Travelog for: Billy Goat

Here I am inside a real haunted house.

This is a residential home called Forestview. You can find out more about it at www.whct.co.uk.

Staff have felt that someone has been sitting in the chair in the corner but when they've looked no one was there. One night a lady called Val and another member of staff saw an old grey man walk past the door, along the corridor, but when she got to the door no one was there.

Finally, one member of staff had a fire door slammed in her face. This is a really heavy door which should only shut if the fire alarm goes off. This has happened twice to the same person by the same door.

A bit spooky for me! I'm glad I'm not sleeping here.

Here I am again at Avebury, early one morning.  Still no ghosts, however, behing the stones you can see the old buildings of Avebury Manor.

The manor is said to be haunted by the ghost of a white lady who was in love with a cavalier who died. She flung herself out of an upstairs window and died. Her ghost is said to acompany visitors around the grounds of the manor.

The 'Cavalier Room' of the manor is said to be haunted by the ghost of a royalist, Sir John Stowell. People know he is in the room as they get a very strong smell of roses.

I didn't smell any roses, or see any ghosts, but I'll keep looking!

I stopped on my way through Cherhill this afternoon to look more closely at the huge white horse on the hill, one of eight or nine in Wiltshire. It's massive. I hope to see another one before I leave England.

Here I am in the next village to Avebury.

The two stones are the Adam and Eve stones..

One night a man was walking along the path here into Avebury when a woman took the man by the shoulders, turned him around and pushed him gently in the opposite direction. She then disappeared!

Later he heard footsteps hurrying along the road behind him, they overtook him and disappeared but there was no one there.

I'm having a little break from Ghost Hunting, I'm off to France! Although they may have ghosts there too!

Here I am with Pierre Bear at the port.

Here I am at the 2008 2CV French National. I didn't camp as I thought it would be too cold! As it was the weather was lovely.

After a very relaxing day on site the next day I went in a convoy of 2500 2CVs through Dunkerque to the sea front.

Wow, I've never seen so many cars!!

Greetings from Australia!

Well, I finally arrived at Daisy's house! It was a long trip!

I didn't have long to rest because as soon as Daisy came home we were off to rollerskating. Daisy teaches a skating class every Wednesday so she took me along to help her out. I couldn't wait to see the rollerskating ghosts!

Daisy told me that she hadn't actually seen any ghosts at skating, but I told her I would keep an eye out just in case.

Here I am chilling on Daisy's skate.



Daisy got a pair for me to try out - peweeeee!!! Smelly!



Well, I didn't see any ghosts. I think the smell of sweaty skates probably scared them away! 

Skating is pretty tiring so I'm off to bed now. I will write more soon!

Love

Billy Goat

Greetings!

Today was Compassion Day! Daisy sponsors a little African girl through Compassion and today Daisy was working at a BBQ to raise money to help even more children.

So she took me along to help out! Daisy promised that after she'd sold all her sandwiches we would go ghost hunting.

Here I am with Daisy and her friend Jamie



Daisy's sandwiches must have been delicious because she sold out earlier than she had expected and we headed off to look for some ghosts.

We were heading to Campbelltown! The home of Fred Fisher!The most famous ghost in Australia!

I was so excited!

Here is what Daisy told me about Fred Fisher:

In 1826 a Campbelltown farmer named Fred Fisher mysteriously disappeared. His good friend and neighbour George Worrall told everyone that Fred Fisher had returned to England, and that before he left he had given him power of attorney over his property and general affairs. Later, Worrall claimed that Fisher had written to him to advise that he was not intending to return to Australia and that Worrall could have his farm.

Four months after Fred Fisher's disappearance a respectable local man named John Farley, ran into the local hotel in a very agitated state. He told the astonished patrons that he had seen the ghost of Fred Fisher sitting on the rail of a nearby bridge. Farley related that the ghost had not spoken, but had merely pointed to a paddock beyond the creek, before disappearing.

Initially Farley's tale was dismissed, but the circumstances surrounding Fisher's disappearance eventually aroused sufficient suspicion that a police search of the paddock to which the ghost had pointed was undertaken - during which the remains of the murdered Fisher were discovered buried by the side of a creek. George Worrall was arrested for the crime, confessed, and subsequently hanged. Fred Fisher, whose lands he had coveted, was buried in the cemetery at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Campbelltown.

The legend of Fisher's ghost has since entered popular folklore, and is celebrated during Campbelltown's annual Fisher's Ghost Festival which commences early November concluding mid month. The creek beside which the body was discovered is known as Fisher's Ghost Creek. It has now however been converted into mostly a storm water drain.

Here I am in front of Fisher's Ghost Bridge. This is where Fred's ghost was first spotted! Unfortunately he wasn't there when I was.



Daisy and I headed down to Queen Street. It was into one of these buildings that John Farley ran to say that he had seen a ghost! Lucky old John!

I peeked through the big gates, but I didn't see Fred.



Here I am outside another creepy old house. No sign of Fred here either.



I can see two creepy red lights in the window of this building - maybe it's Fred! Although I don't know why his eyes would be red. Maybe he is just mad because someone murdered him? I know I would be.



I need to sit down. Those scary red eyes really freaked me out. I will write more about creepy old Fred Fisher soon.

Love

Billy Goat

Well, it took me a few days to calm down after my last visit to creepy old Campbelltown but today Daisy and I were ready to go hunting for the ghost of Fred Fisher again.

First stop was St Peter's Anglican Cemetery. This is where the body of Fred Fisher is buried. It is also where Daisy's Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather is buried.

There is no headstone for Fred Fisher so we couldn't find his grave. But we did find Daisy's GGGGG Grandfather's grave.

I was hoping GGGGG Grandpa Benjamin's ghost might be there. He was transported to Australia in 1818 as a convict and was a bit of a con-man from all accounts. I think he would have been fun to meet!

Here I am with GGGGG Grandpa Benjamin



And here I am sitting on his feet!




There are lots of creepy old graves in St Peters Cemetery. It is one of the oldest ones in Australia.

I thought I saw some ghosts under the trees so I ran over to check them out. I am a very brave little billy goat!




Here I am sitting on a spooky old crypt that is starting to sink. Then I saw a shadow! AARRGGGHH!!!!!!!!!!! A ghost!!!!


I'm not sure how much more scariness I can cope with!

Stay tuned for more!

Billy Goat x

Greetings ghost lovers everywhere!

I am back in Campbelltown, home of the most famous ghost in Australia; Fred Fisher!

Today we went looking for him at an old building called "The Barn". Daisy has heard that Fred sometimes hangs around there. We waited and waited but he didn't show up or is that him peeking through the upstairs window? He is a very elusive ghost!



Then we headed down to the theatre which is in the old Town Hall. Fred has been spotted at the theatre loads of times and lots of people have reported strange noises and lights going on and off when there is no one around. It gives me shivers down my little goat spine just thinking about it!

Here I am outside the haunted theatre!



My last stop on the hunt for Fisher's ghost was Quandong. Quandong is a strange word and fun to say!

Quandong was the first Catholic school in Campbelltown. No sign of Fred at Quandong either!



I think we'll have to hold a seance if we want to find the ghost of Fred Fisher.

I'll write again soon

Love

Billy Goat x

Greetings fellow ghost hunters!

Today Daisy took me to visit a creepy old graveyard located in the historic little village of Cobbitty.

The road leading into the village is overhung by trees making everything look a little spooky, even on a bright sunny winter day!




St Paul's Anglican church is one of the oldest and most beautiful little churches in Australia and it is located amid  trees and bushland quite near the Nepean River.

Here I am at the gates to the graveyard! I had shivers down my little goat spine!





The graveyard is filled with shadows and mossy old headstones and seems like the kind of place that would be just chock full of ghosts!



Here I am lurking in the shadows! I am sure someone is watching me!





Daisy and I found an old convict grave! 

There were a lot of convicts here in the old colonial days and they were treated pretty badly. I just bet Thomas haunts the old boneyard at night! I would if I were him!



Daisy didn't believe me, but I'm sure I saw a ghost duck down behind one of these headstones!





Well, that's all for now. Daisy has promised to tell me a spooky true story tonight! I can hardly wait!

I will write again soon

Love

Billy Goat x

Salutations lovers of spooky things!

Today Daisy took me to the little town near where she lives, it's called Camden.

Camden is not only one of the oldest towns in Australia it is also one of the most haunted! Which is lucky for me!

So Daisy and I piled into the car and hit the haunted trail!





First we stopped by the visitor information centre. I met some nice people there who were very interested in my travels as a Toy Voyager.



Now I know what it's like to be a celebrity! I thought one lady was going to ask for my autograph!

Here I am outside the visitor centre which is called Oxley Cottage it was built in the 1890's and was originally a miner's cottage. I wondered if the ghosts of the miners haunt the place? I asked the lady but she said she didn't know about that, but she said that Camden does have a famous haunted house called Macaria, so that's where we headed!



In the photo below I am outside spooky old Macaria. Here is what Daisy told me about Macaria and it's ghosts:
   
She said that a lot of old houses have ghosts, and Macaria is no exception. The first three people to own it all died young. 

Following the deaths of the first three owners Macaria was turned into Camden Grammar School.

During this time many students and teachers witnessed strange paranormal events. Furniture would move around all by itself and crockery would inexplicably fall from shelves and break.

Many students complained of “terrible noises” during the night.

After the school closed a dentist who used it as his home as well as his surgery lived there. The same noises and strange happenings continued during his time. Then one day a section of the ceiling broke away and fell on the dentist chair, killing instantly the poor person that was seated in it at the time! Oh my goodness!

But that was not all! The next inhabitant was a doctor. One night as he was getting into bed he felt hands grab him around the throat and hurl him to the floor. The doctor moved out a short time after that (I don’t blame him one bit!)

The council now owns it and there are still reports of lights going on and off by themselves and strange noises and things that go bump in the night!






Quite near to Camden there is an old silver mining town called Yerranderie.

Here I am sitting on a monument to the miners of the area.

Yerranderie is now almost completely isolated, because the valley that used to give access to the town was flooded to build a huge dam. Yerranderie is now a Ghost Town! Yerranderie is only accessible by plane or 4WD and people go there for weekends to be scared out of their wits!



Camden is full of pretty old colonial buildings and is a very friendly place.

Below is the police station, the old cells are just chocka block with ghosts and spirits! I could hear them moaning from the street! Daisy said it was probably just a policeman that had eaten too many doughnuts and had a tummy ache! 



Well, a little goat can only take so much scariness in one day so I climbed into my special car seat and headed for home.



Camden is one spooky old town!

I will write more soon!

Hugs from the haunted trail! 

Billy Goat x

Happy Friday the 13th!

Luckily for me Daisy lives right near one of the most haunted houses in Australia; Studley Park House!

According to the locals and many paranormal websites this creepy old mansion is just brimming over with pesky poltergeists and sneaky spirits!

It was a perfect day for visiting a haunted house. Apart from being Friday 13th it was also overcast and cloudy and looked like it was going to rain any second. It really got us in the mood for some serious ghost hunting!

The house is not opened to the public so we kind of slipped through the gates when no one was around! Daisy is leading me astray! I am naughty little billy goat! 

Here is what we discovered about the house:

Construction began on the beautiful Victorian mansion in 1889. Grazier and businessman William Charles Payne  named his newly acquired property "Studley Park", after the original Studley Park located in Yorkshire, England.

Unfortunately for Mr Payne, he ran out of money and had to sell the house to pay off his debts to the architects. The house then became known as Paynes Folly.

I think this is a bit sad  To build such a lovely house and then not be able to keep it. Maybe Mr Payne is one of the ghosts?

Here I am walking towards the house. The atmosphere around it is very spooky, almost electric! It made my little bits of fluff stand on end!





Now, I am usually a pretty brave little billy goat. But I could really feel something creepy in the air around Studley Park. 

When we got home and Daisy uploaded the photo's I was very shocked by the picture below. We have no idea what the misty white mark is. It wasn't on the camera lens because it isn't on every photo! And no its not rain because it wasn't raining while we took the pictures, before and after yes, but not during 

Maybe it's a ghost! One thing is for sure we didn't alter the photo. What you see is what we took on the day.[/b]






Anyway back to the spooky history of Studley Park House:

The house became Camden Grammar School in the early 1900's.

On October 15, 1909, fourteen year old student Ray Blackstone and 5 of his fellow boarders decided to go for a swim in a nearby dam. The boys had been warned of the dangers of swimming in the dam but decided to go anyway. During an attempt to swim to one side of the dam and back, Ray began to struggle. Despite the assistance of his friend, Sydney Langford, the boy drowned. His lifeless body was brought ashore by senior students and it is reputed to have been stored in the cold, dark cellar of Studley Park House, awaiting burial.





A while later Studley Park was sold to Arthur Adolphus Gregory, sales manager of Twentieth Century Fox Australia. Gregory refurbished Studley Park House in Art Deco style and converted the student's dining room into a theatrette.

In 1939, tragedy struck when Gregory's son died in the theatrette from appendicitis. The boy's body was kept in the cellar until he was buried.







I was glad I had Fuzzy Wuzzy with me I needed someone to hug!




I hope I don't have nightmares tonight!

Will write soon!

Love Billy Goat x

Greetings ghost lovers!

Tonight we had an old-fashioned night at home. It began with a sing-a-long around the piano.

Lestat, who is Daisy's companion and a vampire (not that there's anything wrong with that  ) loves to play, although he tells me the harpsichord is his real favourite. He says it reminds him of the old days.



After some very loud and tuneful singing Daisy asked if I would like to have a look at her family photo album. She said they weren’t just boring old photos. You see, Daisy’s ancestors were all actors and because of that she has loads of great old photos of them in their fancy costumes. The ones I am looking at are from the 1800’s.



Daisy said actors are very superstitious people about things like ghosts, and they are especially superstitious about the play Macbeth.

Daisy said her father (also an actor) said that he had seen many strange and unusual happenings when he has been involved in a performance of Macbeth. 

Actors think it is bad luck to mention Macbeth by name while they are inside a theatre, and usually prefer to called it The Scottish Play. Daisy said the reason for this is that  Shakespeare is said to have used the spells of real witches in his text, this apparently made the witches really mad and they cursed the play.

Therefore, to say the name of the play inside a theatre is believed to doom the production to failure, and perhaps cause physical injury or even worse to cast members. A large mythology has built up surrounding this superstition, with many stories of accidents, misfortunes and even deaths, all mysteriously taking place during runs of Macbeth (or by actors who had uttered the name).

Here are three ways to ward off the curse:

1)Immediately leave the building the stage is in with the person who uttered the name, walk around it three times, spit over their left shoulder, say an obscenity then wait to be invited back into the building.

2) Leave the room, knock three times, be invited in, and then quote a line from Hamlet.

3)Recite one of Shylock's monologues from The Merchant of Venice

Wow! I never thought I would learn about ghosts just from looking through a photo album!



Then it was time for bed. Daisy said she had the perfect story for a little voyager on the haunted trail. I could hardly wait to hear it!

First she made us a bedtime drink in some very pretty little cups that were just the right size for me! She said these cups were what the story was all about.

Here we are eagerly awaiting the story!


Here is the story of the pretty little cups…


One November a long, long time ago Daisy’s great grandmother Effie passed away very suddenly. Her death came as a great shock, especially to Daisy’s grandmother.

Daisy’s Grandmother lived next door to a lady who was a medium and held séances. The medium informed Daisy’s Grandmother that the ghost of Effie had made itself known to her during one of her seances. She had said that her spirit was restless because she had something she needed to tell Daisy's Grandmother.


It seemed that Effie had scrimped and saved for months to buy Daisy’s grandmother a birthday present, but had died before she had been able to go to the shop to pick it up. Daisy’s grandmother went to every shop in the vicinity of Effie’s house. She was beginning to think it was all some kind of hoax until she walked into a little gift shop that she had never been in before. She asked if a lady by a certain name had made a purchase there recently. The owner of the shop said that she had, and that she thought it was odd that the elderly lady had not returned to pick up the package as it had seemed very important to her. The lady in the shop gave Daisy’s grandmother the package and inside were a set of tiny little coffee cups, the very same ones we drank out of tonight!

The ghost of Effie never appeared again and the medium was convinced it was because she had completed her unfinished business on earth – spooky and all 100% true!


I'm off to bed now! Will write more soon

Love

Billy Goat x