Loremen Podcast

James takes Alastair for a mini trip round Oxon in this minisode on Grim's Ditch. A little side story before tonight's livestream.  Loreboys nether say die! Support the Loremen here (and get stuff): patreon.com/loremenpod ko-fi.com/loremen @loremenpod www.twitch.tv/loremenpod www.instagram.com/loremenpod www.facebook.com/loremenpod @JamesShakeshaft | @MisterABK Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

This is the Midnight Library 2: Electric Boogaloo AKA The Midnight Library Returns: Electric Boogalurns. Miranda Merrick and Mr Darling make their way to merry olde England and cause a right old fuss. Miranda shares the tale of Harry Main, a distinctly land-based pirate with a side-line animal disguises. Oh, and if you ever dig a hole in Ipswich, Massachusetts – watch out for cats, mate. Loreboys...

The Loreboys go rambling up Scotland's third most famous seat* and make a very spooky discovery: a Victorian mystery that remains unsolved. (Spoiler: we didn't solve it). Guest stars in this episode include: Scottish Columbo, a poisoned pig and Mrs. Doubtfire. Warning: James does the full gamut of 'Scottish' accents, ranging from 'Elderly Nanny' to 'He Will Get Chinned If He Goes There Now.' *afte...

Un petit amuse-bouche ahead of tonight's LIVESTREAM on twitch.tv/loremenpod Alasdair Beckett-King regales James Shakeshaft with a delightful wee Scottish tale of faerie-kidnapping, coffins and knife throwing. A classic Friday night out, tbf. Prepare yourself for Scottish accents, several cockneys and a smattering of Orson Welleses.  And join us tonight! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...

Ben Van der Velde (Worst Foot Forward Podcast) treats the Loremen to a tour of Jewish mysticism, the dreaded dybbuk and (of course) the world's original robot bouncer - the golem. Plus, we nearly make it through the whole episode without a circumcision joke. Watch out for guest appearances from 'Bugz in the Nut', a whole new superhero franchise, and (of course) Mr. Blobby. Oh, you thought we'd run...

If you've executed a criminal and are wondering what to do with their hands, why not get crafting and make yourself a Hand of Glory? This burglar's multi-tool is purported to do all sorts, though the evidence points (like a dead highwayman's cadaverous finger) towards them not really working at all. This episode was originally a livestream, and features a reading from notorious former-guest Chris...

Unlike a normal trailer this features all sorts of bits that won't be in the actual thing! Join us at http://www.twitch.tv/loremempod on 29 April at 8pm BST for Livestream fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ah, the Isle of Thanet! A place of great antiquity. Some say its name comes from "Ynys Thanatos" - the Isle of the Dead - a folkloric curio which James totally neglects to mention, and instead spends most of the episode talking about rollercoasters. But the ups-and-downs of Thanet don't end there. We also have an over-hyped hero, a touchy ghost and someone called Erminburga. Plus at least one "fun...

Robin Ince (R4's Infinite Monkey Cage & The Cosmic Shambles Network) takes the Loremen for a meander along Grim's Ditch. On the way, they encounter everything from 1970s horror films to 1970s folk horror films. Plus some very lazy ghosts, a prophetic river and a film franchise that will doubtless rival the great trilogies (Back To The Future, The Godfather and Big Momma's). Loreboys nether say die...

Those mischievous Loremen celebrated April Fools' Day the only way they know how: a live stream! Listen in for tales of impossible frogs, the dangers of 'lad banter' and, of course, dead body hijinks. Think of this episode as a sort of Bank Holiday Weekend at Bernie's. *MOOIE WARNING KLAXON:* Mooie warning. Loreboys nether say die! Support the Loremen here (and get stuff): patreon.com/loremenpod k...

A wee one about the live stream tomorrow (April 1st) Includes the first part of a puzzle that will be solved within said live stream.  In the usual place... Twitch.tv/loremenpod We are NOT pranking you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alasdair takes us to the most remote (inhabited) place on earth! Prepare yourself for mutineers, Neo-Pagans and a giant glass ball full of noisome gases. We meet Thursday October Christian and discover that paradise is not all it's cracked up to be. There's a lot to learn from this episode: when not to go to a party, how many Chuckle Brothers there were, and which is better, Tahiti or Norfolk? Lor...

James has dug up a genuinely spooky inn-based tale this week. The Birdcage is a 600+ year old public house with a fearsome ghost, a horrible history and a serious pigeon problem. Be warned, this ghost frightens women, children, Australians and pornographers alike. The Loreboys also encounter Batman's shabbiest foe, and wilfully denigrate the filmography of a beloved comic actor. (Sorry, Robin Will...

Old York, Old York. So York they named it York. Amy Gledhill (Radio 2, The Delightful Sausage, A Lovely Time) joins the Loreboys to delve into the story of York's original party animal: Brother Jucundus. He was a monk-about-town who took a little more of the holy spirit than was good for him. "Up, up, up we go!" This episode features a cut-out-and-keep joke that listeners can say whenever they are...

King Jimmy the 1st and/or 6th of England and/or Scotland had quite a rough ride, from “witnessing” a political assassination in utero to being attacked by the world’s rudest cat. This monarch’s silver spoon was something of a double-edged sword (like that special knife designed for cutting grapefruit and/or your tongue). In fact, some believe that little Jim Royal didn’t make it out of short trous...

Leicester is home to many things: the grave of King Lear, the Leicester Comedy Festival and the blue-hued, metal-clawed, child-eating ogress Black Annis. All of these are covered in this special live episode from the festival, featuring an actual audience of socially-distanced lorefolk. PLUS: Bonus Material! (i.e. things James forgot to say during the livestream.) Loreboys nether say die! Support...

Just a wee one to let you know we are appearing *online* as part of Leicester Comedy Festival on Saturday 20th Feb *2021*. James throws in a few bonus nuggets of folklore, featuring: pigs, beans, socks, Americans and Leicesterians.  £5 tix are here...  https://comedy-festival.co.uk/event/loremen-live-online/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning comedian Jenny Collier makes her annual Valentine's pilgrimage to tell the Loreboys about another Welsh romance. As usual, the story in question proves... disturbing. This week it's The Lady in the Lake - but not the one you're thinking of. Prepare for Welsh words that sound rude in English, and English words that are distinctly rude about the Welsh. Content Warning: This is a very l...

A time-hopping ghost story from Oxfordshire, this episode boasts not only a "magic" potion, but trials, castles, clumsy legs and Henley-on-Thames. Essentially, James has just watched Christopher Nolan's Tenet and decided to tell a simple story as extravagantly and confusingly as possible. It's actually a really good yarn. But you'll need to watch a number of YouTube explainer videos to appreciate...

Chris Cantrill of The Delightful Sausage (BBC Radio 2) returns! And, having moved to Cumbria, he has a brand new story up his grubby little sleeve. Meg Merrilies was a highwaywoman from "the pasten days" who was ruthless in her pursuit of riches, a hobby which some say has continued beyond the grave... However, Chris devotes most of the show to describing a nearby tea room's delicious tray bakes....

Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (1841) is a remarkable compendium of mass hysterias, written by the Scottish curmudgeon Charles Mackay. Alasdair (half-Scottish curmudgeon) takes James on a tour of the stand-out fads, fancies and follies: from Dutch tulip-fanciers, via slow-poisoners, to some cracking haunted house scams. Brace yourself for chilling tales of faux-ghosts. (...

If you've ever thought, "they couldn't make it up," then you are about to be proven so very wrong. They DID make this one up! But don't let that put you off. This bit of hoax-lore from the Isle of Wight has medieval romance, time travel and a solar eclipse: all the excitement of a parish newsletter, plus cocktails and a cameo from Michael Legge. By the way, do you know Tom Collins? He's been chatt...

Ah, the Peak District: nestled snugly betwixt Lancashire and Yorkshire. Quiet, peaceful, serene... that is until the Loreboys rock up!  Long-time listeners will know that the Gabriel Hounds are invisible flying dogs that presage death. We track them down to the Hope Valley, and what must be THE rudest village in England. Warning: we pour scorn on a so-called ghost farmer and dish more dirt on Jesu...

Did Jesus’s uncle Joseph (presumably on his mum’s side) retire to England’s West Country? Did he bring the Holy Grail with him? Common sense and recorded history say, ‘no’. James Shakeshaft says… ‘maybe?’ Join the Loremen in this festive dive into bizarre Christmas traditions, weird biblical outtakes and the dubious origins of the Holy Grail. We livestreamed the recording of this episode on the Lo...

Stuart Goldsmith of the Comedian’s Comedian Podcast joins the Lorebois for some spooky tales from Stu’s old stomping ground of Warwick Castle* where he used to be the jester**. Plus! One tale from Royal Leamington Spa, in which the veteran podcaster delves into a particular… area he has never touched upon before. *An actual castle, not a pub with an overly ambitious name. **An actual jester, not a...