Published: Tuesday, 29th September, 2009 3:42pm

Museum's ghost hunt

by Mike Farrell

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Paranomal experts called in for charity sleepover

ALTHOUGH it is not quite Davie Jones' Locker, a Dumbarton maritime facility's supposedly 'spooky' residents will be investigated.

Paranormal experts will be leading the ghosthunt, which will see a group of brave volunteers spend the night in the Denny Tank Museum as part of an innovative charity drive.

This comes after previous investigations into the facility found a "presence" in certain parts of the building, which is almost 130-years-old.

The fright night is taking place to raise cash for the Anthony Nolan Trust, which is a cancer charity, and will see seances held by a psychic medium during the night.

Anne Hoben, assistant customer services manager at the museum, revealed that the charitable cause was the main reason behind the supernatural event.

She told the Reporter: "This is really a bit of fun, and we are doing this in quite a tongue-and-cheek way.

"The only reason the fright night is happening is because it is for a very good cause, and because the museum will be receiving a donation as a result.

"I don't really have an opinion on the paranormal stuff, but I've previously helped other investigators and mediums to walk round the Denny Tank, and they all definitely said it had a presence of some sort."

Spirit Finders Scotland spent a night at the facility two years ago, with Carol Stirling, a psychic clairvoyant medium, leading the investigation.

Her report on the ghost probe revealed that as soon as she went down in to the tank, Carol felt pain at the back of her neck, and felt sick and dizzy.

She wrote: "I felt somebody was hurt here, this was a psychical energy as they showed me their presence - I did not like this and refused to work with it."

She also claims to have heard the name Peter in more than one location throughout the museum, and she noted: "Peter worked long hours in this building and seemed to be organising everyone."

Whether this was the supposed spirit of Peter Denny, one of the famous Denny brothers, who ran the massive shipbuilding empire from the town before passing away in 1895, is unclear.

The Denny Tank Museum was the world's first commercial ship model experiment tank, and was constructed in 1882 as a testing facility for ship design.

It was part of the Denny Shipyard complex from 1844 until 1963, where wax models of ships hulls were made and tested by pulling them through a long pool, and even now the tank is still used occasionally for testing.

Carol Stirling also claimed she heard the name William being called out in the writing room during the spooky investigation, by something or somebody who had a "very strong residual energy".

Could this be the ghost of William Denny, another one of the shipbuilding pioneer?

While in the basement of the tank, the medium reported hearing spirits saying "William will not be happy" to see her.

The Anthony Nolan Trust is hoping that some fearless fundraisers will step up to the challenge to spend a night in the Denny Tank in November.

There is an entry fee for the spook-fest, while all sponsorship raised supports the trust's lifesaving work.

To find out more about the event on Saturday November 7 and to sign up, call 0141 946 4913 or email anne.hughes@anthonynolan.org.uk.