Radio Scarewaves!
Wobbling headphones, a swinging bin lid and a group of intrigued radio presenters; another mysterious adventure in the casebook of Mostly Ghostly Investigations!
One Friday morning in April, I received a message from Station Producer, Willy Flockton, asking if we’d like to investigate the BBC Radio Cumbria Studios at Annetwell Street in Carlisle. We didn’t need to be asked twice! A visit was quickly arranged and John and I jumped eagerly onto the Carlisle train. We had arranged to meet with early morning presenter, Mike Zeller, who I had originally spoken to on air about our 2013 Gretna Green Investigation. Upon arrival, Mike gave us a warm welcome and introduced us to his colleague, Alison Wood. We were taken on a guided tour of the studios including Studio B, where Mike’s show is broadcast from each morning. Mike told us of a peculiar experience one morning when he witnessed a pair of headphones wobble, apparently of their own accord. Mike took steps to try and create the same effect without success leaving him wondering who or what had caused the movement.
A little later, Mike, Alison and another colleague were meeting in Studio B when the recycling bin, which sits close to the wall, caught their attention. The swing lid began to move and was witnessed by all three people. They looked for a plausible reason but could find no evidence of a breeze or effects from the air conditioning. In all the time they have worked at Radio Cumbria, the team have never felt or seen anything like this and with two unusual events occurring on the same morning within a relatively short space of time, they began to consider paranormal influences.
During our visit, we explored possible explanations for these events, including the presence of draughts and vibrations from outside. A friend later put forward a theory about the proximity of the railway station to the studios, wondering if the vibrations from a nearby train could be to blame. Equally, he thought it strange no-one has ever noticed such movement before. John picked up on his tell-tale indicator of spirit presence – a distinctive sensation in his stomach. Although the feeling was there, it didn’t develop, remaining very much in the background. That was until Mike took us for a look along one of the adjoining corridors which is positioned next to a series of rooms used to store electrical equipment. It must be noted that high concentrations of electrical power have been known to create effects similar to paranormal encounters. We kept this in mind throughout our time in the corridor. John reported a more intense feeling there which fluctuated as he walked up and down, trying to find the best ‘signal’.
Following our initial visit, Mike interviewed John live by telephone about his experiences (a hair-raising experience in itself!) and listeners were invited to contact the studio with their personal encounters, local information and theories as to why the studio at Annetwell Street might be haunted. It is a relatively modern building, purpose-built for the studio which opened in April 1993.
On the same day, Mike received a couple of leads from listeners including a text from Liz stating “You may have had a visit from the Tullie House grey lady. You are right next door to their cellars aren’t you”. Another listener called Billy rang in to give a flavour of how the area used to be, describing shops and other notable locations, all very handy when building a picture of the past.
The BBC team were keen to arrange an investigation, therefore time was somewhat limited in order to conduct research. Ready to step up to the challenge, we set about gathering info on the site, with John leading the way. Research is core to our methodology and is one of the most enjoyable, stimulating and satisfying aspects of our work; John made the most of his opportunity!
He approached a very helpful and knowledgeable gentleman by the name of Tim Padley, Curator of Archaeology at Tullie House. John learned that a wooden Roman fort had occupied the site of BBC Radio Cumbria, dating back to 72 AD. Subsequent excavations have unearthed all sorts of Roman remains including human and animal bones, leather cut-outs and a remarkable artefact - a roman altar dedicated to the goddess of good luck, Fortuna, which is now displayed in the Reception area.
Marion Jones, Programming Manager at Tullie House told us of an underground corridor in the building where some of the security men have experienced an unpleasant feeling and a member of staff has often felt “strange” at meetings held in one of the downstairs rooms. Tullie House is just a stone’s throw away from the radio studios, although the corridor itself does not link or pass under the site.
On the subject of Tullie House, you will find a nearby underpass featuring an interesting piece of artwork. Known as the Cursing Stone, the large boulder is inscribed with a curse taken from the Monition of Cursing by Archbishop Gavin Dunbar in the 16th century. The curse was read out in every pulpit throughout the land in a bid to excommunicate the thieving, murdering, raping and godless families in the region. Some Carlisle residents blame the stone and its mystical powers for some of the city’s unfortunate events, makes you think…
Just across the road from Radio Cumbria stands the forbidding fortification of Carlisle Castle, a location harbouring more than a few dark secrets. In the 1830s, while construction work was underway, a grim discovery was made inside the wall of one of the keeps; a lady, wearing three rings upon the bony digits of her fingers and remnants of a silk tartan dress. There were no clues to her identity, although there was considerable speculation she may have been walled up alive. Her ghostly apparition was seen by a sentry guard in 1842, the shock of which is said to have killed him…
These stories are fascinating, but do they have any bearing on what’s going on at BBC Radio Cumbria? They could be totally unrelated or perhaps one of the nearby spooks has taken it upon themselves to pay a visit. Are the moving objects simply due to external vibrations or is someone trying to get noticed? Whatever the case, the locality has a history conducive to a haunting or two…
TO BE CONTINUED!
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Can you help with our research? Have you had a strange experience at BBC Radio Cumbria or do you know of ghostly happenings in the vicinity? Is there a rational reason for the happenings that we may have overlooked? Contact the team through our website or by phoning 07791 047835 or 07912 145865. You can also follow us on Twitter.