The Most Haunted House In England

Constructed near Borley Church by Reverend Henry Bull in 1862, Borley Rectory still manages to hold its reputation – in pop culture, at least - as the most haunted house in England.

The beginning of the haunting of Borley Rectory occurred at around 1863 - a few locals remembered hearing unexplained footsteps within the house around then. Funny how people never mention anything until years later, right?

The church organist stated that, at around that time, the family at the rectory were “very convinced that they had seen an apparition on several occasions”. Various people were witness to a variety of puzzling incidents (such as a phantom coach driven by two headless horsemen) through the next forty years or so. Henry Dawson Ellis Bull died in 1892 and his son, the Reverend Harry Bull, took over the rectory.

The first concrete date recorded, however, was on 28 July 1900. Whilst taking a walk in the late evening, four of the daughters of the rector reported seeing a nun walking near the house. They called out to the woman, and tried to engage her in conversation, but she disappeared as they got closer.

According to reports the nun was also seen frequently peering through the dining room window of Borley Rectory, and watching the family at dinner. So disturbing was this sight, that Harry Bull had the window bricked up.

In 1927, Harry passed away, and the rectory was once again vacant. In the following year, on 2 October, Rev. Guy Smith and his wife moved into the home. Soon after moving in, Mrs Smith was cleaning out the house, when within a cupboard, she came across a brown paper package. Inside, she was somewhat shocked to discover a human skull. Later analysis determined it to belong to an unidentified young woman.

Shortly after, the family experienced a variety of incidents including the sounds of servant bells ringing (long after the strings had been cut), lights appearing in windows and eerie, unexplained footsteps. Rev. Smith’s wife claimed to have seen a horse-drawn carriage at night. The Smiths contacted The Daily Mirror (Bastion of All Reliable Opinion) to ask them to put them in touch with the Society for Psychical Research.

On 10 June 1929, the newspaper sent a reporter who wrote the first of a series of articles detailing the mysteries of Borley Rectory. Harry Price, a respected paranormal researcher, made his first visit to the house which would ultimately make him famous. Following his arrival on 12th June, phenomena of a new kind appeared. Stones, a vase and a myriad of other objects were thrown around the house. So called "Spirit messages" were audibly heard tapping out from the frame of a mirror. Mrs Smith was suspicious about these new phenomena, as they ceased when Price left the premises.

The Smiths departed from Borley Rectory in July 1929 and, after some difficulty in finding a replacement rector, the Reverend Lionel Foyster, a first cousin of the Bulls, and his wife Marianne moved into the rectory with their adopted daughter Adelaide, on 16 October 1930.

Rev. Foyster wrote an account of the various strange incidents that happened, which he sent to Harry Price. Price estimated that, between the Foysters moving in and October 1935, many incidents took place there. The servant bells continued to sound. Windows shattered without explanation. Stones and bottled were hurled with great force. Messages were written on the wall, including "Marianne, please help get" and "Marianne light mass prayers". Poor Adelaide was locked in a room for which there was no key. Marianne Foyster reported a whole range of poltergeist phenomena, including an attack in which she was picked up and hurled from her bed. Furthermore Adelaide claimed to have been attacked by what she described as "something horrible".

Twice, Foyster tried to conduct an exorcism, but without success. During the first attempt, whatever it was that had taken up residence at Borley Rectory reacted violently, striking Foyster in the shoulder with a large stone.

Because of the publicity in The Daily Mirror (Bastion of All Reliable Opinion), the haunting of Borley Rectory attracted much attention at the time from several psychic researchers who believed that the phenomena was caused, (whether consciously or unconsciously) by Marianne Foyster. Mrs Foyster herself believed that some of the incidents were caused by her husband (possibly in collaboration with one of the many psychic researchers), but other events appeared to her to be genuine paranormal phenomena.

The Foysters left Borley rectory in May 1937, and Harry Price took out a year-long rental agreement with the owners of the property.

Taking out an advertisement in The Times on 25 May 1937, and subsequent personal interviews, he recruited forty-eight "official observers". These were mostly students, hired to spend long periods at Borley Rectory, with instructions to report any phenomena which occurred. The following March, Helen Glanville (the daughter of S J Glanville, one of Price's helpers) conducted a séance with a Ouija board.

Helen Glanville successfully made contact with two spirits. The first was that of a young nun, who identified herself as “Marie Lairre”. Marie informed Helen Glanville that she had been murdered on the site of Borley Rectory. Her answers were consistent with the story told by the Bull sisters – although a previous seance had identified the nun as “Evangeline Westcott”.

Marie Lairre was, according to the Ouija board, a French nun who had left her order, married, and travelled to live in England. Her husband was was Henry Waldegrave, then owner of the the manor house that had stood on the location before Borley Rectory was built. Marie claimed that she had been murdered in 1667.

Harry Price put forward the theory that the ghostly nun who had been seen for generations was none other than Marie Lairre, condemned to wander restlessly as her spirit searched for a holy burial ground. Could this mean that wall writings were her pleas for help? Despite an enormous amount of research, no trace of any historical evidence for the story of Marie Lairre was ever found.

The second spirit to be contacted identified himself by the name of "Sunex Amures". Speaking through the Ouija board, he threatened that he would set fire to the rectory at nine o'clock that night and that the bones of a murdered person would be revealed.

The predictions of Sunex Amures came to pass, in a way, but not that night (27 March 1938). On the 27 March 1939, a year to the day since the proclamation was made, the new owner of the rectory, Captain W.H. Gregson, was unpacking boxes when an oil lamp in the hallway overturned. The fire spread unnaturally quickly, and Borley Rectory was severely damaged. The burning of the rectory was investigated by the insurance company and determined to be "fraudulent". This seems an odd phrase to use, as it had...you know...burned down.

Harry Price conducted a brief dig in the cellars of the ruined house and, almost immediately, bones belonging to a young woman were discovered, along with a medal of Saint Ignatius. A subsequent and meticulous excavation of the cellars over three years revealed nothing further. The bones were given a Christian burial in Liston churchyard, after the parish of Borley refused to allow the ceremony to take place on account of the local opinion that the bones found were those of a pig. The Rector believed that the ceremony would enable the spirit of "Marie Lairre" to go to rest.

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Square Enix London Studios, a part of Square Enix Europe, recently announced that the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum won two awards at the British Academy Video Game Awards (BAFTA), including Best Game and Gameplay. Held annually in London, the BAFTA Awards recognise the best in innovation and talent within the videogame industry.

"It's fantastic for Batman: Arkham Asylum to win such prestigious awards," said Lee Singleton, General Manager of Square Enix London Studios. "To receive recognition from the British Academy is a huge honour and reflects the passion and dedication of everyone involved in the game."

In Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman finds himself trapped inside the confines of Gotham's psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane, Arkham Asylum. The Joker has set a trap for the Dark Knight and has conspired with the deranged inmates to eliminate Batman once and for all. Adding to the authenticity of the game are veteran animated Batman voice talents Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy, who reprise their roles as The Joker and Batman respectively.

Batman: Arkham Asylum features an original story by Paul Dini, Batman writer and five-time Emmy Award winner whose credits include Lost and Batman: The Animated Series. Gamers will move in the shadows, instil fear amongst their enemies and confront The Joker and Gotham City's most notorious villains, including Harley Quinn, Bane, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Scarecrow, who have taken over the asylum.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Games For Windows® LIVE. A Game of the Year Edition will be released in PAL territories THIS FRIDAY, re-mastered in 3-D!

Thanks to our friends at Square Enix, we've got four copies of Batman - Arkham Asylum: Game of the Year Edition to give away! For your chance of winning one, send us an e-mail to arkhamasylumgiveaway@rocketmail.com with your name and postal address before midday on Wednesday 31st March (UK time). The first four names drawn out of the electronic hat will win a free copy!

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Gaming Reviews

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Konami
Available Now - £34.99 (Wii) and £29.99 (PSP (Version Tested) & PS2)
Review by Blake Harmer

As the seventh game in the franchise, Silent Hill is trying to keep things fresh (as do a lot of franchises that last for this many games)...but how do you keep the game terrifying and in the same locale without making the story more complicated? The answer is to go back to the beginning.

The game is a "re-imagining" of the first Silent Hill game and centres around Harry Mason searching Silent Hill for his daughter, gone missing after a car accident. However, what the game does differently is to take a more psychological slant by having you in a psychiatrist’s office with the psychiatrist asking you questions, which then affect the experience you have when you play. Also, Shattered Memories is the first Silent Hill game to feature no combat whatsoever - all you can do is run. This leads to more scares, making you feel helpless against the relentless monstrosities of Silent Hill, and provides frenetic "run away and hide!" moments.

Sadly, despite these great ideas, the game falls down on the execution. The questions that the psychiatrist asks merely affect the ending that you get, as well as some graphical tweaks. The gameplay mechanic of running away is spoilt by making it too obvious as to when you are in danger of being harmed, and makes you realise you are free of any danger the rest of the time, which sadly ruins some of the game's biggest scares.

However, despite the flaws caused by Silent Hill’s new ideas, it still does what it does best in terms of the rest of its core gameplay. The sound is still fantastic, the puzzles are well thought out and the story will still keep you interested throughout. It is just a shame that the flaws have made it one of the least scary games in the series.

The Emotionally Fourteen Games Rating
Graphics: Monsters are still gruesome and the way the world changes from the foggy world to the horrible alternative reality still looks impressive.
Sound/Music: The awesome sound effects from the other games make their return to chill you to the bone. A game that is best played with headphones for maximum effect (if you are playing the PSP version).
Gameplay: Some nice ideas executed poorly. However, the storyline and great puzzles make up for the shortcomings and still keeps the game entertaining.
Lasting Appeal: Silent Hill fans will want to try and see all the endings. There is very little replayability aside from that though.
Summary: An enjoyable distraction that could have been so much more if the game had stuck to its roots and focused on the scares rather than trying something new. Full marks to developer Climax Games for the attempt though. 6/10

Way Of The Samurai 3
Acquire/Rising Star Games/UFO
Available Now - £39.99 (PS3 & Xbox 360 (Version Tested)) - Also available for iPhone
Review by Blake Harmer

The Way of The Samurai games have always had niche appeal - with a lot of gamers probably being surprised that there was a Way Of The Samurai 1 & 2. However, there are many reasons, which are evident in Way of The Samurai 3, for why the series will never appeal to the masses.

Firstly, the game has flaws. It doesn’t have big production values, the graphics are atrocious when compared to other current gen titles, with muddy textures and poor draw distances. The end result looks like a, slightly shinier, last gen game. Also, the game doesn’t have the engaging plot that other games have, and with dull side missions such as cutting vegetables or delivering letters, the missions don’t meet the same standard as other open ended games such as Oblivion or GTA IV.

Where the game does earn its appeal is through its deep combat system, with lots of stances and moves to master. It’s enjoyable but very intimidating at first. There are also a lot of RPG elements in it - which means a lot of number crunching - but gives the player the ability to shape his character into the ultimate warrior with the weapon of his dreams. Despite these plus points the game still lacks an engaging plot and the fact the there is so much freedom is probably its biggest downfall, as it leads to a lack of direction. If you are one of the few who enjoyed the other games, you will find yourself right at home. However, the rest of us will be too busy playing more interesting games to notice its hardcore gaming charms.

The Emotionally Fourteen Games Rating
Graphics: Dull and muddy textures fill the game world; it’s a shame that there is also a lot of unnecessary space as well.
Sound/Music: So-so sound affects that you will tire quickly of way before you see any sign of an end to the game.
Gameplay: An enjoyable and deep combat system and a large game world are let down by boring and unrewarding tasks and plot that seems to virtually disappear following the opening of the game leading to a dull experience overall.
Lasting Appeal: With hours of playtime and multiple endings that are affected by your actions, the game is practically endless. However, whether you want to put up with the pain of playing the game that long is another thing.
Summary: An open world game with little plot or motivation to hold your interest, and missions that are so uninspiring that it is hard to recommend it to the masses. However, with multiple endings, freedom of choice and a deep stat heavy combat system, it may appeal to a niche audience. 5/10

Why Nintendo Wii is a Really Good Thing

Unless you’ve been living in a cave on Mars with your fingers in your ears for the last three and a half years, you’ll be aware of the Nintendo Wii. As it stands, the console is now the fastest-selling console in the history of video games, overtaking the Playstation 2 in March 2009 and attaining 50 million units sold at the time of the article being written. What’s more, Nintendo has once again re-established itself as the number one hardware manufacturer in terms of market share as well as setting up a new base of gamers with its Wii and DS systems. Nobody can argue that the Wii isn’t popular, and that the impact upon the industry hasn’t been tremendous.

If you fancy yourself a video gamer, you’ll no doubt have an opinion on the Wii and its usefulness to the world. However, today I’d like to give you a few things to bear in mind when forming your opinion on the console.

IT’S GETTING MORE PEOPLE PLAYING GAMES

Whether you find this to be a good thing or not is up to you, but one thing that cannot be disputed is quite how big an industry video games have become. Now there are competitions for what's become known as "professional gamers" to compete for cash prizes. Like them or loathe them, games are now big business, and in the last few years have been one of the few industries that have not had their profits significantly reduced by the impact of the recession.

The Nintendo Wii has completely changed the dynamic of the video game industry's business model, and in fact 20% of people who buy the Wii have never purchased a console before the Wii. That's around 10 million consoles purchased by those who have never before owned a one, and thus have never contributed anything to the revenue of the video games industry before now. That's given developers and publishers tons of extra revenue with which to develop games.

Which brings me neatly onto my next point...

IT BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN DEVELOPERS

To some, this may seem like a really weird thing to say. Evidently, everyone has their opinion on the quality of the Wii's game library. A lot of people have been vehemently negative about what's known as "shovel-ware", cheaply produced games of questionable quality. Also of note is the large number of games that seem to consist of a collection of mini-games. However, something that can definitely be argued in favour of the Wii is that the developers making these games have had to think long and hard in some cases about how to go about creating these control schemes for the motion-sensitive controller.

Think of it this way: When you purchase Pro Evolution Soccer or Madden NFL on an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, you're used to a very similar control mechanism year on year. In fact, I can happily go from playing a football game on an Xbox 360 and then play it on the Playstation 3 without any problems whatsoever, as the control schemes are identical. However, if you play the same game on Nintendo Wii, the controls are completely different. I'm not saying that every developer gets it right every time, but I had infinitely more fun playing Call of Duty 3 with the Wii Remote/Nunchuk combo than I would have done with a normal controller.

THE WII CONSOLE BUNDLE KEEPS GETTING BETTER VALUE FOR MONEY

When the Wii was released, it cost £179.99 (or $249.99 for our friends across the pond) and came bundled with one Remote, one Nunchuk, one Wii console, all the leads and a copy of Wii Sports. At the time, it was good value for money, as the Remote/Nunchuk combo alone was over £50 separately to buy a second set, and in Japan Wii Sports wasn't packed in with the console and was released at the full suggested retail price for a video game.

Now, when the Xbox 360 drop their price, the Playstation 3 drops and vice versa. However, the consoles don't come with anything extra except for the occasional themed bundle (Gears of War or Uncharted 2 for example), so for the price to drop makes sense. When Nintendo change the Wii bundle, they make the price stay the same, but add value to the package. The current Nintendo Wii bundle still retails for £179.99, but now includes:
1 x Wii Console
1 x Remote
1 x Nunchuk
1 x Wii MotionPlus (the more advanced sensor they released in summer last year)
1 x Wii Sports game
1 x Wii Sports: Resort game

Now, you can't really argue with that value. Granted, those who adopted the system early don't benefit from the new deals, but that's always been true no matter what you buy. I first became aware of it, as a matter of trivia, when I purchased a Stereophonics album on release day only for them to release a Special Edition six months later with two extra tracks. Capitalism at its finest.

IT'S A REALLY GOOD SECOND CONSOLE

Think about it: It's a cheap console that comes bundled with two games as standard. There's enough in the box for a complete one-player setup. If you've already got one (or both) of the other home consoles on the market, and you're finding that the selection of games is lacking that certain...something, then a Nintendo Wii is a relatively cheap way to add some depth to your games collection. To put it in perspective, I have an Xbox 360 (which is currently being repaired), a Nintendo Wii, a DS, a PSP and a PC that runs Crysis (a feat that I feel should be the benchmark against which all PCs should be measured). There is no console in my collection that does not have a purpose. I use my Xbox 360 for most of my general gaming, the PC is for certain genres (mainly because I don't think strategy works on consoles except when they make the game purpose-built for the console), and the portable systems are for gaming on the go. The role of the Wii is for one of two things: Gamecube games, and when I have a desire to play something a little bit different. My favourite game on Wii at the moment? Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure, a new puzzle franchise from Capcom.

A MASSIVE BACK CATALOGUE, AS WELL AS THE NEW NINTENDO EXCLUSIVES

Through the last 25 years, Nintendo have been responsible for some of the most iconic video game franchises: Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda and Metroid to name but a few. Of course, the Nintendo Wii has been no exception, and has already seen one of each of these games released for the console with more promised to be on the way. This year alone, there promises to be Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M, which has been developed by some of the minds behind the Ninja Gaiden franchise. This, combined with the continued assurance that another Zelda game is in the works, should give fans of Nintendo exclusives plenty to look forward to.

In the meantime, Nintendo has very sensibly capitalised on another trend sweeeping through the industry. So many of today's gamers have a penchant for the classics on previous consoles, and Nintendo's Virtual Console service collects the very best (and some of the not-so-best) of the games released for some of the most iconic video game systems in history. Fans can now download the original Super Mario Brothers for NES, the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis all the way up to Mario Kart 64 for...you guessed it, the Nintendo 64. A nice little touch, and a surefire money-maker for Nintendo from day one.

ANY EXERCISE IS BETTER THAN NONE AT ALL

Anyone who has read the site continuously knows my feelings on the Wii Fit franchise: I think it's a very cleverly made game, but ultimately isn't so much an exercise game as a "make you think you're exercising" game. However, as the title of this point states, that's not always such a bad thing. When I play my Xbox 360, I generally find that for the most part I'm not doing much in the way of movement. The only movement I tend to make is to throw my arms up in the air in disgust with myself - I suck at games, ok?

Anyway, when I play the Wii, something different happens. I actually feel different after having used it. With Tennis, I find myself using arm muscles and adjusting posture and stuff to play better. With the Bowling game, I find myself adjusting to account for spin and speed. The first time I tried Wii Boxing with a friend, we figured out at the end of a particularly brutal fight that it would have actually been LESS tiring to just beat the living shit out of each other!

We all see the statistics: one in four children is obese, by 2020 the world will be 70% water and the remaining 30% will be instant gravy, the average obese person has lost an arm since I started this sentence, blah blah blah... I'm not suggesting that the Nintendo Wii is a solution to this problem, as I've made it clear that I actually think quite the opposite, but I think it's a step in the right direction to make people take an interest in certain areas of their fitness that Wii Fit targets (balance, weight and distribution etc), so there's something to be said for it.

Besides which, when the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 motion controllers come out, you'll be wishing for the Wii Fit program over the crap they'll inevitably come up with.