SLIMBRIDGE DOWSING GROUP REPORTS

Disaster! When the guest speaker you booked almost a year ago, falls ill and has to let you down at the last minute, it's a daunting task to suddenly produce a suitable replacement at very short notice. Several frantic phone calls and panic-stricken e-mails later, we had cobbled together a fine programme that was enjoyed by all. Treasurer Barry Goldring stepped into the breach and updated us regarding the dowsing investigations he has been doing for the National Trust at Woodchester Mansion.

Beautiful Woodchester Park. Photo: Ian Beer Barry has been watching too many Time Team programmes, and made his talk into a detective story. He described a very fine but overgrown wall he and the warden had inadvertently discovered near the mansion's boundary. It was all a great mystery, and Barry built up the excitement by describing their initial thoughts, suspicions and the questions he asked of his dowsing rods.

Regular readers will know you can ask your dowsing rods anything you like as long as the answer is "Yes" or "No". So it took some time, quite a lot of digging and the discovery of some intricate drainage channels, to establish that what they had found was - wait for it - a 1779 sheep dip.

Just as we could all breathe a sigh of relief as the mystery was solved, Barry revealed that, under some of the undergrowth, he and the warden had then discovered another drain of Roman origin. Don't miss the next thrilling instalment.

After this we were ready for a bit of relaxation, so our Chairman showed a video of a 1982 ITV programme of the late Roy Talbot. Interviewed by one Alan Jones, who kept his arms folded throughout, Roy revealed a great deal about water divining and his methods for sinking bore holes, usually for farmers. While ITV presenters may well have improved their body language over the years, it was comforting to find that dowsing has changed very little. At least one person left the meeting saying, "I enjoyed that. Let's hope another speaker cancels soon!"

For more scary information on Woodchester Mansion visit the paranormal section of their website at www.woodchestermansion.org.uk