In todays episode we are tracking down the elusive and often misunderstood witch of Leicester. Black Annis.

Local tales tell of her blue skin and liking for stealing away children should they stray into her lair then skinning them to add to her dress, her bower strewn with bones. Or is this not quite as true as we were had to believe, could she have been an anchorite nun living alone in the woods, a herbalist, a catholic, or simply a woman who decided to her live her life the way she wanted to and the threat that posed to the men of the town?

There is so much to uncover in this amazing tale that touches on Shakespearian kings, ancient paganism and even the Hindu deity Kali. We are helped along the way by the incredible Black Annis Morris Group and our investigations lead us to a very secret location in the Dane Hills.

The wonderful Nina Wadia reads from Hansel and Gretel.

Enjoy!

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On this weeks episode we explore the folklore that was part of the best years of our lives, or so they say, Playground lore.

From marbles and jacks, to tag and skipping, kicking and kissing whilst not forgetting all the ghost and ghouls that roam the back of the design area, we explore it all with the help of the Opie archive and the brilliant and playful Julia Bishop, Yinka Olusoga and Catherine Bannister from Sheffield University.

Our readings this week come from the wonderful Matt Horne who tells us everything you will need to know about marbles.

Relive those wonderful playground days of having to 'Gull a Plonk' with your best 'dobber'.

Good times. Enjoy!

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In today's episode we go stone bothering. We begin in Leicester with the now largely forgotten Wishing Stone of Bradgate Park, a large granite menhir overlooking the babbling River Lin. We then go on the hunt for one of the most cursed stones of these ancient lands, the Humberstone, now terrifyingly placed between a KFC and a Halfords.

We end with a pilgrimage to the Rollright Stones of Oxfordshire, to explore their occult history and its colourful relationship with ceremonial magician William Gray in the 1970s.

This week the very wonderful Mandip Gill reads from Eleanor Hull's, 1928 book Folklore of The British Isles.

Expect curses, hearses and crisps. enjoy!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.