Wyrd Wessex

Did you know that Mary Shelley, the author of  Frankenstein , kept a calcified human heart wrapped in poetry in her desk drawer for decades? In this episode of  Wyrd Wessex , we uncover the dark, gothic, and completely unexpected history of the South Coast. Far from just being a seaside resort, this area was the playground of the "Smuggler King" Isaac Gulliver—a man so brazen he faked hi...

Craig kicks off the show by proudly detailing his latest bookish adventures—a truly covetous purchase of a classic English folklore tome that he justified as a "medium rare" find. This segues perfectly into a spontaneous London trip that led to an encounter with disembodied footsteps in a dark room, and the cryptic message: "The owls are not what they seem." Wyrd News: The Grab-Bag of the Inexplic...

Did you know the King of Great Britain was personally convinced that Satan was sending assassins to murder him and his Queen? In this harrowing episode of Wyrd Wessex, we dive into the paranoid mind of King James I and the destructive book he wrote, Daemonologie. Driven by his own trauma after surviving a supposed witchcraft attack at sea, James crafted a manual that turned folk healers into high-...

The Wyrdo's are back with a bizarre, unholy, and downright weird edition of AfterWyrd. Craig kicks off by proudly detailing his latest bookish adventures—a truly covetous purchase of a classic English folklore tome that he justified as a "charity donation." This segues perfectly into an eye-watering discussion on holy oil and the unusual history of Christian relics, including the rather infamous f...

This episode of Wyrd Wessex dives past the bonfires and Guy Fawkes effigies to reveal the true, dark, and desperate story of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot. We uncover the horrifying religious persecution that turned a Protestant boy into a soldier prepared to commit high treason. We found enough gunpowder to blow up Parliament 25 times over... In This Episode, The Wyrdo's Detail: The Shocking Conversion...

This week, the Wyrdo's toss out the trick-or-treating in favor of a full-scale  Cryptid Tournament , battling the world’s most dangerous and bizarre creatures against each other to crown a single champion. Using a custom deck of cards (blame the manufacturer!), we dive deep into the stats and lore to decide who would win in a fight. The Combatants & The Lore The Shadow People:  We ex...

It's the finale of Season Two and the  Wyrdo's  are fitting in all the wyrd news, strange stories, and other bits they couldn't squeeze into the main episodes! The Ghostwatch Deep Dive (1992) We launch into a deep dive on  Ghostwatch  (1992), discussing how this unsettling BBC programme, inspired by the Enfield Poltergeist, masterfully used trusted presenters like  Michael...

This week, the  Wyrdo's  dive head-first into the most famous, controversial, and thoroughly documented haunting in British history:  The Enfield Poltergeist  of 1977. We go back to the original source, Guy Lyon Playfair’s  This House is Haunted , to track the phenomena right from the first knocks on the party wall in the Hodgsons’ quiet council house. The Core Phenomena W...

The  Wyrdo's  kick off with a quick mention of Craig's recent birthday, which leads to a discussion of his weird-themed gifts. The segment wraps with a piece of personal Wyrd News: Craig’s daughter's early morning sighting of a  shadow figure  in the house, proving the strange is never far from home. Bizarre Headlines & Calamity The Great Halloween Décor Debate:  We di...

Are monsters simply things to be feared, or do they hold a mirror to humanity? This week on Wyrd Wessex, hosts Andy and Craig sit down with acclaimed author and travel writer Nicholas Jubber, to discuss his latest book, Monsterland. In this wide-ranging and thought-provoking interview, Nick takes us on a journey across a dozen countries to understand the true purpose of the creatures we fear. Trav...

The show kicks off with Craig's recording space, dubbed  The AfterWyrd Library , showcasing a new, custom-made owl. The talk quickly turns to Halloween, Craig's partner Becky's  Ekba doll costume , and the creepy doll customisations in his window that are now terrifying local wildlife. The segment concludes with a discussion on the enduring, yet debunked, urban myth of razor blades in ap...

Ahoy there,  Wyrdos ! This week on Wyrd Wessex, we're casting off from the safety of the shore and sailing head-first into the chilling world of  ghost ships . We explore the vessels that vanished without a trace, only to be found centuries later with their crews mysteriously gone. Vanished Crews and Unsinkable Mysteries We dive deep into historical maritime mysteries, including the eter...

Andy and Craig (or are they two  Mr. Ballens ?) are back with another collection of strange news and oddities that didn't quite make it into the main Wyrd Wessex podcast. From East Yorkshire's Bermuda Triangle to prize-winning weird science, it's all here. East Yorkshire's Triangle of Terror  We investigate the  Wold Newton Triangle , a small corner of East Yorkshire plagued by high...

Join  Wyrdo's  Craig and Andy for this special episode of Wyrd Wessex as they're joined once again by special guest and storyteller  Eileen Budd . This is the unexpected sequel to our first werewolf episode, as the wyrdo's had far too many dark canine tales left to tell! The Recipe for Transformation We delve into the dark and slightly ridiculous process of becoming a werewolf. Crai...

In a packed episode of AfterWyrd, your favourite  Wyrdo's , Andy and Craig, delve into book collecting, religious relics, and the paranormal mysteries making headlines. The £1,500 Tolkien First Edition Craig recounts his trip to a Devizes book fair, including the hilarious story of a  £1,500 Tolkien first edition  and the surprising risk of devaluing it with just a little bit of spi...

Join  Wyrdo's  Craig and Andy for this special episode of Wyrd Wessex as they're joined by special guest and traditional storyteller  Eileen Budd  to delve into the fascinating and frightening world of  werewolves and black dogs . Legends of the Black Dog and Scottish Phantoms We explore chilling accounts from Scotland as Eileen shares the folklore of black dogs haunting a...

In a slightly shorter-than-usual but still packed episode of AfterWyrd, your favourite  Wyrdo's , Andy and Craig, delve into the weird and wonderful with a focus on a rather talkative goat, a new BBC show, and a miraculous tree. Political Talk, Haunted Museums, and Screaming Animals Andy and Craig discuss recent political events, including a political figure "defecting" to the Reform Party an...

This week, the  Wyrdos  are joined by renowned paranormal author and researcher  Mike Ricksecker —known for his work on shows like  Ancient Aliens  and  The Alaska Triangle —for a truly wyrd discussion that spans dimensions! Mike shares how his own childhood experiences with a  shadow person  set him on a path of paranormal research. Shadow People: Dimension...

This week, the  Wyrdo's  Andy and Craig get stuck into some truly bizarre news stories, from a surgeon's shocking fraud to a raccoon's boozy misadventure. The Horrible and the Heroic We delve into a truly perplexing  Guardian  article about a  Sepsis Surgeon  who committed insurance fraud after freezing his own legs to have them amputated for sexual gratification. We...

In this episode, the Wyrdo's Andy and Craig wrap up their wild road trip through Cornwall! They sit down with Will Coleman, the man behind Kerdroya, a brand-new ancient monument and a stunning labyrinth built entirely from traditional Cornish hedges. Kerdroya: A Brand New Ancient Monument Discover the deep history and craft behind the 30,000 miles of Cornish hedges and how a new generation is pres...

This week on the AfterWyrd podcast, the Wyrdo's Andy and Craig dive into a fascinating mix of bizarre news, personal anecdotes, and spooky coincidences! Wyrd News & Phenomena AI Psychosis: Andy and Craig dive into the chilling concept of AI psychosis, where people become detached from reality due to intensive interactions with chatbots. They also discuss the infamous "dead internet theory" and...

This week, the  Wyrdo's  continue their journey in Cornwall with a very special guest:  Simon Costin , the director of the incredible  Museum of Witchcraft and Magic . Simon welcomes Craig and Andy into the museum's archive to discuss the institution's fascinating history, its core mission, and his own personal journey working with objects of power. MI5, Wicca, and a Contentiou...

Welcome to  AfterWyrd , your home of all the introverted self-entertainment you will ever need! In this bonus episode, the  Wyrdo's  Andy and Craig go off-script and off the rails with a few weird stories and a D&D-inspired deep dive. Folklore & Fantasy D&D and Dorset Folklore:  Andy's conversation with a Dungeon Master leads to the amazing discovery of an entire D&...

Join the Wyrdo's as they drive deep into the heart of Cornwall, a land of ancient stones, forgotten spirits, and dark legends. From terrifying ghost stories on the road to smugglers' secrets at a famous inn, we uncover the tales that make Cornwall such a deeply wyrd place. Ghosts, Glimmers, and Guardians The Hairy Hands: We investigate one of the UK’s most famous road ghosts. Is a spectral pair of...

Hello and welcome to  AfterWyrd , the place where we discuss current weird events and little bits that won't fit into the show. Join your  Wyrdo's , Craig and Andy, as they discuss the strangest news stories from around the UK and beyond. Cosmic & Cryptid News The Interstellar Tunnel:  We delve into the fascinating story from Earth.com that astronomers have discovered a  co...