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Historical Patron
Lesley Smith
Lesley is the curator of Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire, as well as a specialist in 16th Century womens medical history. Many of you will have seen her more recently on Living TV's Most Haunted as their Historian, and if you have you will have also noted her clear passion and enthusiasm for the subject of History, and the way it connects to much of the work of Paranormal research.
"I have been asked recently if I would be honorary Patron of South Wales Paranormal Research. For those of you who know my work or who have seen my work in TV programmes, you will know my passion for British history which is equalled by my desire that as many people as possible should have access to British history.
I know that South Wales Paranormal Research has as one of its main criteria the research and publication of historical facts about an area or property they are investigating. Welsh history is wonderfully varied and I believe underestimated. In its value of impact on British history as a whole. As a Tudor historian, I am likely to be keen on Welsh history, after all, the Tudors were Welsh!
The country of Wales with its unique people offers us some of the most dramatic and lovely castles in the whole of Europe. It also offers us some of the great myths and legends rising up out of the mists of its hills, including Merlin himself (despite the English West Country's determined claim too!)
I am delighted to be honorary Patron for South Wales Paranormal Research and hope they continue with this good work and perhaps encourage some members or visitors on their investigations to go a little further and maybe take a course or even a degree in Welsh history at a college or university nearby.
Good luck, and I hope to meet some of you in the not too distant future."
Lesley Smith
International Patron
Loyd Auerbach
Loyd Auerbach, M.S, or known by some readers as ‘Professor Paranormal’ is the Director of the Office of Paranormal Investigations and author of Ghost Hunting: How to Investigate the Paranormal, ESP Hauntings and Poltergeists; A Parapsychologists Handbook, and many other wonderful publications on the subject. He is a Consulting Editor and columnist for FATE Magazine, an adjunct Professor at JFK University and President of The Psychic Entertainers Association. He holds a degree in Cultural Anthropology from Northwestern University and a graduate degree in Parapsychology from JFK University.
Loyd is co-producer for and appears on camera in the video documentary The Haunting of the USS Hornet. He has appeared on hundreds of radio shows and dozens of local and national TV shows. He has been conducting his investigations and research in the world of psychic phenomena and the paranormal for over 25 years. He also lectures on a course in Parapsychology in America.
To have the involvement of such a well respected Parapsychologist and author of some of the best books available on the subject is a great honour for us, and we look forward to maintaining and developing the link we now have with him.
Click below to see the exclusive interview of Loyd Auerbach for our Ghost Writing.
 Loyd Auerbach Inverview PDF document
Patron
We also have another Patron to represent the group. SWPR are grateful to the assistance and commitment shown by this Patron.
Val Williams
Val Williams, a professional actress and storyteller, has obtained a good B.A. Honours Degree in History and Medieval Studies, a P.G.C.E. and 10 years teaching experience in the classroom. She researched gender bias in historical simulations for her M.Ed. Degree. She set up, developed, marketed and actively participated in the acting interpretation and education programme at the multi award winning Llancaiach Fawr Manor. Val then accepted the challenge of founding the very successful Chance Encounters, which has become a member of the Independent Theatre Council, the International Museum Theatre Alliance and is linked to "Makers of Wales".
"I have been curious about the paranormal ever since my teens but it was while I was in Llancaiach Fawr that my interest took a practical form. I knew the house from the time when it was my friends' farm and knew it had the reputation for being haunted. When Iwas interviewed for my original job as assistant manager, I suggested starting the ghost tours - at the time, everyone thought I was mad but they are still running years later! I always made the point that it was not my job to convince people on the tour of any particular theory about ghost but I was quite certain that, whatever they were, Llancaiach had them!
Although I had innumerable experiences with them over the years (and even the last time I was in the house for a special event), I have never felt threatened in the manor - if anything, I have always felt sheltered while I was
there. This doesn't mean that the ghosts haven't startled me on occasions!
Many of the sites I work in now have their own ghosts and I have even helped to organise Ghost hunts in one of them (Gower Heritage Centre) as well as doing ghost story evenings in many of the others. The only one where I have felt really uncomfortable was in Newton House (Dinefwr) and then only in one specific part of the house which I refused to go right into. I am often completely alone in these sites without falling into fits of over active imagination but on that occasion I had the company of others and nothing was geared for me to suddenly feel such repulsion for an individual location when I love the site in general. "
Val Williams
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