Hauntings P

Palace Cinema, Chesterfield
See 'Woolworth's, Burlington Street, Chesterfield'.

Park Hall Avenue, Walton

Some years ago, whenever the family at one house on Park Hall Avenue were all out, all the pictures in a glass cabinet in the living room used to turn themselves around;  so the family could only see the back of the frames when they got home. The windows were shut and they always locked the doors behind them and there was no sign of any entry to the house whilst they were out. They did some research and they found out that there used to be a tree on the site, as the house was built in the grounds of Park Hall.   Apparently a child had been hanged from that tree many years before. They moved out, and recently the house has kept  popping up on the market fairly frequently - about every one or two years.

For another example of items being mysteriously turned round, see 'Chesterfield College'.

Parkhouse Hotel, North Wingfield

The ghost of a female figure has been seen wandering through the rooms of the Parkhouse Hotel. Also the image of a man accompanied by a dog has been seen walking around the pool room.

References:
Armitage, 2011.


Pearcehill Plantation, Wingerworth

A lady taking her dog for a walk through this wood one day heard voices approaching. The dog trembled and its ears pricked up. However, there was actually no-one else around.

References:
Armitage, 2010b.

Penmore House, Hasland Road, Hasland

In about 1972, Ms Maureen Ashness participated in a tumbler and alphabet séance at Penmore House, which at the time was being used as an annexe by Chesterfield College.   The other participants were students from her hairdressing course and, despite Ms Ashness being aged 37, the remainder of the students were about 16 or 17.  the hairdressing itself was taught at the college's main campus but the students attended Penmore House to study certain other subjects.   During the séance, they made contact with a spirit who spelled out her name as 'Mavis Hubson' and who indicated that she had been murdered.   As the younger students were alarmed by such a message, the séance was terminated.

Upon her return to the college's main campus, Ms Ashness explained about what had happened to her tutor, who informed her that a girl aged about 16 named Mavis Hudson had been murdered some years previously, that she (the tutor) had taught her on a hairdressing course and that the room in which the séance had taken place was, at that time, used as the hairdressing salon - that is to say, that particular room would have been frequented by Mavis Hudson.  

This case is in fact the oldest unsolved murder investigated by Derbyshire Constabulary, the victim having been beaten to death in a disused factory in 1966.   Ms Ashness only wishes that they had proceeded to elicit from the victim, during the séance, who her murderer was. 

Despite there being a very slight discrepancy between the actual and the communicated spelling of the spirit's name, there is a likelihood that the  communication was probably bona fide.   The girls involved would have been about 10 years old when the murder took place and it is possible that one of them would have known about the murder of someone of that name but somewhat unlikely that she would have known that she was a hairdressing student and that the room in which the séance took place was used for hairdressing at the time.

References:
Casciani, 2010.


Phoenix Inn, Ridgeway

A sinister spirit was reported to haunt the Phoenix Inn.

References:
Eyre, 2016.

Pleasley

At one house in the village, the occupant reported the door bell ringing in the early hours of the morning, despite no-one being outside the house.   This happened five or six times a week over a period of time.   On one occasion, when he woke up, the occupant saw a black, tornado style whirlwind at the foot of the bed.   He subsequently felt completely drained of energy.

In 2019, poltergeist phenomena occurred at the house.   Whenever chicken was cooked in the slow cooker, the occupant and his wife found later that the switch at the electric socket had been switched off.   However, this never happened when other food was cooked in the slow cooker.   The occupants' son's exercise books were set on fire spontaneously in the dining room.   This occurred at a time when the son had been stressed.

Pleasley Vale Mills

Amongst these former mills, now used as a business park, an apparition of a woman dressed in black has been seen, the figure of a man has been seen in the car park, a voice has been heard in the Ladies toilet saying "Hello" three times and Dick Turpin has been seen on the adjacent road. It is also alleged that Florence Nightingale, who grew up in the area, has been seen at the mills.

In the wood opposite, children’s voices are sometimes heard. A number of children died whilst working in slave-like conditions at the mill during its early years and it is possible that they may have been buried in the wood.

There is a cave below the premises, which was occupied in prehistoric times and inhabitants from those times have also been sighted.

References:
Eyre, 2016.


Pomegranate Theatre

The Pomegranate Theatre has a friendly ghost called ‘George’, who is thought to be the spirit of an old actor who used to work at the theatre. The man was known for his love of pipe smoking and one of the phenomena reported is the aroma of tobacco.

Several sightings have been reported of an elderly gentleman in a black coat and stove pipe hat, sometimes walking across the stage. It has been suggested that this may possibly be the ghost of George Stephenson.

Whilst standing on the stage, an actress saw an indistinct figure on the balcony, an area in which others have sensed an invisible figure breathing down their necks.
The strange movement of objects by no human hand is attributed to a grey lady who is occasionally spotted.

References:
Brindle, 2011; Derbyshire Times, 2013; Paranormal Database, 2013; Eyre, 2016.