Victoria Tunnel
Visited 19 October 2012
It's been a long time since I carried out an investigation in my native north east, and I was excited to the point of bursting as I made the short drive to pick up Andy at 7:00pm on a mild, dry, autumn evening. If you've read Ghosts of York <spoiler alert!> you'll remember that Andy dropped out after our first investigation in York at the National Railway Museum and swore he'd never take part in a paranormal investigation again. However, he couldn't resist when he found out we were doing the Victoria Tunnel, as he loves this place having been on the daytime tours a couple of times before.
We met John in the Cluny, a bar in the Ouseburn Valley popular with students, at 7:20pm he had found a table and was sitting reading a book. We got a drink and relaxed, shooting the breeze as we waited for Tom. He arrived shortly afterwards completing our team for tonight, as Rich couldn't make it.
At 7:45pm we made the short walk to the Ouse Street entrance to the Victoria Tunnel. Andy was totally buzzing about getting into the tunnel after dark, I've never seen him so excited, he was like a child at Christmas, telling us that no matter how warm or chilly it happens to be outside, the temperature within the tunnel is a constant 12 degrees all year round. Tom had never been before, and wanted to know everything, quizzing Andy relentlessly. John and I walked behind them, and I told him about some of the new gadgets I had brought with me in my 'bag of tricks' and that we could put to the test in the field for the first time tonight.
We met John in the Cluny, a bar in the Ouseburn Valley popular with students, at 7:20pm he had found a table and was sitting reading a book. We got a drink and relaxed, shooting the breeze as we waited for Tom. He arrived shortly afterwards completing our team for tonight, as Rich couldn't make it.
At 7:45pm we made the short walk to the Ouse Street entrance to the Victoria Tunnel. Andy was totally buzzing about getting into the tunnel after dark, I've never seen him so excited, he was like a child at Christmas, telling us that no matter how warm or chilly it happens to be outside, the temperature within the tunnel is a constant 12 degrees all year round. Tom had never been before, and wanted to know everything, quizzing Andy relentlessly. John and I walked behind them, and I told him about some of the new gadgets I had brought with me in my 'bag of tricks' and that we could put to the test in the field for the first time tonight.
The lads wait patiently at the Ouse Street entrance to the Victoria Tunnel
We arrived just before 8:00pm, the agreed time that we would meet our two Victoria Tunnel guides, we showed Tom the long illustrated board outside the tunnel entrance that charts its history. I wandered to the road to look along the length of it to see if there was any sign of our guides. There was no one around at all. I looked out across the River Ouse, calm and flat, the reflection of the moon on the surface was so large and clear that it almost looked like it was actually just below the surface of the water. "Hello" a cheery voice said and a bloke walked past me down the covered path to the tunnel entrance. The four of us looked at each other, wondering who he was. He came back up the path and talked to us, he was Dave a trainee guide at the tunnel, and he explained that there was another guide, also called Dave, due who would have the keys for the tunnel entrance. We all introduced ourselves and we got chatting as the time ticked by. I checked my watch, 8:05pm, Dave said he would go up to the nearby farm where the daytime tours leave from in case our missing guide was waiting for us up there.
10 minutes later our second guide walked up the street towards us, as he walked past us he said he'd been stuck in traffic and that he wasn't meant to be on duty tonight. He didn't tell us his name, but when he took out the keys for the door we knew this was 'the other' Dave, our second guide.
We got chatting and he told us there'd been a ghost hunt the week before, "there were loads of them like, a geet big mob of them with ouija board and aal sorts" he said in a strong Geordie accent, "antennas sticking out of there heads and that" he added gesturing with his fingers sticking out of the top of his head. He went on to tell us that the 'geet big mob' hadn't experienced anything. However, we weren't put off by this and we couldn't wait to get in there and get involved. Dave went down to the first junction with a 'canary tester' to check for gasses, and came back satisfied it was all clear. He gave it to Andy to wear around his neck while we were in the tunnel, and gave John a radio in case we were in need of help. We grabbed a hard hat each, and our investigation began. We tentatively made our way into the inky blackness, uncertain of what lay in wait for us hidden in the darkness.
10 minutes later our second guide walked up the street towards us, as he walked past us he said he'd been stuck in traffic and that he wasn't meant to be on duty tonight. He didn't tell us his name, but when he took out the keys for the door we knew this was 'the other' Dave, our second guide.
We got chatting and he told us there'd been a ghost hunt the week before, "there were loads of them like, a geet big mob of them with ouija board and aal sorts" he said in a strong Geordie accent, "antennas sticking out of there heads and that" he added gesturing with his fingers sticking out of the top of his head. He went on to tell us that the 'geet big mob' hadn't experienced anything. However, we weren't put off by this and we couldn't wait to get in there and get involved. Dave went down to the first junction with a 'canary tester' to check for gasses, and came back satisfied it was all clear. He gave it to Andy to wear around his neck while we were in the tunnel, and gave John a radio in case we were in need of help. We grabbed a hard hat each, and our investigation began. We tentatively made our way into the inky blackness, uncertain of what lay in wait for us hidden in the darkness.
Andy leads the way
Construction began on the Victoria Tunnel, named for the popular young Queen Victoria, in 1839, which was designed for the purpose of transporting coal from the Spital Tongues colliery down to the river ready for shipping, with huge demand for coal. The need for an underground solution came about as a result of the owners, Latimer and Porter, being refused permission to build a surface wagonway across the Town Moor and the city. The tunnel was dug in sections, with John Cherry, a former Yorkshire Lead Miner, managing the tunneling, and David Nixon, a Newcastle builder, responsible for the building work. 200 workers toiled for two and a half years to build the tunnel, the walls of which were lined in stone and stretched for 2.4 miles. The tunnel ran along a gradual gradient so that the wagons could be moved easily under the gravity of the slope and the weight of the load. The wagons were custom-build and their dimensions required the tunnel to be build 2.26 metres high and 1.91 metres wide. The wagons were hauled back to the pithead by a stationary steam engine and a rope tied to the last wagon on the train.
On the 7 April 1842 the Mayor of Newcastle opened the tunnel to an excited crowd which included important merchants from across the city, and the sheriff. At 1:00pm cannons were fired as a train of eight wagons appeared out of the tunnel. Four of the wagons contained coal, and the others a “company of ladies and gentlemen and a band of musicians”
The tunnel proved to be a success financially, the colliery however was struggling and in 1860 the Victoria Tunnel, open for just 18 years was closed.
The tunnel was left abandoned for almost 80 years until 1939. The city, and the entire nation, was gripped in fear of the bombs dropped by the German Luftwaffe, and people were instructed to practice "Air Raid Precautions". At a cost of £37,000 the empty, unused tunnel was converted into a communal air raid shelter for 9000 people. The coal dust was cleaned and some particularly bad stretches of the tunnel were whitewashed. Blast walls, made of thick concrete were added at regular intervals to stop bomb blasts and debris being able to affect the entire length of the tunnel. Electric lighting was fitted and a new concrete floor was laid. 500 bunk beds and wooden benches were installed along the walls, and chemical toilets enclosed in canvas cubicles were built near the entrances.
To make the tunnel easily accessible should the dreaded wail of the air raid siren sound, seven new entrances were completed along the length of the tunnel: Claremont Road, Hancock Museum, St Thomas’ Churchyard, Ridley Place, Shieldfield Green, Crawhall Road, and Ouse Street. At Ouse Street it was possible to walk straight into the tunnel, but the other access points looked like subway entrances and involved walking down a steep corridor.
During those dreadful wartime years the tunnel was a dark, damp, and uncomfortable place to shelter, so much so that some people chose not to use it as they found the thought of going down into the tunnel more frightening than facing the German bombers. Those who did rush for the sanctuary of the converted tunnel made themselves as comfortable as they could with their family and neighbours, singing songs to keep spirits high, and calm the children down, while waiting anxiously for the “all-clear” from up above.
The end of the war, also brought about the end of the tunnel's useful life - for a second time, and with hard post-war years ahead anything of value was stripped from the tunnel. Most of the fittings were removed and all of the entrances except Ouse Street were closed. The reason the Ouse Street entrance was left alone, was that it had been built on private land: the garden of number 14 Ouse Street.
After many decades of lying empty, a programme of visits was established by the Ouseburn Partnership in 1998, and in 2006, the City Council carried out a series of structural repairs and public safety measures to make a 700 metre stretch of the tunnel safe for the public. In 2009 the Victoria Tunnel opened once again, with tours leaving from the Ouse Street entrance (to find out more and book onto a tour go to the Trust's website http://ouseburntrust.org.uk/index.php?page=victoria-tunnel).
Are there ghosts hiding underground in the darkness offered by the Victoria Tunnel? Little is known, considering the tunnel only re-opened three short years ago, but having experienced the pitch black, claustrophobic conditions within the tunnel first hand, there's no denying how scary it has the potential to be. Only one person was ever killed in an accident within the tunnel, and that was in a section which is inaccessible. However the Ouseburn Trust's website teases "You may also be interested to hear about the sightings of a ghost seen in the Victoria Tunnel by visitors from a 'Paranormal' group!!"
On the 7 April 1842 the Mayor of Newcastle opened the tunnel to an excited crowd which included important merchants from across the city, and the sheriff. At 1:00pm cannons were fired as a train of eight wagons appeared out of the tunnel. Four of the wagons contained coal, and the others a “company of ladies and gentlemen and a band of musicians”
The tunnel proved to be a success financially, the colliery however was struggling and in 1860 the Victoria Tunnel, open for just 18 years was closed.
The tunnel was left abandoned for almost 80 years until 1939. The city, and the entire nation, was gripped in fear of the bombs dropped by the German Luftwaffe, and people were instructed to practice "Air Raid Precautions". At a cost of £37,000 the empty, unused tunnel was converted into a communal air raid shelter for 9000 people. The coal dust was cleaned and some particularly bad stretches of the tunnel were whitewashed. Blast walls, made of thick concrete were added at regular intervals to stop bomb blasts and debris being able to affect the entire length of the tunnel. Electric lighting was fitted and a new concrete floor was laid. 500 bunk beds and wooden benches were installed along the walls, and chemical toilets enclosed in canvas cubicles were built near the entrances.
To make the tunnel easily accessible should the dreaded wail of the air raid siren sound, seven new entrances were completed along the length of the tunnel: Claremont Road, Hancock Museum, St Thomas’ Churchyard, Ridley Place, Shieldfield Green, Crawhall Road, and Ouse Street. At Ouse Street it was possible to walk straight into the tunnel, but the other access points looked like subway entrances and involved walking down a steep corridor.
During those dreadful wartime years the tunnel was a dark, damp, and uncomfortable place to shelter, so much so that some people chose not to use it as they found the thought of going down into the tunnel more frightening than facing the German bombers. Those who did rush for the sanctuary of the converted tunnel made themselves as comfortable as they could with their family and neighbours, singing songs to keep spirits high, and calm the children down, while waiting anxiously for the “all-clear” from up above.
The end of the war, also brought about the end of the tunnel's useful life - for a second time, and with hard post-war years ahead anything of value was stripped from the tunnel. Most of the fittings were removed and all of the entrances except Ouse Street were closed. The reason the Ouse Street entrance was left alone, was that it had been built on private land: the garden of number 14 Ouse Street.
After many decades of lying empty, a programme of visits was established by the Ouseburn Partnership in 1998, and in 2006, the City Council carried out a series of structural repairs and public safety measures to make a 700 metre stretch of the tunnel safe for the public. In 2009 the Victoria Tunnel opened once again, with tours leaving from the Ouse Street entrance (to find out more and book onto a tour go to the Trust's website http://ouseburntrust.org.uk/index.php?page=victoria-tunnel).
Are there ghosts hiding underground in the darkness offered by the Victoria Tunnel? Little is known, considering the tunnel only re-opened three short years ago, but having experienced the pitch black, claustrophobic conditions within the tunnel first hand, there's no denying how scary it has the potential to be. Only one person was ever killed in an accident within the tunnel, and that was in a section which is inaccessible. However the Ouseburn Trust's website teases "You may also be interested to hear about the sightings of a ghost seen in the Victoria Tunnel by visitors from a 'Paranormal' group!!"
John and Andy listen carefully, you can see the 'canary tester' dangling around Andy's neck
At the bottom of the initial walk down from the entrance we turned left and walked a couple of hundreds yards, until we reached a gate, which was unlocked and open, and beyond it was an art installation, this was as far as we could go. This colourful feature was added when the tunnel re-opened in 2009, commissioned by artist Adlinda van't Klooster and is a sound and light installation focusing on the codenames of British military research projects. Andy spotted a little tunnel at ankle height immediately to the left after passing through the gate, he crouched down to look into the tunnel and put his hands straight into wet mud.
We doubled-back and walked back past the junction where we could have taken a right to return to the entrance and walked onwards, into the deepest part of the tunnel.
We doubled-back and walked back past the junction where we could have taken a right to return to the entrance and walked onwards, into the deepest part of the tunnel.
I couldn't see anything when I took this photo, could this be breath, or perhaps something else.....
As we got deeper into the tunnel, the temperature remained constant - Andy had already told us that would be the case, but it seemed to get darker, and the ceiling constantly got lower and then higher, and then lower again. It wasn't too bad for me at 5'10", but Tom standing 6'3" without his hard hat was getting a sore neck, his stooped walk and gangly frame reminded me of the much maligned Jar Jar Binks from the prequel Star Wars Trilogy, but I didn't add to his woes by pointing this out at the time.
Beyond the first blast wall, we decided to do what we'd came here for - attempt to make contact with the dead. Andy opted to, rather bravely, carry on along the tunnel on his own, leaving Tom, John and I to 'do our thing'. We stood still, watching the powerful beam from Andy's torch eventually fade from view beyond the next blast wall. We turned our head torches off and were plunged into complete and utter darkness. There was total silence, and then John spoke "If there any spirits that can hear my voice, the three of us come in search of life after death. Please give us a sign, speak to us, touch us, show yourself if you are able.
There was a flash of bright light further along the corridor. I whispered "did you see that?", Tom responded saying it was most likely Andy coming back. We waited, the light didn't reappear and there was no sign of Andy. "Andy?" I shouted, my voice echoed loudly around us, but there was no response. John continued to ask aloud for any ghosts in the vicinity to give us some kind of a sign, however after ten minutes of waiting patiently all of our attempts to make contact proved fruitless.
Beyond the first blast wall, we decided to do what we'd came here for - attempt to make contact with the dead. Andy opted to, rather bravely, carry on along the tunnel on his own, leaving Tom, John and I to 'do our thing'. We stood still, watching the powerful beam from Andy's torch eventually fade from view beyond the next blast wall. We turned our head torches off and were plunged into complete and utter darkness. There was total silence, and then John spoke "If there any spirits that can hear my voice, the three of us come in search of life after death. Please give us a sign, speak to us, touch us, show yourself if you are able.
There was a flash of bright light further along the corridor. I whispered "did you see that?", Tom responded saying it was most likely Andy coming back. We waited, the light didn't reappear and there was no sign of Andy. "Andy?" I shouted, my voice echoed loudly around us, but there was no response. John continued to ask aloud for any ghosts in the vicinity to give us some kind of a sign, however after ten minutes of waiting patiently all of our attempts to make contact proved fruitless.
Lanky Tom struggles with the low ceilings of the tunnel
With no sign of Andy returning, we unanimously agreed to move further along the tunnel and try some new experiments. I led the way, with Tom behind me, and John bringing up the rear. "I'm sure my head torch isn't as bright as it used to me" grumbled Tom as we walked up the very gradual incline, I turned around and looked at him, illuminating him with my own torch beam. He was pointing his head towards the ceiling, then down to the floor with the purpose of seeing how bright the light was, he then held his hand in front of the head torch. I turned back and said "it's not turned on mate". I heard a click and then a beam of light illuminated me from behind, casting my long shadow across the tunnel wall ahead. "Oh yeah" he mumbled.
The further we walked, the damper the tunnel became, never particularly wet, but wet enough to make the ground underfoot a little slippery, and the occasional drip from the low tunnel roof. We reached the end of the long stretch of tunnel, passing a chemical toilet left over from the war, and were reunited with Andy.
I suggested we try a brand new piece of equipment, a trial run in the field in preparation for the flurry of Edinburgh investigations we have coming up next month. I wanted to put the Ghost Touch device to the test (available here) a straight forward device with a metal aerial, which when touched makes the device buzz and a red LED light up, similar to the old board game Operation, if you should touch the metal sides when trying to remove one of the ill man's oddly shaped bones there was a buzz and his nose lit up bright red.
The further we walked, the damper the tunnel became, never particularly wet, but wet enough to make the ground underfoot a little slippery, and the occasional drip from the low tunnel roof. We reached the end of the long stretch of tunnel, passing a chemical toilet left over from the war, and were reunited with Andy.
I suggested we try a brand new piece of equipment, a trial run in the field in preparation for the flurry of Edinburgh investigations we have coming up next month. I wanted to put the Ghost Touch device to the test (available here) a straight forward device with a metal aerial, which when touched makes the device buzz and a red LED light up, similar to the old board game Operation, if you should touch the metal sides when trying to remove one of the ill man's oddly shaped bones there was a buzz and his nose lit up bright red.
Tom with the Ghost Touch device
Tom held the device and asked for someone, anyone, to let us know they were there by touching the metal part of the box he was holding. We waiting, you could sense the anticipation, however nothing happened. I tried asking, but blanked too, as did John. Ten minutes had passed and we decided to write this device off for tonight, however I will use it again in the near future, and I had another ace up my sleeve I could barely wait to put to the test.
You can just about see the WW2 chemical toilet in this photo, however its clouded by this mysterious mist which wasn't visible when I took the photo
Just beyond the chemical toilet, was a junction, to the left was a closed and bolted gate, that the second Dave had told us to contact him by radio if we wanted to pass through, to the right was a steep, wet, muddy slope up to another entrance/exit to the tunnel. We turned left, Andy'd been up here on his solo wander around, and led the way. It was very slippy underfoot, and on our way back down Tom slipped over, just managing to regain his balance before he hit the deck.
At the bottom of the slope, back near the chemical toilet, with the time I suggested we try another new experiment, before troubling our guides to get access to the final area of the tunnel beyond the bolted gate.
This experiment is a device I've had for probably six months now, and I've been waiting for the right location in which to put it to the test. The Frank's Box is named for it's inventor Frank Sumption who designed the first incarnation of the device in 2002, claiming to have received the idea for the gadget from the spirit world. It works on the principle of Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) whereby spirits are able to communicate in the white noise between radio stations. The Frank's Box is designed to scan all AM radio frequencies sequentially for less than a second each, and the spirits can communicate with the user. The device is viewed skeptically by many members of the paranormal community as many of these frequencies are occupied so you will hear bits and pieces of words from these stations and this could lead to coincidences. Alternatively it could be pareidolia, which means the listener can make their own interpretations of what they are hearing to suit their requirements. These devices aren't readily available for sale, and I had to have mine imported from the States, I did a lot of research before handing over my hard earned money, and there have been some astounding results which have managed to convince even the most hardened cynics that there may well be some benefit to using these devices as part of an investigation.
At the bottom of the slope, back near the chemical toilet, with the time I suggested we try another new experiment, before troubling our guides to get access to the final area of the tunnel beyond the bolted gate.
This experiment is a device I've had for probably six months now, and I've been waiting for the right location in which to put it to the test. The Frank's Box is named for it's inventor Frank Sumption who designed the first incarnation of the device in 2002, claiming to have received the idea for the gadget from the spirit world. It works on the principle of Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) whereby spirits are able to communicate in the white noise between radio stations. The Frank's Box is designed to scan all AM radio frequencies sequentially for less than a second each, and the spirits can communicate with the user. The device is viewed skeptically by many members of the paranormal community as many of these frequencies are occupied so you will hear bits and pieces of words from these stations and this could lead to coincidences. Alternatively it could be pareidolia, which means the listener can make their own interpretations of what they are hearing to suit their requirements. These devices aren't readily available for sale, and I had to have mine imported from the States, I did a lot of research before handing over my hard earned money, and there have been some astounding results which have managed to convince even the most hardened cynics that there may well be some benefit to using these devices as part of an investigation.
We turned out our lights and were once more shrouded by total darkness, however the canary tester around Andy's neck occasionally flashed, flooding the area in an eerie green glow. I turned on the Frank's box, and the illuminated LED clearing showed the frequency 520 AM. I held the 'scan' up arrow for a few seconds and it began cycling through the stations.
"What is your name?" I asked.
We waited, listening carefully to the white noise of the scanned frequencies. No response.
"Can you say hello?" I requested.
Nothing.
John spoke up, asking what seemed like a strange question "Are you stood behind Andy?"
We heard a clear response "Yes"
We looked at one another in the dim glow from the display on the box, we'd all heard the same thing.
"Did you say yes?" I asked to confirm.
There was no response.
"We've came to find proof that there are spirits here within the tunnel..." I was interrupted by a voice saying "yes" through the box.
"What is your name?" I asked, in an effort to keep the communication going.
"Yes" the voice said again
"Can you only say yes?" asked Tom
"Yes" it said for a third time.
"Are you here now with the four of us"? said John
"No" said the voice. If there was someone there, 'it' was playing with us.
"Are you behind Andy" Tom asked
"No, you" the voice said, this freaked Tom out and had him looking over his shoulder.
"Do you wish to harm us?" I asked, much to the concern of John
"Yes" a voice clearly replied.
"Do you want us dead?" I pressed to try and get some meaningful responses from whoever it was that was speaking with us. As I finished talking there was a loud rumble overhead; a passing train, which drowned out any response we may have been getting from the Frank's Box. This was probably for the best given the question I'd asked.
I was determined to try and get a name so continued to ask questions "What is your name?"
The voice said what I heard as Ian, and Tom heard as Steve, so I asked for clarification "Is your name Steve?"
"Yes" he confirmed.
"Hello Steve, I said, "Do you want to talk to us?"
"No" he confirmed, John saying "that was a clear no" to confirm what we'd all heard.
"Do you wish to harm us Steve?" I said, placing emphasis on his name.
No response.
"Do you like us being here?"
No response.
"Come on Steve" I challenged "tell us why you're here"
No response. A change of approach was needed.
"OK Steve, how many spirits are here in this tunnel with us, is there just you?" I queried.
"Six" he said.
"Six?" I asked, surprised.
"Six" he said again.
"Six?" Tom asked again, clearly startled by the response.
"Six" said Steve again.
John said quietly under his breath "He's said 666 now....."
"Can you say my name Steve, my name is Rob"
"Rob" repeated the voice, John said "that sounded like Rob" which backed up what I'd heard. Tom pointed out that it seemed to be getting darker around us.
"Did you work in the coal trade Steve?"
"No" he immediately responded.
Andy spoke for the first time during the experiment, and pointed out that every time the frequency reached 690 AM there was a sound. I tuned the radio to 690 AM and Colin Murray was talking on BBC Radio Five. We discussed this at length, could the voices we'd heard, and the responses to all of these questions have been Colin Murray? It seemed unlikely given the responses we had received, and the relevance to the questions asked, however in the interest of remaining rational we couldn't rule it out. We will use Frank's Box again in the very near future.
We thanked Steve and with the time now after 10:00pm, we reluctantly decided to move on, Andy was eager to get access to the final area of the tunnel, an area which you don't get to see on the daytime tours. We radioed through to the second Dave, and after five short minutes the tunnel was bathed in bright torch light, which grew brighter as the nearer he got to us.
"What is your name?" I asked.
We waited, listening carefully to the white noise of the scanned frequencies. No response.
"Can you say hello?" I requested.
Nothing.
John spoke up, asking what seemed like a strange question "Are you stood behind Andy?"
We heard a clear response "Yes"
We looked at one another in the dim glow from the display on the box, we'd all heard the same thing.
"Did you say yes?" I asked to confirm.
There was no response.
"We've came to find proof that there are spirits here within the tunnel..." I was interrupted by a voice saying "yes" through the box.
"What is your name?" I asked, in an effort to keep the communication going.
"Yes" the voice said again
"Can you only say yes?" asked Tom
"Yes" it said for a third time.
"Are you here now with the four of us"? said John
"No" said the voice. If there was someone there, 'it' was playing with us.
"Are you behind Andy" Tom asked
"No, you" the voice said, this freaked Tom out and had him looking over his shoulder.
"Do you wish to harm us?" I asked, much to the concern of John
"Yes" a voice clearly replied.
"Do you want us dead?" I pressed to try and get some meaningful responses from whoever it was that was speaking with us. As I finished talking there was a loud rumble overhead; a passing train, which drowned out any response we may have been getting from the Frank's Box. This was probably for the best given the question I'd asked.
I was determined to try and get a name so continued to ask questions "What is your name?"
The voice said what I heard as Ian, and Tom heard as Steve, so I asked for clarification "Is your name Steve?"
"Yes" he confirmed.
"Hello Steve, I said, "Do you want to talk to us?"
"No" he confirmed, John saying "that was a clear no" to confirm what we'd all heard.
"Do you wish to harm us Steve?" I said, placing emphasis on his name.
No response.
"Do you like us being here?"
No response.
"Come on Steve" I challenged "tell us why you're here"
No response. A change of approach was needed.
"OK Steve, how many spirits are here in this tunnel with us, is there just you?" I queried.
"Six" he said.
"Six?" I asked, surprised.
"Six" he said again.
"Six?" Tom asked again, clearly startled by the response.
"Six" said Steve again.
John said quietly under his breath "He's said 666 now....."
"Can you say my name Steve, my name is Rob"
"Rob" repeated the voice, John said "that sounded like Rob" which backed up what I'd heard. Tom pointed out that it seemed to be getting darker around us.
"Did you work in the coal trade Steve?"
"No" he immediately responded.
Andy spoke for the first time during the experiment, and pointed out that every time the frequency reached 690 AM there was a sound. I tuned the radio to 690 AM and Colin Murray was talking on BBC Radio Five. We discussed this at length, could the voices we'd heard, and the responses to all of these questions have been Colin Murray? It seemed unlikely given the responses we had received, and the relevance to the questions asked, however in the interest of remaining rational we couldn't rule it out. We will use Frank's Box again in the very near future.
We thanked Steve and with the time now after 10:00pm, we reluctantly decided to move on, Andy was eager to get access to the final area of the tunnel, an area which you don't get to see on the daytime tours. We radioed through to the second Dave, and after five short minutes the tunnel was bathed in bright torch light, which grew brighter as the nearer he got to us.
The crucifix added during the WW2 conversion of the tunnel
Dave took us through the gate into the area beyond, which was blocked off with sand bags after only a short distance. He explained the damage done to this area of the tunnel during the Great Storm of the 28th of June; a day which will live long in the memory as it was the worst storm in the recent history of the city. A month's worth of rain fell in just two hours causing virtually all of the roads to flood and be closed as the streets ran like rivers. The Metro Centre flooded, as did the Tyne Tunnel, and the Newcastle Central Station. Video footage of the Tyne Bridge being struck by lightning made the news worldwide as 1500 individual lightning strikes illuminated the stormy skies over the city during that two hour window of chaos. The effect that it had on the Victoria Tunnel was devastating as it was flooded right up to the roof, all of the electrics were fried, including the fire alarm system, the lighting and sound, the only thing that wasn't ruined was the radio system. It's only through the hard word and determination of volunteers such as Dave and Dave, that the tunnel tours were back up and running almost immediately.
I left Andy, who loves anything to do with the tunnel, grilling Dave on all things 'tunnely' as Tom listened in keenly. John and I decided to try and communicate with Steve, who we'd been speaking to just beyond the heavy iron door. We stood next to the door, which was open, but still, and we asked Steve to use our energy to move the door. We encouraged him, we both believed as if there was no possible way the door wouldn't move but it didn't move at all. We changed tact, and challenged Steve to display his power, prove to us he even had the capability to move the door. Again, nothing.
Once Andy had finished discussing the tunnel with Dave, Dave left us to it, and the four of us agreed to hold one last vigil, further along the tunnel, nearer the entrance. Time was against us, we had the tunnel 8:00pm until 11:00pm, and we had less than 30 minutes remaining.
Just before the final blast door on our return leg along the tunnel we stood silently in a circle, torches off, in absolutely darkness. John asked aloud for a sign; a noise, something visible, effect us in someway, however nothing happened, and we all openly admitted that it felt flat. We tried to stay positive and continued to press for results, but it just wasn't happening.
We'd had a great night, and we chatted excitedly about the last few hours as we made our way back up to the entrance where the two Daves were waiting for us. We dropped our hard hats into a box, and resurfaced into the mild night's air. We thanked the Daves for the great night, handshakes all round, and we headed back to the Cluny where we had parked.
It was our first ghost hunt in the region for many years, but you can expect many more in the months to come.
I left Andy, who loves anything to do with the tunnel, grilling Dave on all things 'tunnely' as Tom listened in keenly. John and I decided to try and communicate with Steve, who we'd been speaking to just beyond the heavy iron door. We stood next to the door, which was open, but still, and we asked Steve to use our energy to move the door. We encouraged him, we both believed as if there was no possible way the door wouldn't move but it didn't move at all. We changed tact, and challenged Steve to display his power, prove to us he even had the capability to move the door. Again, nothing.
Once Andy had finished discussing the tunnel with Dave, Dave left us to it, and the four of us agreed to hold one last vigil, further along the tunnel, nearer the entrance. Time was against us, we had the tunnel 8:00pm until 11:00pm, and we had less than 30 minutes remaining.
Just before the final blast door on our return leg along the tunnel we stood silently in a circle, torches off, in absolutely darkness. John asked aloud for a sign; a noise, something visible, effect us in someway, however nothing happened, and we all openly admitted that it felt flat. We tried to stay positive and continued to press for results, but it just wasn't happening.
We'd had a great night, and we chatted excitedly about the last few hours as we made our way back up to the entrance where the two Daves were waiting for us. We dropped our hard hats into a box, and resurfaced into the mild night's air. We thanked the Daves for the great night, handshakes all round, and we headed back to the Cluny where we had parked.
It was our first ghost hunt in the region for many years, but you can expect many more in the months to come.
Conclusion
It was a great return to ghost hunting in our own back yard, and Andy readily admitted after we'd left that it might have been the greatest Friday night he's ever had, but what did we experience that could be classed as paranormal?
I captured two unusual photos which seem to contain a thick fog, or mist, and when I discussed it with the others we all agreed it may be breath captured in the image. It's tricky to say, as the second one in particular, which contains the chemical toilet in the photo looks more like cigarette smoke than breath to me, it's that thick, but none of us smoke. As ever though, with our rational heads on, we can't rule anything out so we have to discount these images as not being conclusive evidence of spirit being present in the Victoria Tunnel.
The flash of light I saw when we made our first attempts to contact spirit was strange, we thought it may have been Andy, but it's clear that it wasn't, so I'm not sure how to explain it rationally.
The most interesting element of the entire investigation for me was the Frank's Box session with our new friend Steve. We can't really say that this was 100% definitely a spirit communicating due to the nature of the device, however I'm fascinated, and after testing this device out in a few other locations I would be interested to take the box back below ground and see if Steve fancies talking to us again.
I captured two unusual photos which seem to contain a thick fog, or mist, and when I discussed it with the others we all agreed it may be breath captured in the image. It's tricky to say, as the second one in particular, which contains the chemical toilet in the photo looks more like cigarette smoke than breath to me, it's that thick, but none of us smoke. As ever though, with our rational heads on, we can't rule anything out so we have to discount these images as not being conclusive evidence of spirit being present in the Victoria Tunnel.
The flash of light I saw when we made our first attempts to contact spirit was strange, we thought it may have been Andy, but it's clear that it wasn't, so I'm not sure how to explain it rationally.
The most interesting element of the entire investigation for me was the Frank's Box session with our new friend Steve. We can't really say that this was 100% definitely a spirit communicating due to the nature of the device, however I'm fascinated, and after testing this device out in a few other locations I would be interested to take the box back below ground and see if Steve fancies talking to us again.
