The Psychic Adventures of Derek Acorah: Star of TV’s Most Haunted. Derek Acorah
bringing his show to a conclusion. I had been on air for three hours, including two hours of telephone calls. James was jubilant. ‘Well done, Derek!’ he said. ‘We’ll have to have you back!’
And so after that every Sunday evening would see me travelling to Stockport for a live link-up with James in his London studio. For three hours I would conduct telephone sittings live on air.
At this time I was continuing to conduct my personal readings as well as joining Billy and Wally on a Friday morning on their Radio City show. I was also appearing every week on Granada Breeze television in Manchester. The demands on my time were so great, I didn’t even have time to arrange theatre appearances. ‘You need an agent,’ James said to me one day. ‘I know a great one. He’s my own agent. I’ll give you his number.’
A few days later I contacted Stuart Hobday. What Stuart thought on that day I really do not know. His background lay in music and theatre. To be contacted by a clairvoyant must have seemed a little strange to him, but thank goodness that he agreed to meet me. We have worked together successfully ever since and I would like to think that this situation will continue for a very long time to come.
My weekly spot on The James Whale Show unfortunately came to an end in the April of the following year when James had to undergo serious surgery. Since then I have been a guest on his show whenever my schedule has allowed, but I often look back fondly to that day when two panic-stricken people drove to London to meet the great James Whale.
All things psychic were now proving to be hugely popular with television audiences and Livetime had changed its name to Psychic Livetime and was now solely involved in airing mind, body and spirit subjects. The producers decided that another programme should be created, called Predictions. Guests would be invited to the studio to demonstrate their expertise in the various aspects of mediumship, astrology, dream analysis and so on. My contribution would be to demonstrate mediumship to a small studio audience and to conduct one-to-one sittings live on air.
The show was pre-recorded, but what was filmed went out on air—what the television audience saw was what had really taken place. I was elated when I was told that the viewing figures for Predictions were as great, if not greater, then the figures for Psychic Livetime.
Predictions continued for approximately 12 months and at the end of that time I was called in to see the editor once more and was informed that the format of the programme was to be changed and it was now to be called Predictions with Derek Acorah. The response to my contribution had been such that the producers had decided to dedicate the programme to me alone. I was surprised but elated, because I now knew that I was indeed fulfilling my destiny, just as Gran had predicted all those many years ago.
In the new programme I would continue to demonstrate mediumship to a studio audience, but there would be a new feature which would involve me going out to meet people and conducting sittings for them in their own homes. A further section of the programme would see me being taken to alleged haunted locations to conduct investigations there. I would not be told where I was going or the name of the location I was to investigate.
I had mixed feelings about this. Although visiting people to conduct sittings for them held no fear for me—it was what I was used to and I loved my work—the idea of wandering around old buildings talking about days gone by held no appeal whatsoever. I had hated history at school and had always managed to escape history lessons to train for my school football team. Needless to say, my school reports always demonstrated my dunce status where history was concerned! Nevertheless, I agreed to take part in the programme. With Sam’s help, I knew I could do it.
Samlesbury Hall
The first place I visited was Samlesbury Hall. Samlesbury is a small central Lancashire town which lies between Blackburn and Preston. The manor itself is a black-and-white building which was built in the fourteenth century after the original hall had been burned by Robert Bruce when he raided Lancashire.
What surprised me most as I entered the old hall was the sound of girlish laughter and I had the definite impression that this had been an educational establishment at some time. The name ‘John’ was impressed upon me. ‘John Cooper,’ I said.
No sooner had I uttered that name than the energy around me changed and I felt as though I was in an inn. Once more there was laughter around me, but this time it was accompanied by the smell of ale and roasting meats in the huge fireplace. The sensations were only brief and were quickly replaced by a more sombre feeling—a feeling of desperation and despair. Then I heard a loud bang! ‘Somebody shot themselves here!’ I said. I could not say who it was, as I was not being given a name, but I knew for certain than somebody had committed suicide.
I went further into the premises. The name ‘John’ rang out again. It was not the same man whose residual energy I had picked up on earlier. This was another man and as I watched I could see him building up in front of me. ‘Sir John!’ he said. ‘Sir John Southworth!’
I knew that this man had been a good man—quiet and peaceable—but I also knew that he had suffered because of his faith. There was another sadness which he had experienced in his life too. The name ‘Dorothy’ was whispered. I felt the urge to move to the upper floors of the building. Up we went, past the priest hole and on to a bedroom. ‘Dorothy!’ the name came again. I had the impression of a tragic young lady, a murder and horrendous grief. ‘Her brother murdered her betrothed,’ said Sam. ‘It was an accident. He and his two companions were murdered by Dorothy’s brother. She went mad with grief!’
On the investigation went, out into the gardens and back into the hall again. Before I knew it the producer was telling me that our time was up and that we would have to vacate the hall. I was disappointed. To my surprise I had enjoyed wandering around the old manor house and meeting the inhabitants of years gone by!
Something Missing
Another part of the programme involved me visiting people in their homes to conduct readings for them. The television audience was invited to telephone or write in, a name would be drawn at random and then I would be taken to that person’s home. I met hundreds of wonderful people this way and everybody was extremely kind to me. I look back fondly to all the people I met, but once there was one little boy I was more than happy to help.
Paul was aged two and Sylvia, his grandmother, had written in to ask for a reading. Her daughter-in-law Jane had passed to spirit and her son David had been left to look after Paul on his own. As David was a long-distance lorry driver, he had sold his home and moved back to live with his mother so that she could care for Paul whilst he was away.
Jane had been gone for three short months and during that time Paul had been quiet, morose and cried each night when he was put to bed. Sylvia knew he was missing his mother but thought there must be something else that he was missing too. She could not have been more correct.
As I entered Sylvia’s home I immediately became aware of a young lady in spirit. She was slim and dark-haired and I gained the impression that when in her physical life she had been a joyous soul with a bubbly sense of humour. ‘Yes, that’s Jane,’ Sylvia confirmed. ‘She was always laughing. She didn’t have a care in the world.’
Jane then told me herself that she had loved her life here on Earth, that she and David had been very happy and were planning another baby. ‘Life couldn’t have been better,’ she said. ‘The trouble is, I just didn’t see them coming!’ She had been coming home from a friend’s home one evening when a car had mounted the pavement and struck her. After two days in hospital she had passed on to the spirit world. She told me that her father Jim had been there to collect her and that she was at peace, but she still missed David and Paul very much.
‘I inspired Sylvia to contact you,’ she continued.