The Schooner Hotel - 2009 - The Corridor

Baseline Report

Environment Readings

No baseline readings were taken in this location

Group Vigils

What follows are the group vigils that took place in this location.

Note : These vigils are presented purely in Group Order and in no way reflect the order
 in which each group visited the location during the night.

Group 1

NGIers - Jay

Guests - Various

At the far end of the Schooner – disused by the hotel at this time of year – was a section of the hotel that had been plunged into darkness and left. It consisted of 2 long corridors one a-top of each other with a stairwell connecting them.

We decided to do a couple of things – the corridor upstairs is one of the corridors known as a “haunted corridor” – so we decided to set off one by one into the darkness, along one corridor, up the stairs, along the “haunted corridor” and back.

Jay went first to demonstrate what we were doing (and, suppose he had to really!) and set off along the corridor alone. He climbed the set of stairs, but, before he turned and climbed the second set of stairs – he got a big uncomfortable feeling that somebody was stood behind him and above – looking over the railings at him. He did stop for a moment or two while he assessed the situation (deciding whether to give up!!) – but pushed on regardless and then returned to the rest of the group.

Others went after him and once everyone had done the task we briefly talked about – the majority of the group described exactly the same feeling described above and exactly the same spot.

We then split into two groups – one in the upstairs corridor, one on the downstairs corridor. Whilst downstairs, Jay and Dave went exploring around and at one point heard a loud bang from a door adjoining the corridor. Nothing was really thought of it at the time although it was explored figuring it must have been the other person on this corridor with us.

It was only when they returned to their assigned corridor and the only other person who was in this part of the corridor was asked about it they claimed not to have heard it or been the cause of it.

When Jay was in the upper corridor after we’d swapped around, there was little to report other than a sound like somebody was walking around inside some of the rooms (creaky floorboards etc) when everyone outside on the corridor were sat still. All the rooms appeared locked and there should not have been anybody present in any of the rooms.

There was one thing of note - One of the stories that surround the Schooner Hotel is that of the famous "Schooner Growl". No explanation has ever been given (certainly as far as we're aware - correct us if we're wrong) as to the source of the Schooner Growl. It does sound exactly like "something" growling. End of. We'd heard the growl on a previous investigation on the night of the "Dancing Wardrobe".

We heard it again on the upstairs corridor and everyone who was present heard it also. A low and long growl sounding very much coming from the throat of a dog. Again - no explanation for the sound could be found.

Group 2

NGIers - Claire

Guests - Lyndsey, David, Jamie, Catilin,Gillian, Linda

Claire showed the guests the corridors they had access to and said a few of the rooms on them that were open could be used then left the group whilst she went back to room 28 to collect a Ouija board, however the group in there were using it so she returned empty handed.

The group all said they had heard a noise coming from one of the empty locked room, and then when they had tried the door again it was open and empty. This was on the top corridor. Claire felt there was a lot of energy up there and suggested doing another energy circle down at the bottom end.

The group joined hands, Claire had Dave on her right and Caitlin on her left hand, Claire did the 'twitch' exercise again and started calling out. Caitlin remarked that Claires hand was so hot it was making hers go numb and burning it. Several times Claire checked her hand but it was cold to touch, and several times Caitlin complained that Claires hand was burning hers. At one point Claire got Caitlin to swap places and Dave held her left hand and Jamie her right, Dave noticed no difference in temperature in Claires hands, and Claire didn’t feel anything odd about with her hand at any time. Caitlin didn't experience anything whilst holding anyone else’s hand.

Dave had remarked that Jamie was shaking and freezing when holding his hand, and kept asking him if he was ok, to which he was replying slowly and in a 'delayed/distant' manner that he was. Claire noticed immediately in touching his hand that he was freezing and seemed 'monged out'. Claire sensed that he was feeling the way she had in room 28 earlier on, and whilst Jamie was monitored by the group so long as he felt fine that he would be. Caitlin then resumed her original position and Dave resumed his, and on and off for the rest of the circle Caitlin remarked that at times Claires hand felt like it was burning her.

Several things were experienced by the group, individually and as a whole:

Lyndsey picked up on a male figure bent over the stairwell looking down it (Caitlin and Linda also had sensed someone in that area).

Lyndsey saw an orange glow come from down the stairs like there was a ground floor fire and the heat shimmer was coming up the staircase (Claire and Caitlin had also seen 'shimmering' in that area).

Lyndesy heard the door to Room 22 'crack', for which no cause could be found,at times she felt a strong draught on her legs from the staircase, and saw black and white 'pixels' in the staircase area.

David sensed a child on a tricycle, got the name 'Matthew' and saw the figure of a small dog.

All the group saw that during the circle there were dark patches between and over Caitlin and Linda which seemed to move and come in and out, Caitlin and Linda both felt something was behind them and didn’t want to turn around or stay where they were, so at times the circle was moved in a clockwise direction so they didn’t have to have their backs to the stair-end of the corridor.

All the group saw what looked like a 'black hole' of 'darkness' in the centre of the circle, which lasted for about 10 minutes and was constantly seen by all present even whan the group was moving etc, no cause for it was found, and all 'felt' it as well as saw it.

All (except Claire who had her back to it) said the door to Room 22 'disappeared' and it was as if there was no door, just a dark room behind it, when the circle moved Claire saw this also briefly.

No environmental causes were found for the visual things observed at the time (lighting/shadows/architectural shapes etc) were ruled out,and no suggestions were given for this. There will have been 'leading' as people said what they were getting, but Claire held back on things and was surprised when others described exactly what she was getting also.No suggestions direct or indirect had been given for any of the experiences during the night in any way.

At one point everyone present heard a noise which they all described as a 'growl' (except Claire,who heard it more as a 'grunt'),but it was clear, and there was only the group present in that wing of the hotel at the time, as they checked before, during and after.

Jay joined the group at the end of the vigil for the last 10 minutes, as the vigil ran over because so many things were being experienced (whatever they were) and said what people were describing was very similar to what his group had experienced there.

Jamie got quieter and colder throughout the vigil and began shaking quite violently, and seemed very distant and distracted. This was very unusual for him according to him and his family.

Group 3

NGIers - Carol

Guests - various

John the "guest" medium joined the group again for this particular location. John commented that he "doesn't like this corridor". He felt that a presence was "hanging around" and "watching" and that someone or thing "follows you". John commented that it was a Male. John, and a few of the guests went upstairs to the corridor on the next level. John felt a thin guy who was slightly balding but, who had a lot of hair on the side of his face was in this location. He also said that this guy had a "beaky nose". A guest (Simon) could feel a lot of movement when he sat in the alcove that John had sat in previously- opposite door number 14.

John had a stiff neck and felt uncomfortable. However, when John went downstairs he didn't feel uncomfortable and returned back to normal. When ALL the group were downstairs and Carol (NGI) called out, a noise (tapping sound) was heard from the upstairs corridor. A few members of the group went back upstairs at this point. Sharon could smell a "sweet caramel" aroma at the end of the upstairs corridor. Previously a number of guests had tried ALL the doors on the upstairs corridor but when the group went up again later, 2 of the doors were unlocked- 21 & 23.

Earlier on John had sat on a chair in the corridor upstairs, opposite room 21 - which was a store room. John commented that it "looked ajar"- but on inspection it was locked.