Well, we were instructed to wear black and remove all jewellery and as for mobile phones, or anything electronic if we were carrying them, they had to be packed up in black bin bags provided at the ticket desk. I must say I felt somewhat conspicuous amongst what was mostly a queue of ladies in their plain black evening gowns. I had a thought the ensemble did look like a witch’s coven, oh dear, bad thought!

So once we had passed through security on the desk I was ushered to a seat with a good view of the cabinet well a tepee tent erected from a kit bought from Millets, with black canvas covering the frame and an opening at the front for us all to see an armchair in the middle of the den. For tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we were here to witness a séance.

The very efficient Ruby, with a pitch in her voice that intoned the danger to the medium of any loud noise from us or leaving for the bathroom, could result in damage to the medium while under trance conditions. An episode earlier in the year through an audience member falling off his chair that had broke, meant our medium had suffered nose bleeds for 2 weeks! We had to be careful because ectoplasm could occur and all our electronic and metal objects had to be safely black bin-bagged and put way from the séance room. Tough for those with these tongue studs, the Goth lady at the side of me was unable to remove hers.

The lights dimmed and presented to us was our trance medium Karen from Plymouth, resembling a member of the Black Light Theatre of Prague, save for her face she was head to toe in black lycra.

Seated she began with red lights the only illumination directed at her face. With a quick rendition of she'll be coming ‘round the mountains led by Ruby to raise the energy we were granted an audience with the other side...

So after all the preparation, the procedure, the waiting I witnessed Karen talk with affected voice and take questions, make observations about this world and the next, a place apparently with many dimensions. Two hours passed so quickly and the Pièce de rèsistance, the star turn, apparently some medium from the Victorian age came through, and yes there was a gasp of sheer delight from the regular followers of Karen, at being witness to an audience with what I suppose was a surprise guest to top the bill!