Good morning from the Norfolk Folklore Society!

This month, we’re handing the microphone over to you—our lovely loyal followers! That’s right, our latest podcast is dedicated entirely to your questions, and you had so many that we’ve had to split them into two – or maybe even three! - episodes. Your curiosity knows no bounds, and we love you for it.

In this first part, we tackle some truly excellent queries, including:

• What is the spookiest place we’ve ever been, and was it too spooky to return?
  
  
• Who would win in a fight—the Gildencroft Bogey or the Hikey Sprite? (A grudge match for the ages.)
  
  
• Have we ever visited somewhere, heard a strange story about it, and then felt the place change when we returned?
  
  
• What are our top recommendations for books about folklore, fiction and non-fiction?
  
  
• What’s your favourite fictional supernatural tale, and why would it have been better if it was set in Norfolk?

And much, much more. If you don’t hear your question this time, fear not—it’s coming up in next month’s episode!

Want to get involved? You can send us your folklore musings, eerie inquiries, and very specific battles between legendary beings by:

• Emailing us: norfolkfolkloresociety@gmail.com
  
  
• Sliding into our DMs
  
  
• Commenting on our posts on Instagram or Facebook

Now, settle in and let’s get weird.

With spectral handshakes and cryptid cuddles,

Siofra and Stacia 
💚x

Today’s podcast stars FAN OF THE PODCAST author Rob Parker, who has written an
astonishing 25 books and has just released the first in a new series of crime novels set right here in Shuck’s Own County.

If you buy The Troubled Deep, we suggest you head to the very end of the book, not to
solve the mystery, but to read the effusive credit to the Norfolk Folklore Society. Rob
contacted us several years ago to ask if we minded him taking the concept of our podcast, changing it and creating brand new podcasters based on what we do (loosely based, we are far less thorough and thankfully no longer work at a local newspaper!) and we were agreeable, potentially for the first time in our lives.

The Troubled Deep is perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Peter James, and Elly Griffiths (who also credited us in her books, JUST SAYING) - a propulsive crime thriller and a love letter to Norfolk. It follows Cam Killick, an ex-SBS diver whose PTSD finds solace underwater. When he discovers a submerged car tied to a 30-year-old mystery, he’s drawn into a dangerous web of secrets that some would kill to keep buried. It’s thrilling, atmospheric, and undeniably NORFOLK.

If you know the county, you will recognise SO many places in the book. Rob was such an easy interviewee and is, joyfully, as in love with Norfolk and our folklore and general
weirdness as we are. A twin soul.

Find out: what Rob’s favourite NFS story is, why he loves Norfolk and, most importantly,
what he thinks is more terrifying: a dog-headed monk or a monk-headed dog.
We hope you enjoy, lots of love,
Stacia and Siofra

Rob Parker’s website is here: https://robparkerauthor.com/books/

This month we have a good old chat about Twelfth Night and the Whittlesey Straw Bear. Mainly because they are both nice events coming up which we think you might like to go to.

Stacia manages to make Siofra laugh at a joke and Siofra says "interesting" a lot.

Good morning from the Norfolk Folklore Society!

Today we are (b)ringing you a feast of folklore all about BELLS. From the ghostly chime of drowned bells beneath the sea to the eerie toll of phantom bells in Norfolk bogs, we’ve jingled and jangled through history to unearth the most enchanting bell lore (basically, Siofra bought a book on bells and they appear to be folklore MAGNETS). It’s an ap-peal-ing episode. Sorry.

Bells have long been a part of Norfolk’s cultural landscape, from church towers to folklore. Whether marking joyous celebrations or mysterious warnings, they are a timeless connection to history, superstition and sound. And then there’s that Christmas song by The Darkness to contend with.

So grab a cup of tea, settle into your cosiest chair, and let the Norfolk Folklore Society take you on a magical journey through the echoes of bell lore.

Here’s what’s tolling in today’s episode:

• Drowned Bells Beneath the Sea: Discover the eerie echoes of Norfolk’s lost village of Shipden, where legend says the church bells still ring from beneath the waves and more drowned bells around our coastline.
  
  
• The Devil and the Tunstall Bells: A devilishly good tale of bells that caught the attention of Old Nick himself.
  
  
• The Bell as Protector and Summoner: Learn how bells have been used to ward off storms, summon spirits, and mark the thin boundary between this world and the next.
  
  
• Witch bells. Not which, witch. But also, which bells.
  
  
• The Haunting Chime: Explore the fascinating duality of bells as symbols of celebration and omens of doom.

Lots of love from Stacia and Siofra 

xxx

Today we are talking about a particularly sinister apparition that stalks the Norfolk
countryside, namely the Old Man of Hopton, who haunts a section of road close to the
coast.

In the Winter edition of Lantern (the wonderful publication from the brilliant Lowestoft-
based Borderline Science Investigation Group) in 1980, the tale of a Lowestoft man on the new A12 Hopton Bypass was reported.

In this episode we collect more accounts of Black Shuck encounters in Norfolk and Suffolk. The episode was recorded as part of Charlie Cooper's Myth Country, so welcome if you came across us from the Black Shuck episode. We hope you all enjoy this behind the scenes recording.  We wanted to add a special thank you to everyone who shared their stories with us. We loved having you on the show.

Today’s podcast is the NFS’s own version of the General Election and, as such, we get to the heart of a very pressing issue: whether a dog-headed monk or a monk-headed dog would be more terrifying to meet down a dark alley?

For many years, the dog-headed monk/monk-headed dog conundrum has been our very own personal litmus test…but for the first time ever, our conviction that we knew the correct answer has been rocked. So, this episode is all about putting this issue to bed for once and all.

Let it be said that we are in our monk/dog era.

In the atmospheric setting of England’s largest and most elaborate provincial medieval city hall, wonderful tales were woven about Norwich’s dark past. We joined forces with performer Laura Cannell to create a magical night filled with tales of ghosts and witchcraft, secret tunnels and dreadful murders linked to this distinctive building in the heart of Norwich. We had a lot of fun that night and we hope you enjoy listening to the show!

In this episode Siofra and Stacia explore the tale of Melvena Spinks, and alleged witch from East Dereham. 

Join the Norfolk Folklore Society as we introduce author, illustrator and folklorist Helen JR Bruce who will be diving into the rich folklore and mythology surrounding Black Dogs.

Cover illustration - Shuck Zine / Matt Willis

This month we have a chat about a very haunted house in Thorpe Marriott. Inspired by the new BBC documentary about the Amityville Horror house, we searched our archives and dug out one of our creepiest stories to discuss.