George Owen died peacefully in his sleep Saturday, 18 Jan. 2003, of heart failure. This sad news has hit his friends and loved ones hard. He was a great friend and a true gentleman.
Borley Ghost Society associate memorial.

Last night I and two friends played 'Borley' and it was really fun. In fact it was a very pleasant evening, no tv and just totally enjoying the little cards for the game. Ahem...I would think one could collect more than one bone for the most famous resident of Borley...*cough *cough. . . . .I ran behind the whole game with about 8 bones at the most, being as I had to buy my way out of the cellar twice. My friends daughter, (13) had a real blast. In fact the funniest thing was when the first card that called for some info regarding Borley, (I think it was what was the reporters name) came around to my other friend, Amanda (13) said; "Oh oh....I better not get one of THOSE kind of cards" heheh. We all got to guess at the Bull sisters names and my friend and I while Amanda was guessing sat there and said "mooo, moooo." She didn't get it, too young to remember dear old Elsie the cow! I got the "tap yourself on the back and scare yourself to death" twice which caused an uproar of laughter each time, and bonebroke me. However, the game went on and on, with no one hiding in the cellar for fear of someone else deciding to do so and we decided to call it quits next time anyone landed on the stairs at all, and that would be me!!! So I won....Lots of fun. Lots. I was surprised at how nice a job you did, you must've spent a good deal of time on the whole thing and the game plan was great. I loved the questions. At first I thought it was totally an email game but I see it comes in the mail. I've always loved spooky board games. . . . One more thought, I wish your mom could see it. Bet she'd think it a 'scream'!
Barbara Clements

I was remembering that somewhere in the books on Borley is the suggestion that satanic rituals were practiced there. Wonder if this is part and parcel of that? I'd love to know what you yourself think of it all. You've not given any opinion as yet.
Barbara Clements
[A very few tries were made in recent decades closer to the church. They were shooed away by police, and haven't returned. Sort of a bump in the road - not something I want to dwell on.]

I am currently a volunteer at a charity shop in Hull. The building is quite old but not of really historical vintage, being probably 19th Century. It has two floors with a basement. The first and second floors seem to have been accomodation. The top floor we do not use except for storage of junk so nobody is usually up there. There has always been a story about a ghost, (which I thought was a bunch of crap). It has been named George, why I dont know. On Thursday, last week I was on the first floor, alone. The other two staff in the building were on the groud floor in the shop. I swear I heard four definite footsteps from the second floor. Of course I was occupied about something else at the time but I thought it was very odd. I am not so interested to want to stake the place out!
Neil Purling

The latest newsletter is a treat, as usual. I am impressed again by the contributions of Scott Cunningham, Stephen D. Smith, and Paul Pritchard -- I really appreciate their hard work and intellectual efforts on behalf of expanding our knowledge regarding Borley. I am quite excited about the information mentioned by Ken Biard, and look forward to seeing it posted to the site. Also, I'd love to see the documentary work of Jasmina Krajacic and her collaborators, when it is complete. It's remarkable how a building that has not existed for 64 years is still the object of so much interest and investigation. Whether Borley Rectory was ever haunted or not, it is certainly very "haunting," to people around the world!
Linda Cody

re: Ghosts, Spirits and Hauntings by Patricia Telesco. The listing of haunted sites is relatively small and sadly the rectory isn't listed (a lot of things got cut for space - ) This is more of a how-to identify various types of spirits and imposters moreso than a guide to places that are haunted.
Trish Telesco

Order received -- including the lovely "freebee' book, The Fourth Ghost Book. It's another treasured addition to my Borley collection, as well as a fun reading experience! I'm delighted to see that Aickman and Rosemary Timperley are contributors -- I love their writing. I'm looking forward to reading your Things My Mother Taught Me. . . . your website, and the people I've met through it. . . . have been a true blessing to me over the past year.
Linda Cody

hi there i was wondering if anyone could give us your opinion on this photo me and a couple of friends went to borley church the other night because we have heard so much about it after a long drive we finally got there and it started pouring down with rain so we didnt even bother geting out of the car so i suggested we wait a hour or so outside the church and wait for the rain to stop but i didnt so we took some photos out the window of the car and when we got back we looked at the photos and there was a very intersting one with strange mist and it wasnt on any others witch we took out the same window plese vould you tell us what you think.thanks.
dave steve and simon
[Thank you for your e-mail. Have you checked out the other submissions on my web site? Please note that many similar photos have been taken at Borley - and elsewhere. Possible explanations are offered on this same page. Because of the great number of photos submitted, not all have been published - please refer to the guidelines on this page.]

Happy New Year. I finally managed to work my way through the prompts and hopefully became an associate member, which should take another 4 days to confirm my membership number. . . . I read Kathy Rageur's web page which was extremely interesting, thank you for pointing the way for me. . . .This opens up more experiences from others to be shared by us all. I was reading your article from "Who Am I", The Mysterious Search For My Identity" and the letters your mother sent to you. They interested me greatly.
Kindest Regards,
Tony Newell

I have been to Borley several times as an observer, not a thrill seeker. I am interested in ghosts ,I do not claim to know the cause or what they are I just believe something exists. The place is desolate and cold and you can see what you like. I do believe I have seen shades there. I have smelt things ,seen things and felt and heard things. I do however think you have to believe for things to sink in. A sceptic seems to have a very closed mind. I do feel for the residents of Borley. All that attention must get to them. Borley is an enigma that will never go away. That adds to the romance of the old story.
lirette

I have to agree with Audra Lake [re: photo of mystery child.] - Look at the ears of Harry Bull in adulthood. They are just larger. Afterall the ears never stop growing until the day you die.
Greig Bosworth

For an 1880 map of Borley try [this link.] Search for Borley then choose Borley, Essex. The original map must be a bit better than what shows on the screen. It does show a closer perspective of Borley than the 1773 Chapman map.
Scott Cunningham

I wrote to you some time ago about ghost vigils etc......I received your reply but at such time I was unable to access the links you sent me. Well I have finally managed to gain access to those links and am appalled at what I read. I quite understand now, why you try to deter visitors and out of respect we will not be paying a visit. We sympathise with the local people and that of your church, how anyone can behave in such a manner as they have in the past, is just beyond comprehension. We support your plea and will also try to help by not promoting or advertising any ghostly happenings in Borley. Good luck!
Kind regards
Amanda Wykes
(wmghosts)

having read several books on the borley rectory hauntings,and studied the photograph section on your site,i feel i have a fair idea as to how things were geographically placed there.obviously when i do visit borley, i will have a better understanding of the rectory,s location.can you please advise me as to where i might be able to view more pictures of the rectory,and the derelict site?.thank you,
alexander macdonald
[Every picture available is posted, plus some exclusive photos not available anywhere else. Be sure to look in the link "Locked Book" as well. As for the derelict site, the building was razed in 1944, and all the remnants scattered. Three private homes have been built on the location, and we must respect the resident's wishes to not be disturbed. Please see my appeal to visitors.]

thank you for responding to the recent e-mail i sent to you.having been injured at work six months ago,all i have done is study your web site, and read as much as i can about the subject.i have viewed the section of the locked book, and i found those photographs very interesting.there must be lots of photographs in existence that were taken of the rectory over many years ,that still have to make an appearance,and be thoroughly scrutinized.although it is a reprint,i have managed to obtain a copy of the harry price book "the end of borley rectory".anyway, i am going to allow myself a few chapters this afternoon!thank you,
alexander macdonald

I don't know who Mrs. Cecil Baines was but I find her writings very descriptive and informative. (I admit that there are a few times when I wonder if she's relying to much on Price's writings.) . . . . other than indicating that she evidently did associate with Harry Price, this little paragraph doesn't really address her integrity although Peter Underwood seems to have regarded her in a positive way. There are a couple of a pictures on p. 70 of Peter Underwood’s Borley Postscript. The top picture shows Rev. Harry Bull along with two women who are described as his stepdaughter Constance and his wife Ivy. It seems that this same picture is shown in BR web site photo collection. However, the two women in this picture are identified as two of Rev. Harry Bull’s sisters. For no reason other than these women arguably have a mother/daughter look, I’m inclined to think that these woman are actually Rev. Harry Bull’s wife and daughter. Before I go any farther, I emphatically state that I am not trying to establish a coordinate system with which to locate the so-called Borley hidden treasure. . . . my main concern is that in Underwood’s Postscript. . . this picture shows what may be the border stone. I believe the border stone may appear as a relatively inconspicuous rectangular shape near the left margin of the picture about level with Rev. Bull’s knuckles. Although I cannot identify anything on this object that looks like the letters H B, if this is the border stone then it is noteworthy for the following reasons. First, note that the stone as it shows on the BR web site appears to have four sides. Having four sides is significant, in my opinion, because the stone looks like it is square with the Rectory in the above referenced family picture. This suggests that any remaining base of the stone possibly preserved the angle of the Rectory with respect to the carriage house. Also, the width of the stone in this picture together with the width of the actual stone can possibly be used as a crude unit of length to estimate where the southwest side of the Rectory started and to a lesser extent where the southeast side of the building began. Unfortunately, the stone doesn’t appear to be noticeable in the croquet picture. It’s either in the background shadows or the Bull Sister on the left is possibly blocking its view. I mean well when I volunteer my observations about BR history. However, regarding what I mentioned about the border stone, I should have noted that [the] BGS must be careful about such information with respect to the spirit of preserving Borley. . . [hopefully] my note about possible remains of border stone [won't] fall into the hands of people who would try to dig it up for a souvenir.
Scott Cunningham
("I was also once under the impression that the photo of Harry Bull showed two of his sisters, but can now assure you that it depicts his wife and her daughter. Sorry for the confusion." - Peter Underwood)

Thanks for the newsletter. Interesting as usual. I can't wait to see the gregson diaries. What a find! I'm amazed at the terrific efforts to map out the Rectory. I have a question for Paul Pritchard and Scott Cunningham, though. Is it possible that the 'well' in the courtyard (in the north-east quadrant,) was actually a blocked-up outside-staircase? The house as originally built would have either had a 'coal-chute' (or hatch) or outside staircase for transporting bulk items such as wine into the cellars. This means of access would have been blocked up at the time of the addition of the south wing. (similar houses all have this outside staircase). I've always wondered what happened to it.
Andrew Clarke
[More observations from Scott Cunningham.]

Price, Harry. Fifty Years of Psychical Research. London: Longmans Green & Co. Ltd., 1939. New York: Arno Press, 1975. pp. 35, 269, 297, 301. (Clarifies statement made in Most Haunted House regarding nun, which he had said appeared "always on July 28th of each year." [p. 24] Price corrected that to say, "it does nothing of the sort. I have been there three years on July 28, and no sign of the figure was visible." p. 300. This book is a retrospective on the scientific search into the paranormal by many people, this is not a review of work done only by Price. It mentions Borley only in passing. While on one page (290) he states, "hardly a single phenomena has been proved genuine to the extent that the scientists are satisfied," on a later page (293) he says, "I am convinced that I have witnessed telekinetic phenomena. . . .percussive phenomena. . ..seance 'lights'. . . . 'pseudopods' . . . ." He then states, "I believe in poltergeists." Includes a concise chapter on Rosalie, the spirit of a child that appeared to him in 1937 with breathing and heartbeat intact. He tempts readers with a synopsis of his forthcoming book on Borley with a list of some of the phenomena. He adds, "the last rector kept a diary of psychic events, which is as exciting as a thriller, and which forms a book in itself.")**

Aickman, Robert Fordyce. "Postscript to Harry Price." London Mystery Magazine. Vol.1, No. 6. August/September 1950. pp. 86-91. (Editor's introduction states, ". . . and though Mr. Aickman found Price often a trying person to work with, he pays testimony to his integrity as a psychic detective." One incident which tried the author was over obtaining the property. "I then wrote to Price, proposing that we initiate a small trust to acquire the rectory in the interests of science and for further research. . . .Price would have nothing to do with the idea." Price had said in Most Haunted House, "I was approached by a man who wanted to go halves with me in buying the rectory with the idea of turning in into a sort of 'Home of Rest for Decayed Mediums,'. . . . I pointed out that such a project would cost a fortune. . . . so I turned down the 'Home of Rest' idea." [pp. 102-3.] Was Aickman the man who approached Price? Aickman was also upset Price did not involve him more fully in the investigation, specifically during the digging in the cellar. Aickman says Price "had his exotic side," and details two incidents including the wine into ink visit. The wine Price brought with him was an expensive red, named after the Chambertin vitner. The other reference is to Price bringing brand name wicker hampers [baskets] to Borley, the inference being this is how Price brought his supplies. The brand name - Fortnum and Mason - is obscure, as it does not surface in Price's writings. Aickman points out Canon Phythian-Adams who contributed much regarding the nun, never visited Borley. Aickman's visits are chronicled in The End of Borley Rectory, pp. 75-7.) ** photocopy

Jones Richard. Haunted Britan and Ireland. New York: MetroBooks. 2002. ISBN 1-58663-750-9. Content identical to Enchanted England and Ireland. (Suggests "occasional piles of crumbling brick" can still be found, which is not accurate. Correctly indicates how current residents resent the intrusions. Connects the poltergeist activity to the nun, a link not often made. Incorrectly has the coach "tearing across the dining room," which was never reported - it was seen outside. Has the phrase "Don't Carlos, don't," being screamed, when Price recorded, "The volume of sound, at its highest pitch, was slightly louder than would be used in ordinary conversation." [MHH, p. 8.] Says nun continues to appear on "Nun's Walk," which is not correct. Colorful presentation.) **

Savage, Bob. "Investigations and events: a record year." The Ghost Club Newsletter. Winter 2002. p. 25. Photo inside church. (One sentence recounting short visit.) ** reprint

Osborne-Thomason, Natalie. Psychic Quest: episodes from the life of a ghost hunter. Clair View Books, 2002. (Unavailable for review.)

Murdie, Alan. "A new book by Natalie Osborne-Thomason." The Ghost Club Newsletter. Winter, 2002. p. 3. (". . . .features fascinating incidents at many sites that have been visited by members of The Ghost Club such as Borley. . . .") **

Levy, Joel. Guide to the Unexplained. New York: Dk Pub, 2002. Keep It Simple Series. (Speculates fire may have been in 1948, three years after the site was razed.)

Houran, James, and Lange, Rense, editors. Hauntings and Poltergeists : Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Houran & Lange, 2001. Unavailable for review. Unknown if it mentions Borley.

I have always been interested in Borley/paranormal activities. I remember at an early age the picture of the floating brick and its not until I surfed the Internet . . . . for ghosts that i came across your site. I am 40 , and my job is a deputy ward manager in a psychiatric hospital in Portsmouth, England. The hospital was built in 1878 and was the local asylum and, yes your right, has its own ghost stories to tell.
Gary Aslett

I do a little editing for my husband David at Plan Nine Publishing, and occasionally help with orders, but I have another full-time job, and am unable to give a lot of time to Plan Nine. David does have an assistant, June, and they have an "office dog" who is there Mon.-Fri. most weeks. The dog, Bobby Lee, has the job of greeting and socializing with the Fed Ex driver and other delivery folks. He will be representing Plan Nine in our local installment of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's MS Walk for Research. My housemate, Lisa, has multiple sclerosis, and despite about 14 years of living with the disease, she is holding down her full-time job and living a (mostly) normal life. Our home dog, Jubal, will also be participating in the MS Walk. The dogs will be wearing banners proclaiming sponsorship by Plan Nine -- I was thinking that perhaps I could add the Borley Ghost Society to Jubal's banner (no contributions from Society members necessary -- I'll just give my personal contribution to the effort "in honor of" the Borley Ghost Society). The Walk is scheduled for April 13, 2003, here in High Point, NC.