10TH JULY 2011 AT TUTBURY CASTLE
Looking into the distance at John O’Gaunt’s gate you could just make out the number plate of the car sweeping down the drive of the magnificent Tutbury Castle, GHO5T DA. This was it; the day had begun as The Derek Acorah 
Fan Club Vehicle had arrived with its lovely occupants, Linda and David. The Haunted Happenings Team was ready, the marquee was set, the sun was shining and all we needed now was the man himself. We did not have to wait long as Derek Acorah and his lovely wife Gwen appeared at 10.00am on the dot with smiling faces and an abundance of enthusiasm. Lesley Smith, Curator of Tutbury Castle and good friend of Derek’s was there with me to meet Derek and Gwen.
Held at Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire, we could not have spent the day in more glorious surroundings. Tutbury Castle itself was built around 1068 after the Battle of Hastings. To this date it retains some of its remarkable war wounded past and has a magical and mysterious air about it. Anybody who visits Tutbury Castle leaves feeling as though they have connected with the past. Today Lesley Smith is the Curator of Tutbury Castle and does an excellent job in conveying its formidable history to audiences around the UK.
At 10.15am the gates to the Castle opened and the guests began to pour into this unique castle in their hundreds, excitedly making their way to the luxurious marquee area in preparation for the first session of Clairvoyance with the amazing Derek Acorah.
Every guest had been given the opportunity to purchase a raffle ticket offering fantastic prizes with the first prize being a private vigil with Derek in the haunted King’s bedroom to be carried out after the Clairvoyance. Derek did not fail to impress during this Clairvoyance session as he bought message after message to our enthralled guests. He ended this with a question and answer session where he was able to provide some valuable answers to some very interesting questions.
The Castle itself was getting busier; guests had been arriving all morning. The Haunted Happenings Team had organised many activities for them which were held throughout the day. These included séances and vigils in the haunted areas of the Castle. There were regular tours in the Dungeon, the under crofts and the Great Hall with workshops happening on a regular basis. Guests were able to experience table tipping, glass moving and Ouija board activity with the truly amazing Haunted Happenings Team who worked tirelessly throughout the day for our guests.
Lesley Smith began the history tours very early on and with large groups gathering, Lesley gave them all an imaginative and informative history of this magnificent Castle. There was something for everyone. Stalls had been set up where guests could book readings.
Paul Stevenson from ‘HAUNTED’ Magazine had set up a table where he was offering subscriptions to this fantastic read. Soul and Spirit Magazine were there with their table and I know that both publications had a fantastic day.
Linda and David, who run the Derek Acorah Fan Club, set up a stall in the marquee and ensured that all of Derek’s fans had opportunities to purchase Derek’s brand new Spiritual Journey C.D. which had been released that very day. All attending DAFC members received a complimentary bar of chocolate and a bottle of Derek’s ‘Acorah Aqua’ Spring water, along with a host of flyers and leaflets promoting Derek’s up and coming events and theatre shows. I have to say that I have never seen so many smiling faces before. Everybody seemed so excited and happy; enjoying all that there was to offer.
The Paranormal Pimms went down a treat as did the hotdogs, burgers and the ice-creams. People had brought picnic rugs and were eating their sumptuous picnic lunch on the immaculate Tutbury lawn. Haunted Happenings began an energy workshop in the Marquee whilst it was free and our Mediums taught our guests how to get in touch with their spiritual side in a practical and informative way. This helped many guests who were about to embark on vigils and séances with the Haunted Happenings Team.
The raffle had been drawn and the lucky winners of the first prize were treated to an amazing vigil with Derek in the Great Hall. This will be a moment that I feel sure none of them will ever forget. Derek worked so hard with everybody and never stopped even between his vigils and Clairvoyance sessions.
The afternoon of Clairvoyance with Derek was the largest with nearly 300 guests eagerly awaiting this session. Derek excelled himself. He worked on many levels, connecting solidly with all of his audience and working hard to ensure that 
he could include as many people as possible. I know that many of the guests went away feeling astounded by what Derek had told them and others by what they had heard. Derek worked endlessly throughout the session with his spirit guide ‘Sam’ and brought some great messages to those that were lucky enough to be on the receiving end.
In the meantime Lesley Smith donned the costume of Mary Queen of Scots and took on the role with perfection. This brought the history of the Castle alive as Lesley talked about the practicalities of living in the different periods in the most remarkable way. With large groups constantly around her you can see why Lesley Smith has to be the most brilliant historian. She brings everything to life so well that you can almost believe you are there experiencing the era she describes.
We were then treated to the appearance of Jason Karl. Jason is the creative Director of ATMOSFEAR UK. He has also appeared on Living TV Paranormal Programmes. Jason is a flamboyant and extremely intelligent man who is also a very good friend of Derek and Gwen’s. It was an absolute pleasure to have him with us at Tutbury Castle.
With the second session of Clairvoyance almost over Haunted Happenings got ready to set up more vigils to ensure that we were ready for the many guests about to descend upon us. 
The next group of raffle winners were about to embark on another exclusive session of Clairvoyance with Derek, this time in the King’s bedroom. Again this gave everybody food for thought as Derek was able to communicate with the spirits surrounding them through Sam, his spirit guide.
After posing for literally hundreds of photos Derek then made his way to the publicity table with Lesley Smith and Jason Karl to satisfy the enormous queue of guests waiting for pictures and autographs from his many, many fans. Again, Derek, although obviously very tired, did this with immense enthusiasm and made sure that every guest was treated with time and 
respect they each deserved. It was amazing to watch him work in such a dedicated manner. Supported by his beautiful wife, Gwen, Derek looked relaxed and happy throughout his day at Tutbury, albeit more than a little exhausted at times.
The day was frankly brilliant. The feedback has been astounding and all those involved in the day itself were outstanding. Would Haunted Happenings do this again? – YES. Would Derek work with Haunted Happenings again? – Well I really hope so as we all absolutely loved him.
Hazel Ford – Haunted Happenings
