Menstrual Blood

[JackiePreece]

The color of menstrual blood

There could be a wide range of normal menstruation blood color. Usually, it
is bright or light red in color, looking like the bleeding from a cut
finger especially at the onset of menstruation

[Jan]

The color of menstrual blood

There could be a wide range of normal menstruation blood color. Usually, it
is bright or light red in color, looking like the bleeding from a cut
finger especially at the onset of menstruation

I also doubt it would smell if it had been soaking in a bucket.

Anne said she had been wearing a dress in the day and unless these clothes appear in any police report I guess we only have her word for what state the tracksuit bottoms were in . But I am guessing the police did know about them because did they not ask Jeremy if he had grey track suit bottoms that he had left at the farm. So that would have been a bit of a co-incidence if they were not aware of them being in the bucket.

[Jane]

Is there verification, other than Ann's, of the items in the buckets? I just find it HUGELY strange that, in 1985, ANY soiled items were soaked in buckets, especially when there were sinks available, although I recognize it was a method favoured by mothers to soak toweling nappies.

[No-Bits]

Is there verification, other than Ann's, of the items in the buckets? I just find it HUGELY strange that, in 1985, ANY soiled items were soaked in buckets, especially when there were sinks available, although I recognize it was a method favoured by mothers to soak toweling nappies.

The sink in the utility area (next to the back door) is used for people Washing their hands after coming in off the farm, maybe that was also the case back then.

Would you soak things in the main kitchen sink? I have to admit, it's not a subject I know much about. 

[lookout]

 I rather feel that they were items which were used to mop up excess blood from the surrounding areas ( but by whom ?),as the scene was first described as being sheer savagery.

[No-Bits]

The sink in the utility area (next to the back door) is used for people Washing their hands after coming in off the farm, maybe that was also the case back then.

Would you soak things in the main kitchen sink? I have to admit, it's not a subject I know much about. 

There is another sink in the back kitchen/store.

[Jane]

There is another sink in the back kitchen/store.

I would probably hold any freshly soiled item under cold running water then put them straight into the washing machine. Are you saying that there were three available sinks?

[No-Bits]

I would probably hold any freshly soiled item under cold running water then put them straight into the washing machine. Are you saying that there were three available sinks?

Yeah, there is one near the back door, one in the kitchen (where Nevill was found), one in the back kitchen (I think they used to call it the dairy) and then there is also a small wash hand basin in the downstairs toilet (where Pargeters shotguns lived).

[Jane]

Yeah, there is one near the back door, one in the kitchen (where Nevill was found), one in the back kitchen (I think they used to call it the dairy) and then there is also a small wash hand basin in the downstairs toilet (where Pargeters shotguns lived).

Which makes it even MORE surprising that the outdated method of bucket-soaking soiled items was used........................unless, of course the buckets were simply a means of transporting the contents from A to B. We all -including Scipio who demands evidence for everything- have accepted what we've been TOLD those buckets contained, but did anyone check the contents? If not, we only have one person's word for it.

[No-Bits]

Which makes it even MORE surprising that the outdated method of bucket-soaking soiled items was used........................unless, of course the buckets were simply a means of transporting the contents from A to B. We all -including Scipio who demands evidence for everything- have accepted what we've been TOLD those buckets contained, but did anyone check the contents? If not, we only have one person's word for it.

Where were the buckets found? I forget, in the main kicked on in the utility area near the back door?

Soaking in buckets stops the sink from being out of action I suppose. 

I don't know, I understand what you are getting at though.

[lookout]

 Well if all that was in the buckets were Sheilas' drawers,then she must have had a haemorrhage !?

[Jane]

Where were the buckets found? I forget, in the main kicked on in the utility area near the back door?

Soaking in buckets stops the sink from being out of action I suppose. 

I don't know, I understand what you are getting at though.

Thanks for that, Harters. Please understand that this isn't directed at you -how could you know- but it's this kind of laissez faire attitude, from those who were supposed to be in control, which makes me SO angry. It seems that Ann may have been given carte blanche to take away, without restriction or even check, whatever she wanted, and her word for it was accepted. What, IMO, makes her explanation worse, is that it was virtually unchallengeable in that who would be likely to challenge a menstrual accident OR ask for proof of it? OK, so Sheila WAS menstruating but if she hadn't been it could simply have been said that she'd finished and the items had been in soak from the previous day. There was no one who could challenge it other than Jeremy and why would he even notice a bucket amid the general untidiness of the general kitchen area?

[JackiePreece]

How could Ann say with confidence she knew the difference between normal blood and menstruating blood?

[lookout]

That's just it,Jackie-------she couldn't. Why weren't these busybodies reprimanded for obstruction ?

Thing is,because the police didn't come under fire for destroying vital evidence ( a cause for a MOJ ) they weren't bothered.

[Jan]

How could Ann say with confidence she knew the difference between normal blood and menstruating blood?

I don't think she could - but if she looked at the clothes and the blood was in a certain area and together with the tampon box - then it is perfectly possible it is true . - in those days there was probably /maybe an old twin tub and if they were left in the "back kitchen"  in cold water before washing the next day it could all be quite logical. However I am surprised that Sheila left things like the tampon box around - its not the sort of thing you would do in your parents house.

However I agree the police should have checked more carefully because we only have her word for that.

Also can anyone remember seeing Sheilas dress in any of the pictures ? Anne says she took the dress she was wearing that day and kept it. Was it lying on the bed , hanging up? And how did she specifically know it was the dress she was wearing that day?  Just wondering really as if say it was in the bathroom and Sheila had a shower before getting changed into her nightie - it would sort of give us a bit more of a picture about the sequence of events .