Reviewed by Clare Anna Edwards

1st and 3rd Tuesday of the Month at 8pm
Entry Fee - £3

I was a bit sceptical to say the least in thinking I could make contact with the dead in the back room of the Farmer's Arms, but open minded nevertheless and willing to give it a go. The venue is not exactly glamorous but friendly and does have very cheap drinks, which I took care to stock up on faced with the prospect of encountering the spirit world.

It was all a bit ‘hush hush' as we entered and were led through to a back room, as though part of some kind of secret society meddling in something we really shouldn't be. To be honest I'm not totally prepared to dismiss the idea of being able to make contact with the other side and that thought scared the life out of me, so I was hoping to be able to hide away at the back, but no such luck. We arrived just as it was about to start and everyone seemed to have had the same idea and grabbed all the good seats in the corners. Consequently I was sat right in the middle of the room. So armed with a stiff vodka I sat back as the clairvoyant entered and began to concentrate with not a hoop earring or headscarf in sight.

She explained she could not contact specific people only those that came through to her and announced she had two guides who would act as a bridge between her and the other side. I was lucky enough to be one of the few to have my own reading. A woman wanted to contact me and bizarrely enough was walking towards me with a huge pot of stew. This apparently suggested I had been skipping meals and that the spirit world were worried and urging me to eat more. Anyone who knows me knows that this is not the case but she persisted and I accepted her advice, helpfully suggesting I was happy to munch more if that's what the spirits wanted. She continued to say she saw a holiday in my future and heard the word Barbados mentioned and that she saw two paths in front of me and a difficult decision to make.

One of the most intriguing things about the whole night, and worth the admission fee alone, was watching the reactions of people around me as they received readings. One or two of the audience members were true sceptics intent on questioning everything the clairvoyant said and the mood became quite confrontational in places as certain participants showed their disbelief. Others were reduced to tears as they encountered long lost relatives or ex-partners they'd rather forget and many were shocked at the level of detail the clairvoyant produced.

On the other hand some of the readings were a bit vague and contrived with the clairvoyant throwing out phrases such as ‘I can see someone driving a van' or ‘who used to own a large dog' which, lets face it, could apply to anyone.

I was pretty sure most of my reading had been created from my appearance and manner but it was still very reassuring. I suppose that's one of the main reasons people seek advice from clairvoyants and fortune tellers. Having someone else tell you things will be OK in the future and that your departed loved ones are looking out for you is very comforting, even to the hardened sceptic.

Copyright © 9 February 2005 Clare Anna Edwards