Send us Fan Mail

This is a short podcast just to post something while I am away. Daisy / Dorothy Wallis started a business in High Holborn, central London. She lived a quiet home life with her parents, one wonders who would have wished her harm ?

Send us Fan Mail

Chloe and Josh Bashford lived at Newhaven with their four children. Their lives were ended by a family friend who killed them for no understandable reason and then claimed diminished responsibility.  The killer will be sentenced on 6 November 2025.

This podcast was recorded in one take with no editing with animals in the room.

Send us Fan Mail

This is a dark and dreadful case, it will be well covered in the news. Told in one take without editing. 

Send us Fan Mail

Two stories from Yorkshire, one from Leeds from the 1880s and one from York from 1950s, both investigated by Trevor H.Hall. 

Send us Fan Mail

This is part 2 of the story of how the police prevented Mark Brown becoming a serial killer of sex workers. Brown killed his mistress Leah Ware whose body was never found.
There is a mistake in the title as Mark Brown lived in East Sussex although the Kent police were involved in the case from the beginning.

Please be advised that this podcast is recorded in one take with no editing.

Send us Fan Mail

  I think it will become obvious that Mark Brown was going to become a serial killer targeting woman who were operating as sex workers. He was going to be detected by automatic number plate recognition and cell phone tracking and the like, to allow the police to build a case against him.

Brown's mind seemed to have been turned by a combination of the death of his parents, violent pornography on the internet and the isolation of lockdown allowing him to focus on his dark side. This podcast tells of the murder and disposal of the body of Alex Morgan, a single mother trying to build a better life for her family.

This case has only recently finished at Hove Crown Court, on 1 December 2022. Brown is due for sentencing on 13 January 2023. 
I will put out part 2 shortly. Please be advised that this podcast is recorded in one take with no editing.

Send us Fan Mail

This story was uploaded at 10:00 pm 31 October 2022. Another story from the Journals of the Society of Psychical Research. This story regards the death of a young boy, Bobby Newlove,  who was said to communicate through the medium Gladys Osborne Leonard. Nothing much happens and  hardly a story to scare or excite but one to think about. But it was known as 'The problem of the Pipes' that was finally solved, according to some, via seances. 
It is set in the town of Nelson, Lancashire. The story of Bobbie Newlove that died of diphtheria. Bobbie was much loved and his family tried to contact with him after his death.
I wanted to put up a halloween podcast on 31 October although this is the last podcast that I am posting for a few weeks. I will be back in December .
Please be advised that there is no editing and that I stumble over words and apparently make weird sounds with my mouth, which in listening back seems to be true. So soz for that.

Send us Fan Mail

July 1 1968 in Worthing UK. The Rolling Stones were top of the singles charts with Jumping Jack Flash. 2001, A Space Odyssey was being seen in the cinemas. Manchester United had recently won the European Cup. Harold Wilson’s Labour government were struggling since a recent devaluation of the pound. There was a heatwave on the South Coast on 1 July about to break out in violent storms and flooding

 This is a murder case that is virtually unknown, apart from one sentence on the website Black kalender, there is no trace of it on the internet. The information for this podcast comes from a file in the National Archives and that file is somewhat confused.  I can find no record of the man who was convicted for murder David Lewington. 
My own opinion is that it was not a pre-planned murder, probably an accident but Lewington was convicted of murder and lucky for him it was just after the death sentence law had been ended in the UK. I think that the last person sent to death in the UK was in 1964, this case was in 1968.

David Lewington was a dishonest person who probably suffered delusions and was a ‘Walter Mitty’ type character. He clearly wanted to be noticed, covering himself in tattoos. 

 How he came to shoot his friend will never be known, the case is long forgotton. Nobody comes out of the case particularly well, those people who surrounded Lewington all seemed to have their own particular problems and issues. Please listen to the podcast and make up your own minds as to what happened.

I intend to place one more podcast for Halloween and then I am away for about six weeks, taking a break and hope to be back in December.

Send us Fan Mail

This is a Halloween podcasts for 2022. An attempt by the  British Society of Psychical research (SPR) to explain paranormal activity. 

Phantasms of the Living was to be the book published by the SPR that was to explain the reasons for people seeing ghosts. 700 case studies were given to try to prove that thought transference, called later telepathy was the reason for people seeing ghosts. 

Telepathy allowing one to communicate with others non-verbally through thought not to be confused with  ESP  (extra sensory perception) which refers to heightened senses and intuition.
This podcast gives a brief background to the book, the personalities and politics of the SPR and a couple of case histories mentioned in the book and the reasons that the book was criticised. The book published in 1886 and recent copies are available today on internet sites. The book is interesting to dip into but I would think would be impossible to read it through.

 Warning , recorded in one take, Lip smacking out of control today, even though my microphone is supposed to prevent this and there is a dog in the room. Please do not listen if you are expecting a professional delivery. I am also known for mispronouncing words.  I am away for about six weeks, I will try to post a couple of podcasts over this time, I will be back in December. 

Send us Fan Mail

This is a true life horror story on the banks of the river Thames;  set in the days just before Queen Elizabeth II was crowned queen in June 1953. Two teenage girls were murdered as they made their way home on the last day of May 1953. The police files were said to be closed until 2049 but for some reason the files were made available to be examined by the public in 2006. The story is upsetting.
This podcast has been recorded in one take and is not a professionally produced podcast. On the upside, I don't have a team of lawyers telling what to say and what not to say.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Part 2 of a two part story.
The William Crookes, Florence Cook affair  was the major scandal regarding spiritualism in the UK. Cook was a fraudulent medium, trained by her family to make money from spiritualism. For a number of reasons Spiritualism had proved very popular in the English speaking world since the mid 19th century.

The spirit guide/control that Florence Cook was relying on up until June 1874 was Katie King who was claimed to be a spirit guide/control for a number of other mediums. 

After being exposed during a séance in December 1873, Florence was grabbed by a sitter while she pretended to be the spirit Katie King, they turned to Crookes who was a pro-spiritualist, famous scientist who had claimed to have discovered another medium, D.D.Home as being gifted with special powers. No other scientists believed Crookes although he was popular with spiritualists. The Cook family hoped that he would ‘prove’ that Florence Cook was a genuine medium.

Crookes investigated other young female mediums. Crookes would not have been guilty of any crime in 1974. The age of consent was 12 until 1875 when it was raised to 13 in the UK! Cook was 17 when she was first investigated by Crookes. Crookes was infatuated with Florence Cook, or perhaps with the spirit of Katie King. Crookes was manipulated and played by Florence Cook.

Crookes who was vain, intolerant and ego-centric refused to believe that he was being made to look a fool. There were various other scandals interwoven with the Crookes/Cook entanglement. This all to the backdrop of the spiritualist media and the main stream media trying to establish the truth of the new Spiritualist movement.

Few people came out of the scandal with their reputations intact. One who did was the pro-spiritualist Edward W. Cox. Many spiritualists seemed to be delusional but Cox, who was a friend of Crookes, was a reliable witness.

There was false information and cover-ups. Crookes later became president of the Society of Psychical Research (SPR) and rather disappointingly the society never had the courage to question him about his work on investigating spiritualism, instead it seems that the SPR destroyed the files on the Crookes investigation and any other files that reflected badly on previous Presidents.

Cook did not have a particularly long or happy life, dying in poverty in her 40s. Crookes died in 1919 as the grand old man of British science aged 86. Although there is no doubt that he was a brilliant scientist, his character was suspect and hypocritical.

Send us Fan Mail

This is a well known scandal from the 1870s. Florence Cook one of the best known materialisation mediums of her day had been suspect of fraudulent behaviour (not being genuine). To restore her reputation she tried to get the famous scientist William Crookes to investigate her and prove her genuine. 
Crookes had already investigated D.D.Home and found that he had powers unknown to science, this may had caused some ridicule from the scientific community, but Crookes was famous, he had discovered one of the elements listed in the periodic table and was a member of the Royal Society. Would Crookes be able to prove that Florence Cook was genuine and at what cost to himself?
This is part 1 of the story which also includes other stories intertwined, including that of the ruthless Cook family who intended to achieve financial security by milking gullible supporters of spiritualism.
The original inspiration for this podcast was the book by Ronald Pearsall 'The Table Rappers' although many books and periodicals have been read to produce this podcast, to name but two: Trevor Hall's 'The Spiritualists' and various publications of the Society of Psychical Research. I will post part 2 within the week.  

Send us Fan Mail

This is an unsolved murder from May 1967, a shooting in Mayfair, London at a gambling club. No one was convicted but it was to become clear that a fellow gangster was responsible for the shooting, the shooting of a gangster probably employed by the Kray gang, Jack Buggy. By the end of the podcast you will know who the murderer was. I lived on the Sussex coast in the past and had heard of the Buggy case but there was no information about it, even now I don't think there are any podcasts on the case.
This podcast is long and often something of a ramble. I dont give any opinions and  the podcast was made in one take based on rough notes , I stumble after words and there are background noises, dogs and chickens. It is also quite long, I was going to make it in two parts but I am now trying to make the story in one take. I also go off on tangents but try to get back on case as soon as possible.

Send us Fan Mail

You will not of heard this story before. Christmas Castletown, Sunderland, County Durham.  A grandad feeling story for himself and ignored by his family decides to do something about it. December 1966.

Recorded in one take without editing.

Send us Fan Mail

This is part 2 of the story of the murder at Tarrant Keynston.
The podcast is recorded in one take without editing.

Send us Fan Mail

This is an unsolved murder, or perhaps two involved murders that happened in an isolated Dorset village about ninety years ago.  This podcast is part one, part two will be uploaded within a couple of days. There are some unexplained aspects to this case and a village that was accused on not cooperating fully with the police investigation. It was suggested that villagers wanted an inquest verdict of accidental death or suicide, but two similar deaths within a couple of years of young men seemed too much of a coincidence.
A word of warning, this podcast is recorded in one take and there may be some background noise. I do have a recording studio but the window is left open and there is a dog in the room and I often stumble over words.

Send us Fan Mail

A Recent case from 2022. I am not sure if  it is county lines but young people and drugs are involved in the murder of a young man in a sleepy Dorset town. The story is a ramble, as all the best are. I remember some years back being in Christchurch in late August after GCSE results and the teenagers celebrating at the beach. It seemed a happy place, parties on the beach.
At the time I was working at a Pupil Referral unit in the area and also saw some of the damaged youngsters that lived in the area.
This is a recent case, some time after my time , but I recognise the attitudes that existed when I worked there. I may have known Christchurch or Bournemouth, certainly people like them. What I did recall was that the children at the PRU were proud to be travellers and even those that were not, claimed to be be as it was 'cool' to be a traveller. I 

Send us Fan Mail

This is the first Strange Stories podcast (without the UK). Since I started podcasting in June 2018, I wanted to call my podcast 'Strange Stories'but the name was taken at that time. I think it is available now, so welcome to Strange Stories. This is a short one, cryptozoology, so doomed to a low download, but I hope you enjoy it. This is the last podcast of series 4, I will be back at the end of August. Happy Holidays.

Send us Fan Mail

This case was investigated by the Society of Psychical  Research (SPR) by Frank Podmore in 1885 and published in the Journal for the SPR in September 1886. It was one of the cases that was being investigated for the book to be published by the SPR 'Phantasms of the Living'. The story wasn't considered strong enough for inclusion.
The SPR investigated and reported what they found as told by first hand witnesses, The story was embellished by Maude Ffoulks when it was included in the book True Ghost Stories in 1936. Since then the story has been further embellished by other books reporting on local hauntings. I try to give the original story here as found in the archives of the SPR.

Send us Fan Mail

As it has been three weeks since I posted, I decided to make a podcast, write it and post it as quickly as I could. I did not know what story to make a podcast about but I had some photographs of documents that I had taken at the National Archives and choose the shortest one, the one with least photos  to see how quickly I could write and post. The storey I chose, I original thought obscure, but found that a film had been made about it in 1990 called Chicago Joe and the Showgirl starring Kiefer Sutherland , Emily Lloyd and Patsy Kensit. Then I found out that George Orwell had commented on the murder. However, there did not seem to be any podcasts on what was called the 'Cleft chin murder'.
It took me 14 hours from start to finish to make this podcast, researching, writing and recording. That is why I am calling it a Punk Podcast. 
The characters in this podcast are shallow, obsessed with image and Hollywood films. Their lives are cheap and they think that life is cheap. In recent podcasts it has been suggested that it is easy to get away with a murder during a time of war, however these murderers were too incompetent to take advantage of wartime. As usual it is low fi and I hesitate over words etc.. 

Send us Fan Mail

Daniel Dunglas Home (1833-1886). Perhaps the best known physical medium. He was a contemporary of the Fox sisters, it was their  rappings that caused the explanation that they were communicating with the spirits of the dead and started the Spiritualist movement. 
During the mid Victorian period most middle and upper class homes tried to communicate with dead friends and family, it was a parlour game that many people played.  Many professional mediums charged for seances and I would say that all mediums of that time were caught out faking the phenomena they were thought to produce, the exception was Home (pronounced Hume).
Home travelled Europe and was friends with royalty and was one of the best known celebrities of his time supposedly being able to levitate, elongate and handle burning coals as well as take messages from the spirits which were  personal and private  and it didn't seem possible that Home could be able to know the messages that he gave.
There were also critics that did not believe what Home could do, but were often at a loss to explain it.
If you can bear the stumbling over words, Low-Fi and other unprofessional aspects, please listen and make up your own minds.

Send us Fan Mail

This podcast is about a murder/killing that happened in Portsmouth during World War 2. Another case that showed the failings of the British legal system. I try to make podcasts about unusual and unknown cases. They are low-fi and there is no editing, such as an ‘old time radio shows’. I am not a natural radio speaker, I stumble over certain words, for example in this podcast I say autonomy instead of anatomy. However, it is not the day job, it is just a hobby for me. The next podcast will be a paranormal story.

Send us Fan Mail

First of all, I would like to say that although I am still intending putting out a couple of podcasts each month, I am cutting back on  producing podcasts for the next six months as I am working on another project. I am intending to put out a paranormal podcast every third podcast.
This podcast is a strange story set in rural Dorset during World War 2. Piddletrenthide is a village in darkest Dorset. I would imagine that this story is virtually forgotten today as I can find no mention of it anywhere; however I feel that it needs retelling. Was Fred very unlucky or did the war make things easy for him? 
I will state again that this is recorded without editing, I sometimes hesitate over certain words as I am not a natural story teller and there may be some background noise as although I record in a soundproofed room, I keep the window open.

Send us Fan Mail

A West Country Haunted house, as investigated by the SPR during 1887. This would have been one of the cases investigated by Edmund Gurney and others who were working on a book ‘Phantasms of the living’ (published 1886) which listed and described, briefly, hundreds of hauntings trying to prove that ghosts were the results of telepathy.

This is the first of a number of cases that I intend to broadcast over the next few months, perhaps one every six weeks between podcasts on other subjects.

I don’t find the case in this podcast particularly persuasive; I think that the events that happened can be explained away, but it is a case that was examined at some length by the SPR.  

I have since read up on some other cases that I found more interesting and these I will post as a podcast in the next few weeks. Cases that were investigated by the SPR which I have found to be an organisation that had faults.  

I expect my download figures will plummet as a result of posting these podcasts, especially after the success of the recent Essex Boys case. Nevertheless, I will continue to post stories that I find interesting. The next podcast is an interesting case from the 1940s from a Dorset village when a man was involved in two deaths. I am wondering if it was easier to escape a murder charge during wartime. However, I will try to post a couple of paranormal podcasts during the month of May 2022.

Please be advised that these cases are low fi, recorded in one take and without editing. I cough and splutter and there are chickens outside!

Send us Fan Mail

This shocking case dates from September 2023. Nicholas Prosper aged 18 had an ambition to become known as a spree killer.

Send us Fan Mail

This is part three of the Rettendon / Essex Boys Murders which concludes the Canning Town Crime and corruption series off podcasts. This podcast considers the possible Canning Town connection.

Send us Fan Mail

In part 2 of these podcasts we examine the possibility of  it being Corrupt police or Bernard O'Mahoney, or/and Kenneth Noye being involved in the murders of TTR (Tucker, Tate and Rolfe. I will post part 3 within the week,

Send us Fan Mail

This is the first of three podcasts on the Rettendon, aka Essex Boys murders which are to finish off the Canning Town Crime and Corruption series of podcasts.
I go straight into the story so to aid understanding, The three men that were shot were called Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe (TTR) who ran a criminal gang in Basildon, Essex.
They supplied an ecstasy tablet which was responsible for the death of a girl called Leah Betts, during November 1995.
TTR were shot on 6 December 1995 and Michael Steele and jack Whomes were convicted for the murders. 
That was the basic story as told in this podcast, but it was not so straightforward. I set the scene in this podcast and in the next two podcasts, I will give other theories.
Please be advised that this podcast is recorded in one take. I ask for nothing and make nothing from these podcasts, it is just a hobby. 
I cough and splutter over words and dogs and cats are in the room. So if this is a problem, then please do not listen.
Among the sources used for this podcast are books by Tony Thompson and Bernard O'Mahoney. 
Various newspaper articles including The Guardian, Times and local Essex papers. 
Facebook Groups including Essex Boys T.T.I.O.T. and Essex Boys R.R.M.
YouTube sites including : Liquid Bullet Productions, TM Eye and Crime Scene 2 Courtroom (who should make a podcast on this subject as he is the real expert.)

Send us Fan Mail

This case dates from May 1979, set in Southampton on the South Coast of the UK. There is an argument between a couple and the woman dies supposedly of strangulation.,  In this case there was an argument for vagal inhibition. I am hoping that you will listen and make up your own minds what was going on here.
Alan Gardner head of accounts at Southern Television and his partner Sheila Uren a shop worker and talented golfer. They were planning a future together.
Please be advised that this was recorded in one take, and there are probably a few stumbles.
I do not pretend to be a proffessional podcaster.
 

Send us Fan Mail

A sad and senseless killing of a child crossing her local park after visiting a sweet shop during the school summer holiday . It was a violent and sexual killing.
The  seemed totally unplanned and senseless. The killer seemed able to shut it out of his mind, acting normally to all around him.
The other mystery to the case is what happened to the killer after conviction? How long did he serve? Where is he now? A lot of cases involving children get a great deal of publicity, this case from 50 years ago, in 1971,  seemed to be forgotten about. 
Janice would have been 60 today if her vicious killer had not acted on impulse.

Please be advised that this is recorded in one take and I do sometimes stumble over words. I suspect that my microphone cable fell out during recording and the microphone used was the that of the built in Apple computer microphone. So more ssss sounds  and lip smacking than usual.

Send us Fan Mail

This is part 2 of the Joan Woodhouse case of murder at Arundel, Sussex.
Please be advised that this is recorded in one take without editing and there are a couple of intrusive coughs.

Send us Fan Mail

This podcast examines a murder from 1948. It was a botched investigation and it seems that for a couple of possible reasons,  there was a conspiracy to prevent the case going to trial.
This is part 1 of the podcast, I will post part 2 in four days time.
Information for this podcast comes from a variety of sources primarily from files held at the National Archives at London. and the book 'Justice for Joan' The Arundel Murder by Martin Knight.
Please be advised that this podcast is recorded in one take without any editing.

Send us Fan Mail

Part 2 of the Michael Maybrick mystery.  In this episode we examine who Michael Maybrick was and why he was thought to be the 'Ripper'.
Again just a warning that this is a lo-fi production, I splutter, I forget words and there is a sleeping dog in the room. Despite accusations, I am not eating and only occasionally have a sip of water.
I have used too many sources to mention other than the main source: 'They all love Jack, Busting the Ripper'  by Bruce Robinson. I would advise not to listen to this podcast but read the book instead.

Send us Fan Mail

This podcast is a follow up to The Florence Maybrick trial podcast from November 2020. Florence was convicted and sentenced to death for murdering her husband. who seems to have actually been killed by 'his brother Michael Maybrick and Florence was framed by him for the murder. 
The inspiration for this podcast is a book by Bruce Robinson called 'They all love Jack-Busting the Ripper' which I bought by chance at Waterstones at Gatwick airport when  taking a trip while working on the Florence Maybrick podcast in late 2020. I had been abroad when the Robinson book first came out and only learnt about it at Gatwick in 2020.
This is part one of the story as I understand it whereby Michael Maybrick is acussed of being 'Jack the Ripper'. This podcast is just setting the scene. I will post part 2 tomorrow which will concentrate on the Michael Maybrick character and the evidence against him.  
The story all seems incredible, especially when a dairy is revealed in 1992, supposedly written by James Maybrick who is  admitting to being the 'Ripper'. The dairy contains information that could only be known by the 'Ripper'. 
Michael Maybrick was a famous composer and singer in the 1880s. I can't find fault in Bruce Robinson's anaylsis and his accusation that Michael Maybrick was 'Jack the Ripper' who specialised in killing women and children and his own brother. 

Send us Fan Mail

A Femme fatale, Madame Schmeder leaves France, in a hurry,  in her airplane, and crash lands at Selsey in Sussex.  A story that captured the imagination of the world in 1936 but is now virtually forgotten. 
This story told in one take and without editing with information from the British Archives, La Bibliothèque nationale de France and various newspaper reports. 

Send us Fan Mail

This is a short podcast about a case that was reported this week. Jennifer Abbott was murdered on around 10 June. Police originally thought she had been targeted by drug addicts.  But the truth seemed a little more unusual. Recorded in a couple of hours in lo-fi and without editing.

Send us Fan Mail

A murder from a long time ago, The Rolling Stones were number 1 in the singles charts with 'I can't get no Satisfaction', this podcast tells of a story from September 1965 when a woman who had just finished her Teacher Training was murdered by a person who had had no positive impact on life having failed at everything and blamed his failure on others. Nevertheless, the Criminal Justice System did everything it could to help him while his victim, an only child, was forgotten and in my opinion was not considered that important once she was dead.
Michael Stephen Gills seemed to be a deluded person who imagined that women were giving him signs that they wanted him, but when he approached them, they 'snubbed him' and at times he , in his words, 'lost his nut'. 
This case seems to be forgotten now, I came across it by chance in the National Archives. I feel that Patricia Grace Woolard was badly let down by the Criminal Justice system.
Please be advised that this podcast is not edited and recorded in one take, it is not a professional production and I sometimes stumble over my words, so please do not listen if this is likely to be a problem.

Send us Fan Mail

Ghost Story for Christmas 2021. Tony Cornell and others, investigate three cases in East Anglia, Hannath Hall during 1957-60, Wisbech shoe shop 1965-66 and Old Morley Hall 1964. All of these cases as published by the Society of Psychical Research.

Send us Fan Mail

Two stories about street drug dealing, both ending in murder ten years ago, during 2011. Both drug dealers lived in Portslade part of the conurbation of Brighton and Hove. 

Gary ‘Hammer’ Hampsen was a flawed character who moved from Bootle, Liverpool to Brighton and became a street drug dealer. He seemed to have a loving family but was capable of violence, keeping a hammer for personal protection. Perhaps his greatest mistake was going into partnership with Daniel Alexander, 20 years older than him and a totally untrustworthy character. There are several unpleasant personalities involved in this story. Step forward Linda and Roy.

The next story involves a very young drug dealer who seemed to view himself as a ‘big shot’, ‘bigging’ himself up as a dangerous gangster. His family misguidedly tried to help him after he carried out a dreadful crime. He was clearly a damaged character who was morally corrupt, and he dragged his family down with him who must have regretted their decision. 

What is interesting is that both people convicted of murder showed no remorse at all.

I know I have said this before, but the podcast is recorded in one take with no editing. I have a busy life and don’t have time to edit so have made Lo-Fi a feature of my podcasts. I do not have the resources of the BBC or the big podcast companies. I have a mic, a computer and an inquisitive mind, so please do not expect a professional podcast. I listen through once before posting and even I shudder when I cough or grunt and know it is not good to hear. 
However there is no one telling me what to do, so I tell the story the way I see it, although I try not to make any personal views. I also do not ask people to post a review for the show or ask for anything.
I am taking a break of three or four weeks as I am working on some complicated episodes. I will be back in time to post one or maybe two 'Ghost Stories' for Christmas 2021.

Send us Fan Mail

Episode 6 in the Canning Town Crime and Corruption Series of podcasts. This episode is about the novel Judas Pig by Horace Silver. Published in 2004, it became a cult novel as it told stories about an OCG (organised Crime group / gang) that were believed to have actually taken place. 
Some thought it the most realistic description of a ruthless OCG in action. I have tried to match the names to the stories that have been described. It is quite possible that I have made mistakes and  the novel seems to have mixed some stories and distorted time lines. The novel is a revenge story to put Horace Silver, aka Billy Abrahams, are Jimmy Holmes, aka Jimmy Maher's (?) side of the story and to put those he did not like in a poor light.
This was recorded after a session spent at the pub, recorded in one take without editing and during the recording there is a scuffle between a cat and a dog that interrupted proceedings for a moment or two. Please do not listen if you are expecting a flawless delivery.

Send us Fan Mail

Hello,  All Hallows Eve 2021. I am only posting one story this year and it is a pretty standard Haunted House story which was first published in 1902 in the Journal of Psychical Research. I do not know the location of the house as it was kept secret on the request of those who lived there at the time. I am not convinced that it was a haunting but you will have to make your own mind up if you decide to listen to it.
 I will be researching some more stories next month and will post a couple of paranormal episodes  for Christmas 2021. 

Send us Fan Mail

This is not a podcast to interest everyone. It is about the Burbot, only fish in the UK that has been declared extinct in known history. Please also be warned that this podcast is recorded in one take with no editing and there is a dog snoring in the background. and I stumble over some words and make some mistakes.
I make podcasts that interest me and I cannot be bothered to spend an age recording the perfect podcast. In fact I recommend that you do not listen to this podcast unless you are interested in the natural history of the burbot.
 I have not given any sources, but the Southampton University Report on  the possibility of reintroducing the species (available online) has a long list of sources for anyone interested.
My next podcast will be a paranormal podcast for Halloween.

Send us Fan Mail

This is the fifth podcast in the Canning Town Crome & Corruption Series. This involves three unsolved murders in Epping Forest, near London. Terry Gooderham and Maxine Arnold murdered in December 1989 and  the murder of Patricia Parsons in June 1990.
         There will be three more podcasts in this series, But the next one or two podcasts will be cases of the paranormal as Halloween is approaching.
I have abandoned my attempts to get the podcast to pay for itself, by covering fixed costs. I was using Ko-Fi, there were a trickle of contributions but I will just concentrate on making the podcasts that I want to make. Thank you for those that did buy me a coffee.
Just to remind listeners that this podcast is low-fi. I hesitate ever some words, cough and splutter at times, but the pod gets made in one 'take' with no editing.  Thank you for listening, I can be contacted on the web site www.strangestoriesuk.com.

Send us Fan Mail

Three Paranormal cases : The Palm Sunday Case which concerned Arthur Balfour the Conservative Prime Minister and his lost love, his cousin May. I dont think it would be possible today to conceive how well the Balfour family were connected when this case broke in 1930.  They were one of the most important aristocratic families when Britain was considered as perhaps the most powerful country in the world at the time and they were one of the influential  families i, their ancestor being William Cecil, Queen Elizabeth 1.st adviser.  

I  have not gone into forensic detail about the Palm Sunday case, I have just given a general description which I think is enough as it could get a little tedious to get into detail.
The other two cases concern working class homes, The case in Ramsbury was about Samuel Bull, a chimney sweep from 1932. Make up your own minds what was behind this 'haunting' which seemed to involve a 'housing issue'
The next case took place at Askern near Doncaster (Donnie), not much happened but it was well documented by the Doncaster Psychical Research Group. 
I have actually included an advert on this podcast. Eve S. Evans, she has published an anthology of true ghost stories. I thought it would  match with this podcast. 
I will include all sources on my website strangestories.uk.com.

Send us Fan Mail

Podcast 4 in the Canning Town Crime and corruption series: This episode looks at The Bowers OCG  within the Canning Town Cartel, and those who worked within the crime group. Then we look at some feuds concerning Christopher Pearman. The death of Ronnie Fuller, the death of Rocky Dawson and the death of John Donovan; all of these linked to the Canning Town Cartel. There is also the death of Dave King who turned informant on his drug smuggling team. Throughout the stories told there was the backdrop of corrupt members of the police feeding information to the crime groups undoing the work of their colleagues trying to fight organised crime. 
If you would like to donate to keep the podcast going, a one off payment can be made through ko-fi. The link is as follows.
ko-fi.com/strangestoriesuk 

Send us Fan Mail

Part 3 of the Canning Town Cartel of organised crime groups. Please listen to parts 1 & 2.

Part 3 continues the story. 

Canning Town part 2 is about the rise of the cartel in Canning Town, in particular the rise of the Hunt OCG and how Jimmy Holmes, the author of Judas Pig fell out with David Hunt. 

I think It is likely that Jimmy Holmes is still alive and that he came to some agreement with David Hunt. I would have thought that Holmes would have taken out some insurance about him being killed on Hunt’s orders. Holmes knew too much and I would have thought he would have made a testimony at a solicitors somewhere telling stories that would have bought others down, in his attempt to incriminate Hunt by telling what murders and rackets he and Hunt and the rest of his OCG had taken part in. If anything happened to Holmes, if he was ‘hit’ a process would come into play to make his testimony come to light. I am not sure how he would have ensured how this would have happened, but Holmes had a lot of time to think about it and work out a plan. 

Send us Fan Mail

A story that rambles on about the murder of Worthing based amateur archaeologist John Pull on 10 November 1960. He was shot in a bank being raided by teenagers. There is an interesting contrast between John Pull who contributed so much during his life, compared to the nihilistic life style of those responsible for his death. His wannabe gangster killer actually claimed to be a reincarnation of the long dead American gangster Legs Diamond.

Send us Fan Mail

Strange Stories UK. Canning Town, London Organised Crime and Corrupt police. Part 2. Season 4, Episode 2.

This podcast tells how some members of the Snipers gang in Canning Town, evolved into the Canning Town Cartel which was a group of organised crime groups. One of which was the Hunt OCG.

The podcast also examines the falling out between David Hunt and Jimmy Holmes which caused the book ‘Judas Pig’ to be published.

I have been making podcasts for three years, just entering my fourth year. I have now signed up with ko-fi to try to get an income stream to cover my costs.(posting and subscriptions).

I intend to make a podcast each month to send to anyone who makes a contribution to my Ko-Fi account (a one off payment, not a monthly contribution). This podcast will not be available elsewhere and will be related to the podcasts that I make that month. This month’s podcast will be about the true stories in the book Judas Pig where I try to link up the names with the actual crimes. I have mentioned a few of these in the last couple of podcasts but I will go into more detail and there are a wealth of characters and incidents that Jimmy Holmes wrote about that have not been mentioned yet. So to find out the secrets of Judas Pig (according to my research), my ko-fi link is:

https://ko-fi.com/strangestoriesuk

If you donate three of your local domination, pounds/dollars/euros, I will send a link for this month’s Judas Pig podcast.
Since the last podcast, I have had one donation, so thank you very much Judith (I won't say your second name).

 Sources for this podcast:  The book Legacy by Michael Gillard is the source that keeps giving and I recommend anyone interested in these stories to read it for the whole story. 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/Guardian archives have been useful. 

Send us Fan Mail

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. 

Send us Fan Mail

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.