Pages

Tuesday, 3 January 2012

Isn't It Ironic?

Many of you will know that I am petrified of dogs. They are evil, no matter what size or shape they come in they are all evil.
Many of you will have read Will Feeding the Lambs make up for the dog licking you? and laughed but for me this is a serious thing.

Dogs Teeth
Firstly have you seen their teeth!! Sharp and just waiting to clamp down on that juicy arm or leg of yours. And trust me they will if they get the chance!

He wont hurt you!
Its always the same I go into someone's house see a dog, freeze, and they always say. Oh are you scared? don't be he's lovely the softest stupidest thing ever, he wont hurt you, and there it is stalking me, growling, spit foaming at its jaw.

Once whilst stood outside in the cold on location myself and Dimmock where chatting over a cup of tea, next to a van thats back door was slightly ajar. Being on location there always a million vans loading and unloading equipment and stuff so you really don't bat an eyelid at these sorts of things.

So there we where chatting away when i Hear a growl right behind my head. Now we where on a paranormal show at the time but still we where outside and the only thing behind me was a van so where was this noice coming from?

42 Sharp pointy teeth 
I look at Dimmock who is looking shocked and trying to tell me something. There is a smell of rotten meat wafting into my nose and I can feel the heat from the breath on the back of my head. My heart has stopped. Dimmock is leaning forward and grabbing my arm, pulling me towards them. I slowly turn my head, to become face to face with 42 sharp pointy teeth growling at me. Panic sets in, and I don't know what to do. Dimmock is trying to pull me away, to protect me, but I'm frozen to the spot. I am about to be eaten by a monster and my last living breath will be in a disused mental asylum.

Suddenly a voice shouts "Stand Still!". Thats alright then because I cant move anyway, I'm thinking. I'm about to be ripped apart by a dog and I'm being told to stand still. I instantly realise I'm screaming. the dog is growling in my face and all I'm doing is screaming back at it! Thats really going to protect me!

Immediately the growling stops and the dog sits back down inside the van. Maybe my screaming did help?

maybe my screaming did protect me!
From behind a short stocky man appears an moves me to the side walks over to the van and slips a lead on the dog takes him out of the van and walks him towards me! Is he MAD? Dimmock steps in front of me and shields me as the dog handler explains he is the site security and he left the door open so the dog had some air. He didn't realise people would be stood around there. I've certainly learnt my lesson there, never stand next to and open van.

After all this I went to work on a show about a lucky dog! on this occasion it was a statue so I thought I would be ok, until the presenter of the show had to rescue me in the park when a dog owner had let theirs off the lead and it came running straight at me. No one else in the crew just me!! I'm holding a camera and a tripod and I cant just drop them and run, luckily The Presenter stepped forward and scooped the little dog away before the owner put it back on a lead. Informing me that dogs where going to be banned from the park soon! Couldn't be soon enough in my books!

Oh the Irony! dressed as a dog.
From there to a children's art show where Whippet had to rescue me a number of times, until it came to the final day of filming. The whole team had to be involved dressed as various characters. A few days before the costumes arrve inthe office and the arre divvied up according to their sizes, wizards, cavemen, teddy bears, a monkey, a lobster and a cat.  Everyone is handed costumes then it comes to me, the costume the Series producer has picked for me is a DOG! Oh the irony!





I spend the afternoon dressed as a dog in a field directing 50 children and adults around, then have to dance with a circle! Isn't TV Glamorous!

Monday, 19 December 2011

Paranormal Part 2; Small girl skipping through the aisles

In this game you get to go to some amazing places, disused mental asylums, underground stations, tobacco factories and Libraries.
Halloween

Whilst working on the Ghostly show my favourite venue has to be the disused mental asylum, spending halloween here will never be beaten for its spookiness and fun.

Batman was under the stage and managed to pull the generator plug sending the venue into darkness and taking us off air five minutes early. Snow came through the roof whilst we where live on air, and in general it was very cold.

Follow the cables
Dressed as the Michelin man in so many layers the Health and safety officer took us on a tour of the building one afternoon when we were free, this is where I learnt a TV rule that has always stuck with me. If your lost follow the cables and you will find your way to either the stage or the truck.
Not easy when an Alsatian in bounding towards you

I locked Dimmock in a padded cell and then took pictures, and found two stowaways that were trying to take pictures. This is when I learnt about security dogs. At this location the security dog must have been released about 5 times and when it does you have to stand still and it will run past. Not an easy task when your scared to death of them and a massive Alsatian is bounding towards you barking.

Circular Library Hall
At another location I became a ghost myself. We were in a library and the only way in and out was a door into the circular hall. books lined the walls the shelves curved round each layer a step down from the one above. Like a maze. In the far corner was another door to the rest of the location in which the on air team had travelled some time before during the night. The rest of us waited outside with our radios on waiting for any instructions.

The location had four webcams set up at various points in order for the public to watch online and text in. One camera was set up in the main hall pointing towards the door the only way in and out of the location.

Ouija Board
Over the radio comes the call for the ouija board to be brought down to the cellar for an experiment. I turn on my torch and carry the board through the aisles. As I get to the far corner I descend the stairs and follow the cables until I find the team in the cellar.

After setting up the board I turn round and head back to the surface. As I reach the top of the stairs I can see the light pouring through the door from the street outside into the main hall. Its lighting up the room enough and I know the route round the curved room to get to the door easily enough that I dont turn my torch on. Instead I run through the aisles up the stairs and out of the door joining the rest of the location team at the top around the tea urn.

unless there was a Ghost behind me
Five minutes later they get an update from the web team who have been monitoring the messages from the public about the show and the webcams.

There was a small girl seen skipping through the aisles on webcam one.

Dimmock who is in the green room at the hub watching this immediately texts me. Is that you!!

Realising it had to be me I point out I was not skipping I was running!! That or a small girl was skipping behind me!!