Sue St.Clair and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog

Does this photo depict the ghost of rock star/poet lead singer of The Doors Jim Morrison who died in Paris in 1971? It is according to the owner of the photo. You can find out more here via a short Youtube video clip:

Happy Wordless Wednesday - Tuesday Edition, and thank you for stopping by!

For a list of other Wordless Wednesday participants please click here.

Academy Award-winning American actress Susan Hayward circa 1947

Susan Hayward grew up very poor in Brooklyn, New York during the 1920's. She got her start in Hollywood when she was asked to audition for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.

In December 1964, she was baptised a Catholic, however she had a life long interest in the supernatural, and regularly consulted astrologers.

The reason for this interest may be traced to a childhood incident that proved to be most intriguing!

Susan (born Edythe Marrenner) had a brother who was born prematurely, and with stomach problems. This was in the 1920's and it was a miracle that he survived. By age three the poor boy was forced to wear leg braces.

One day while Susan's mother took her brother to be fitted for new leg braces a complete stranger approached them, and told her to,

"Take the braces off; he'll be all right."

Instead of going on to the clinic Susan's mother turned around, and took the boy home. There she took the braces off of her boy's legs, and to her utter amazement he took a few steps! Within one month the boy was running around just like any other healthy child.

Who was this stranger? Who knows.....but Susan like her mother believed this was proof of the supernatural, and throughout her life she accepted omens, listened to prophecies, and consulted astrologers.

Sources:

Death In Hollywood, By Peter Underwood (c)1992

Susan Hayward Wiki

Help a ghost attacked me! Or, Oh here we go... right down memory lane...

"Jessica Alba says she was attacked by a ghost when she was 17.

The star of The Eye claims she was visited by an otherworldly being, and was so terrified afterwards she refused to stay in her house.

Alba, 26, recalled: "I had no idea what it was. I felt this pressure and I couldn't get up, I couldn't scream, I couldn't talk, I couldn't do anything.

"Something definitely took the covers off me and I definitely couldn't get off the bed, and then, once I did, I screamed, ran to my parents' room and I don't think I spent many nights in that house ever again!

"There was definitely something in my parents' old house - I don't know what it was. I can't really explain it. But they got it blessed and they burned sage and stuff since then."

Why is that every time a horror flick is released these days either the set is haunted, the actors are haunted...etc.... At this rate I would advise that all individual health insurance companies provide clauses for injuries sustained by ghosts, demons, vampires, trolls, and other assorted paranormal miscreants during the filming of such movies.

Sniggers......

Celebrity Paranormal Project is coming to Canada via Alliance Atlantis, and we were asked to be part of the official press junket to promote the show!

Celebrity Paranormal Project, is a reality show which debuted on VH1 in the United States on October 22, 2006, and was last aired on December 16, 2006 with the season one finale. The show will now start running on Canadian television. Except for a different title, and usage of celebrities, the VH1 show is identical to MTV's Fear.

Our very own Robin Bellamy is being flown out this coming week to Louisville, Kentucky to take part in an overnight investigation of the Waverly Hills Sanatorium. It housed TB victims in the days before penicillin, and over 63,000 people died there, including a nurse who hung herself. A handful of these folks had mental problems, but the general population was afflicted with TB. The facility was a nursing home later, which was shut down due to patient abuse.

More info on the location, and it's history here: http://www.whshistory.com/

The show's episode features actor Gary Bussey, and Robin is the first Canadian investigator to spend the night at this notorious location! Details of Robin's trip will be posted after she returns!

Today in Canada we are celebrating Her Majesty Queen Victoria's birthday, with a well earned long weekend, backyard BBQ's, and of course fireworks!

We would have loved to have related to you a spooky tale of Victoria's spirit haunting some ancient castle, but...there are none...

However, the ghost of Queen Victoria's trusted friend John Brown is reportedly haunting Balmoral castle in Scotland our current Queen Elizabeth II favourite summer home...well ok more like palace.

John Brown was rumoured to be the lover of Queen Victoria, and perhaps he is still waiting for her? His apparition, said to be dressed in Scottish Highland attire, has reportedly been witnessed by no less than our current Queen herself!

Speaking of Queen Victoria, and the paranormal, historians note that she was interested in spiritualism, and reportedly participated in several seances during her reign.

Wishing ALL of our Canadian readers a very happy, and safe Queen Victoria Day!

Based on the concept of the Blogoshere's Thursday Thirteen .. Andrea of Ghost Stories has begun something very similar that is paranormal related only. And since we are a Paranormal Blog we thought it would be fun to participate again!

The following is a listing of 13 celebrity ghosts who reportedly have returned from death in order to haunt:

#13 Marilyn Monroe - Reportedly haunting the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California, USA.

#12 Montgomery Clift - Also reportedly haunting the Roosevelt Hotel.

#11 Harry Houdini - Reportedly haunting his former home in the Hollywood Hills, located at 2398 Laurel Canyon Boulevard.

#10 Clifton Webb (the original "Mr. Belvedere") - Reportedly haunting the Abbey of the Psalms mausoleum (where he is buried) at Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery.

#9 George Reeves (Superman) - Reportedly haunting his former Beverly Hills, California home where he was found dead of a gunshot wound.

#8 Thelma Todd - Reportedly haunting a beachside cafe located at 17575 Pacific Coast Highway, near Malibu California.

#7 Boris Karloff - Reportedly haunts his former home in Hampshire England.

#6 John Wayne - Reportedly haunts his beloved yacht "the Wild Goose."

#5 Lucille Ball – Said to be haunting her former California home at 100 North Roxbury Drive.

#4 Joan Crawford - Reportedly haunting the Crawford House, along with several other spirits. The house has been exorcized numerous times.

#3 Redd Foxx - Reportedly haunts Stage 31 at Paramount Studios where he died of a heart attack.

#2 Clark Gable – Reportedly haunting the Oatman Hotel in Oatman, Arizona along with wife Carole Lombard

#1 John Lennon – Reportedly haunting the Dakota building at 1 west 72nd Street in New York City, where he was shot to death.

Have we missed anyone that we should have thought about? Let us know in the "Comments" section...

Thanks to Ghost Stories!

Further Resources For Celebrity Ghosts:

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/GH-CelebrityGhosts.html

http://www.seeing-stars.com/Died/Haunted.shtml

A semi-new "irregular" feature for The Paranormal Blog will be encounters with the paranormal as reported by celebrities. These will include ghosts and hauntings, ufo reports, crypto encounters and other assorted Fortean topics.

Circa 1925

Dame Barbara Cartland (July 9, 1901 – May 21, 2000) prolific romance novelist, and British celebrity. Sales of Barbara Cartland's 720+ novels have been recorded into the billions. Also known for her charitable work and concern for the environment, she requested to be buried in a cardboard coffin. This last wish was granted, and she was laid to rest on her estate in England under a tree that was planted by Elizabeth I.

When Dame Cartland met with famed paranormal investigator Peter Underwood she confided that she long held a belief in the afterlife.

As a young girl she vacationed in a small Italian village with her brother Roland (he died during WWII). The siblings decided to slip away for a few hours and explore the neighbouring countryside. They found themselves walking along the banks of a large lake. On the opposite side they clearly saw a "magnificent castle with spires and turrets," and wondered at who lived there. Upon returning to the village they asked the local residents about the castle, describing it's appearance and explaining where they had walked. Both Barbara and her brother were shocked at the reply. They were told that the castle by the lake that they had seen had been destroyed many years before and no longer existed. Confident in what they saw and determined to prove the castle was there they returned the following day .. only to discover ruins (not standing more than 6ft high) where the castle had been only 24 hours before.

While living in Somerset Barbara's home had a haunted staircase. "She never felt alone there," she often felt as if someone was following her up the stairs or was just ahead of her. The house at one time belonged to a Cavalier that had been wounded by Roundheads. He had returned to his home to die.

"The True Queen of Romance."

Barbara also encountered the apparition of her beloved dog Jimmy, a cocker spaniel. Her other dogs reportedly could sense Jimmy's spirit as well.

Prior to her death she stated that her deceased husband had returned to her bearing flowers, and with the message that there was life after death It is possible to return .....

Sources:

Peter Underwood's Guide To Ghosts & Haunted Places, By Peter Underwood (c) 1996 ISBN 0-7499-1665-6

Barbara Cartland Official Website:

http://www.barbaracartland.com/

Tomorrow marks the 9th anniversary of the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Before anyone should ask, the answer is no, we do not have any credible reports of her spirit haunting, and if we did we would not write about it. Quite frankly it is still too soon and far too fresh for those who knew and loved her.

To commemorate her life I have chosen to write about one of her childhood homes and the Princess' final resting place.

Althorp House - Northampton England

Althorp House circa 19th century

Althorp House and Estate in Northampton has been the home of the Spencer family since the 15th century.Surely a house that has seen so many generations of the same family, and has been the scene of so many historic events ... surely must contain echoes of it's own past .. surely it must be haunted ... and it is.

The first reported haunting at Althorp occurred in the early 19th century.

A guest of Lord Lyttelton, (son-in-law of George John, the 2nd Earl of Spencer) by the name of Mr Drury (later to become Archdecon) had stayed up late playing billiards with his host. Upon getting ready to retire for the evening he was given a strong warning to extinguish all lights before falling asleep. The Earl was very safety minded and concerned about any fires breaking out in the house.

Mr Drury was soon fast asleep.

Sometime later he was rudely awakened by a very bright light that was shining upon his face. Still semi-awake he looked up to see the source of the light. Standing at the foot of the bed was a man dressed in a striped shirt, and cap. The intruder held up a lantern in one hand.

Sitting upright Drury demanded of the stranger to explain what he was doing. His question was met with complete silence. Becoming irritated the clergyman continued to ask questions and continued to receive the same lack of response. Slowly the figure lowered the lantern and began walking away towards the dressing room. Angry now, Mr Drury yelled after the man that there was no exit from that direction and that he intended to complain to the Earl himself in the morning .... turning over Drury went back to sleep.....

True to his word the house guest mentioned the previous evening's incident to Sarah Lyttelton, daughter of the Earl. Mr Drury had thought the man obviously drunk, though not exactly drunken in appearance.

Sarah replied that he must have encountered her Father's favourite and most trusted groom. The groom had been asked by the Earl to check on each room and extinguish all lights in case any guests ever fell asleep with one still burning. These had been part of his duties. At least they had been prior to his death ... exactly a fortnight prior to Mr. Drury's encounter with him!

Just prior to World War One the apparition of a young child was reported in the house's long picture gallery. One of the Spencer daughters who also frequented this room would see the young girl dressed in grey pre-Victorian era clothing near what was known as "the little door." A doorway so small it would only comfortably permit a child. The young Spencer girl never felt threatened, but knew instinctively that this other child did not belong in her "current reality." Perhaps she had been another Spencer daughter from a much earlier date? Though, the ghostly child's likeness was never found in any of the family's numerous portraits. The apparition reportedly never spoke ... only smiled ... and then would disappear ...

Althrop House as it appears today

Albert Edward John, 7th Earl of Spencer (Princess Diana's grandfather) passed away in 1975. Jack as he was known to family and close friends was a shy and intelligent man who had a great love and devotion for Althorp. The house and it's many historical treasures were a keen passion for him. The Earl became an acknowledged expert on it's history and artefacts and served on numerous artistic and antiquarian boards including the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Soon after Jack's passing his apparition was seen by both Spencer family members and employees of the estate. At one time the wife of the butler was so startled to see her late employer that she called out, "How nice to see you my Lord." So real did he appear that she had forgotten he was dead.

He smiled and did not say a word .....

Althorp is a beautiful and peaceful country manor ... loved and cared for by the many generations of the Spencer family that have lived there.

It is not surprising that those who reportedly haunt Althorp seemingly do so because of a deep sense of duty and/or great affection for this lovely house.

For further information on Althorp House, visiting the estate, and/or historical information on the Spencer family please visit the official website located here: http://www.althorp.com

Sources:

Haunted Royal Homes, By Joan Forman (c) 1987

Personal Correspondence