If there's something strange...

I've been neglecting this blog lately, and for that I apologise.  Apart from my day job (I'm working from home) I've been doing my best to keep myself busy with creative stuff ( I hope that mask wearing remains a fashion even after the pandemic is a distant memory, I've put so many images and slogans onto masks, I've now got some that are double-sided).   I had my first Covid vaccination a couple of weekends ago, at the mass vaccination centre in the Orangery at Margam Park, and I couldn't help thinking about the time we went ghost hunting in Margam Castle.  

We were both interested in the paranormal and the popularity of TV programmes like Most Haunted led to the set up of companies offering ghost hunts - so of course, we signed up for any we could find within striking distance.  The actual itinerary varies slightly from company to company, but generally, you get taken on a tour of the venue and told the history and legends of the place, before being let loose with "ghost hunting" technology like EMF meters (that's what David's holding in the photo) and experimenting with planchettes, table tipping and the like ( I've taken part in some very impressive table tipping sessions where we've had to run to keep up with the table as it gallops across the floor or spins round on one leg).  Some tours have spirit mediums who attempt to get in touch with any spirits that may be hanging around.   

Margam was one of the earliest events we went to, and it is still one of the most active.  On the "history" part of the event, we'd been told that it was believed that the nearby Abbey had tended to plague victims and the song "Ring-a-ring-a-roses" was connected to the plague ( I think that's a myth, but let's not allow that to spoil a good theory.)  After the history tour (led by the night watchman, who'd had a number of personal experiences with unexplained phenomena), we were allowed to borrow various bits of ghost-hunting equipment given time to experiment with them (result - nil) before being joined by the spirit mediums for the tour, who gave their impressions about any spirits that might be hanging around.  We heard footsteps in empty rooms, heard stairs creaking when there was nobody on them (and we were looking directly at them), saw some weird optical effects...there was quite a bit of activity.  I'm not going to describe all of it - it would be a very long post if I did! 

Later that evening, we were gathered with the medium in the "Beam Room", which is the only part of the castle that remained after a fire and was the children's nursery.  It's supposed to be haunted by a rather disagreeable spirit who stamps round making a lot of noise. We were all sitting on the floor, in the dark, and the medium said that he could hear children singing a nursery rhyme.  "Oh yes!" we said, "Is it ring-a-ring-a-roses?"  "No," was the reply "It's here we go gathering nuts in May".  We decided to try singing it and see if anything happened.

As we sang, it got very, very dark.  Although the lights were off, I'd been able to see the outline of people sitting opposite me, but gradually the darkness intensified.  When we finished singing it was pitch black and very quiet.  So when David suddenly jumped and screamed, it was a considerable shock to the system.

He'd felt something kick his foot.  I spent the rest of the event with my arms wrapped around him, trying to calm his shaking - if I'd let go of him he'd've been out of the door and halfway to Port Talbot before I could catch him.  David was old-world courteous in many ways and always took care to make sure I was safe when descending stairs (he knew my impetuous, and clumsy, ways!) but this time he was the first person out of the door when they wrapped up the event, not even stopping to see if the "trigger object" (some coins set out on a piece of paper with their positions marked) had moved (it had). As I came down the stairs, I saw his white face peeping out from behind the door of the break room .

For years after that, if I suggested a visit to Margam Castle, even in broad daylight, his answer was a very firm "No!"

Recently

A few years after we moved in together, we bought a heat/massage chair (known as the electric chair).  Over time the cushion pad has become a bit worn and scruffy, so I've covered it with an assortment of throws and blankets.  It was David's work chair, whether for work work or to work on his turn for a play-by-mail roleplaying game he was taking part in.

  

I don't use it much, other than as a dumping ground for odds and ends.  On Thursday night, I'd thrown a couple of sheets of printer paper, an empty tissue box (don't ask me why I didn't just put it in the bin), leg warmers (don't judge - it's been chilly lately) and a coaster onto the throw covering the seat.  When I got up on Friday morning, the papers, box, leg warmers and coaster were still on the seat, but the throw was in a crumpled heap on the floor in front of the chair.

OK, I thought, the cat must have pulled the throw off the chair by sharpening her claws on it.  However, after trying to reproduce the effect with no success, I can only conclude that she has perfected the trick of pulling the tablecloth off a table leaving the crockery in place.  No matter how I tried, every time I pulled on the throw, the stuff on top came with it. The cat has, so far, declined to confirm or deny if she was responsible for the event.

And also 

A few days before the mysterious moving chair throw, I looked down and found this on the floor next to my foot.

 It's one of set of runestones that belonged to David.  They weren't his favourites and so were kept in a drawer.  I'm fairly sure that they've been dropped on the floor at least once over the years, but I haven't touched them recently.  I can't even say for sure where they are.  I do know that I've walked on/past/over the bit of carpet and also run the vacuum cleaner over where I found it and have never seen it before.

It's the rune of creation, partnerships and rebirth, regenerative power and liberation of spirit. Make of it what you will!