A white-clad “ghost” mistaken for a man, a mummified fairy exposed as a hoax, and a talking mongoose with a taste for gossip: Graham Milne and Karen Swanston explore the strange stories behind famous ghostly scares and paranormal claims.

From historic sightings in London and Dundee to a 1950s Glasgow “poltergeist,” this Halloween episode looks at how pranks, misunderstandings, local rumours and newspaper coverage can turn ordinary events into extraordinary tales.

[00:02:13] - The Hammersmith ghost, a fatal case of mistaken identity, and the trial that followed
[00:06:53] - Dundee’s imposing Blackness Quarry spectre—and the locals who tried to confront it
[00:10:59] - The 2007 mummified fairy hoax and why some people refused to believe the confession
[00:15:32] - A Glasgow poltergeist explained by thin walls and neighbours’ arguments
[00:19:53] - Gef, the talking mongoose of the Isle of Man, and the investigators who came to listen
[00:28:35] - A hospital ghost story with a startlingly ordinary visitor at its heart

• Old Bailey Online — explore historical criminal trial records

• Hammersmith Ghost murder — background on the case discussed

• Gef — further reading on the Isle of Man’s “talking mongoose”

• Harry Price Library of Magical Literature — archival collection connected to paranormal investigator Harry Price

From ghostly figures in the dark to voices behind the panelling, these stories show how easily fear and speculation can shape what people think they’ve witnessed. Some incidents had real consequences; others were revealed as elaborate fabrications—or may have had a much more everyday explanation.