"C R (Charles Reynolds) Bailey [1888-1991] was a very tweedy physical chemist [at University College London] with a military manner (some called him Colonel Bailey) and a distinct interest in the recreational aspects of organic chemistry. . . . .[He] developed an interest in Borely Rectory, often claimed to be "the most haunted house in England". There were also rumours that Bailey's sister was married to the Rector or possibly to one of the investigators of psychic phenomena engaged in researching Borley. John Dunderdale remembers that amongst other topics Bailey lectured on the Kinetic Theory of Gases, during which he was liable to show a photograph taken at Borely Rectory of a brick floating in mid air. This provided a demonstration of the fact that, although highly improbable, it was possible for all the atoms in a body to instantaneously move upwards. Various other photographs from the Rectory appeared at appropriate times."

I've just had a look at the Jan 2003 photos of Borley. They are excellent and I particularly liked the one described "Rectory site looking southwest. I took it standing approx in the old drive way diagonally in front of me would have been the front door to the house." Can you enquire [of Mr. Brazil];
1. How was access to take the picture obtained as this cannot have been taken from the public road?
2. I would be really interested to find out if a picture was taken looking down the garden to the left of the picture what would have been the view of the lawn from the "Blue Room" (I think!).
And one for [Borley Ghost Society Associates] - I may be visiting the UK sometime in the next 6 weeks or so. How would I go about arranging to meet up with other Associates who maybe interested in a trip to Borley?
Cheers
Paul Pritchard

dear paul with reference to my photo of the rectory site. i took the shot approx on the line of the old drive way.luckily for me the drive gates were open and i walked in . i tried calling at the cottage to ask permission to photograph but got no reply so i thought it best just to take one shot. i did not enter fully into the property i just stood within 6 feet of the Driveway, i was fully aware that i should not venture any further and i did not. However the opportunity was there for me to make a record of the site and i do not think i infringed on anybodys privacy. I fully intend to write to the owners of the cottage to seek their permission to photograph the area of the Rectory site. If i am refused i will accept it but with good grace. But i do understand your reservations regarding the privacy of Borley residents. I assure you that i will not breach the need for the Borley residents to have their privacy infringed, but if i do get permission to photograph certain areas of the site, surely that is a benifit to all that are interested in the Borley story. But i will at all times respect the people of Borley and their need for privacy. i have reckoned that directly in front of me would have been the sewing room and kitchen. diagonaly to my left behind the small hedge and tree would have stood the front door. where you can see the black object on the lawn is roughly the area just beyond the courtyard.another way of viewing where i stood is to look at the glanville map on the web site. if you count along the trees starting at the cottage i was positioned between the seventh and eighth trees looking aprox south west.i hope this gives you a better layout of the photo. all the best, eddie brazil.

a few freinds and my self were disscusing borley the other night when someone mentioned the novel " the haunting" by shirley jackson and the subtle references within the text to borley.there is even a mention of ballechin house.someone at the discussion even thought the character of theodora was that of marrianne.was your mother aware of the novel? did she read it? i belive that jackson had read prices books and they might have inspired her book. furthemore did your mother or have you seen the 1963 filmed version of the book. the scene where the ghosthunters discover the wall writings is interesting,the style and layout of the messages is very similar to those your mother encounted at borley. what do you make of it? P S some months back i visited the location for the film, it is an victorian mansion called ettington park situated in warwickshire.even though the place is now a hotel it still has the power to give one the creeps. there is even a ruined church in the grounds which itself was used as the backdrop to a 1970,s betty davis film about ghosts. all the best.
eddie brazil
[Various references to the Jackson work are scattered throughout the web site - below. I do not recall my mother watching the movie, but it is very likely that she read the book. http://www.borleyrectory.com/biblio/books2.htm#jackson - http://www.borleyrectory.com/misc/faq.htm#winecellar - http://www.borleyrectory.com/biblio/otherbib.htm#movies - http://www.borleyrectory.com/profiles/clements.htm]

"Strange music would be heard from the nearby Church, communion wine would unaccountably turn into ink, the servants bells in the house rang of their own accord and the Foyster's child was attacked by 'something horrible.' The rector had had enough. The family left and all successive incumbents refused to live in the house." Britannia.com web site. So, who was the child that was attacked by something horrible? Was that you? Or an older brother or sister or what?
Bill Vicars
[When Adelaide and the family had been in residence one year, she "came downstairs with a bruise under her eye," according to Lionel's journals. "On being asked how she got it, she answered, 'A nasty thing by {the} curtain in my room gave it to me.'" A few months earlier - March 13, 1931 - my mother was "hit on the head, and hurt, by a piece of metal thrown down back stairs." On February 26, my mother was "given a terrific blow in the eye - a cut under it; black eye next day - by an invisible assailant on the landing ouside bedroom No. 6, Blue Room." These are the only known instances of anyone suffering harm. The sentence about the Foyster's leaving because they "had had enough," is not true. They left ONLY because Lionel collapsed in the pulpit, and was unable to carry on the ministry.]

when is the next chat session please?
Matt Walsh
[Right now, there is none scheduled. The best way to do this is to start a new Fourm Topic "Chat Session." Then get a group to sign on at the same time.]

Please find enclosed a picture I took on the 12 december 2002 .I was amazed to see an image which appears to look remarkably like the borley nun.It looks more interesting if you enlarge the image. Please let me know what you think.I’ve also included two photos taken at the same time which have orbs in them.
Thanks for reading, best wishes,
Steve Elmes, Rayleigh, Essex.
[As I mentioned earlier, the photos are too dark to post on the web site. Additionally, I would ask you if you have searched the church yard for statuary similar to the one you have caught? Also, if you have read the thorough discussion we have had about orbs, you will note we have many explanations offered for what may cause them. Thank you very much for you time and effort. Please feel welcome to submit more photos as they become available.]

I read about the events at the rectory in the Readers Digest Book of: Strange Stories, Amazing Facts, which was published in 1975. I found it freaky, yet fascinating. The article in the book goes into quiter some detail with images of the building and the writing on the walls. I was wondering if Adelaide Foyster, who it says here was the adopted daughter of Marianne and Lionel Foyster is still alive, and if she has contributed anything to the stories and accounts of the events at the Rectory. It would be interesting to get further first-hand accounts of the events there. Regards
James
[Adelaide wants nothing to do with the rectory, and has remained mum. Thanks for your interest.]

I had a look at your web site - it's very comprehensive and interesting and I hope you are getting plenty of visitors. The photograph of the carved face looks good and it's an interesting comparison with the Borley face.
Janet Bord

Just read the book by Harry Price. I like your website very much and like the section on "what is death" regarding the afterlife. I have read many books on NDE also and yours moved me greatly it brought tears to my eyes. I am curious as to your opinion regarding reincarnation, do you believe in this? And if you do can you elaborate on it? What made me question whether reincarnation exists is books by "Brian Weiss" (some of his books are titled "Many lives, Many Masters" "Only Love is real") He is a psychiatrist who has done hypnosis and has had some unique experiences with his patients. One other one is a story which I saw on tv about this person in Canada who had intense dreams of being a Jew during the holicaust. And new of a clock at a place he never was and never been and it was there. I am not totally convinced but the above makes me question it. I thank you and appreciate you for taking the time out to answer my questions. I look forward to reading more of your writings and info on your website.
Jen Ishtar
[Thank you for your kind words. They mean a lot to me. Reincarnation is a very complicated subject. It reminds me of Shirley MacLaine - I was able to follow her books through a couple of reincarnations, but when they became so numerous. . . . A similar incident happened while reading Uri Geller's first book. I was all wrapped up in it - UNTIL - he related about projecting to other places. As I get older and older, I find it harder and harder to accept more and more.]

in the 1950,s i went out with someone who worked for the henning firm of accountants. he told me mr henning had told him that the revhenning had had a monk ghost comming into his study repeatedly , seeming to weep silently. rev henning had said , my dear fellow what can i do for you? and the ghost had managed to say pray for me. rev henning did and i believe the ghost came back to say thankyou.i was particularly interested as it came from close to the story.hope it is of interest.my friend then is still alive but i dont directly know him now. i have not read report, my mother was interested in borley , i have read no books about it.my friend told me and as it was only2nd hand news i was interested, mr henning of seaford was a very sober stable dull good man , not an imaginative person , so it was more interesting.
Liz Hempstead

Ramsland, Katherine. Ghost. St. Martins Press, 2001. pp. 49-50. (Brief mention of Price as pioneer investigator. Mentions work at Borley, but without mentioning name. Says Price failed to prove his case.)

Osborne-Thomason, Natalie. The Ghost-Hunting Casebook. "Case 94: Mystery at Borley." London: Blanford, 1999. pp. 173-6. (Uses only one resource - the very negative and biased The Widow of Borley by Robert Wood - which Osborne-Thomason calls "excellent." It is curious more resources were not consulted, such as the original Harry Price works, or at least some of the efforts by Peter Underwood. As with Wood - and his source, Trevor Hall - this author leans toward unsubstantiated personal attacks during her version of the Borley Legend. Simple errors result from not consulting the original sources, such as placing the rectory in Suffolk instead of Essex. A more telling error occurs when she states, "Whatever is behind the haunting, I believe it was nothing like the dramatic portrayal projected to the world by Marianne and subsequently the media." In fact, Marianne never made a public statement. Just the opposite is true, as has been pointed out by objective writers such as Iris Owen. She told her son, Ian Shaw in 1956, "Not that I ever did haunt Borley. There were plenty of others who did that. It was haunted since 1860 and that's a little before my time. . . . I didn't do it." In that same year, she told Trevor Hall, "If you mean did I haunt the place, the answer is No." Another error crops up when leaving the impression the site is still undisturbed, which has the effect of attracting unwanted tourists - "The only ghost one can now hope to see there is the lone nun walking in the gardens." The gardens no longer exist, and three private homes are now built on the property.) **

Osborne-Thomason, Natalie. Psychic Quest. Clairview Books, 2002. pp. 58, 161. ("One vigil of which we had high hopes took place in the churchyard at Borley in Suffolk [Essex]. I went there with Dennis Moyses, a veteran ghost-hunter. Earlier on the day in question a local woman had seen what was possibly a ghost walking behind me near where a ghostly nun is said to traverse. However, not long after we had set up our two chairs after dark a car full of yobs shouting obscenities parked their car nearby with its radio blaring, so our hopes of witnessing anything supernatural were dashed." At the end of the book, the author lists places to visit in the United Kingdom: "The local population is getting fed up with the behaviour of ghost hunters." As with "casebook," the author only lists Robert Woods in the bibliography, which tragically omits Harry Price, Peter Underwood, and Ivan Banks.) **

Expanded Rupert Furneau entry in Bibliography, and corresponding entry in Common Mistakes.

Peter Underwood is 80 this May.

I'm now involved in running my own company - www.writtenwords.co.uk Written Words is a communications company offering the writing and project management skills of two highly experienced journalists across a wide range of subjects. Our clients include corporate businesses, SMEs and media outlets. If you feel we may be able to help you, please contact us for an informal chat or visit our website.
Andrew Collier

Playing the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," Vince O'Neil has a Bacon number of 2. Vince O'Neil was in Ballad of Little Jo (1993) with Carrie Snodgress. Carrie Snodgress was in Wild Things (1998) with Kevin Bacon.

After several variations, the web page for Sgt. Shawn Steiner has settled into a standard format. A page has been added reflecting was his Grandmother (in-law) would think. It will always be "under construction," so if you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to write. Letters to Shawn can be added at any time. The pages will be posted until his unit returns. If you find other web sites with similar sentiments, please contact the web master/editor.

This moral support project for our troops is absolutely commendable. Your concern for others reminds me of what I've read about your mother.
Scott Cunningham