interviews

Mark Webb

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:19:19 +0100

A familar face in the paranormal TV world from shows such as 'Famous and Frightened' and 'Haunted Homes'.
Mark has seen many things and worked with many Mediums, most of which he had no issues with, that was until he started working on 'Living With The Dead'.

Recent developments has caused Mark to leave LTWD and move on with what he wants to do.
However, LWTD claim they had to sack Webb, but Webb states that he had left due to the shows dishonesty.
RiPA catches up with Mark to get to find out what really happened.

1, Why did you feel that you needed to inform people of the fact that the mediums on the show were being fed information by the production staff ?

I am like many people, I hate being lied to. I always said that if I discovered something was faked I would expose it.

2, Was this an isolated incident or did this happen on a regular basis ?

I have more than one of these emails. I am keeping these to myself as more info should this go to court. I don’t want people to know what I have until they need to.

3, In your capacity as a paranormal investigator, How much of the show was scripted and how much was genuine ?

None of my parts were scripted but I was not treated in the same way as the mediums. They were taken for dinner on every shoot when I was taken out once.

4, What are your views of mediums that are willing to contribute to the good viewing aspect of television shows by participating in duping the viewers ?

I hate them. They are not giving anything to the paranormal community other than to fuel the sceptics. Once they are proven to have lied about one thing it throws everything else into question.

5, Now that you have exposed this show, Do you think that this may have effected or jeopardised any future involvement in television shows ?

No. I have never asked to appear in any show and that isn’t the reason for my involvement in the paranormal, it is a hobby to me.

Thank-you for answering our questions, RiPA wishes you all the best.

Lesley Smith

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:24:32 +0100

Most of us know the gorgeous Lesley Smith as Most Haunted's resident historian, Tutbury castles Curator and one of Yvette Fielding's screaming banshees. Lesleys love for history has helped bring it to life, literally, as she is famed for her alter egos as Elizabeth I and Mary queen of Scots as well as a few other powerful women from the past.. A scholar and academic authority on the private lives of the middle class woman in the 16th century, Lesley has brought a often dull subject to life with her flamboyance and infectious passion for history.

Having met Lesley with some fellow members of the RiPA team, We grew curious of what made Lesley tick, so decided to ask her...............................

Why did you become an Historian ?

When I was about seven. A natural leaning you may say – a vocation of sorts. I was an odd child who spent a great deal of time hanging around museums in an anorak. However, I had a fantastic range of friends who patiently trailed round with me and later boyfriends.
My formal study started at 18 and now I am back at University – Birmingham Medical School where I am studying for my Phd.

If you weren't a Historian, What would you be?

A politician – like my Father. Wouldn’t I be a nightmare swinging my handbag!?

Do you believe in the paranormal?

I believe passionately in the people of the past and have great respect for the lives that have been. I do believe paranormal activity exists but have a real problem accepting most cases as fact. I know, probably more than most, what some members of the public will do to be famous or on television and I am afraid that tempts too many to pretend. Not in all cases though and certainly I have never seen any faking on the show and am amazed by some of the activity.

What first sparked your interest in the paranormal?

When I was a little girl I had great imagination and enjoyed the concept of ghosts becoming interested properly when I was about 7 – frightened but interested.
I am a bit of a bookworm and read a huge amount and am constantly reminded how ghosts have fascinated this nation for centuries.

What types of resources would you use to research a location?

Firstly talk to the site. If they are part of large and well respected organisation there is good chance the research will be really good and fairly recent. Buy a guide book and use that as a base although be warned they can be wrong.
The local library will help you understand the site itself – what was on the site before that building and the type of people who lived in the area going back as far as possible.
The Land Registry, they will carry out a deed search for you about the property which can be hugely important as they usually provide names of ownership and nature of usage.
Major published works by respectable authors.
Phd’s recently published for up to date work
Leading bodies such as Museums and organisations such as the Public Records Office.
I am very wary of the internet – if the sites are respectable – fine – if not be very careful. I have read enough clap- trap about this castle – recently researched for 5 years by the British Museum, so we do know all about it – yet still some cling to some old research ideas that are frankly overturned.
Be careful, history is not an exact science and there are lots of works that contradict each other. This is a bit of a nightmare but real historians are used to this.

Where in your opinion is the scariest place that you have investigated?

S.S. Great Britain – scare the living daylights out of me and so did Chislehurst Caves.

For those people who don't know, you are also the curator at the magnificent Tutbury castle. Could you tell us about some of the activity that happens there ?

We have a famous sighting, seen regularly of a little girl in “The King’s Bedroom” and also a towering dark figure that is really frightening and has been known to push people. Lights, moving shadows and doors being locked and unlocked is common here.An odd atmosphere prevails at times.

What are your opinions on tv mediums / psychics?

Often pleasant and sometimes gifted.

If you could meet anyone alive or dead, Who would it be and why?

Elizabeth 1st. Her Majesty has been the inspiration of my life.

Are there any new and exciting paranormal projects that you are involved in ?

Yes, but I am restrained from telling you about it yet. Lots more telly coming up too for various programmes.

Thank-you for helping us :)

DELIGHTED AND GOOD LUCK
Lesley

Mia Dolan

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:29:22 +0100

MIA DOLAN

Mia Dolan was born on the isle of Sheppey and has been a psychic for over twenty years. Mia has had a lot of tragedies in her life including the tragic and early death of her son. However she found some comfort in her psychic ability's, her spirit guide, Eric, and helping others with readings.
Mia is know one of the UK's most renown female psychics and the star of tv programmes such as haunted homes. Mias accuracy in her ability has also been used by the police in criminal investigations such as the murder of crime watch presenter, Jill Dando, and of Rachel Nickell.
Here Mia gives R.i.P.A an insight into how her ability's work and answers some questions posed by the R.i.P.A team.

Interview:

Thank you for taking the time to speak to RiPA about what you do.

First off, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am 47 years old and have been involved in this work since I was 22, I am classed as a psychic as that covers most areas of the paranormal, and I think its important that I am not attached to one religion as they are all roads to the same place.

When did you first realise that you were able to connect with spirits?

It started when I was 22, but took a few years to come to terms with the fact it was spirits that I could hear and see and not me going mad

Are you clairaudiant, clairvoyant, clairsentient or one of the lesser known 'Clair' variants?

I am clairvoyant, clairaudient, I have the ability to do psychometry, and mediumship. There are probably more that I can do but have never been asked to list my skills before

How do you connect with the spirits ?

Sometimes I see spirits as clear as I see anyone alive, other times I just hear, and mostly they are in my mind, on my memory screen, but at all times I can never make them do anything only wait to see what they are going to say, or do

Do you have a spirit guide, if yes please could you tell us a bit about him/her ?

My spirit guide is Eric, and I have only had this 1 guide and I first heard him when I was 22, and unlike most other mediums I have spoken to he doesn't give me information just helps me look or listen in the right way

Do you always see/hear/sense spirits or are you able to switch off ?

I don't switch off as such, but I do ignore a lot of what I see if it is not the right time or place, so my best skill is the ability to shut of what I don't wish to work

Do pets cross over ?

I know pets cross over as I pick them up a lot but they do not speak to me, so they don't suddenly get a voice

Are you the same in death as you are in life, personality, characteristics etc ?

Your personality is exactly the same when you go home, only fear and anger is gone, there is also a sense of knowledge which I believe is because they understand that which we cant while here on earth

Do you think that the rapid influx in paranormal related television programmes has damaged or helped in the work that you do ?

I do think the new interest in the media for anything paranormal is a double edged sword. It is very frustrating when watching something on the box which anyone with any real knowledge would know is rubbish, but it is bringing it into mainstream media which has taken decades to achieve, and I believe the general population is being slowly introduced to the fact it could be real, so that when evidence is finally shown the impact wont scare the general population to much

What do you think of the newly proposed laws that are going to be forcing mediums and psychics to only advertise their services as “for entertainment purposes only” ?

I think I may be the first psychic taken to court as I can not say I am doing an entertainment show, for God's sake we are dealing with bereaved people and I have no intention of making them feel like the stars of some sick reality show. I do think the law needs tightening up but it would be more sensible to regulate it on a morale code, at least that would be workable.

Did you receive any help and guidance when you realised that you had a gift ?

When I was suddenly afflicted with the Gift I when to the NHS to get rid of it as I didn't believe in anything like this nor did I know anyone who was into this work, after about 14 months I was told I was sane but strange and left to get on with it. I was thrown out of many development groups and told many times I was to young but that didn't help as I hadn't asked for any of this. Finally it was my Guide who taught me, and now I am working towards opening a permanent psychic school, so all who go through what I did would have somewhere to go

What advice would you give to someone just realising their own mediumistic ability's ?

When your sixth sense first starts to awaken you will have an itch you cant scratch and anything to do with the paranormal will draw your attention, even the silly ones as you will feel that you just might find what you are looking for but the reality is the answers are inside you, what your looking for is to harness your sixth sense. Lastly don't analyse any experiences, just keep a log and you will see patterns and in those patterns your path will show itself

What was the most memorable moment while connected?

The most powerful moment I have experienced was after my son had died and I was not going to work in this field again, I had forgot to cancel a lady who drove a long way to see me for a reading, I did the reading and in the middle of this I suddenly saw her dead daughter, so amazingly clearly, and she showed me what her place in heaven was like and I had total contact for about 20 minutes which is unheard of, she told me so many things about her family etc but that was not the amazing thing for me it was seeing her place in heaven and knowing that my son was in a similar place. The lady I had done the reading for didn't know my son had died and as she left she cuddled me and said I would never know how much I had helped her, and as I watched her walk towards her car I thought she would never know how much she had helped me as were her daughter was so was my son and the terrible pain she had felt was the same as my pain, and I realised it was an honour to touch someone's live at there darkest hour and give them the light to find there way home

Would you be willing to work alongside R.i.P.A in the future, be it for investigation purposes or research into mediumistic abilities?

I would always be open to working with your group, as long as it doesn't conflict with the morals I try to work under, I do not agree with phone readings nor email and text readings but if that is not a problem for you then please just ask when something comes up

Once again thank-you for taking the time to speak with us.
You can find out more about Mia Dolan through her website at: www.miadolan.com

Stephen Holbrook

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:30:20 +0100

STEVEN HOLBROOK

Yorkshire based medium Steven Holbrook is one of Britain's most accurate mediums. His clairvoyance evenings attract large numbers of people hoping to get readings and those that are given messages from departed loved ones have nothing but good things to say about him.
He developed his gift during meetings at a spiritualist church and with the help of his spirit guide Archie has given hundreds of people messages that are not only accurate but are delivered in a sensitive and caring manner. I myself have been to many of Stevens evenings and would suggest to anyone that if they get the opportunity to see him then grab it with both hands.
Here Steven answers some questions posed by the RiPA members and gives us an insight into his world.

Interview

Thank you for taking the time to speak to RiPA about what you do.

First off, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I would consider myself pretty much an ordinary guy, nothing unusual, run of the mill. Perhaps a little over-sensitive sometimes. I always appreciate the fact that I have been chosen to represent spirit.

When did you first realise that you were able to connect with spirits?

When I was 9 years old, I was awoken by my grand dad at 4.55am who said 'I've gone, go and tell your mother' and I replied 'Gone where?' He just said 'Go and tell her I've gone'. You never argued with my grand dad, so I went and told my mum who said I must have been dreaming. Anyway she came into my room and of course my grand dad wasn't there. She put me back to sleep, but the next morning she found out that he had died at 4.50am, so it only took him 5 minutes to come back and let us know. My mum made me vow never to tell a soul what happened, but of course things progressed through my life, and I never really heard spirits again until I was 16 in the supermarket when I brushed against someone by accident. A voice came into my head, 'tell her its Michael, its her son, and wish Chloe happy birthday for next week' She thought I was mad, but was really grateful for the message.

Are you clairaudiant, clairvoyant, clairsentient or one of the lesser known 'Clair' variants?

I am 90% clairaudiant, 10% clairvoyant.

How do you connect with the spirits ?

through speech. My guide Archie May lets me know that he is ready when my left arm twists up, and I know we're about to get started! I don't spend an hour in a darkened room meditating. I'd rather be busy giving out tickets etc or doing bookwork.

Do you have a spirit guide, if yes please could you tell us a bit about him/her ?

Archie May. We never knew much about him for years, and to be honest I wasn't that concerned about finding out who he was, just in case he thought I was being intrusive and decided to leave me! One of my book readers delved into many and various avenues, and found out 'our' Archie May, who served in World War 1, and suffered an injured arm in one battle. Coincidentally he also used to be a hairdresser before he was conscripted. A picture of him is in my book 'Survival'

Do you always see/hear/sense spirits or are you able to switch off ?

It took me years to be able to learn how to switch on and off, it used to really get me down having this constant drone of voices in my head. In the day, I'm just a normal guy working in the office, sorting our adverts, contracts, booking hotels etc, but as soon as I go on stage and start the introduction, we're off! Sometimes I'll be in a pub or restaurant, and voices come through more or less demanding I pass on a message to someone (which I do but its very embarrassing - its all very well people coming to see me, because they want to, but for me to approach them in a pub is a little strange).

Do pets cross over ?

yes, pets cross over and come through all the time. Naturally its not the pets talking to me as people often assume (and then take the Mickey). They are brought by a relative who has passed over. Sometimes people are more emotional when a pet comes through than a person!

Are you the same in death as you are in life, personality, characteristics etc ?

100% the same when you pass on. If you're mother in law was a cantankerous old boot when she was alive, she will be when she's passed over! All your traits and quirks go with you. It's when you get there you may wish you could have changed things when you were alive as you can see the 'whole picture' when you're over. Certain things are meant to be, and some things aren't. For all we do on the earth, its all part of a massive jigsaw that we cant see, but eventually all the pieces fit together. You often have to go through a bad time, to reach a good time. Its hard at the time, but eventually it all makes sense.

Do you think that the rapid influx in paranormal related television programmes has damaged or helped in the work that you do ?

I think generally it has helped in as much as it has brought spiritualism to a broader audience, and it generates more interest in the churches too. Interest has grown steadily over the years, and people visit mediums etc who never would have dreamed of it before. Of course, there's the risk it becomes too frequent on TV, and people can consider it 'light entertainment' and don't see the joy and relief it brings to people.

What do you think of the newly proposed laws that are going to be forcing mediums and psychics to only advertise their services as “for entertainment purposes only” ?

Brilliant news! There are a some people out there, like in any profession, who simply want to jump on the bandwagon, make money and con people. Its life. I am pleased that the law has come in, it will protect us mediums out there who are completely genuine, AND it will protect the innocent people who fall victim to fraudsters. The only thing I disagree with is the fact that we have to use the word 'entertainment' in our advertising.

Did you receive any help and guidance when you realised that you had a gift ?

yes, I had help from my local spiritualist church, they encouraged me to open up and explore the gift that I had. It took a blooming long time, but it has been well worth it.

What advice would you give to someone just realising their own mediumistic ability's ?

Perhaps have a chat with someone who is already working as a medium - I get asked frequently after my demonstrations how people can develop themselves. Visit several spiritualist churches and get a broader view of how spiritualism works, development circles, open circles. Simply relax, don't get too stressed about it, if you push too hard sometimes it wont happen. Take it easy, get comfortable with the notion of what you are doing, it will help people.

What was the most memorable moment while connected?

the most memorable one I can remember is years ago at Tamworth Assembly Rooms. I was talking to a gentlemen, giving all the messages from a lady, and it was all correct, a wonderful message. The gentleman came up to me afterwards, and it turns out I had been speaking to Terry Stokes in the audience, and I had been passing a message on from Doris Stokes, amazing.

Would you be willing to work alongside R.i.P.A in the future, be it for investigation purposes or research into mediumistic abilities?

possibly, as long as I have time, then I see no reason. I do work 26 nights a month, 10 months of the year, but we'll see!!

Once again thank-you for taking the time to speak with us.

You can find out more about Steven Holbrook through his website at : www.steveholbrook.co.uk