Ghost hunters told: 'Just go...'

IS HERM the Bailiwick's most haunted island?Many visitors would say it is the spirit of the island that brings them back year after year and for those of us who live in Herm, its long and rich history is certainly part of what keeps us here.

Members of the Spirit paranormal group last weekend held the first White House Hotel Ghost Hunt to try to answer the question. The two-night event was centred on the hotel, which is closed for winter, although guests stay in hotel cottage rooms on a bed and breakfast basis, with breakfast being taken at the Mermaid.

Spirit members came to the island a couple of times in the autumn to look for signs of the otherworldly in various locations and what they found made them eager to return.

In one of the cottages, they witnessed several moving orbs and streaks of light showing up on photographs of dark rooms. They also clearly recorded a female-sounding voice telling them to 'go', while a ghost box provided the words 'just go' and 'get out'.

The White House was no disappointment. Guests were able to spend time with the paranormal team, learning how to use the various pieces of equipment. They were then able to gain hands-on experience as they explored various locations in the hotel.

Spirit co-founder Tim organised the event and was pleased with the results, all of which will be analysed over the next few weeks.

'There was a lot of activity on one particular vigil,' he said. 'We were in a bedroom when we heard what sounded like footsteps of my team coming up the stairs to join us. After a few seconds of wondering why the door hadn't opened, I went to see if they were coming in, to find nobody there. Checking via our mobile radios, they were on their way up from reception at the time. We recreated this and no footsteps were heard until the stairs outside the room were reached.'

In another part of the hotel, Kevin, one of the guests, saw on camera a dark figure walking through the lounge towards the Monk's Bar. At the same time, team investigator Kathy was listening to footsteps in the same place.

Jenny Wood mentions this area in her book as the exact place where friends of hers experienced much the same thing many years ago.

There is much more to be discovered and Spirit would like to make the ghost hunts a regular event. Anyone interested in joining them can contact Tim and the team at www.facebook.com/spiritgsy. They are also always on the lookout for new locations - public or private - in Guernsey.

There will always be cynics when it comes to anything paranormal, despite the fact that the island's past involves such diverse characters as monks, pirates and royalty. But if you've ever been caught on the drive or on the common alone at dusk, it can leave you wondering if the ghosts of the thousands of people who have set foot on our little patch of land may not still resonate in the winds and the storms of winter.