Spooky photo shows "dead woman" in park

[Blackwhite]

A spooky photo that was taken in a British park.....

Sheffield Park, Sussex spook or spoof?

Christopher Petty and his brother decided to spend a day outdoors, enjoying the warm Sussex sunshine. Little did they know when they started out that they would be joined by someone... or something... else.

Sunday May 16th 2004 started like any other day in early Summer.

The sun was shining and like many of us, Southern Counties web surfer Christopher Petty decided to make the most of the weather and get out and about.

He and his brother decided to visit the National Trust's historic Sheffield Park Gardens in Sussex. They took their cameras; it is a particularly beautiful spot afterall, and a few photographs of the day would serve as a nice reminder. So, when they started snapping away, neither of them expected the following results, once the pictures were developed...

Chris' original image with a ghost?

Chris explains:

"On the photo there appears to be a shadowy figure of a woman to my right which I can't explain as:

a) There was no-one beside me at the time and

b ) There was no statue in that part of the garden.

On the picture there is a mark on the subject's shirt which looks similar to the sunlit leaves on the shrub behind, as visible to the right of the picture.

After much consideration I can only guess that there is either a photographic explanation for this, or that the shadow is in fact a ghost".

At first glance we agreed with Chris.

There does appear to be a statue behind him, but he says there was nothing there when the photo was taken.

A National Trust representative has confirmed with us that there are no statues in the park. So we subjected the image to a series of rigorous scientific tests, conducted by our leading paranormal experts....(well, Heather and Ed) Our advanced testing methods have proved it to be.... er....um, not quite as spooky as it first appears....

We have decided, after much learned discussion, that the "paranormal phenomenon" which haunts Chris' photo is in fact somebody's granny.

How we came to this conclusion:

1) We lightened the photo.

2) We sharpened the photo.

3) We took the background out.

4) We increased the

colour saturation, which showed the ghostly apparition to have a pink face, a blue rinse and fuchsia lippy. So not your average ghoul.

5) The "spook" also appears to be wearing a rather fetching V-necked, smart but casual pullover, which is as far removed as you can get from the usual long white robes and chains etc...

However, the plot thickens...

Chris says there was no-one beside him at the time of the photo being taken, and who are we to disbelieve him? So how did this nice old lady get into the photograph unnoticed? Did she leap out from behind a bush only to hop back into the shubbery again once the flash had gone off? Possibly.

Was she wearing a Cloak of Invisibility, which she whipped off, to reveal herself at the very second the camera took the photo? Highly unlikely. Or is she, as Chris suggests, a ghost?

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THE MYSTERY DEEPENS

Is "someone's granny" - as mentioned above - an actual, living person?!?!

Sheffield Park

Sheffield Park tragedy turns to mystery

When Chris Petty and his brother visited Sheffield Park and took the photo, in which they claim to have captured a ghostly image, they had no idea what they had started.

We have recently been given information about an event that occurred in Sheffield Park a few years before Chris' photo was taken.

Whether what you are about to read, is connected to the image that Chris took, is entirely for you to decide. But one local family is now appealing to Chris to reveal the truth about the image. Was this picture a hoax, sent to us as an elaborate joke, in the hope we would fall for it? If not, the family in question suggest they will have to come to terms with something far more unsettling....

The latest developments occurred when we received details of a tragedy that happened in Sheffield Park on Saturday 4th August 2001. 87 year old Mrs Florence Bristow had gone to the gardens, with her son John and his wife, for an afternoon out.

Once there, they hired a motorised buggy, intending to travel around the edge of the lake. Unfortunately, Florence suffered a heart attack and fell across her son who lost control of the buggy, which then plunged into the water. John's wife dived into the lake in an attempt to save her and although first reports suggested Florence had drowned, later tests showed that she had died before entering the water. Resuscitation attempts were tried at the lake side but to no effect.

Florence Bristow in 1979

Until recently, Mrs Bristows family had not seen Chris' "ghost" picture, but when they did spot it on our website, they were shocked. John contacted us to say he believed the picture "Shows a resemblance to my mother".

Further contact with the family revealed they believe "the lady in the photograph bears a striking resemblance to her [Florence] even down to the type of top she is wearing". John has kindly given us a photograph of Mrs Bristow, with permission to post it here on the website.

So we are asking, is Chris' photo a hoax? His brother Paul, the person who took the original photograph, says it's not! Maybe you know the person in his photo? Could it be you? Were you in Sheffield Park on Sunday May 16th 2004 and can you remember seeing anyone who could possibly be the person in the background? Or is there another explanation for the image?

www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties

Edited November 20, 2006 by Blackwhite

[Blackwhite]

Looks like an old woman to me.

[bLu3 de 3n3rgy]

My first thought it looked like a man, I can almost see a tash if I play around with the contrast settings but I'm not sure. I do see the alikeness to the elderly lady as well. Anyway interesting pic and story! Are you Chris?

Edited November 20, 2006 by Anvil

[Hazzard]

Chris says there was no-one beside him at the time of the photo being taken.

Chris was, obviously, wrong.

Edited November 20, 2006 by hazzard

[BurnSide]

I think it looks incredibly like a bronze statue. They're all over the place here and have the exact texturing and coloring. Regardless, the article suggests there were none in the park, and if we're to assume there's no lie in the article, it is very intreguing.

[Annointer]

If it's fake it would have to be from photo editing.

[ShaunZero]

Chris was, obviously, wrong.

How so? Because you base that entire post on the pre-assumption that ghosts don't exist? Then, how are you to ever know the truth, even if you ARE right, if you assume things instead of looking into it more? Honestly, why do people come to these threads and post things like this, instead of asking questions, or giving actual helpful information.

In my opinion, it looks like a statue. Are there any statues around that area?

EDIT: Nevermind. If it's a statue, you shouldn't be able to see right through it nor if it was a real person... Weird.

Edited November 20, 2006 by Zero of Deism

[SunnyOutlook]

This is very intriguing. Could it be possible that no one noticed the woman when the photo was taken? I know I've been out in public and have tuned out my surroundings when I'm focusing on something or someone. However, this is a great story and picture.

[RachelM]

Here is part of an email that the photographer wrote:

I can guarantee that the photo is 100% original and untouched (except for rotating it to the portrait format), and have attached a further copy [webteam has copy] which I hope a professional will be able to confirm as untouched.

Source

Yeah, original and untouched except for:

1) We lightened the photo.

2) We sharpened the photo.

3) We took the background out.

4) We increased the

colour saturation, which showed the ghostly apparition to have a pink face, a blue rinse and fuchsia lippy. So not your average ghoul.

I think it's a statue, and the "adjusting" gave it it's coloring. The part of the statue that the article states could be the sunlit leaves behind her is just where the sun is hitting the statue.

[wingd_with_awe]

You've got a cute brother! He looks like a nice guy!

Edited November 21, 2006 by wingd_with_awe

[Ketzer]

It sure looks like the old woman, Florence Bristow...

[RollingThunder06]

Does anyone know if this is the entire picture or has it been cropped? Was wondering if he was sitting, standing or bending over something like a railing? With the color saturation it really doesn't look like a statue. Unless this woman had changed a lot during the years, I think the woman's face in the photo is much to thin.

[Cazee]

looks like a man in women's cloth and make up to me...

[lufia]

the ghost has a shadow? don't think ghost can have shadows :[

[Cazee]

I see no shadow.. or atleast i cant find it!

[Hazzard]

There are more logical explanations for this "ghost" in the picture, not to mention the obvious hoax angle. Look at the way the sunlight hits the hair of they guy AND the old lady/man/statue, casting a shadow on their face and chest. Real person or statue, like SunnyO said " is easy to tune out the surroundings when focusing on something or someone els".

Edited November 21, 2006 by hazzard

[lufia]

I see no shadow.. or atleast i cant find it!

the "grandma's" shirt and hair

[Cazee]

the "grandma's" shirt and hair

Ahh i see Thx mate!

[coldethyl]

My first thought it looked like a man, I can almost see a tash

That's exactly what I saw. An old man with a mustache.

[143]

Poor Florence.

That is a man people!!

Flat chest, Golf shirt, features are very male, and short hair with possible mustache!!

I can't believe this. Shes probably turning in her grave.

With regards to it being a copper statue...lol...why would there be a statue made of someone looking towards the ground in a grubby golf shirt?

[Jsilvestro]

The first photo looks like its a bronze statue to me. The other photos look like an old woman for sure.

[coldethyl]

Okay, so it's a statue of an old bronze flat-chested woman with a moustache wearing a golf shirt? Got it.

[Hazzard]

Okay, so it's a statue of an old bronze flat-chested woman with a moustache wearing a golf shirt? Got it.

You forgot the most logical explanation.......Its a ghost.

[coldethyl]

You forgot the most logical explanation.......Its a ghost.

Oh yeah....

I'm always so logical like that.

[oalxazar]

why can't we see the whole image? this is just a little fragment. it's very suspicious. what do you think?