Recap

Paranormal Britain

Author and researcher Lionel Fanthorpe shared paranormal reports and stories from his home in Britain. Since the country has had such a long and turbulent history, it may explain why ghostly "replays" of emotionally charged events occur with some frequency, he said.

Fanthorpe recounted the tale of the mermaid of Zennor (a coastal town of Cornwall). She was described as having a fish-like tail and it was said she raised a family in an underwater cave. And supposedly, one day the mermaid asked a sea captain to move his ship because his anchor was blocking the entrance to her home. Fanthorpe speculated that it's possible a humanoid species could have developed that had increased adaptability to water.

He also shared an event that took place when he, Uri Geller, and assorted psychics were called to investigate a haunted house at Stonegate, York. He witnessed an "aport," –an antique doorknob suddenly appeared on the floor from out of nowhere, and looked as though it had been pulled off its mooring. Lionel also revisited the Green Children case of the 12th century, theorizing that copper poisoning may have been the cause of their strange body color. He also conjectured about the purpose of Stonehenge, saying it may have been a magical device situated above ley lines and used for healing or conversely a place for human sacrifice performed at certain times of the year.

Related Articles

UK Strangeness

In the latest issue of Fortean Times, Lionel & Patricia Fanthorpe write about how certain eastern counties in the U.K. seem to have more than their share of paranormal activity. For instance, in Suffolk, "Green Children" have appeared in a field, a "Merman" stayed with villagers and phantom organ music was heard coming from a church. In Norfolk, there is said to be a "time-slip" where people seemingly find themselves transported back to Roman times.