Viva Brighton Issue #46 December 2016

PARANORMAL
.....................................
Ghost Hunters
...in The Old Police Cells
What are psychics and mediums? There’re
different types; some can see the future or predict
things, but psychic mediums can get their evidence
from someone in the spirit world.
Where’s the best place to look for ghosts? We
pick locations that have a pedigree of legend or
folklore; it isn’t often that we turn up to a place that
doesn’t have history. The Old Police Cells is well
known for paranormal activity and notable crimes,
like the Solomon Case. Henry Solomon became
the first Chief Constable of Brighton in 1838. In
those days, the Chief Constable used to do all the
interviews; a guy - probably just a petty thief - came
in for a crime, but he must have thought his number
was up. When Solomon turned his back, this
guy whacked him over the head with a poker from
the fire, and he later died. The Mods and Rockers
also had their fights here - there’s a lot of graffiti
from that era, people inscribing their names on the
walls, like ‘Ted’s a Rocker’. Interestingly, the toilets
have stayed the same. Philip, the museum’s curator,
worked out that over 1.3 million people have used
those toilets. Over a couple of hundred years, it just
makes you think how many people have been in
and out.
Do you have to die in the place you end up
haunting? They usually have some link. We do
these events with a medium so they can try to connect
to those ghosts - but we sometimes get spirits
that have no connection with the place whatsoever.
What about sceptics? We love them. Strangely
enough, it’s usually the person who doesn’t want to
be there that gets the encounter! A guy once came
along who didn’t believe - he was a bit disruptive,
standing back with his arms folded; a negative
presence in the group. Our medium spotted this
and brought him up to the Ouija board. He put his
hand on it and it came to life - leaping around - but
when he took his hand off, it stopped. The medium
asked him to try again and said, ‘Give this guy a
message that’s significant to him’. We were sworn
to secrecy, but the board spelled out a specific place
he’d just been to; he couldn’t believe what had
just happened. People tend to get ghost hunts the
wrong way around; if we’re going to do a hunt -
some people think we’re mad! But we’re going to
see if there is such a thing as a ghost. We’re openminded
about it.
Can mediums ever put their ‘Out of Office’ on?
My wife is a medium; the gift is there when she
needs it, but she can switch it off! If there’s someone
sitting next to her at McDonald’s and she had a
strong sort of feeling - she may not tell that person.
There’s nothing worse than someone tapping you
on the shoulder and saying ‘I’ve got someone here
for you!’
Amy Holtz interviewed Andy Ayres
Ghost Hunter Tours are rustling for ghosts at
The Old Police Cells Museum, 10th, 9pm
....51....