Fast Times at Coombe Abbey: behind the scenes at Sage Paracon 3

I’m fortunate enough to attend a lot of conventions, everything from the big 70,000+ events and trade expos to the smaller, more intimate fan-run cons. There’s something enjoyable to be found at all of them, but some of them manage to stand out from the crowd.

This week I’m back home in the UK at Sage Paracon. Hands down, this has been one of my favorite events in 25 years of going to them. It’s being held at the gorgeous Coombe Abbey, the sort of place where you can happily get lost wandering the grounds and the park surrounding it. The insomnia-induced midnight and sunrise walks have really helped clear my head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some conventions are run purely as a business, but this one is different. It is quite plainly a labor of love on the part of MJ Dickson, her husband Duncan, and their Sage Tribe, the nicest collective of like-minded para-enthusiasts you could possibly wish to meet. One of the things that has struck me the most about Sage Paracon is just how nice and welcoming everybody is. The old saw about there being no strangers, just friends you haven’t met yet, holds absolutely true here. This is the very best side of paranormal fandom, and I can see why the word ‘family’ is used so much here. It really does have that kind of atmosphere.

On Friday night, all of the speakers ran a miniature paranormal investigation, rotating six groups of guests through various parts of the abbey. Each of us took a slightly different approach. Some of it was tech-heavy, while others took more of a traditional approach. I was impressed with the sheer enthusiasm and open-mindedness everybody brought to the table. It’s fair to say that I learned as much from our guests as I managed to teach them — perhaps more so. We went until past two in the morning, and if it weren’t for the jet lag, I would have liked to have gone on longer. Great questions, comments, and theories from the guests!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This event is obviously a labor of love on the part of MJ and her fellows. Running a convention is hard at the best of times, and I would imagine it to be doubly so when you are trying to be in six places at once. It’s the sort of thing you do because you love it, which is very apparent in the end result. Still, in between running around like blue-arsed flies, the Baron and Baroness of Coventry did find time to have some fun…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s no secret that there is a lot of in-fighting, territoriality, and back-stabbing amongst members of the paranormal  community, sadly enough. It’s also fair to say that some so-called ‘para-celebs’ can be a bit precious. Yet there’s not a hint of that here. Each and every one of the speakers has been warm, gracious, friendly, and supportive. All of them are class acts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Fleming, pictured above with a guest named Tracy, has appeared in a host of paranormal shows. A psychic medium by profession, Chris is also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. His TV persona comes off as being very serious, but off-screen this bloke is comedy gold. He has that effortless ability to have people in stitches with the most off-the-cuff remark. I’ve learned a great deal about mediumship and the intricacies of the spirit box from talking to him this weekend.

Chris’s investigative partner in his latest show is Barri Ghai, pictured below with psychic medium Barrie John (put them together and you have Baz Squared). Barri is a tech guy when it comes to investigating, working at the opposite end of the spectrum to Chris. He also plays a mean game of beer pong, as we learned in the bar last night, and is the life and soul of the party.

Barrie is an erudite and friendly chap who has spent many years working in the field of mediumship. We had a very enjoyable full English breakfast this morning and discussed the state of the paranormal scene on both sides of the Atlantic. This fellow has a great deal of insight into the way things are changing in the field.

Things went from happy to serious in a hurry last night in the bar…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I remember hearing Aaron Sagers performing a segment quite regularly on Dave Schrader’s radio show. The man has a wealth of knowledge on the subject of paranormal pop culture, and can talk for hours on how entertainment and the paranormal interface with one another. He’s also quite the raconteur, particularly when donning a fez and whipping out his sonic screwdriver (insert obligatory ‘that’s what she said’ reference here).  Here’s Aaron in his natural habitat, having hi-jinks while flanked by Barrie and I…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s always worrisome meeting somebody in person whose work you have always respected from TV or books. Having met her briefly in the past, I already knew that Katrina Weidman was a truly nice, genuine person. As we were the only two speakers flying into Heathrow from the US, we shared a car journey (a big shout-out to the hard-working Carl, who drove us) and spent a couple of hours talking American politics (hmmm…there might be a TV show there…Political Lockdown, maybe).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She is very friendly and engaged with her fans, and a real pleasure to spend time with. Proof positive that being successful in the media doesn’t have to go to your head in the slightest.

Last but by no means least is Karen A. Dahlman, representing the Talking Board Historical Society. In addition to being an expert on all things spirit board, Karen is without a doubt the most American human being I’ve ever met, a one-woman blizzard of energy that hit the dance floor like a tornado and never let up. I got tired just watching that girl dance. I was thrilled to learn yesterday that Karen and I will both be presenting at Troy Taylor’s Haunted America conference next summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sitting here at my vendor’s table in the vendors room, all I can see is the speakers hanging out with the guests and talking about all manner of things. This is an experience that you just don’t get at the bigger conventions, where the guests are usually kept separate from the speakers, apart from very brief photo and autograph sessions (that you usually have to queue up for). There’s a lot of one-on-one quality time going on here, and a very relaxed, easy-going atmosphere. My only regret is that I can’t be in two places at once, because there’s a lot of fascinating stuff going on elsewhere at the convention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re interested in all things paranormal, you’ll have a blast at Sage Paracon. With a 2019 event already on the cards (see www.sageparacon.co.uk) I can’t recommend it highly enough. This is a prime example of how the paranormal community gets it right.