Spooky Isles speaks to Elaine Kelly, the founder of Spectre Detectors, a paranormal investigation group from County Durham
Elaine Kelly has long been interested in the seeking out the unknown. That’s why in 2011, she founded Spectre Detectors, a paranormal group based in County Durham. In the time since, she has travelled all over investigating some of the UK’s most famous – and less obvious – haunted places. A published author, Elaine talks to Spooky Isles about using time over lockdown to bring her research together to write a number of books, including one of the infamous Mary Ann Cotton.
Elaine Kelly, Spectre Detectors, Question and Answers
How long have you been investigating the paranormal? Nearly 9 years
Do you believe in ghosts and if so, what is a ghost? I do believe in ghosts/spirits. And believe they are the energy or soul of people no longer on the earth plane, popping back to confirm that death isn’t the end.
What was your first paranormal encounter? Seeing a figure on the roadside as we passed in a car when I was very young.
What evidence have you uncovered that makes you consider ghosts are real? I have caught a full bodied apparition on CCTV, many spirits on photo and 100s of EVPs (voices on recordings).
Are you a psychic? Do you consider psychics a help or hindrance for paranormal investigations?
Yes, I believe I have psychic/mediumship abilities, as do all of our team. It definitely helps on investigations but you can investigate without those abilities. I think as you investigate, over time your senses are heightened, so you end up feeling/sensing things.
How do you prepare for a ghost hunt/paranormal investigation?
Check the kit, buy lots of batteries and duct tape and always say an opening and closing prayer.
What tips would you give a person going on a paranormal investigation for the first time?
Never ever provoke, always be respectful and don’t ever do it alone. Always protect yourself with a prayer, it doesn’t need to be religious but just to protect you as you interact with spirit. Never expect to catch evidence, these things take time and you need to build up trust with spirit. I don’t think they will ever show you something you aren’t prepared for.
What is your favourite piece of paranormal investigation equipment?
I love the spirit box/portal but i love doing EVP sessions with a plain old voice recorder.
Tell us about your favourite moment from a paranormal investigation.
Talking to little George from a Masonic Lodge at Stanley. We heard him say his name and it was caught on camcorder too.
What makes a great haunted location?
Anywhere with a bit of history, not necessarily castles but community centres have usually been Victorian schools etc. And lots of places have links with the war, whether they were NAFFIs (Navy, Army and Airforce Institutes) or somewhere people used to meet for dancing.
If you could investigation an haunted location, where would it be?
Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, in Stanley, County Durham.
Read any good paranormal books or watched any paranormal TV lately?
I have been watching Skinwalker Ranch, it’s more unexplained than paranormal. I watch lots of footage and write too, so don’t really read or watch paranormal things. It’s too much like a busman’s holiday!
You can check out Elaine’s books on Amazon here.
Watch Spectre Detector videos here on their YouTube channel.
You can follow them on their Facebook page
I do have footage that I caught on my cine-camera on 26th Nov, 2005.
It does not have any apparitions, but what it does have is very odd!
I left my camera running on our landing stairs, at about 3am.
When I ran the footage back, the next night, I was surprised too see quite a bit of interreference in about 4 places. I thought I might have a Faulty tape, so I rewound the tape to the start of the “Fault” and recorded over a portion of the first “fault”. When I played it back, it was perfect.
There is also a “Blip” @ 44.12, that I have never noticed before, even though I have look at this tape countless times. Very strange.
You have to run the tape to 40.52 sec to see the portion that I have taped-over, too view the rest of the odd behaviour.
What, for me, makes this very odd is the camera. It is an automatic focus. So, you can see it re-focusing it self, after each event!