Marshall:

Marshall here...

​

Woods:

Oh, doctor...Doctor Marshall. Absolutely marvellous.

 

Marshall:

Good afternoon.

 

Greene:

Good afternoon.

 

Marshall:

How nice to be able to come and speak to you again. Quite a number of souls are here, some who are obviously quite new to communication. So I must ask if you'll be patient - and I'm sure you will be with them, because they'll probably find it rather difficult. But I'm sure that when they do become, as it were, adjusted to communicating they will prove very interesting and very helpful contacts.

 

Woods:

Very good.

​

Marshall:

And we know - and I want to assure you of this - that we're very conscious of what you desire and what you need, for the, uh, work you have in mind and in hand. And we shall do all in our power in the ensuing séances to bring to you entities and help them as best as we can, to - to - to give the sort of things which we know are so important and essential and will be helpful and illuminating to those who listen to the recordings. So we shall do our utmost.

 

But of course, it may take time with some of the souls to get familiar with the method of contact, but once they achieve success, I'm sure you will find them most helpful to all concerned.

 

Now I'm not going to take up time this morning myself, I'm not going to waste power. If there's a little lull, I want you to realise that it's because we're building up and making possible the way for these new entities. But anyway, may God bless you both in all you're endeavouring to do and be assured of our continued interest in all that you're trying to do for humanity...

 

[Break in tape]

 

Harry:

Good morning.

 

Woods / Greene:

Good morning.

 

Harry:

This is a new experience.

 

Woods:

Oh yes?

Yes.

 

Harry:

I understand as how that you were rather anxious to have a word with some of us. But I ain't much good at this. If anyone had told me they could come and speak to you like this, you know, I wouldn't have believed it.

​

Woods:

No?

 

Greene:

Can you please...

 

Harry:

I've been here now quite a few years you know.

 

Woods:

Yes?

 

Harry:

My name's Harry.

 

Greene:

Harry what?

 

Harry:

Oh, you wouldn't know me my dear. I'm no famous person, like, you know. Nothing like that about me.

But they was asking us how some of us might like to come and talk to you about our experiences. Well I suppose its natural in a way that you'd like to talk to people who have, you know, sort of, 'gone on further'.

 

Greene:

Mmm...

 

Harry:

But, uh, I've had quite an interesting time myself, one way and another.

 

I was...I was, I suppose you would call it being 'Earth bound', you know, and all that nonsense, but I wasn't exactly unhappy when I was Earthbound. Some people seem to get the idea that, if a person's Earthbound, they're unhappy. That's a lot of nonsense that is. 'Cause you can be Earthbound and be quite happy, otherwise you wouldn't want to be Earthbound if you was miserable, you'd want to get out of there.

 

Anyway, I was Earthbound. Oh, but I ain't now, 'Course, I'm talking about some time ago. Soon after I pegged out*, you know I... cor! I couldn't get away from the pubs. I couldn't get away from... well, all sorts of things, you know.

​

*pegged out = died

​

Greene:

Mmm...

 

Harry:

But, uh, after a while, I began to see it as a lot of nonsense, hanging around. A mug's game you might say, you know.

I used to like a drink, see. That's what was, I suppose some people would say, was my downfall, but...

 

Woods:

Yes...

 

Harry:

I'm afraid my idea of a good time was going into the old pub, you know, and staying there until they chuck you out! When I pegged out I couldn't get rid of the desire to go to pubs and have a good drink, you know and a natter. 'Course, what annoyed me was, chiefly, when I passed out, I could neither drink nor natter, in a sense. Not to me old cronies and friends, and all the rest of it.

 

But somehow I used to get a certain satisfaction going around the pubs and seeing my old friends, and other people, and listening to their conversations and knowing what was going on in the world. I used to get a certain amount of satisfaction out of others having a drink. As a matter of fact, um, I rather enjoyed it in a kind of way - excepting some nights; I felt so damn odd, I couldn't join in the conversation.

 

Oh I used to have some proper laughs. Then again, when I was on Earth I never had much money. I mean, what I did have went in the pub, but, I never travelled or nothing like that. And it suddenly dawned on me, well, if I can be in the Rose and Crown [pub] or I can be wherever it happened to be that I was - well, I could be in Timbuktu I expect or I could be in China or something. So I decided to have a trip round the world! Go to various places and see different sights. And I found it most interesting, quite frankly. I learned quite a bit from it.

​

Greene:

Uh-huh...

 

Harry:

Didn't do me any harm. Excepting that, uh, after a time it got a bit... lonesome. Going around, all on your own. No one to talk to and just watching other people enjoying themselves, or whatever they happened to be doing. Sometimes I felt, well, it ain't much of a satisfactory business and I thought as how it would be nice if I could, you know, sort of, get away from Earth. But then I didn't know where else to go anyway. Funny that.

 

When I come to think about it, when I was a kid I used to be sent to Sunday school. We used to be taught a lot of stuff, you know, about going to heaven and all the rest of it. I thought; well, all that's a lot of bloody nonsense, you know, and all that - even though I was so-called dead!

 

I mean I wasn't miserable being dead, but for that matter, I was not happy either. And I couldn't visualise any sort of place where there was people playing harps and all that. I mean, that wouldn't do for me, if that was the idea of heaven, if it even existed. So I thought I better stick to the old Earth!

 

But deep down inside me I suppose there was a, sort of, desire to know more. Eventually, I began to be conscious of someone following me. That got on my bloody wick* that did, for a time. I thought; who the hell's this?

 

*got on my wick = became very irritating

 

I'd look round - there was no one there. I used to go to the pubs, as I told you, and places. And I'd be sitting there and listening to what was going on, quite enjoying myself, in a kind of way. Then all of a sudden, I'd have a funny prickly sensation and thought; well, that's that there so-and-so again. Not that I ever saw anyone or was ever conscious of anyone, but I always felt there was someone there, see.

​

Greene:

Mmm...

 

Harry:

Then one day I thought; well I dunno, I'll get to the bottom of this. In any case, I was getting a bit browned off* in one way and another.

 

*browned off = unhappy

 

Then I had a sudden realisation that perhaps it was true. You know, that, um, people from other... other spirits like, might be able to get in touch with me. The same as I was, in a kind of way, able to get in touch, you might say, with people on Earth; not that they were conscious of me, but I was able to see them, and all that.

 

And then one day it suddenly dawned on me. Perhaps if I, sort of, got away from the old conditions like and sort of settled down, quiet like and, sort of, mentally threw out my thoughts for someone to come and help - I'd get some help. So I thought; well, I wasn't going to do that in a pub, I might as well go out in the country somewhere. So I went down to a little place I'd been to when I was a young kid, a place in Suffolk.

​

Woods:

Yes.

 

Greene:

Go on. This is awfully interesting.

 

Harry:

I ain't getting on your nerves am I?

 

Woods/Greene:

Oh no...

 

Greene:

This is very interesting. Go on...

 

Harry:

So anyway, I found a place where, as a kid I...

As a matter of fact, let's get this straight; when I... I used to live in London, see, but when I was a kid - that is, when I was on Earth, see, I sometimes used to go down and see an old aunt of my mother's you see.

 

Greene:

Yes...

 

Harry:

And she used to, sort of - during the holidays, like - p-p-put, you know, sort of, put me up, like, you know, and give me a weeks holiday, like, from the old smoke* see. Well, I used to go round there and I used to like the country and I used to like to sit under the trees, watch the animals, you know, and the birds and everything. And there was one favourite spot I had, see, when I was a kid, under a tree. Just had a little river there running down the bottom. I used to like to sit down there and, sort of, daydream when I was a nipper** oh, about lots of things that kids think about, you know.

 

*the old smoke = the city

**a nipper = a child

​

Anyway, I thought it would be a good idea, I thought to myself, now, I thought; if I go back to that place where I was a kid, you know, when I used to sit under that tree; perhaps if there is anything in this business of 'getting in touch', like, um, some of these souls, if there are people on higher spheres - or whatever they like to call it - perhaps they can come and contact me and give me an helping hand.

 

Anyway, I thought; there's no harm in trying. So I went down to this place, see, and found it. Exactly the same spot, same tree. Lovely spring day it was, beautiful and there wasn't a soul in sight - that is, you know, on your side, like - I was just all to myself. And I just sat there and I closed my eyes and I thought; well, here goes!

 

So I said, 'if there's anyone around me,' as I believe as how there is - has been lately anyway, and I haven't seen you, you know - 'if you're trying to get in touch with me,' I says, 'can you make yourself known, 'cause I'd like to be helped if possible, 'cause I'm dissatisfied with the way I'm going on with the old routine and I feel something ought to be done about it, see.'

 

Not that I'm worth saving, I thought. Well I wasn't, as far as I could see. I was a bit of a so-and-so, one way and another, but that's another story, I'll tell you that one day.

 

Anyway... blimey, it's extraordinary that I was sitting there, concentrating, sort of, just waiting for something to happen - if it could happen - and then all of a sudden, right bang on* right in front of me I saw a beautiful spirit.

 

*bang on = precisely

 

Of course, I thought to myself at first; this is just bloody imagination, you know. I thought; well this can't be, you know. Anyway, seriously, there it was standing right in front of me was the figure of a fellow - I should think he'd have been about twenty-three or twenty-four, fair haired, it was curly, nice looking, and he'd got on a suit. Well, it was just like you see in them picture books, you know, like George and the dragon, and all that nonsense...

​

Greene:

Oh!

 

Harry:

And there was this guy, standing there in front of me, in this beautiful, sort of, outfit, you see, and he looks at me and I looks at him and neither of us spoke a blasted word, you know! I thought; well this is an hallucination, you know. I thought; no, it can't be.

 

In any case, if...if there is anything in 'contact', you know, like people who have 'gone on', they wouldn't come back dressed up, dolled up, like that. Of course, people ain't been dolled up like that for centuries, you know. I've seen them in picture books, history books, and all that.

 

Anyway, I never said a word and neither did he. And yet all of a sudden, it was just as if his mind sort of entered my mind - I don't know how it happened, quite. Even now I don't. Anyway, I could hear him, in a kind of a way, within myself, sort of saying, 'it's up to you chum, see?' But he didn't put it like that, you know, but he says, it's up to you chum, see. I thought; 'Yes? Up to me, what?'

 

So, then I sort of felt as if I was being mesmerised or something. Anyway, all I knew was that I stood up and, uh, he gradually backed away. Funny this. He gradually, sort of, backed away and was thinking to myself, in my sort of mind; 'bloody fool. If he goes much further he'll fall in that water, see.' Because there was this stream at the bottom, as I told you, see. But no he didn't. He got down to the bottom and there was me, sort of, gradually, sort of, following him, see.

 

Anyway, he got to the water's edge and I thought; 'here goes boy, you're going to have it now cock.' But no, he didn't. It was just as if he walked across the water.

 

Funny it was. I don't know why, but that very self-same moment, when it was happening, I thought to myself; well, at Sunday school I remember them talking about Jesus walking across the water. But this man can't be Jesus, 'cause Jesus didn't doll himself up in armour. I was in a proper stew, I tell you, one way and another. I didn't know whether I was coming or going, see.

 

Anyway, here was him going backwards, see, and here was me going...following him, like, in a kind of trance. I felt a bit of a fool actually, but still... Anyway, I thought; well, nothing ventured, nothing won. In any case, I couldn't resist. I could neither go back... I couldn't go backwards. I had to go following him. It's a funny feeling.

 

Then all of a sudden: Cor! Stone the crows! It really, well, put the wind up me* for a minute. All of a sudden it was just as if someone had put me in a bloody lift or something. Here was me going up in the air! Of course he was up in the air an' all. I thought; oh Christ, I'll shut my eyes for this bit, you know. I was in a proper state, a proper panic I was. Anyway, funny, do you know, suddenly it seemed as if we was floating miles up in the air. 

​

*Put the wind up me = frightened me

​

Everything seemed to get further and further away - the chimneys and the houses, and the treetops. And it suddenly seemed as if we were up in the clouds, and I could see a plane coming along. Cor! And it was just as if it was coming straight at me. I thought; cor blimey, I hope I can travel quicker than that, you know. And yet, I thought to myself, at the same time - it's funny how you think of three or four things all at the same time in this business, you know - but I thought; well, it can't... can't touch me anyway, 'cause I'm supposed to be dead!

 

'Course, that's a bloody lark* that is, 'cause I'm not dead. I know that. It's only the people on Earth think we're dead. 'Cause I've been going around for months, having a laugh and a joke and listening to conversations - although they haven't been conscious of me there.

 

*a lark = humorous situation

​

Anyway, getting back to my story: and I was there with this chappie, see.

It was just as if.. as if we were floating together. Somehow, in some peculiar way, as we were going higher, it seemed as if we were coming closer together. I can't explain this, but...

 

Greene:

Mmm...

 

Harry:

...all of a sudden, it was just as if... well, as if... I don't know how to put this... it was just as if there was a singing noise in my ear and I lost consciousness. Didn't remember a thing then. I suppose it was the high altitude.

 

I remember, as I was, sort of, going unconscious, I was saying to myself; that's the high altitude. I'd heard about people up in aeroplanes; they get too high and they, sort of, pass out, see.

 

Anyway, this is all going through my mind and I suddenly lost this consciousness. And then it was... funny that. I suppose it was as if I'd come back from a kind of a sleep and I suddenly found myself, when I came to*, in a very nice room. Very nice it was. Not posh exactly, but clean and comfortable. Nice bed, nice sheets, everything clean and spotless, and furniture, quite nice, polished, clean and light streaming through the window. And there was birds - I mean they were singing outside and I thought to myself; where am I? I can't make head nor tail of this. I couldn't make anything of it at all, and I thought, well, thing is; lie back and relax. No good getting in a panic. Then all of a sudden there was a door opened. 

​

*came to = became aware

​

Cor! Dear, oh dear, you could have knocked me down with a feather. And this door opened and it was my mother! Cor! Not as she was when she was an old lady, but as she was when... when I was quite a young lad, you know. Quite a fine looking woman she was, my mother. Well, she came forward and she called my name, and I just couldn't speak, I was so, sort of, overcome.

​

Anyway, to cut a long story short, she came and sat down beside me and told me she had been waiting for me, and had everything all ready for a long time. But I wouldn't come, see. I was, sort of, obstinate and she had been very worried and upset about me for a long time.

​

She had been looking after me and trying to help me when I was on Earth. But she said she found great difficulty in getting near me, because I was always in the old boozer* and out with the boys. I was a little bastard, one way and another, quite frankly, but deep down inside I wasn't a bad sort, it was the drink, see.

 

*boozer = pub / bar

Greene:

Mmm...

 

Harry:

Anyway, she said that she had been waiting for me and, at last I'd come, see.

So I said, 'Well Mum'...

 

Wait a minute...

 

Greene:

Uh-huh...

 

Woods:

Yes...

​

Harry:

I said, 'Well Mum, what about that guy, that fellow who brought me?' I said, 'who's he?'

So she said, 'Well, we call him George'

So I said, 'George? You don't mean that man they call 'Saint George' do you?'

 

She said, 'There ain't no saints here boy. That's what the Earth people call people, see. But he's just George to us. He's a very fine soul, a very fine soul indeed, and he's very advanced and very spiritual. And he's a man who goes down to Earth, from time to time, to help humanity in different ways.'

 

Of course she told me other things, but I can't remember all that now.

Anyway, she was, sort of, telling me things about... well, about myself. 'Course, it made me feel awful when I realised she knew what I'd been up to over them years. I felt bloody awful.

 

But she said, 'You don't want to worry about that boy. I've known all along, everything.' And she says, 'After all, we learn to understand and we learn to realise the weakness in human nature and, after all, you haven't been a really wicked boy, you've just been very foolish. And I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for you to turn over a new leaf, to see things different, like, see.

 

Greene:

Yes...

 

Harry:

And she says, 'Here's me, been waiting here', she says, 'patiently for you. I knew you'd come one day.' But, um, she said, 'I had to get someone who was capable of helping you. But before they could help you, you had to help yourself. You had to go all round and round to different places, like you did - until you got tired and sick of it, you see... and you felt you wanted something better, you wanted to know something more, you see.

 

Greene:

Mmm...

​

Harry:

So,' she said, 'when the time was right, we were able to help you. And I think before long,' she says, 'when you've been rested and you get used to your new home here with me, you'll be able to see things differently and you'll begin to settle down and take up something that would interest you, see.

 

So I said to Mum, I said, 'Oh by the way, where's Dad?'

'Oh,' she says, 'I'm not with Dad, see.'

Of course that shook me, proper! Not that they was ever, sort of, you know, an ideal couple or anything. But, after all, they were married and all the rest of it.

 

So I said, 'Well that's funny Mum, why aren't you with Dad?'

So she says, 'Well, you don't want to worry about that, son,' she said. 'Dad and me, you know, we got on, after a style. We were good pals, but we weren't really suited to one another. We weren't, what you call, an ideal couple really. We gave the impression probably, to some extent, you know, but we weren't really suited. I'm not with Dad.'

 

Of course that rather shook me a bit. I thought; well, if there was anything in this lark about life after death, and 'going on' and all the rest of it, I thought; you're bound to be with your old man*, sort of thing. But she said, 'Oh no, you are only with those people with whom you are really in tune,' as she put it, you know; people that you really, sort of, are right with, see.

 

*old man = husband

 

Greene:

Mmm...

​

Harry:

Of course, all this was a bit puzzling. And then, blow me down*, I had a proper shake up I tell you. Well, all of a sudden something plonked on the bed, see. So I looked down and there was a cat - and I remember this cat, that's the funny part about it. 'Cause when I was a nipper I used to pull the bugger's tail, you know. I used to have a proper game with this cat, see, but mother always used to reprimand me as a kid. She said, 'you must leave that cat alone and be kind to animals, see.'

Well I never considered myself unkind, but I used to have a lark, you know.

 

*blow me down = what a surprise

​

And there was this cat, sitting on the bottom of the bed. Old Sammie we used to call it.

'Cor!' I said, 'Mum, how come you've got Sam here?', see.

'Oh' she says, 'well, I was very fond of Sammie you know, when I was on Earth. And you know, you used to be a naughty boy and you used to tease that cat and you used to upset me.'

 

So I said, 'well, I don't want to tease it or anything like that, but fancy it jumping up on my bed. 'Cause when I was on Earth it always used to run like hell when I came in the room, see.'

'Ah,' she says, 'well, the cat's got intuition, see - well, you call it intuition - and it realises that you've changed. That's why you're here. Otherwise, if you hadn't changed you wouldn't be here, and for that matter, I'm quite sure the cat wouldn't jump on the bed and come towards you, if you hadn't changed. The cat knows you've changed, I know you've changed and I think you're beginning to realise,' she said, 'you've changed too.'

 

Greene:

Mmm...

 

Harry:

So I thought; oh dear. I don't know, they seem to know everything over here. It makes you feel funny inside to know that people know everything that you think and do, and so on.

 

Anyway, I was quite happy and I didn't intend to pull the old cat's tail. Why should I? They told me I'd changed, so I took it for granted I'd changed. Funny, when you've changed you don't even know you have changed, in a sort of way, you know. People see a change in you and you're not always conscious of it yourself at first. I suppose these things happen so slow, but it takes time to get familiar with yourself.

 

Well, um... I've all sorts of things I've got to tell you. I'm not boring you am I?

​

Woods:

No, it's very interesting.

 

Greene:

No, it's jolly interesting.

 

Woods:

Very interesting...

 

Greene:

Go on...

 

[Pause]

 

Harry:

Anyway, um, my mother said to me, she said, 'you hungry son?'

That struck me as a bit odd. I thought; well here am I, supposed to be in heaven, asking if I'm hungry, see.

 

And I thought to myself; well am I hungry or am I not hungry? And I thought; well I don't know. I don't think I'm really hungry, and yet the idea of eating is not a bad one.

So she said, 'Well, if you'd like something to eat, you can have it.'

So I said, 'Well Mum, I don't know, do you eat then over here?'

 

She says, 'Yes, if you want to, you see...'

​

[The recorder makes a sudden sound]

 

Harry:

What's that? What's that?

 

Greene:

It's on the tape...

 

Harry:

Oh.

 

Greene:

Is that your tape George or mine?

 

Woods:

Mine.

 

Come on Harry...

 

Mickey:

I think the disturbance has broken the contact.

 

Greene:

I'm so sorry Mickey.

 

Woods:

[unintelligible]...

 

Greene:

It's lovely isn't it.

 

Woods:

Yes.

 

Greene:

Very interesting.

 

Woods:

Very interesting. [Unintelligible]...

 

Come on Harry.

​

Marshall:

Next time Harry will continue. I think the change in the vibration, the effect of the recorder running out and the noise and the disturbance, seems to have broken the contact.

 

Woods:

What a pity.

[unintelligible]

 

Marshall:

I think you'll find Harry can tell you a great deal.

 

Woods:

Yes.

 

Marshall:

He's not, in a sense, progressed. By that, I don't mean to say he's a bad soul...

 

Greene:

No.

 

Marshall:

...but he's only just beginning to settle in to find his path.

 

Woods

Yes.

 

Marshall:

But we thought his story was interesting...

 

Woods / Greene:

Yes...

 

Marshall:

...and he's such a character and he hasn't, in a sense, so far removed himself from Earth. In other words, he can, to a certain extent, enter into Earth conditions and transfer his thoughts to you probably quite well, in his own kind of way. And we thought it might be of interest to people, listening to someone like Harry, illuminate them and to help them realise that all types of people obviously exist in our world. And there are many spheres and planes and some souls who are Earthbound can give you quite an interesting story.

 

And I know Harry will, his is an interesting story. He's only told you a little, but if you encourage him, he'll tell you a great deal about his experiences on the lower spheres. I think you'll find it helpful, I think it will be of interest.

​

Woods:

Yes...

 

Marshall:

But I'm afraid the disturbance has broken the contact.

 

Woods:

I'm sorry about that.

 

Marshall:

Don't worry about it. It was unfortunate. I should concentrate, if I were you, on one recorder not two.

 

Woods:

Yes. We'll only have one...

 

Marshall:

I'm afraid I have to go...

 

Woods:

Yes.

 

Marshall:

Goodbye

 

Greene:

Bye-bye Dr Marshall.

 

Woods:

Thank you so much...

 

Mickey:

Bye-bye.

 

Greene:

Goodbye Mickey.

 

Woods:

Goodbye Mickey.

 

Greene:

Thank you very much.

 

Mickey:

I like Harry, he's a good sort.

 

Woods:

Yes, he's very good.

 

Greene:

It was very interesting that was Mickey.

 

Woods:

Very interesting...