What are the stages of a poltergeist haunting?

QUESTION What are the stages of a poltergeist haunting?

Poltergeist hauntings are characterised by unexplained physical disturbances such as objects moving or being thrown, mysterious noises and even physical attacks. 

They usually follow a typical pattern: 1. Initial activity/manifestation; 2. Escalation; 3. Focus on individual(s); 4. Peak activity/psychological disturbance; 5. Decline and resolution.

If we take our most famous poltergeist case, the Enfield Haunting, we can see these stages in action. 

Occurring between 1977 and 1979, the haunting took place in a seemingly mundane council house in Greater London. 

It affected the Hodgson family and featured all the classic manifestations of a major haunting.

The Enfield Haunting, starring Timothy Spall as Maurice Grosse who was a member of the Society for Psychical Research

The bedroom in the Enfield house where the family believed they were experiencing paranormal activity

The kitchen in the council house in Greater London where the ordinary family believed they were being haunted by a poltergeist between 1977 and 1979

This case was extensively investigated by paranormal researchers, notably members of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), Maurice Grosse and writer Guy Lyon Playfair, and attracted global media attention.

1. The haunting began with seemingly benign occurrences, such as odd noises and the movement of small objects. This was initially attributed to the settling of the house or pranks by the Hodgson children, Janet and Margaret.

2. Over time, the activity intensified. Furniture was reportedly moving on its own, objects were thrown across rooms, and knocking sounds were heard throughout the house.

3. Janet became the focal point of much of the activity. She began speaking in a deep, gravelly voice, claiming to be the spirit of a man named Bill Wilkins.

4. Janet's experiences, including levitation and being thrown around the room, drew significant attention to the case.

5. As time passed, the activity gradually decreased in frequency and intensity. Eventually, the disturbances ceased altogether and the Hodgson family was able to resume a relatively normal life.

Anyone who is interested in this story should watch the excellent Sky drama The Enfield Haunting, listen to Danny Robins's BBC podcast The Witch Farm, or read Poltergeist: A Classic Study In Destructive Hauntings, by Colin Wilson.

Jonathan J. Summerby, Whitby, North Yorks.

QUESTION For which single battle were the most Victoria Cross (VC) medals awarded?

This is usually attributed to the 11 awarded during the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1879.

The British had just suffered one of their worst ever defeats at Isandlwana when the mission station at Rorke's Drift was attacked by around 4,000 Zulus. 

The defenders, who numbered around 150, fought off the Zulus for the loss of only 17 killed and 15 wounded. Seven VCs went to soldiers of the 24th Regiment of Foot, who later became the South Wales Borderers.

A Victoria Cross medal awarded to a hero of Rorke's Drift who took on hundreds of Zulus went on sale for £50,000

Michael Caine starred as Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead in the historical epic depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift, during the Anglo-Zulu War

However, 12 were awarded for the first day of the Gallipoli Campaign on April 25, 1915, including the famous 'Six VCs before breakfast' awarded to soldiers of the Lancashire Fusiliers at W Beach, later renamed 'Lancashire Landing'. 

The other six were at V Beach, to naval personnel involved in the attack from the SS River Clyde, a collier converted into an assault ship.

Contrast these with only one VC awarded during the Battle of Britain, to pilot James Brindley Nicolson (who was also the only pilot of RAF Fighter Command to be awarded a VC during WWII); and only one for the D-Day landings, to Stan Hollis of the Green Howards.

Chris Pate, Worcester.

QUESTION What is the best area of the dartboard for amateurs to aim at to maximise their scores?

Aiming for the treble 19 is the safest bet for amateur dart players and could achieve an average score of 15.8

highest-scoring part of the board, which is the treble 20, to get 60 points. 

This is good for professionals because they are so accurate. Unfortunately, the 20 is flanked by the one and five and amateurs often stray into these zones.

Statistician Dr Ryan Tibshirani and colleagues at Stanford University, California, tackled this problem in their research paper A Statistician Plays Darts (2011). 

They calculated that a professional aiming at the treble 20 achieved an impressive average score of 42.9 per dart throw. 

Unfortunately, an amateur, with some playing experience, aiming at the treble 20 would achieve a paltry 14.9. They should aim for the treble 19 instead, where they could achieve a mean score of 15.8.

The researchers concluded that a complete duffer should aim slightly to the left of the bullseye, near the point where the 8 and 16 meet, which would give an expected score of 12.4, as they would achieve just 10.2 points per dart by aiming at the treble 20.

S. L. Kent, Frome, Somerset.