Ruth is Stranger Than Fiction

It’s time for the third advent episode, and in some ways it’s a cautionary tale about the perils of day drinking. One morning in the village of Doddington, farm workers were surprised to come across a man, naked and bloody among their ploughs. A strange find indeed. But the story that the man had to tell was stranger still…

It’s Advent Sunday no. 2 and time for one of the titans of East Anglian folklore - Black Shuck himself! The phantom devil hound bounds about the countryside, terrifying all who see him with his slavering jaws and blazing eyes. And what of Shuck’s smaller and more mournful relative, the Shug Monkey? We shall hear about him too.

The first of our Sunday advent episodes is here! And what better way to count down to Christmas than to hear about a grisly explosion that happened in the middle of the summer. In July 1943, the town of Rayleigh in Essex was shocked when a loud kaboom! broke the peace of the day. At the source of the explosion, all that could be seen was a mangled pile of metal and flesh. What on earth had happene...

27th October heralded our third live show at the Museum of Cambridge. The topic was a short history of Cambridge Castle, Castle Mound, and the Cambridge gaol that stood on the site for many years. Discussion ranged all over the place: Cromwell, pease pudding, long drop vs short drop hangings, masonry, and much more. We also covered the stories of some of the most notorious criminals to be incarcer...

A ghost that is also a witch? It must be Hallowe’en! October 1944 brought a cluster of strange goings on to the Essex village of Great Leighs. Clocks losing time, rabbits with eggs, and all sorts of troublesome behaviour in the guest bedroom of the St Anne’s Castle pub. Locals blame the disturbance of a large boulder on nearby Scrapfaggot Green. It’s a media frenzy, and even Time Magazine is runni...

Burnham Market, 1835. The folk of this North Norfolk village were shocked by a series of mysterious deaths as one by one, the residents of a row of a trio of cottages began to sicken and perish. Was it cholera, or something more sinister? Spoiler: it wasn’t cholera. But in that case, what had brought these people to their untimely ends? And was there any connection between these deaths and a murde...

What happens when a Norfolk doctor of coarse manner and peculiar habits ends up hobnobbing with the society types of 18th century London? Find out in this mini episode as we hear the story of Dr Messenger Monsey.

blahIt’s part 2 of our smuggling double! Listen up for the story of a most ill-fated smuggling operation involving a muck heap, an incriminating beer bung, and a whole bunch of inns and drunken dragoons. We also address the decline of the free trade which does, I’m afraid, necessitate some further talk of UK tax systems.

How do you enjoy your tea, gin, and tobacco? In 18th century England the answer was simple: smuggled into the country without paying due taxes please! Yes, it’s time for the Ruth is Stranger team to tackle the topic of smuggling. It’s part customs and excise, part noses getting snipped off, and part wondering whether your favourite podcasters will be poisoned by an unpleasant and potentially toxic...

The Foyster family are about to arrive at the infamous Borley Rectory and encounter for themselves the disruptions and peculiarities of this creaking old pile. Marianne receives messages from beyond the grave (or does she?), family intrigues abound, and Harry Price continues to investigate. We also drink a new cocktail: Pebbles Down the Stairs. It’s Borley part 2!

It’s time for the most haunted house not just in East Anglia, but in all of England! Welcome to the first of our two part series about Borley Rectory. This creaking old Victorian pile became infamous for multiple ghost sightings, poltergeist activity, and bad plumbing. In Part 1 we explore the early years of the rectory under the stewardship of the credulous Bull family. We are also reunited with...

This episode the story begins, as it so often does, with a gruesome East Anglian murder and a sentence of death by hanging. But who will carry out that sentence? Whose shoulders must carry the fullest and harshest weight of the British law? That’s where the Pierrepoints come in. Henry, Thomas, and Albert, executioners all! Their paths were to cross with those of some of the most notorious criminal...

Curses! Lice! Urine! Witch balls! A special episode recorded at our second live event, held at the Museum of Cambridge on 28th October 2022. Using examples from the Museum’s wonderful collection of artefacts from historical Cambridge and the surrounding lands (along with a few homemade props), we explore beliefs about witchcraft and the kinds of protective magic that the people of East Anglia used...

Happy new year my lovely eggs! Join us again for the first Mini Stranger of 2023 - the story of a strange spirit who haunted Dagworth Hall in Suffolk many years ago. ‘Play again! Play again!’ cries the tiny voice of little Malekin. Is he a run of the mill ghost? A changeling infant from the fairy realm? Or Britain’s first recorded poltergeist?

Part 2 of our enquiry into the Peasenhall mystery brings us to the trial of alleged smooth caramel man (and alleged murderer!), William Gardiner. But was it William who killed Rose Harsent on that stormy, fateful night? We recap the evidence and hear all about the trial, with some small tangents including: could Jeeves and Wooster ever be remade with a new duo? And what would your crisp name be (I...

May 31st, 1902 in the small village of Peasenhall, Suffolk. A dark and very stormy night was about to unfold, and by the end of it servant girl Rose Harsent would be dead in a pool of blood on her kitchen floor. Suspicion immediately turned to local foreman, religious enthusiast, and proud beard-wearer William Gardiner - but were the accusations based in firm evidence, or unfounded local gossip? K...

The golden hare has been discovered and the story of Masquerade seems to be over - but is it? No! There are more twists and turns to come. First up, we hear about the legacy of Masquerade and the rise in popularity of armchair treasure hunts. Then, scandal unfolds after the precious hare comes to light at a Sotheby’s auction in 1988… we also drink a surprisingly tasty (aren’t they always?) herby c...

In 1979 a storybook was published that took the UK by storm. But this was no ordinary children’s tale! The pages of Masquerade by Kit Williams gave clues to the secret location of a hidden treasure: a beautiful bejewelled hare crafted from gold. It’s a world of mystery and wonder in Part 1 as we explore the origins and artwork of this unique book. Would anyone unravel the fiendish puzzles and loca...

Geldeston, Norfolk! One of the more haunted villages in the region. For this mini episode we’re revisiting M.H. James’s book, Bogie Tales of East Anglia, to hear of three new bogies. Tune in and listen for supernatural scares with the Bigod Barons (aka ghosts on wheels), the skeleton of the horse pond, and the horribly named the Hateful Thing. If there is one lesson we’ve learned it’s this: don’t...

On May 23rd 2022 we were honoured to present a special live event at the Museum of Cambridge. Listen now for an introduction to the Society of Psychical Research, founded in 1888 to use scientific methods to investigate such strange goings on as telepathy, ghostly occurrences, spiritualism, and ectoplasmic manifestations. Meet founding members Henry Sidgwick, Frederic Myers, and Edmund Gurney, and...

It’s time for Part 2 of our investigation into the rotters Hopkins and Sterne. Heady from their victory at Manningtree, the witchfinding duo turn their sights on the rest of East Anglia. Oh, poor East Anglia! In this concluding part, we hear about an unusual burning, the persecution of clergyman John Lowes, and the ultimate demise of horrible Hopkins.

Puritanical, God-fearing zealot or manipulative, money-grabbing hypocrit? Who cares, we hate him either way! The time has come to hear about the rotter Matthew Hopkins, self-styled ‘Witchfinder General’ and all round total bastard. We must also hear about John Stearne, Hopkins’ partner in crime who has somehow escaped the notoriety of his more bombastic pal. Rotters both! We explore the witch hunt...

On a grassy hillside near the village of Bures on the Suffolk/Essex border you will find a mighty beast - the white dragon of Bures! While this one is made from chalk, behind it lies the story of a fearsome creature that terrorised the land many centuries ago. We’re joined by one-time Bures resident and finger-knitting legend Rosie O’Donovan to hear about the tale of the Bures Dragon. Cocktails th...

Let’s return to Yarmouth! This mysterious tale takes us back to the churchyard of St Nicholas in Great Yarmouth, last known as the site of the heinous bodysnatchers of Episodes 13 & 14 (catch up why don’t you?). But today we aren’t concerned with snatchers, though we are concerned with bodies. Most particularly, the body of an Egyptian mummy, secreted away in a Yarmouth school. But with the onset...

The year is 1838 and all around Britain people are preparing to celebrate the coronation of Queen Victoria. In Cambridge, this meant an enormous dinner on Parker’s Piece in the centre of the town, followed by what else but Rustic Sports! Listen in to discover who got to attend this fancy dinner, what they feasted on (HOW MANY loaves of bread and gallons of beer?!), and what manner of Rustic Sports...