Halloween Special 3 (2023)

As spooky season begins, Psychic Medium and Conspiracy Theorist Sylvester Da Silva crawls out of the woodwork, alongside journalist Carrie Saxon to discuss all things creepy and kooky.

Chostly news, mad theories, and nonsensical banter await!!

Transcript

Carrie Saxon: [00:00:00] Hello and 

Sylvester Da Silva: welcome to Ghost Book Podcast. I'm Britain's Beloved. Sensational, psychic medium extraordinaire Sylvester de Silva, host of this podcast and with me is my special guest for one time only, would you like to introduce yourself? Carrie Saxon. Carrie Saxon. Carrie Saxon ladies and gentlemen, here she is.

Carrie Saxon: Hello, Sylvester. What's going on? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Well, what I thought was, Carrie, is that we'll do a bit of a switch around this time. I'll host, you can be the guest. You can put your feet up, you know, because, I mean, it was kind of that way anyway. But, you know, just, just, just, just [00:01:00] go with it. Just go with it. I think it'd be a nice change to the dynamic, you know, having a man, having a man in charge.

Sylvester Da Silva: You know, if you can, if you can get your head around that. I've written 

Carrie Saxon: a whole introduction, Sylvester. Can we just go back to 

Sylvester Da Silva: the way things were? If you want guest, go ahead. Be my guest. Hello and 

Carrie Saxon: welcome to Ghost Book Podcast. I'm Carrie Saxon and with me 

Sylvester Da Silva: is Sylvester de Silva. 

Carrie Saxon: Right. Um, how are you, 

Sylvester Da Silva: Sylvester?

Sylvester Da Silva: I'm not too bad, thanks Carrie. Another year has passed.  that happened? Even last year we were saying, oh, here he is, coming out the woodwork for Halloween, and lo and behold, here we are again. We are, and how has your year been? Oh, plodding along, you know, this, that, the other. 

Carrie Saxon: Plodding, that sounds so good.

Sylvester Da Silva: Plodding along, I know, I hate, I hate that phrase, I wish I'd never said it. But, I can't think of anything else, but, plodding along, I suppose. How about you? 

Carrie Saxon: Yes, it's been an interesting year, let's just say. Lots of, lots have been happening. Um, been [00:02:00] on lots of good ghost hunts and met lovely people.

Sylvester Da Silva:  Really?

Sylvester Da Silva: That's good. Good news. Any good ones? No. 

Carrie Saxon: No. Um, and obviously you know about my podcast because I begged you to come on there. Sorry? You know my podcast. Yeah. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Carrie. Yes. Oh, oh, oh, your podcast. Yes. Yes. Of course. Yes. I remember. 

Carrie Saxon: And I begged you to come on there. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Well, I think beg is quite strong, isn't it? Well, it's, what 

Carrie Saxon: is it?

Carrie Saxon: You know, kind of explains 

Sylvester Da Silva: what happened. I mean, you know, I mean, you asked politely, I suppose, several times. Thanks. 

Carrie Saxon: And send you up to 50 emails. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Exactly. But then I think this is a good compromise, isn't it? Well, you said 

Carrie Saxon: it was the only compromise you 

Sylvester Da Silva: said. Well, you know, I mean, only compromise, but it's something we know.

Sylvester Da Silva: It's something that the listeners clearly love because the downloads are still coming in or going out or whatever. Yes, 

Carrie Saxon: that's true. [00:03:00] And so it's the same on my podcast, Carry On Ghosts too. So, you know, everyone's happy, aren't 

Sylvester Da Silva: they? Where did you come up with a title like that then? Do tell. I'm dying to find out.

Sylvester Da Silva: Well, it's 

Carrie Saxon: my name. Right. And... It's, and it's about ghosts, so it's Carrie On Ghosts. I did want, I did want Carry On Screaming, but there was a copyright issue, so I 

Sylvester Da Silva: couldn't have it. Yeah, very, very clever. I mean, you can tell you went to university. Yes, I did. Right. Anyway, let's, let's just, let's crack on. Let's get into it.

Sylvester Da Silva: I want to make a disclaimer now, though, Carrie. Okay. No more, I mean, I say no more. Inevitably, I'll probably end up speaking about Ghost Sleuthers, the moderately successful ghost hunting show that I was on many, many moons ago, many moons ago. Um, I mean, it's distant history. I mean, there are still, there's a bit of a hangover, of course, from all that because of some legal issues.

Sylvester Da Silva: Basically, there's an ongoing dispute after all [00:04:00] this time over fuel expenses and it's kind of turned a bit ugly because I've been quite insistent and somebody has said that I'm indulging in what they call harassment, which is nonsense anyway, and some, some garbage about how I never drove a car, so how can I be entitled to fuel expenses?

Sylvester Da Silva: But, you know, I mean, it's not even worth mentioning. I mean, I've mentioned it, but, you know, not even worth carrying on. Carrying on. Well done. This is going to be, ah, that's how you came up with it. Well done. By pure 

Carrie Saxon: accident. It was accident. Yeah. So I'm sorry to hear that, Sylvester. You know, ongoing issues with fuel is never, it's not conducive to a happy life, is it?

Sylvester Da Silva: No, I mean, obviously, cost of living crisis, etc. I mean, there's always something, isn't there? When, uh, when we come to do these podcasts. I mean, we were, we did the first series during COVID and all that, which I will mention later because... Uh, [00:05:00] we are discussing conspiracy theories. 

Carrie Saxon: Let’s not discuss conspiracy theories.

Sylvester Da Silva: All right, I'll discuss conspiracy theories. You carry on then. But yeah, cost of living, et cetera, et cetera. It's quite hard for a, you know, humble, modest, psychic medium. Um, I mean, I don't know what it's like being a journalist. I suppose you just write any old gubbins and somebody pays you for it. 

Carrie Saxon: Yeah, that's what used to happen in the old days, but now you've got to sell your soul for free on social media.

Carrie Saxon: Well, 

Sylvester Da Silva: I mean, who doesn't these days? Yeah, you just have to. It's just... We're enslaved to it. Again, conspiracy. We're already talking about it. You're discussing it. You're clearly interested. No, no, no. I'm not that interested. We'll save it for later. We'll save it for later. 

Carrie Saxon: Okay. Should we just start the show?

Sylvester Da Silva: Let's crack on.

Sylvester Da Silva: Right, Carrie, as I am the new official host of Ghost Book Podcast, Yeah, that's what I quite like being a host. I think, could you imagine late nights with Sylvester de Silva? That'd be great. Oh my 

Carrie Saxon: god, I just shivered at [00:06:00] that. 

Sylvester Da Silva: I mean, if James Corden can do it, so can I. Don't you not think? 

Carrie Saxon: James Corden is actually quite talented.

Sylvester Da Silva: Yeah, likewise. We're two peas in a pod. Anyway, as a good host, I need to ask the guest who they are, what they've been up to, what they're good at, what your job is. You know, that kind of social... You know That kind of social interaction, which I tend to shy away from occasionally. But Carrie, how are you?

Sylvester Da Silva: That's an easy question. How are you?  

Carrie Saxon: I am moderately okay. Thank you for asking, 

Sylvester Da Silva: Sylvester. That's good. What have you been up to then? I know you mentioned a 

Carrie Saxon: podcast. Well, I've got my podcast Carrie On Ghosts. Yes. The first and only season of Saxon's Britain. Can I say that again? That was really bad. It 

Sylvester Da Silva: sounds like it was.

Sylvester Da Silva: First

Carrie Saxon: and last season of Saxon's Britain went out in the [00:07:00] summer. I'm sure you watched that, didn't you? Mm hmm. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Ooh. Uh, that passed me by. That passed me by. But something I did see on my little, when I was browsing the podcast, because I do like to listen to a good podcast, as I'm sure our listeners will attest to, as they are listening to a fantastic podcast themselves.

Sylvester Da Silva: I came across this podcast, I think you've been involved in it, called Excuse the Mess. 

Carrie Saxon: That's nothing. Something like that? Nothing. Were you paid to do that? I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know the podcast. 

Sylvester Da Silva: You, you were in it. You were definitely in it. 

Carrie Saxon: I definitely wasn't. Excuse the 

Sylvester Da Silva: Mess.

Sylvester Da Silva: Excuse the mess. I've made some, I've got, I've got some notes for you. Okay. Great. Right. Let me read. So we've got, um, several pages actually, but the main ones, the main ones for me are, uh, the podcast needs more diversity. Um, IE needs. a male lead. A [00:08:00] male 

Carrie Saxon: lead. Okay. Yeah. I'll take it. There's a female lead in this one then?

Sylvester Da Silva: Yeah, it's quite one sided. I think you do need to, you need to consider diversity these days, Carrie. It's very important. So, you know, a strong male lead. And if you're looking for one, you know, I, I, I might have the time to potentially, 

Carrie Saxon: I will drop them an email. I'll drop them an email now and let them know.

Carrie Saxon: But 

Sylvester Da Silva: I mean, the main thing as well is, um, in terms of your, cause I understand it was a fictional podcast. Um, I must say you do sound like, and I gotta be perfectly honest, I'll be blunt. And this does come across in this podcast as well. You do sound a little bit like a show off. I don't necessarily mean that negatively.

Sylvester Da Silva: I don't mean that 

Carrie Saxon: negatively. I don't even know what that means. Show off. I mean, I don't know who the other person is. 

Sylvester Da Silva: It's because you've got that Cardiff thing. What's wrong with Cardiff? You want to go down to the Arms Park? [00:09:00] 

Carrie Saxon: I do not sound like that. You know, I can do it. You know, get your car in the car.

Carrie Saxon: You know,

Carrie Saxon: I can do that, but I don't.

Sylvester Da Silva: That's a good example because I was going to say not to. I was going to say from the enunciation, I would say limited education. What university did you go to, by the way? 

Carrie Saxon: I'm not going to say that in public, but I did recently found out, find out, I did recently found, can't speak.

Carrie Saxon: I did recently find out. It was a 

Sylvester Da Silva: good university. 

Carrie Saxon: I just found out that they're number one in sustainability in the whole of the UK. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Oh, I mean, that is very much like a runner up prize, isn't it? In the egg and spoon race. You came last, but here's your, here's your award for taking part. Look, it 

Carrie Saxon: beat all the big ones.

Carrie Saxon: We beat the Oxford, we beat Cambridge, we beat [00:10:00] others. And, you know, it's, it, it was a good university. It was just a shame about the people I met there, but it was. You know, it was great, otherwise. 

Sylvester Da Silva: It was. Would you endorse this university? 

Carrie Saxon: Not publicly, obviously. 

Sylvester Da Silva: All right, what about privately? 

Carrie Saxon: No, 

Sylvester Da Silva: not even then.

Sylvester Da Silva: All right, okay. Well, I mean, I think that kind of wraps up that section, Carrie. 

Carrie Saxon: Was that it? Was that enough about you? That was all your questions. You wanted to talk to me about how I am. What have I been up to? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Moderately okay. 

Carrie Saxon: Moderately okay? A podcast that I've got nothing to do with. I've not even heard of it.

Carrie Saxon: Is it any good? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Yeah, excuse the mess. 

Carrie Saxon: Yeah, but is it any good? 

Sylvester Da Silva: I don't know, I didn't scroll down far enough to look at the reviews. Oh, okay then, fair enough. That's why I was going to hold off writing a review myself, because I wanted to give you the notes. 

Carrie Saxon: And then, I'm a show off, just because I'm from Cardiff, which by the way is xenophobic.

Carrie Saxon: In fact, you know, that, no, that [00:11:00] wouldn't offend Wales, they don't like us either. Okay then, is that it? Can we, can I ask you questions next?

Sylvester Da Silva:  See, Carrie, this is the kind of gusto that you need in the podcast. Some fire, some emotion.

Carrie Saxon: Right, and we're back and I have calmed down a bit, I think. Um, Sylvester, I'm just going to take over for a bit. Is that okay with you or are we going to have problems? 

Sylvester Da Silva: No, as I said earlier, be my guest, Carrie.

Carrie Saxon: Thank you. So on my podcast, Carry On Ghosts, not whatever else you mentioned, um, I ask people a number of questions and have their thoughts about the supernatural.

Carrie Saxon: And I just want the first answer that comes into heads. Don't overthink it. It's on the, the question will always start with, do you believe in, okay, so we'll just crack on.

Sylvester Da Silva: You [00:12:00] You. Okay. As I said, plodding along. Moderately. Okay. Moderately. Okay. I think your words were okay. Are these yes or no questions or no? 

Carrie Saxon: Well, they can be. No, but I, you know, please expand if you need to because Right. Okay. We got, otherwise it's gonna 25 minutes to fill Really dull podcast, isn't it? If you're just gonna go No.

Carrie Saxon: Yeah, yeah. No. Yeah. Okay. Please don't wind me up anymore. You know, my doctor wouldn't like it. My blood pressure's already through the roof, but like, that's next question, right? So it starts, do you believe in? So let's just go for it. Sylvester, do you believe in ghosts? Yes. Poltergeists? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Yes. Mediums? I believe in myself.

Sylvester Da Silva: Yes. Oh, 

Carrie Saxon: that's good to know. I love people with good self belief. I believe in myself too, Sylvester 

Sylvester Da Silva: It's very important. Good. 

Carrie Saxon: Yeah. Um, psychics? [00:13:00] Yes. Demons? Yes. Aliens on Earth? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Yes. Nessie? Yes. Yeti?

Sylvester Da Silva: Yes. Is this like a psychological test or something? Well, 

Carrie Saxon: usually people are, you know, absolutely flabbergasted I'm asking them such ridiculous questions. But you seem to think this is 

Sylvester Da Silva: like... How am I doing? How am I doing so far? Does it look like it's going to be a pass? 

Carrie Saxon: No, not yet. We'll Yeti?

Carrie Saxon: Of course, I forgot, you had adventures with him, didn't you? Did I? You had adventures with Bigfoot. You're going to turn it into a children's book, never saw that either. Next! I don't know, I can't 

Sylvester Da Silva: remember that. I know. Cryptids? Yes, cryptids, yep. Is she Sunak? Uh, remind me again, Carrie, who's that? [00:14:00] Is that a mythological creature that I may have encountered?

Sylvester Da Silva: Yeah, 

Carrie Saxon: um, look, we'll just move on, it's fine. Um, the universe is a computer simulation. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Oh, that's an interesting one. I like the theory. It's quite, quite interesting, but I have never, never watched the Matrix. I've never seen it. 

Carrie Saxon: Are you serious? You've never seen the Matrix? 

Sylvester Da Silva: I think it's because there was this sort of innate fear that I had that perhaps maybe if I watched it, then somehow that would cause a problem with the actual Matrix that we are living in.

Sylvester Da Silva: So you believe in the matrix? Mm. I dunno. Now, what did I say before? Did I say yes or no? You said, is this a glitch of the matrix? You said? Oh my God. 

Carrie Saxon: Said you like the you. Oh my God. I think it's next question. Next question. You write haunted data 

Sylvester Da Silva: facts. Yes. I've got plenty. Uh, curses. Yep, I've placed many on several people and I've had a lot [00:15:00] placed on me.

Carrie Saxon: Yep, you placed one on me, remember? Oh yes! That was fun. Right, uh, Slimer? I beg your pardon? Slimer. Do you believe in Slimer? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Slimer? Yeah. Green Ghosts. 

Carrie Saxon: What's that from then? Gobbles Food. Ghostbusters. 

Sylvester Da Silva: I've never seen that either. What? 

Carrie Saxon: How? What? You've never seen Ghostbusters? How have you not seen Ghostbusters?

Sylvester Da Silva: Never seen Ghostbusters. 

Carrie Saxon: Okay, next. Uh, Telekinesis? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Uh, bit of yes, bit of no. 

Carrie Saxon: Okay, Men in Black? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Oh, absolutely. Really? 100%. You'd be a fool to think that the Men in Black 

Carrie Saxon: weren't real. I'm not talking about, I'm not talking about the Will Smith film. 

Sylvester Da Silva: I haven't seen that either. Um, but actual Men in Black.

Sylvester Da Silva: Completely. Okay. 

Carrie Saxon: Out of 

Sylvester Da Silva: body. I mean, what do you think? I've got to ask you, Carrie. Um. The Men in Black. 

Carrie Saxon: Yeah, no. Why would I, why would I believe in the men in [00:16:00] black? 

Sylvester Da Silva: I mean, sure, I mean, you must say, I mean, some degree of shadowy organisation that's working in the shadows. 

Carrie Saxon: No, of course not. There's not a shadowy organisation that's...

Carrie Saxon: Trying to tell people there's no aliens on earth because there are no aliens on earth. So why would we need a shadowy organization to actually control? Why are we doing this? What are 

Sylvester Da Silva: the shadows? Maybe not necessarily about aliens, but you know. Well, that's 

Carrie Saxon: something different again then, isn't it? Do I believe in shadowy 

Sylvester Da Silva: organizations?

Sylvester Da Silva: Is it? All right. We agree to disagree. Oh my god, I'm exhausted. 

Carrie Saxon: I'm already exhausted. Um, out of body experience. What's the next question? Do you believe in out of body experience? 

Sylvester Da Silva: You do? Yes. Done that. Been there, done that.

Carrie Saxon: there,  I wish I was having one now. And hats. Do you believe in hats, Sylvester? 

Sylvester Da Silva: I believe in hats.

Sylvester Da Silva: In what way? Like, do I believe that they're an essential everyday item? Do I believe that they add a sense of style? Of course I do. 

Carrie Saxon: And do you [00:17:00] believe they can be 

Sylvester Da Silva: cursed? Anything can be cursed. We've covered this. Thank you. You need to do some research. Carrie, go back and listen to our old podcasts. Oh, I find we spent hours talking about that and somehow it was condensed into.

Sylvester Da Silva: Two, three minutes. I know. Lord knows how that was possible. 

Carrie Saxon: It took me a long time to recover from them. I can't go back. Sorry, can't go back. Um, well I'll just say, thank you Sylvester for that. I don't even know what that was. Next! 

Sylvester Da Silva: So is that, was that a pass?

Carrie Saxon: Great, and I've been handed a message. Apparently it's time for ghost news. What have you got for us this time? Sylvester? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Yeah, this is a bit of a feature for us, isn't it? Carrie? Ghostly news. Yes. Bringing you all the up-to-date news regarding the paranormal and the beyond. Well, this is quite a sad story, Carrie.

Sylvester Da Silva: So you might need to get a box of tissues ready. Um, a popular [00:18:00] ghost hunting couple are locked in a divorce. With a bitter custody battle over the spirits of the haunted museum. Lindsay, 53, announced her pending divorce from husband Lee, 37, on Facebook. After running popular paranormal page Project Reveal Ghosts of Britain together for seven years.

Sylvester Da Silva: A spirit hunting duo famously owned the Haunted Objects Museum in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Now I've been there, I've done business with them in the past. Yep. They were a wonderful couple, but I haven't been in touch with them for some time. Obviously Maybe you could have helped. I, I possibly could have, but Um, the museum is home to a vast collection of supposedly possessed ite supposedly, fake news, they are possessed items that they've compiled over several years.

Sylvester Da Silva: However, since the split, the exes bickering has resulted in the closure of the quirky museum, and the two now claim to be locked in a custody battle over the spirits attached to the haunted [00:19:00] items. Now, how about that, Carrie? Have you ever heard of anything like that? I just 

Carrie Saxon: don't know what to say, I 

Sylvester Da Silva: have no words.

Sylvester Da Silva: Exactly. I mean, it's, it's speechless, isn't it? Yeah. You're speechless. 

Carrie Saxon: I'm actually rendered speechless by something so utterly ridiculous. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Next. It is ridiculous, isn't it? I mean, how on earth, how on earth could they possibly lay claim to the spirits infesting the haunted objects? I... You can't. 

Carrie Saxon: You just can't.

Carrie Saxon: You just can't. You're right. You 

Sylvester Da Silva: can't. Well, do you have news? That 

Carrie Saxon: was it. That's the whole story that they, you know. Yeah, I mean, that's it. 

Sylvester Da Silva: So they, they, they, 

Carrie Saxon: they locked in a bitter dispute 

Sylvester Da Silva: just because of that. Basically over possessions. Do you know what? Which is what you'd expect from a divorce, I suppose, wouldn't it?

Carrie Saxon: Yeah, divorce is not funny, is it? Well, I mean, 

Sylvester Da Silva: the thing is, I actually, I see an opportunity here because I think perhaps whoever ends up with them, some of the [00:20:00] objects will be too hot to handle, shall we say, because of the curses on them and the spirits embedded within them. And I know for a fact that they have the Annabelle doll, which I had.

Sylvester Da Silva: For a moment in time. I think she appeared on the podcast. She went missing following the tragic fire at De Silva Towers. And now she's ended up in South Yorkshire of all places. So, I don't know, maybe it's time for Sylvester to swoop in. Try and patch things up. Patch things up between the two. Finally, get Annabelle back, because I don't think anybody is capable of containing the evil within that doll.

Carrie Saxon: Okay, well I found a little ghost story that makes a nice change. Sorry, Carriot. Sorry, Carriot. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Don't mean to interrupt you. I understand you've got a ghost story you'd like to tell us. Yes, I've 

Carrie Saxon: got a ghost story. Okay. This is something quite... 

Sylvester Da Silva: Peculiar. 

Carrie Saxon: It's peculiar, but I'll just say it. [00:21:00] Haunting. It's, it's a haunting.

Carrie Saxon: Do you remember the crying doll pictures from the old days? The sun decided that they were cursed because they were burning down houses. Yes. And obviously it wasn't, but you know, it was the sun, what can you do? So they made a massive bonfire and tried to burn all these paintings. Right. And then it, and then they found out that...

Carrie Saxon: it was to do with how they were sealed. The reason they didn't burn in the fires was because of the sealant on the paintings. This is just off the top of my head from memories, so it might not be in a sealant, it might be in some kind of gloss or glue, whatever, or they went over it, it stopped the, um, pictures 

Sylvester Da Silva: from burning.

Sylvester Da Silva: The sealant was obviously imbued with some sort of... Paranormal substance or power which was preventing the fire from... 

Carrie Saxon: No, it was, yeah, it just couldn't catch fire. There's nothing supernatural about it. Basically, a woman went into a charity shop, uh, saw a [00:22:00] 20 portrait that claimed already to be haunted.

Carrie Saxon: Bargain. Bargain. 20 quid. Um, she sent the picture to her mother, and her mother begged her to buy it. 

Sylvester Da Silva: So she did. Well, at 20 pounds, I shall not barter. Exactly. 

Carrie Saxon: So, the previous owner of the painting said it ruined her life. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Oh, dear. 

Carrie Saxon: But still, this lovely young woman bought the painting for her lovely mother.

Carrie Saxon: So, as soon as the painting was brought into the house, the family dog, Scylla, started growling at it and then wouldn't go anywhere near it. And then the mother began suffering health issues, hot flushes, shakiness and feeling so cold she needed jumpers on. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Sorry, how old was she? Right, I knew you were going to ask me that.

Sylvester Da Silva: I don't, I hate playing the sceptic. I know you hate 

Carrie Saxon: playing the sceptic, but that woman was 68 years old. Okay. I know where you were [00:23:00] going with it, and no, no cigar on this one, Sylvester. So, this went on for a bit, but then the daughter and her partner went for a walk one day, and it was a bit stormy, and all of a sudden there was a black figure in front of them.

Carrie Saxon: So, they were like, run! Uh, so they did. And the fat figure followed them, but it doesn't really say what happened after that. Um, but apparently it was the most terrifying experience of both of their lives. So, they did what normal people would do, with a cursed picture. They took it back to the charity shop, and then they put a sign on it saying it's been owned by two people, and they've found it cursed.

Carrie Saxon: But, the shocking part of this story, and you're gonna really like the shocking 

Sylvester Da Silva: part, Sylvester. Can I, can I take a wild stab in the dark? Go for it. Did they retain the 20 price tag, or did they even increase the price of the [00:24:00] picture? 

Carrie Saxon: Well, this is something we may 

Sylvester Da Silva: never know. Two owners, 20 only, slightly cursed.

Sylvester Da Silva: I know, 

Carrie Saxon: I would have put it up on eBay for about a million. Oh, yeah, exactly. These people didn't. And then, so, a couple of weeks later, the daughter went back to the charity shop to see if it was still there, and guess what? It was. So she did the thing that you would do if you think something's cursed and it's causing you and your mother problems.

Carrie Saxon: She bought 

Sylvester Da Silva: it back. So she actually spent... 40 on this. I mean, at least 40, 20 

Carrie Saxon: original price. It looks like she spent at least 40. I know, why isn't there pertinent facts in this case? Actually, in the report. It's, do you know what, Theresa? I think journalism is dead. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Theresa, I know you're only reading from the article, but I've just got several questions.

Sylvester Da Silva: Yeah, please ask me a question. What was the picture of? Do we know? 

Carrie Saxon: A young girl. The picture now is in a sealed box with some [00:25:00] sage in it. So you'll be pleased to 

Sylvester Da Silva: hear that. I mean, keeping it in a box with some sage, I mean, that's bare minimum safety precautions. Um, but anyway, the picture, I'm guessing she's, she's fine now, this girl?

Sylvester Da Silva: You know what? I don't 

Carrie Saxon: know. Okay. Thank you, Sylvester.

Carrie Saxon: And we're back. And Sylvester, I need to know what happened to your friend Mr. Devereaux and your psychic detective agency. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Oh, do you know what, Carrie? This is actually the first time that I've thought about this, so that has crossed my mind since... It was last mentioned a year ago. What? I haven't spoken to Xander Devereaux in, well, a year.

Sylvester Da Silva: But we're just passing ships in the night, you see. But you were Barely, barely see each other. He's, I don't know, he's some high flying psychic medium down in South Wales somewhere. You know, [00:26:00] he's got a fancy car, brum brum, drives around doing this, that and the other. Now, fleeting. It was a good idea, but terribly 

Carrie Saxon: fleeting.

Carrie Saxon: It was like, it was a good idea, and I'm I'm really surprised, because I said it would last a few days, but obviously it didn't even last a few days after that, 

Sylvester Da Silva: did it? No, I mean the thing is, Carrie, you know me, I do have a notoriously bad attention span. And, you know, I mean, just sat here looking at this laptop and this book here, and looking at my shopping list.

Sylvester Da Silva: So, gotta remember to do that tomorrow. 

Carrie Saxon: Yeah, there we go again. Um, 

Sylvester Da Silva: oh, and what were we talking about? 

Carrie Saxon: Yeah, back in the room. Uh, we were talking about nothing really. What were we talking about? Hang on a minute. Well, I can tell you what 

Sylvester Da Silva: I've been up to. I've been doing some, I've been doing some more, some more investigations apart from the usual, you know, my day to day job, which I know that's something that you try and wrestle with, you know, how is this a job?

Sylvester Da Silva: Same with me [00:27:00] really, like how on earth are you able to do your journalism thing for, I mean, not just you Carrie, but any journalism, you know, how do you sleep at night? It's basically something that I sometimes think, but anyway, that's by the by. Um, what I've been interested in, in the last couple of months, and I know it's something that you, you're interested in as well, I've really plundered the depths of conspiracy theories.

Sylvester Da Silva: No, 

Carrie Saxon: please don't. No, don't, 

Sylvester Da Silva: I really don't.

Sylvester Da Silva: I mean, everything's a conspiracy. And don't get me wrong, I'm not, you know, I'm not gonna say this, that, and the other, and that I believe at all. Because some of it is nonsense, some are, I think, uh, maybe, but a lot of it is h a lot of it is swaddle. A lot of it is garbage, but not all. But, you know, I've, I've looked into a lot of it, you know, chem chemtrails five G.

Sylvester Da Silva: Yeah. Covid, Gloria, Hannaford, UFOs, all of it. The works. You name it, I've read into it. [00:28:00] And you 

Carrie Saxon: realised it's all nonsense then? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Well, some of it is. Well, I mean, the thing is, since we've been away, you know, we've talked about UFOs and all that before, Um, UAPs, I think, is the correct official term for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.

Sylvester Da Silva: What? I mean, they're discussing this in Congress now, Carrie. Yeah, but are they? Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah buts. No yeah buts. You know, I, I watched the entire stream, like they're discussing it in Congress, they have Air Force pilots who have seen things that they cannot explain, things which cannot possibly have originated from the Earth.

Sylvester Da Silva: I mean, what do you, I mean, go on, what do you think? I think that, 

Carrie Saxon: I think that they should be looking at other things, maybe, maybe we should start worrying about life on Earth. Such as? Instead of worrying about things that might be coming from outer space. Such as, I think America's got quite a few problems, don't you think?

Carrie Saxon: And by the way. Yeah, 

Sylvester Da Silva: UFOs 

Carrie Saxon: or [00:29:00] UAPs. And I'm not saying that Britain hasn't, I'm far from it. It's just that UAP... 

Sylvester Da Silva: This is going to turn into a political rant now, isn't it? I can tell. No, no, no. I've... I the tone 

Carrie Saxon: of your voice. I've the game in America. You know, I love America. I love the people of America. I just don't get why they're talking about 

Sylvester Da Silva: UAPs.

Sylvester Da Silva: UAPs. It's a fascinating subject. We'll keep an eye on that, Carrie. In fact, we may... We may even have a spinoff podcast delegated entirely to extraterrestrials. Would you let me be in that podcast? You can, yeah, you can, you know, you can have a small part in it. I, you know, don't mind. That's fine. Just come in 

Carrie Saxon: with an open mind.

Carrie Saxon: you want. I'll believe whatever you want then if it's... 

Sylvester Da Silva: There's no money in it. This is purely as a 

Carrie Saxon: sight. I'm, I'm, I'm going to step aside on the UAP issue. Well, saying that. You know, you know, I believe in ghosts now, but I think UAPs is probably just a little bit [00:30:00] too far. Anyway. Yes. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Back to conspiracies. I mean, that could be a conspiracy itself.

Sylvester Da Silva: Right, Carrie, have you heard of, and this is quite poignant, have you heard of the phenomena of mysterious sounds, and let me be a bit more specific. Areas around the world where people report hearing a constant, potentially ominous, rumble, a hum, a high pitched noise, just around the area, and it doesn't seem to be coming from anywhere.

Sylvester Da Silva: Everyone can hear it. Yeah. Have you heard of anything about that? 

Carrie Saxon: Um, yeah, I know a little bit about it, but I haven't... It's... It's always been found that there's a rational explanation for it. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Well, I mean, in some cases, yes, but... In some areas around the world, it's a little disturbing. Um, I mean, it ranges from, as I say, the hums and high pitched things.

Sylvester Da Silva: But I was quite interested because I was aware of something similar down in [00:31:00] Swansea in South Wales. Now, I would have zero interest or motivation to Swansea. I mean, would you... 

Carrie Saxon: Is this your xenophobia coming out 

Sylvester Da Silva: again, or? I can't answer the question, would you? I'll take that silence as read. So, I was aware there was a sound going on in Swansea, in quite a large area, that people could hear, and it was constant day and night.

Sylvester Da Silva: I've not heard of it. Nobody worked out where it was coming from. So I went down there. I went down there a couple of months ago. You went to Swansea? 

Carrie Saxon: To do an extensive search. You never popped in for a cup of tea 

Sylvester Da Silva: or? A fleeting visit, I had to get there, had to come back, you know, as soon as this investigation was done.

Sylvester Da Silva: Yeah, I'm sure you did. Like, I've got to get out of this place. Okay, fair enough. So I went to Swansea, did it, yeah, as I say, an extensive search. I had loads of high tech equipment with me. Um, I was wandering around, I had a, I had a stethoscope, I was holding it in the [00:32:00] air, listening to it, and yep, sure enough, there was a, there was a sound.

Sylvester Da Silva: Oh my god. There was a constant, constant sound. I'm sure there's 

Carrie Saxon: lots of sounds in Swansea, it's a big place, it's a city, there's people there, it's, oh, you should come to Cardiff, there's... A power tool's going off any time of the day or night. It's... 

Sylvester Da Silva: Oh no, this is what it definitely wasn't at all. This was a kind of a low hum, like constantly, just radiating from somewhere.

Sylvester Da Silva: And I could swear that the ground was slightly rumbling. And do you know what I think? Go on, what do you think? I'm convinced that the Welsh government have created some sort of suppression, some suppression field, something, like some sound wave. That interferes with people's cars, which will force people to drive at the 20 mile an hour limit that they've recently imposed.

Sylvester Da Silva: I think, I think there's some evidence in there and I think Swansea is the testing ground. 

Carrie Saxon: Yeah. Gimme a [00:33:00] minute. Just gimme a minute. 'cause I need to look this up because I have never heard anything so stupid in my life. Okay. Um, have you ever, have you ever been to like a big concert place? So you know, a big concert, gone to see a band, maybe?

Carrie Saxon: No, not in this life gym concert, or have you ever kind of. Being to a football or rugby game or anything like 

Sylvester Da Silva: that. Right, what's this got to do with the uh, the Swansea Hum? Well, 

Carrie Saxon: have you ever seen something that us in the real world like to call a burger van? Burger van? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Burger van. Sorry, burger van? It's a van.

Sylvester Da Silva: What kind of phenomena is this? It's a van, 

Carrie Saxon: right, and what they do inside this van is sell 

Sylvester Da Silva: burgers. Right, okay, I get a burger van, but what's this got to do with the Swansea hum? Well, 

Carrie Saxon: you know, because they're in a van as opposed to [00:34:00] a, you know, a shop, you know, a restaurant or anything like that. Yeah, hence burger van.

Carrie Saxon: Yes. It needs to be driven by something called... electricity. And do you know where they get electricity from? It's something called a generator. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Okay, and what has this got to do, I say again, what's this got to do with the Swansea Hum? Because 

Carrie Saxon: a generator makes a humming noise, which was found in Swansea.

Carrie Saxon: Why are you making stuff up? Sylvester, 

Sylvester Da Silva: it's been solved. Where's your sources? Fake news. I want to see.

Carrie Saxon: Where's your sources on the bloody burger? No, stop it! Where's my sources? What is the matter with you? It's probably from the same article that you've just read. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Um, well, I mean, no, no. Don't come to mention it. I didn't read all of it. 

Carrie Saxon: The Welsh government, you know, they just do things in front of our face.

Carrie Saxon: They, they've got no qualms in doing that. They don't need to [00:35:00] make, you know... You're winding me up again, Sylvester. What is wrong 

Sylvester Da Silva: with you? Another conspiracy solved, folks. On to the next bit. Please read to the end 

Carrie Saxon: next time. And we're back and Sylvester's let me take control of the reins once more, which is great news for me.

Carrie Saxon: And he's sulking in a corner, I think, at the moment. No, he's still there. Okay, then. So, because it's Halloween, it'd be really good if I told a spooky ghost story. Don't you think, Sylvester? Okay, then. I'm just going to crack on with my ghost story because I think you're going to be really impressed by the end of this, Sylvester.

Carrie Saxon: Really impressed. So, here we go. Now, this takes place in a little village, just north of South Wales. Wops dee wops dee. A little village, just north of South Wales town. And that really impressed me. Inside Wales, this Black Cardiff Arms [00:36:00] Park village, there was a town 

Sylvester Da Silva: hall. Ho ho whoops, sorry about that folks.

Sylvester Da Silva: It appears that there are some gremlins in the system. It is Halloween after all. There's a ghost in the machine somewhere. Unfortunately, Carrie's wonderful story got distorted somehow. I don't know. encryption, database, technical, computer, jargony stuff. But do not worry, do not fret, for I have recorded a story of my own just to take its place, you know, not saying that it's any better than Carrie's, but there's a slight possibility that it might be.

Sylvester Da Silva: I'm going to do something a bit different, add a bit of drama and flair to the podcast. I'm going to tell you about a very true story about myself and my encounter with Black Shuck during my time in East Anglia. It was 13 years ago, whilst I was still enjoying fame with Ghost Sleuthers, however not all was well, despite all the attention and praise, for I was quite brilliant, things were off shall we say, of course there were the issues with my series co [00:37:00] host, but this is when something first started clawing at my mind, leaving a wound so deep it pains me still, this was my first encounter with black Shuck.

Sylvester Da Silva: The Ghosts of Sleuthers team were visiting a stereotypical haunted locale. It was a trying time for me. I had recently lost a dear friend to the great beyond. Work pressure, tensions with co workers, and an over reliance on self medication resulted in a trying time for your favourite psychic medium extraordinaire.

Sylvester Da Silva: We were filming at a rather quaint locale. Beautiful day, birds chirping. I was distracted to say the least. The crew had walked around the building while I was stumbling around in a daze. What causes, I asked myself, as a dark cloud started to descend in my mind. I heard an unfamiliar voice shout, Sylvester!

Sylvester Da Silva: This shook me from my stupor. Knowing the strict work ethic, I quickly ran to catch up with the team. I do not [00:38:00] remember my journey. The next thing I know, I'm on the building's roof. Some five stories high, staring down, a strong wind, blowing.

Sylvester Da Silva: I came to, and down below, was a huge, black dog, just sat there. Staring with one singular fiery red eye, I heard what sounded like a low growl, scaring me senseless I stepped back. The beast stood, still staring, then turned and walked back into the ether, vanishing without a trace. I later discovered the local legend called Black Shuck, a towering black dog with one burning red eye.

Sylvester Da Silva: Stories suggest it to be a portent of doom. Other tales imply it to be a warning of some kind. I've never seen this ferocious beast since, but when things get [00:39:00] a little dark, I'm convinced Black Shuck is watching me still.

Carrie Saxon: And that was the spookiest ghost story that there ever was. And I think he's speaking to me now. Did you enjoy that story, Sylvester? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Oh, yeah, that was sensational, Carrie. Ah, 

Carrie Saxon: that's lovely. I thought you'd gone to sleep at one stage, but obviously not, because right at the end, I got a really big cheer, but unfortunately...

Carrie Saxon: the recording had stopped so you didn't get the cheering and clapping so i'm sorry about that sadly sadly 

Sylvester Da Silva: sadly sadly anyway carrie right what's next on the agenda well 

Carrie Saxon: you know what is that time honored tradition in the ghost book podcast we have question time questions for sylvester and [00:40:00] question one there was a movie of your life who would you want to play you Oh, 

Sylvester Da Silva: that's a question.

Sylvester Da Silva: Hmm, I would say Lars Mikkelsen. Right. 

Carrie Saxon: Danish actor? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Yes, the one and only. Okay. Did he ever I don't know why, I just, I think I saw something with him in it recently, and that's all I could think of. Oh, okay. 

Carrie Saxon: So we're gonna go a bit of Desert Island Discs on you on this one, question two. And this one came from the, uh, the ex, formerly known as Twitter.

Carrie Saxon: So, uh, make it a good one, because we all love Mr. Musk and Izzy Axe, don't we? So, the question is, on Desert Island Discs, you're allowed one record, one item, and... a book. So, can you tell me what those three things would be? So, you can have one record you can listen to forever, one item which you can keep forever, [00:41:00] and one book.

Carrie Saxon: What would they be? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Oh, what record? I would say, maybe something by ELO. ELO. Electric light orchestra. Yeah, 

Carrie Saxon: they were around before you were born, weren't they, Sylvester? 

Sylvester Da Silva: Yeah, but I'm still able to listen to their stuff now, you see. Oh, good point. Excellent point. I know, exactly. It's mad, isn't it? Something like that, just to keep yourself chipper.

Sylvester Da Silva: And when you say an object, can this be like, uh, a speedboat with lots of fuel in it? 

Carrie Saxon: No, but it's a good, it's a good one. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Oh, is there a caveat? 

Carrie Saxon: The, that is the caveat. You can't escape the island with 

Sylvester Da Silva: your Right. Okay. One thing I would say, and I'm guessing not like a, a radio, which is, you know, I can transit, you can have a location.

Sylvester Da Silva: Radio, radio, you, I'd say no, go on transit. Keeping in theme, keeping in character. Go on a Ouija board, you know, because you'd have a Ouija board. I mean, well, of course, I, I can contact people to let [00:42:00] them know where I am. So yeah, a Ouija board and then a book. Uh, probably How to Survive on a Desert Island.

Carrie Saxon: Excellent choice. And the last one being, How are you Sylvester? You seemed really, really quite... Chipper. 

Sylvester Da Silva: Oh yes, I'm absolutely fine Carrie. I mean the thing is... I, I've been a little preoccupied with this whole conspiracy thing because it does concern me a little bit reading what I've been going into, but I've come to the conclusion, I mean, you pointed out there with that whole business of the burger van, you know, that, that article, it really, it stings me sometimes because I've had my fair amount of bad press, obviously, back in the ghost of those days, and it just leads me to the ultimate conclusion that listeners burn your newspapers, Don't look at the news online.

Sylvester Da Silva: You don't know, you don't know who has written those words. You don't know why they want you to read those words. You don't even know who I am. But I'm telling you, you need to be careful out there. Go incognito, [00:43:00] private browsers if you must go on the internet. Get off social media, because there are people out there who want you to do things that you don't realize.

Sylvester Da Silva: And that is probably the scariest thing I could probably come up with this Halloween. I have nothing 

Carrie Saxon: further to add. Thank you, Sylvester. Well, I think that's it from us this time. I think it's been a really good... 

Sylvester Da Silva: It's been a fantastic episode, fantastic special, another one for Halloween 2023, probably back for Halloween 2024, we don't know.

Sylvester Da Silva: Maybe there'll be a new series, maybe there'll be a spin off, who knows? Goodness knows what's going to happen. I'd like to thank my very... special guest, Carrie Saxon. I'm sure all the dear listeners would like to wish her well in her future endeavors. Thank you very much, Carrie, for being on the show. And from me, Sylvester de Silva, see you out there.

Sylvester Da Silva: Bye. That's it.[00:44:00] 

Sylvester Da Silva: It was devised 

Narrator: Ghostbook Podcast was written and performed by John Parry and Jacquie J. Sarag. It is a deliciously bright production. If you enjoyed this, please give us a 5 star review or donate via BuyMeACoffee. All details including full credits can be found on the website. ghostbookpodcast. com.