 1721 and the eldest son of the third Duke of Rutland. He had a distinguished career in the army, but died debt-ridden at the age of 49. The pub was bought by Newcastle Breweries in April 1902. There was originally a row of three houses attached to the building, although these were removed in the 1930s. Another row of four cottages was demolished in 1914.

Mrs Margaret Pyle is noted as the first tenant of the building in its guise as a pub in 1861, and the pub became famous just four years later after a murder took place in August 1865. An argument erupted among workers from the nearby flower show at Ravensworth Castle, and a man named Joseph ended up in a dispute with a notorious local villain named Jack Bee. While walking home, one of the villagers found Joseph dead, propped up against a hedge. The murderer was never found.

While this is by far the most famous murder in the area, it’s not the only example of bloodshed. In the late eighth century, the North was being ravaged by the Vikings. Most villages succumbed to their taste for murder and pillage, but the villagers of Whickham managed to see the Vikings coming from their watchtower. They hurried up the heavily wooded bank, taking their livestock with them. By the time the Vikings arrived, there was little left to take, but after spotting a strange glow in the sky, they decided to keep going up the bank. Instead of trying to fight them off, the villagers invited them in, offering food and beer to their would-be attackers. Confused by this, the Vikings decided to feast, and simply murder and pillage in the morning. Once the drunk attackers had fallen asleep, the villagers set on them, and massacred them as they slept. The remaining Vikings sailed away and the village was never attacked again.

Three centuries later, the North was again under attack, but this time by the Normans. William the Conqueror dispatched knights across his new country to subdue the populace, and a knight named Hubert of Saxony took a liking to the Whickham area. According to a local legend, Hubert decided he wished to erect a castle, and a gate to control those who passed through his land, on the site of an existing village. He demanded that the villagers leave. Naturally, they were unhappy about this new course of events, but they did agree to meet the knights at a junction on the hill. We now believe this junction to be the bottom end of the car park for the Marquis of Granby. The knight and his party readied themselves to accept the land from the villagers, but instead, hundreds of arrows and rocks rained down on them. The villagers massacred the party, and the bodies of the men and horses are said to be buried on that spot. The legend goes on to say that on cold nights, you can see the warm spirits of the dead leaving their graves to seek a sick person's body to take over.

The Marquis of Granby was rebuilt in the early twentieth century, but it wasn't until the Scorer family took possession of the property in the 1930s that any supernatural activity was first reported. Since then, successive tenants have witnessed poltergeist activity, including exploding ash trays, candles that light of their own accord, and a jukebox that turns itself on and off. A ghostly figure of a woman is sometimes seen at the bottom of a staircase which was removed several years ago, and this figure is believed to be Mary, the mother of the murdered Joseph. Would we encounter Mary, Joseph, Jack or any of the other restless spirits from the blood-soaked area?

Hauntings are usually believed to occur indoors, but the Marquis boasts plenty of external activity. A passage runs along the back of the building in what used to be a barn, but is now a dead end, and figures have been seen coming and going along this passage. A dark figure has been seen in the beer garden, while growling and disembodied voices have been heard (see our report of a previous investigation at the Marquis). Phantom hitchhikers and ghostly highwaymen have been seen on the lonely stretch of road outside the pub, and the atmosphere in both the car park and the beer garden is thick with unhappiness. During Saturday’s investigation, the team heard unexplained noises in the hedges, as well as a woman’s voice in the deserted car park. Were these the massacred Vikings, the murdered knights, or some other lost spirit?

Inside the pub, the activity increases. Bells and alarms often go off without explanation inside the resident flat, while an engineer working on the generator inside the garage spoke to a woman who handed him a tool, only to be told by the manager that there was no one else on the property at the time. The back section of the pub is reasonably quiet as it was part of a stable block, although related sounds have been heard from time to time.

However, the front section of the pub is where most of the activity takes place. A table tipping session became more of a torch manipulation session as two different LED torches began dimming and brightening on command. The fact this happened to two separate torches, both of which continued to work as normal throughout the rest of the investigation, rules out mechanical faults. The torches also rolled across the level table apparently by themselves. Both of the investigators with the torches also reported feeling very cold during this experiment.

The ouija session held at the same table yielded mixed results as the spirit didn’t appear overly helpful, repeatedly choosing random letters before saying ‘goodbye’. However, when asked, the spirit admitted it couldn’t spell. During the session, the emergency light began flickering, before turning itself on and off. The landlady confirmed that this had never happened before, especially since emergency lights don’t have on/off switches. The only emergency light affected was the one over the remains of the staircase where Mary has often been seen. Was this Mary making her presence felt?

Another weapon in the investigator’s arsenal is the EVP recording, and we took several in the back room. We did appear to have recorded some kind of speech, although it was too low and distorted to make out properly. Several recordings yielded what sounded like the usual background hubbub associated with a busy pub, while others featured the same low, growling speech. Was this the notorious Jack Bee?

Although we witnessed less activity than previous investigations, several incidents remain unexplained. Hopefully further investigation will help us to locate the exact mass grave of the Norman knights, and may allow us to uncover the identity of the so-called Dark Man in the beer garden who has a penchant for scaring children.

Icy Sedgwick

There are many fine examples of Norman defensive architecture around the British Isles, but perhaps few are as well-preserved, or accessible, as the Keep which gave Newcastle its name. Its location is ideal for defensive purposes, and there has been some sort of settlement on the site for over 2000 years. Built between 1168 and 1178 by Henry II, the Keep stands on the ancient site of Pons Aelius, the Roman fort, and a motte-and-bailey castle built by the son of William the Conqueror in 1080. The castle was extended by King John I in the thirteenth century, which saw the addition of the barbican, now known as the Black Gate, in 1247. Due to the addition of fortified walls, the Keep became redundant as a military base in the mid fourteenth century, and was later used as a prison. Now a Scheduled Ancient Monument, the Keep is open 361 days a year, and is well worth a daytime visit. However, it is when the sun goes down and the shadows grow more threatening that the Keep really comes alive. Reputed to be one of the most haunted castles in England, would we be able to spend an evening here, alone in the dark?

No Norman Keep would be complete without a Great Hall, which lies near the top of the Castle. Originally accessible from the outside, through an impressive doorway that was restored by John Dobson in 1848, the lofty room would have once had floors above, and two storeys of balconies run around the room. A grey smoke like apparition has been seen and captured on film in the Great Hall, and the ghost of a girl who is believed to have died in the fireplace has been seen. Investigators Yvonne and Tonia chose to patrol the upper balconies, and reported the smell of beer and urine, smells believed to herald the presence of former guards. These balconies have seen a lot of activity over the years, including physical attacks on those using the staircases. Are the guards still determined to guard the Keep, even after death?

There is no evidence that royalty ever actually stayed in the Castle, but that doesn’t stop the Keep boasting both a King’s, and a Queen’s, Chamber. The King’s Chamber lies beside the Great Hall, and features its own latrine. Indeed, one brave investigator named Kev opted to carry out a lone vigil in the privy, and reported that he felt like his arms were being lifted when he sat on the crude toilet. The King’s Chamber presently contains two iron boxes, as well as a gravestone dated to the eleventh century. One of the iron boxes is known as the Cursed Box, and one team of investigators did an experiment with dowsing rods to determine which of the two boxes bears the curse. Four out of four investigators picked the correct box. A presence has been felt beside the box in the past. It was brought down from Scotland, but highway robbers waylaid the party and stole the contents, killing all of the guards. To this day, no one knows what was in the box but it is believed to be guarded by the murdered guards. Those who sit or stand on the box get a lot of EMF activity.

If you follow the stairs within the Great Hall, you find yourself in a small, narrow room. Dark red, brownish stains pepper the wall, giving this room its name of the Blood-Stained Chamber. No one is entirely sure if these stains are in fact blood, or rather deposits of iron, giving the stone its rusty look. Despite its sinister appearance, the room was believed to have been used as either a store room or as servants’ quarters for visiting officials. The spirits in this room appear slightly playful, as they complied with various requests made during a human pendulum experiment. Better still, a green laser pointer was used to create a grid of light across the walls, and the spirits managed to dim individual dots within the grid, even turning half of the dots off, while leaving the other half on. The grid is created by splitting a single beam with a lens, meaning that dimming individual dots should be impossible, and the phenomenon could not have been due to a faulty battery for the same reason – a physical loss of power should have dimmed all of the dots, not just some of them. Were these the spirits of long departed servants, eager to please the new human occupants of the room?

Not all of the spirits in the Keep are so harmless. One spirit in the museum room, used during this investigation as the hub, has been so thoroughly unpleasant in the past that he has been bound in the corner by investigators Steve Taylor and David Marshall. This spirit decided to make his presence felt during a ouija session, telling the team that our presence had put him in a bad mood. Further questioning led to him claiming to be “more than” a witch, as the spirit even claimed to be a god. He told us to leave, and on during an EVP experiment later in the investigation, a male voice could be heard to say “Get out”. We don’t know who this spirit is, but he certainly doesn’t like the share the Keep with visitors.

The Queen’s Chamber, mentioned earlier, is reached through the museum room. Again, we don’t know if it ever played host to a queen, but it has long been the tradition for the owners of castles and stately homes to include state apartments in the hope they would host royal guests. Instead of tales of royalty and pageantry, the room now plays host to a vicious spirit named Jacob, who thought nothing of indulging in both murder and infanticide. He particularly affects women, causing a variety of injuries, including stomach cramps and feelings of weakness. During our investigation, we thankfully suffered none of these, but did hear various unexplained bangs, as well as a clear “pffft” sound from one corner. Lights also moved inside the room that were unconnected with the passing trains outside. Was this Jacob making his presence known, or his unfortunate female victim?

It seems hardly surprising that crimes would have been committed within the walls of the Keep, since the Castle spent much of its working life as a prison (for more details, check out the Paranormal Prison Tour as part of this year’s Ghostfest). The chamber on the ground floor is now known as the Garrison Room, but in days gone by would have been a giant prison cell. Men, women and children would have been kept in degrading conditions, knee-deep in rainwater, dead vermin, human waste and rotting food. Indeed, we contacted a female spirit named Victoria, who told us she was unhappy because she was "goin to die". Asked when, she told us it would be in "the morning". Spelling words in the Geordie dialect, Victoria told us it was Friday in April 1666, but she didn't know the actual date as she'd been in there too long to remember. The most shocking part of Victoria’s tale was that she was only thirteen, and yet she’d been working on the Quayside, selling her body to sailors. She told us her parents were dead, and this was probably her only means of supporting herself. There is no way to verify this individual account but considering the Keep’s history, it’s all too likely to be true.

If you look at the western wall of Keep from the outside, you’ll see a narrow door one storey above the ground. This is the execution door, and can only be reached by passing through the Garrison Room, up the stairs on the south wall, and into the Condemned Man's Cell. This is another deeply unhappy and turbulent chamber in the Keep, which has also seen various attacks on investigators. During our investigation, those performing lone vigils in the cell saw a lot of EMF activity, which was so loud it could be heard downstairs in the Garrison Room – through thick stone walls. The variation in pitch and tone ruled out a manmade source, leading the team to conclude that the spirits in the cell are far from inactive.

The final location within the Keep is the Chapel, also found on the ground floor. A Saxon graveyard lies beneath the chapel, and Saxons have been known to make their presence felt in the room. It has also been used by monks, and there have been reported attacks on people who say the Lord's Prayer or make confessions. One very clear EVP recording was made in the chapel, and Latin chanting can be heard echoing in the room, accompanied by rhythmic thumping, as though the monks are walking around the chapel. On this occasion we had no real activity other than the sound of feet scraping on the stone floor, although an EVP recording made during a ouija session did feature bangs on the recording that were not heard during the session itself.

The real questions remains – is the Keep haunted? While there were no real sightings and no physical interactions, I think there was enough evidence gathered during the investigation to say that yes, it is. If you’re still not sure, then we will be holding a very special haunted camp out from 10pm until 8am on Friday 21st October, as well as holding investigations on the 28th and 29th October. Check out the rest of website for more details!

Icy Sedgwick

Tucked away in a corner of Newcastle’s centre is the Black Gate, one of the city’s hidden gems. Originally a gateway to the nearby Castle Keep, the Grade I listed building and scheduled ancient monument was built in 1247 by Henry III. Strangely enough, many years ago, Newcastle and Northumberland were separate entities, meaning that passing through the gateway took you from Newcastle onto Northumberland soil – leaving criminals free to escape the jurisdiction of Newcastle’s judicial system for the sake of a few metres. Northumberland didn’t get a police service until 1910, leaving the Castle Garth area beyond the Black Gate as a lawless den of violence and vice. Has this sordid past contributed to the Black Gate's dark reputation, earned over the course of 764 blood-soaked years?

 The Black Gate didn’t take its current form back in the thirteenth century, as the upper storeys weren’t built until the seventeenth century. By the late nineteenth century, the building was a dilapidated wreck, composed of cramped tenements. With so much human activity over the years, it’s hardly surprising that the Black Gate is considered to be one of the most haunted buildings in Newcastle. But who among us could stand to be left alone in the dark at the Black Gate of Newcastle?

Many of the ghost walks lead the sceptical and curious alike through the Black Gate, and a range of paranormal attacks have been reported. Some of the victims have been the likes of teachers, doctors and council officials – not the sort of people who'd normally be prone to such tall tales. Indeed, the building was rescued in 1883 by the Society of Antiquaries, who made the Black Gate the home of its library. The library room is believed to be haunted by the spirits once attached to the objects kept there.

 During a ouija session in the library room, the team contacted a German lady named Doris. She told us she was 64, and that she’d lived at the Black Gate in 1750. A disconnected telephone had been ringing in the room, while the bookcases were creaking without any pressure being exerted on them. We asked Doris if there were any other spirits present, to which she answered there were eight. Further questions revealed that the dark presence in the corner was one “Daniel Fenie”, a notorious killer who murdered five women and three children in the 1880s. We asked Doris if Daniel wanted to hurt anyone, and she told us he wanted to hurt “alle damen” – all women. Doris didn't know the names of any of his victims but she did say "knife neck" when we asked how he killed them – Fenie was known to cut the throats of his victims. It must be noted that up until this point, none of the team on the board were aware of Fenie or his crimes.

Fenie isn’t the only dubious character associated with the Black Gate. Thomas Heron, a notorious Sherriff of Northumberland, once lived here. The pit below the outside walkway is known as the Heron Pit, and the area includes an oubliette where unfortunate prisoners were thrown and, as the name suggests, forgotten. Many gruesome crimes have been ascribed to Thomas, including the practice of dissecting criminals after they were hung. The pit has seen much activity over the years, with stones, old coins no longer in circulation and even needles being thrown at investigators, while black shapes have been seen, and deep growling has been heard.

 During our investigation, we had plenty of localised EMF activity, along with phantom footsteps heard on the walkway above, although it was confirmed that no one was on the walkway at the time. One of the investigators reported feeling something touch her shoulder, although thankfully the more volatile spirits normally found in the pit decided to make themselves scarce. A ouija session managed to contact a 27-year-old woman who’d died of cholera in 1749.

Phantom footsteps are also heard inside the building, as well as on the walkway. The sound of people running up and down the stairs, as well as doors banging, were heard. Indeed, one team was inside a first floor room and heard a lot of activity in the stairwell, despite the fact the other team were in the top floor flat at the time.

This first floor room features a pair of wooden pillars that initially look like little more than structural supports. However, closer inspection reveals a plethora of messages scrawled on or scratched into the wood. Soldiers lived in the Black Gate in the 1930s, and wished to leave something behind. If our ouija session is anything to go by, they left something more than graffiti. We managed to contact a particular gentleman who was born in Cork in 1898. He told us he’d been strangled on the Quayside in 1956, and while he named his killer, he also told us his killer had never been brought to justice. The names have been omitted while we investigate this claim. However, we did wonder why an Irish soldier who’d died on the Quayside would be at the Black Gate. According to the spirit, he had been a steward in the army, and lived at the Black Gate in 1935. This same spirit told us there were three other spirits present, although none of them wished us harm.

Naturally, a building such as the Black Gate requires a lot of upkeep, and up until the 1970s, a caretaker lived on site. The top floor of the building was added by the Society of Antiquities, providing a flat. The caretaker had been reporting a lot of activity until he was sadly found dead in the flat. He is believed to haunt the top floor, although one investigator was told by a woman to “get out” while doing a vigil in the bathroom. A presence was sensed on the stairs, and we contacted a man named David, who prescribed lavender tea for one of the flu-stricken investigators, because “flu not nice” – which just goes to dispel the myth that ouija boards are a portal to the damned! During the session, we heard a lot of tapping and banging in the flat, along with a feeling the distinct sensation of being watched. This presence was not the helpful sort, and when the temperature plummeted, we decided to leave the flat behind.

So is the Black Gate haunted? I think it’s fairly safe to say that plenty of spirits both dark and light haunt its empty rooms and stairways. Quite what they’ll make of the building being turned into a heritage centre is as yet unknown, so watch this space...

Icy Sedgwick

So do you fancy something totally different, having a good time and meeting some new people!

Then join Cap’n Jack on Newcastle’s SINGLES haunted pub crawl with a twist!!

This is not like a normal pub crawl; we have some guaranteed pulling techniques that will definitely see you on a 2nd date!

Rule 1- You must be aged 18 – 40

Rule 2 – All singles need to be in pirates, wench, cut throat or parrot costume, become that inner pirate, the attractions in the mystery, ARRR!

Rule 3 – you must be up for a good time and up for a good drink or at least a side splitting laugh and the odd snog!

Rule 4 – beer goggles won’t be provided so you get what you see!

Join in on our outrages games and get up close and personal with some random strangers all in good fun! You will be guided to 5 pubs with Cap'n Jack as your guide where the ice will be broken bit by bit and every crew member on this voyage will benefit from one hell of a night of drinking, dares and comedy mixed with one or two haunting tales. You will finally arrive at your final bar to where you can remove some of your pirate clothing and reveal the true you and find yourself a quiet corner for whatever tickles ye fancy!!

Date: Saturday 21st August 2010

Take part in our crazy drinking games or relax and enjoy

Costume guided tours at all times

WARNING: they may be some use use of foul language and references to sexuality

PRICES PER PERSON (2010)

R.R.P £15 per person NOW only £10 per person for a limited time only!

CLICK HERE to buy your lucky ticket

STRICTLY NO PERSONS UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE

Proof of ID may be required if. If proof ID is not provided you will NOT be permitted to attend the event. This is in conjunction with our Public Liability Insurance Terms & Conditions.

Alone in the Dark Entertainment Launch in the Southwest of England

Award winning entertainment company Alone in the Dark Entertainment have now launched in to the Southwest of England to bring you the best in NEW locations some never before investigated by the public along with NEW evening investigations, New Ghost Walks and much, much more..

Steve Taylor the owner of Alone in the Dark Entertainment was first introduced to paranormal entertainment (meaning a ghost hunt with the general public) in the summer of 2006. Steve was working as a surf instructor in Newquay Cornwall. He was asked by a friend of his about ghost's in Newquay and Steve painted a grim and ghostly picture of Cornish history. The friend mentioned and asked about ghost walks and asked if Steve would take her and 23 other friends on a guided tour. So Steve did and this became the start of Alone in the Dark Entertainment. It moved with Steve as he has always been a care free soul that has travelled the old lands of England. His journey took him to Newcastle to where his first guided ghost walk was born and this led the company to become one of the best paranormal entertainment groups for the public till this date!

But now we are back home! We a proud to introduce Heidi Lang as our Southwest Team Leader and events management with her unparalleled knowledge of the Southwest and its most haunted locations and need for your satisfaction and quality. We will only ever work with the best, true of heart and soul to give you an event like now other!

So join our Haunted Southwest Team on overnight ghost hunts, guided ghost walks, haunted pub tours, evening investigations, 3 course meals with clairvoyant mediums and much, much more.

Join the Haunted Southwest Team on there first public Investiagation for only £19.99 deposit at  Bodmin Jail as seen on Most Haunted, click here for more info

All in the Southwest of Old England.

Visit the Southwest Teams Website www.ghosthuntsouthwest.webs.com

Alone in the Dark Entertainment have kindly been asked if us along with you guys would like to take part in the Movie premier and a paranormal discussion....

ADVANCE PREVIEW / REGIONAL PREMIERE

The Men Who Stare at Goats (15TBC)

with Special Guests, including screenwriter Peter Straughan

Tuesday 3rd November, (8pm TBC)

'To celebrate the regional premiere of The Men Who Stare At Goats, Northern Lights Festival and Tyneside Cinema are inviting everyone with an interest in George Clooney, or the paranormal to join us for the screening and event exploring the paranormal world'.

Be the first in the North East to see an exclusive preview of the new George Clooney film The Men Who Stare at Goats, and welcome as our very special guest the film?s screenwriter Peter Straughan. Peter Straughan is fast becoming one of the hottest screenwriting talents in the world, not bad for a lad from Gateshead. As well as his numerous screen credits he has also enjoyed huge success as a writer for the stage at Newcastle?'s Live Theatre.

Join us for our pre-screening introduction with Peter, Luke Alkin, Head of Drama at Big Talk productions to discuss adapting Jon Ronson?s book and Peter?s journey from Gateshead to Hollywood. Hosted by Ian Fenton, Director of North East script conference Story Engine.

share your thoughts with Peter after the show and help us create a lively discussion about the paranormal world that the film explores.

Tickets: £10.00/£8.00 concessions.

For more information visit http://www.tynecine.org/

Lisa Laws

Northern Lights Programme Producer

lisa@nlff.co.uk

www.nlff.co.uk

Alone in the dark Entertainment are proud to offer YOU this exclusive chance along with J.D.Wetherspoons to investigate one of Newcastle's most historic buildings used in the Newcastle witchcraft trials.

Lloyds Quayside bar will be open to investigation for the first time in history to help find evidence of the paranormal that relates to the witchcraft trials of 1649. On the 26th of November 2009, 25 lucky ghost hunters will enter into the building in search of witch's and there executioners led by Ghost Hunter Team UK. If evidence can be collected to locate the witchcraft trials site in the building then Alone in the dark entertainment will enter into talks to have a plaque placed at the site of the trials to remember the life?s of the 30 innocent people accused of crimes against god that they hung for in 1649.

This in its self will help with tourism in the local area along with regenerating income for the Quayside and its place in history.

The building is reputedly haunted by phantom figures and ghostly voice

There has also been a ghostly figure of a woman in 15th century clothing sited on the back staircase wondering with a candle flickering in her hand. The glare from the candle supposedly seen like flickering flames and upon inspection the flickering vanished from site but it leaves behind the smell of pig fat candles just snuffed.

So dont miss one of the best nights of ghost hunting you should ever have.

Ticket are on sale NOW (Click here) at only £35 per person including food and full use of all the paranormal tools and spiritual tools.

A percentage of the money from the night will go to CLIC Sargent, CLIC was established in 1976 as a local charity in the southwest of England. It is now the UK?s leading children?s cancer charity and specialises in three areas of activity: medical resources, practical help and research. Fore info visit J.D.Wetherspoons site Click here or Click the image to visit CLIC.

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE

sale now on, places that must sell, call us NOW and make an offer!!

Castle Keep 25th Sept, only £35 per person pay in 2 parts. R.R.P £65 (click here)

Offshore44 30th Sept, evening Ghost Hunt and Ghost Walk only £25 per person (click here)

2 places for the EXTREME GHOST WALK tonight 9pm Call 0191 4400078 to book the last 2 places only £5 saving you £3 each

You can save money on all bookings for our ghost walks if you just pick up the phone, give us a call and we will book you on a tour of your choice and save you money on each person attending.

You can also book private tours and mix and match our tours, we can get you and your party up to %15 OFF food at one of our haunted pubs. Entry to the very haunted Castle Keep and lead your by gas lamp through some of Newcastle most grisly murder sites to where you can end your tour of fear in a haunted but warm welcoming traditional English tavern or pub.

For more info Email us: a-i-t-d-entertainment@hotmail.com

Or call us on : 0191 4400078 seven days a week 9am – 9pm