10/12/2012 Inside Out Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Lay good evening and welcome to Inside Out. Here is what is on

tonight's show. A man who is touring the North who says he

really can speak to the dead. We put his claims to the test.

And could move in people north be the answer to a housing shortage?

It was tried more than a decade ago but did it work? It was a bit weird

when I first moved up because I thought they had just invented the

wheel. London is a bit faster than what Lincoln is. Also tonight:

Remembering that caving tragedy that gripped the nation as rescue

teams battled to save a young student. The doctor is passing

oxygen? Yes, they pass and it all the time. Is he conjures? I do not

First tonight, to the man who claims he has a phone link to the

spirit world and can talk to the dead. Stephen Holbrook tours across

the North of England and thousands of people think he is a genuine

medium but can he really hear voices or is he using traditional

entertainer's skills to convince his audience? We put his techniques

This is a story of spirits, bereavement and tricks. In central

Leeds, a member of the Inside Out team wearing a secret camera is on

their way to film a man who says he This is Stephen Holbrook and that

is his stiff left hand. It is like wood. Sometimes it turns blue. It

is a sign that Archie, Stephen's dead spirit guide, is on the phone.

Stephen says he channels messages just like a phone. But he reverses

the charges and his audience pays premium rates. Activists from the

Newcastle and Merseyside Skeptics Societies, fresh from checking out

Stephen's performance. They are not impressed. He does not speak to the

deceased. He is as clairvoyant as a teapot. I would say he is not

psychic. So who is right? Stephen Holbrook who says he genuinely can

hear the spirits, and who claims his powers prove there is life

after death? Or the sceptics, who say that he is an entertainment

performer using the magician's tricks? It is important because if

Stephen's phone carries nuisance calls and Archie and the spirit on

a real, there is a problem with the law. If a trader gives false

information or misleading information to consumers, and that

causes people to do some think they would not otherwise have done, such

as buy a ticket or travel to an event, they could potentially be a

criminal offence. Some people say the performance is for

entertainment purposes only. Is that sufficient? If if he is saying

and an entertainer, I am a magician, Allende's and cold reading

techniques and I cannot speak to the spirit world, that is what he

needs to say. But Stephen never says it is just for entertainment.

Singh, audience members are in tears as he relays messages from

the spirits of dead babies, children's, mums and dads. It's one

thing if they are receiving messages from the spirits but if

they are repeatedly paying to be manipulated by psychological tricks,

there is a danger they could get stuck in their grief and suffer

real damage. I think this is a type of exploitation of the worst sort.

It is manipulating people at a terrible time in their lives. One

of the worst consequences for people who are very vulnerable is

they can end up stuck in that early stage of grieving and will never be

able to relinquish it or move on from it. Back in Leeds, a large

part of the performance consists of Stephen asking questions. Sometimes

Stephen performs all over the north, doing more than 20 shows a month,

nine months a year. His website is full of testimonials from satisfied

customers. Thank you so much for the wonderful message you gave to

us in Middlesbrough. At Bolton Masonic Hall, I was in shock.

confirmed that my dad knew he was going to die. But he also has his

critics. I thought that the advert was nonsensical, laughable, and

then I got quite cross about it. I think it is disgraceful. He would

say why is there very important you? I was staggered at that kind

of question. February could be important for any number of reasons.

Ellis told Stephen about a dead boyfriend. Stephen told Ellis what

his spirit was saying. He spoke about the funeral, he said the

funeral rock and thank you for the flowers. He also spoke about that

my boyfriend loved a and he cared for me. But Ellis's dead boyfriend

never existed. My boyfriend is not dead and none of my boyfriends in

the past have died. Now we get three experts, all psychic

entertainers or magicians to analyse Stephen's performance. They

all say he is using traditional magician's techniques. To her by

throwing out around and date, he will get a strong sense of a hit

with at least one person in the room. Random pieces of information

which people will latch on to which he will then embellish. It is

taking a little bit of information, scattering it around to a big group

of people and finding that one person who seems to give something

of. They say Stephen is practising cold reading, an entertainer's way

of finding a personal details through clever questioning.

look at someone and you read their micro reflections and statistically

workout what is likely for that person. Like inheriting jury. --

jewellery. Now Kennedy shows how easily it is done. He asks people

to write down the name of somebody they have not seen for a long time.

Kennedy will tell them the name using classic magician's tricks but

he will also tell them their personal details using cold reading.

Is that person younger than you? The best. Is it a son type figure?

Yes. Has your son passed on. Yes. do not want you to get upset. Is

there a piece of jewellery that is significant? Yes. Is it a ring?

That is interesting. I knew those things. It is scary. This is the

person with the dark hair? Yes. About this sort of length? Yes.

is she saying about the dogs? This will make sense to you rather than

me? Something about dogs. That is creepy. What happened. A where I

used to work. I sometimes used to get puppies in who we were training.

Is it Doreen Orde Dorian? Who is she? Doreen. That is my ex-boss.

She died about four years ago. not psychic, but I am able to work

out things by your responses and the way you react. Batters all I am

doing. So they all think Stephen is putting on an act. For Stephen, for

such a good talker, he turned remarkably quiet. He gave us a

statement which said he would never succumb to cold reading. His

questions are for clarification of the factors. And our experts are

not in the least be qualified to judge has worked. He also said he

did not advertise his shows as entertainment shows because they

were genuine. But while he was telling us that, he changed his

website to say they were for entertainment only. He would not

explain that contradiction. Stranger still wear the messages he

received on the psychic phone from Ennis's fictional dead boyfriend.

Remember, the one she made up. His statement said that was an

appalling example of theft because the spirit's message was real and

meant for another person. Ennis had stolen it. Stephen would not

explain why the spirit did not just say, no, that is not my ex-

girlfriend. We have presented evidence suggesting Stephen

Holbrook is not the real thing. He uses techniques employed by

entertainers. He now admits on his website that he is an entertainer.

For years, Stephen made a lot of money exploiting people's grief.

Some may get comfort from what he does but they need to consider the

tricks of the trade we have shown Still to come: The tragic legacy of

a caving rescue here in the Peak District. When I got there, it did

Now, when a London council recently suggested people move north to help

with their housing shortage, it was a concept which drew a lot of

negative headlines but it is not a new idea. Over a decade ago lot of

Cockneys moved up here for a fresh start in a new home. How did they

take to life in the north and could London councils may be moving

people to area where rents are cheaper like the north of England

and it has caused uproar. It is wrong, inappropriate and

potentially against the law. here in Huddersfield it did not

seem like a ridiculous idea because they have done it 12 years ago. It

is not the most obvious of places to look for a solution to the

capital's housing crisis but Huddersfield was for a short while

the destination of choice for Cockneys looking to move out of

time. I said anything near Halifax is wonderful. It cannot be that bad.

It was a Mini exodus, hundreds of Londoners making new lives in this

land of rolling hills and empty spaces and at the time, a load of

empty council houses. Some of these houses were houses we sold to

London people who came for a look around. Back in 1999, this man's

job was to find new tenants to fill 1,000 of those homes. In those days

I used to get up early at 5:30am and watch breakfast television.

Tony Blair has talked about the scandal of people living rough on

the streets. At that time they were doing interviews for people in

London who were homeless people. I thought, even if we could get some

of our properties in Kirklees for these homeless people, that would

be really good to get half a dozen people out of London into a nice

house. He took his idea around councils in inner-city London and

persuaded them to send prospective This is one of our three-bedroom

houses. New PVC windows. I was very cautious to tell them that it was

going to be easy to come out of London into Kirklees because if

they were not sure, it would be a difficult way to get back. Some

people were able to resist the delights of Huddersfield and headed

straight back to London but many others took up the offer. The

questionnaires, did it ever become home? -- the question it is. This

moved up with a extended family from the East End. I built this

about eight years ago. Joyce has won prizes for the way she has

looked after the properties. They become homes. My daughter moved up

here first. She found a scheme that was moving people up north and they

were now living here on the same street. They said, why don't you

get one, up mum? I said, they are never going to get me a property.

The chances of me getting one in London were nothing. Within the

first couple of weeks, they offered me a flat around the corner. We

didn't even know we with different. Sometimes it was fun. The words

they say different live. But, you know, we didn't have too much

problem. This seemed to work with us. Up to 1,000 people moved out of

London in a two-year period. were the pioneers and people from

Newcastle, Hull, anywhere with lots and lots of properties. The new

tenants were happy, too. A BBC film crew caught up with a family who

had moved to an estate in Lincoln in 2001. I was shocked when people

would say excuse me, thank you, good morning. I am not used to

that! We used to have to go out in the morning and make sure there was

no syringes and broken glass before we took them to school. This is

Colin today and running a volunteer group on the same estate and

cooking up a full English for friends and neighbours every Friday.

I have done lots of gardening, lots of decorating, lots of clearing the

snow, a lot of shopping for all Dave pension has been they could

not get out. We have done a lot. Many of their friends and

neighbours are also Londoners in exile. There are people near us now

who only lived a few miles away from where we used to live, which

is strange. It was a bit weird when I first moved. I thought they had

just invented the wheel. Obviously London is a bit faster than what

Lincoln is. It is the best thing we've done. I have two kids. The

16-year-old stayed on at school, the 14-year-old is deciding what he

wants to do but they would not have got that choice in London. Spurred

on by the success in places like Huddersfield and Lincoln, the out

of London project was extended and became part of a national scheme.

Council tenants could now relocate anywhere in the country. We had

many thousands of very happy tenants moving, often to be closer

to their families, and it was very successful and actually very cost-

effective. In 2004, the government of the day decided it wanted to

test out the value of the scheme and it therefore gave the contract

to another organisation to run the national scheme.

But computer software problems stopped it dead. No-one was moving

anywhere, and it was haemorrhaging money. The programme was so badly

delayed that with �10 million already spent, the government axed

the contract and suspended all house move schemes. London councils

stepped in but the momentum was already lost. There is no longer a

mobility scheme, but there are still tenants who want to get out

of London. I've recently suffered a couple of family bereavements. I

have got health problems, disabilities, and I don't have any

family in London any more so it is really important for me, when I

lost my family members, to be able to move back up the north.

The only option for people like Kirstein who need to stay in social

housing is to find a house swap. But they have to do this for

themselves, not through the council. And it's not guaranteed they will

find someone in the right place who wants to move. I knew there well

various websites that did have them and I found somebody surprisingly

if we wanted to move to London, and this part of London, from

Chesterfield. They had the same size house as me and everything and

I could not believe my luck. Kirstein is now ready to move out.

We started the process or 20th August and we signed the final

paperwork yesterday! -- on 28th August. It doesn't necessarily

always go as swiftly as you would like. London councils are now being

forced to look outside the capital for emergency housing but it seems

the supplier of vacant homes has dried up. We contacted housing

providers across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and ask them if they

would be willing to take the London tenants. Out of 49 who responded,

only four would even consider this. So there is unlikely to be another

exodus to Kirklees or anywhere near here anytime soon. Thousands of

people needs homes but there seems no political will to turn back the

clocks. Some things are out of our control in life, whether it is

health and other issues. It is kind of nice to have control over where

you want to live. Now, in 1959 a young student became

trapped in one of the caves that criss-crossed the landscape up here

in the Peak District. Mountain rescue was still in its infancy and

the mission to save him gripped the This is one of the most beautiful

places in the country - the Derbyshire Peak District. These

limestone hills are hollow, full of caves and underground passages. For

decades, cavers have been lured to discover the secrets of its depths.

But beneath the beauty, it can be a place of danger. For 60 years,

Derbyshire Cave Rescue has saved hundreds of people in trouble

underground. Regular training means they are prepared for anything. But

just seven years after it was formed, an incident arose which

tested the fledgling organisation to its limits. This is Peak Cavern

where in 1959 the world watched, gripped, while one of the most

dramatic cave rescue bids in history took place. You could hear

his heart beating, you could hear him making noises. But at about two,

it went quiet. If you'd seen it, it looked

absolutely suicidal to go down there.

On 22nd of March 1959, a group of cavers entered Peak Cavern near

Castleton in Derbyshire with the intention of exploring a newly

discovered shaft. Their route would take them a kilometre underground,

eventually ending at a large chamber.

Among the party was Neil Moss, a young man from Oxford University, a

philosophy student with a passion for caving, eager to discover the

hidden depths of this enormous cave system. He was 6 ft 3, fit. The

journey was a challenge, taking in water, long crawls and tight

squeezes, but Neil was an experienced caver.

An hour and a half later, the party had arrived at the chamber. Neil

volunteered to go down first, into a passage which was no more than a

narrow tube. Ten minutes later, and 40 feet down, he was in trouble.

The problem was caused by the fact he was so tall. When he got to the

narrow bit, he couldn't bend his legs to set foot on the ladder.

That's when he shouted he was stuck. The rest of the party tried pulling

him out, but the ladder had got stuck. They got ropes round him,

but one after another broke. He was starting to lose consciousness

because of the foul air. One of the party made the long

journey to the surface to raise the alarm. Volunteer cavers made their

way to the chamber. Some went down the shaft several times, but each

time were driven back by the lack of oxygen.

It was clear the situation was desperate. Neil's parents were

informed, and the rescue was stepped up.

Before long, this quiet village became the centre of a massive

rescue operation. Hundreds of people turned out to offer to help

in whatever way they could. It was just like a fairground. Lama will

vehicles of all descriptions. Ambulances, but National Coal Board.

At that time, we had no idea what was happening. Lorry-loads of

oxygen arrived, doctors from the nearby RAF base called in, and the

BBC transmitted regular bulletins. A rope has been put around the

injured student and they've managed to move him about two feet.

there a doctor passing him oxygen? Yes. Is this Judean conscious?

don't think so far. -- is the student conscious? The rescue had

now gone into its second day. About this time a young caver called

Ralph Johnson turned up to offer his help. He was only 17, small and

perfect for the job. I was overwhelmed. I had never done

anything like that before. When I got there, it didn't look good. I

looked down the hall and there was a ladder down, and oxygen line to

Neil. I went down with a safety line and an oxygen line to me. You

can imagine what it was like with all of these pipes.

By now doctors were working in shifts to attend Neil should they

manage to get him out. Geoffrey Willis was a young GP from Buxton.

We were there for hours, pumping oxygen and listening to the

breathing. It would very. Sometimes it was quite regular, sometimes it

would fade away. Then they would pump more oxygen down. We hoped we

were going to do something. It was frantic, the efforts to try and

help him. By now, the story had gone global.

Telegrams were arriving from France, Germany, America, suggesting ways

of helping Neil. Castleton resident Pat Dale remembers. I was in the

post office when the telegrams were coming in. Bearing in mind they had

the minimal amount of words on a telegram to try to get the

explanation across as to how they could get this young man out of the

cave. It was quite distressing listening to the people trying to

explain by telegram what to do. Rubber night, conditions had

worsened. -- throughout the night. The idea was that I would go down

and attach a rope to him. By this time they had put an iron hook on

the end of the rope and the idea was to get it under his armpits.

But to be honest, I didn't know where he was. All I could do was

feel him. Before I went down, I thought it

didn't seem possible they wouldn't get him out, but when I went down,

it became obvious it was a lost cause. Despite the best efforts of

the rescuers, nothing more could be done. Neil was close to death.

He was making noises, very weak, like someone asleep. Just making

sounds. Sadly... The last sound he made was at 2am. The eye was

standing on his shoulders. But I couldn't actually see him. I knew I

was standing on somebody because it was soft. That was it. I had to

come out. Neil Moss died early in the morning

on Tuesday 24th March, 36 hours after entering the shaft. The

rescue was abandoned and everyone made their way out.

Neil's father had kept vigil through the long hours. As Geoffrey

Willis left the cave, he noticed him nearby. One sad, sad thing.

Neil Moss's father was standing apart on his own. I wish I had gone

and spoken to him but I felt I would leave him to his own grief

really. His parents made it clear we

weren't to risk anyone else. Neil was dead and nothing would bring

him back. If we could have got the body out, it would have been nice

but we were not to take any risks. Several attempts were made to

remove Neil's body but they've proved fruitless so it was decided

it should be his final resting place. The shaft was blocked up and

his body is still there today. The people of Castleton will never

forget what happened over those days in 1959. It was a very sad

affair and of course it lingers on. We all know that Neil Moss's body

is there and there is nothing anybody can do about it. Nobody

will ever go down again. Many lessons were learned from the

Neil Moss tragedy and Derbyshire Cave Rescue was completely

reorganised as a result of it. are often asked if the same thing

happened today, what would be the result? It is difficult to say.

Things have moved on unbelievably in those 50 years but it would

That is all from us in the Peak District. Remember if you have got