Spirit Guides...... “Why I Am A Spiritualist” by Aberdeen author Ada A McKay.... The Dalai Lama..... “Dowsing” Chapter 3 by Roy Dutton...

24^th June saw me travel by public transport to Saltcoats Spiritualist Church as I did not have a car after the accident.  I must thank the ladies from Dalry – I never got their names that went out of their way running me home after the service.  After an extremely warm day at a seaside resort there was still a good turnout at the church.

26^th – I was taking an evening of clairvoyance at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre in Edinburgh.

29^th – Was another of my workshops at the Glasgow Association of Spiritualists, Somerset Place, Glasgow. (SNU)  This was another well-attended session.

30^th – I was on my way north to the Perth Spiritualist Church (SNU) 40 new Row, Perth...

3^rd July - I got a call at the last moment to give a talk to a group whose intended speaker for the evening could not get to the hall on time so I was asked to fill in.  I gave a talk on “Spirit around Us” which seemed to go done well even though none of those attending had ever been to a Spiritualist Church or had ever paid the slightest interest in the paranormal.  But as usual after this talk there were one or two who felt that they have had some sort of spirit connection without actually thinking anything about it at the time.  Any church who wants to do something a little different. I am willing to come along and give a talk on how close spirit can be yet even we spiritualists fail to notice at times.

4^th - I had only to travel a short distance to the Pyramid Spiritualist Church in Pollock, Glasgow.

 

Gordon Higginson was one of the finest mediums of the last century and a great medium, speaker and teacher. His gifts of mediumship were wide ranging and comprised mental mediumship, trance, physical mediumship and healing.  Gordon was a dedicated Spiritualist and is the longest serving President of the Spiritualists National Union (SNU), serving for an exceptional 23 years from 1970 until his passing in 1993.  He was also the Principal of the Arthur Findlay College at Stansted Hall from 1979 to 1993, as well as being a Minister of the SNU .  Stansted Hall was very dear to his heart and a place where many came from far and wide to hear his lectures and see his demonstrations..  Even today Gordon’s name is constantly mentioned in our churches

Instead of constant praise would it not be better if modern day Spiritualists heeded the wisdom of Mr Higginson?

 Gordon Higginson comment on SPIRIT GUIDES; -

“These are spirit people who can inspire us; those who can work with us. They do not belong to us. They do not want us to exalt them. They are being of service. There is only one guide — God”.

Words that. those sitting on executive committees of large Spiritual organizations, Presidents of churches and their committees, Spiritual Mediums, Spiritual Healers and all those who call themselves Spiritualists, should all learn off by heart?

I heard a comment on the radio recently that many Christians seem to put Jesus before God.  I think it can be said that there is a tendency these days to put Spirit and Mediums before God as far as Spiritualism is concerned...  I was asked at a question and answer session one evening if we Spiritualist believed in a God.  I was taken aback for a second but all became clear as the gentleman

 Spoke on.  He said that he had attended many Spiritual services and seldom heard the word “God”, apart from a brief mention in the opening prayer.  Someone else chipped in with “I even heard a prayer when God was not mentioned”.  During the discussion that followed many thought that God was being ignored and some amazing Spirit Guides and Mediums had taken his place.

As I have mentioned in a recent blog ‘the inspiration of Spirit’ is being eroded by some churches in abandoning addresses.  Also by the powers that be – here on the Earth Plane in pushing the medium more towards history lessons on Spiritualism that a Spirit inspired address.  I know of Christian friends who regularly attend Bible study at their churches, so why does Spiritualism not follow suit by having classes on “The History of Modern Spiritualism”?  I did broach this with a church president and she said “There would not be enough turn up to make it viable”.  .  If we are going to proudly claim to be a religion then we must accommodate five or five hundred.    OK – I can see where this is not viable for a church renting out a hall, but some of my Christian friends take turns at having Bible study in their own homes.  The ‘only a few would attend’ should not be an excuse to opt out for a church with its own premises.   There is always a solution or a compromise if one is willing to look for it.   This is an opportunity for a church in each area to hold a monthly meeting on our Spiritual beliefs and history.  With members of other local Spiritualist churches also invited along.  I am sure then there would be enough attending.  . 

If there are only a few wanting to know about the background of our religion - then why force it on congregations during the address of a divine service?  Surely the answer to all this is let Spirit inspire the address and if they find there is a need for a for a history lesson – so be it.  Let our church committees arrange separate nights for further education into Spiritualism...........

Back to Gordon’s words; - “They do not want us to exalt them”.

And should that not be the same with those in the hierarchy of Spiritual organizations and Spiritual Mediums?  As each year passes the Spiritual Medium is being put more and more under the spotlight of fame and fortune, taking all the glory and leaving Spirit as no more than playing a very minor supporting role.  ...

“They are being of service” (spirit).     And should a Spiritual Medium not be the same?    There are many working for Spirit in many different spheres of our communities that have never having heard of the Spirit World.  But they do their bit working alongside Spirit in helping others.  They don’t seek fame or fortune so why should the Spiritual Medium?

 

 

 

I have just finished reading a most interesting book – “Why I am a Spiritualist” by Scottish author Ada A McKay.  This is a very personal statement of Ada’s beliefs.  The book is intended as a simple introduction to the Spiritualist faith through the eyes of Ada and why she believes in Spiritualism as opposed to the established Christian Churches.   Ada hopes that those who read the book will be interested enough to follow on and explore Spiritualism themselves. 

The author gives her views on

What happens after death?

Is there a Judgment Day?

Do animals survive physical death? 

Can we trust the Bible?

Does everyone go to heaven or only those who accept certain beliefs?

What happens to atheists and agnostics after death?

Is baptism important?

Does everyone survive death or is this only for a chosen few?

This book does not hold back on certain subjects and I would not say that I totally agree with everything that is written.  But I feel that a lot of research and soul searching over the years has gone into the book and will be of great interest to Spiritualists and non-Spiritualists alike.  Whether the reader agrees with Ada or not it will give them a lot to think about. I am sure if a church adds this book to its library then its members may feel encouraged to press for a regular discussing evening to discuss points raised in the book. 

Ada hails from Aberdeen and is a retired librarian. In the course of her career she has worked in public libraries, a children’s library, a college library and a university library. Books and knowledge are very important to her and she believes that for readers to enjoy a book it must use words and expressions which are familiar and easily understood. In her book she has used everyday language and included references to TV programmes, movie stars and books which everyone will recognize. She hopes that her book will make readers THINK and perhaps reconsider some long cherished beliefs, always remembering that Spiritualism teaches don’t accept anything unless it makes sense to YOU!

“Why I am a Spiritualist” £5 including p&p

http://www.missadamckay.com

 

Continuing with David’s “What individuals over the past few years have you admired for acting in a spiritual or selfless way, yet they were not part of the spiritualist movement?”  My third choice although in no particular order is.... His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. 

His Holiness is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.  . He frequently states that his life is guided by three major commitments: the promotion of basic human values or secular ethics in the interest of human happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony and the preservation of Tibet's Buddhist culture, a culture of peace and non-violence.

The Dalai Lama is a man of peace. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. He has consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems.

He has travelled to more than 67 countries spanning 6 continents. He has received over 150 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes, etc., in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion.  He has also authored or co-authored more than 110 books.

His Holiness has held dialogues with heads of different religions and participated in many events promoting inter-religious harmony and understanding.

Since the mid-1980’s, he has begun a dialogue with modern scientists, mainly in the fields of psychology, neurobiology, quantum physics and cosmology. This has led to a historic collaboration between Buddhist monks and world-renowned scientists in trying to help individuals achieve peace of mind. This has also led to the introduction of modern science in the traditional curriculum of Tibetan monastic institutions re-established in exile.

One of the great men of our time....

 

  Chapt. 3                    Evidence for the Sixth Sense

 

Soon after I began my experiments with the dowsing rods, it became apparent that my mind was very much responsible for whatever I discovered. I had to fix in my mind the sort of objects I wanted to locate. Retaining a provisional imaginary image also helped, as did spoken descriptive repetition of whatever was being sought. The rods seemed to be necessary tools and indicators to enable me to link up with the unseen, imagined, objects.

            Having satisfied myself that the detection of underground and under floor objects was a reality, I wanted to explore other possibilities using mental imagery and abstract thoughts. Would I be able to detect the presence of obstacles in darkness? Would it be possible for me to detect when I was in a particular, specified, location, without visual reference? A number of experiments were devised to explore these ideas.

 Obstacle Avoidance Experiments

 

With the participation of my wife and small schoolboy son, I was able to devise a number of tests indoors. In our long, through-lounge, we moved the furniture to create a cleared walkway, from front to back of the room. With eyes tightly shut (and sometimes blindfolded) I asked  my helpers to move obstacles into my path down the room. Chairs, coffee tables, poufs and other relatively light articles would be manoeuvred quietly into my path as I progressed blindly, walking with rods extended before me. My helpers were prepared to warn me if it looked as though the rods were not responding.

            During the events, no warnings were necessary.  I felt the rods cross as they passed over the edge of each low obstruction.  This experiment was carried out several times, successfully, with different obstacles placed in different parts of the room. Surely, extrasensory perception (ESP), assisted by the rods, had been demonstrated without any room left for doubt.

Encouraged by that result, I decided to go one stage further. Could the rods, after having detected an obstacle, indicate to me the unobstructed way I should walk to avoid it?  Again, with the help of my two assistants, the obstacles were placed randomly, as before, to obstruct my blind walking. As before, the rods warned me

of the presence of the obstructing item. In my mind, I then asked which way I should go to skirt round the obstacle. On each occasion, I felt both rods swing forcefully together to the left or to the right. By turning in the indicated direction, I was able to detect when I could return to my original direction of travel. Occasionally, on opening my eyes I could see that, had I turned the other way, I would have encountered another obstacle. Participating in these experiments was a fantastic experience, but it would be experienced again during the next experiments in this series.

Spatial Positioning Experiments

First experiments to explore whether the rods could indicate when I was in a pre-conceived location began with simple tests.  With the rods extended before me  and with eyes firmly shut, I walked down the lounge, as before. I then fixed in my mind an image of the location I wanted to be in; for example, beneath the ceiling light, beside one edge of the fireplace, and so on. Positive responses were obtained during each one of these trials. But I doubted the real significance of them, because I was very familiar with the layout of the room and could have subconsciously measured my steps accordingly. So, tests in an unfamiliar environment would be necessary. The opportunity would be presented to me some years later when I was in that large field in Adlington.

            Not being familiar with the distances of objects like trees and gaps in the hedgerows would help me with these spatial positioning tests. During my time in that field, one of the most telling objectives was to reveal, with eyes tightly shut, when I crossed an imaginary line between two objects located on opposite sides of the field. When I felt the rods cross, I stopped abruptly and looked to left and  right. Sure enough, on each occasion,  I discovered that the chosen objects were truly aligned on either side of my position, indicating that I was standing on that imagined line linking them. 

 I discovered, also, if I believed strongly enough, in an arbitrary manner and without any evidence, that there was something underground at particular locations, the rods would obligingly cross when I walked over those locations. This revelation led me, later, to be sceptical about the claims of some dowsers that they were able to detect Earth-energy (ley) lines in the vicinity of ancient sites.  Currently, to my knowledge, there  have been no tests devised to validate those claims.

 

 

My Diary....... Ann Franks.... “Fear”.... Run Till they Drop – Dead...Too any letters... Roy Dutton’s “Dowsing”...

9^th – 17^th of June both Isabel and I were guests of the Belfast Spiritualist Church SNU we thank committee and members for making our time there so enjoyable...I am always impressed by the great enthusiasm the people of Northern Ireland have for Spiritualism. Whether it is taking a divine service, an evening of clairvoyance, sittings, or taking part in any of the circles this enthusiasm is always evident.  The church has its own premises and uses these to the full with something or other taking place in the building 5-6 nights a week. A lot of pressure on the committee and I am sure those who have got a lot of benefit from the church in recent years appreciate this. One thing I did notice in the church was a suggestion box and maybe more of our churches should consider having such a box, so to get feedback from the congregation.

 

 

 

 

Continuing with David’s “What individuals over the past few years have you admired for acting in a spiritual or selfless way, yet they were not part of the spiritualist movement?”

My second choice although in no particular order is Ann Frank... Anne had a short life of only thirteen years but the words from her diary will live on forever.    A couple of years ago we visited the Anne Frank’s house which is now a museum.  It was a very moving experience.  I find Anne Frank’s diary so important because it depicts her experience of the Holocaust - from a child's point of view. Representing the face of innocence, Anne Frank's story is so heartfelt and sincere that it appeals to the world.  A book that all mankind should read…

Almost everyone has a fear of one kind or another.  Fear of lifts, snakes, spiders, failure, the future, loneliness and dying are only a few.  Hopefully the fear of dying will become less, although never be eradicated as our of Spiritual beliefs becoming more widely known.  But instead of making life that little bit easier – it can result in a new fear – equally as great as the fear of dying.  Once becoming aware of our spiritual beliefs many want to know more about the after-life. Instead of attending our churches they go on-line to spirit/psychic forums, magazines, take part in ghost hunts, or listen to the wrong people.  This can cause a lot of suffering and heartache as I constantly find out. 

In many cases this takes the fear of dying away and replaces it with a living hell here in this life.  I am horrified to find people in a terrible state because they have maybe become aware of spirit presence and then been told all manner of scary things to really upset them. Upset them so much that they are off work and their whole life is chaos. Twice this week I’ve had contact from a lady and a gentleman who were both in a terrible state because of what they were told. One from a contact on an Internet spiritual/psychic forum and the other by a so-called medium/psychic taking part in a ghost hunt.

If any medium/psychic tells you something that sounds like it comes from the script of a cheap budget horror movie, then that is probably where it has come from.  Never believe anything any medium tells you – and that includes myself – unless it makes sense to you.  You are the person that has come through the experience or whatever...  The medium/psychic can do their best to explain or interpret what has happened - but you are the final judge.

If you have a spiritual experience or think you have some form of spiritual experience, go along to your local spiritualist church and ask for help.  Or check out the Spiritualist National Unions‘s (SNU) website for help.

Churches must also have someone responsible to give advice at short notice.  Mediums must also play their part by.  Part of a Spiritual Medium’s responsibility is helping out in such circumstances, not just taking services, sittings, clairvoyant evenings, psychic parties and ghost hunts.

Becoming aware of Spirit our beliefs should be a joy. a change in the direction of our thinking, not the start of hell here on earth for us...

A quote from the well loved Spiritualist medium Maureen Brown.  “Spiritualism is love in action.  Spiritualism gives proof that we survive bodily death and gives us some love and comfort – not the opposite”.

 

 

 

Run till they drop.... DEAD... All the pomp of the recent Royal Ascot portrayed in the British media but one incident only received brief mention. Thomas Chippendale a 4-year-old colt collapsed and died following a suspected heart attack after winning the Hardwicke Stakes. Of the sixty-eight horses ending their lives on British race courses so far in 2013 – 10 have collapsed and died during or immediately after a race... And this is called a sport?  More has to be done to protect the racehorse. 

 

John sent this email...

“I have been attending a Spiritualist church for a few years now but the other day when I was at the reception desk of the local A&E Unit I took cold feet,  when I was asked my religion, I gave the religion I was born into, not Spiritualism in case the receptionist queried it or laughed”.

John you are not the only person to have been in this position I assure you.  These days the receptionist would not have batted an eyelid because she would have heard Spiritualism mentioned many a time.

 John’s email brought back a memory...  About fifteen years ago I attended our church when a well known English Medium was on the platform.  Her address shocked us all that night.  She said that she had suffered poor health for years and had been in and out of hospital on a regular basis.  Yet every time asked her religion she had answered Church of England.  She finally decided to put that right on her latest visit and when she said “Spiritualist” she did not receive any strange looks from the receptionist which she had expected.  But the young girl in front of her was having difficulty with her computer and after a few minutes said to the medium “There are too many letters in Spiritualism to fit on here, could you pick another religion?”  Thank goodness today the NHS have got a better system up and running today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                             ...Roy Dutton's "Dowsing"....

Chapter. 2            1975 -- A move to a New Home

 During the summer of 1975 we had decided to move from our pleasant suburban home in Bramhall, North Cheshire, to a bungalow on the edge of Green Belt, located on a hillside and backing onto countryside in the small settlement of Higher Poynton. Out there, there was a canal and beyond that, a deer park and the Peak District National Park.  Our rear garden, however, was bounded by an old railway cutting. Access to that was provided by a small gate in the hawthorn hedge. The ground out there, at the top of the embankment, was covered with long grass, rosebay willow herb and nettles.

Experiments Continue

 I ventured through the gate and began dowsing for old metal objects. Very quickly I found a few small items at the top level before moving down the embankment to a worn-down grassy path near to its base. That path had been created by dog walkers and occasional hikers to avoid the often-flooded track below, from which the rails and ballast had been removed. As I walked this path with my rods extended before me, a powerful cross-over occurred. This caused me to explore the size of the item I had detected, by going backwards and forwards over that area several times. I got the impression that the object was probably a steel rod, about 2 ft (60 cm) long. Its length spanned the path and its ends were defined by the sudden loss of the rods crossover responses as my lateral exploration progressed.  A depth-in exploration followed and indicated the rod was only about 3 ins. (8 cm) below the surface.  This resulted in a hurried walk to my garden shed from which I returned with a spade. Digging steeply into middle of the path to a shallow depth, just to one side of the dowsed position of the object, when the spade was levered beneath the object, the left-hand end of a rod sprang from the ground and revealed that the dowsed indications had been correct. Further digging across the path to the right completely validated the entire dowsed image of this substantial object. The dimensions were then established to be 21.6 ins. (54.9cm) long and 0.5 ins. (1.27cm) in diameter.  It is still in my possession and it has proved itself to be a useful tool from time to time.

1986 --- Archaeological  Investigations

 During the early 1970s, colleagues at HSA, Ltd. were clearing obsolete declassified materials from a cupboard when they came across good black and white aerial photographs of the area in which I lived. These items, destined for the incinerator, were offered to me and I accepted them gladly. The photographs had been taken from a high flying aircraft sometime during the past. The partially-cut crop fields revealed the time of year to have been during a hot and dry summer. One excellent photograph was of an area bordering Higher Poynton, called Adlington. Scanning the surface features with a magnifying glass revealed that there were old buildings and other bits of masonry under the grassy surfaces, their presence being betrayed by pale discoloration of the overlying grass. One relatively large feature seemed to deserve special attention. Its cruciform shape gave the impression that an old church had once stood there and that its foundations were still lying underground in that uninhabited area of pastureland.

          Enquiries made to local experts revealed there were no records to indicate that such a building had ever existed in that area, so there the matter had to rest, until in the mid-1980s, the newspapers told of plans to develop the Adlington area for new housing. That news spurred me to try to locate the owner of that interesting field with a view to getting permission to use my rods over that area. So, I set out on a fine summer evening to make enquiries at the few residences adjacent to the area of interest. One of them turned out to be a large old brick-built house, standing in its own walled enclosure, with an attractive iron gate entrance. A stone plaque on the front of the house told me that it dated back to the 1700s. As I could hear the sound of voices coming from the hidden garden, I called out to attract attention. A pleasant shirt-sleeved man responded from the other side of the gate and asked my business. No, he did not own the field in question, but why did I want to know who owned it?  After showing him the aerial photograph, his next question was about how I proposed to find the unseen underground object. Not unexpectedly, he said that he was skeptical about the claims of dowsers. When I persisted and told him that I knew otherwise and, also, had my rods in the boot of my car, he decided to test my claims. Stepping outside his front gate, he told me that a culvert ran under the entrance to the gate and asked me if I could find it. After several passes to and fro, very confidently, I indicated the course of it. He was truly amazed by that result, because he knew where it ran and I and my rods had discovered it under his scrutiny. He then asked if I could find a hidden well under a front lawn, because, for various reasons, he was convinced there was one, but no one had, so far, been able to find its location. I entered that sheltered garden and began progressive scanning of the finely cut lawn, under his constant gaze. Towards the far end of the lawn, several cross-overs occurred. Further investigations of that area defined a square outline, from memory, about 4ft. x 4ft. (1.2m x 1.2m).  I suggested I had probably defined the size of the capping stone. He was so excited by this discovery he hurried into the house and returned with two teenage children, a boy and a girl. He explained what he had just witnessed. I offered them the rods to try for themselves, which they did in turn and confirmed my findings. Their father did not seem to have the right technique when he tried and failed, but he was very impressed and then decided to tell me where I could find the owner of that field.

          Some months later I called him on the telephone to ask if they had excavated for that well and whether I had placed it correctly.  He answered affirmatively to both questions and thanked me for my assistance.

 

Back on track with the field investigations

 There were other marks besides the cruciform shape, but they were less well defined as artificial structures.

The owner of the field turned out to be a local builder. After arranging a visit to his home by telephone, I went there one evening to discuss the photograph with him and his adult son. He commented that it was a very badly drained field and that he had thought about installing land drains. He was intrigued by the photograph and curious about my proposed method for locating the feature. After being persuaded further, he agreed that we should meet on site at a mutually convenient time.

We met up again a few days later, when he escorted me past storage sheds to the gateway of the field. It looked very expansive from there and I found it difficult to get my bearings. The field fell away downhill from the gateway. The best visual markers I had were a few large trees in the boundary fences that I could recognise by reference to the photograph. Eventually, I set off for the centre of the distant target area, rods extended before me to detect any other hidden features that had not shown up in the photograph (Fig. 3) having ‘old masonry’ fixed in my mind.  Very soon, I discovered a cluster, quite close to the gateway, and inserted pegs into the ground to mark the locations. However, I was determined not to be distracted from the main area of interest and just continued to walk downhill at a steady pace, rods still at the ready. As I entered the target area, the rods crossed for the first time. After inserting a peg in the ground, I straightened the rods and continued walking. As I walked to and fro over that large area, many more pegs were stuck into the ground. Soon it became clear to me that I had detected the site of that photographic image. It seemed that the long feature was about 170ft. (52 m) in length and 30 ft. (9m). wide and was outlined by ‘walls’ of about 2ft. (0.6 m) wide. The top end of the central long feature was curved, not squared off.  The ‘cross-member’ of the cruciform, was about 100 ft. long (30.5m) and had a width of about 25 ft.(7.6m).  As the entire structure lay beneath a sloping field, I carried out traverses with the rods to determine the depths of the outlining ‘walls’ at the top and bottom of the outline. The end near the cross-piece was dowsed to be about 6 ft. (1.8m) beneath the surface there. At the other end, depths of 2 to 3 ft. were signaled. These two measurements indicated that the outlining structure was level and that, at the upper end, it had perhaps been covered by a large and extensive mound of earth, which extended to the gateway. This was very puzzling, so when the landowner suggested asking his son the dig down at the lower end, I was eager to see that done.  The young man came with a spade and began removing the turf before creating a slot trench as wide as the dowsed width of the ‘wall’ at the lower left-hand end of the feature. When he had cleared soil to the dowsed depth he struck solid objects. These turned out to be very large and compacted cobbles. When I suggested that perhaps they were part of an old river bed, the landowner (a builder) responded that those cobbles had been laid deliberately. The trench was extended to reveal that this outlining ‘wall’ was truly following the dowsed outline. 

The young man then went over to the other corner at the lower end of the outlined structure and began digging there. In a relatively short time he established that the dowsing had also been accurate over there, the location, width and depth of the ‘wall’ being confirmed. My dowsing had been shown to be accurate and I had proved to two more skeptics that the human mind has more capabilities than it is generally given credit for.

 Before we left the field, the landowner wanted to show me a feature in the eroded bank of the bordering, fast-flowing, brook (Poynton Brook) some distance downhill from the dowsed site. When we stood on the other side of the brook, he pointed out to me a very old piece of blackened wood projecting from the base of the opposite eroded embankment, about 3 ft. (0.9m) from the grassy surface above it. As he suggested to me, it looked like the remains of an ancient flume, perhaps linking to a settlement in the direction of the cruciform shape, which was at a higher level in the opposite field. A V-shaped cross-section of infill, relating to the wooden projection was visible, further substantiating the ancient flume idea. My dowsing and probing of the land above the flume suggested that there were stony foundations of an ancient settlement lying below the grassy surface there.

  I asked the owner’s permission to report this find to the County Archaeological Office at Chester. He replied that he did not mind the Office being told about the finds, but he did not want me to identify the site accurately. He would not want his pasture field turned into an archaeological site. In my letter to Chester, I was careful not to betray his trust, but told only of the circumstances that had led to the discovery of this unknown feature, which was described, and that it was located in Adlington, quite close to Poynton Brook.

  A letter showing interest in the site was received from Mr. R. C. Turner of the County Planning Department. He wanted to survey the site and wanted me to assure the landowner that a Compulsory Purchase Order would not be imposed and that any measures would be discussed with him and approved by him before any action was taken. Even with these assurances and despite the fact that this would be the only archaeological site to be found in that area of Cheshire, the landowner did not want to co-operate further.  My information, to date, is that the nature of this significant site is still a mystery.

 Roy Dutton  ©