10 October 2014

Skeptic Mark Tilbrook confronted and abused by family of "psychic" Sally Morgan



From Mark Tilbrook:

“As I explained in the Guardian on 7 October, 2014 (http://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2014/oct/07/campaign-psychic-sally-morgan), I decided earlier this year to leaflet outside various psychic stage shows, encouraging members of the audience to ask themselves questions about psychic ability. My first three visits were to shows by Sally Morgan, and on each occasion her husband John Morgan approached me. I found him to be threatening and abusive. 

After being threatened during my first encounter with John Morgan, I felt it necessary to have a camera with me when leafleting, to record events and provide evidence of the threats I faced. This footage shows what happened on the third occasion, at the Shaw Theatre in London on March 30, 2014. I’ve subtitled the video as accurately as I can make out, and you can make up your mind about his behaviour after seeing it for yourself.

None of this has stopped me from being determined to continue leafleting at psychic stage shows. This is why I have been working with the Good Thinking Society to hand out more leaflets at psychic shows throughout October 2014. You can find out about 'Psychic Awareness Month' at the Good Thinking website (http://goodthinkingsociety.org/psychic-awareness-month).”





Homophobic comments by Sally Morgans husband


Here they directly libel Chris French by calling him a liar, and then use racist terms while trying to think of Simon Singh



During the video they also allude to Derren Brown and use disgraceful homophobic language too


UPDATE:
Sally Morgan has released a statement, a rather pathetic one at that. Afterall isn't she supposed to be psychic? Didn't she see this all coming? Her racist, homophobic husband making these comments?

SME Statement
Sally Morgan Enterprises would like to apologise for any offence caused by the material. Since April 2014, Mark Tilbrook has targeted Sally Morgan’s live performances; handing out leaflets to audience members. On several occasions theatre staff have had to call the police in order to get him removed.

Given the abuse Sally has endured over the past three years, which have included severe death threats and incidences of stalking; Sally was left fearing for her own safety once again.

Due to the continual presence of Mark Tilbrook and John Morgan’s ever-growing concern for Sally, he reacted angrily and out of character.

Sally was not aware of the comments made in this video. She is very upset by the events, does not condone any of the behaviour and can only assume that this was the cause of persistent hounding that lead to this altercation.

Although the Psychic Awareness month hosted by Good Thinking Society has come to light in recent weeks, the original leaflet given out by Mark Tilbrook contained different information which both Sally and SME felt made targeted references to her and not psychics in general, hence why legal advice has been taken.

6 October 2014

SKEPTICAL ACTIVISM - A CALL TO ARMS



If your goat has been got by a scam, fraud, or woo then please read on.

Some of you may have attended the Birmingham SitP talk by Michael Marshall of Merseyside Skeptics Society, and Project Director at Good Thinking Society.

For those who weren't there, amongst other achievements, Michael was instrumental in organising the 10:23 campaign, which successfully spread the word about the ineffectiveness of homeopathy.

You can find out more about Good Thinking at:

http://www.goodthinkingsociety.org 

That talk inspired me to want to develop an idea that has been been running around in my head since I started attending SitP a couple of years ago.

Having taken part in a few skeptical activist activities myself (e.g. carrying out a survey of attendees at a Colin Fry show in London; campaigning against Gary Mannion , 'psychic surgeon'; and establishing a campaign in the U.K. to expose and help bring an end to the fake explosives detectors trade - see ADE651 and GT200; I am interested in setting up Birmingham Skeptics Activists as a spinoff from the main group.

B.S.A (Bull Shit Annihilators; just kidding!) will be a group of people who are prepared to take part in campaigns to combat the panoply of nonsense that surrounds us. It may be pseudoscience, quackery, 'psychics', or creationism in schools. One example that still resonates with me was the talk by one of the speakers at the first open mic night on cancer quackery, and how her dad was sadly taken in by people in the area offering false hope via quack 'cures'. Targeting, exposing and bringing people like that to justice is a compelling motivation. Campaigns may involve anything from emailing your M.P., protests, leafleting, blogging or other coordinated action.

I recognise that not everyone has the time or the inclination to take part in skeptical activism, but I am sure that some of you will want to get involved.

What we need:

What we need is a bit of your time every now and then.

What we don't need:

We're not after your cash, in fact we'll be looking to cover any expenses and you don't even have to be close to the centre of Birmingham as there are plenty of things going on almost everywhere. We're also not looking to drag you along to a load of committee meetings either.

Depending on the level of support, over the next couple of months we will look to establish Birmingham Skeptics Activists and agree how best to move forward with this initiative.

If you are interested please let me know. I will also be at next SitP featuring Chris French on the 8th of October, or feel free to email me on rgns(at sign)hushmail.me.

Richard Sutherland

5 October 2014

TV REVIEW Most Haunted Episode 10/10 (Saltmarsh Hall, Yorkshire) LAST IN SERIES - REALLY



Well its finally here, the last episode in the series of Most Haunted and potentially the last ever episode, with the ratings dropping, thousands of people switching off, could this be the last we will ever see of Most Haunted? Have ANTIX finally ringed the last drop of blood out of this stone? We know that the online version failed miserably, and UKTV only gave ANTIX a measly £5000 for the rights to show the series, so unless a miracle happens this will probably be the end.

So lets enjoy this final episode.

Most Haunted has failed with pretty much everything they have tried on this new version of the show, well all except one thing, that being the emergence of the now legendary Melanie Crump, to say a star has been born is a vast understatement. And despite the jealousy, the talking behind her back and so on, Melanie Crump has stood tall and come out of this series as the only credible character.

"Whatever it is, it's coming up the corridor" - Karl Beattie

This episode is the second part of the investigation into Saltmarsh Hall, Yorkshire, the first part was insanely boring and predictable, so I am hoping they saved extra fakery for this final episode in the hope that they may get a ratings boost with it being the final episode, and perhaps encourage UKTV to pay for another series or even the rumoured "movie length" version.

Quick update on Melanie Crump, she is wearing a nice tight denim pair of jeans, to go with her brown coat and green scarf, on any normal woman this wouldn't work, but on Mel it just all gels together.


As soon as the investigation starts Yvette hears a noise, Fred Batt is already getting a lot of screen time, and why not! He has paid for this nonsense you know!

Karl is wearing his ANTIX branded Leather Jacket again, I am sure he thinks he looks like the Fonz, but alas he doesn't.

Yvette declares "If I didn't know I had to come back here, there is no way I would come back here!"

As usual Yvette uses such incredible logic.

Quick reminder that there is no such thing as ghosts so any fear in such locations is completely irrational.

There is some knocking from the floor, the spirits (Stuart) are making their presence known.


Great to see Melanie Crump always aware of where the camera is, that is the sign of a true professional.

Just put this show into perspective for a moment, you have 6+ people in a room, listening to knocks on the floor and trying to work out what the spirits (that do not exist) are trying to say. And people at home are watching this and class it as entertainment! I wonder sometimes who is worst, the idiots on the show, or the people watching!?

As Fred goes first through a door and suddenly (off camera) a door handle is thrown (or dropped) sending Yvette into a panic of screaming, surely she knows it is Fred who dropped the Door Handle?

The team have a coffee break and leave Karl on his own with his camera, we then are presented with a few minutes of Karl filming his own face while we hear some footsteps.He puts the camera down and we get possibly my favourite shot of the series!


The footsteps are getting closer, Karl is breathing heavy, and is doing his best acting to date.

Now why would a ghost make footstep noises? They are a ghost, they have no physical body. Of course the gullible out there don't even consider that do they.

We now have a few minutes of Karl saying "crying out loud" while filming an empty corridor.

Still we can hear the ghosts (Stuarts) footsteps, but of course nothing is shown on camera, just lots of filming of his own face, until he finally decides to run away like a little girl! Well done Karl you big numpty!

Karl unscrews a panel, Yvette is literally pissing herself with excitement, and behind the panel is a corridor with some rubble. That's it. They then climb through the hole and get into the corridor that apparently no one has been in, in decades!

But the best moment is when Fred is struggling to climb up through the hole and we get this wonderful shot of Melanie Crump! Please take a moment to enjoy!


At this moment I would like to officially nominate Melanie Crump for the 2015 Rear of the Year trophy!

WONDERFUL!!

I hate to spoil this for everyone, but there is a thing in TV called Health and Safety, basically EVERYTHING has to go through compliance officers, as if someone was to get hurt, there could be a lawsuit. So when they say they are the first people in decades to enter this corridor this is a lie, they would have had a safety officer, possible even someone from the fire service check everything first.

Ok back to the investigation and we have a genuine Most Haunted worlds first, as they catch on camera an actual dead creature! unfortunately it is just the skeleton of a dead bird, but come on guys, get excited, other than Fred Batts personality, this is the first actual dead thing they have ever filmed!


So from the perfect arse of Melanie Crump to a dead bird, the good and the bad all in a matter of a minute!

I am expecting Stuart to fall at some point as been a while since he done a good stunt.

Worth also mentioning that I am missing the Chelsea v Arsenal game to do this review and I am also getting distracted by hunger pains, I've got a nice Chicken Souvlaki to cook and eat downstairs. Ok 15 more minutes, pull it together Jon, you can survive until then.

If Derek Acorah was on this show, he would have had at least 3 possessions by now, oh how I miss that Scouser master!

Anyway sodall happens so they start to exist the area through the hole, and we get this nice shot of Yvette.


And suddenly I am no longer hungry, Chicken Souvlaki goes in the bin, and I will have to eat later tonight instead as cant stomach anything now! Why couldn't they have filmed Mel coming down instead, now that would have been proper TV Gold!

They are now investigating another area, something gets thrown near Stuart and Karl, surprise surprise.

Suddenly a pool ball is filmed rolling on the floor, of course we never see the start of the roll, and as expected from by Karl. We then get a few groans, probably the collective sound of everyone watching.

This really is a disappointing ending to the series, just so mind-numbing and predictable, its the same old stuff over and over again. Even Melanie Crump cant save this show.

Yvette tells Karl she has had enough, she is worried someone is going to get hurt and wants to end the investigation. Stuart interrupts her saying he can hear a womans voice and talking, so they go down the corridor to have a look. Of course the idea it might be an echo doesn't cross anyone's mind, but then you need to have a mind to think of such bloody obvious things.

The show basically ends, we get another monotone analysis from Bret the Hitman Hart or John Callow as he is known by his friends.


And after a quick recap of the nights silliness, we are done.

Let us all forget this nonsense, and remember that at the very least we got a great shot of Melanie Crump's perfect arse.

Well that is it from me, you can follow me on Twitter @JonDonnis and also send me all your abuse there!

By Jon Donnis


Most Haunted
Last In Series
Thursday 16th October, 10pm
S1 E10/10. Saltmarsh Hall, Yorkshire

Yvette Fielding and the crew continue to explore Saltmarshe Hall in Yorkshire for more ghostly goings on in the last episode of the series. The owner of the 19th century Salthmarshe Hall is too afraid to walk through the house alone, which is not surprising after last week’s investigation, which saw Karl and Stuart running back through the abandoned cellar corridors in terror.

This week, Yvette and the gang continue to venture into rarely used areas of the big, old house, possibly sensing more supernatural behaviour and exposing lost souls that perhaps should have remained hidden in the house’s creepy corridors.