WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:04.719 Have you ever had a moment that made your skin crawl, 2 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:08.039 a shadow where there shouldn't be one, a whisper in 3 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:12.359 an empty room, or something you simply can't explain. If so, 4 00:00:12.919 --> 00:00:16.160 we want to hear from you here at the Haunted 5 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:19.800 UK Podcast. We're always on the lookout for spine tingling 6 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:23.199 stories to feature in our end of season listener episodes 7 00:00:23.480 --> 00:00:27.559 and our short Haunts series. Whether it's a chilling encounter, 8 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:31.519 a mysterious experience, or something that's haunted you for years, 9 00:00:31.960 --> 00:00:36.119 we want your tale. Send your story to contact us 10 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:40.119 at Haunted UK podcast dot com, and don't forget to 11 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:45.159 follow us on social media Facebook, x at Haunted Ukpod, 12 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:50.039 TikTok and Instagram at Haunted UK podcast, or visit our 13 00:00:50.039 --> 00:00:56.560 website www dot hauntedukpodcast dot com. Now, if you love 14 00:00:56.600 --> 00:00:59.759 what we do and want even more Haunted goodies, then 15 00:00:59.799 --> 00:01:03.359 you can support the show on Patreon and Coffee. We've 16 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:07.560 got two brilliant tears, Possessed and Spooked, both packed with 17 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:12.239 bonus content, exclusive episodes and extra material that'll keep you 18 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:16.079 up all night. But that's not all. We've launched a 19 00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:20.920 brand new sister podcast, Haunted UK Fiction, and we're calling 20 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:25.439 all storytellers, whether you're a published author, an aspiring writer, 21 00:01:25.879 --> 00:01:28.719 or someone with a natural gift for spinning ear retails. 22 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:32.920 We're looking for original fictional short stories and novellas with 23 00:01:33.079 --> 00:01:39.879 strong paranormal or supernatural themes. Think suspenseful, mysterious, atmospheric, terrifying, 24 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:44.719 thought provoking, even darkly magical. If your story is selected, 25 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:48.799 we'll professionally narrate, record, mix, some master it into an 26 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:52.799 audiobook style format, then feature it on the show. You'll 27 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:55.519 get a copy of the finished production to use however 28 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:59.079 you like, and you'll retain full ownership of your work. 29 00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:03.480 So admit your story to Haunted UK Fiction at hotmail 30 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:08.560 dot com and follow us on Instagram at Haunted uk fiction. So, 31 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:12.400 whether it's truth or fiction, if it's haunted, we wanted 32 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:30.560 now sit back and enjoy the episode. I took a 33 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:34.039 huge breath and walked through the door. I found nothing, 34 00:02:34.759 --> 00:02:38.800 no one. A very cold and dark feeling swept over me. 35 00:02:39.639 --> 00:02:43.120 I grabbed my bag, went back into the hall, closed 36 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:45.639 the window at the back of the stage, switched the 37 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:49.039 lights off, made sure the kitchen lights were off, and 38 00:02:49.159 --> 00:02:53.560 got outside. It was still daylight and the mood was 39 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:57.240 so much lighter. But I had no idea what I'd 40 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:54.159 just experienced in that community hall. This is episode sixty 41 00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:57.759 four of the Haunted UK podcast, and in this episode 42 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:23.759 will be taken to a haunted community center. But isn't 43 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:27.000 this kind of haunted place so much worse than castles, 44 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:32.040 manor homes and remote deserted cabins in woods because it's 45 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:34.879 a place most of us know, a place which is 46 00:04:34.920 --> 00:04:38.600 typical in so many towns in the UK, A place 47 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:44.199 we've been to for parties, weighings, jumble sales, you know 48 00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:47.759 it well. A place where chairs are stacked to the 49 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:51.720 side for events, with a small stage and musty curtains, 50 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:56.600 a kitchen with a tea and serving hatch, posters on 51 00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:01.680 the wall advertising yoga toys, stash just under the stage 52 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:07.439 for a preschool group, pantomimes at Christmas, committee meetings on Tuesdays, 53 00:05:08.360 --> 00:05:14.120 all very tame, all very every day. And it's not tame, 54 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:17.639 And it's not something you can stack away neatly to 55 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:23.079 the side or hide behind a stage curtain, although you 56 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:28.680 may want to after hearing this. Yes, a real life 57 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:31.519 ghost story is so much worse when it's a place 58 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:36.079 we walk past every day. Perhaps you yourself are involved 59 00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:39.120 with such a place. Perhaps you're the one to lock 60 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:42.360 up at night, the last to switch off the lights, 61 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:49.439 and if you are well, take care caretaker. This episode 62 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:55.600 might sting. So we've had so many listener stories since 63 00:05:55.639 --> 00:05:59.360 the show started back in June twenty twenty one, and 64 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:02.759 with the kind permission of a few listeners, their stories 65 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:07.319 have been developed into full episodes. This episode is another 66 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:11.759 one which joins those before it, an episode which takes 67 00:06:11.839 --> 00:06:14.720 us on a journey through the experiences of a woman 68 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:19.199 called Jan. It's been quite some time since her story 69 00:06:19.319 --> 00:06:22.120 was sent into the show, but it was so gripping 70 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:26.959 and astounding that we felt that it needed its own episode. 71 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:30.319 Jan was extremely kind enough to allow us to develop 72 00:06:30.360 --> 00:06:35.120 her story and experiences, but she was also incredibly brave 73 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:38.519 enough to give us her blessing to share this story 74 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:42.680 with all of you, and brave with what she endured 75 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:48.160 in that community center tasked with turning off those lights. 76 00:06:50.360 --> 00:06:53.240 We've said so many times on this show that everyone 77 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:56.439 who has had a paranormal experience should be allowed to 78 00:06:56.480 --> 00:06:59.959 tell their story without the risk of fear or ridicule. 79 00:07:01.079 --> 00:07:04.399 They should be comfortable to share their experiences with a 80 00:07:04.439 --> 00:07:08.439 community who will not only listen, but will also give support. 81 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:12.199 And it's you, amazing listeners of this show who do 82 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:18.040 just that and more. And with that said, it's now 83 00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:21.879 time to hand over to Jan and hear her account. 84 00:07:22.600 --> 00:07:28.319 Get ready to hear something phenomenal, an extraordinary experience in 85 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:34.680 such an ordinary place. I've been a fan of the 86 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:37.680 show for quite a while now, and although the following 87 00:07:37.720 --> 00:07:41.360 story happened over ten years ago, it's still taken all 88 00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:44.160 of this time to gain the courage to type it out. 89 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:48.759 My name is Jan, and I've been retired for six years. 90 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:52.000 My husband and I lived in a town in the 91 00:07:52.040 --> 00:07:55.399 northwest of England for over twenty years, and it was 92 00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:59.319 here where I experienced what I'm certain were a series 93 00:07:59.319 --> 00:08:06.120 of paranormal events, but also something else, something very very dark. 94 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:11.079 To give you some backstory, I'd worked in an office 95 00:08:11.160 --> 00:08:14.439 environment since i'd left school. It was a career that 96 00:08:14.519 --> 00:08:18.519 I fell into but thoroughly enjoyed. I made so many 97 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:22.720 valuable friends over the years and had some really memorable times. 98 00:08:23.240 --> 00:08:26.279 But all of that changed when, at fifty years old, 99 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:31.399 I suffered a huge heart attack. Everything in my life changed. 100 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:35.399 I was encouraged to quit my job, being told that 101 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:38.279 the stress of a busy office environment could bring on 102 00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:42.799 another one, and it could be fatal. My husband and 103 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:46.919 I were both devastated. All of our plans, our hopes 104 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:51.600 now put on hold. My husband continued to work, and 105 00:08:51.639 --> 00:08:54.840 because we'd been quite savvy over the years with our finances, 106 00:08:55.159 --> 00:09:00.200 we actually owned our house outright. So I began to 107 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:05.919 do other less stressful things, lighthousework, going to the local 108 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:10.840 park for walks, gardening. But how much gardening can you do? 109 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:16.480 Year after year after year? For eight years? I did 110 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:20.000 what I was told, stepped back from the more stressful 111 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:23.320 things in life and took a more relaxed and backseat approach. 112 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:28.159 Holidays were a much slower affair, not doing too much 113 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:30.879 at all. But I always felt I was wasting away, 114 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:35.279 felt that my life was passing me by. I couldn't 115 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:40.840 do this any longer. I had to do something. The 116 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:44.240 community center in our small town hosted all types of 117 00:09:44.279 --> 00:09:48.159 events and meetings, from nursery play days, birthday parties, and 118 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:52.759 wedding receptions to small gigs, council meetings, and even company 119 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:56.879 team building days. I'd seen an advertisement attached to the 120 00:09:56.879 --> 00:10:01.039 announcement board asking for a cleaner and part time caretaker 121 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:04.639 I'd simply had enough of gardening and wanted to do 122 00:10:04.759 --> 00:10:08.720 something else. My husband and I had a good chat 123 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:11.200 about the risks of me going back to work, but 124 00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:15.080 I was insistent that I wanted to do this, insistent that, 125 00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:17.960 in my opinion, I needed something to get my teeth into, 126 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:21.559 something to get involved in. I called the number on 127 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:24.799 the advertisement, and a few days later was invited to 128 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:29.080 an interview with the local council house. There were obviously 129 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:32.720 concerns about my health, but I hadn't had any problems 130 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:35.320 with my heart for around eight years, and I was 131 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:37.559 more than happy to go through all of the checks 132 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:40.600 which would enable me to be present at daytime nursery 133 00:10:40.600 --> 00:10:44.879 gatherings with children as well as kids' birthday parties. I 134 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:48.840 so desperately wanted this job, so desperately wanted to feel 135 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:52.799 as if I was valued again. To my surprise, I 136 00:10:52.919 --> 00:10:56.159 was offered the job. I was absolutely over the moon 137 00:10:56.360 --> 00:10:58.480 and called my husband at work to let him know 138 00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:01.000 that I've been offered the role of cleaner and part 139 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:04.639 time caretaker. I would be starting in just under two 140 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:08.600 weeks time. On the first day, I walked to work. 141 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:12.000 It was fairly close to home and wasn't a strenuous 142 00:11:12.039 --> 00:11:15.440 walk at all. As I approached, I noticed a man 143 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:19.320 standing outside the entrance of the community center. As he 144 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:22.440 saw me, he smiled and walked out onto the pavement 145 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:25.279 to greet me. He reached out a hand to shake 146 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:29.279 mine and introduced himself as Tom. He was around sixty 147 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:34.360 years old, quite tall and very pleasant and polite. Tom 148 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:37.159 opened up the building and began to show me around. 149 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:40.559 After entering the double doors at the front of the building, 150 00:11:40.840 --> 00:11:42.960 you had a large kitchen to the left, down a 151 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:47.320 short corridor. To the right was a cloakroom, storage space, 152 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:51.559 and two separate toilets. Coming back to the entrance hall, 153 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:54.440 there was another set of double doors which led into 154 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:57.879 a large hall. Down at the far end was a 155 00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:01.720 stage with two doors either side. There was also a 156 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:04.519 bar on the left hand side, but this was only 157 00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:08.799 opened and operated by a train staff. The door to 158 00:12:08.840 --> 00:12:11.720 the left of the stage led to another set of toilets, 159 00:12:12.039 --> 00:12:14.799 as well as storage rooms and a changing room, which 160 00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:16.919 had a door leading to the side of the stage. 161 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:20.320 There was also a fire exit. The door on the 162 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:23.120 right hand side of the stage had a similar layout, 163 00:12:23.399 --> 00:12:26.200 but instead of toilets, there were changing rooms in a 164 00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:30.240 large office. As Tom was showing me around, he mentioned 165 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:32.320 that the building used to be part of an old school. 166 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:35.559 The school had been converted into offices for the local 167 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:38.600 council and the hall was assigned as a community center. 168 00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:42.120 This had happened years before my husband and I had 169 00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:44.879 moved to the area, so whilst we knew of the buildings, 170 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:48.360 we'd never really taken too much notice of them. The 171 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:51.440 place had a good feel to it, nothing unusual at all. 172 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:54.519 Tom went off to the kitchen to make us a drink, 173 00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:57.039 and I wandered around the hall and got up onto 174 00:12:57.080 --> 00:13:00.559 the stage. It was fairly large with stage each lighting 175 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:03.320 mounted onto a frame which looked like it was attached 176 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:07.399 to the ceiling. There were also long black curtains either 177 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:10.039 side of the stage, covering the legs of the frame 178 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:13.360 which held the lighting. I heard the doors open again 179 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:18.240 and Tom appeared holding two mugs of coffee. We had 180 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:21.480 a general chat about what the job entailed, when I'd 181 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.080 be working, and if I'd be interested in out of 182 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:28.200 hours work. Tom said that there were sometimes things such 183 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:32.320 as cancel functions, birthday parties, and wedding receptions that took 184 00:13:32.360 --> 00:13:36.120 place until around eleven PM. I had no problem with 185 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:38.799 this at all, and Tom said that he and another 186 00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:42.000 woman called Tammy, and myself would share the offers of 187 00:13:42.039 --> 00:13:45.840 work as they came in. I was incredibly happy and 188 00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:50.320 couldn't wait to get started. Weeks went by, and most 189 00:13:50.360 --> 00:13:53.000 of the time I was clearing up after kids' parties, 190 00:13:53.679 --> 00:13:57.320 sweeping up, re stacking the chairs, and generally tidying up. 191 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:03.320 But but it was one of these parties that things 192 00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:07.399 started to happen. Now, I have to say this for 193 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:11.080 the record before we go any further. I've never had 194 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:13.919 any reason to believe in the paranormal or the supernatural 195 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:18.159 my whole life. I'd never seen a ghost, never experienced 196 00:14:18.200 --> 00:14:23.519 a poltergeist, never felt an oppressive and overwhelming atmosphere. I 197 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:25.559 even messed around with the weija boards when I was 198 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:28.919 a teenager, but never saw what all the fuss was about. 199 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:35.480 In other words, I was pretty much a skeptic. So 200 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:39.840 let's go back to the first incident. I'd been supervising 201 00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:43.320 a children's birthday party on a Saturday afternoon, and the 202 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:45.679 aftermath was like a bomb had gone off in the 203 00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:50.120 main hall. Little by little, parents and children filtered out 204 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:53.240 of the building, leaving me alone to begin cleaning up 205 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:56.960 and tidying away chairs and tables. All of this was 206 00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:00.000 pretty light work, and to be honest, it was good 207 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:04.679 to be busy. I cleaned, then collapsed the tables, stacked 208 00:15:04.679 --> 00:15:07.039 the chairs, and used the sack truck to move them 209 00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:10.600 into the storage rooms. Either side of the stage. On 210 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:13.320 the back wall of the stage was a large window 211 00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:16.919 that had a black curtain pulled across it. A section 212 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:19.559 of this window could be opened, and because it was 213 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:22.480 quite stuffy in the hall, I pulled the curtain back 214 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:27.559 and used the rope pulley to open the window. The 215 00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:31.039 cooler air from outside began to fill the hall, making 216 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:35.080 the room feel immediately better. I made my way back 217 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:37.639 to the kitchen, where I'd stacked all the cups and 218 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:40.639 mugs which had been used by the parents, and began 219 00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:43.080 to fill the sink so I could wash them, dry them, 220 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:46.919 and put them away. I was quite happily washing up 221 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:51.279 when I heard a door bang. It sounded like it 222 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:54.720 was one of the doors in the main hall. I 223 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:57.559 grabbed a towel, dried my hands, and went out to 224 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:00.399 the entrance hall. I checked the main door, but they 225 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:03.200 were locked, and it was me that had locked them. 226 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:07.360 After the last party guests had left. I quickly checked 227 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:09.879 the door opposite the kitchen and had a look around, 228 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:14.480 but nothing. Well, it could be a guest still in 229 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:18.120 the main hall, I remembered, thinking maybe they'd gone into 230 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:20.360 one of the rooms at the side of the stage. 231 00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:25.080 I went through the double doors into the main hall. Nothing. 232 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:28.320 I checked the rooms to the left of the stage 233 00:16:28.759 --> 00:16:33.960 again nothing. The fire exit door was still secure as well. 234 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:37.240 I went back into the hall and opened the door 235 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:40.600 to the right of the stage, and as I walked inside, 236 00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:46.799 I heard another noise coming from the hall. I immediately 237 00:16:46.840 --> 00:16:49.120 went back into the hall and saw one of the 238 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:54.000 double doors slowly closing. I was really beginning to get 239 00:16:54.039 --> 00:16:57.480 nervous now, and my mobile phone, my only chance of 240 00:16:57.480 --> 00:17:01.320 getting hold of someone, was in my handbag in the kitchen. 241 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:05.680 I shouted hello a few times, but nothing came back. 242 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:11.279 Hello Hello. I was torn between just going back and 243 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:14.400 leaving via the fire escape and going through those doors 244 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:17.759 and confronting what was there, And that's what I did. 245 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:21.279 It could only be a member of the party. All 246 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:25.599 the doors were locked. I took a huge breath and 247 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:30.680 walked through the door. I found no one, nothing at all. 248 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:35.799 A very cold and dark feeling swept over me. I 249 00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:38.720 grabbed my bag, went back into the hall, closed the 250 00:17:38.759 --> 00:17:41.440 window at the back of the stage, switched the lights off, 251 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:45.000 made sure the kitchen lights were off, and got outside. 252 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:48.960 It was still daylight and the mood was so much lighter, 253 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:52.240 but I had no idea what I'd just experienced in 254 00:17:52.279 --> 00:17:57.160 that community hall. Around a week or so later, my 255 00:17:57.279 --> 00:18:01.359 next encounter with the paranormal happened. It was a similar event, 256 00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:05.480 a children's birthday party, and as previous, the place was 257 00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:09.440 a mess. After everyone had left, I had to get 258 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:12.400 everything cleaned up and ready for Tammy, who was turning 259 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:15.240 up at around six p m. There was a party 260 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:17.640 which was being held in the evening, and Tammy had 261 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:20.960 agreed to take the work on. The bar would also 262 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:23.119 be open so she wouldn't be on her own. After 263 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:27.359 everyone had gone again, everyone from the party that I 264 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:30.240 was looking after had left, and I did my usual 265 00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:34.079 thing of locking myself inside the building. I decided to 266 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:37.680 tie the up tables, plates, mugs, get them washed and 267 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:40.440 put away. Then I'd move into putting the toys back 268 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:44.240 into storage and stacking the chairs. I came out of 269 00:18:44.279 --> 00:18:46.759 the kitchen through the double doors and into the hall 270 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:52.000 and was simply stopped in my tracks. At the far 271 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:55.279 end of the hall, a toy pushchair was just sitting there, 272 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:59.119 toward the left hand wall. In a mixture of pure 273 00:18:59.240 --> 00:19:02.759 terror and a star punishment, I watched that pushchair move 274 00:19:03.559 --> 00:19:09.440 by itself around ten feet across the room. It moved slowly, 275 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:11.559 and there was no way that it was the wind 276 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:13.519 or the draft from a door that was doing this. 277 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:17.400 It was happening right in front of me. I could 278 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:20.799 feel my skin crawl, the hair on my neck stand 279 00:19:20.839 --> 00:19:24.400 on end, but I couldn't move. Maybe it was the 280 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:26.680 feeling of terror that was gluing me to the floor. 281 00:19:28.359 --> 00:19:30.799 After what seemed like minutes, I was able to move 282 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:33.920 and ran to the kitchen to get my bag. I 283 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:36.599 made my way outside and grabbed my phone and called 284 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:38.759 my husband. I asked him to come down to the 285 00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:41.319 hall as quickly as possible. He asked if I was 286 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:45.319 all right? Was everything okay? I told in I needed 287 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:47.440 him to come down to the community center as soon 288 00:19:47.480 --> 00:19:51.880 as possible, and I'd be waiting outside. It wasn't long 289 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:54.400 before my husband arrived, and he came straight over to 290 00:19:54.440 --> 00:19:57.200 me and hugged me and asked what was wrong. I 291 00:19:57.240 --> 00:20:01.160 took a deep breath and told him. He asked if 292 00:20:01.160 --> 00:20:03.319 we could go back inside so he could take a look. 293 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:06.599 Of course, I agreed, and after we got through the 294 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:09.680 double doors and into the hall, there was the pushchair 295 00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:12.880 back in the same place as it was before it moved. 296 00:20:13.799 --> 00:20:19.400 I felt a complete fool. I wasn't imagining it. I 297 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:23.240 saw it move. I know I did. My husband offered 298 00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:25.720 to stay while I finished up, but I asked him 299 00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:28.519 to carry on home. I'd stay behind and wait for 300 00:20:28.559 --> 00:20:31.000 Tammy to turn up. I wanted to ask her a 301 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:35.119 few questions. Surely I wasn't the only one who'd experienced 302 00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:39.319 something in this building. Just before six p m. Tammy 303 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:43.519 walked in, happy as anything until she saw my face. 304 00:20:44.599 --> 00:20:48.160 Everything okay, jan, she said. I told her I needed 305 00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:52.079 to ask her a serious question. She seemed obviously worried, 306 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:55.519 but told me to ask away. I told her what 307 00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:58.680 I had experienced, and also told her that I wasn't 308 00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:04.160 imagining it. I saw it happen. There's a reason that 309 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:07.000 I don't like working here during the day. Tammy said, 310 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:12.759 I've seen it twice. She went on to explain that 311 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:17.119 her first sighting of it happened a few months after 312 00:21:17.160 --> 00:21:20.359 she started work and took place in the main hall. 313 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:24.960 There were no noises, no warning signs. It just happened. 314 00:21:25.880 --> 00:21:27.920 She explained that she came out of the kitchen and 315 00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:30.599 threw the double doors in into the hall and just 316 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:35.480 stopped there. Stood down by the stage was a man 317 00:21:36.039 --> 00:21:39.359 in what looked like an old fashioned suit, maybe from 318 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:43.920 the nineteen twenties or thirties. Tammy said she couldn't make 319 00:21:43.960 --> 00:21:46.640 out the features on the man's face because there seemed 320 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:50.000 to be a strange shimmering effect that surrounded him. She 321 00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:52.200 said that this man was probably in front of her 322 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:55.640 for around twenty seconds before he walked towards the door 323 00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:58.599 to the left of the stage and walked straight through it. 324 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:02.480 As you can imagine, Tammy was filled with a mixture 325 00:22:02.519 --> 00:22:05.440 of terror and disbelief, but it was her second sighting 326 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:09.119 that really frightened her. She said that it took place 327 00:22:09.160 --> 00:22:13.119 around six weeks after her first encounter. There was nothing 328 00:22:13.160 --> 00:22:15.759 actually booked for the afternoon that she was there, but 329 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:18.119 she was asked by Tom to get the hall ready 330 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:21.480 for an awards presentation which was taking place that evening. 331 00:22:22.920 --> 00:22:25.960 Chairs and tables had already been left out in the hall, 332 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:28.680 so it was just a question of Tammy setting them 333 00:22:28.680 --> 00:22:31.039 out to the floor plan which had been left with her. 334 00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:35.240 She said that she'd begun to unfold the tables and 335 00:22:35.319 --> 00:22:38.240 lay them out when she decided to get herself a coffee. 336 00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:42.400 As the kettle was boiling, Tammy said that she heard 337 00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:45.960 what she could only describe as furniture moving, but on 338 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:50.480 a large and noisy scale. She said that she instantly 339 00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:55.319 felt uneasy, frightened, wanting to get out as quickly as possible, 340 00:22:56.200 --> 00:22:58.920 but she also felt compelled to go back into the hall. 341 00:23:00.519 --> 00:23:02.880 She said it just felt as if something was drawing 342 00:23:02.920 --> 00:23:06.160 her back there. As she opened the double doors and 343 00:23:06.200 --> 00:23:09.640 walked into the hall, she was astounded by what she saw. 344 00:23:10.759 --> 00:23:14.480 Every table which she'd set up had now been shoved 345 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:18.519 against the stage at the far end. She even admitted 346 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:20.880 to walking down to the pile of tables and just 347 00:23:20.920 --> 00:23:25.000 standing there, trying to rationalize what had just happened, but 348 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:29.680 there was no explanation. Then a noise came from the kitchen, 349 00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:34.039 a crashing noise, as if plates and cups had been 350 00:23:34.119 --> 00:23:37.440 dropped on the floor. Tammy said she ran back through 351 00:23:37.480 --> 00:23:40.880 the double doors, expecting to see a complete mess, but 352 00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:43.920 instead saw the outline of the same man that had 353 00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:47.839 appeared in the main hall. Tammy recalls that the figure 354 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:50.039 looked like it had its back to her this time, 355 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:53.559 and there was no shimmering effect, and after a few 356 00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:59.440 seconds it disappeared. There was not one cup, mug or 357 00:23:59.559 --> 00:24:04.440 plate had been smashed. Nothing was out of place. Tammy 358 00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:07.640 then said that she immediately left the building, locked the doors, 359 00:24:08.039 --> 00:24:13.200 and contacted Tom. Upon his arrival, Tom was taken inside 360 00:24:13.559 --> 00:24:15.599 and Tammy led him into the hall and to the 361 00:24:15.640 --> 00:24:19.599 pile of tables. She said that he helped her set 362 00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:22.039 everything up and then sat down with her with a 363 00:24:22.119 --> 00:24:26.079 coffee and listened intently to what had happened. He then 364 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:29.160 told her that this wasn't the first time that somebody 365 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:33.119 had seen or heard something at the community center. One 366 00:24:33.240 --> 00:24:37.119 council employee in particular, refused to ever set foot in 367 00:24:37.160 --> 00:24:40.279 the building again. After coming out of the toilet and 368 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:43.440 finding themselves face to face with the shadowy figure of 369 00:24:43.480 --> 00:24:47.480 a man standing by the exit door. Two other people 370 00:24:47.640 --> 00:24:50.640 were brought in to operate the bar. One evening swore 371 00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:53.759 that they heard voices while they were alone and cleaning down. 372 00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:57.599 These voices seemed to be moving around the hall and 373 00:24:57.640 --> 00:25:01.119 the two bar staff left before finishing, instead choosing to 374 00:25:01.160 --> 00:25:05.119 come back the following morning to finish up. I was 375 00:25:05.160 --> 00:25:07.920 so pleased that Tammy had shared her experiences with me, 376 00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:11.039 and I could fully understand the reasons behind neither her 377 00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:13.799 nor Tom deciding to tell me that the building that 378 00:25:13.880 --> 00:25:16.799 I was about to stop working in was haunted. So 379 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:19.680 many wouldn't believe that anyway, and to be honest, I 380 00:25:19.720 --> 00:25:22.559 don't think I would have either had I not seen 381 00:25:22.599 --> 00:25:26.480 what I had. But where did that leave me? Did 382 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:30.119 I want to continue to work in this environment? I 383 00:25:30.200 --> 00:25:32.559 decided to get in touch with Tom to have a chat. 384 00:25:33.559 --> 00:25:36.559 I invited him around to my home, a more comfortable 385 00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:39.480 location where we could sit down and talk in confidence. 386 00:25:40.559 --> 00:25:42.960 As we sat down, he seemed to have a feeling 387 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:45.839 what was coming. As I began to tell him what 388 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:48.799 I'd seen and also the fact that I'd spoken to Tammy, 389 00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:54.359 Tom stopped me. He said that he was sympathetic, knew 390 00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:57.279 exactly how I felt, and would totally understand if I 391 00:25:57.319 --> 00:26:01.680 wanted to leave the position. Also said that nobody had 392 00:26:01.720 --> 00:26:04.200 ever come to harm because of the spirits that were 393 00:26:04.200 --> 00:26:09.079 inside the building, and that statement tripped me up. Spirits 394 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:12.480 I said, I thought there was only one the man 395 00:26:12.519 --> 00:26:16.359 in the suit. No no, no, said Tom. There are 396 00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:20.599 apparently two spirits. Around five years ago, I was looking 397 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:23.000 after a wedding reception, so it was going to be 398 00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:26.039 a late night. The bar staff were in and the 399 00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:28.799 night went well. As the last of the guests were 400 00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:31.839 leaving and we were tidying up, a woman approached me. 401 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:36.240