Moving Day

Written by Gemma of Junior Paranormal Events

In mid-February 2022 we got the keys to Office 7 and began to move in.  Hubby (Michael) and I are both self-employed and so we were looking forward to having a workspace outside of the family home, this meant that we would be at Champness Hall a lot. If we weren’t there for Junior Paranormal Events business, we would be there Monday – Friday daytime for work.  We couldn’t wait to get set up.

Champness Hall is a treasure trove of spare office furniture and so we went on a scavenger hunt to help furnish the office.  My Mum even donated an old sofa so that the kids would have somewhere to hang out when they came to work with us.  It was a mish mash of furniture, but we began to love it and I actually started to enjoy going to work. It was our own little sanctuary. 

But one thing became very apparent very quickly… being at Champness Hall for a one-off paranormal event is very different to being in the building all the time.

During the first few weeks of being there, I constantly felt as though as was being watched.  Think about starting a new job and having everyone in the office subtly keeping an eye on you to see what you are like, if you are going to fit in and if they like you.  Well, imagine that feeling but you can’t see the people watching you.  That was exactly what it felt like. 

My desk is in the far corner of the room next to the window and whilst I have stunning views over the Pennines, it means that my back is to the door. I typically work with noise cancelling headphones on so that I can concentrate, I began to feel like someone was stood right behind me, so much so that I got goosebumps.  Michael is a bit of a joker and so I thought it was him.  Then came the breath on the back of my neck and near my ear, it happened several times and each time I would shout at Michael to stop.  It came to a head when it didn’t stop and I spun round to confront him but found him sat quietly, earphones on in the middle of a very serious looking meeting.  That feeling of someone stood behind me, towering over me, breathing on me – was not him. 

That feeling seemed to follow me wherever I went within our new office space.  To set the scene, we have Office 7 and next to it is Office 8.  We share a communal area outside of the offices with a small kitchen space and a small storage room next to the kitchen. When stood in the kitchen area, waiting for the kettle to boil, I had my back to the kitchen space and was looking out of the window.  It sounded like footsteps on the lino, followed by what I can only describe as an energy shift – you know that feeling when someone comes into a room, and you can sense them being there.  

Then we have the toilets which are accessed by an open walkway area and are shared with the other tenants on our floor.  If you were to look up ‘creepy’ in the dictionary, then I am sure a picture of this area would be there. Especially when the other tenants have left for the day and turned the lights out – only accessible out near the stairwell – meaning that you have no choice but to walk through the area which is now very dimly lit by the green light of an emergency exit sign. 

During those first few weeks of being in the office, it very much felt like the spirits were testing us, quite rightly so as they have been there for a long time, and we were the newbies.  But what baffled me the most was that I was the only one who seemed to be having these experiences, nothing at all was happening to Michael.  It still mystifies me that out of a group of people there can be a division between those that experience paranormal activity and those that don’t.  Was it that I am naturally a more sensitive person?  Was it because I was more open due to having paranormal experiences from being young? Could it be that my mind was playing tricks on me? Or was it that I had been ‘mouthy’ about the “Haunted Office” and they were keen to prove me wrong. 

I had a feeling that whatever was watching me, following me around was male.  When I got the chance to research Champness Hall, I found the original plans from 1925.  Our office is on the plan, and it appeared that this space was reserved as offices for leaders and senior preachers of Champness Hall.  Could it be that this male presence was a former preacher?

As we settled in, our other worldly residents seemed to start to get used to us.  I even opted to say ‘Morning’ and ‘Night’ each day to try to build up a relationship with them – did I just actually write that… yes, I am talking about building relationships with spirits but it still felt like I was in someone else’s space and so I felt it important to remain positive and open. The sense of being watched had lessened somewhat but they were soon to demonstrate that they had other skills….  

What were the spirits going to do next?  Find out in the next excerpt of “Diary of a Haunted Office”.