My Manics pilgrimage - and some spookiness...

[LIPSTICK TЯACES]

Originally Posted by Manic Street Mike

Myself and a friend had an excursion to Cardiff over the past three days.

On Thursday, we went in the Trade Street cafe to see if James would come in.

On Friday, we did the usual Manics fan thing of heading to Blackwood, to see from where they came. I have to say it was an affirming experience - the empathy I felt for them when I was in mental and urban hell came rushing back. They came from the same sort of background. We inadvertently ended up in the cafe from No Manifesto, too!



Later that day, as the sky became bruised, we made for the Severn Bridge. By the time we got there, it was night time, and walking across it was just a surreal experience. Utterly amazing, though. Truly. Half way across, we threw some roses off for Richey, and carried on our way. When we reached Aust Services, we left a bunch for him with a note in the car park.

However, here's the spooky bit.

This was about half 8 at night. The car park was deserted, absolutely pitch black, just a few cars around but nobody in sight. We walked away from the roses, and a few moments later, we heard this strange sort of panpipe music coming from where we'd left them. We looked at one another, like 'What's that?' and as we did it died down, before picking back up again. We decided to let it be, and carry on walking. Makes one wonder, though. It was definitely a tune, and echoed somewhat, very clear in the air.

Aw sounds a nice day

I've been to Blackwood a couple of times, last year there was a festival with Manics tributes. They played their songs all day in the Preachers Bar Must have been around the same-ish time I went to Wattsville to look at a car (dodgy salesman tho ) and it looked a nice place. I love these villages in the Valleys compared to big cities but sadly the trees were being burnt down as there was some infection It'll take so long for it to look pretty again)

I drive over the bridges (mostly second crossing) quite a lot but a couple of times when there's been a nice sunset i've made a point to go over the Severn Bridge to park up and have a walk over. It's a stunning area and great place for a bike ride. In the back of my mind I do think (wrong to make decisions based on no evidence I know) the bridge theory is what happened after he went missing but for some reason when i'm on the bridge I think of Richey and my strange mind decides that it didn't happen! But regardless, if you want to pay respects it's a good place to do that. I actually find that service station a bit eeerie tbh. Maybe it's just because we know it's the last known place he was, and service stations aren't the nicest of places (until you get to that amazing viewpoint!). The panpipe thing sounds interesting lol There is more chance it was another Manics fan also paying their respects than a ghost of Richey playing them in the bushes I hate it when strange things happen, a fish and chip shop totally vanished on us one time but we had no time to keep walking around trying to find it again. Totally bugs me so I would have tried to track down the panpipes

[Manic Street Mike]

Originally Posted by hereticfred

I think enough 'spooky bit's were already covered by that point of your post..

[Manic Street Mike]

Originally Posted by Urchin

The panpipe thing sounds interesting lol There is more chance it was another Manics fan also paying their respects than a ghost of Richey playing them in the bushes I hate it when strange things happen, a fish and chip shop totally vanished on us one time but we had no time to keep walking around trying to find it again. Totally bugs me so I would have tried to track down the panpipes

I'm open to suggestions and explanations, but I'm also open to a spiritual side of it. I'm not just gonna go "ooh Richey's taken up panpipes" or whatever, rather, the sound would be representative of some form of manifestation. I don't know enough about it to say, but I wouldn't immediately write it off either.

Disappearing chip shops would leave me distraught.

[LIPSTICK TЯACES]

Originally Posted by Manic Street Mike

I'm open to suggestions and explanations, but I'm also open to a spiritual side of it. I'm not just gonna go "ooh Richey's taken up panpipes" or whatever, rather, the sound would be representative of some form of manifestation. I don't know enough about it to say, but I wouldn't immediately write it off either.

Disappearing chip shops would leave me distraught.

That's fair enough, i'm pretty closed minded myself. But I can totally imagine it catching your attention as although i've only been at that station a couple of times the place was totally dead. I actually thought it was closed or something and that maybe the 2 cars there were abandoned!

I always look for the most likely explanation (and the person I was with totally would laugh if it happened to someone else) but both of us were left thinking that some event where a parralel universe had been seen must have occured haha Honestly I do not know how we could have both imagined a fish shop on the way to the beach (we even remember the blue fish sign!) but when we came back on the same path and said "oooh it'd be good to have some fish", it's wasn't there I have also, with another person, seen a man in my aunts house as we walked up the steps. Aunts answers the door, no man there. Fits the description of my grandfather I never met I still don't believe in these otherwordly things, but the fact other people witnessed what I have makes it a bit odd to say the least (if it was just me i'd assume immediately that I was hallucinating - maybe I create some mass hallucination of chip shops and men).

[MoMoney MoJunk]

Your shoes are pretty kick-ass Mike.

[Dac X Lee]

Oh, come on, people. It was just a funny coincidence that Mike wanted to share with us and thank you for doing so, it was very cute.
Of course, given the circumstances, it might have felt spooky indeed, especially when you have that certain something and someone in mind in the first place.

Sometimes I go ride my bicycle in the night by the rivers of Seoul and somewhere in the dark under the bridges sometimes there are people practising their instruments alone and peacefully. And since it's dark, it's hard to see them. That's the case with his experience as well and the person probably stopped when noticed somebody else (Mike and his friend) either out of shyness, curiousity or... the same sort of spooky feeling!

Otherwise, it was an automatic music player activated any time someone places the roses there (although with a slow response). There are such spots in Korea too. Like... You press the button and then some music plays at certain monumental places to create the atmosphere for observing the monuments. I saw such things in the city of Gangneung.

[allisvanity]

I have meetings in Blackwood quite regularly, so the novelty of going there has worn off somewhat now sadly!

Hope you had a nice time though

[sculptureofabloke]

Originally Posted by Manic Street Mike

Well, parked up, but this was at night around the little office at the top of the ramp, it was dead quiet, nobody was around at all, the, like, three cars that were present were nowhere near the bunch of roses, and were all shut off.

I'm not saying OMG IT'S RICHEY, but it's pretty fucking odd.

My guess is they were doggers, panpipes are well erotic.

I went to Blackwood last year for the first time and I suppose no matter where you go it's always going to look different from the outside looking in. Course they weren't gonna be there but I felt like a bit of a stalker, walking around seeing all the places they used to hang out, walking past their school, past Suicide Alley, the Miner's Institute etc.. I enjoyed it, kinda expected it to be more desolate than it is. They've got a Subway, a Wetherspoons and an ASDA and I wasn't really expecting that. Sure I'd be bored shitless living there but eh, I didn't think it was that bad a place and I suppose being from Hull, it makes most places look like paradise.

[handbag]

I was thinking doggers. Probably getting in some panpipes practice before the action starts.

OR

Maybe there's a sizeable Peruvian population in the area.

OR

Angie Kruger "Panpiping to create a Trance State" Workshop.

OR, most likely:

Wind/breeze carrying distant sound acoustic thing. Sound can carry for miles.

[Takk]

Originally Posted by Dac X Lee

Oh, come on, people. It was just a funny coincidence that Mike wanted to share with us and thank you for doing so, it was very cute.
Of course, given the circumstances, it might have felt spooky indeed, especially when you have that certain something and someone in mind in the first place.

Sometimes I go ride my bicycle in the night by the rivers of Seoul and somewhere in the dark under the bridges sometimes there are people practising their instruments alone and peacefully. And since it's dark, it's hard to see them. That's the case with his experience as well and the person probably stopped when noticed somebody else (Mike and his friend) either out of shyness, curiousity or... the same sort of spooky feeling!

Otherwise, it was an automatic music player activated any time someone places the roses there (although with a slow response). There are such spots in Korea too. Like... You press the button and then some music plays at certain monumental places to create the atmosphere for observing the monuments. I saw such things in the city of Gangneung.

I suspect that such a thing would last about 10 mins in a service station in england

[raven]

The God Pan playing his pipes to lure you to him and dance

[Frozendiva]

Or the Pied Piper luring rats.

[raven]

Or Pan's People

[Frozendiva]

Nearby pizza place?

[raven]

Can I have plenty of onions on mine