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Thanks to the deserved success of The Battersea Poltergeist series, we’ve been treated to another episode. In fact, it feels more like an epilogue – and Danny Robins, together with Ciaran O’Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow, have a few more surprises in store.

Surprisingly for a 60+ year old cold case, we have some new witnesses. This must be a direct result of the success of the podcast, as clearly it’s reached the ears of some of those connected to Shirley, and they’ve reached out to Danny which is a gift for us as listeners, in terms of further detail to enrich our enjoyment of the case. Amazingly, we have a first-hand account (well almost, it’s relayed by her brother) from a woman who worked with Shirley at Selfridges before Shirley was fired and can testify to the flying objects and poltergeist activity that were described in early episodes. We also hear from one of Chib’s old tax office colleagues and Shirley’s cousin, who gives further mind-blowing insight into the family’s perspective.

There are of course counter-points to the new predominantly #TeamBeliever witness testimonies from the ever-reliable Ciaran and from another #TeamSceptic expert, Deborah Hyde, who posits that it’s interesting that in all the destruction wrought by ‘Donald’, he never broke the TV. It’s kind of an 18th century member of the French royal family to be so considerate of 20th century technology.

Did Chib ‘lead the witness’, your Honour? There’s a valid argument made that his persistence in itself contributed to the extended length of Donald’s reign of terror – could Chib have cherry picked, even subconsciously, from the ‘other’ Battersea Poltergeist case 10 minutes’ walk away from Wycliffe Road? This case was made famous by Harry Price in a book in 1928, and this ‘script’ for a poltergeist haunting, as Deborah puts it, was available to those interested in paranormal culture. There are very many similarities in these two poltergeist cases and it’s unsettling and uncomfortable listening for those of us on #TeamBeliever to think that Chib could have fabricated or exacerbated any of these events.

Danny also covers some of our burning questions and once again talks to the resilient and brave Shirley. I personally was pleased to hear Shirley express her fury, looking back at the media’s treatment of her in 1956 with 2021 eyes – I too was furious when I heard those accounts in earlier episodes. You tell them, Shirley.

For me, the conclusion at the end of episode 8 was so balanced and satisfying that I was worried that a further episode would dilute this. Having reflected on the additional evidence, though, and heard Shirley’s theory too, it is still fascinating. The twist after the twist in the tale this time does give us at least one answer, but it’s not to the question: ‘was this a poltergeist?’ I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to answer that one. With the affectionate way that Shirley speaks of Chib to this day I can’t let go of the view that he helped her rather than hindered, and if I were Shirley I would need to believe that too.

Verdict: Interesting new witness testimonies and insight from Shirley and our experts in a case wrap up. Is the impossible possible? Possibly. 8/10

Claire Smith