BORLEY GHOST SOCIETY

Welcome to the seventeenth edition of the BorleyGhost Society Newsletter.
It was on this day in 1899 that Mary Anne Rebecca Emily Shaw was born.
Of all the New Millennium coverage, I was most touched when I heard that both the Orange and the Green were singing "Danny Boy" together in Northern Ireland. That would have tickled my mother - she spoke Gaelic very clearly.
The official BORLEY GHOST SOCIETY calendar has been updated for February. Some new e-mail messages and some new Frequently Asked Questions have been posted.
My computer did experience Y2K - at 1156 (that's AM)!

[Associates are encouraged to write to the editor AND to contribute writings which will be placed under the heading "essays."In place of a message board, I have a section open to all related to general e-mail.This is restricted to comments about Borley, but BORLEY GHOST SOCIETY associates are welcome to discuss hauntings in general within the newsletter.
A vast majority of our associates are not as involved in the Internet as others might be, and do not have the software - or the inclination - to become involved in a chat room. Many associates don't even have computers!Such an endeavor would also have to keep in mind we are spread out through all 24 time zones throughout the world, making a universal chat time difficult.There are many chat rooms associated with other paranormal sites that may fill this need.Those who wish to become involved in a chat room situation are encouraged to contact Jeff Marschmeyer directly.]

I am quite sure that [my husband] does not believe in the hereafter. As far as he is concerned, seeing is believing. It would take a lot to prove to him that Ghosts existed. He would always find a logical answer to any strange occurrence.Probably because he has spent many years in the Armed forces. It does change ones outlook on many things. I have an open mind about Ghosts. I do think that there are many things that cannot be explained. I do think that in some way are lives are planned. Certain things are meant to happen.
Maureen

I can't say enough about howwonderful I think [Simon Marsden's] stuff is. I printed off a lot of his images from a webpage "Gabesville" and tacked them up on my cubicle as Halloween decorations. There is one of the typical Cowelled figure and I printed it off and typed next to it. "Not to worry, I am just here for the Treats."
I picked up a book years ago in a bookstore and have kicked myself for yearsfor not buying it. I would have sworn it was one of Simon Marsden's, but Ihave never seen it credited to him. it was called "The Versailles that NoOne Sees". And I can't find it listed as anyone's work anywhere. Maybe itwas just a very vivid dream. It was images taken in the Marsden style with filters and spooky looking, and it was of places that were closed to the public, and not taken care of. There was trash piled up everywhere and spider webs and dust. And there were unkempt gardens. It wasbeautiful.
I got my books and CD yesterday. I just finished Ghosts of Borley and really enjoyed it. There is lots of stuff. I would love to visit the whole town. In the story about the Bull Inn page 41, I wonder if anyone ever thought to open the hidden space and see what it might reveal?
I already read the Green Tea... book andthe CD is beautiful. One of the tracks sounds almost just like the musicfrom "Titanic."
[I was in touch for a time with the artist on the CD - Llewellyn. All his titles are originals. After Llewellyn called me on the phone, he never responded again. I wonder what ever happened to him.]
Here is a the address of " a live ghost cam. It is a hoot.
Kathy Rageur

I found a bookby Harry Price that I'd never heard of before - and, judging by the price, a rare one. "Regurgitation and The Duncan Mediumship", London Nation Lab. 1931 .... for 150.00 US. Apparently it's a bulletin from the National Laboratory of Psychical Research with photos. I had no idea that books in this genre could fetch such a high price.
Jeff Marschmeyer

Having read The Borley Rectory Incident by Terrace Dicks, it occurs to me that he'd refer to it in the next book in the series, which appears tobe "The Easter Island Incident". You may want to have a look at that, ifyou haven't already.
Jamas Enright

That was so wonderful to find a site to give me more knowledge on the Rectory. I love hearing your stories about it, and this was helpful because it showed pictures and actual accounts from people. I read the entire thing today in about an hour. I couldn't stop reading it. I liked all of the links that I could visit as well. The pictures really helped. I think it would be a blast to just stay overnight on the grounds to have my own experiences. Thanks again for recommending this sight and putting it all together. I learned so much.
Alicia Chase

The building reminds me of the house I grew up in. It was an old Victorian Gothic House on a hill. Wow the photograph is stunning. You can find out how I got interested in ghosts when you visit my web site.
Jessica Luthi.

Richard Senate has sent me a copy of his GhostStalker's Guide to Haunted California. It is a must for any serious ghosthunter whether from California or not!

Jeff Marschmeyer writes, "I install telephone switches for a multi-national company, which takes me all over the place. My interest in ghosts goes back to an early age when I read Supernatural Stories for Boys. This led me to four books by Canadian author Helen Creighton, and Ghosts and Hauntings by Dennis Bardens. My main interest is British hauntings - I plan to move to the U.K. I have collected about 20 books on hauntings. I have a modern ghost story for you - it happened while I was in the Yorkshire moors. Have a great New Year!"
[I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bardens at the Ghost Club Society in September of 1997.]

I have a book I am trying to send off to get published. I am not sure where to send it and to whom. The title is "I Am A Vampire" (My favoritesubject) and is suitable for a Young Adult genre. Any suggestions?
Kathy Rageur
[We have a great many writers amongst our associates. If you can help, please drop Kathy a line.]

Richard Lee-Van den Daele has contributed a great deal to this effort. His profile describes his life-long personal involvement with Borley.

If you would like a profile page made especially for you, just tellme a little about yourself and attach a JPG photo to an e-mail.

Peter Underwood devotes eight pages to Borley in his combined Gazetteer of British, Scottish, and Irish Ghosts. This excellent synopsis includes the earliest known photograph of the rectory.

For her book, The Ghost-Hunting Casebook, Natalie Osborne-Thomason uses only one resource, The Widow of Borley by Robert Wood. She calls that very negative and biased work, "excellent." It is curious more resources were not consulted, such as the original Harry Price works, or at least some of the efforts by fellow Ghost Club Society member, 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, 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. 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.

Janet and Colin Bord also skip over the works of Price in their Atlas of Magical Britain. Instead, they refer the reader to The Ghosts of Borley by Peter Underwood and Paul Tabori. Of the two paragraphs describing Borley, one is devoted to the church.

Jamas then sent me photocopies of a very little-known article. He dug up a copy of the 1st New Zealand Seminar on Psychical Research, April 1971. This is "a collection of three papers from speakers, which our library has for some reason. It's falling apart as I read it. In the paper 'Psychological Basis for Belief in the Supernatural' by Mr. B.J.Kirkwood, in the section on Experimental Literature: 'For example, Harry Price became a millionaire out of a broken down old abbey, Borley Rectory, and when he died it was revealed it was a have.' This was typed from tape-recordings by someone who wasn't an expert typer, so if the sentence doesn't sound quite right, that'll be why."

John E. Walker found a couple of paragraphs on Borley inside a web site called Real Haunted Houses. Thanks, Jon!

If you see a news article, magazine, or web site about Borley, or with an interesting take on ghosts and the paranormal, drop me a line and I'll pass it along. No, UFOs, please.