Paignton Picture House Evidence 2017

Collection of the groups experiences provided some interesting evidence.

Having searched through the collected media the following occurrences corroborate the team’s experiences as evidence:

• A shadow was seen centre stage the same time an evp was recorded. The area had been cordoned off and not accessed by the group due to health and safety.
• The name Edward had been picked up on during the walk round by the advance team and again later buy other investigators independently. The fact that this entity was a soldier and fight in WW1 was picked up independently.
• The name Edward is also the name of the Earl of Wessex who had visited only a month prior, so could this have been excited spirits communicating in regard to his HRH visit considering in the early to mid-part of the last century people would have been very much Monarchists.
• The name Harold and Harry were also sensed by two investigators independently.
• The energy of a young girl aged around 8yrs was also sensed independently by team.
• The name Charlotte or Olivia was sensed to possibly be connected with her.
• The sound of a bell was heard by two of the team on two occasions.
• What sounded like coins jingling was captured twice in the Auditorium.
• A clear heavy breath was heard by an investigator coming from behind him and another was also recorded later in the night on a different occasion.
• Jaime had a severe pain in the back of her left shoulder.
• Sallyann felt a male energy with a chest issue and Kelly had also felt chest pains during the night.
• Finger snap and a male "ugh" was heard, the latter was captured again later in the night. Could this be the male energy that Sallyann felt was unable to speak? Was this their way of getting attention or was this a different entity snapping for attention?
• Sallyann felt shadows had been seen at the back of the Auditorium where the finger snaps had been captured.
• Two investigators picked up on a wealthy woman. One sensed her on the balcony, with male companions and another sensed a wealthy woman with a male companion in the entrance foyer and name Mary in connection whose make companion wore a stout top hat. Both were dressed in Edwardian fashion.
• On two separate occasions, the sound of a female singing was recorded.
• Several EVPS were recorded from different areas within the venue calling “Mum”.
• Both Abbie and Sallyann both, independently, thought they had witnessed the shadow of someone seated in the front row of the balcony (right side as you face up from the stage area), a few seats away from the wall.
• Two investigators, independently, described the Projection Room as having a heavy atmosphere and headaches were felt.
• An ²⁶EVP was captured of a female voice speaking in a grand, gracious manner  and ²⁷confirmed she wore mink fur.  Research revealed that one of the famous patrons Agatha Christie did indeed wear and own a mink coat, which today can be seen at Torquay Museum and was often seen wearing fur stoles and mink trimmed hats as did many ladies of that era.

 A recorded interview with Agatha Christie was also found and provides ⁸⁸evidence of how she spoke.  Additional research also provided interesting links to what was intuited but this could also be considered coincidental. Bearing in mind however Torbays rich and affluent residents and visitors of the late 19^th/early 20^th century this information could apply to any woman of wealth and privilege as well as the similar circumstances many would have

faced with the outbreak of war. Without additional evidence to substantiate this, it must remain as pure conjecture and cannot be accepted as fact.

Additional local interest we have included information of Agatha Christies early timeline from which you can draw your own conclusions.

Additional research of a question and answer session that took place between Sallyann and Christina, of who may have been providing the answers that she was sensing from a wealthy female energy on the balcony, during which the EVP Nos ¹⁹   and ²⁰   captured a disembodied voice providing intelligent responses from a well-spoken lady who confirmed that she had been a celebrity courted by photographers, had travelled overseas on board a liner and that she wore mink, led the team to consider Agatha Christie as a candidate.

As a young respectable woman from a wealthy background Agatha would have worn and followed the Edwardian fashion of her day, long skirts and large hats without impropriety. This would fit Christina’s description of the era.

A young Agatha.

Research revealed that 1914, she wed Colonel Archibald Christie, a Royal Flying Corps pilot in a hurry before he returned to the war. The bride later described herself as having worn an old coat and brown velvet hat.

The happy couple on their wedding day.

She took up nursing during the great war with the Voluntary Aid and performed her duties at a Red Cross hospital at Torquay where she would have made the acquaintance and known many soldiers fighting in WW1 as she tended to them. It was at this time when she would have received her education of poisons that proved invaluable in her later writings.

Agatha Christie on duty as a nurse tending to soldiers at Red Cross hospital in Torquay.

1922, the couple boarded the Union Castle Liner R.M.S Kildonian Castle for a ten-month Grand World Tour as part of a trade delegation for the Empire Exhibition. Travel on an ocean liner of any description was commonplace amongst the upper classes.

R.M.S Kildonian Castle played home to Archibald and Agatha during their time at sea.

Agatha’s mink coat at Torquay Museum as pictured being worn by the mistress of mystery herself.

The De-brief

During the de-brief as the team leads shared their groups experiences, with evidence pointing to children having worked in the building children the question was asked of Chris Perkins the venue representative whether this would have indeed been the case. Sharing his opinion, he agreed that it would have been likely that if both parents had worked there, they probably would have taken their children with them, and they would have been put out the way during screenings but some of the older ones would have been put to work as due to the era there wouldn’t have been any child labour laws in place.

Abbie shared that every time she was on the balcony, she felt drawn to the left-hand side where she had witnessed someone seated, rather than the right. At the time, all the team were seated below, and no-one was permitted to seat in the cordoned off first row.

Knowing that Agatha Christie was a regular patron, with a favoured seat, Kelly asked which one, was confirmed by Chris to be the exact seats Abbie – seated in Agatha’s seat B11, and Sallyann – in that of her chauffeur- were sat. Michelle, who reads a lot of Agatha Christies book also had unknowingly chosen the same seats earlier. Chris went on to share that Agatha would sit with a rug covering her legs and her chauffeur would do her bidding.

Discussing Abbie’s sensation of choking on cigar/cigarette smoke in the Auditorium, Chris pointed out the ashtrays that have remained on the walls. During this time, no further EVPs were recorded.