I ruined the ghost hunt

[CallMeAChopper]

I was away last week staying in a castle. Supposedly a very haunted castle but I don’t believe in shit like that, I just like history.

Anyway during the night there was a paranormal investigation going on. I had to walk through the castle on my own to retrieve something from the car and as I walked through one room these guys were surrounding a door recording it and had all their equipment set up around it etc. I needed to get through it. I held back a bit (this was 10pm at night and I was tired, wanting to go to bed). Anyway the door moved slightly and they all got excited. I seriously just needed to get to my car so pointed out that this particular door always moves due to the draught coming up the stairs. Well they all looked daggers at me and asked what I was doing there!! I said I needed to get through the door! So they huffed ans puffed and moved all their shit and the leader said they would have to start again due to interference. I went through, got the stuff out of my car and made my way back through the castle. Unfortunately they had set all their stuff up again. I went through the door and set all the alarms off and they got angry and one said “let’s move to a different area, this is ridiculous”. I didn’t say anything, just headed back to my apartment.

Later that night I opened the bedroom window and instantly was hit with torches in my face. They had got excited due to “movement” from a “haunted room”. I got annoyed, went down to where they were and asked how much longer this would be going on. They said all night. So I told them where I was staying, pointed to the windows and said any movement from these rooms is just me walking around. They were not friendly. As I was speaking one started shrieking about a chandelier swinging in another room and they all went running. I went with them and pointed out the big fuck off fireplace that would inevitably cause a draught going through the room causing anything “hanging” to move. I was then told to “go away!” And was told I was ruining a night that had been planned for months. I told them they were ruining my night that had been planned for months too.
Who was being unreasonable?

@fumfspos

I don't think you were unreasonable to go to the car to get things and need to go through the door they were recording at. They were unreasonable to shine lights in windows where guests were trying to sleep. But I think you were unreasonable to follow them and go on about the big fuck off fireplace causing the chandelier to move. They were doing their hobby and you deliberately tried to spoil it for them. You did ruin their night they had been planning for months.

However, I think the main fault lies with the hotel here. It seems like they were ghost hunters rather than people on organized tours at set times and in certain areas of the castle.
The hotel should not have ghost investigators running loose all over the place while other guests are staying as it is an inconvenience for everyone when ghost hunters are blocking areas that guests need to use.
The hotel should either insist on ghost hunters booking the whole venue or only in the off-season when there are no guests staying.
Or at the very least, be very strict about where the ghost hunters are allowed to go and indicate clearly to them where guests are staying so that there aren't people shining lights in rooms or blocking access to parts of the hotel where the guests are.

Usually, I’d say that’s a fair point @fumfspos but given the OP’s smartness attitude I’d take the description of the interactions with a pinch of salt 🤷🏻‍♀️

Did she really, with her attitude, just politely go through the door first time? I doubt it.
Chillingham is known for its evening ghost tours, so I think most guests would just find it interesting.

Then on the return back through the same door, she managed to set their alarms off. Does that sound like someone who said, “sorry guys, me again” and gave them a polite moment to turn them off?

Then as I said before, I find it really “coincidental” that they were outside OP’s window that she just had to open well after she’d decided she was going to bed - in October.

And she actually (apparently) went all the way outside for the altercation and started following them round with her fun sponge in hand, instead of just calling reception.

This tale is as embellished as Chillingham’s tours, but with less good nature.

@butterpuffed

Why were they letting people stay there when they had an 'event' . Hmmm,

If it's true you're a meanie.

Because Chillingham run events all the time. It’s their thing.

@AmDillDandin

Aye right.

I must confess this was my reaction. That, or perhaps "Did ye, aye?"

@Sn0tnose

I think you both were.

They’re being beyond unreasonable shining torches in windows and disturbing people while they’re trying to sleep, all in pursuit of something that isn’t there.

You were being unreasonable following them just to piss on their chips.

To be fair, OP wasn’t trying to sleep, she was up and about and opening her window. And it’s a coincidence wouldn’t you say, that she happens to decide to open her window just when the people she’s already annoyed and is annoyed with are nearby 🤣

Did you ever know that you're my hero
And everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an (ghost) eagle
For you are the wind beneath my (haunted) chandelier

good work you, debunk woo everywhere you go !

@Seemssounfair

I dont believe in that shit either, but have been on ghost tours in the underground Vaults in Edinburgh and would never have ruined it for the other paying people on the tour (who were probably just pretending they believed too for a bit of fun).

Being a smartarse isn't funny, if the activity was disturbing you speak to reception instead of going out of your way to ruin their evening

I don't think OP was going out of their way to ruin anyone's stay. Certainly no more than the 'paranormal investigators' were ruining anyone else's.

Voted YABU because you did rather piss on their chips after the door incident.

@TheChiefJo her very first interaction with them was to interfere and tell them the door they were excited about was moving due to a draft. I’d say that was pretty rude. On balance, with the tone of the post, do you think it was information given in a helpful way, or a smartarse way?

I'm surprised no staff at all were about. As said one minute you were very tired, the next you were following them.
Do you intervene when Carol singers are singing to God? I'd advise not to turn up to Churches because you like history and the architecture. Leave people with their beliefs. It was dickhead behaviour, on your part, but if the cap fits.

@brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, do you shout that he isn't real when you walk past a Grotto as well? How do you react to the religious side of Christmas? There's more evidence of unexplained happens, which are connected to death, than there's ever been of religion.

This is one of the more inventive fake posts on Mumsnet, I’ll give you that, but definitely not real. And the person in your story would have been a bit of a dick if they were real too.

We need a 'Lame Attempt At Getting Into Classics' emoji.

Ha ha, well done OP. You wouldn't have been annoyed with them if they hadn't behaved in an immensely annoying and selfish way towards you!

I'd have complained to the hotel. They failed to co-ordinate activities properly, or forewarn you as necessary.

@AmDillDandin

Aye right.

Yeah, my thoughts too.

It reads like a journalist trying to be funny.

I doubt this is real but if it is you were a dick. I'm sure there will be folk on MN who think you're amazing and hilarious. Nope, still a dick.

[quote Ponoka7]@brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, do you shout that he isn't real when you walk past a Grotto as well? How do you react to the religious side of Christmas? There's more evidence of unexplained happens, which are connected to death, than there's ever been of religion.[/quote]
No, because the grotto stuff is done for children - credulous little creatures who are enthralled by the magic and storytelling.

Then they grow up.

Actual grown adults lurking outside a rattling door and believing it’s more likely to be ghooOOOSsssts than actual convective / air pressure dynamics and then getting shirty if someone you know - wants to use that door - should be challenged.

@Cocomarine Possibly a bit smartarsed, but I don't think that's any worse than blocking a thoroughfare for other guests with your hobby.

Actual grown adults lurking outside a rattling door and believing it’s more likely to be ghooOOOSsssts than actual convective / air pressure dynamics and then getting shirty if someone you know - wants to use that door - should be challenged.

I don’t believe in ghosts in white sheets, but I’d never be so arrogant as to completely disbelieve the possibility of something that we just don’t know if it exists.

@AmDillDandin

We need a 'Lame Attempt At Getting Into Classics' emoji.

🤣 👻

Are people really that gullible to fall for this shit? And by shit I mean your story.

Unless you owned the place how would you know that door always rattled, and how would you know the moving chandelier rocked because of the fireplace? And there is really one entrance and exit to the carport in a castle!?

You got over your tiredness very quickly. One minute you’re needing to go to bed at 10pm and the next your up, and following them around
If it’s true I think you were mean. Just because you don’t believe, there’s no need to spoil their evening that they’ve paid for.

You seem to feel compelled to piss on their chips. Why did you have to make the comment about the chandelier - couldn't you just have left them to it? Did you have to be a smart arse about it? I don't walk into churches any shout 'this is all bollocks'.

Omg op! I was in stitches reading this. YANBU. No you haven't ruined it, you needed to get stuff from your car and you are totally right when saying what was causing the 'odd' things they thought were happening - my autisric brain would be the same. I'm very real and honest and quite honestly think it's a load of crap.

Not the same but recently a local Facebook news page shared some photos of a supposed 'ghost' ghost hunters had captured. Many people were reacting in a jokey way! I made a comment about that they have great photo shop skills (light hearted commented on a local news site not official page of the 'ghost hunters'). The ghost Hunters who took the photo sent me a massive load of abuse for it! Saying how they are worldwide famous etc and told me I needed photo shop for my ugly face. I was gobsmacked! Sent abuse for being a skeptic!!

[quote TheChiefJo]@Cocomarine Possibly a bit smartarsed, but I don't think that's any worse than blocking a thoroughfare for other guests with your hobby.[/quote]
Thing is, there’s nothing to say that they did block it.
By OP’s report, she just hung back and her first interaction was when they commented on it moving - to add her obviously unwanted comments.

So maybe had she just said, “hey - is it OK for me to come through?” they’d have said, “yes of course!” 🤷🏻‍♀️

If you choose to stay in a castle that bills itself as “Britain’s most haunted” then surely this kind of thing (even if you don’t believe it, which I don’t) just adds to your stay?

Would it have killed her to say, “good luck with the hunt” on the way back through the door? I don’t see how you could set alarms off on it, without it being quite deliberate.

And as I said - great big chinny reckon on the coincidence of open a window near to them later! The kind of person that will leave their room to go outside and tell them off and then follow them to make more smsrtarse comment, is exactly the kind of person to sit by said window hoping for some “fun”!

No way did this happen the way OP says.

@ShirleyPhallus

Actual grown adults lurking outside a rattling door and believing it’s more likely to be ghooOOOSsssts than actual convective / air pressure dynamics and then getting shirty if someone you know - wants to use that door - should be challenged.

I don’t believe in ghosts in white sheets, but I’d never be so arrogant as to completely disbelieve the possibility of something that we just don’t know if it exists.

but are you able to think critically, balance the probability of possible causes for any given phenomenon and conclude that all possible outcomes can be objectively compared ?

eg Rattly Door - probable reasons:

Draught / air currents: 95%
Building structural movements: 3%
Seismic events: 1.9999999999999%
Some complete fcking bllsh*t woo: 0.0000000001%