Page 10 of Murder Most Haunted

Extract from They Do It With Strings podcast

‘The Tin House’: Episode One

[Intro music fades in, blending into a haunting melody]

[Sound effect: echoing footsteps in a large, empty hall]

Noah: Atherton Hall, with its grand architecture and mysterious aura, holds many secrets within its walls. One of the most intriguing is its communal bathing room, a place steeped in tradition, craftsmanship and, perhaps, lingering spirits.

[Sound effect: muted voice whispering and taps running]

Anyone who has investigated the paranormal or followed my shows for a length of time will be familiar with the equipment that I am now holding.

In this business, when you can’t predict events, it’s critical to be prepared.

Which is why, before I even enter the bathing rooms, I have made sure my spectral thermometer is primed, ready to record any sudden drop in ambient temperature.

Listeners will know these as ‘cold spots’, and also that my electromagnetic reader is already monitoring any unexplained spikes in energy.

So, now that I’m ready, let’s take a look together around the famous Atherton Bathing Room.

[Sound effect: footsteps and door opening]

Wow! As soon as you enter the room, you are accosted by three intricately carved, handmade tin baths, seated side by side, a testament to the extraordinary local craftsmanship of the time.

And these baths are not your common metal scrubbers.

They were designed by Charles Atherton himself, a man deeply connected to his land and its resources.

The tin for these baths was mined right on the estate, forging a direct link between the natural world and the comforts of home.

This room was a sanctuary reserved strictly for the men of the house. It was a place where they could unwind after a gruelling day overseeing the mine, and perhaps discuss matters best kept away from the rest of the household.

But what makes this room truly fascinating is the ghostly apparitions. Some say they have heard the echoing footsteps of Charles Atherton and his sons, or the faint sloshing of water long after the baths have been emptied. Some have even—

[A thud]

Wait! Did you hear that?

[Silence]

Is it really possible that the spirits of the Atherton men still linger here?

[Beeping sound]

Can you hear it? The spectral thermometer’s going off. It’s a . . . a cold spot. Yeah, absolutely – no doubt. The chill has just taken over, like, completely enveloped me, from out of nowhere . . . no thermal explanation that I can see . . . but yeah, I’m definitely much, much colder.

[Beeping]

That’s registered a drop of around five degrees Fahrenheit. I think that’s a new record for us. Something has happened in this room and I’d go as far as to say something evil. This paranormal detective is willing to bet his life on it.

[Music swells, then fades out]