Morning All ...........
and welcome to 2004
As promised, I am sat here in the early morning of a new year to give you my thoughts about the last three nights of Most Haunted - "LIVE".
As many of you already know, I really like this particular program, which is a little odd on many ways, because if I actually came up against a real ghost, I'd be off like a shot.
For information, the program centres around five main people, Yvette Fielding (ex-BluePeter, Presenter and general "scary cat"), Bill Wyman(information collator), Richard Felix (Historian) . Karl Beattie (Program Director and nominal Hero) and probably the most important man on the show , Derek Acorah (Psychic Medium). Also , as a scientific balance, they have one of several psychologists who put over the "realistic view", and that task, over the last few nights, fell to Matthew Smith.
Before we go any further, I feel that I must say something in support of Matthew. It became apparent, to me at least, early on that Matthew was going to have a hard time of it. Because the program was about searching out the Ghosts and Spirits associated with Dick Turpin, it was almost taken for granted that EVERYONE watching believes in ghosts, but Matthew was having non of that. He, quite rightly in my opinion, tried to express the balanced view- questioning every "ghost" with a more realistic alternative. More "power to his elbow" as they say round here. Even as he was lambasted, and even "chucked out into the snow" as were at one point, he stuck by his guns, suggesting possible "real" alternatives to possible ghosts. 
The investigations started on Hampstead Heath, worked through Epping Forest and then finishing up in York, where Turpin was eventually hung. The story, in short was pretty much this. Ghost Horses and the like where picked up in Hamptstead, also the spirit of several other Highway Men, moving to the duelling spirits of two Spanish brothers that owned the local Inn. The next night was very frightening - especially for the Haunting Team. Again, in the dark, they searched for ghosts in Epping Forest. However, just by the look on their faces, you could tell that they were very, very lost. But the British Public can be very cruel. A forest ranger found them and started to show them out, but where did the public vote to send them next - you got it, they had to go back into the Forest. Anyway the spirit of Turpin, along with that of two Children (apparently two children had been found murdered in that part of the Forest - and not that long ago either _ spooky) had been picked up. Mind you, I could see why members of the team "thought" the spirits were abroad, making noises, moving branches, throwing things. Put yourself in their place. It's the middle of the night, trees and wildlife all around, and to you, at least, it is pitch black. No Moon, no light, just darkness. I know how I'd feel. In fact, given half a chance, I wouldn't even be there. 
More impressive to me was the Rose Pub. Hiding place of Turpin, and owned, depending on which version you believe, by either Turpin's own Grand Parents, or those of his wife. Again Derek picked up on the spirits of the Grandparents, along with others. But the clincher of the evening belonged to a Small arrangement of dried flowers. Obviously there to make a pleasant environment, the flowers SAT on a window sill in a small corridor of the Pub. The most haunted team set up a vidual in a room adjacent to this corridor. A single door, apparently, then ran between this room and the corridor and rooms beyond. Then , "what was that?"
"did anyone hear that"
Even on the play back you could just make out what could only be described as a "whooshing" sound. The team then went into that corridor to find the flowers, crushed and destroyed, laying on the carpet. They checked the rooms beyond
"Was there anyone there?"
Of course not. Not a soul, not a living one least ways.
And then we come to last night. The good old British weather came into full play, with cold winds, sleet and snow. They went to Turpin's grave. Nothing much. Because of a couple of New Years parties, the visits the the York Dungeons and the Little John Pub, had to be recorded earlier. An evil spirit was picked up at the Dungeons. Was it Matthew Hopkins - the Witch Finder General?. Who knows, but it didn't half give Derek a spiritual kick in the knee's, quite literally. Something "breathed" into Yvette's ears, odd?
The Pub was even better. Strange as it would be to us now, but the Pub Landlord of the time actually allowed the body of Turpin to be laid out in his cellar (apparently;y charging a small fee for the General populous to come and view the infamous highway man). The spirit of Turpin was picked up, and he wasn't a happy spirit (but then again I suppose you wouldn't be would you), blaming "Smith" for his demise, for his death. James Smith, Turpin's' school master, turned Duty Man, was the one who recognised firstly Turpin's handwriting, and then identified the man himself.
As the night went on, Derek became "taken over" with the spirit of another highway man, someone, apparently, even worse than Turpin himself. A seance, with picked members of the audience, as the Midnight Hour came up, picked up on the market/day out atmosphere that seemed to existed around the execution days.
Overall, in some ways I was a little disappointed. There was plenty of Spirits and some, visually at least, impressive evidence of ghostly activity. But what spoilt it for me was how cruel the general Public were. Firstly sending Yvette and her team back into a forest in which they where clearly in fear, and clearly LOST. And then the way they sent Matthew Smith out onto a cold and blustery Knavesmire, mainly , in my opinion, because he stuck to his "logical" approach to the ghost thing (but then to be fair - you could see the "outside" visit coming from Program one).
Does this make me believe that Ghosts exist?
As I have said before, "physical" ghosts - don't know (Don't think so!!!), is there something out there that we can't really explain , does Derek and his ilk "talk" to the Spirits - that I'm more inclined to believe. I have worked in many many places, 99% of places having no problem at all, but there are certainly some places that make you feel uncomfortable. Even with that I have since found out that some of these places are supposedly haunted.
I'll let you make your own mind up.
God Bless
Dave
