Loremen Podcast

Remember that big hill from the West Kennet Long Barrow episode just a couple of weeks ago? Well it's back. This time Silbury Hill brings some golden treats, a posset of seethed milk* and a 4500 year old flying ant. Plus, the loreboys finally get a GOOD idea for a podcast. * We'll explain later. Get tickets to Alasdair on tour - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Immediately!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the LoreFolk at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Yorkshire's answer to the Bermuda triangle is more of a straight line between Everingham and Pocklington. As ever, James and Alasdair tackle the burning questions. What happens when a police officer sees something peculiar on the road? (They try to arrest a ghost, of course!) What on earth is going on with Fahrenheit? And what are you doing with all that pig blood? Seriously. Get tickets to Alasda...

YouTube Version (with James' pics) James leads us down to Wiltshire to see the megalithic marvel that is West Kennet Long Barrow. This Neolithic burial mound is the source of much folklore and at least one awkward social encounter for James. There's ghosts, grabbing hands and a lovely reminder of a funny video off of the internet. The Neanderthal Countdown Video... 3! 2! 1! Get tickets to Alasdair...

Smugglers! Murderers! Funereal fakers! The loreboys present tales of nautical naughtiness and photogenic phantoms from the hometowns of Andy and Dave, hosts of the Scarred For Life podcast. Plus, one or two mentions of the things that scared/scarred us all as children. Find the Scarred For Life Podcast here! Get tickets to Alasdair on tour - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Immediately!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the LoreFolk at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Author Amy Jeffs (Arthur: A New Life) joins us with the tale of King Arthur's most important quest: learning what (medieval) women want. As with a lot of Arthurian rambles, there's meandering aplenty. But thanks to the Loreboys, this retelling has more Super Mario references than you'd expect. Buy Amy's books here! Get tickets to Alasdair on tour - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Immediately!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Note: Amy would like listene...

Ciabatta beware! The Loreboys investigate a devilish crime in London's notorious bakery district. This is the St Luke's Mystery from 1881: the vanishing of a German baker whose whereabouts technically remain a mystery to this day. Plus, Alasdair introduces James to the original consulting detective. It's Wendel Scherer, Germany's answer to, "what if Sherlock Holmes were German and not a very good...

It is time to screw on your sea legs, because the Loreboys are heading for the high seas! Specifically the ones immediately around Poole. (In Dorset? Of course we be endorsin' it, ye lubber!) James tells the life story of the Poole pirate Harry Paye, who learned that crime can actually be quite profitable. Get tickets to Alasdair on tour - ⁠⁠Immediately!⁠⁠ Join the LoreFolk at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Strike a light guv'nor and go up (or down) the apples and pears because the Loreboys are headed to Old London Town (well Camden Town, specifically). Expertly guided by Nikki Druce (host of Macabre London and Killers, Cults and Queens and producer of Scarred For Life Podcast) we visit a couple of typical London boozers that are, of course, thick with witches. Get tickets to Alasdair on tour - ⁠Imme...

It's been a cruel summer and James is ready to chill out with a meteorological mystery from Cumberland. Things are getting snowy in Sausage County! Plus, the boys take in some saintly origin stories and enjoy a "cameo" from "Nicolas Cage". Get tickets to Alasdair on tour - Immediately! Join the LoreFolk at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/loremenpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Alasdair takes James to the Loch from Hell. Loch Hourn boasts no less than two distinct cryptids. One is your standard water-based Nessie-alike, but the Beast of Barrisdale breaks ALL the rules. Except the rules of front door etiquette, of which it's surprisingly respectful. Join the LoreFolk at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/loremenpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

You find yourself in a vicarage in the Cotswolds. You've no company but the tick-tock of the many clocks. But wait! Is that the rustle of a book leafed through by an unseen hand? Is that a cough and sneeze from the empty library? And hold on... who is that brushing your hair?!? From a disembodied hand in a drawing room to some spooky boots in The Paddocks, these ghostly tales might just inspire yo...

In England's North East there was a land. A Metroland. Apart from being a gang of Geordie sketch comedians, Metroland was also a semi-mythical theme park peopled with gnomes, wizards and 1990s teens who quite wrongly believed that things could only get better. But what could ever beat the biggest shopping mall in Europe (at the time)? Or the most gigantic (indoor) rollercoaster in all of Christend...

Comedian Hannah Platt shares her obsession with cults, from our friends the Agapemonites to the tragic case of the Heaven's Gate comet-botherers. Meanwhile, James falls down an unusually rude rabbit hole. In a miraculous feat of bleeping, he dives into the origins of the F-word. You know the one. Hannah returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with Cult Classic at Pleasance Courtyard, The Attic from 7th to...

Brrr! It's chilly at the South Pole! The boys are joined by comedian & videogame sage Ellie Gibson (Scummy Mummies, Go 8-bit), who takes us on a guided tour of Antarctica in all its creepy splendour. And then Alasdair takes us on a quick tour of the Arctic, for a very good reason that is absolutely not a clerical error. With penguin hi-jinks, Lord Franklin's passage and Ernest Shackleton's indispe...

James is joined by comedian Scout Boxhall to explore some Australian cryptids including at least one thing that definitely did exist. Oh, and also the terrifying Drop Bear. Check out the haunting film of the thylacine here. Scout Boxall brings the critically acclaimed God’s Favourite to Assembly George Square throughout the Edinburgh Fringe from 5th to 30th August at 4.20pm. Tickets here. Edited b...

Phew, it's warm out, innit? Thankfully, the hilarious Amy Matthews has brought us a cask-chilled bevy of terrifying taverns and pub poltergeists. From Scotland to Cornwall (via the Midlands), prepare for a legendary lock-in with the lorelads. Amy Matthews is at the Edinburgh Fringe and on tour with her new show ‘Definitions of Toast’. Dates and tickets info here. Watch Amy’s special ‘I Feel Like I...

The dead do not rest easy - not if they've been on the Buckfast, at least. Treat yourself to a buffet of British walking deads / shufflers / deadites / whatever you want to call 'em. From a finger-nibbling zombie in Buckfastleigh to a double-deadbeat husband in Buckinghamshire, this episode is a vintage Jimmy Shakes grab-bag. It seems that what you do in life DOES continue in the afterlife. Especi...

Hey, Lorefolk! We have a bona fide dream-weaver for you this week! Comedian turned lucid dreamer, Dave Green joins the Loreboys to tell us about his nocturnal adventures. Apologies for the background builder noise and mic issues this ep is beset by. Recording it was, ironically, a bit of a nightmare. Buy Dave's new book! ⁠Doodles in the Dark: an artist's guide to lucid dreaming And come see us in...

Sweet acorns! No, that's not a cool new exclamation taking the world by storm. These sweet acorns lead a pair of half-sisters on an extraordinary adventure in the Kumamoto region of Japan. There's a talking statue of the Amitābha Buddha and a tragic ending. The telling of the tale leads James to do one of the greatest chicken impressions ever committed to podcast. Plus, a series of demon voices th...

BACK IN 2022... we recorded another ride-along. And this one is a real roller-coaster. (The emotional kind. We remained safely in the car throughout). The loreboys went to Leicester for an awards ceremony and (spoiler alert) came back empty-hearted. Still, we had plenty of fun on the road. Content Warning: Attempted Northern Irish accents and River Tees-related misinformation. And there's a pun at...

Ever wondered what it would be like to be in a car with Alasdair and James?  Wonder no more! Here is a recording of just that, so you can pop it on your headphones when you're on the bus and experience the thrill-a-minute feeling of driving behind a caravan on an A-road whilst two men play the pub game and generally pass the time. Enjoy! This is a former Patreon-only episode from 2021. So if you'r...

James and Alasdair meet a retired pirate experiencing a self-imposed male loneliness crisis. Starting in the ruins of Finchale Abbey, we travel back to a time before the monastery was built (don't look for it, it's not there yet) and meet the notorious Saint Godric. This burly old hermit had a very hot & cold relationship with animals and would go to extraordinary lengths to impress the ladies. We...

People are really losing their heads in this tale from old-timey Japan. James dips into the work of Lafcadio Hearn and recounts the legend of the rokurokubi. You want a warrior monk? We got one. Seeking a sinister woodcutter? You better believe that's here. In the market for a system of bamboo water pipes? All present and correct! Come see us in Oxford! ⁠July 1st 2026 (2026)⁠ Edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

The Loreboys venture back to the Pacific North West for a gander at the 9 foot tall monster that terrorised a small town in 1960. "Is it a white ape? Is it an alien? Does it come in peace?" These are the questions the townsfolk asked, immediately before hunting it with guns. Lots of guns. Come see us in Oxford on the 1st July 2026⁠ Join the LoreFolk at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com...

The Loreboys are joined by art historian and comedian Verity Babbs for a lesson in the Art of Murder. And the Art of Gardening. What horticultural secrets lie buried in the Italian legend of Isabella and her pot of basil? Meanwhile, Alasdair pilots a new bingo format and James learns a lesson that has him re-evaluating his entire life*. And if you're a fan of the sinister 1990s puppet Pob - fear n...