What happens when you pit the high-octane, animistic folklore of the Scottish Highlands against the traditions of the English countryside? This week, Wyrd Wessex hosts Andy and Craig welcome back the legendary storyteller and author Eileen Budd for a cross-border "Céilidh" of the weird.

In this episode, we explore the "Three Realms" of the Scottish unseen and discover that while our names for the monsters might differ, the ancient roots are often one and the same. We dive into the shadowy edges of the river where cannibalistic mermaids lurk, the evolution of dragons from snakes, and the terrifying reasons you should never—under any circumstances—tell a Boggart that you’re moving house.

Highlights of the Episode:

The Three Realms: Eileen breaks down the Scottish architecture of the Sky, Sea, and Earth—and why the Aurora Borealis might actually be a group of spirits who fell out of the sky and turned into seals.

The Grant vs. The Kelpie: Craig defends the English waterways with the Grant—a yearling colt that walks on its hind legs with glowing eyes—to counter the protective (and predatory) water-horses of the North.

The "Predator" Dragon: Andy explores the Lambton Worm and a local Hertfordshire dragon that lived in the roots of an ancient Yew tree, while Eileen explains why Scottish snakes are really just "dragons in training."

The Luck of Edenhall: Andy tells the medieval tale of the stolen fairy glass of the Musgrave family and the 700-year-old curse that warns of the family's downfall should the glass ever break.

The Kellas Cat: Eileen shares a first-hand report of a real-life cryptid sighting from January—a hybrid beast the size of a Labrador staring back from the headlights.

Find out more about Eileen Budd, her books, and her seasonal folklore series:

https://www.eileenbudd.co.uk

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www.wyrdwessex.co.uk

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Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Intro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - Remix

Outro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a dark stretch of the I-77 in 1966, a hardworking salesman named Woodrow "Woody" Derenberger was pulled over by a craft that looked like a "charcoal burner" and a man with an impossible, unblinking grin. That man called himself Indrid Cold, and while the world eventually turned him into a sinister "Grinning Man" urban legend, the reality for the Derenberger family was a decade-long descent into social and financial ruin.

In this episode, the Wyrdos dig through the wreckage left behind by the man from Lanulos. We aren't just looking at the lights in the sky; we’re investigating how a genuinely unsettling brush with "High Strangeness" was reshaped by predatory 1970s publishers into a generic "Space Gospel." From the suspicious ghostwriting of Visitors from Lanulos to the devastating domestic fallout that hounded Woody’s children for fifty years, we explore the high price of being "chosen" by the phenomenon.

Finally, we navigate the bizarre later years of the mythos, where the story takes a turn for the truly surreal. We look at the mysterious links to the Pentagon’s "Valiant Thor," the presence of Men in Black with "neuralizers" at the front door, and a modern twist: an interstellar death announcement made via a Facebook notification.

In this episode:

The Naked Truth: Craig shares a personal (and far too revealing) story from his days in Swindon that gives "creepers at the window" a whole new meaning.

The Ghost in the Machine: We examine the 1971 first edition of Visitors from Lanulos and how ghostwriters potentially stripped the truth to sell a "pulpy" sci-fi narrative.

The Price of Contact: Why Woody is the ultimate counter-argument to the "he did it for fame" trope—and how his career and marriage tanked after speaking out.

The Interstellar Roll Call: We break down the absurdity of the alien names—from "Kimmulus" and "Mystique" to the strangely mundane "Tony and Daryl."

The Star Wars Ending: The claims that Indrid Cold and his sons attended Woody’s funeral in person to say a final goodbye to the salesman who told their story.

The Facebook Obituary: A look at Tanya Derenberger’s final accounts, featuring alien dogfights, "Hat Man" sightings, and social media obituaries.

It turns out the "Grinning Man" never really left—he just traded his shimmering green suit for a Facebook profile.

Stay Wyrd

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Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Intro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - Remix

Outro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to an episode of AfterWyrd that smells… well, a bit fleshy. While Craig turns the studio into a medieval tannery with drying deer skins, he recounts a bizarre dream about a bus-based library and the temptation of stealing folklore tomes. Meanwhile, Andy brings us a review of a very awkward "date night" with Nicolas Cage.

We dive into the dark side of the digital age, from AI bots advising "rectal garlic" to a woman whose AI boyfriend, Sinclair, is apparently "an arsehole, but in a nice way." Things take a sobering turn as we discuss the terrifying reality of phrogging in Gravesend and the vanishing NASA engineers tied to "Project Mondaloy." Finally, we tackle the latest from the US political sphere: are UAPs actually extra-planetary visitors, or—as JD Vance suggests—are we dealing with literal celestial demons?

The Wyrd News:

The Tannery Aesthetics: Why the Wyrd Wessex studio currently smells like a Viking workshop and how "fleshy" aromas might be the future of dark tourism.

Folklore Dreams & Yorkshire Joseph: Craig’s subconscious attempts to steal Reader's Digest: Folklore, Myths and Legends from a dream-bus. Plus, Andy reviews the "dark biblical" film The Carpenter’s Son—featuring a stressed-out Joseph accusing Mary of hanging out with the local plumber.

UFO Flashbacks: A revisit to Fire in the Sky. We discuss why the Travis Walton case and the loggers' near-prosecution for murder remain some of the most compelling (and bleakest) evidence for abduction.

AI Psychosis: From garlic-burning medical bots to the birth of "Sinclair," the sentient (and controlling) AI boyfriend who picks his partner's tattoos and claims he's better than a human.

The Gravesend Phrogger: The harrowing story of Chloe, who was gaslit and medicated for "psychosis" while a man lived in her loft for months. We discuss the terrifying moment the hatch finally opened.

The Demon Theory: JD Vance and the theological battle over "Aliens.gov." We explore the shift from "Little Grey Men" to the idea that UAPs are actually ancient extra-natural entities.

Project Mondaloy: The vanishing of Monica Jacinto Reza and the "dark pattern" of missing aerospace scientists working on futuristic super-alloys. Is it a secret affair or a targeted disappearance?

Earth’s Heartbeat: Is a spike in the Schumann Resonance causing our collective brain fog and ringing ears? We blame "Mother Earth's metronome" for our inability to follow the script.

Wyrdo Shout-outs:

A massive thank you to our Discord regulars: Terry, Simon, Rosie, Nick, John, and our newest subscriber, Andrew. Thanks for keeping the conversation Wyrd!

If you’re feeling a bit off-kilter or hearing voices from the attic—Don't blame the owls!

Donate to the show and follow along for full show notes, Discord membership & more:

www.wyrdwessex.co.uk

Buy our merch here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?anchor=profile&asc=u

Hosted by Craig Brooks & Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Intro music by: Universfield Dark 80s Sci-Fi Atmosphere

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I’m relying on spirit 100% to not make me look like a twat on stage."

What happens when a professional Cher tribute act gets booed off stage in Worthing and ends up receiving messages from the dead in a Wiltshire bed shop? This week, Wyrd Wessex hosts Andy and Craig sit down with Mitch Garlington—a male witch, Reiki healer, and prominent psychic medium with one of the most colourful backstories in the craft.

In this episode, we explore how Mitch navigated the transition from the glitter of the drag stage to the "energy" of a Somerset mattress showroom. We dive into past-life visions of being burnt at the stake, meeting a foul-mouthed spirit guide who survived the Titanic, and the mystery of the "Spirit Turtle" that haunted Craig during a live show in Frome.

Highlights of the Episode:

• The Worthing Disaster: Why a disastrous night as Cher became the catalyst for a spiritual awakening.
• The Bed Shop Revelations: When spirits started "interrupting" sales pitches for king-size mattresses.
• The Spirit Turtle: Craig’s first-hand report from the live show, including the judgmental reptile in the corner.
• "Bub-bleh" & Rainbow Scissors: Terrifyingly specific "hits" that left even our resident skeptics scratching their heads.
• The Grief Bridge: A look at why modern society is "starving" for a connection to death and how mediumship fills the gap.

Find out more about about Mitch, his latest shows, bookings and books:

https://www.mitch-garlington.co.uk/

Stay Wyrd!

Help keep the show alive:buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessex

www.wyrdwessex.co.uk

Buy our merch here

Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Intro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - Remix

Outro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"It’s less Romeo and Juliet and more Sweeney Todd meets a Greek tragedy."

Welcome to the debut of WyrdLore, our bonus series dedicated to the strange tales, local legends, and folklore that are just too "Wyrd" for the main show.

In this first outing, Craig digs into a 17th-century "romance" from Robert Hunt’s Popular Romances of the West of England. But don't expect any Valentine’s cards—this is the story of a long-lost son returning to Cornwall from the East Indies with a bag of gold and a very bad idea.

Instead of announcing his return, he decides to play a 1618 version of Undercover Boss on his own parents. What follows is a brutal tale of greed, a "convenient scar," and a murder that allegedly left a patch of ground at Boholland Farm cursed and blighted for centuries.

In this WyrdLore session:

The Fatal Prank: Why testing your parents' greed with a pile of gold is a recipe for disaster.

The Blighted Earth: The legend of the cursed patch of ground where nothing has grown for 400 years.

Fact or Theatre?: We look at the 1618 pamphlet that inspired stage plays and local superstitions alike.

Help keep the lights on and join our Discord here: buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessex

Buy our merch here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?asc=u

Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Main theme: NRA-LAB Intro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people visit the rolling Salisbury Plain to find peace in the Wiltshire landscape, but in 1662, one manor house became a battlefield for a year of physical warfare. In this episode, the Wyrdos trace a phantom beat from a jail cell in Gloucester to a bedroom in North Tidworth, where an invisible drummer turned a family’s life into a living nightmare.

We begin with John Mompesson, a local magistrate who thought he was simply doing his duty by confiscating a drum from a vagrant with a forged permit. He had no idea he was inviting a "demon" across his threshold. From iron talons scratching under floorboards to the "weird hounds" sitting in petrified silence while beds were hoisted toward the ceiling, we investigate how this single drumbeat convinced the greatest scientific minds of the 17th century that spirits were very, very real.

Finally, we look at the legacy of the men who tried to unmask the mystery. From the 17th-century "ghost tourists" who swamped the village to the investigative accounts of Joseph Glanvill and the legendary Harry Price, we explore how a 300-year-old case established the blueprint for every "poltergeist" trope in modern cinema—long before the movies even existed.

In this episode:

• The Cursed Permit: The true story of William Drury and the forgery that sparked a year-long siege on the Mompesson household.
• Ghost Tourism 1.0: How the village of North Tidworth became a viral sensation in 1662, with strangers taking over children's beds just to catch a glimpse of the weirdness.
• The Founding Father: Craig and Andy discuss why this case is the "original" poltergeist story and how it hits every trope from physical levitation to domestic terror.
• The Talking Mongoose: A look at the investigators, from Glanvill’s Saducismus Triumphatus to Harry Price’s disparaging takes on "talking mongooses" and the "Age of Enlightenment."
• It turns out the drumming never really stopped—it just became the blueprint for every bump in the night that followed.

Stay Wyrd!

Help keep the show alive:buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessex

www.wyrdwessex.co.uk

Buy our merch here

Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Intro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - Remix

Outro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people visit the ancient monuments of Wiltshire to wonder at the past, but the Avebury landscape is far from a stagnant museum—it is a living conversation. In this episode, the Wyrdos trace that conversation from the Neolithic core of Silbury Hill to a modern architectural marvel.

We begin at the base of Silbury Hill, investigating the "Hollow Hill" and the secrets revealed by its recent collapse. From there, we head into the dark of West Kennet Longbarrow with a drum and a bull-roarer to test the "God Frequency"—a 110 Hz resonance that reportedly switches off the logical brain—and the "Fear Frequency" that makes 5,000-year-old walls appear to ripple like water.

Finally, we sit down with Tim Daw, the farmer and mastermind behind the Long Barrow at All Cannings. As the creator of the first structure of its kind to be built in Britain for millennia, Tim explains the mud-soaked reality of hand-carving sarsen stones and the deep-seated human need to stay close to our ancestors in the 21st century.

In this episode:

• The Hollow Hill: The true story of the Silbury Hill collapse and the secrets found in its gravel core.
• The 110 Hz Experiment: Craig and Andy take to the dark to see if the architecture of the dead can truly "hack" the human brain.
• The Modern Architect: Tim Daw on the solstice alignments and modern planning permissions required for an ancient tradition.
• Merlin’s “Little Brother”: Why the Marlborough Mound is finally being restored to its Neolithic glory after 4,500 years.

It turns out the landscape isn’t just talking to us—it’s waiting for us to join in.

Visit the site: To learn more about Tim Daw’s modern barrow, visit: http://www.thelongbarrow.com

Stay Wyrd!

Help keep the show alive:buymeacoffee.com/wyrdwessex

www.wyrdwessex.co.uk

Buy our merch here

Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Intro music by Antipodean Writer: Full of Soul - Neon Waves Extended - Remix

Outro music by Colt Fingaz: Ding Ding Dong

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this edition of AfterWyrd, Andy and Craig investigate a massive array of "Wyrd" news—from the highest reaches of the British Monarchy to the sugary depths of a log burner. We dive into the literal "rabbit hole" of Craig’s folklore library and ask: if the Duke of Edinburgh saw a Sasquatch, who are we to argue?

The Wyrd News:

Prince Philip’s Balmoral Sighting: Brian Blessed reveals that the Duke of Edinburgh reportedly spotted a Yeti in the Scottish hills. We discuss the Royal couple’s implicit belief in Sasquatch and the time the Queen requested a private meeting with a kidnapped trapper, Albert Ostman.

Council UFOs & Alf Burtoo: A council meeting from February 2026 revisits the 1983 Aldershot UFO encounter. Was Alf Burtoo truly "too old and infirm" for alien abduction, or was he just having a very deep dream by the canal?

The Nessie Camera: An underwater camera lost in 1970 is recovered from the depths of Loch Ness. We discuss the repair job and the World War II letters claiming a sea serpent was once caught in anti-submarine nets.

The Missing General: Why has ex-General McCasland disappeared right as UFO disclosure heats up? We look at the "Non-Terrestrial Officers" hack and the secrets held in Albuquerque.

Cannock Chase Chaos: Bigfoot is back and he’s brought friends. We discuss the record spike in sightings, the "Black-Eyed Children," and the terrifying arrival of a seven-foot WWII "Pigman."

Rabbit War-Machine: A viral video of a rabbit piloting a weaponised robot dog. Is it cute, or the start of the lagomorph uprising?

Doughnut Power: How one man slashed his energy bills by burning 133 mini doughnuts in his log burner. It’s science, but your chimney might never forgive you.

From the Library:

Traditions of Lancashire (1800s): Craig shares his £7.80 find and the love of the 98-year-old scent of old-fashioned paper.

The Dictionary of Fairies: Andy shows off his latest acquisition from a Bath bookshop—a tome of banshees, boggarts, and things that go bump in the night.

Wyrdo Shout-outs:

A massive thank you to our Discord regulars: Terrie, Rosie, Simon, Nick, and our newest subscriber, Jon. Thanks for keeping the conversation Wyrd!

If you see a seven-foot pig in the woods or find yourself heating your home with glazed rings—Don't blame the owls!

Donate to the show and follow along for full show notes, Discord membership & more:

www.wyrdwessex.co.uk

Buy our merch here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/saxonforageruk/shop?anchor=profile&asc=u

Hosted by Craig Brooks & Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Intro music by: Universfield Dark 80s Sci-Fi Atmosphere

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.