Loremen Podcast
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Join the Loremen (James Shakeshaft and Alasdair Beckett-King) as they "investigate" local legends and forgotten folklore.
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The Loremen return to the good old U S of America.
Inspired by a gift from a listener, the boys head to Monterey Bay, CA, and tangle with a whole bunch of sea beasts. (Or should that be school? Pod? Flock? What is the collective noun for aquatic cryptids?) We meet the monkey-faced Old Man of Monterey (AKA Bobo) and some real-life red-haired sea serpents.
So join us, under the sea! It's enchanting!*
*Yes that is a veiled Back To The Future reference. Yes, James wrote this blurb.
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
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1The Loremen lived again - again! This is the second installment of the live show recorded in Oxford (famed birthplace of the comma) as part of the Saint Audio Podcast Festival. James guides our live audience around the spooky environs of Oxford, this time courtesy of John Richardson's Oxford & County Ghost Stories.
In Part 2, the boys encounter a pair of workmen's ghosts up the Woodstock Road, we witness a clay-tastrophe and James manages to squeeze in a bonus story that he had ran out of time to tell in the live.
The full Livestream is here:
https://youtube.com/live/KUPu3MGUuUc
Loreboys nether say die!
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The Loremen lived again! This episode was recorded in Oxford (the Cambridge of Oxfordshire) as part of the Saint Audio Podcast Festival. James takes Alasdair and a live lorefolk audience on a tour of the county, courtesy of Mike White's book The Ox-Files.
In Part 1, the boys encounter an apparition in Burford, a haunted cellar and a teeny-tiny crocodile (deceased).
Apologies in advance for James's American accent. Part 2 is coming next week, but if you can't wait then the full Livestream is here:
https://youtube.com/live/KUPu3MGUuUc
Loreboys nether say die!
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Welcome to Bamburgh Castle! Make yourself at home, especially if you're name's Lancelot du Lac. Don't mind the enormous venom-spitting toad. There's a funny story behind that, actually. It's the Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh...
The boys visit Bamburgh, possibly England's most dramatic castle, rising up from the waves on a volcanic dolerite outcrop. And the legends surrounding the ancient Northumbrian settlement are no less dramatic. We're talking phoney ballads, wicked stepmothers, loathsome dragons and the mountain bard Drunken Frasier. Sorry, Duncan Frasier.
Plus, a cameo from legendary northern car dealership, Reg Vardy.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
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Richard Herring, a comedian who straddles England's North/South divide like a podcasting colossus, joins the boys for a deep dive into one of Somerset's deepest dives.
It's Cheddar Gorge! Somerset's answer to the question, "Which Somerset attraction is almost as good as Wookey Hole?" Prepare to meet the Witches of Pocklington, the Devil (himself), grumpy gravediggers and what might be the birth of a new cryptid...
You can catch Richard on his Can I Have My Ball Back? UK Tour. And please give generously to his Movember fundraiser: www.justgiving.com/page/ballback
And check out our YouTube Channel to watch and listen to this episode at the same time: https://youtu.be/voIwAgwLFLw
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
youtube.com/loremenpodcast
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The Loreboys meet the audacious Scottish con man "Sir" Gregor MacGregor. Calling himself the Cazique of Poyais, this charismatic ex-soldier is the mastermind behind a debacle that will make Fyre Island look like Centre Parcs.
He's selling land and government bonds belonging to the Central American kingdom of Poyais. The big problem being: Poyais doesn't exist. The year is 1823, and this South Sea bubble is going to pop. Around 170 victims of the scam will die. But will Scotland's biggest hoaxter get off Scot free?
(Yes.)
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
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Where wolves? James attempts to answer that question with a midnight excursion to Cannock Chase. This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is home to a range of distinctly unnatural creatures. We're talking lycanthropes, black eyed children, numerous UFOs and at least one pigman.
In fact, there are many reports of uncanny incidents in Cannock Chase, James went all the way to Staffordshire to investigate. Alas, our intrepid loreboy encountered a much more human phenomenon.
SAUCINESS WARNING: This episode contains references to a grown up activity. One that takes place at night, in car parks. Pay and Display (without the pay) if you know what we mean...
The Quantum Mechanics - Paranormal Podcast
Rural Concerns
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
youtube.com/loremenpodcast
www.instagram.com/loremenpod
www.facebook.com/loremenpod
Thersa Matsuura of Uncanny Japan joins the Loreboys for a tale with more human faces than you've had hot dinners with human faces*. We look at a bunch of Yōkai that can take a look right back at us. From fish with a face to a blister with a kisser, these jinmen will give you the jitters. Especially the fish, because they're real. (No seriously... there are videos.)
* Unless you dine exclusively on McCain's Smiles.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
youtube.com/loremenpodcast
www.instagram.com/loremenpod
www.facebook.com/loremenpod
James lures Alasdair back down to the water's edge for an Important Mermaid Update! The Hayfield Mermaid first appeared in Series 2 (get up to speed here). Somehow, the Loreboys managed to overlook yet another freshwater mermaid in a nearby bottomless pool. And the grasping creature that dwells in the waters of Blakemere has a heck of a backstory.
It's Hayfield Mermaids 2: Mere-lectric Mere-galoo!
Disclaimer: some of this episode's "breaking news" is at least 40 years old.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
youtube.com/loremenpodcast
www.instagram.com/loremenpod
www.facebook.com/loremenpod
This year's live show at the Leicester Comedy festival was a delight. The lorefolk were in fine form and James rustled up a folkloric feast, including 'facts' from Geoffrey Hodson's 1925 book Fairies at Work and at Play.
Sadly, fairy mischief meant that our recorder batteries died towards the end of the show, so the final portion of this episode has been reconstructed from a low-quality backup. You'll hardly notice! Unless you listen to the episode, in which case you'll definitely notice.
Why not defy the fairy curse and join us for another live show? The Loreboys are going live again in Oxford on May 25th:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
(We'll bring lots of spare AA batteries to this one, we promise.)
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
youtube.com/loremenpodcast
www.instagram.com/loremenpod
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April is the time for fooling, especially in Scotland where the first of the month is Huntigowk Day: a day for tartan paint, long stands and other bootless errands. James and Alasdair (a pair of anti-prank killjoys) spent this April Fool's investigating Loch Ness, a body of water which has seen more than its share of hoaxes. But one monster prank from April 1st 1972 really takes the cake.
Is that cake? Or is it an enormous, half-defrosted elephant seal? Find out when the Loreboys meet an English zoologist up to no good on the banks of Loch Ness.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
youtube.com/loremenpodcast
www.instagram.com/loremenpod
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The cats from Long Cat Media came back! Lindsay Sharman and Laurence Owen (who are so award-nominated they seem to have gained another nomination since last week) return. And they bring with them a first-hand sighting of a cryptid. That's right, Laurence saw Derbyshire's elusive Beast of Belper.
Meanwhile, James Shakeshaft has not been shake-shirking his research duties. He's on the trail of the Surrey Puma, and he's found photographic evidence that will blow you away (if you've never seen a picture of a normal cat before).
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
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The cats from Long Cat Media lure the Loreboys to the wild, wild east. Lindsay Sharman and Laurence Owen (the excessively award-nominated podcasters behind Mockey Manor and Magenta Presents) are on the trail of a hound with a thunderous bark and eyes like saucers. It's a terrifying beast that can turn even the bravest churchgoer into a quivering, crumpled crisp packet of a man...
Yes, this episode brings the Loremen face-to-snout with East Anglia's infamous Black Shuck! And we welcome back Old Shuck's alter ego: the man-scrumpling dog of Bungay.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
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[RECORD SCRATCH] I suppose you're wondering how we got here? Well, it all started when James told Alasdair the story of a spectral hound that dwells on the border of Devon and Dorset. (AKA In-Dorset and Next-Dorset.)
A sighting of the black dog could be a bad omen, but it might just make you rich. (There is actually a third option, but that involves helium and a peculiarly shaped nozzle...)
No dogs were inflated during the recording of this episode.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
youtube.com/loremenpodcast
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What does it sound like when a spooky story has James Shakeshaft quaking in his (big giant's) boots? You'll find out in this episode, because Alasdair has torn two hair-raising mysteries from the pages of W. T. Stead's book of Real Ghost Stories.
Meet a hard-as-nails northern ghost in a train station cellar, and swim frantically away from the eyeless lady of Willington Mill. Grab your gilets and slankets, and prepare for your spine to be tingled and/or chilled.
Content Warning: References to self harm / suicide and some imagery that might be unsuitable for younger lorefolk.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
youtube.com/loremenpodcast
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www.facebook.com/loremenpod
This episode is a veritable bestiary! Meet an egg-thieving bird, an aquatic prankster and a big cat that's just a bit much. Amy Jeffs returns to the podcast, with a raft of early medieval legends and (frankly) way more research than the guests normally bring.
These are the legends of the panther, the partridge and Iasconius ... the whale who pretended to be an island.
Join us for another Loremen Live in Oxford on 25th May:
https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/loremen-podccast/
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
The graphic for this episode is from a wood engraving by Amy Jeffs, from her book Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
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Are you in the mood for love? Are you in the mood for giant-slaying? Are you in the mood for some really, really long lists? Then - good news! Jenny Collier returns to her role as our Welsh Valentine's Day correspondent with aplomb and another romantic tale from the Mabinogion.
Expect curses! Extremely circuitous schemes! And a dog that is bigger than it sounds!
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
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James has been fossil-hunting in Devon (AKA Next-Dorset) and he has unearthed the tale of a horrible old judge who just won't stay buried. It's the story of the Monmouth Rebellion, "Hanging" Judge Jeffries and the Bloody Assizes. (Those bloody assizes).
Expect some baffling pub names, a smattering of actual history, and a chance to learn the difference between a bugle and a beagle. (You really shouldn't blow into a beagle.)
Yes, of course there are ghosts.
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/loremen-podcast?ref_id=24631
@loremenpod
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Believe it or not, there once was a time when the hottest show in town was a pig doing maths. A porcine professor might not sound as binge-worthy as The Traitors or a double bill of Miss Marple, but back in 1817 people flocked to see this canny swine. James presents the story of a learnéd pig named Toby, as told in his own words. (The pig's own words, that is.)
This episode started life as our Xmas Pig 2023 Livestream, which you can watch in full with all the trimmings here.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
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Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
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John Alington was an English eccentric who really put the "letch" in Letchworth. This randy reverend scandalised Hertfordshire with his saucy sermons and rock-and-roll hijinks. Alasdair tells James the peculiar history of a very rich man with a penchant for leopardskin and massively over-explaining things.
Plus, an unusual attorney, a pair of identical twin poachers and a ghostly monk chucked in for chills.
This episode was edited by Joseph Burrows - Audio Editor.
LoreBoys nether say die!
Support the Loremen here (and get stuff):
patreon.com/loremenpod
ko-fi.com/loremen
Check the sweet, sweet merch here...
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@loremenpod
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is ABK aware that, when at his show in Nottingham, he was ONLY ONE HOUR from Grindleford? I sure am now, for I was at that very show this week, AND I was at Grindleford this morning! Spooooky. I will note that did not see a scary animal. Even more spooooooky.
What fun. As a keen folklorist and reader / writer of weird fiction I love this podcast. Keep it up chaps.
poulterguys...poulterladys??
what a great podcast, I love each and every episode. keep up the great work lads!!
*laughs on a forklift*
I watched *Invasion of the Body Snatchers* a month ago and this really reminds me of that human faced dog seen.
As soon as the bluecap story started I was reminded of kobolds (a similar sort of creature) and I love that opurtunity to make that connection!
James... Shankshaft. I actually said it in my head b4 ABK spit it out. 😁
Oooh I've found me a new poddy to binge. Quality stuff guys 👌
hey guys after Sunil mentioned listening to the podcast at 1.2× speed... i decided to listen to it in 0.5× speed... Guys you sound like you've had a few to many pints! =D
This was brilliant 😁 and very interesting
hey guys dont know why but recent episode ended up in others category ...rather than following on from The vegtable lamb of tatar...
I'd love to see them cover Black Annis
Three days until Dec 20th. Could we be blessed with a new series? Surely Christmas miracles do exist! xxxx
With regards to the telling of Cinderella, the Germans did not add gore to a French tale. Cinderella was originally a very old and very gory fairy tale that was popular in Germany, though the earliest fragments of the story (including a prince locating his true love through shoes) can be traced back to Ancient Egypt. The Grimm brothers were fastidious about only including German tales in their collection, though a few of foreign origin did sneak past them, such as Red Riding Hood (which probably came from an old Italian tale). Interestingly, many of the tales that did slip through, like Cinderella, had Middle Eastern roots. Charles Perrault was infamous for bastardizing old stories, and Cinderella is a perfect example of him adding fluff and sparkle to a somewhat bleak older tale to cater to the rich, entitled, and often bored ladies at the French court. He also invented the concept of the pumpkin carriage.