Moonlight Man

Hamilton Strange · **Posted:** Sat Jul 10, 2010 11:08 pm

I was discussing this with John earlier today and thought it might make an interesting discussion or possibly even an investigation if there is enough interest.

I lived in Darlington during most of my early life and had a girlfriend who lived in Middleton St. George, just outside near the airport. At the time I was around 20 years old. One evening I was kicking around with my girlfriend's brother and a few of his friends from the village and we were walking around the reservoirs that are behind the community centre on the main road.

Now I've often wondered if this is a classic case of mass hysteria or whether it was something genuinely paranormal. We were discussing something that had apparently been seen around the area, something commonly called the Moonlight Man as it tended to only show up on moonlit nights.

As we lurked around in the darkness, some distance from the streetlights of the village road, we noticed a light moving along the line of trees at the very end of the reservoir area. Looking at the light as it moved it seemed to bob along as if it was being carried like a lantern or light of some sort and after looking more closely I was sure that it actually passed behind the trees which meant that it was much further off the ground than I had first imagined.

When the light moved into a gap between the stretch of trees and seemed to be moving towards us, the tension rose and several of the lads started to get a bit spooked. This tension passed around all of us and eventually we started to run towards the road. By the time we reached the road we were so spooked that we kept running some way along through the village before eventually stopping.

As I said, this could be a prime example of hysteria, a couple spooking the rest of us into running like crazy but the sense of dread that I felt that night when I watched that light moving towards us was pretty odd and came on quite suddenly when I realised it was heading in our direction. Even to this day when I tell someone about it and recall the details I get a real chill that runs through me, so if it was a case of mass hysteria, it was pretty effective.

aqualung · **Posted:** Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:16 pm

The White Rabbit of Crank near Rainford/ St Helens is a simlar tale according to Kath. It jumps out into the road and causes accidents. Someone planted skunk seeds down on the path and Kath and her mates used to go down and smoke it. One night she says she saw Bugs Bunny up there.

]I take it you won't stoned too Shaun? :lol:

Theres another similar story about Skelton Ellers the road between Guisborough and Skelton. Its supposed to be a boggart which is a type of sprite/ goblin/ fairy folk type thing. Its basically a black shadow of a person that runs alongside your car and tries to make you crash. My mum cliamed that some of the orderlys from Guisborough general saw it when she was working there in asmin in the 60's. They were on their way to work from Skelton and almost carshed. They were so freaked out that by it that I think they were sent home becasue they were in a state of shock.

Of course they were also known to be using purple hearts (basically speed) so theres a good chance that they worse for wear.

[color=#8000BF]Are you sure you weren't speeding Shaun? :lol:

[color]

Myself and two friends spent part of an evening running away from giant badgers in Guisborough woods that were out to get us... we had necked some purple dubloon acid tabs though. :wink:

About 5 hours later we were running for our lives from poachers. Bastards nearly caught us too. Good old Guisborough and its Deliverance complex. :roll:

Seriously though any stories like this one are pretty good stuff for NGI, perhaps we should start a local mythology/ folk lore thread, these things could be really easy to spend a night looking at, another cheap and easy outdoor investigation.

Hamilton Strange · **Posted:** Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:43 pm

In now way under the influence of any chemical or herbal intoxicant, the only thing that was affecting me that night was adrenaline.

Interestingly enough I did a quick Google for anything about ghost stories around MSG and found out that there is supposed to be an RAF pilot that haunts the old airfield and is supposed to have been seen around the hotel near the airport.

http://www.ghosttees.com/airman.html

That might be something we could look at, but I couldn't find anything relating to something lurking around the reservoirs so I get the sneaking suspicion that I probably fell foul of a tall story there, but who knows.

aqualung · **Posted:** Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:50 pm

The resevoirs aren't the ones at Sadberge are they by any chance. I once got stuck in one of those with Matt Burke of various local Death Metal bands. We were attempting to skate in one and been led to believe it was going to be worthwhile climbing in with 2 other mates via a rope ladder. Imagine the fun when we couldn't get back out again and Northumbria Water turned up. It was a good job he looked over the edge as he said he was about to fill it up. I suppose that would have been a quick way to get to the top. Might have been dead of course but at least we'd have got out.

Just thought I'd let you know that I'm still in there right now, with a beard down to my knees. Thank god for wifi.

Hamilton Strange · **Posted:** Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:59 pm

No, these reservoirs are just off the road that runs through Middleton St. George Village, there is a small community centre just along from the Fighting Cocks pub and if you walk down the path that leads down beside that, you find yourself at the reservoirs, very easy to get to and close to the road.

If you're still stuck in the reservoir at Sadberge, what's the fishing like over there?

aqualung · **Posted:** Sun Jul 11, 2010 9:52 pm

What do you think I'm living on. A man can't survive on pond weed alone.

Have you noticed that the main man from Anvil is playing for Spain? I thought he was Canadian, apparently his names something like POYOL... I'm trying to read his shirt.

aqualung · **Posted:** Sun Jul 11, 2010 9:53 pm

He's better at international football than thrash metal it has to be said.

Hamilton Strange · **Posted:** Sun Jul 11, 2010 9:55 pm

Football is just his sideline though, something he does when Anvil aren't gigging. His shirt probably says something like 'Persistence'

aqualung · **Posted:** Sun Jul 11, 2010 10:27 pm

He's definitely Canadian.

Heres the proof, man!

DEBUNKED

doktor_phibes · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 10:15 am

Stories like this are always of interest. I love local folklore. Boggarts, Barguests, Moonlight Men and the like. Would be fun to go out to these areas sometime.

Hamilton Strange · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 10:36 am

I know Middleton St. George and the surrounding area quite well, I've spent many hours wandering around down by the river and the back fields. There was a great big barn near Middleton One Row near the river Tees that had a strange shape on the side that resembled a bull, or possibly something slightly demonic. I'm sure there are a few cases of folklore in the area.

aqualung · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:12 pm

Theres a few stories about Roseberry topping to do with witches and sprites too. Could be a bit dangerous up there in the dark though.

Hamilton Strange · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:15 pm

Were't we going to walk all the way up there that night we were fairly drunk. I remember we made the plan and started wandering down Acklam road, then thought stuff this and got a taxi back home

aqualung · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:19 pm

Me drunk? I doubt it. :roll:

Hamilton Strange · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:26 pm

Maybe you became possessed by something then, I suggest you get yourself exorcised immediately. Bring on the rubber gloves!

aqualung · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:28 am

That'll get Jay excited, I still have no idea what his initaion rite was... it seems he's the only one that had to go through it.

doktor_phibes · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:34 am

He went through it twice! Well that's the word on the street anyway.

Hamilton Strange · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:37 am

A double rubber gloving, maybe he went back for more!

pollen101 · **Joined:** Sat Jul 14, 2007 3:34 pm **Posts:** 9324

I know Matt,small world hehe!

Moonlight Man

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