1 Mar 2008
This could be a case for Mulder and Scully...
IS THERE anybody out there? That was the question on the lips of a group of daring sceptics who settled down to spend a Haunting Breaks night in the Feathers Hotel in Ludlow. To find out, Advertiser news editor Sophie Bignall joined them for a somewhat unusual evening of dowsing, vigils and glass divination.
Many ghostly apparitions have been spotted in the world-famous Feathers hotel. The oldest part of the hotel, including the world-famous timber facade, was built in 1619, so it was an ideal location for a special spooky weekend organised by the Newtown-based Haunting Breaks.
Sightings at the hotel have included an unknown lady in room 211, who prefers gentlemen to women.
One couple is reported to have awakened one night to find the female guest having her hair pulled so violently she was dragged out of bed, while her partner felt an unseen hand gently stroke his face.
Nothing so dramatic happened during the Haunting Breaks weekend - although the couple in the next door room, 212, fled in the middle of the night after they picked up a strange shadow on the infrared camera.
Other well-known ghostly visitors include a Victorian gentleman and dog walking through room 232 into room 233, and a spirit from the James I period who searches for someone called Richard in the writing room.
During dowsing experiments in the evening, the spirit of a former Feathers barmaid called Nancy Angel "communicated" with guests through dowsing rods. During glass divinations, some guests found spirits and others didn't.
Perhaps the ghosts had a sense of humour, because long after the guests had turned in for the night, at about 4am, staff reported footsteps running along the corridors while ghostly hands tapped on doors.
Haunting Breaks was set up five years ago by psychic Carol Bowen and her business partner Peter Turner.
Peter said: "Carol and my wife Helen were both Most Haunted fans, and we were involved in another business together."
The business was formed because they believed they could do something similar to Most Haunted for people interested in the paranormal - but without the screaming.
"We decided that we could be more upmarket and provide an experience focusing on the comfort factor, so we decided to use high-quality hotels and castles to give our guests an experience based on the paranormal."
Haunting Breaks organises a number of short stays in haunted hotels and inns across the country.
Haunting Breaks has arranged three more dates for the short breaks at the Feathers Hotel, including May 31, September 20 and, if you are really brave, Hallowe'en.
For further information call 01686 420301 or log on to www.hauntingbreaks.com
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