Ghost pushes pint off of table

[Gary]

A mysterious moving pint glass has been captured on CCTV at the New Inn in Gloucester, which has a reputation for hauntings.  Video included at the link below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/gloucestershire/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8706000/8706656.stm

[PPI Brian]

Excellent video, Gary. I watched the video a few times and I'm reminded of a residential investigation we did back in 2007. The homeowner had some very intriguing video of a drinking glass with ice water in it that moved all by itself on the granite island in her kitchen. This happened in front of several amazed (and obviously buzzed) witnesses. The glass moved erratically, moving this way and that across the granite surface, and seemed to be legitimately paranormal. During the investigation, we tried to recreate the same environmental conditions, using the exact same plastic cup, the exact amount of ice and water, allowing the same amount of condensation to build up on the cup, etc. And much to our surprise, the cup moved all by itself. 

What caused this effect? The condensation that formed on the outside of the cup accumulated under the lip at the base of the cup, creating a cushion of water that lifted the cup off the granite surface and allowed it move around seemingly of its own accord. The most amazing thing of all was that it did not leave any water behind it as it moved -- the granite surface was bone dry. 

I imagine something very similar is happening in this video. Without the luxury of being able to examine the pub table in person, I can only speculate. Most likely the pub table is sealed with some kind of resin, which would create a very smooth surface, not unlike the granite counter top in our residential investigation. The building looks pretty old, and most likely has settled over time and probably isn't level. The pint glass in the video appears to be full, so it's reasonable to assume it is covered in condensation. It was also placed close to the edge of the table before it moved. If there were enough condensation under the pint glass, and the table was not level, and the floor was not level, the glass could quite easily move enough to fall. I would be more inclined to believe this was paranormal if the pub glass had slid toward the camera, rather than away from the camera, or if it had been thrown across the room. Sorry, but I'm just skeptical like that. 

Once again, this is all purely speculation. The only way to be completely sure would be to recreate the conditions at the time the pub glass moved. I'm not saying the event is not paranormal, but it probably isn't paranormal. The simplest explanation is usually the correct explanation. In this case, I think the simplest explanation is that it is not paranormal.

Just my two cents...

[PPI Brian]

Found this video on YouTube, and it kind of freaked me out, because the layout of the granite island and the rest of the kitchen is almost identical to the above referenced client.

http://www.youtube.com/v/Q_dY-pC6K1I&hl=en_US&fs=1

Unfortunately, some paranormal groups believe this natural effect is paranormal:

http://www.youtube.com/v/yXOEeWoFy6I&hl=en_US&fs=1&

Others just think it's a cool trick:

http://www.youtube.com/v/Tgm2WjTe7KM&hl=en_US&fs=1&

[Damian]

I've witness the same effect on the bathroom and kitchen counters in my home too.  At first is scared the poo-poo outta me, but then rational thought took over and I realized what was happening, and was even able to recreate it.  It certainly looks spooky when it happens.