"I Was The Shadow Figure" With Andy from Spooky Island Radio! Ep.141

[00:00:11] Well then guys, welcome back into The Spooky Shed Podcast, your go-to place for conversations around all things weird, scary and of course spooky. Tonight with me I have got Andy from Spooky Island Radio, so Andy welcome into The Shed mate, how are we? Yeah, thank you for having me. Yeah, no not bad, like I say, hot. Still hot here in London, so it's like about 33 still. It's cooled down a lot up here. Oh god, I miss being up north, I miss being up north for that exact reason.

[00:00:39] It depends what's up north to you though. Well, it's probably a bit more south than you, like Manchester ways. Yeah, I'll allow it, I usually say anything past Leeds is down south to me. Got you, well yeah, fair enough. I mean, Tommy, he's on another planet. Where's he from again? He's like, I think he's near Bournemouth way now. Oh god is he? He's Essex originally, but I'm sure he's down near Bournemouth now, so that's just another planet to me there. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:01:09] At least he's by the coast if he's in Bournemouth. Yeah, well I mean, I'm near the coast, but it's still fucking freezing that majority of the time. But yeah. Yeah. A bit warmer down there. Anyway, so as you know, I always get my guests to leave something in the shed with me. So you said you've thought about it, so what have you got for me? I've thought about it now. I don't know how weird it is or whether it's even the right sort of answer, but so I am a vet nurse in the UK.

[00:01:35] So obviously I have been around a lot of dead animals, just straight out there. And you know, sometimes we think, oh, you know, sometimes there'll be something that will just fall off the top shelf and I'm like, that's a cat. A hundred percent, that's a cat. So I'm going to leave with you all the dead cats and dogs from my practices to live in your shed. As long as it's not birds, that's fine. Yeah. No, just cats, dogs, little mammals. You're good.

[00:02:05] Fair enough. Fair enough. I mean, my garden's full of dead animals anyway, because I've only got two cats. So yeah. Well, I mean, there's only one that actually kills everything. One of them literally brought home a rabbit the other day. Oh God. How did he catch a rabbit? I've got no idea. And I'm not even joking you. The rabbit was about the same size as him. He's only a small cat. He is very small for a cat.

[00:02:30] And this rabbit was, like I say, probably that much smaller than him. I don't know how the hell he managed it. Got like seven fences as well around the house. I don't even want to know. But yeah. It's impressive really. I mean, in a way it was, but until I went to shovel it up and rolled it over in half, its neck was missing. Oh. Yeah. Not good. Exactly. But it's definitely weird and I'll take it. That's my rule. I have to take everything. So holding up plugs. But yeah.

[00:03:00] Yeah. The less said about that, the better. Oh God. Right, man. So I always like to start at the beginning with people. So where does your interest into the paranormal and all that weird stuff, where does it all start for you? Yeah. So, I mean, I was probably, I mean, you probably get this a lot with people from the UK. I started when I was like 12, 13, watching Most Haunted with my mum.

[00:03:28] Like, you know, watched all the episodes, all the Most Haunted Lives. Like it was a big thing in our house. Like we'd sit down and watch them every single night that they were on. So that's sort of where it started. And I don't know, I think obviously, like I say, now I'm a vet nurse. So I've always been quite empathetic and sort of a bit more on that, like the sensitive side of things. So I think that sort of plays into it a little bit.

[00:03:57] But yeah, watching Most Haunted with my mum, sort of where it started. Fair enough. Fair enough. It's similar to me. I was very weird when I was a kid and I used to sit in the bedroom and talk to people when I was like five and six. But I don't really, I have very vague memories of doing it, but I don't have strong memories. So I can never remember anything that like I said or anything that, or if anything was said next, said back to me. I mean, I might have just been nuts and actually talking to myself. I don't actually know, but possibly not.

[00:04:27] But yeah, like it was a, it was a thing for a lot of people. Like it was one of them things where literally the whole like family got together to watch Most Haunted, especially the live ones, wasn't it? Yeah, it was great. And I mean, I know like, I think towards the start, they were probably a bit more into trying to actually get some answers and then it got a bit ridiculous and it's, you know, pretty much we know is fake now.

[00:04:50] Um, but, um, I think it, it, it did bring the paranormal a lot into the, um, into the public eye, especially in the UK. Like, um, it was that show I think that sort of started it and where would we be now? Like, would we have our podcasts, our shows on YouTube? Would we have that? It's like, you know, so it's, it's definitely serves a purpose and thankful for it. So yeah. Oh, a hundred percent.

[00:05:20] And like I said, I mean, there's still a place for it. I mean, if it's on TV now, I'll still watch it on occasion. I mean, like depend, depending, you know, with what era it was. Yeah. I personally think, and we'll, we'll definitely touch on this place later. I think it was their 30 East drive. And I think after that, that was when it went downhill personally. A hundred percent. I honestly don't know what they were thinking because like, obviously I'm just like you

[00:05:46] say, I'm sure we'll get into it, but it was so obviously faked. It was, and they were live. Like, I don't, I don't know what they, they thought they were going to get away with it. But yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think, I think for me, that was when he, either then or the whole Mary loves dick incident. Oh yeah. Classic. Classic. I mean, it's still fucking hilarious, but I think that was when like the casual viewers probably thought right now. Just too much. Yeah, exactly.

[00:06:17] Not about that life. Yeah. So your podcast then. So where does the, where did the, where did the idea for that start? And the name was that, is that inspired by the Scooby-Doo movie, The Only Chance? Yeah, it is. I mean, so obviously it started a few years ago. Me and my friend had this podcast. We had this idea, it was called Haunted Hangover. And we basically came up with stories each week or, you know, found stories online or about

[00:06:47] places, that sort of thing. And, um, sort of told them across to each other. Sort of similar to yourself. And, um, does it Tommy to say? Sorry, I've got his name now. At the start of your podcast journey. Oh, well, my old co-host was called Billy. I was on a podcast coming from Let's Get Freaky. I was on a podcast. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's sort of similar to what you and Billy were doing.

[00:07:11] Um, and it's sort of, we had, we, you know, basically we were getting pissed, getting pissed reading these stories to each other. Um, and it was all good fun, but sort of her heart wasn't in it as much as mine. Um, so then it's sort of, she sort of came to me like a year and she's like, oh, you know, I'm, I've really don't think I've got time for it anymore. I was like, it's fine. Just tell me like, it's absolutely fine. Like, you know, I'll pivot in a way which I have.

[00:07:39] Um, so that's where I sort of like, okay, I need to come up with a new name because it's a different format now. And, um, yeah, thought like, yeah, spooky islands. I was like, obviously scuba doo, but obviously I was just looking for random names, but yeah, definitely inspired, um, by that. And then obviously did that for, by myself for probably about another year or so, at which point I sort of decided, okay, I need to sort of, I like the format of doing the podcast,

[00:08:09] but I'd find I wasn't getting much feedback from people. And like, I think I wanted a bit more like interaction with people, which when I was like, okay, let's, let's do the jump to, to YouTube and video format instead. Um, and that's sort of how it's come about. And then it's sort of, it's sort of changed from doing stories about places to actually like, I'm like, I literally thought to myself, I was like, I'm an adult with free will and money.

[00:08:38] Like I could just buy a camera. Yeah. Most haunted style and like start filming these places. So that's sort of the natural progression. And now I'm basically paranormal investigating, um, rather than the sort of just scary story side of it. Yeah. I was going to say, but both our podcasting journeys are quite similar because mine started off by getting pissed as well, but it wasn't, it wasn't paranormal stuff.

[00:09:07] It was because I'd wanted to start, I'd want to start a podcast for years and well, never had anyone to do it with. Never really had the confidence to do it until the message just kept, cause I just kept annoying her telling her that I wanted to do it. And then she finally gave in and said, she'd do it with me. And then, but we didn't actually know what we were going to do it about. So we literally just recorded ourselves sat on the sofa, just getting hammered and called it two beers in a pod. Oh. I did, I liked it.

[00:09:33] I did, I did think the name was quite good, like for it, but there was, there was no format or structure to it or anything. It was literally just drivel. Just chilling. And then she hated doing it. So. Nice. Yeah. Basically. Hi. So. So we mentioned now, obviously you've started into the investigating side and like you say, we'll definitely come to 30 years drive.

[00:09:57] So what were your early experiences of investigating? Yeah. So, I mean, I mean, you know, when I was in that most haunted area, when I was like 13, 14, that's when I sort of had like my first experience. So I sort of, I sort of, we moved into this house and it was like a new build.

[00:10:25] It'd been like an old man and woman who lived there before us, but you know, it's a new estate, a new build. Um, and yeah, basically they didn't want kids living in the house for some reason. This is what I remember. So me and my sister only, um, saw the house the night we moved in because they were like, we don't want kids living in the house. They wouldn't have sold it to my parents if they'd have known kids were living in the house, that sort of thing. And then fucking weird, weird, weird.

[00:10:54] And then when I met, you know, got made friends with the kids in like the close and stuff like that, they were like, Oh, you're in that house. They were like, Oh, like they were horrible. Like they were really horrible. Um, so that was the, you know, sets the scene. And then whether, whether this actually happened, this is how I remember it, but you know, we know how the human mind works. I remember getting a card through the door and it was to the woman who used to live there.

[00:11:23] And it was a sympathy card. Obviously the husband had died and they hadn't told everybody, you know, they changed the dress. And then it's like, okay, that's a bit strange. And the first experience I had, so it was probably not long after that, I was playing my bass guitar in my room Saturday afternoon by myself. Everyone was out broad daylight.

[00:11:50] And I'm sort of like moving my head from like side to side, just like playing along some music. And I, out the corner of my eye, I see like a shadow go down the stairs. I was like, someone come in. Like it was enough for me to like put my guitar down, stop the music and go and see if somebody was there. Literally was like a solid shadow walking down the stairs. Um, and yeah, nobody there.

[00:12:19] Um, parents came in like 10 minutes later and they were like, oh no, it's just your imagination. Just your imagination. Um, so that was like, that was like the first thing. Um, I thought, okay, this is strange. And a couple of months later I had this really weird dream. And I've spoken to like mediums and, you know, just people out on investigations.

[00:12:48] And they seem to think it's almost like astral projection or like, um, out of body experience I had. But basically it was like a film is all I can describe it. It was like a really vivid dream. And I was in bed and it was like a closeup of my face. And I was sort of speaking in my mind's eye to this figure on the other side of my door.

[00:13:15] Um, and I'd say something and then it would cut to like a closeup, like the shadow figure on the other side of the door. And he'd respond and then it would cut back to me. And we sort of had this back and forth and really, really vivid. And then I said something along the lines of, oh, I don't believe it's you. Is it you? So I saw, I don't believe it is something along those lines. And then I heard the door open.

[00:13:42] So I heard like the latch go like, and like, and I watched, I literally just got shivers like talking about it. And I watched as like my bedroom door opened and I was watching myself sleep in bed. And it was like, I was the shadow figure. And then basically rushed towards my body and like woke up in that cold sweat. So that's, that's just, that's just give me goosebumps.

[00:14:11] That is trippy as hell. I've never, I've never heard anything like that. I've done quite a few of these now when I've spoke to a lot of people who've had a lot of experiences, but, and a lot of the time it's like, it's, it's like nine times out of 10 with me, with me opening question. It's usually always the same sort of answer, but nobody's ever told me anything like that. That is, that is bizarre. Yeah.

[00:14:35] It was so strange and it was, like I say, such a vivid dream. Um, and it was like, like I was out of body, like I was taking on this form almost. So it's like super strange. And, you know, obviously going forward, I was like pretty freaked out. Yeah.

[00:14:57] Um, but after maybe a few days after that, like the, the tension almost lifted in the house. Like, I mean, I'm telling you, it wasn't a scary house, you know, it was just, it was a modern detached three, four bedroom. You know, it was perfectly nice, but it had felt a bit tense leading up to that dream. And after, after it, after it had settled, it felt absolutely fine.

[00:15:27] Like I almost felt, um, like it wasn't really there anymore. It wasn't sort of, didn't have its eyes set on me, but I knew it was still there because, um, I had a few friends around, like parents were away. So I'm a bit older at this point. Parents were away. So obviously I have people around, you know, got to do it, got to do it. Um, and my mate was like, oh, you know, I feel a bit knackered. Can I go to bed? I was like, yeah, of course you can.

[00:15:56] Like what are you asking for? Just if you, you know, if you're not feeling well, just go to bed. And so he, so he went upstairs and I was sort of, we were just sort of chatting, chilling and we were drinking, but not like massive amounts. Um, and I was sort of leaning up against the living room door and the stairs to go upstairs were just behind me. Um, and somebody went, oh, has Martin just gone upstairs?

[00:16:23] I was like, no, well, he's been in bed for about 40, 50 minutes. Why? And they were like, someone's just walked past you and gone upstairs. There's like, it's gotta be him. And I was like, it's not a hundred percent. Like it's definitely not him. Um, but it sort of felt like, so other people had seen it as well, but it sort of felt like it wasn't bothered with me anymore.

[00:16:46] So I don't, I don't, the way speaking about it with people and stuff, I've said, well, maybe it's because you stood up to it or yes, it didn't want kids in its house, but because you stood up to it, it's like, well, you're not, you're not a kid sort of thing. Yeah. It sort of left, left me be a bit at that point. Hmm. I mean, can, can you remember then? Cause I, I can probably imagine how hard feeling.

[00:17:13] So when, when your friend said that, said that to you, like, say you, you knew that it wasn't him going up the stairs. Yeah. I know for a fact that I'd have just got like a feeling of, oh shit, this is going to happen again. Sort of thing. Like, can you, can you remember how you felt in the time? Yeah. I kind of, I felt like absolutely fine. Yeah. It almost felt like I was just co-inhabiting with it and we were both fine with it. Hmm. Like after that dream, like I never had another bad experience in that house.

[00:17:43] And I just sort of felt like, yeah, it is what it is. It's sort of like both just living there in existence almost. Yeah. Cause it, it, it's weird. And it's, it's something I've been experiencing a lot the last year or so. Like, like you say, like, like, like energies and just like feelings and atmospheres. Like you can, you can tell when there's, you know, if there's, if, if there's something going on just, just by the, just by like the feel of the room, if that makes sense. Yeah.

[00:18:13] It really does. Yeah. Like I always, I always tell stories about my granddad and stuff and like my, my, my way of explaining it is, is like, I can tell when he's in the house because when I'm in here, it's like, I, it's like, it's like, I know somebody, somebody's in the house, but I don't

[00:18:42] know when, so when recently when I went to East drive, you know, we'll get into it a little bit, I'm sure. But I didn't think it was that bad. I didn't think it was that bad, but you know, I'm, I'm filming it and it's difficult for these things to come across on video. But, um, you know, it was me and three other people there. And, um, it was like early, it was still daylight outside and we were getting like,

[00:19:12] everybody's getting B roll for their videos, you know? Yeah. And one of my mates is just coming down the stairs and I'm literally just going up the stairs with my camera. And it's a feeling that you get. And I, I felt that somebody was in the bedroom and I thought it was one, it was one of the girls we were there with getting some B roll in the bedroom. And then I realized I just walked past her downstairs. I was like, so it's not her. It's not him.

[00:19:42] Cause he's just walked past me. And I said, Oh, you know, is Alice, where's Alice? She's upstairs. And they're like, no, we're all down here. But it felt like I'd walked into someone's energy and you sort of feel something there and it doesn't come across on a video, but you can feel it. Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We'll, we'll, we'll jump into East Drive now. Cause obviously we, I mean, I was there beginning of the year.

[00:20:06] You've been, you've been there more recent than I have, but I've always said when I was there, I thought that, I thought there was definitely more of an energy upstairs than there was downstairs. I thought personally. Yeah. Well, I, I think it's, I think it's a residual haunting. I don't think it's this black monk. And I think that because we, so we got there.

[00:20:31] So the other one, the guys who I went with, he'd been there a few times and he said, let's head out at the start of the night. Let's just set up some cameras and go for something to eat and a little drink in local spoons. I was like, okay. So we went in, got a feel for the place, um, and set up our cameras and, um, and left for about an hour and a half, two hours, probably too long.

[00:21:02] We ended up spending most of our time at the pub having something to eat. But, um, and I, you know, I went, was trawling through all of the footage and we caught a lot of stuff, like a lot of noises, um, like footsteps, some of the, um, like REM pods and stuff going off, doors opening. Um, and, but it, it, it's all sounds of somebody who used to live there. That's, that's what I feel.

[00:21:31] It was like walking up and down the stairs or walking across the landing or coming to sit down on the couch where the REM pod is and it's setting it off. That's the sort of vibe I got. I didn't really get this feeling of dread that people seem to get when they go there. And I don't know if that's just cause I'm a bit more like, I've, I always say I've done it the wrong way around.

[00:21:56] People usually don't believe and then have their, like, and are trying to search for the truth and then they get something that happens and then they believe. Well, I'm doing it the wrong way around because I definitely feel like I saw all that stuff we spoke about and feel like it definitely happened to me and I'm a believer. But the more I go out and look for it, the less I believe that there is something because, because a lot of the time nothing happens, which is fine.

[00:22:25] That's the way paranormal investigating is. Um, but it's, but it's strange. You know, I go to these places where people have run out of the place and knives have been thrown and left everywhere and people have been yanked up the stairs. And I'm like, it's a different building. Like, honestly, I thought there was something there, but not this poltergeist that everybody talks about, in my opinion. Yeah.

[00:22:52] Because I was, like you say, I mean, I mean, I've not, I've not been to many places yet because I've only just started doing proper investigations fairly, fairly recently. And I was, I wasn't disappointed by it, but I did expect more. Yeah. If you say, I was sort of hoping for, you know, like fucking crucifix has been turned upside down and mirrors being smashed and doors swinging left, right and center, chairs being thrown

[00:23:21] through windows and, you know, all the extreme shit that, I mean, I want to say doesn't happen, but I don't know. I suppose, I suppose it could do, but it's like I said that, that, that, that, this is the whole thing with the paranormal. It's like, you know, you, you can be, you can be a believer, but you, you can, it's my, my old catchphrase used to be that I believe in things, but I don't know what I believe in because I can only believe in the things that I've seen, the things I've experienced, heard, smelled, felt and all, all of that.

[00:23:50] And obviously everybody, like I say, obviously it was probably the same when you were there, like everybody has different feelings when you're there. I mean, cause like I, like I said, when, when I was there, I felt there was definitely a lot more energy upstairs. And then some people were saying that, oh, it's the same upstairs and downstairs. Whereas like to me, when I was downstairs, I could have been, I could have been sat in here. I just, it felt fine. It was, it was bizarre. But then the only, the weirdest thing that happened for me personally, when I was there

[00:24:18] was my little scrying incident, which I talk about all the time cause it still freaked me out. But in the, in the, in the main bedroom with a dressing table. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Them things are fucking awful as well. Especially the one with no bloody eye. I was like, burn that. Yeah. Well, I was sat scrying there for about five, six, seven minutes. If you, if we want to be precise.

[00:24:43] And then like, like, like you said, like obviously don't know for definite if this actually happened, but in my head it happened. And I was staring, I was just staring at myself and then my reflection, my eyes looked to the right, but I didn't. Yeah. So I was like, right now, I'm out. I need, I need 10 minutes outside. Yeah. Just to compose myself. And then the, the only other real, I need this, this could start a little conversation

[00:25:12] about coincidence that the whole talk of shadow stuff has triggered something for me. So one thing that we got while, whilst we were downstairs funny enough was when we're using one of the, like the spirit talker apps. I can't remember which one that was being used. And I'm a bit ambiguous about the apps that you can get. But on that, cause obviously, as you'll know, there's a picture of, uh, the dad that lived there. I can't remember, can't remember what his name was.

[00:25:41] And, uh, somebody had said like, you know, or, you know, who, who's here with us sort of thing. And then the spirit talker, whatever app it was says the man in the painting. I mean, obviously I know it's not a pain and it's his photograph, but yeah. But still it's like, you know, you can't get much. It's a coincidence. Yeah. Like I said, and I mean, then, then, like I said, that all comes around to the thing of do you believe in coincidences or not? It is strange, isn't it?

[00:26:10] Like coincidences. And what was I, um, you know, it crops up more and more, I think in paranormal, paranormal stuff. And it's like, do you believe in it or not? You know, is it fate and stuff like that? Cause I was, I know you've had on, um, Chris, uh, can't remember his surname, but, um, from Erie Hall. Yeah. Um, and you know, when I was talking to him, I was like, it's coincidence after coincidence after coincidence.

[00:26:40] And at what point, you know, do you call it fate that you were supposed to be there or, you know, um, things start adding up. Like the spirit talker app says something that you specifically ask out for, um, you know, it's, it is, it does make you think sometimes definitely. Yeah. It's cause I, I always say with the apps that could very easily be programmed to listen to what you're talking about. Listen to what you're, yeah. What you're, what you're talking about and sort of what you're asking for.

[00:27:08] Like, you know, especially if you're asking for names and stuff. Yeah. But I mean, I mean, I suppose if you very well could be in a room with a photo or a painting of somebody who was there, but like you say, it does seem like a bit of a stretch for that just to, uh, I say, even if it is programmed, that'd be some really bloody good programming by whoever made the app. Yeah. Yeah. No, definitely. Well, my little coincidence thing there that I was going to bring up, it's like sort of

[00:27:34] triggered some and like we're talking about fate and stuff because like I say, I'm, I'm, I'm pretty sure we've, we've tried to do this once before and obviously we're going to be doing the little, that little side project that seems to have gone dead. Yeah. Um, and then given, given what you've left in the shed. So I, I very often see like things out the corner of my, corner of my ears. Does that make sense? Out the corner of my eye. Yeah.

[00:28:01] Like, but at eye level, like, you know, as if it would be a person. Hmm. But very recently I've been seeing like, like little shadows, like at me feet sort of thing. Like cats and dogs. Yeah. And like I said, like, like I'm, I'm, I'm not going to make that up because people know, like you say, when I started this, I was very, very skeptical and I still like to be skeptical about things.

[00:28:27] But that just, that seems very, that's like too good. If you know what I mean? And yeah, you've been seeing it and then I leave that in the shed. Yeah. Yeah. And like I said, given, given the fact that, like I said, this is finally the first time we've spoke and then like, uh, it just, how things just line up like that. It is weird. Yeah. It really is. And it makes you, it just makes you wonder, doesn't it? I mean, you know, animal ghosts, they definitely must, definitely must be like out there.

[00:28:55] I mean, my mom told me year, years ago, my, um, my nan and granddad's house was a bit, wasn't very nice. They put like an extension on it when they had my uncle and it was like a long corridor to my uncle's bedroom. So his bedroom was far away from the, all the others. And it was just like a dark corridor. It wasn't very nice.

[00:29:19] And, um, I remember they lived on this really, really busy road and, you know, he was like in his twenties, sort of somewhere between Manchester and Liverpool was where they lived. And he was out in Manchester. My nan and granddad were away and he was supposed to come back and let the cat back in. But obviously he's on the piss. He doesn't want to come home. So he doesn't. Comes home the next morning, can't find the cat.

[00:29:50] And searching for the cat for days, can't find her. And he just happens to go across to the, there's like a school opposite, opposite the house. And the, like the janitor was like, oh yeah, is this your cat? And it's like, was hit by a car. Found the body this morning. Um, so obviously he felt super guilty, which he should feel super guilty for that. Um, but also like my nan and granddad, why do you have a cat on a busy road?

[00:30:17] Like I see it every day. Like, you know, just no. Um, but my, my mom only told me a few years ago, cause my sister hated my uncle's bedroom. Like she would never go in his bedroom. And she told me that my sister was sat on his bed, like looking through like a photo album or something like that. And she's seen the cat walk in the door and the cat was obviously dead for however, however long.

[00:30:46] And she like ran out and that's why she never wanted to go in. So they definitely exist. You know, it's some, I, I think it's just energy, energy that gets displaced or whether it's stone tape or something like that. I don't know, but it definitely exists. Yeah. Cause that's, that, that was always, that was always the big argument like back in the day with, when people would say like, oh, ghosts aren't real and all this. And then someone had turned around and say, oh, well we're energy and you know, energy can't

[00:31:16] be created or destroyed and all this sort of stuff. But then like, which like I'm, I'm, I'm fine with that. But the only thing I have a problem with is surely like in a way. Energy can be created because, well, like you say, like we were created at some point. Yeah. Like, do you know what I mean? Like that, that's, that's the only thing I've never, I've never liked with that. Yeah.

[00:31:41] With animals and stuff like to me, cause I, I, I always, cause I like to get a bit silly with things. And I, I always like say about like, you know, if there's rules within the paranormal and stuff and there must be with animals because like, you know, I've never seen a, I've heard plenty of stories about, you know, ghosts of cats and dogs and even horses. I know exactly where you go with this. Nobody's ever told me one about, about a pigeon or something. Yeah. Yeah. Or a dinosaur. Yeah.

[00:32:11] Oh no, no. But I like the dinosaurs. Cause like, I, cause then you, cause then you can just come out with all wise, no cavemen, ghosts and all this sort of stuff. And I'm like, that's where as well. But then again, like there must be some, like something must happen. Like as I say, there must be, there must be some sort of rules. That's the only way I can put it is like, there must be rules to it all. Yeah. Well, I'm, that's sort of where I'm at the stage is where I'm at with it is, well, if they do exist, what are they? Because there's got to be a process to it.

[00:32:40] Something's got to happen for them to, you know, to exist. Like, I don't know, is it, I don't know if it's to do with obviously stone tape theory is a theory, I suppose that could maybe explain how certain animals who've had trauma or, you know, like love or something like that can imprint itself onto a building or an area.

[00:33:08] Or whether there's like a level of sentience there, you know, like cavemen sort of were, you know, nature is sort of simplest, wasn't it? Yeah. Grow up, procreate, die, basically. But, um, whereas obviously humans, we're sort of sentient. We sort of have that self image and self worth sort of thing.

[00:33:34] And whether cats and dogs sort of on that level as well, which is why we see a lot of them. Yeah. Birds are still quite primitive and stuff like that, maybe. Yeah. Well, that's what I was just sort of thinking then as well. Like maybe it's like, you know, like, like you say, when it comes to animals and stuff, maybe it's there, maybe it's the animals that like humans naturally, well, like nowadays, naturally have more of a connection to and stuff like, like I'll go even stupid.

[00:34:02] Like, you know, no, I've never heard anybody talk about literally ghosts of a fucking armadillo or a fucking porcupine or something because, you know, some of those people aren't going to have as pets and like, you know, that, that kind of thing. Yeah. And like, I suppose, I suppose an argument you could make with Len, like, you know, okay, why is no cavemen ghosts? Because that's so far removed from where we are now. Mm-hmm. That, or maybe like, even, even, even, even if it's like, because another thing is like,

[00:34:31] you know, the whole frequency thing, like maybe, maybe they're on a frequency that is so far away from ours. Maybe they are there, but there's just no way that we can see them. Yeah. Yeah. It's, uh, there's only one way we find out and that when it's too late. Yeah. And that, and to me, that, that's the beauty of this. Yeah. Yeah. Is that. All of us that believe in it and everyone that doesn't believe in it, at one point, one of us is going to be right. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:35:01] Yeah. One day, one day. Exactly. That, that, that, that, that's, that's the best thing about it really. So, well, that's, that's a question I always like to ask people as well, Len. So, if you could have it be scientific facts, common knowledge, as obvious as gravity is, would you want the paranormal and stuff to be, you know, proven like that, clear as day, everybody knows about it. There's no, there's no discussion around it. It's, it's just there.

[00:35:32] I don't know. It sort of takes the fun out of it, right? I don't know. Yeah. Like, certain it'd be like, okay, well, if you die in a certain way, at a certain age, then, then you're going to come back as a ghost. And that sort of like takes the fun out of it, you know? But, so probably not. I think flip side with like UAPs and aliens, like that stuff, like, I think we should all know.

[00:36:02] But, because that's sort of nature, I suppose, isn't it? And science. But this, I think, no, I think that's part of the fun, isn't it? Going out. Because it's, my, my, my answer is always that I'd say I wouldn't want it to be because then, well, just me asking that question, never mind this entire conversation, would it be pointless? Yeah. There'd be no need to have it. Yeah. Because like I say, like, if, if, if I, if I knew everything that you've just told me

[00:36:28] could happen without sounding horrible, I wouldn't want you to tell me because it would be interesting. Because I just, I just know anyway. So horrible. It's also, if, if we knew it was fact, it'd make dying a lot less stressful. It certainly would, yeah. Like, I don't think people would fear it as much. No. I don't know. I mean, I, I was never really, I'd never really thought about death, to be honest, until I was about 12 years old.

[00:36:58] And I just sort of had this realization. I was like. That's cheerful. I have to, I know, right? I was like, such, what a pleasant 12 year old. See this ghost, watch Most Taunted and just think about death. Um, but I remember having this real epiphany of just like out of the blue. I was like, no matter what happens, I will die at some point. Like, um, yeah, there's really strange things like thinking, but yeah. Yeah. I've, I've always had that, I've always had that same sort of feeling with it.

[00:37:27] It's why my, my view on it is always, doesn't bother me because it's going to happen at some point anyway. It could be tomorrow. It could be in another 50 years. That'd be, that'd be a fucking miracle leg. But you know, like I say, it could literally happen whenever. Yeah. None, none of us know. I mean, I mean, that's what some people do. Some people don't. Yeah. Some people do. Most people don't. Yeah. No. Yeah.

[00:37:54] So another fun question I've, I've, I've asked a couple of people is very, to me, to me, to me, this one, there's a right answer to it as well. If you'd want to know when you're going to die or how are you going to die? Absolutely not. I absolutely not. No, you have to pick one. Oh, I have to pick one. Right. Okay. Right. Got you. So yeah. Oh, that's easy. It's so easy. No, no, when?

[00:38:24] Yeah. It's when. It has to be when. Because like I say, if you pick how and it's car crash, again, like that's one of the things that could happen tomorrow or that could happen when you're 95 years old. Whereas if, whereas if, or as if you find out, oh, you're going to die when you're 87, you're like, like you're not invincible. You could still end up being paralyzed or something. So don't like go jumping off buildings and stuff. Just go reckless. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. But then, like I said, then you've, you've, you're, it's, you're almost, you're sort of

[00:38:54] like free, but yeah, you still, it's like a badly injured. Unless it says next week. Yeah, exactly. That's what I mean though. Like I said, but that's, but that's again, it's the same thing. So even, even if you pick how, and like you say, say it's a car crash, you don't know when, like you say, could be in a week's time, could be in the next 30 years. Yeah. Even if it is just a week, that's going to be the worst week of your life. Yeah. Or best. Yeah. Well, yeah. Depends on your outlook. For me, it'd be the worst.

[00:39:24] Oh, I wouldn't be going to work that week. Trust me. I'd be taking a lot of hours. I'd be sat in a cupboard, me, just rocking backwards and forwards. I'd probably just be drunk the entire time, I think. Like, yeah, just drink away into oblivion. Maybe that's how I go. Yeah. But I, I was going to say, that's like a, that's like a Black Mirror episode or something. That's got, that's got that written all over it. Yeah, definitely. God. Yeah. Don't think about it anymore though.

[00:39:53] So, so back, back to investigating then. So what other locations have you been to? Oh God. I've, I've sort of lost track now. I've sort of said to myself, I'm going to try and do it as much as I can this year. You know, really give it, give it a try. Like trying to get, you know, my YouTube off the ground and stuff. Yeah. Um, so I've been, I mean, I booked so many.

[00:40:20] God, let me, let me just get my, actually then get my notes up because I've literally done that many. And I, at the start of the year, I was like, I'm going to get, I should have put it all into one note to see who I can message if they want to do a collaboration or. Hmm. So I've done like dolls house. Well, there we go then. Yeah. Go, go, go through your list and give it, give, give us some, give us any that stand out. The standout ones. All right. Okay. Let's see.

[00:40:45] So I went to one of the good ones that I thought was really good. And I was really happy with myself. Cause I like, I watched someone's YouTube video. It was somewhere that wasn't really hadn't been done before. It's sort of out the way. It was like in the middle of Wales. It was basically like this old workhouse and got a few people together to go there. And it was really good. Uh, but like it's one of those places you look at it and you think that looks haunted.

[00:41:14] And you get there and it's flat, flat AF, like nothing going on. And it's just a creepy building. Um, but it was a good place to go. You know, it was a good experience. Rousby asylum was really good. I went there. That's, that's can't be far from you. Surely. That's like Lincoln. Where was that then? Rousby asylum. Where's that? In Lincoln. Uh, a couple of hours from me. A couple of hours. Yeah.

[00:41:44] Uh, that was, I'm like a, I'm an hour, I'm like an hour south of Newcastle. Oh, okay. Cool. Yeah. Well, I, um, that was really cool because it's like open. It's like an abandoned old, um, sort of old hospital. Um, but it was like open. You can just get in. That was a really cool, um, location. Didn't have too much happen. Just a couple of little things, but a really, really cool place to go. Um, I'm trying to think.

[00:42:13] And then have you been to the priest cottage yet? Uh, I haven't. I was. So the, the team that I go with a lot of the time, New Dawn Paranormal. So they're going in January and I can't go now. Oh no. Yeah. Because my second kid is due on the 16th. So there, there, there's a little announcement for people listening. Congrats.

[00:42:40] I mean, I'd rather, I'd rather he came up a bit earlier or a bit later or something. So I could go there, but still. But still, you know, I mean, yeah. I mean, that's a cool place. I mean, if you want to go at some point, I'm down for that. If you want to go at some point. That's Leeds, isn't it? Leeds. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah. So yeah. I mean, that's, that's only an hour and a half from me. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's a really cool place. I, um, I've been there a fair few times now, but I, um, obviously one thing that I haven't

[00:43:08] mentioned yet is sometimes I take my cat out with me. So my cat comes in and gets to get with me. Obviously like places where she can't escape. So, um, so I know the girls who run the priest cottage and I was like, a really strange question. Um, can I bring my cat? And they were like, yeah, of course you can. To be fair though, I'd love to take my son on one, one time. Like, like whilst he's this age, like he's, he's two in October and I took him to, I took

[00:43:37] him to the cemetery a couple of weeks ago just because I see my granddad's grave. And it was weird. Like he was fucking buzzing. Oh really? Yeah. Like he was just looking at everything, smiling and stuff, waving at shit and everything. I was just like, stay there for five minutes. Stay here for good. Actually. Don't want to. Yeah. It's weird. No, but he, he, he always does stuff like that. He's always pointing and laughing and stuff and waving at stuff that's, well, that I can't see anyway.

[00:44:07] Oh God. Yeah. Jesus. That's why I'm never having kids. Um, but yeah, I, well, I do think cats and not cats, like, like animals in general and kids do have that sort of tapped into that frequency. And I, um, so I took her to the priest cottage this time. Um, twice actually, I took her twice, took the first time and I met up with the girls who run it and we were filming some for their podcast at the start.

[00:44:37] And we just sort of sat around the cats, you know, happy enough. Um, and it was just constant knocking from upstairs, knocking, knocking, knocking. The blocks came over by themselves. It was like, God, it's kicking off. Um, and yeah, they had to stay with me that night because I was like, I don't want to be alone in this place. Um, nothing really happened with the cat that time. But the second time I took the cat, I was doing, I think it was like an Estus or Gansfeld

[00:45:07] experiment in one of the bedrooms. And, um, so obviously I've got earphones on, blindfold on. And I think I'd gone live on my phone and my friend was like filming it. And they, so there's like a bedroom, like a little corridor and then like the other bedroom on the other side. And the cat was like in the other room on the bed. So we're all in this room and they, obviously I didn't hear this or see it because I had my headphones on.

[00:45:35] I only seen it on the footage afterwards. They were like, is that a noise from the hallway? So they sort of opened up the door and the cat is stood frozen in place. Like, it's like, she's tried to walk from that bedroom to our bedroom. And she's like, she's mid walk and she's like looking up like that or something. And she's just stopped. And it's about three, four seconds. And she's just looking at something and then it's just continues her walk again. Like nothing's happened.

[00:46:06] Yeah. But it's, yeah, that, that, that was a good one. That was good. But that was, yeah, creepy. Definitely. Yeah. I definitely, I definitely want to go there one time though. Cause I've, I've, I have watched a few videos of it and just the place in general, just, it just looks like there's, there's something wrong with it. Yeah. I mean, I, I'm there more than anywhere else. Cause, because that, you know, it's, it's really, it's quite cheap as well. So like, it's quite cheap to go.

[00:46:34] And like the girls who run it, they put a lot of it back into charity and like local charities. So, um, it's, it's, you know, it's quite good. And I went there after East drive. So I went to East drive on like a Tuesday night. And I thought while I'm up North, cause that's where everything is. There's nothing down South. Um, I'll do another investigation like the second night. So I went from Pontefract in Wakefield to Leeds to do the priest cottage. Got no sleep.

[00:47:02] Of course at 30 East drive, I was knackered and I was going to be by myself for the first few hours at priest cottage. So I got there about four o'clock and like the people who were meeting me, maybe it was a bit early. Maybe we got there about half two, three, and then they were meeting me about five. So I had a couple of hours and I was like, I'm going to have to try and sleep. I'm going to have to try and sleep in this cottage. And, um, so I settled myself up, felt nothing. I set up like a trigger object upstairs cause they have like CCTV.

[00:47:32] And, um, for maybe an hour, hour and a half, I was absolutely fine in there. And I sort of woke back up from sleeping briefly. And they were like, okay, we're 20 minutes away. So I was like, okay, it's safe now. And I called out to the room. I called out to the building. I said, right, I'm here now. You can do, do something, you know, move around a little bit. Let me know you're here. And she knocked like literally that's when it started.

[00:48:02] And it's like, it was waiting for me to like, say, but I literally, maybe a minute or two after I said it, there was like footsteps above me. And I'm just like, so it's been sat there. Well, it leads to a nice enough to later have a sleep. I know. Right. But like, I was just like, it's so intense. It's almost like quite an intelligent haunting. Cause it's like, yeah, it is. That was quite creepy as well. And I was like, how far away are you? And they were like stuck in traffic. I was like, well, fucking get here faster.

[00:48:33] It's happening. Yeah. That was, that was really cool. Yeah. Cause that, but, but, but, by the sounds of it, you're, you're very similar to me. Like as, as much, as much as we love it, it's still like, all right. Like just fuck off for a bit. Yeah. Calm down. Calm down. Yeah. I know people are just like, they don't even, I don't know whether it's cause they've done it for that long or done that many. And what I feel like, they don't even flinch. And I'm just like clinging to it sailing. People go out by themselves.

[00:49:03] I'm like, what? Like, I don't know how you do that. I've got a mate who does that. Like he's in the woods in the middle of the night on TikTok. I'm like, what are you doing? What's wrong with you? Yeah. I mean, I am a bit like that. And then I've got a mate who I've been out with a fair few times. And, um, you know, I'm not the most jumpy person, but I like to be around people.

[00:49:28] Um, and like, I've got a new friend and I've been out with her a couple of times and she gets really scared. Like Yvette Fielding scared. So like, but she's one of these little, she'll grab you. Yeah. It's like, you'd be walking. And then she'd be like, Oh my God. Like, and she like, I'm like, fucking don't grab me. Like, um, scaring me. And then I told him about it. I was like, Oh, you know, or I think he watched our video and he was like, I could tell she was scared because you were the brave one.

[00:49:56] And he was like, you were like, calm down. It's fine. I'm not normally like that. Yeah. I've been in situations like that before. Like I said, uh, the team that I go with news on Paranormal, I remember, I think, I think it might have even, was it the first or the third time that I went with him? So they, they do a lot of, uh, place called Place in Sunderland, the air museum there. And that, that, that, that place is unreal there.

[00:50:25] Like, and to me, that's almost that, that place has basically given me all the proof that I need because I think I've been there three or four times now and I've had two nights where basically like all hell is broken loose. Oh God. And then two nights where, nowt. Like, I remember, I remember what one time, like I went back for all the footage I've got and I was just like, this isn't, there's literally nothing. There's no point in me even putting this out as a video because there is literally nowt.

[00:50:53] Like, literally nothing. But, uh, we were on, we were in, uh, the tram shed there and it was three of us on this bus and, uh, turned all the lights off. We were pitch, pitch fucking dark and all three of us absolutely shit ourselves. Cause one of the other lasses had walked over after us. Obviously he didn't, didn't say on the radio or anything. They were fucking coming over.

[00:51:20] And I just, I seen out the fucking corner of my eye outside this bus. I just saw a white face and, oh Jesus Christ. I've never, I mean, you've probably, you've probably realized I'm, I'm good at this. I'm good at swearing. That was the best swearing I've ever done in my life. I called up every single name I could think of. Excellent. And it was fully justified as well. Oh yeah. 100%. 100%. Not about that jump scare. Like, no, not about that life.

[00:51:50] If it's in a film, then I'm all right. If it's in real life, then get out of your way. Yeah. I don't know if I've had any massive scares. I mean, my mate again, the other day, he was, we were in this like abandoned farmhouse. So it's like, yeah, there's, there's five of us there and we're sort of on this, this staircase. Um, and we're sort of, not much is happening. It's like the start of the night.

[00:52:16] We're just doing call outs and it's all quiet. And then all of a sudden he just goes, boom, funny, like, like scrapes. He like jumps forward towards us, like scrapes his feet on the floor. And he's like, right. Should we get going then? And we all shit ourselves. And we were like, I definitely call him the C word. Um, and, but he was like, he was doing it cause he was like, well, that's the energy we need.

[00:52:44] We need like this sort of, um, it sort of broke the tension. We're all sort of really tense and sort of, and he sort of scared the shit out of us and it sort of broke the tension a little bit. And he was like, you know, that might be the energy that they need to like, to interact with us. Um, so yeah, so I hated him for that, but yeah, it's probably the scariest like jump scare I've had. Fair enough. Fair enough. Right then, mate.

[00:53:12] So I know, I know, I know we've been a bit pressed for time. So one question that I want to, that's one, one last question I want to ask you and it's going to be me new question that I ask fellow investigators because of a TikTok. That I seen. Okay. Obviously you've done a lot of investigations now. Do you think investigating is boring? That's a difficult one. I think, I don't know. I really enjoy filming it.

[00:53:42] Like even if nothing happens, I enjoy like seeing these places, you know, like we get to go to some really cool locations for like, you know, 40, 50 quid and, um, you know, sometimes it's just nice to see them. So regards to that part of it, I enjoy and is never really boring, but I suppose a lot

[00:54:08] of the time it is just talking to yourself and the walls and the room. Um, but no, I enjoy it. I think, you know, it's like my only hobby. So I, I, I really enjoy it, but I think a lot of people have the perception of, oh, it's like twin paranormal. It's like, you know, these American shows like ghost adventures where it's demon, demon this, demon that, like people getting scratched.

[00:54:37] And it's like, I think people need a bit of a reality check when they, they get into it or they go on their first one. It's like, all the time, nothing happens, but you know, that's the way it is. If it happened, if it happened all the time, then there'd be no need to go out and investigate. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And like you say, and because my, my, my answer to it is no, it's not boring because like I

[00:55:03] said that, that night I had at the air museum where like I, I had no footage I could use at all, but it was still a good night because I was, I was, I was with mates. We had a bit of a laugh and at the end of the day, the way I look at it is, they say even you, you can, you could have been somewhere for three hours and nothing has happened. You don't know what's going to happen next. That's the good thing about it. And to me, that's what that's, that is the reason to me that it's not boring because you've got no idea what's going to happen. Anything can happen when you walk into that location.

[00:55:32] And I, I always think it's the ones that you're not expecting it as well. Like, you know, East drive. Okay. Yeah. You're thinking about the hype and it's never going to live up to that, but you know, there's been like asylums and stuff that I've been to that you think, okay, this has got to be haunted and nothing happens. And then you go to like, I don't know, where have I been? Like, like, like a hotel. Yeah. And it's really active and it's really scary.

[00:56:01] And it's like, you just don't know what you're going to get. And that's, I think, exciting. Definitely. Right then, mate. So just before we finish, do you want to let my listeners know where they can find you and all that good stuff? Yeah. So you can find me mostly on YouTube. I'd have a bit of a rebrand. So yeah, so I'm Spooky Island Radio everywhere else. But on, on YouTube, it's Spooky Island Paranormal.

[00:56:30] So you can put either in, it'll still come up with my channel. But yeah, that's where I mainly am. So head on over if you like paranormal investigating and a little bit of history as well. So I do like a little bit of both in the same videos. And yeah, otherwise, you know, the regular Instagram, Facebook, that sort of thing. Nice. Nice. I like it. Right then, mate. Thank you so much for coming on, on the podcast. It's been an absolute pleasure. And like I say, definitely we'll have to go to that priest cottage one time because Yeah, yeah. We want to go there. So yeah.

[00:56:59] We'll get that. Thank you for having me. No, loved it. Thank you very much. And yeah. No problem. No problem. I see that's a point. Definitely. Definitely. Right then, guys. So we shall leave it there for this one. So as always, go and follow the Instagram page at the Spooky Shed Podcast. There's a link in the bio there for all. I was going to say all the other socials, but there's only Facebook and TikTok now because I stopped using all the rest. YouTube channels there, merch store and all that. Other stuff that I've probably forgotten about. Right then, we shall speak to you next time.

[00:57:30] The Spooky Shed Podcast is a Podshed production. This podcast is part of Podomity, the UK's podcast comedy network. Why not laugh at what else we've got? Visit Podomity.com.