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In
November 1949 the Birmingham magazine “HOME NEWS” printed a
report of a ghost hunt at Tamworth Castle, here we have reproduced the
Editors introduction to the full story: - FROM THE DESK
by the Editor - Mr. T. J. Driscoll SPOOKS
are back in the picture again this month. Very literally. For on this page
you will
see It
was rather an unusual challenge, but Home News accepted it, and it was
agreed that Mr. Horwood and his colleague, Mr. A. J. Bennett, would
accompany, our contributor John Boland, a photographer and myself on all
ghost-hunting expeditions organised by this magazine. Our first
trip together was to the centuries old ballroom of Wootton Hall, Wootton
Wawen. Mr. Horwood and Mr. Bennett took all precautions they felt
necessary. We spent several hours in the ballroom but the vigil was in
vain. Some
days later, permission was obtained from Miss M. J. Bygott, Tamworth
librarian and curator of the castle museum, to spend a night at the
castle in the hope of catching the elusive ghost of a nun who is said to
walk the haunted stairway after midnight. I
was sitting near the foot of the stairs shortly after midnight had
struck. I could hear the other members of the party breathing softly in
the darkness. There was a doorway behind me leading to a large room hung
with pictures. Several times I glanced round into the inky room half
expecting to see something. When any member of the party moved I could
hear the rustle of their clothing. In the silence there came a rustling noise from the room above, a vague remote noise that was at the same time clearly defined. A member of the party close behind me moved his position a fraction. Someone swallowed hard. The air was distinctly colder. Then clearly came the sound of padding footsteps on the stairs. They came down - I could feel them getting nearer. I counted three distinct sounds like sandaled feet padding on the bare wood of the stairs. My own impression was that the presence on the stairs, whatever it was, came rushing down although the rate of the footsteps were quite normal. No
Explanation
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a
picture taken on the haunted
stairway of Tamworth Castle. This is a picture,
which is bound to cause a lot of controversy.
It was taken under certain conditions laid down by Mr. J. W. Horwood,
one of the partners in the firm of B. W. Investigations, 15, Edgbaston
Road, Moseley. Mr. Horwood has spent over twenty years investigating
what he calls "phoney ghost stories," and when he heard about
the ghost hunting activities of Home News he issued a challenge of £100
if this magazine could produce for him evidence that would convince
him that ghosts do exist.