BOOK REVIEW.

TITLE: Paranormal South Tyneside.  AUTHOR: Michael J. Hallowell. PUBLISHER: Amberley Publishing, Cirencester Road Chalford, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL6 8PE.  PRICE: £12:99. ISBN: 978-1-84868-730-1

Mike Hallowell is a fellow researcher and seeker of the truth and someone of whom I know and respect, indeed Mike and I have shared a stage or two over the years doing presentations on the weird and the wonderful so I was happy to receive this book to review from his publisher.   Mike’s book is a pot pouri of the paranormal and he covers many a strange story throughout.  One of the early chapters concerns Guardian Angels.  We then progress onto animals which have a sixth sense and a few interesting tales are told all of which would appear to show that animals do indeed have some kind of sixth sense a sense that we humans do not.  The author then tells some tales of ghostly cats and one in particular, Jimmy Purcell, tells of his cat who died some years ago but is still seen regularly in his flat sleeping on the sofa or sunning himself on the window sill of his favourite window.  The author then takes a look at Astral Projection and Near Death Experiences and informs the reader of his own bizarre Out of Body Experience which occurred to him back in 2001.  Wow, this really was something else and the author brings the event to life in his telling of the episode.

The author then asks the question, what really happens at death, where do we go, do we really ‘live on’?  He tells us what he thinks and I won’t spoil it here by telling you (buy the book and find out) We then take a look at dowsing and some amazing benefits that this can bring.  I’ve tried it myself and can assure you that it does indeed work.  We then take a look at dreams and in particular lucid dreams, those dreams that when you have them; you ‘know’ that you are dreaming.

Premonitions and deju vu are then looked at and a few ‘for instances’ are given. I agree with Mike when he states that dreams should ‘not’ govern our lives, too true Mike too true.  We then take a look at the subject of EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomena) and we get a wee history lesson on how this all came about and how e have to be very careful in trying to analyze these voices as one person will hear one thing and the other something else.  The subject of Faeries and strange entities is then looked at in particular Bede’s Well in Monkton Village that was a weird story.

Probably one of the most bizarre stories that I came across in Mike’s book was the tale of the haunted computer although the author doesn’t say where this episode took place.  When the chap logged on and his computer became live, the computer started to discuss things with him like the colour of his shirt etc all which was perfectly true. (No laptop video camera involved!)  My favourite chapter was the one concerning Hidden Worlds and Strange Dimensions and the author nails his colours to the mast with his own thoughts on the matter, (Thoughts that I happily adhere with)  The author then brought back some memories to this reviewer when he mentioned some American comic magazines that I had completely forgotten about, namely ‘Creepy Worlds’ ‘Weird Tales’ and ‘Astounding Stories’  Gosh, I had completely forgotten about those comics I used to love reading them, I’m sure that those comics provided to me, the interest that I have today, (and perhaps a good many other researchers!)

We then learn that Jack the Ripper may have come from South Shields and the author presents the findings that would seem to suggest that this might be true.  If I hadn’t had read this book I wouldn’t have known about this connection.  The author then discusses hearing voices and that we have to be very careful here because when some people hear these voices, they may not necessarily be spirit voices but the voices could well have more mundane medical values. 

I liked the tale of the author’s sighting of a strange sea creature near Marsden Rock at South Shields, he saw a large brown hump break the surface of the sea, thankfully it was seen by other people although the local newspaper seemed to write it off as a dolphin, something of which the author totally disagrees with.   From sea creatures to pterodactyls to things that go bump in the night this book has it all.  But it doesn’t stop there; the author then takes a look at those weird co-incidences that happen to us all at some point in our life, things so strange that we sometimes wonder if they really are co-incidences!   I liked the chapter on poltergeists and the author, in one particular case had his own strange experience.  He was in a haunted house in Westoe Village and as he was sitting down with the witness an ashtray that was on a table in front of them, moved slowly across the table top surface, it then teetered on the edge of the table, then slowly fell to the floor.  To say the author was gob smacked would be an understatement.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the author’s interjection of his own weird paranormal experiences.  He tells us that when he was much younger a gypsy woman came to his front door selling pegs and stated quite matter of factly to his mother that she had two sons (true) and when they both grew up, one would hold a paintbrush in his hand the other a pen.  Both of course came true, Michael with a pen (author) and his brother paintbrush (painter and decorator)   I absolutely loved the story of the China dinner plate (page 105)  Sorry,  buy the book to find out what I’m on about.

The author then goes on to discuss Time Slips, UFOs, Strange Disappearances and

UFO abductions, yes it’s all here folks and more.  The author’s story of the lady who was abducted and returned to her bed with someone else’s bra on was a cracker.  The bra was frumpy 3 sizes too big, and smelled of perfume!!  Not an item that this lady owned.  Weird.

At the end of the day, this is a great book to read, it’s one of those books that you can give to family and friends who are still undecided about the truth of paranormal matters, simply because it covers nearly all bases and that’s what makes this book such a joy to read.  More to the point though, the book is peppered with numerous photos illustrating the cases spoken about.  Michael is a fine researcher and has yet again come up trumps with a book that will not only sell in his county of South Tyneside, but I’m sure all over the world.  Well done Michael.

Reviewed by ..Malcolm Robinson.., Strange Phenomena Investigations. (1979)

malckyspi@yahoo.com   www.facebook.com/malcolm.robinson2