By Charlene Kemp

Has many of you know, we have been collecting alleged haunted items over the past few months, which has resulted in us having our own haunted musuem. 

Recently we have teamed up with Phil and John Williams of Red Ridge Paranormal and formed Project Paranormal Yorkshire Diverson. 

We have Split ourselves and now we have  Project Paranormal West Midlands and Project Paranormal Yorkshire Diverson, this way the musuem can be explored more, more investigations and it will bring more to the Project Paranormal Page and make the Project we started in July 2016 even bigger.

Red Ridge Paranormal have their own collection of items and have placed these into what they have named the Curiosity Corner. 

As we have teamed up to form Project Paranormal Yorkshire we have decided to add to the corner. These items could hold energy, they are rare items and items that are of interest. 

So has we add to the corner we will be doing a brief history of the items added.

The Shrunken Head

Headhunting is something that many cultures all over the world have practiced. Many cultures displayed heads of their dead enemies around their waists, on sticks as a word of warning to oncoming enemies and used them also to represant a gathering of celebration.

Despite headhunting not being a uncommon practice to many, the shrinking of a human head is one that was unique to the Jivaro Indians of Ecuador and Peru.

How was it done

– The head would be removed at battle by cutting the skin at the extreme base of the neck, just above the clavicles and in a ‘v’ shape at the point between the nipples.

– A hair band or vine would then be fed through the open mouth allowing the warrior to carry it home.

– A incision would be made up the back of the neck in order to peel the flesh from the skull. 

– The skull would be then removed and thrown away.

– Red seeds are places in the eyes and they are sewn shut and the mouth closed by passing small, sharp palm pegs through the lips.

– The skin would then be boiled and left to simmer for about an hour to two hours. The timing of this had to be just right as too short of a time would result in the head not shrinking properly, while leaving the head too long would cause the hair remaining to fall out. When this processed was finished the head would be reduced by two thirds of its orginal size and would have a rubbery texture to it. 

– The skin was then turned inside out and any remaining flesh scraped away.

– The head would be dried to continue it to shrink, small rocks heated were used to fill the head and when the head became too small for the stones, heated sand was used instead. Heated rocks would be placed outside the head to maintain the features. This process could last up to several days.

– The Pegs through the lips were then removed and replaced with dangling cotton cords, Ash would be rubbed into the skin and then the head would be hung over a fire to allow it to dry and hardened.

– The head would then be attached to a cord through the scalp and then the warrior would be able to place it around their neck.

– A celebration and feast where the warrior would wear the shrunken heads would then be held.

so overall pretty gruesome right?

So why did they do this…What was the belief behind it? well Jivaro warfare was motivated by revenge, rather then territorial. Raids on enemy settlements were performed to avenge slain relatives. Headhunting was thought to appease the spirits of slain ancestors. It was believed that by shrinking the head, it would paralyze the spirit of their enemy and prevent any revenage. It was also believed that it would allow the victims strength to be passed on to those who had killed them.

By the 19th century, tales of the Shrunken heads reached western cultures, which created a demand for them as a morbid curiosity. Of course during this time the shrinking of heads was banned but the Jivaro tradition continued and today replicas of shrunken heads are made. These are clearly marked as replicas and are made from animal products. 

Below is a shrunkened head we have purchased from a antiques shop, we have added it to the corner……. on asking where it has came from the owners stated it had come from the Jivaro Tribe and it would have been used to hang up around the village to warn others of what may happen if attacked. Believed to be made of a animal product.

Even though banned, real shrunken heads are still available to buy as seen by the current advertisement in the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Catalogue. 

By Charlene Kemp

10. White House

Probably the most famous house in the world, The white House, home and office to the President of the United States. John Adams first moved into the house and it has been the official residence of every president since the 1800. With such a vast amount of history and historical figures that that graced its rooms, it’s hardly surprising that The White House has a few ghost tales to tell, even by past presidents, their families and foreign dignitaries all having a story to tell. It is actually considered to be the most haunted house in America by some.

Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the time, stayed in the Lincoln Bedroom. He recalls that after a bath, he walked back into the suite which he said he say Abraham Lincoln standing by the fireplace. Churchill refused to sleep in that room after.

Others have stated to have seen the ghost of Lincoln, who include, President’s Teddy Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, Jacquie Kennedy and Ladybird Johnson, Presidential children Susan Ford and Maureen Reagan. Maureen and her husband both stated that they witnessed Lincoln also standing by the same fireplace which Churchill had previously stated to have seen him.

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands also reported that she was confronted by the ghost of Lincoln standing in the hallway after hearing a knock on the door of the Rose Room during the night.

President Andrew Jackson as well as numerous other White House Employees have reported hearing laugher, fits of rage and swearing in the Rose Room.

It is also said that the ghost of Abigail Adams (wife of John Adams) has been seen in the East Room. This would have been the room, which, she used to hang her laundry. Many have reported to have seen Abigail’s Spirit in the room walking to and from with her arms outstretched as if she is carrying a laundry basket.

Other reported activity by many is of sudden cold spots, disembodied footsteps, knocks, voices and screams.

9. Mary King’s Close

Once a thriving trade area for Edinburgh’s tradesman would live and work, Mary Kings Close is an underground warren of streets and buildings.

In 1645 it is believed that the close was abandoned after an outbreak of the plague. Those left behind was of those who was infected and they stayed behind in isolation. Today the location is a popular tourist destination, where daily tours are ran about the history and legends that are associated with the close.

Regarded as one of the most haunted places in Scotland, ghostly going ons have been reported in the close since the 17th century.  In 1685 the Coltheart family reported that as soon as they moved in after the outbreak of the plague, they began to see many ghostly figures. They also reported to see a phantom disembodied limbs and having very vivid nightmare.

Many today, staff and visitors of the close, have reported seeing the ghost of a ‘worried women’ in black and a little girl they believe to be named Annie. The spirit of Annie has been known to interact with those who leave her gifts in one of the rooms.

Other reported activity is sounds of scratching, a party or tavern and following footstep. There are also reports of stones being thrown and many have claimed to have caught intense EVP’s throughout the area, but in particular in Mr Chesney’s house.

8. Island of The Dolls, Xochimilco, Mexico

Located on Lake Teshuilo in Xochimilco near Mexico City, The Island La Isla De Munecas ( The Island of The Dolls) is properly one of the strangest haunted locations in the world.

During the 1950s a man named Julian Santan moved to the island leaving his family behind.

Unknown to Julian, the island had a dark history. The Legend is that in 1920 three young girls was playing near the water. One of the girls fell in and drowned. Locals believe that the young girl’s spirit has never been able to leave the island.

Julian claimed that as soon as he moved to the island, a little girl began speaking to him. He claimed that she told him how she had died and that she was trapped on the island.

Julian began getting dolls for the little girl, even selling his fruit and vegetables that he had grown so that he could provide dolls for her to play with.

One day Julian spoke to his nephew about how difficult it was becoming to please young girl with these dolls. He expressed his concern that this young girl wanted him to join her in her watery grave.  The same day Julian’s nephew came back to the island to find Julian’s body face down in the canal. His body laid apparently in the exact same area where the girl only passed several years earlier.

Tourists to the island today, often report that the doll’s eyes are following them. Others have reported that the dolls whisper to them, mainly at night. Julian’s spirit is also said to haunt the island.

7. Beechworth Lunatic Asylum, Victoria, Australia

The Asylum was later renamed the Mayday Hills Hospital, it is the second oldest asylum in Victoria, dating back to 1867. The Beechworth Lunatic Asylum held a total of 1200 patients when full, roughly about 600 men and 600 women at one time. Over 3000 patients died within its walls in the 128 years the hospital was open. Its doors closed in 1995. The Beechworth Asylum is now considered to be one of the most haunted buildings in Australia.

The signature of a J. Kelly is scratched in the glass in one of the day rooms. J Kelly was Ned Kelly’s (the famous outlaw) uncle James Kelly. After burning down his sister in laws house in Greta, in which a young Ned was in at the time, Jim was sentenced to 15 years. He was sent to Mayday Hills to help build the hospital as part of his sentence. After serving his time there, it’s said his mind “was broken” and as such spent the rest of his days housed in the hospital until he died in 1903.

One of the ghost sightings most commonly seen at Beechworth is that of Matron Sharpe, her apparition has been seen in several different parts of the hospital. It is believed that Matron Sharpe was very compassionate towards the patients, which is during this era was uncommon.

Another ghost thought to haunt Beechworth is Tommy Kennedy. Tommy was a patient and was well liked at the hospital and worked as a kitchen hand. Tommy actually died in the kitchen and now in this area people have claimed they have felt someone tugging at their clothes or poking their ribs.

The Reaction Hall was an area where patients could sing, play music or perform in plays and doubled as a chapel on Sundays. In 1939 the hall became a cinema and inmates could watch movies. There are two ghost sightings within this area, one is of a young girl, who approaches women and so eagerly tries to communicate with them and that of an elderly man facing away from the window is often seen that was once part of the Bell Tower.

The Grevillia wing was the section of the hospital all patients feared, it has been closed for 13 years, and now in an abandoned state. Medication wasn’t introduced until the 1950s meaning that before this restraints such as straitjackets and even shackles was mostly used as well as electro-shock treatment. Electro shock treatment had major effects on patients . When the shocks were administered to the patients the patient’s bodies either splayed out backwards with force or contracted inward into a fetal position, ligaments would snap, bones were often broken and sometimes their teeth would shatter.

The two ghost sightings in Grevilla, one is thought to be of a male doctor and he has been seen wandering the corridors at night. The other is of Matron Sharpe whose ghost was often seen in this area by the nurses who worked at Mayday Hills. They would report seeing the Matron sitting with patients who were due to have electro-shock treatment. Those who say they’ve witnessed this say the room was icy cold, but her presence was comforting and she seemed to bring a sense of reassurance to the patients.

Workmen at the hospital have reported hearing the sound of children laughing and playing and on investigating nobody was around.

The spirit of a lady has been seen on the spot where she fell, by several people over the last decade. She is thought to be a patient that was thrown out the window by another patient who wanted her cigarettes. The lady was Jewish and she was not allowed to be moved until a Rabbi had seen her. Her body laid outside the hospital for 2 days awaiting for the Rabbi to come.

(Pictured below is the window where she has been reported to have been seen)

Beechworth gardens have long been subdivided into allotments and those who live nearby have claimed to have seen the ghost of a man, wearing a green woollen jacket. It is thought to be of a gardener named Arthur who worked the gardens for many years. He wore his green jacket in winter and summer and no matter what he would never remove it. After Arthur died, it was discovered why Arthur didn’t like to remove his jacket, he had been secretly storing his wages in the seam of his jacket. When the nurses opened it, they found 140 pounds, over four years of his wages, hidden within.

The ghost of the patient has been seen near the entrance to the Asylum, the sightings have often been in the early hours of the morning and it is believed to be of a patient who disappeared during his stay. After several weeks of searching for him he was discovered by the resident dog Max. Max was found chewing on a leg at the gate house at the grounds entry. Upon searching the area, the patients body was found up a tree and his body was so decomposed that his leg had fell off.

6. The Screaming Tunnel, Niagara Falls

The Screaming tunnel is located in the North west end of Niagara Falls and was originally built in the early 1900s to be a rail tunnel, however the Grand Trunk Railroad went bankrupt after WWI and it was never finished.

There are many legends that surround this tunnel all which involve that of a screaming girl.

One legend says that a young girl who escaped a burning barn near the tunnel. On fire the girl ran to the tunnel to find water, She managed to reach the tunnel but as soon as she did it was too late, and she died from severe burns within.

Another legend is that of a jealous father who dragged his daughter down to the tunnel and set her on fire after losing a custody battle. Other variations of the story is that she was attacked by an old drunkard who did terrible things to her. He killed her, and then set her body alight to destroy any evidence.

Local historians have unearth an interesting and different tale, which is that the tunnel used to be surrounded by some houses. In one of the houses lived a couple who would argue and fight on a regular basis.

Each night after the fight the women would go out and into the tunnel where she would begin to scream as loud as she could, legend is that is was so all would hear her and feel her pain.

4. Changi Beach, Singapore

Changi Beach is alleged to be haunted by the ghosts of the executed Chinese during the Japanese occupation. People often report hearing strange crying and screams, the heads of the Chinese dead bodies are sometimes seen flying everywhere and headless bodies walking around the beach as well as blood stains appearing.

In 1942 Chinese civilians were shot dead during the Sook Ching operation. However, after the war and the Japanese surrender, Changi beach served too as an execution grounds for the culprits. About 135 people were executed upon the shore. Even two of the executions, was published in the Singapore newspapers along with photos of how it being taken place.

Also after this the Japanese rounded up a lot of Asian workers, all men of all ages from villages and took them down Changi Beach, where they made them stand in line for two days while they were interrogated. The innocent victims knew very clearly that they were wronged but still faced their doom and was shot. This was a large scale of execution after the Sook Ching operation.

5. The Ancient Ram Inn, UK

The Ancient Ram Inn was built in 1145, it is believed to be the most haunted house in the UK and some would say the world. Priests used the inn for slaves and workers who helped construct the St. Mary Church. In 1930, the inn was bought by Maurice de Bathe. Since then the inn has become a private property and it has changed hands several times.

Child sacrifices, devil worship and evil spirits are believed to be lurking in this building and is believed to be behind some terrifying activity.

The Inn is build on the intersection of 2 ley lines, which many believe this is a good reason for spiritual activity.It is also believed that a pagan burial ground could have resided in the property over 5,000 years ago.

Over the years it was a bed and breakfast, people staying would flee the ‘Bishop Room’ in the middle of the night claiming to have seen a full bodied apparition, being touched and pulled, voices and a general feel that they are surrounded by evil. It is said that the ghost of a monk haunts this room on a regular basis.

John Humphries bought the building in 1968 from brewers for £2,600. He saved the building from demolition and he has made it his life’s mission to save the structure from falling apart. He is now over 80 years old and he is the sole occupant of the house. John reports that on his first night in the house in 1968, he felt a presence grab his arm, before being dragged out of bed and across the room. John then found evidence to suggest devil worship and ritual sacrifices had taken place within the Inn and even found two child skeletons underneath the staircase, as well as broken daggers.

One popular legend surrounding the Ancient Ram Inn is that of the witch burned at the stake. She was burned at the stake in the 1500s. People believe that the woman’s spirit still haunts one of the rooms of the house to this day. It is believed that the woman took refuge in one of the rooms of the house before she was captured and killed. Today, that room is called ‘The Witch’s Room’.

The ghost of a centurion on horseback has also been spotted. It is said that the plumber who saw the apparition was startled out of his wits when the apparition went straight through the wall. People also believe that a succubus creeps into the beds of sleeping visitors at night.

(picture taken at The Ram Inn of a ghostly figure on the stairs)

4. Pluckley Village, Kent, UK

Pluckley has been named the Most Haunted village in England. It has 16 reported hauntings.

One of the most popular ghost sightings is that of a screaming man. He is believed to have worked in the village brickwork until one day he fell to his death.

Another sighting is that of a highwayman. When alive he ran through with a sword and was pinned to a tree in what is known as a fright corner. Locals and visitors often report seeing a shadowy figure believed to be the highwayman.

An apparition of an elderly women has been seen. Legend also tells the story of a schoolmaster who was found by the children hanging in his room in the 1800s after taking his own life. A spirit of a man has often been seen in the grounds wearing his coat and stripy trousers.

There is also reports of poltergeist activity in the farm house believed to be by a spirit named The ‘Walker’. 

There are also reports of The Red Lady who is believed to be a member of the ancient Dering family. She is said to haunt St Nicholas, some often refer to her has the white lady also.

Below a picture taken at Pluckley Church (source http://ghe.myfreeforum.org/archive/pluckley-church-photo__o_t__t_283.html) 

3. Suicide Forest, Aokigahara, Japan

Located at the base of Mt. Fuji, Aokigahara Also known by many as the Sea of Trees, Suicide Forest and Japan’s Demon Forest. The forest has been home to over 500 confirmed suicides since the 1950s. Called by many as “the perfect place to die,”

Legend has it this all started after Seicho Matsumoto published a novel by the name of Kuroi Kaiju (Black Sea of Trees) in 1960. At the end of the story the two lovers commit suicide in the forest. However, the history of suicide in Aokigahara goes back before the novel, and the place has long been associated with death. Hundreds upon hundreds of Japanese people have hanged themselves from the trees located here. 

Wataru Tsurumui’s controversial 1993 bestseller, The Complete Suicide Manual, is a book that describes various modes of suicide and even recommends Aokigahara as the perfect place to die.  This book is also an often found in the forest, most commonly not too far away from a suicide victim and their belongings. The most common method of suicide in the forest is hanging but some do chose other methods such as overdose.

Legend also says that in ancient times families would abandon people, mainly the elderly,  in the forest during periods of famine when there was just not enough food to go around. Those abandoned family members, in the forest would die long, horrible, drawn out deaths due to starvation.It is said that the forest is haunted by the souls of these abandoned people.

There are many other ghost and demon tales associated with the forest. It is said that many ghosts and entities glide between the trees with their white, shifting forms being occasionally witnessed by unsuspecting visitors to the forest out of the corners of their eyes. Japanese spiritualists believe that the suicides committed in the forest have marked Aokigahara’s soil and trees, with it generating paranormal activity and preventing many who enter the forest from escaping.

Another common occurrence while in the forest is that compasses, phones, and GPS systems are useless by the rich deposits of magnetic iron in the area’s volcanic soil. 

Police have even put up signs around the forest with messages like “Your life is a precious gift from your parents,” and “Please consult with the police before you decide to die,” in an attempt to discourage those who are considering suicide.

For more information on The Suicide Forest please watch the documentary below I found while researching. 

https://youtu.be/4FDSdg09df8

2. The Tower of London, UK 

The Tower of London has a history of torture and execution going back over 900 years and is often regarded by many as one of the most haunted places in the UK. Originally built in 1078 by William the Conqueror and over the years has served a major role in the history of England. 

The reports of the paranormal at the Tower of London over the years have been endless but the most famous of all the ghosts is that of Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn was the wife of King Henry VIII. She was beheaded in 1536. It has been reported that her headless body has been seen walking the Tower’s corridors and often near the spot where she faced her death. 

There has been many other sightings of full bodied apparitions that including  that of Lady Jane Grey, who was spotted by a guardsman in 1957 in the White Tower. She is often referred to as the White Lady and she has been seen often standing at window, where she once stood waving to her children on the other side of the building.

Two children have witnessed throughout the rooms of the castle. People have reported seeing them nightgowns, holding hands and with a look of terror on their faces. It is believed these are two children was former Prince’s, they were fascinated sent to the Tower after they were deemed illegitimate by Parliament. One day they vanished and it was assumed that they had been murdered by order of their uncle, the Duke of Gloucester. The most interesting part of this is that apparently, two small skeletons were found beneath a staircase in the White Tower.

(Picture taken of the tower of London sourcehttps://www.google.co.uk/search?q=tower+of+london&prmd=misvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRqLL8hr7TAhWCBsAKHbWfAMEQ_AUICCgC&biw=360&bih=512&dpr=4#tbm=isch&q=tower+of+london+scary&imgrc=PkfKhYmEwuu-rM:)

1. Borley Rectory, Essex, UK 

Borley Rectory was  built back in 1863 on the site of an old monastery. The first reports of strange activity date back to the mid to late 1800s. The first documented evidence of paranormal activity was in the early 1900s. In 1928 the then owner Guy Eric Smith and his wife contacted the Daily Mirror newspaper to report the strange activity taking place. The newspaper asked the help of a paranormal investigator known as Harry Price. Mr Price stayed at the house to carry out extensive research for more than a year. In 1939 the house was burnt to the ground, the cause of the fire being an oil lamp. It was then left and in 1944 it was demolished.

One of the earliest ghost sightings was of a nun and over the years has been sighted several times. Even though the site did used to be a monastery you would expect it to be a monk rather than a nun, but according to local folklore stories, the nun ran a near by nunnery, who fell in love with a monk belonging to the monastery and the pair attempted a relationship together. It is believed that it was later found out and they both was sentenced to death. When sentenced the pair did not die together, the monk was sent to the monastery and the nun back to the nunnery. It is believed that she is still roaming the grounds looking for the monk in the hope of running away together once more.

The next most major report comes from Eric Smith and his wife. They reported hearing footsteps, doorbells ringing of their own and poltergeist activity which occurred on numerous occasions. It was at this point Eric Smith and his wife reported their experiences to the Daily Mirror newspaper, who then arranged for the paranormal investigator Harry Price to stay and investigate.

Whilst Price was staying there, Price witnessed the reported poltergeist activity first hand. He stated that he had been in touch with the spirit of past tenant Rev. Harry Bull who had died there years before. Numerous attempts at exorcising the property was conducted and but in 1930 Mr and Mrs Smith left the house for good.

The next residents of the house were Rev. Foyster and his wife Marianne. They both stated they too were experiencing the same phenomena that Price and the Smith’s had witnessed before them. At this point though, they said the poltergeist activity seemed to be more aggressive and reported glasses being smashed, broken windows and even Marianne being thrown from her bed by an unseen force. The couple also stated they experienced otherworldly messages on the walls.After 5 years of what must have been very frightening indeed, the Foysters left the house leaving Price to move in and continue his study without any contamination. 

However during his second stay he and his team of researchers were left somewhat disappointed as they witnessed very little compared to their last stay. Even after the house was burned down reports continued to emerged and that activity was now occurring in the Parish Church. Over the years the village has been littered and vandalised by many and locals have even taken the sign down stating that it is Borley so that the village cannot be found by those fascinated by the paranormal.