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We’re off to Norfolk for a relatively unknown but legally significant story from early Victorian England. The tale begins at Felbrigg Hall where the respected and prestigious Windham family have ruled the roost for centuries. This historic legacy is about to be challenged by the relationship of the eccentric heir William Frederick Windham, train obsessive, and the beautiful Agnes Willoughby. Cocktails aplenty and Katy exceeds expectations by bringing not two but three horseracing inspired drinks.

Keen listeners may remember talk of Joanna Southcott’s box of prophecies and how it led to the rallying cry of Bedford’s Panacea Society: ‘Open the box!’ This episode the whole mad shebang returns to our attention in the most surprising of ways - in relation to a poltergeist case in Cambridgeshire. When the Morris family, down on their luck, turned to the Panacea Society for assistance, little did they know that their ordeal was only just beginning…

We’re off to Essex this episode for a story inspired by a recent visit to the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle, Cornwall. There we first got wind of George Pickingill. On the face of it, a simple agricultural labourer, but in legend a cunning man revered as one of the most powerful wizards of Essex (and by all accounts it's a crowded field!). He was also known as Old George, Old Picky, and perhaps more improbably still, as the oldest man in England. Image from the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, cropped from photo by Ethan Doyle White, shared under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Stand and deliver! Your money or your life! We’re out on the dangerous roads of 17th century England this episode to explore some legendary tales from the golden age of the highwayman - and highwaywoman! Prepare yourselves for the story of the Wicked Lady, a notorious pistol-toting criminal who terrorised the roads of Hertfordshire and who may or may not have been hard done by noble woman Katherine Ferrars. Katy brings double drinks again so it’s cocktails galore as we consume a Haunted Galleon, Golden Spoils, and a Velvet Pistol.

Listen to the flutter of tiny wings - Cupid is in town! Where will he shoot his arrows on this, the most romantic day of the year? Of course, at this podcast we hate happy stories of romance so for our Valentine Special we are pleased to present two ghostly tales of doomed lovers from the Norfolk Broads.

A special live recording of the Hallowe’en Ruth is Stranger than Fiction event, held at the Museum of Cambridge on 31st October 2025. I was joined by author Mike Rampton for an exploration of the strange creatures of Cambridgeshire: some ghostly, some demonic, some large and some that have baffled philosophers and scientists for hundreds of years.

Back to Norfolk we go for the second part of Death by Dumplings! Unassuming Norwich man John Burgess has been poisoned, but he was not the intended victim. Now we will hear who was meant to receive the arsenic-laced flour, and who it was that did the lacing. The cocktail fuelled chat also has us pondering on brass rubbings, moonlight reading, and seditious literature.

When Norwich man John Burgess sat down to a dinner of Norfolk dumplings in 1829, little did he suspect that he was about to eat himself into a nightmare. Poor John was about to board the poison train. Join us for talk of suet, stomach linings, and a number of tasty drinks. Picture: A Norfolk Dumpling by James Gillray.

More stories from the sea this week as we return to the watery shores of East Anglia for the folk legend commonly known as the Wild Man of Orford. I however will be referring to him as the Orford Merman - listen to discover why!

The seas and oceans of our world are deep and mysterious, with plenty of legends of horrible creatures and man-eating beasts. In this episode we dive into terrifying tales of mythical sea monsters, as well as hearing about some extraordinary colossal animals that are all too real. You can decide for yourselves into which category the sea serpents of the East Anglian coastline fall.

Last time we left you in suspense with the peculiar disappearance of American student James Dallas Egbert III. This episode we will learn his fate and discover whether or not the moral outrage around RPGs and D&D was justified. We must also return to the UK to rejoin the story of parapsychologist Carl Sargent, which entails a mystery of its own. And it’s time to Booze Your Illusion with the return of everyone’s (no one’s) favourite drink!

Get the D20 ready! Grab the nearest Fighting Fantasy book! For the next couple of episodes we’re diving into the world of Role Playing Games, or RPGs for those in the know. But it will take a winding route to get us there, through the early career experiments of a Cambridge parapsychologist called Carl Sargent, and via the story of a missing teenager from Ohio. Turn to 148…

The stage is set, but not for a fine production of Shakespeare or Greek tragedy… no, the stage is set for MURDER! Last time we met a rum assortment of ne’er-do-wells from the Regency underground, and this time one (or more) of them is about to meet a violent end. The whole sorry saga gives rise to media hysteria, public bloodlust, and an unexpected joke about pork.

Ahhh the Regency era, when everyone was obsessed with true crime entertainment, boxing, and illegal gambling. Those were the days! From the East End of London to the quiet rural towns of Norfolk, violence was brewing for a motley crew of fellows, but the roles of hero and villain are as yet unclear.

Folklore and religion collide as we journey to the fine county of Suffolk to hear about the misadventures of a slightly buffoonish devil. Let’s find out why this diabolical fool hates Suffolk so much.