Part 1
Working with
the Angels
‘I am near you, can you feel me?
Can you sense my wings around you?
Do you know that I’m beside you?
Can you tell you’re not alone?’
Jacky Newcomb
My Psychic Life
‘Millions of spiritual creatures walk the Earth
Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.’
JOHN MILTON, PARADISE LOST
In one way you could say I’ve been working with the angels my whole life… in another you could simply say that they began working with me in a serious way about 12 years ago… give or take a bit! Angels have popped in and out of my life over my whole life, really, and my family as a whole has always been a little spooky… especially me!
My sisters and I had paranormal phenomena occur throughout our childhood: deceased relatives were regular visitors in dreams, for example. At first it was just Uncle Eric, Dad’s brother, but then many years later when Dad passed on he too became a regular visitor; so much so that my sister Madeline Richardson and I wrote a book about our family’s psychic adventures after Dad passed away. Dad, like Eric before him, flickered lights, set off alarms and messed with music playing on the CD player and radio. He was even able to change the TV channel; and, of course, like my own guardian angel, Dad and Uncle Eric also left white feathers as signs that they had been around, reminding me that everything would be OK.
This very week, for example, Dad came to visit. Dad was a big fisherman in life – it was one of his ‘signs’, if you like. We even hung a set of painted wooden fish on his coffin (with the words ‘Gone fishing’ written on the side). Dad is always around, but now he was ready with a clever new way of showing me that he was with me…
I’ve been working on my website (my husband and I build websites), and as usual got carried away with the time. I’d worked literally all night and it was now 7:30 in the morning. I suddenly felt that I was no longer alone, and whispered to an unseen person, ‘Yes, I’ll just finish this and then I’ll go right to bed.’ I had just gathered together a selection of magazine covers and was assembling them into one last picture ready to display on the website. I typed in the name of the file, ‘magazine montage’, and hit the save button. As I looked up at the screen, ready to move my new image into place, I noticed it had been renamed something else. My file was now called ‘FISHING’! Even the most sceptical must admit it’s not easy to mistype ‘fishing’ in place of the word ‘magazine’! No other files or pictures on my entire computer were named fishing – I’d not visited any websites by this name, there was no way I could have named my file this way by accident (I have no interest in fishing!). My caller was Dad, of course, visiting from the other side to see what I was up to, and likely wondering why I had stayed up all night! Bless him.
Regular readers will know that this phenomenon – spontaneous afterlife communication – fills many of my books. I love to share real-life stories of angels and the afterlife. Who needs fiction? Real life is far more mind-blowing, isn’t it?
Like my other books, this one also contains stories of angel protection and love. I’ve interviewed many of the people who’ve shared their stories with me so that we can indulge in a little more background about who the people are and why their stories are so special… I wanted to share the stories behind the encounters.
I haven’t stayed on the point of strictly ‘angel stories’, though; many other dramatic and thought-provoking encounters deserve a hearing, too, so I’ve mixed them all together for your perusal. I know that you will be moved and stunned, as I have been. Can these stories be true? They are, all of them, real-life encounters from normal, everyday folk just like you and me.
It’s exciting to see that other people, too, have begun writing about their angel stories – the craze has really caught on. Over the years, more and more celebrities have reached out to say that they too believe in angels. Many TV personalities read my books and are happy to talk about their own beliefs in magazines and newspaper interviews. ‘I believe in angels…’ they admit, or ‘An angel helped me to get where I am today…’ they suggest, without a hint of embarrassment! What this all means, of course, is that these days it’s OK to talk about your angels. It’s acceptable to believe in these other-worldly beings. But if you’re like me, you already do!
FINE-TUNING… WITH AN ‘ANGEL DIET!’
My own journey has taken a real turn this year. Over previous years my angels have suggested politely that I might consider looking at my diet. They wanted me to concentrate on higher-vibration foods: fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, seeds, nuts and high-quality proteins (I don’t eat meat but love fish). I began in a half-hearted way – sugar was a big craving for me – but the angels were insistent that I shouldn’t be eating it. I needed to be ‘lighter’ spiritually.
While leaving room for my ‘free-will’, I suddenly found that foods I had eaten my whole life and enjoyed (cakes, biscuits, sweets… especially chocolate, thick white bread, cream and sugar) were no longer able to stick around in my body. I suddenly found I had a sort of allergy to them. I’ve also cut right down on salt (my blood pressure reduced as a result). Not that I am complaining – my brain seems clearer for the healthier diet. With very few processed foods entering my body, I’ve noticed a difference in the way I feel… and look.
The world is changing and we must change with it. Never have we had access to such a wide variety of lovely fresh fruits and vegetables; organic produce has come down in price, and of course many of us can grow our own. Even if all you can manage is a windowbox or a few pots on the windowsill, you can grow fresh herbs to cook with.
Fresh water is still cheaper to drink than pretty well everything else, and it’s what our bodies crave more than anything. Headaches and all types of things are caused by dehydration – are you drinking enough water?
Another thing I’ve been drawn to this year is spirulina, a blue/green algae supplement in tablet form and available from healthfood shops. It’s full of iron (useful if you don’t eat meat), is almost a ‘whole food’ and gives me great energy (it easily replaces the sugar I used to eat with the energy boost it gives me). Some manufacturers claim it has other properties, too, but I’ll leave you to decide that for yourself. And please do remember to consult with your doctor before making any changes in your diet.
Have I suddenly become a ‘health nut’? No! I do stretches and lift some light weights most days, swim once or twice a week and use a gym maybe once or twice a week. I’m getting there! I have lost weight, it’s true – a useful side-effect. I still eat chips occasionally and drink the odd glass of champagne… a girl’s got to have a little fun, right? We all need to be naughty occasionally (but don’t tell anyone I said that!).
IAN LAWMAN BURIED ALIVE
Last year I followed along while my friend, TV medium and exorcist Ian Lawman, was buried alive for charity. Ian ‘lived’ in a small coffin-shaped box, six feet under in the grounds of the haunted Dudley Castle in the West Midlands. He survived on water and food tablets during his quest, which lasted seven days. Mad? Maybe, but also very brave. Ian was raising money for two great charities: Help for Heroes and PC David Rathband’s Blue Lamp Foundation. PC Rathband has sadly since passed away.
While Ian was buried under nearly two tons of soil, I, along with many of his fans, were following along in the live chatroom… it was very addictive and I found myself checking in regularly! Several times a day Ian chatted to fans with the aid of a webcam that was attached to the inside of the ‘coffin’. Fans asked questions in the chatroom and a friend at the scene passed on the messages. Ian was able to reply to fans with the help of the webcam, and this was streamed live.
Ian had several paranormal experiences while he was buried underground, including spirits who visited him while he was asleep – did they think he had died like them? Ian was sealed into his box, although he did have a glass tube above his head (
also sealed), which meant that he had some subdued natural light coming from above. The whole area of the ‘burial’ site was covered with a tent and Ian was guarded 24 hours a day by volunteers.
My favourite thing of all, though, was when Ian communicated with me via text (he had a mobile phone with him which he was able to use for occasional text messages to family and friends; no signal for chatting, though). I told Ian that I believed he was being protected by angels during his experience. The very next day, Ian texted me to say that when he woke up he found a white feather stuck to the upper (sealed) side of the glass partition above his head! Even more strange was the fact that this mysterious feather later disappeared. It seems the angels really were watching over him after all. Congratulations on raising so much money, Ian!
ITV’S THIS MORNING… ON ANGELS
I was delighted to be invited on to ITV’s This Morning for a special slot about angels. I love appearing on the show and have done so a number of times over the years. This time I sat alongside TV presenter and angel-believer Gloria Hunniford. Immaculately dressed and lovely as always, we chatted together in the studio about our beliefs and then carried on our conversation in the Green Room afterwards.
Gorgeous presenter Holly Willoughby was pregnant during my appearance and I was delighted to have sourced an angel-teddy (a teddy with angel wings) as a gift for her that I handed over during our segment. Holly went on to have a healthy baby girl shortly afterwards… I hope she liked her teddy!
The feedback on e-mail and on Facebook following the show was phenomenal, and as always I came home with some great photographs as mementos.
…AND GHOSTS
TV medium Barrie John made an appearance on This Morning just a couple of weeks later. He was on the show to discuss ghosts. Poor Holly appeared frightened during the segment and at one point actually left the studio. Her co-presenter Phillip Schofield said that he’s never had anyone leave during an interview before… and on this occasion it was actually his co-host.
The studio decided they had better get Holly some help, and sent in the professionals: psychotherapists and personal development coaches Nik and Eva Speakman. The couple worked with Holly to desensitize her to her fear of spooky phenomenon and, a few days later, Barrie was asked back to the studio to do the session again. Sadly this time he was unable to appear due to prior commitments, so he recommended that I take his place.
Now, Cornwall is a long way from London. Mum had just arrived from the Midlands for a holiday (a few hours’ drive away) but the programme makers were kind enough to accommodate her, too, and with husband John driving the three of us had a fantastic time in the capital. I suggested to Mum and John that they sneak into the studio during my TV appearance. Mum was thrilled at the opportunity of the unexpected London trip… and having her photograph taken with Phillip and Holly was an unforeseen treat! She loved it!
I was delighted to be asked to appear on the show again so soon after my last appearance. This time I was a guest alongside Dr Chris French, whose main research interest is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and paranormal experiences. He was the ‘sceptic’ and I was the ‘believer’. In reality our beliefs are quite similar, so I joked with Chris before the show that we should have a pretend fight on air to make for a more dramatic appearance… we didn’t, but as Holly was now cured of her ‘phobia’ we ended up the four of us having a really good giggle during the segment! Well done, Holly!
MEETING RIGHT SAID FRED
More fun: I was thrilled to have been invited to go to London to see Right Said Fred in concert. Singer Fred Fairbrass is a Facebook friend, and my husband and I set off to spend another night in London. The brothers were amazing and we found ourselves singing along to all their old hits.
Richard Fairbrass and I had exchanged a few messages on Twitter and he told me that they’d once lived in a haunted home. This was fascinating to me. I’m planning on interviewing the brothers soon to discover more about their psychic story; perhaps I’ll include it in a future book!
PSORIASIS
Most of us have issues with our health and mine is that I have the skin condition psoriasis. Psoriasis is a skin disease that occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious but it’s very annoying! Certain spots of skin ‘renew’ more regularly than the rest, which results in copious skin shedding and white ‘Smartie-sized’ patches of skin dotted along the limbs. This can cause challenges with the type of clothes I wear… sparkly is good as it hides skin flakes! It can be challenging to have this condition when you’re in the public eye. The beautiful reality TV star Kim Kardashian and the singer LeAnn Rimes have both spoken about their own struggles with psoriasis.
During a routine visit to my local hospital I was asked to speak to BBC Radio Cornwall about the condition. I loved the opportunity of discussing psoriasis with the public – anything to help others understand. Many people with psoriasis find themselves lacking in confidence; it’s a very debilitating and embarrassing condition. I have found many ways of dealing with it myself – humour being one of them – so I jumped at the chance of speaking openly about it. After the interview the presenter told me, ‘That was great, I can see you’ve done this before…’ and I had, although usually I’m talking about the paranormal, of course… little did he know! Shhh!
Please visit my website www.jackynewcomb.com for more information.
…AND GAY RIGHTS!
Shortly afterwards I stayed up late to listen to a friend speak as a guest on talkSPORT Radio. Unfortunately I’d got the timing wrong and missed my friend’s slot completely. Strangely enough I had tuned in to a section about gay rights. Listening to a very obnoxious and rude man who suggested that all homosexuals should be shot, I could feel myself getting mad. Are there really so many ignorant people in the world? I couldn’t help myself, so I was full of confidence as I rang the talkSPORT studio. My call was put through and of course I wasn’t angry on the phone, just the voice of reason! We are all equal in God’s eyes, are we not? Live and let live! We humans need to be more tolerant about all types of lifestyles and personal preferences!
So there we go, two unexpected radio interviews… not on my ‘usual’ subjects, but both worth speaking up about!
CORNWALL TODAY MAGAZINE
When we lived in Staffordshire I was featured a couple of times in the local glossy magazine, Staffordshire Life. Naturally I was keen to do the same with the Cornwall county magazine Cornwall Today once we had moved to the area.
The lovely Liz Norbury and photographer Charles Frances appeared at my home to do a type of ‘at home’ feature with my husband John and me. Being prepared, we’d rushed out to the local garden centre and filled the garden pots with flowering plants… just in case any outdoor photographs were needed (a good excuse for more flowers, I thought). The garden looked lovely.
A last-minute photograph of me holding my small black cat Magik was one that made it into the magazine, along with a photograph of me standing by the front door – alongside all my new flowering pots (phew, justified!). John was also featured standing next to his beloved motorbike – the feature complete! We had such a lot of fun and of course there is always way more I want to say than there’s room for in a magazine! I can talk about my favourite subject for hours, and love to give readers the opportunity of seeing how an ordinary person can have an extraordinary interest!
BLONDE BOMBSHELL?
A journalist friend of mine gave me a call one day to ask if I would be interested in doing a magazine feature about my hair. ‘You’ve made a dramatic change to your hair, haven’t you Jacky?’ she asked. Of course I had – I used to be a brunette but now I am a blonde! (You thought it was natural? Thanks!)
I quickly found some old photographs and then searched out some new ones. I know I love those before-and-after shots, so I assumed her readers would, too. I just hoped the readers would like the new look better than the old! It was great to featur
e in a glossy magazine!
PICTURE THIS
Then in June I seemed to have a houseful of people. My sister Madeline (Richardson) and I, having just written a book together, decided we needed some publicity shots taken. I always like to have nice photographs ‘in stock’ ready for any magazine or newspaper article that comes my way – because if you don’t have your own photograph ready, the publication will send their own photographer. Call me a control-freak if you like, but I prefer to choose my own photographs rather than wait and see what they’ve gone with!
We called upon a local photographer to come out to my house to take some photographs, both formal and informal. He arrived with a lot of equipment – the white backdrop was going to be way too big to fit into the room, but we had a white window blind ready to hang and use instead. It worked pretty well, but when it was pinned into place it became immediately obvious you could see right through to the doorway underneath. I should not have underestimated our clever photographer, though, as he’d brought along many different lights and reflectors. By the time he had finished you could see almost nothing but a perfectly white, translucent backdrop, which looked exactly like we were posing in a studio.
Protected by Angels Page 2
