The Scream

Ghost tours at the prison are hugely popular - often sold out weeks in advance, and that's with Jailhouse Tours runnning several a night during the season (autum/winter). Last year in between lockdowns 458 and 459, Charlie the site manager asked if I could supply a selection of my best, clearest EVPs for inclusion on the ghost tours, to play them in situ for the curious ears of the guests.

I put together a glorious clump of my best audio babies, and sent them over.

All bar one received rave reviews - the one that didn't surprised me, for it is one of my most chilling and 'out there' captures yet.

The capture itself has been documented in my first blog The Children of HMP Shepton Mallet, and features the child on B Wing...

I heard zilch at the time, as is the norm. As you many already know, when I record I always do a running commentary so as to weed out any 'was that...?!'confusion on playback, so things like distant lawn mowers, motorbikes, and indeed raucous birds, all get a mention.

The guests on this particular ghost tour though, believed that what they heard was a gull.

Now, there are gulls at the prison, frequently to be seen and heard leaping and squawking about on the glass roof of in particular, B Wing.

But on the day of recording, no birds were larking about I can assure you. Not in the manner that 'this' one was, but then again - I know that it certainly wasn't a gull or bird of any sort. The prolonged performance it gave and the insane vocal prowess, blood-curdling sobs and I believe words amidst the cries, deem it anything but a bird. I would have heard. I would have SAID "bloody noisy bird on the roof!"...but I didn't.

The voice a few seconds in is me saying "Right here..." as I was documenting where I stood when my shadowman selfie was taken on a previous visit. The rest, well, I'll let you listen and make up your own mind.