Elvis Presley's ghost and other ghostly encounters
The ghost of Elvis Presley seen in Gabalfa
A major reason that I am a believer in 
Probably the most newsworthy of strange experiences I had was back in '78 when I spent the night in a haunted house in the Cardiff suburb of Gabalfa and the ghost of Elvis Presley was said to have been seen there.
The house in question looked just like all the other semi-detached council houses in the street but the difference was that the previous family that lived there were named Crowley and they had been holding seances.
What had happened was that a middle-aged couple had moved into the house and the man had seen a figure of a soldier on the stairs dressed in American GI uniform and that he said looked like Elvis Presley. So alarmed was he by this that he had ended up in hospital after suffering heart problems brought on by the shock. His wife had refused to spend another night there and the house had been abandoned with all their belongings left behind.
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Exorcism
Cardiff Council were not happy with the bad publicity this gave to one of their dwellings nor to the fact that they would be losing rent on the place if no one was willing to stay there and the story got reported in the local media. Llandaff Cathedral and the Roath Spiritualist Church were also contacted to perform exorcisms of the place.
How I got to be involved was because at that time I had a friend called Colin Sutton who was locally famous for having painted slogans across the City Hall in Cardiff Civic Centre protesting about lack of housing for people. Colin had seen the news story, which had said that Cardiff Council were looking for anyone brave enough to spend the night in the so-called haunted house. They wanted them to prove there were no ghosts.
Colin was looking for more publicity for his protest about lack of housing and jumped at the chance but he wasn't brave enough to do it alone and he called on me. Sure enough he had the keys and we went along to the house in question.
Inside it was all as it had been left with TV and furniture, and all the usual household items you would expect. I remember there was some form of tape around doorways and crosses hung, which had been used in the exorcisms, which were said to have failed, although one of the churches involved thought it was a soldier killed in the war and not Elvis that was haunting the place.
I didn't see any ghost and neither did Colin but we both experienced the room suddenly going very cold and a strange perfumed smell, which would fill the air and then go. When the room went cold it caused goose pimples to rise on my skin but that was all.
We had brought a bottle of wine for Dutch courage for Colin and we shared that and then chose bedrooms and went to bed. I had a great night's sleep probably aided by the drink and next thing I knew it was morning.
I went to find the local shops to get some breakfast and I remember a bunch of local kids came up as soon as I had closed the door and got into the street.
"Hey, mister, did you really stay the night in the haunted house?" and "did you see the ghost?" they wanted to know.
"Yes," I told them and "no, I didn't," I answered.
An hour or so after I got back the media arrived to talk to Colin and myself. The couple who had moved out were also out in the street and the wife was telling the reporters to stay away from the house and not to have anything to do with the Crowleys, who had also arrived in a car.
She was saying they were evil people and that her husband had nearly died because of their dabbling with the occult, and the reporters listened to her, because none of them would come inside the house, even though we assured them it was safe.
I remember saying that I thought there were some "astral disturbances" and had experienced "cold spots" but nothing to worry about, and in fact, I added that I had had a better night's sleep there than I had had where I lived.
This couldn't have been what the reporters wanted to hear though because the whole story died a death in the press after that. However, Colin and myself got talking to the Crowleys and they assured us that it was Elvis but that he had followed them to their new house where they had a huge collection of Presley memorabilia. Mr Crowley's mother who lived with them was a spirit medium we were told and she had been receiving messages from Elvis.
They invited us to go to their place to meet her and see what they were talking about. This we did and got to meet a charming old lady, two children and big collie dog. We were treated to tea and biscuits and got shown a room, which was filled with Elvis stuff.
They even had original records on the Sun label and handwritten letter from someone in Presley's personal circle. There were press cuttings and pictures, photos and all sorts of items to do with the singer. It reminded me of a shrine to Elvis.
Was it really Elvis? Was it the ghost of a soldier? Was it some thought form caused by the Crowleys' obsession with the star? I never found out and didn't think it mattered.
The aftermath of all that was that Colin got to stay on in the house until a young couple on the housing list said they were prepared to move in. He reported no further signs of the ghost and no more was heard about it.
Many years after all that I ended up in former presenter of Fortean TV, the Rev Lionel Fanthorpe's The World's Most Mysterious People book in which he tells of my ghostly experience.
For more info on Lionel Fanthorpe: http://www.lionel-fanthorpe.com/
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Comments
AUTHORThank you!
so interesting! Elvis's gold Cadillac, with the bullet hole in the front fender from him "shooting the car for not starting" is in a mall in Kansas City.
Nice pages, I am enjoying reading these.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Jeff!
Great Article !Ghost are real. I've seen enough to know that.
Your welcome , like i said very intriging story right from the get go .. Who doesn,t like a good story about Elvis Presley, who was loved the world over with his songs that touched a lot of people ...
- AUTHOR
Thanks for your comments,phoenix!
Great story,Mr Crowley may have or maybe he did see Elvis ghost no one will ever know but him but i for one have heard his voice in my limo one night while driving back to the shop it was late at night ,and i heard him say something but couldn,t make it out and guess what this used to be one of Elvis ,s cars but we,ll save that story for another hub story,, Great hub, The phoenix...
- AUTHOR
Thank you for your compliments and top 10 ghosts! The answer is keep on hubbing!
...just noticed now Sir Bard - whatta do when ya got a score of "100" - retire, write a book or keep on truckin'
...love the nature and intent of this hub - that's why they call you the Bard! I am intrigued by those two books - Mysterious Places and Mysterious People - these Hubpages MUST be in both!
..and here are my top ten ghosts I would most like to meet: not in any order -
10. Jack the Ripper
9. Jim Morrison
8. my dad
7. my mum
6. Jesus
5. Robert Johnson
4. Joan of Arc
3. Aleister Crowley
2. Walt Disney
1. Rasputin
what I think that there are no ghosts , what I think that it is because of the wormholes which connects past and present ,for a moment then disappears
- AUTHOR
Thanks for your feedback!
Very good. I was enthralled with the mention of Crowley. I visited a Wiccan shop in St. Louis whose owners last name was Crowley. And walking into his shop was an event in itself, never knew if I would end up in chill bumps or looking over my shoulder waiting for something to jump out and get me. :)
- AUTHOR
Thank you for posting, Army Infantry Mom!
Great Hub,..Kept me on the edgde of the seat,...LOL
- AUTHOR
Indeed he does! I agree!
elvis presley rocks
- AUTHOR
Thank you very much, Tony! I have many "tall tales" but all of them are true!
Fascinating! As writer of tall tales set in and around Tenerife, this site seems to be a rich source of ideas ... we shall seeeeeeee!
- AUTHOR
Great response, Magnoliazz! Thank you! I have one friend who was very disillusioned when he found out the reality of some of the UFO community!
As for the people in my story, the Crowley family were obviously obsessed with Elvis and some spirit, in my opinion, took advantage of that. It was not for financial reasons for anyone involved as far as I am concerned. There is little money to be made in telling the truth!
Another interesting hub! Elvis must be active in the after life, because people see that poor guy all over the place.
I think some people make up stuff to get attention. In my younger days I worked as an ER nurse, and I will tell you that many, many people who walked through that door were there only because they wanted attention. When you consider how expensive an ER visit is...you come to realize how sad and desperate these people are.
I have found the truest reports of UFOs and ghosts are not always for public consumption but are traded with other people of the same mind and experience, hence these hub pages here.
I will also say that I would be skeptical of both UFOs and ghost sightings if in fact I did not experience these things myself.
Some of the biggest UFO writers such as Whitley Streiber -who everyone knows had embarassing and explicit exams at the hands of the greys- I have a problem believing. I think he wanted to sell books, and that is why he left all the "juicy parts" in his accounts. Now, if that REALLY happened, most guys would never, ever reveal that.
There are people making mega bucks off the paranormal. Sex always sells, even when it is with strange aliens. All these intimate exams seem kind of silly to me when all the aliens have to do it take a cheek swab -from the face area- and find out everything they would ever want to know, and could even clone you if they wanted to.
I believe that ghosts are real. As a child my grandmother lived in a house that was so haunted that it was burned to the ground, and the family suffered a great financial loss as the result. Under circumstances like that, yes I believe.
When people claim they are in contact with Elvis or Princess Diana,,,,that I am skeptical about, because I am wondering if there may be financial gain in their future because of their association with a famous person ghost. I think the dead should be left to rest in peace. I don't think it helps their evolutionary path when people are constantly conjuring them up. Indeed, I believe that the best thing you can do for those on the other side is to leave them alone, so they can get on with it. This is probably the reason why the Bible tells us not to get involved with the occult.
- AUTHOR
It will be a while yet seeing as most of the info is in Spanish and I am not fluent in the language!
Cool! i look forward to reading it!
- AUTHOR
Where I live now doesn't seem to have many hauntings but plenty of UFO sightings and I have recently joined a skywatch group here. I am finding out there has been a lot more sightings on Tenerife than I knew about - I wasn't looking in the Spanish sites and press before. I may well eventually do an article on UFOs in Tenerife.
How about moonshine:O lol, im just kidding again!! Im am very skeptical about ufos and ghosts and its maybe because i have never seen any myself, or have never known anybody personally to do so either!! i do know the USA is one of the biggest place for ufo and paranormal sightings!
very very interesting subject matter nethertheless!
- AUTHOR
No, I have not seen UFOs or ghosts while under the influence of anything! In fact I have had UFO sightings in the following circumstances: when hanging out the washing midday, whilst hitchhiking, whilst waiting for a bus, and a sighting which was reported in the news because many other people saw it - after I had finished college and was on my way to a pub. I saw the UFOs before I had a drink not after! lol
Under the influence of LSD I admit I have seen all sorts including once I saw small beings with big eyes that were in some form of dome and I have seen people turn into demons but they were not UFOs and not ghosts!
Hey Bard,
I should have detailed my Q more! It was a light hearted Q!:)
I meant when you mentioned when you were very yonger seeing ghosts, UFOs and phenomenal things! were you on things then!>
- AUTHOR
Well, no, I'm not offended but I don't see what that has to do with it seeing as I didn't see anything apart from all the Elvis stuff at the Crowley's house, and the man who ended up in hospital after seeing the ghost I am sure wasn't on anything when that happened! Are you suggesting that "cold spots" which are a commonly experienced phenomena are more likely to be experienced by users of mind-altering substances? I have actually found the reverse to be the case - most people who see ghosts and UFOs are not people who use drugs. And all my personal experiences have been likewise - not on anything at the time!
Hi Bard, this is a very entertaining story!
I hope u wont be offended if i ask you if you took trips, or any other hallucinogenic drugs around that time`!:
- AUTHOR
Hi Lou! Thanks for your comments!
super hub steve, always good to hear of other peoples stories
- AUTHOR
Thanks for the link to your hub!
Good hub
Supernatural experiences appeal to our baser nature and are always fascinating. You have no doubt read my hub on the subject too.
- AUTHOR
Hi Marisue! I am glad to hear that you know what I am on about from personal experience!
I have experienced cold spots in houses -- a very strange feeling, it's a cold like none other...it's icy and strange thanks for a very interesting story!!
- AUTHOR
Thanks too, Louie!
Great story!
- AUTHOR
Thanks, JamaGenee! :)
Steve, pay no attention to Chris. Your hub is great, but so is your column, Chris (and thanks for including the link). Nice to read two takes on the same story!
- AUTHOR
Yes, these things happen! Why not do a hub about it?
This was a well timed article. We had a ghost in our house on Monday hit my son 3 times, whack him with a cupbord door, levitate a glass (we have photos), make the room go cold, grab our camara and hit my other son with a lense cap. I guess you can say i can relate.
- AUTHOR
I didn't realise I had told you this story and that you'd already covered it, Chris! I meant to do all my ghost experiences but it was too long so I may do a part 2 at some point.
Ha Ha Steve, here's my version of the same story: http://www.cjstone.co.uk/page_1202064845609.html
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