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TitreDateDurée
White Slavery moral panics and the first celebrity drug death in the UK29 Aug 202400:38:17

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This is the second podcast setting the scene to examine crime gangs active in the UK between the two world wars.
This rambling podcast is about the fear of white slavery and the first celebrity drug death in the UK.
This podcast is not edited and recorded in one take with words mispronounced. 

Strange Stories: Drugging the UK, how drugs were introduced to the UK.23 Aug 202400:37:12

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This is the first of a series of podcasts regarding some incidents in the UK (London) that took place 100 years ago and caused a 'moral panic'. This first podcast tells of how drugs, (class A drugs as we understand them today) were introduced into the UK, at first accepted but then rejected after misuse. The second podcast will be about what was known as 'White Slavery' 100 years ago but as we better understand as human trafficking. Then I will broadcast some podcasts based on these podcasts and police reports of the time. Incidents that are mainly forgotten today. I will post the next pod shortly.
This podcast has not been edited in anyway, and has been recorded in one take. I apologise in advance for any mispronounceations.

Strange Stories: The monster of the mere and other huge UK freshwater fish, 02 May 202400:43:56

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What is the largest fish caught in British freshwaters and are they dangerous? This episode is about a huge creature that lived in Martin Mere that was said to feed on swans!  Some of the podcast is rather silly but all of it true.
There is a Slightly boring opening about geological features, folklore and drainage systems, this lasts about five minutes, so maybe  skip that part. 
 As usual please be warned this is a lo fi production by someone that often stumbles over words and records in one take without any editing.
CFZ have a facebook site 

Strange Stories UK Canning Town, London, Organised Crime and Corrupt police 1.03 Sep 202101:32:07

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Season 4 starts with contemporary Organised Crime in London, there will be four or five linked podcasts on this theme starting with a case that developed in Canning Town, the next few podcasts will flow on from this case including a podcast of the Rettendon aka Essex boys murders. I know this case has been very well covered but  it does tie in with the other podcasts.

 For this case :  We examine the Canning Town area which suffered from Organised Crime. I keep referring to OCGs which refers to Organised Crime gangs. There were several in the Canning Town area who seemed to work as a cartel and hence were known as the Canning Town Cartel OCG. This story will develop and was inspired by the book ‘Legacy’ by Michael Gillard.  The actual recording was done as a thunderstorm took place without any warning, towards the end of the podcast this storm can be heard so apologies for that.

 This is my fourth year of producing podcasts within a month, I will be producing my one hundredth episode having produced a podcast every 2/3 weeks. Early podcasts were quite amateurish but I think they have improved over time. I have now got a website: www.strangestoriesUK which has a blog introducing each episode. I will be aiming to improve the Facebook and Instagram sites by keeping them up to date with some more information.  I will continue to produce the podcasts in one take without editing as I like to produce the feel of a live radio station. Obviously it is not, but perhaps the closest I can get to it.

As with most podcasts, I am trying to get an income stream to fund the hosting costs and the subscriptions I have to pay in order to research some episodes. This will not affect the podcasts being produced and of course there is no obligation to make a contribution although I am thinking of making some sort of reward for anyone that does want to contribute such as extra podcasts. I thought I would make a podcast related to a story being covered. The podcasts go off in so many tangents that I will develop one of these.

https://ko-fi.com/strangestoriesuk
This is the Ko-fi link. 

I was looking at Patreon which most podcasters seem to use but having looked into Patreon it seems that it is losing popularity. It is explained that it has taken a lot of Venture Capital funding who are pushing for continuous growth and providing new services to generate increased income. Also Patreon is based on a regular monthly contribution which I think is too much of a commitment.

I am going with Ko-Fi but may consider other options if this doesn’t work out as there are lots of alternatives and lots of conflicting advice.

Regarding the podcast. There is a lot of information, primary sources, that has been taken from the internet. The Operation Tiberius Report was a very useful source and for this podcast the transcript of the Hunt v Times Newspaper from the Royal Courts of Justice case no. HQ10D02588. Also many newspaper reports from the Times archive have been useful. 

Sorry that I don’t give a list of all sources but in the course of producing the podcast I often don’t record which book or source I am using. I realise that this is an area that needs improving.

I am going to broadcast at least four podcasts related to organised crime stemming from this area and one podcast for Ko-Fi subscribers. I was also thinking of re recording series 1 which some were so ropey that I have taken a couple off line. There are some good stories there that could be updated, this could be another Ko-Fi subscriber inducement. I am not expecting to make any money from these podcasts but if I can cover my costs I would be delighted. 

Strange Stories UK: St.Boswells haunted road.18 Jul 202100:38:39

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This a short episode to end Series 3. Again a rambling story about a possible paranormal incident in a small village (St.Boswells)  in the Borderlands between England and Scotland. The story comes from the Journals of the Society of Physical research. I give the links to these on www.strangestories.uk.com
I will not post anything for the next six weeks. I would like to thank you for reading this and I will try to get some different Damselfly music for series 4.

Strange Stories UK, The Hess Enigma , Part 211 Jul 202100:47:18

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This is part 2 of the Hess Enigma. What happened to Hess? Was he murdered? Was it Hess? We also examine the roles of other characters such as Tancred Borenius, the Polish leader Sikorski and others.
There is also Anthony Blunt the Soviet spy who carried out dirty business for the Royal family.
There are so many secrets and rumours regarding the Hess flight, and he was prevented with communicating with anyone after he was locked up, so it is unlikely that the truth will ever come out.

Strange Stories UK, The Hess Enigma part 110 Jul 202101:15:16

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May and June 1941 was the period that Nazi Germany came close to conquering Western Europe. But the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler then  opened  a second Front which was going to cost him the war. 
Events during May and June 1941 are  shrouded in mystery, part of the puzzle was Rudolf Hess's (Hitler’s deputy) flight to Scotland during May 1941. Was Hess sent by Hitler to offer Britain peace terms so he could concentrate on invading the USSR? Did Hess ask Britain to help them defeat the USSR? Was Hess tricked by the British security services ? Was Hess trying to cause civil unrest in Britain to aid the Nazi cause? 
What is certain is that there was a large section of the British people who seemed to be in favour of  a peace deal with the Nazis, appeasement;  these were the Middle and Upper classes that had the most to lose. The perception of Britain in 1940 was that the Nation was united against the Nazi threat. This was not  true.
Was the Churchill government playing the Nazis and the Soviets against each other? I don’t think that we will ever know the true story, but some members of the aristocracy and the Royal family do not come out of this story very well. This is part one of the story, part two will be posted within the next two days. 

Strange Stories UK, John Palmer, Brinks Mat, Time Shares scams and a lot of shootings.19 Jun 202101:05:42

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This is a rambling story based on John 'Goldfinger' Palmer. We find how the Brinks Mat gold bullion robbery was responsible for a lot of criminal enterprises as these were funded by the proceeds of Brinks Mat gold. John Palmer was an interesting character, a key figure in disposing of the Brinks Mat gold.
Palmer managed to avoid prosecution and started a huge Timeshare fraud on the island of Tenerife which made him so much money that he made the Sunday Times rich list on equal place with the Queen!
Anyone who has read the book McMafia will realise that organised crime noticed the money made by Palmer and moved in on his enterprises. The police and insurance companies were also trying to get back stolen money. There was a lot of paranoia, jealousy and shootings, so much so that it was said that the Brinks Mat gold was cursed.
British organised crime gangs and enemies of Palmer were also making moves against him. Palmer was never really able to enjoy his wealth and always had to wear a bullet proof vest when he was in public. Having just played back the recording while uploading I realise that I have not thanked Damselfly for providing the backing music or you for listening.
The main sources of information for this podcast were the two Wensley Clarkson books: Killing Goldfinger and the Curse of Brinks Mat,  Goldfinger and me by Marnie Palmer, various other books and newspaper articles. http://www.strangestoriesuk.com 

Strange Stories UK: some considerations on The death of Princess Diana02 Jun 202101:21:36

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There has been recent news items on the interview between the BBC Panorama  programme and Princess Diana in November 1995  and that was the inspiration for this podcast. 
I have not attempted a full story of the car crash that killed Princess Diana, in chronological order, as the story is quite well known. I have focussed in on some areas.
There have been suggestions that Diana was killed by a faction within the security services that were unable to accept the fact that the future king of England's mother may have married a Muslim and converted to that faith.
This podcast looks at certain aspects of the car crash that killed her and Dodi Al Fayed and their driver Henri Paul. 
I try not to come to any conclusion in these podcasts and leave it to the listener to make their own minds up. 
The Princess Diana death is a well known conspiracy theory, it won't be proved either way but there are some inconvenient loose ends that have not been explained.
For a bibliography please visit the 'strangestoriesuk.com'  website.

Strange Stories UK: The Society of Psychical Research investigate a London ghost21 May 202101:16:33

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I thought it time for a paranormal type episode, this one taken from the journals of the Society for Psychical Research. I do my research in the British Library for these podcasts, this one comes from the 1949 journal.

I like to do a paranormal podcast during the month of May, This story was published in the 1949 Journal of the Society of Psychical Research and was called 'The Woman in Brown'.

 Edward Osbourne was an investigator for the SPR and it was he that wrote up the story.

I gave quite a long lead into the podcast explaining what London was like in 1948, for someone in their 80s, they must have seen so much change during the course of their lifetimes’, it would scarcely seems credible to someone much younger so I thought I would give some description to London life at that time.

There may be something of a delay in my next podcast as I have to do some building works, I am going to try to lay a concrete floor using Youtube tutorials, so I think that will take up most of my time for the next month. I will try to put another podcast out within the month. 

 

 

Strange Stories UK: Colin Wallace, Kincora and Clockwork Orange part 2. 09 May 202101:18:50

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This is part 2 of the podcast, the details being the same as for part 1.

Strange Stories UK: Colin Wallace, Kincora and Clockwork Orange part 107 May 202101:09:28

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Northern Ireland 1970s, MI5, Clockwork Orange, Murder, SAS, paedophiles, IRA, UDA.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well quite a lot did go wrong. This is part one of a story that few people come out of very well.
Colin Wallace had a questionable job peddling black propaganda. But you have to accept the position he was in, his background in Northern Ireland and the fact that he thought he was doing good by fighting terrorism. He was to find that once you join such an organisation, it is difficult to leave.
Clockwork Orange developed into a policy that would target anyone that the Security Services (MI5, MI6, Special Branch , RUC and others) disapproved of. Even the democratically elected representatives of the people. It was said that the Security Services were out of control in Northern Ireland during the 1970s.
Colin Wallace learnt of a paedophile sex ring operating from perhaps nine children’s homes in Northern Ireland but centred on one home called Kincora. The security Services tolerated paedophile abuse because they were able to blackmail those committing the offence to gain useful information.
Please see the web site for the list of sources used for this podcast. Two that were particularly useful were the Lobster magazine which is available online 
https://www.lobster-magazine.co.uk
highly recommended and if you are interested in this story there is a wealth of similar stories available to read online free of charge!
I also made a lot of use of Paul Foot's book 'Who framed Colin Wallace?
I will post Part 2 of the story within the next couple of days.



Strange Stories UK, Hilda Murrell part 318 Apr 202100:51:31

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This is part three of the Hilda Murrell murder, please listen to parts one and two.
The police continue to insist that the Hilda Murrell murder was a burglary gone wrong despite evidence mounting up that there was more involved. Were the police chiefs being told to follow this line?
More evidence comes forward that a gang abducted Hilda before killing her.
The police arrest somebody for the murder twenty years after it was committed. There was a guilty verdict.  However, not everyone is convinced, there were many unanswered questions and it was argued that the jury had to reach a verdict without hearing all the evidence.

Strange Stories UK: Bournemouth drug dealing and murder 2023.25 Apr 202400:38:19

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This case was committed in Boscombe, part of Bournemouth during August 2023. The case has come to Winchester Crown Court this month, starting on April 11, it is expected to finish in late May, more likely early June 2024.
I am not sure how to describe the case in a line or two. A gregarious extrovert couple with addiction and mental health problems commit an atrocious act. The trial is live, so please follow it in the media. I dont think I will post another podcast on this case unless  there  is  something  to justify another podcast. 
I intend to post a couple of lighter podcasts, non murder cases. Perhaps a paranormal podcast, Also a podcast about  the Beatles and John Lennon, I am aware that I have not posted a cryptozoology podcast for some time.

Strange Stories UK : Hilda Murrell part 2: Belgrano, Sizewell and other theories.16 Apr 202100:48:12

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This is part two of the Hilda Murrell podcast. 
Maybe I should think about doing some editing; apologies in this podcast I call Hilda Murrell, Hilda Murray a few times and have difficulty in conjugating a verb, sank or sunk? On consideration I am happy leaving in a few mistakes in order to concentrate on more stories.
Anyhow in this episode we examine some aspects of the Falklands war, especially the sinking of the ship General Belgrano. 
We also exam the aspects of the Sizewell B nuclear plant inquiry.
We consider the actions of Zeus Security and the private investigative firms that they employed to spy on those people and groups objecting to a new nuclear plant in Suffolk. 
In early 1985, tv programmes are being made about the murder of Hilda Murrell. This problem is not going away!

Strange Stories UK : The Hilda Murrell murder. 198416 Apr 202100:58:42

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This is part one of a three part podcast.  21 March 1984. Hilda Murrell was abducted from her home. She was an anti-nuclear campaigner who had just gained approval to present a paper on the problems of nuclear waste at the Sizewell planning  inquiry.
Hildfa's body was found three days later. The police thought that a lone panicking burglar was responsible.
It seemed more probable that a panicking government or nuclear  agent or agents were responsible and then a cover up put into operation. In part one of the story we try to  consider4 the state of the UK in 1984 and the events of 21st March 1984.
Part two which will be realised tomorrow (Saturday 17 April) will consider the reasons why Hilda was murdered,
Part three which will be broadcast the day after part two (Sunday 18th April) will try to come to some conclusions.

Strange Stories UK. The Brighton University student Janet Muller murder in 2015 02 Apr 202101:01:04

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This is another case of a jury getting it wrong.  Janet Muller was murdered by Christopher Jeffrey - Shaw in Sussex in 2015. We do not know the whole story, there are gaps in our understanding of it. 
What is clear is that Jeffrey-Shaw murdered a vulnerable student from Brighton University who was having psychotic episodes and in the care of the NHS Mill View hospital in Hove.
Jeffrey-Shaw was a fantasist and small time drug dealer probably on 'County Lines' business. Important witnesses did not take part in his court case. The judge called Jeffrey-Shaw a liar and callous beyond belief.
Please be advised that this podcast is not edited in any way and recorded in one take so there may be some background noise and I may stutter over a word or two.

Strange Stories UK, The Porthole Murder of Gay Gibson.21 Mar 202100:55:03

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A promising 21 year old actress who lived as she wished, not to the conventions of the day, goes missing on a cruise ship. 

Strange Stories UK : The Thug Life in Ipswich: County Lines. 07 Mar 202100:54:24

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The 'Thug life' referred to  in this podcast, refers to street gangs in Ipswich copying the behaviour of street gangs in America. The American rapper Tupac came up with a phrase that makes the acronym.

The hate U Give,  Little Infants Fucks Everything.

Tupac was trying to argue that life on the streets is hard for those people who society oppresses (the poor and uneducated). The 'thug' on the street refers to the underdog who does what he has to do to survive and get by. 

This podcast takes Ipswich as an example of County Line drug dealing causing an increase in violence on the streets of that town; in particular the events leading to the death of a 17 year old fringe gang member in 2018.

 

 

Strange Stories UK, The Fairy Investigation Society 1927 - to present.16 Feb 202101:26:10

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The Fairy Investigation Society (aka FIS), founded in the UK in 1927, exists to report fairy sightings.
This podcast attempts to give a brief history of fairies in the UK (zero to 10 minutes).
Then examines the beginnings of FIS (10 -21 minutes).
then it examines the ideas of Quentin Craufurd (the inspiration for FIS), who explains what is required to view fairies.
Then we continue with the Fairy Investigation Society history and membership between 29:00 minutes to 57:00 minutes.
The final 28 minutes gives some examples of recent fairy sightings as reported to the recent  Fairy census.
The sources used will be available on the blog for strangestoriesuk.com
On the website, I will be happy to answer any questions. Most of the information for the podcast has been taken from the postings of Doctor Simon Young.
For further information on fairies in the UK please see www.the fairyist.com
Please be advised that the podcast is recorded in one take in my spare time so apologies for the low-fi production.

Strange Stories UK, Brighton Murder, The tragic death of Suel Dagado09 Feb 202100:33:47

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A group of young men decide to spend a Saturday night in Brighton. There is an altercation as they leave a nightclub, a stupid drunken quarrel and macho posturing  leads to a tragic and pointless death and life changing injuries for others.
Any queries or comments please go to www.strangestoriesuk.com
I am now including a transcript of the podcast.

Strange Stories UK The Rise and fall of the Messinas, vice in London 1930-6031 Jan 202101:05:48

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Please be advised that I now have a website where I can be contacted.
www.strangestoriesuk.com
also an email address,
strangestoriesuk@gmail.com
I will be happy to answer any questions, or receive any opinions or suggestions.
 This episode is mainly about five brothers that came to the UK to make their fortune in the only way they knew how, which was in the white slavery trade, known as sex trafficking today. Their gang was known as the Messina gang, and they manipulated and controlled women. 
Other criminal gangs in London despised them but they were allowed to exist because they paid a 'tax' to dominant  criminal gangs in the areas they operated from.
I will put the sources used on the website.
I also intend to start putting some shorter podcasts up, the intention being one long podcast each month of around an hour, and two shorter podcasts each month.

Strange Stories UK, The Lord Janner sexual abuse cover-up.15 Jan 202101:28:15

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Well this is a bit of a ramble, but the main story is how a prominent Leicester MP  Greville Janner had credible allegations of sexual abuse made against him over a long period of time but was never investigated.
 It is suspected that the Security services of MI5 and Special Branch protected him due to his position of being an influential Jewish personality who had a relationship with leaders of countries of the Middle East.
There is also the story of how paedophiles infiltrated Children's homes in the Leicester area in the 1960s,70s, 80s and probably beyond. There seemed to be a paedophile network active in the Leicester area probably protected in part by Freemason influence.
We also see how inquiries into abuse in the 1990s after the Frank Beck child abuse trial were not very effective and probably did not stop all the abuse.
We examine how the Carl Beech case in 2018 impacted on inquiries, to the extent that the case seemed like an attempt to hijack the debate on child abuse after the Savile case had bought forward so many historical claims.
It is hoped that the ill-fated Independent Inquiry of Child Sexual Abuse inquiry (IICSA) will provide some answers when it produces its report in 2022. They will produce a separate report on the Janner case.
I would also like to state again that this podcast is not edited in any way and is recorded in one take, so apologies over any stuttering or mispronounced words.
Of no interest to anyone other than myself, this is the 80th podcast I have produced.

Strange Stories UK, Brides in the Bath, George Smith part 2. 08 Jan 202100:40:22

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Part 2 of the Brides in the Bath Story. 

Strange Stories UK: Constance Marten & Mark Gordon 5, Confrontations and closing speeches.19 Apr 202400:33:23

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Confrontations and Closing Speeches.
This is the fifth podcast on the Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial. This one concentrates on the last month of the trial which only sat for a few days. The trial has again been delayed halfway through the Judge's summing up speech. I don't think that there will be a verdict until around 29 April 2024.
The Strange Stories podcast is not a corporate podcast, there are other podcasts being made on the case,  it is recorded in one take, without any editing but attempts to be rich in detail.
I am assuming anyone listening to this podcast has a good knowledge of the case, otherwise please listen to previous episodes.

Strange Stories UK, Brides in the Bath murders. Part 1.04 Jan 202100:46:22

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A murder trial at the Old Bailey in 1915 caused much comment. Thousands of soldiers were being killed on a daily basis while a long complicated trial was being staged to decide the life of one man. 
George Smith was despised and is the most repugnant person I have made a podcast about. He was a misogynist and was prepared to marry and kill for financial gain.  

Strange Stories UK, Ghost Story for Christmas 202019 Dec 202000:58:44

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Two stories from the records of the Society of Physical Research (SPR) investigated by Fred Stratton. There are similarities between the two stories, both classic haunted house stories, both of which were being investigated by Fred during 1913. 
One story was published in the journals of the SPR in 1914. Both stories were soon forgotten as a result of World War 1. 
When Fred died in 1960 records of the unpublished story, about Abbey House at Cambridge,  were found and published in the journal for SPR. The Abbey House story became quite well known and mentioned in various publications. The other story about an unnamed house in the Midlands seems to have been totally forgotten.

Strange Stories UK, The murder of Louise Smith at Leigh Park, Havant.09 Dec 202000:50:03

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Lockdown in the UK during May 2020. Not a good time for teenagers or the young. Imagine being a sixteen year old teenager having  fallen out with her mother, suffering from anxiety and self harm, with a difficult background staying in a one bedroom flat with your auntie and uncle who do not approve of your life style.  Add into this mix a 30 year old male (Uncle Shane) who acts inappropriately and claims he has forgotten what he has done from one day to the next.
It is difficult to argue against a mother's claim of 'pure evil' when describing the actions of Shane Mays.  Shane Mays IQ was defined as 'feeble-minded', some testing (Levine & Marks) defined him as a moron. Shane Mays defence team seemed to want to use this as an excuse for his behaviour. It was the wrong time at the wrong place for Louise Smith as she was experiencing her difficult teenage years.

Strange Stores UK, The extraordinary story of Brian Donald Hume.06 Dec 202000:53:47

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Brian Donald Hume, better known as Donald Hume was a smuggler, bank robber, murderer and successful businessman.  His life story is quite extraordinary. It is a pity that he allowed his anger get the better of him because he had a lot of ability and could have followed a different path.

Strange Stories UK, The Florence Maybrick trial.22 Nov 202001:17:24

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The Florence Maybrick trial which took place in Liverpool during 1889 is a famous case in which a woman was charged with the murder of her addict husband as a result of a manipulating Free Mason pulling the strings to ensure a guilty verdict and a death sentence. Although this episode stands by itself, I will return to this trial in a future podcast to investigate ‘Jack the Ripper’ allegations.

Strange Stories UK. A Newhaven murder and an Albanian drug dealer's death.12 Nov 202000:33:17

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Newhaven, East Sussex, once a booming light manufacturing town on the coast is now in the doldrums. There is not many opportunities for the young some of  whom  are often forced to spend idle days looking for ways to fill their time. Trent Hutchinson was one such teenager who could be considered as having various issues and being out of control with an anger management problem.
I  also consider the results of a case we have briefly mentioned earlier when an Albanian drug dealer was stabbed probably as a result of drug psychosis in Brighton.
These are two murders that don't seem to have any understandable motive and were barely reported in the press although they had a big impact on those that knew those involved.

Strange Stories UK, Halloween 2020, The Ardachie case, the crawling woman.31 Oct 202000:32:39

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This is the third story I have uploaded for Halloween 2020. The other two being the Edgar Vandy case and Rougham mirage. This podcast is the Ardachie Case.
Peter McEwan and his family moved to Ardachie Lodge on the banks of Loch Ness, they were aiming to breed pigs. When the McEwan's hired a housekeeper and live stock help the MacDonalds came to stay. Mrs MacDonald was a sensitive. Most of the he information on this ‘haunted house’ story comes from the journals of the Society of Physical research 1955.

Strange Stories UK, The Dorset Brehmer/Parry killing. Did the jury get this one wrong?28 Oct 202000:59:57

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May 2020, Policeman Timothy Bremer killed his lover of 10 years Claire Parry , by accident in his car as she sent a message to his wife informing him of their affair. 
Did the jury get this one wrong?

Strange Stories UK : Paranormal Suffolk The Rougham mirage and Kersey time-slip23 Oct 202000:41:58

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The second of the Halloween podcasts for 2020, these are both set in the county of Suffolk. The Rougham mirage and the Kersey time-slip. Both phenomena could be retrocognition or hallucination.

Carl Groves goes into much greater detail on the Rougham mirage, search for the Rougham mystery by Carl Groves online for further details.

Strange Stories UK, The Lewes, Sussex murder of Nicola Stevenson in 2019.19 Oct 202000:28:23

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Nicola Stevenson was a 39 year old mother who was registered as being disabled. She had moved to Lewes in East Sussex in 2018 and was given allocated a council flat by the Lewes Council at Landport Estate in the town. Nicola was prescribed pain relief medication and also used alcohol and class A drugs, Nicola was described as a feisty and positive character who soon made friends in the Lewes area. 
Nicola took pity on Richard Canlin who she knew and described as her step brother; he was homeless and so she said he could lodge in the front room of her one bedroom flat. This proved to be a mistake as Canlin was psychopathic personality who was quick to enrage and take his anger out on those who were less physically strong as him.

Strange Stories: A Southampton murder 2023.15 Apr 202400:42:55

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Please be aware, this podcast is recorded in one take without editing. This is a case that was heard at Winchester Crown Court between January 2024 and March 2024.

Strange Stories UK, The mysterious death of Edgar Vandy. 16 Oct 202000:58:56

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A rather unusual case here which comes from the journals of the Society of Psychical Research. Edgar Vandy drowned while on a day out with friends on a Sussex Estate in the summer of 1933. The inquest recorded accidental death but Edgar's brothers were unhappy with the verdict and employed mediums to try to ascertain the truth of what happened that day which seemed to suggest something of a 'cover-up'. 
This is the first of three episodes being uploaded leading up to Halloween 2020.

Strange Stories UK Hammersmith murders ,London serial killer, Performance 513 Oct 202000:57:59

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Part 5 of the 'Performance' series. An examination of the Police investigation into a serial killer who targeted female sex workers in  1960s London. It is suggested that a well known celebrity of the time could have been responsible but was protected by freemasonry and corrupt police who were blackmailing him.
The investigation giving an idea of the time that the film was made showing the criminal side of corrupt London as counterbalance  to the last episode showing something of the glamour of Swinging London. 

Strange Stories UK, Performance 4, Rolling Stones, Police Corruption, Murder?07 Oct 202001:09:44

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This is the fourth podcast in the series about the background to the film 'Performance'. It is about the Rolling Stones contribution and their situation during the making of the film. How Jagger and Jones became part of the 'Chelsea set'. Police and media collusion and corruption, MI5 and FBI trying to convict the Rolling Stones to prevent them influencing young people. Bent Policeman D.S.Pilcher targeting Pop stars to convict them for drug offences. The death of Brian Jones in 1969, accident or murder or a combination of these?
It is a bit of a ramble, although this is part 4 the episodes can be listened to in any order as it is not a chronological story. Episode 3, the John Bindon episode was back-dated by mistake and seems to have been lost to some. Next weeks podcast concerns the investigation into a serial killer that haunted the filming of Performance.

Strange Stories UK, Performance 2, Litvinoff's Swinging London?22 Sep 202001:05:09

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London in the 1950s & 60s was changing, the media said it was becoming 'Swinging London'? In reality new elites were challenging the old establishment.
 David Litvinoff was involved with the Chelsea set and the worlds of music, art and crime. It was his contribution to the film Performance that connected the London Underworld to the London Underground, He knew the Krays and he knew the Rolling Stones and he knew a lot of other people. 
Litvinoff was one of the mysterious characters that London produced during a time of flux and change. He was a character who it may have been fun to be around, but you wouldn't want him too close.
 

Strange Stories UK, Performance 1, Jimmy Evans, Once upon a time in London 15 Sep 202000:59:32

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This is part 1 of a series of podcasts that are based on the British Movie Performance. A film which the film historian David Thompson said that the film was not as good as the stories about it. Well the film has a Rotten tomatoes score of 85% and has had a number of books and articles written about it. It is about London in the late 1960s when the swinging fashionable crowd mixed with the aristocracy who mixed with the criminal underworld. This episode is about Jimmy Evans, a flash 'Jack the lad' gangster, scared of nothing who was the advisor for a similar character  who played the lead role in  the film Performance (Chas Devlin), a film when the criminal underworld of London decided to take part and show themselves on film. This first episode  examines the life of Jimmy Evans who inspired the role of Chas Devlin.

Strange Stories UK, John Bindon, Princess Margaret, Murder and London. Performance 3. 01 Sep 202000:54:10

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Performance was the film made in 1968 where it was said that the Underground met the Underworld. In this podcast we examine the life of an underworld enforcer who was also an actor, who virtually played himself in the film. John Bindon, a larger than life character who was a violent thug, an associate of the Krays and had the Queen's sister Princess Margaret as a lover.

Strange Stories UK Rattenbury Stoner murder in Bournemouth31 Aug 202000:54:44

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1935 True Crime,  Bournemouth, a female muscian unhappily married has an affair with aToy boy, her husband is a famous architect  and everything goes wrong. An unhappy story  with an unhappy ending; in fact a desperately unhappy ending which was not fair. A murder at Bournemouth /Boscombe Manor road. 

Strange Stories UK The Clapham Murder, Steinie Morrison and anarchism22 Jul 202001:06:42

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This is the last episode of Series 2, we are going back to 31st December 1910. A murder of a Jewish immigrant was thought to be associated with a Jewish secret society wanting a revolution in the UK.
What actually resulted was a confused court case eagerly reported by the newspapers where a number of colourful East End characters seemed incapable of telling the truth. The case played out like a Dickens novel.
The case was playing out to the background of the Houndsditch murders and the siege of Sidney Street and the moral panic of an influx of Jews from Eastern Europe.
Did Steinie Morrison murder Leon Beron? Probably, he was found guilty but there were unanswered questions.

Strange Stories UK, Ronnie Knight, the murder of Alfredo Zomparelli and consequences.12 Jul 202000:37:12

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Ronnie Knight is in his 80s now, born in poverty in the East End of London to a family that became a well known criminal family with close links to the Kray family, he denies that he was ever a gangster but he was involved in crime, almost as today youngster on estates today are forced into gangs. Ronnie and his brothers were the last of what could be called the 'old school gangsters' who put emphasis on dressing well and having good manners and good (to their interpretations)morals. 
Ronnie was a celebrity gangster who experienced the highs and the lows. In the public eye for being the husband of Barbara Windsor. It is difficult to dislike the man who suffered tragedy but also an exciting and rewarding life. 

Strange Stories UK: Dieppe Raid & Queen Mary paranormal incidents?07 Jul 202000:49:47

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Two possible cases of retrocognition are considered in this podcast, the events both occurred in 1942. The Dieppe raid was possibly 'relived' in an audio hallucination by two woman in 1952. The Queen Mary / Curacao collision was another audio hallucination by marine engineer John Smith in 1971. The 'haunted' Queen Mary liner was investigated by parapsychologists Tony Cornell and Bill Roll in 1988.

 

Strange Stories: Fiona Beal, Nicholas Billingham, the background to the 2024 trial.04 Apr 202400:43:37

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I am posting this before the retrial of the  Nicholas Billingham / Fiona Beal case which is due to be heard at the Old Bailey in the late Spring of 2024.  This is a retrial of a case abandoned during June 2023 for no apparent reason. 
I am giving the background to the original trial. It is told in one take without editing.  I will post another podcast when the case finishes probably at the end of June 2024.

Strange Stories UK, London Gangs and the murders of Jaden Moodie and Corey Davis Jnr.17 Jun 202001:22:18

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This podcast is about the changing nature of London's street gangs, country lines, increasing violence and how young people are recruited to the gangs. There is an examination of the gangs of Waltham Forest as an example of the problems faced in one London borough. Some gangs try to concentrate on making money from trading in drugs but with so much competition the gangs have to constantly adapt to changing circumstances. The podcast looks at the murders of two 14 year old young males as a result of gang warfare. 

Strange Stories UK, The Murder of Jodie Chesney01 Jun 202001:14:57

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Jodie Chesney was a teenager in her last year at sixth form college doing her A levels. It was a Friday night in March 2019, hanging with friends in her local park, a geeky, Gothy group of friends playing rock music on their phones. 
Their world was about to clash with small time drug dealers speaking American street gang jive slang and trying to act like big shot gangsters armed with hunting knives.
What happened that evening caused  media outrage and a demand that something was done to stop the stabbing epidemic that happening in London at the time.

Strange Stories UK. The truth of Borley rectory and Harry Price part 215 May 202001:06:03

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Although Borley rectory is well known for its alleged paranormal activity, this podcast mainly examines the people who lived there and the people involved in reporting unexplained phenomena at the rectory and their possible motivations.
This is part 2 of the story.

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