Posted on July 3, 2009 - by Andrew

The Willow Arts Centre to give up the ghost?

At the end of the month the Willow Arts Centre in Corby will be bulldozed. The building is being replaced by a new theatre and to allow access to the Corby Cube building site.

Dennis Binks of the Northamptonshire Paranormal Investigation Team doubts the destruction of the building will get rid of any resident ghosts. He told local press, “When the theatre is knocked down, we believe the spirits will stay there and just inhabit whatever is built on the site.”

“We also think the Willows was built on an old graveyard so we’re not sure what we’ll be faced with on the night.”

Not only is it said that the Willow Arts Centre is haunted it is so widely believed by the local community that the centre allegedly struggles to get cleaners into the Festival Hall.

“Staff have seen a burned man who looks a bit like Flame from X-Men, and there is someone called the Grey Lady who can often be heard crying,” explained Binks.

Binks, Katrina Thomson, Natasha Binks, Angie Hewitt and members from the general public will be allowed into the building at night in order to look for evidence of ghosts and haunting spirits. The explorers will be divided into four teams of ten – each one headed up by one of the Northamptonshire Paranormal Investigation Team’s clairvoyants and mediums.

In Pure Spirit

Would you volunteer to patrol the threatre before it was bulldozed? As it happens you can contact Dennis Binks, who also offers ghost busting advice, at the email address denby733 (at) hotmail.co.uk.

Posted on July 2, 2009 - by Andrew

Goddess of the North – naked goddess carved into England

Plans have been approved to allow a 400 metre long naked, green goddess to be built from over two million tonnes of earth and tower 112ft into the sky in Shotton.

The Telegraph reports on how the project was first vetoed by Northumberland County Council in 2006 after 2,500 locals objected to the proposals.

The proposals combine the giant naked goddess with a new open-cast mine. The mine will rip 3.4 million tonnes of coal, two million tonnes of shale and three quarters of a million tonnes of fireclay from Northumberland over an eight year period.

The goddess, Northumberlandia, will recline over the mine and form the centre piece of a new public park at the site.

The mine and giant sculpture are being proposed by The Banks Group. Mark Dowdall, environment and community directory, at Banks Group told the Telegraph; Our duel aims with Northumberlandia were to create an outstanding artistic landmark which stands alongside the region’s other main tourist attractions and to provide high quality leisure facilities for the local community, and we believe this final design will succeed on both counts.

“Northumberlandia has already garnered interest and responses from people right around the world, and we’re very excited to now be unveiling the project’s final form.

“It will take around 20 minutes just to walk all the way around her, and the design has been enhanced with more paths to allow visitors to the park to easily ascend the figure.

“As well as the artwork itself, the surrounding landform park will offer important nature conservation and public health benefits, giving both local people and visitors an ideal place to exercise, picnic and enjoy themselves.

“This artwork could not exist without the adjacent mining operation, and the sculpture will be part of the long-term local legacy that we always wanted the Shotton scheme to leave.”

In Pure Spirit

Some of the locals have objected to the project because they do not like that the goddess is naked. What do you think?

Is this a blatant attempt to appeal to environmentalists in order to reduce attention on the open-cast mine or do you feel that The Banks Group is really trying to give to the community as well as take from it?

Is the nakedness wrong or perhaps the phrase ‘goddess’ is unwise?

Posted on July 1, 2009 - by Andrew

The meaning of July

Image by mharrsch via Flickr

July means Julius Caesar’s month. July was added to the year in 46 BC when he altered the Roman calendar and named a month after himself.

Gaius Julius Caesar was the Roman emperor who invaded Britain in 55BC. He was instrumental in changing Rome from a Republic to the militaristic Empire. It was Julius who was assassinated on the Ides of March by Brutus.

Events in July

• Tanabata
• Bon festival

Born in July?

Birthstone: Ruby

Flower: Larkspur

Tropical Zodiac: Cancer (June 21 to July 22) and Leo (July 23 to August 22

Sidereal Zodiac: Gemini (June 15 to July 16) and Cancer (July 17 to August 16)

In Pure Spirit

What does the month of July mean to you?

Posted on June 30, 2009 - by Andrew

France faces fine for hamster neglect

The European Commission is taking steps to fine the French Government after a failure to protect the great hamster of Alsace. Only around 250 of the hamsters are believed to be left in the world.

If the French Government is found guilty then they may be fined as much as €17,000,000 (which is about €68,000 for each hamster).

The Commission had warned the French on a number of occasions that they were not taking sufficient steps to protect the hamsters’ natural environment. Now under the directives for the preservation of wildlife they’re pulling the French Government into Court.

Previously the French had attempted to protect the hamster by encouraging farmers to grow wheat or lucerne for the hamsters habitat. Efforts to protect the hamsters failed and the population dropped from 500 to 250 in just a matter of years.

In Pure Spirit

Are you a fan of actions like this or should the European Commission not be involved in attempting to fine entire countries?

Posted on June 30, 2009 - by Andrew

The ghost of the Duchess of Lauderdale photographed at Ham House?

Built in 1610 for Sir Thomas Vavasour Ham House is now believed to be haunted. The building is owned by the National Trust and is situated just south of Richmond and beside the Rivers Thames in Ham.

The Stuart mansion boasts formal gardens, 17th century style kitchen and a history steeped in civil war politics.

In June of 2009 Elaine Della Camera and boyfriend Colin Iles visited the historic building and heard a growl while they were touring the lower floor. Although she could see nothing out of the ordinary at the time, Elaine turned around and took a picture.

The picture shows a ghostly shape. Iles believes his girlfriend has captured evidence that the ghosts of the Duchess of Lauderdale and her dog are roaming the mansion.

Mr Iles told press: “I was a strong believer before and watched TV programmes but you only really believe it when something happens to you. Seeing is believing.”

The National Trust open Ham House to the public and run tours which can be organised from their website*.

In Pure Spirit

Do you think this is a convincing photograph? Colin Iles has described it as the capture of the century.

Caveat: Links marked with a star(*) are revenue links

Posted on June 30, 2009 - by Andrew

The Indigenous Traditional Healers Association and Sierra Leone police round up witch doctors

Police questioned a group of nine suspects on Saturday in Freetown after a recent spate of deaths in Sierra Leone’s capital city.

The nine people are believed to be practising witch doctors and police found masks, goat horns and ritual robes during their raid.

The police action was assisted by The Indigenous Traditional Healers Association in Sierra Leone who helped with the investigation.

Speaking to the press, Sulaiman Kabbah, spoke of the extreme tension in the city and the anger towards the suspected witch doctors; “hundreds of bystanders wanted to lynch them but they were restrained by the police presence.”

In Pure Spirit

What do you think of organisations like the ITHA (Indigenous Traditional Healers) working with local police like this? Is this a good idea or could it lead to problems?

Do you think the nine suspects are now more likely to be found guilty of the deaths in the city because the police found ritual items on them?

Posted on June 26, 2009 - by Andrew

Mysterious Incan artefact surfaces in rural English village

An auction house running a valuation day event was surprised when a rare 400 year old pottery flask was brought in.

The owner of the 16th century artefact, believed to originate from Peru, hails from Shenstone, near Lichfield, a small Staffordshire village.

Charles Hanson, who manages the auction house, told press; “We don’t know how the vendor acquired the object,” but there is speculation that the owner’s grandfather may have brought it home after decades of travel in the late 19th century.

The flask is in good condition, with some minor wear around the rim, despite travelling so far and pre-dating the reign of Henry VIII.

In Pure Spirit

Would you ever consider bidding on an artefact like this or would you be hesitant given the flask’s unknown history and purpose…

Rome’s midsummer San Giovanni celebrations to include a musical witch hunt

by Andrew on June 24, 2009

Most Haunted ghost hunter to fight for new role in Derby City

by Andrew on June 22, 2009

Kelly Neylan: An interview with an Usui and Karuna Ki Reiki Master

by Andrew on June 22, 2009