York plays host to ghost vigil (From York Press)

York plays host to ghost vigil

7:30pm Wednesday 15th October 2008 in News

Rachel Lacy, Lucie Espinoza, Andy Dextrous and Jonathan Cainer look forward to the world’s biggest ghost vigil in York

A CITY-WIDE experiment into the paranormal will take place on Hallowe’en this month as ghost hunters stage the world’s biggest ghost vigil.

In an attempt to boost York’s reputation as the most haunted city in the world, astrologer Jonathan Cainer wants residents to listen out for things going bump in the night on October 31.

He said: “Several cities claim the title of the world’s most haunted and obviously there’s no official designation, but he who shouts longest and loudest gets it.

“York must be up there, so I say let somebody say we aren’t and, while they prove that, we will prove that we are the most haunted.

“Guy Fawkes Night ought to belong to York, but we can make Hallowe’en ours, with that in mind we want to do the world’s biggest ghost vigil.

“This is an open invitation to everyone in York but particularly to spiritualists or those living and working in haunted properties.”

Mr Cainer is keen to dismiss the image established by the Victorians of séances taking place around a table with a medium.

“I think it’s time we bust apart that old image,” he said.

“A ghost is a memory embedded in a building or place.

“Even if people just sit in the dark for five minutes with a candle we want them to write down what happened, even if it was nothing or next to nothing.

“We will collect that data and look at how many people had a spooky experience.

“If you have a building which you think is haunted and you are willing to open up for the evening, then let us know.”

Mr Cainer and his team plan to have people all over the city between 11pm and 1am on Hallowe’en, with paranormal investigators ready to rush to any ghostly goings on.

A live website will also keep people updated throughout the vigil.

The team is so confident that York will live up to its reputation as ghost capital of the world that Mr Cainer has set up an emergency hotline on the evening for people gripped with fear.

“All over York, if there are ghosts to be seen, then they should be hopping out of the woodwork at midnight,” he said.

The World’s Biggest Ghost Vigil takes place on Hallowe’en, October 31, at 11pm and runs to 1am.

Entry forms cost £1 with all proceeds going to charity.

For details, phone the organisers on 01904 652517 or visit www.worldsbiggestghostvigil.com

Orbs on film

THE appetite for ghostly goings-on seems to be alive and well in York given recent paranormal activity in the city.

In September, The Press reported how landlady Janine Robinson spoke out after capturing phantom orbs on the CCTV system at the Light Horseman pub, in Fulford Road.

After hearing strange noises downstairs early one morning, she scanned the pub’s security cameras and spotted the unexplained phenomenon.

“I thought whisky, gin, vodka and rum were the only spirits I served,” she quipped.