| Event type: | Meeting |
| Date: | 21st November 2024 |
| Time: | 2:30 pm |
| Venue: | Kenilworth Methodist Church |
| Organiser: | |
| Cost: | Entry is free to members (non-members welcome for a £1 donation) |
Speaker: Sheila Robinson
Tales of haunted places, supernatural happenings and shadowy presences in Shakespear's County of Warwickshire. Real life stories of ghosts and spirits, folklore, strange beliefs and quirky history.
Sheila lives in Warwickshire, and writes psychological, paranormal and mystery fiction and non-fiction under the pen-name of SC Skillman. She is a member of the Society of Authors and the Association of Christian Writers.
She writes nonfiction books on Warwickshire each of which is illustrated with 100 full colour photos, mostly taken by herself. Her books are published by Amberley. So far her books for Amberley include 'Paranormal Warwickshire' 'Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire' and 'A-Z of Warwick'. In all these books she explores the rich heritage of this county at the heart of England, as befits the county of Shakespeare and the many ghosts and spirits he conjured up in his works.
She is currently working on a new modern gothic novel, and she is also researching her fourth book commissioned by Amberley: 'Paranormal Gloucestershire'.
She began her publishing career with two mystery novels 'Mystical Circles' and 'A Passionate Spirit' which are both set in the Cotswolds. Gothic themes, paranormal events and ghostly tales are never far away. She has set the books in contemporary times, not far from her present home.
She also writes inspirational non-fiction: 'Perilous Path, A Writer's Journey', is a self help book for those writing a novel, or who would like to write a novel. Packed full of tips and friendly reminders, it's encouraging and motivational. It's also for anyone who loves finding out about writers, their lives and works.
Review of Paranormal Warwickshire
Warwick Castle
appears to have more than its fair share of ghosts. Sir Fulke Greville, who lived in the castle from 1604, was stabbed by his servant, Ralph Heywood, after learning he would be receiving very little in Greville’s will.
Heywood left Sir Fulke to die a prolonged and painful death entirely alone in the South Tower. His moans for help have reportedly been frequently heard, and his spirit is said to emerge from his portrait that hangs in the castle.
One of the more famous ghosts is a large black dog with red eyes and a foaming mouth. He was believed to be the essence of a curse placed on the castle by a servant called Moll Bloxham. Bloxham was caught stealing from the Earl and was subsequently brutally tortured and executed. Shortly after her execution a large dog appeared and started to cause havoc around the castle grounds. The curse was seemingly broken when the dog was lured from the castle into the river below and drowned. However, the ghost of the black dog remains at the castle to this day.
There’s believed to be an evil entity in the dungeons, with guests and investigators experiencing the same phenomena on several occasions. People would hear loud growls and the overwhelming sensation of being watched and under threat. On past paranormal investigations in this area, poltergeist activity has also been witnessed, with coins and stones thrown at guests and staff.
Kenilworth Castle
is not without its share of ghosts. Many staff have reported seeing a ghostly child running across the stable roof, a cot rocking on its own in the Elizabethan bedroom, and the smell of pipe smoke – this is often part of many ghostly presences.
A mysterious white lady has also been seen haunting the castle, and there are a few theories about her identity. She could be the ghost of Lady Amy Dudley, the daughter of the castle's Royalist commander, or Constance Haslett, a young woman who died in the castle grounds in the 1800s.
Other sightings are the spirit of a man dressed in black haunting the castle after being killed in a sword fight at the castle's gatehouse. Some say that the gatehouse is haunted by an older woman and a little girl who asks visitors if they know the whereabouts of her father!!
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford
How is it that theatres are often frequented by ghosts? Many staff and visitors have spoken of the ‘Perfumed Lady’, often smelt in the upper circle of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Her old-fashioned flowery perfume is said to be frequently smelt when new front of house staff are working their first shift, almost as if she is watching the performance of the new staff.. The sound of creaking floorboards is also heard during the theatre performances when nobody is moving around.
Leamington Spa Railway Station
was built in the 1800s and has since recorded numerous supernatural activities experienced by staff and commuters.
The reports include sightings of spirits on platforms, doors slamming and equipment being switched on and off.
One particularly haunted area of the station is a disused basement area near the third platform, which has a staircase that is blocked and seems to lead nowhere.
Another active area that is said to have had strange occurrences, is the top floor where the station office is located. Paperwork is often scattered around, and drawers opened for no reason.
In 2014, the station employed a specialist Supernatural Liaison Officer, Nick Rees, to investigate any reports of supernatural activity. He remained positive about the reported sightings, but supposedly claimed that the spirits all have “good energy” and would not harm anyone.
Final Experience: The owners of a Warwickshire mansion had experienced a number of ghost sightings where the ghost walked around the mansion only to disappear through a brick wall. The wall was eventually removed during renovation works to find a skeleton within the cavity. After the skeleton was given a proper burial, the ghost never reappeared. Food for thought !!
Warwickshire has very many other buildings allegedly with ghosts and supernatural activities. Some of these are: Guys Cliffe House, Abbey Fields, Stoneleigh Abbey, Nash’s House in Stratford, Ettington Park, Baddesley Clinton Manor and Church, Coughton Court in Alcester, to name just a few.