A Podcast to the Curious - The M.R. James Podcast: Recent Episodes
A Podcast to the Curious - The M.R. James Podcast
M.R. James said that sex had no place in a ghost story. But was he right? This episode we attempt to answer this question and more, as we cover The Nature of the Evidence by May Sinclair, a tale from 1923 about a couple who just want to enjoy their wedding night. Is that too much to ask? Apparently, yes.
Thanks to Debbie Wedge for providing the readings for this episode, and don’t forget to check out Ghostly Encounters, the haunting free interactive event that Debbie is helping organise in Oxford on the 20th April 2024.
Show notes:
- The Nature of the Evidence by May Sinclair (gutenberg.org)
This story, along with the others from May Sinclair’s Uncanny Stories can be read in full at Project Gutenberg. - May Sinclair (maysinclairsociety.com)
Sinclair had a fascinating life. You can see a shortish biography of her here (or go big and read Suzanne Raitt’s 2000 biography). - ‘Some Remarks on Ghost Stories’ by M.R. James (berfrois.com)
M.R. James made his feelings on sex in ghost stories abundantly clear in this article published in The Bookman in 1929. - ‘Ghosts, Treat Them Gently’ by M.R. James (mrjamesarchive.wordpress.com)
James returned to the subject of sex in ghost stories a few years later in this article he wrote for the Evening News in April 1931. TLDR: still not a fan. - The Idealism and Pantheism of May Sinclair (Panpsycast Philosophy Podcast)
This story is steeped in the concepts of Idealism, a school of philosophical thought for which May Sinclair was passionate advocate. - Matrimonial Causes Act, 1923 (womenslegallandmarks.com)
This story touches on the thorny issue of divorce in the United Kingdom in the 1920s. In the same year this story was published, a landmark piece of legislation was passed that leveled the playing field between women and men in the area of divorce. - The Lipstick Revolution of the 1920s (britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
The character of Pauline in this story seems to reflect a sea-change in attitudes towards female beauty during this period, characterised by growing social acceptability of wearing lipstick. In this story it carries a hint of Pauline’s self-expression and sexual freedom. - St. Paul on sex and marriage (mit.edu)
Pauline’s name may be inspired by the words of St. Paul, who had some choice things to say on the matter of sex, marriage and in particular unmarried women who ‘cannot control themselves’! - Stages of (Victorian Mourning) and Fifty Shades of Purple (lilacandbombazine.wordpress.com)
Pauline should have probably realised that Marston was not yet over the death of his first wife when she finds that their marital bedroom is decorated almost complete in purple, the traditional colour of extended mourning. - The Lost Ancient Practice of Communal Sleeping (bbc.com)
The fact that Marston and Pauline have separate bedrooms may seem strange to modern sensibilities, but for a long time it was the norm for a husband and wife to sleep in separate beds. Only after the 1950’s did it begin to be regarded as a sign that something was wrong in a marriage. - The Victorian Cult of Child Innocence (psychlit271.blogspot.com)
Marston’s seeming obsession with the ‘childlike innocence’ of his young bride Rosamund reflects Victorian attitudes towards children and the preservation of their ‘innocent’ state. Well, the children of the upper classes anyway. The children of the poor were not regarded quite so delicately! - May Sinclair and Psychology (maysinclairsociety.com)
The psychoanalysis of Freud and Jung was another huge influence on May. In February 1923, Sinclair delivered a speech to the Aristotelian Society that’s highly suggestive of this story: did Marston and Rosamund’s desire elevate them all the way to May’s “Ultimate Consciousness”? - ‘We tried to have sex with ghosts and here’s what happened’ (buzzfeed.com)
Is having sex with ghosts a real thing? Absolutely not. But admit it, you still want to click the link to the above Buzzfeed article, don’t you? Go on, we won’t tell anyone. - Blue Juice (imdb.com)
It would be deeply remiss of us if we didn’t point out the similarities between this story and the 1995 British comedy/surfing movie Blue Juice, with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Pertwee (although Marston probably wishes he was in Ghost).
Hold on to your mummy! This episode Mike and Will discuss Mark Gatiss’s recent Ghost Story for Christmas TV adaptation Lot 249, as well as the Arthur Conan Doyle short story it is based on.
Show notes:
- Watch it online! (BBC iPlayer)
If you are in the UK you can watch it on BBC iPlayer until the end of 2024. If you are outside the UK, you may be able to watch if you have a Britbox subscription. - Read the original story (www.gutenberg.org)
You can read the original story on Project Gutenberg. - Filming location (Wikipedia)
Almost all of Lot 249 was filmed at Rothamsted Manor in Hertfordshire. - The cast (IMDB)
Find out more about the cast of Lot 249 at IMDB.com. - Egyptomania (britannica.com)
Lot 249 reflects the Victorian obsession with everything to do with ancient Egypt. This story was set in 1884, two years after the Anglo-Egyptian war, a conflict which perhaps had an influence on the tone of this story. - Victorian garrotting panics (wikipedia)
The Victorian fear of being randomly garrotted is reflected in the reaction to a mummy attack in Lot 249. - Sidney Paget’s illustrations of Sherlock Holmes (www.arthur-conan-doyle.com)
The character of ‘The Friend’ in Gatiss’s adaptation is clearly Sherlock Holmes. If the dialogue doesn’t give it away, his appearance bears unmistakable similarity to Sherlock Holmes in the classic Strand Magazine illustrations by Sidney Paget, particularly this one. - Tales from the Darkside (youtube.com)
Lot 249 was featured in the 1990 comedy horror anthology Tales from the Darkside. Starring Christian Slater and Steve Buscemi, the scene in which Smith finally confronts Bellingham is on Youtube, and makes quite a watch!
This episode, Mike and Will grab their literary toboggans and gallop joyously out into the snow, only to be hit in the face by a terrifying fictional snowball in the form of Louisa Baldwin’s The Real and the Counterfeit!
Big thanks as ever to Debbie Wedge for providing the readings for this episode. Looking for a last-minute Christmas gift to please the M.R. James fan in your life? Why not head over to Debbie’s Redbubble store and pick up an awesome Jamesian Wallop, Barchestering, or No Diggin’ ‘Ere t-shirt?
Show notes:
- More on Louisa Baldwin in our last episode
We covered The Weird of the Walfords back in the summer, and included a lot more biographical details about Louisa Baldwin. - Long Galleries (wikipedia)
A lot of the action in this story takes place in a long gallery, a popular architectural feature of many stately homes in England. - George’s banjo (authorama.com)
Like Lawley in this story, George in Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat was also a keen banjo player, much to the displeasure of his friends. Similarly, in Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse, Bertie’s insistence on playing the banjolele is what finally drives Jeeves to leave Bertie’s service (albeit temporarily). - Other haunted abbeys (nearlyknowledgeablehistory.blogspot.com)
In this episode, Mike mentions a number of old houses in England that are, like Stonecroft, said to be haunted by ghostly monks. - Tobogganing at Funchal (carreirosdomonte.com)
The city of Funchal in Madeira is famous for providing toboggan-like basket rides from the Mount Church on the hill, down into the town.
Who would win in a fight between a man and a bed? Find the answer to this question and more in our new episode on The Weird of the Walfords by Louisa Baldwin! Also, if you like emotionally-repressed Victorian husbands, you will not leave disappointed. Show notes: Louisa Baldwin (1845–1925) (Wikipedia) Louisa was a member of […]
This episode we speak with two experts to better understand Eleanor Scott and her story Randall’s Round, Dr Vicky Margree and Prof Dan Orrells. We discuss what’s known about Eleanor Scott, her time at Oxford University in the early 1900s and the role of gender, folklore and imperialism in her writing.
Vicky is a specialist in literary fiction and feminist theory. Her book British Women’s Short Supernatural Fiction, 1860-1930: Our Own Ghostliness looks at stories by Margaret Oliphant, Charlotte Riddell, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Edith Nesbit, Alice Perrin, Eleanor Scott and Violet Hunt.
Dan focuses on the history of the interpretation of classical literature. He’s interested in the Greeks and Romans in the Victorian imagination, including how these inspired Gothic and ghostly tales at the turn of the 20th century. He co-edited with Vicky a study of Richard Marsh, a fascinating late-Victorian author who wrote about “shape-shifting monsters, morally dubious heroes, lip-reading female detectives and objects that come to life.”
In our conversation we learn more about the folklore revival, Edward B Tylor’s ideas about primitive cultures and notions of “survivals” amd the experience of women at Oxford and Cambridge (Dan recommends the Dorothy L Sayers novel Gaudy Night!).
Massive thank you to Vicky and Dan for being such engaging and insightful guests and sharing their expertise with us! If you want to read ahead, we’ll be back next time with The Weird of the Walfords by Louisa Baldwin.
A BBC Ghost Story for Christmas is thankfully as traditional as quaffing eggnog and leaving out a carrot for Rudolph. And what a treat, as this year Count Magnus made the Black Pilgrimage onto our screens. But has Mark Gatiss been naughty or nice? We give you our verdict.
Show notes
- A recent interview with Mark Gattis including his ambition to adapt Casting the Runes
- Our coverage of Count Magnus in episode 6, exactly 11 years before this adaptation aired!
- A rather splendid reading of the Innkeeper’s story, read by Jacqueline Simpson in episode 53
This episode Mike and Will explore freaky folk-dance, village-based villainy and Cotswold chicanery in Eleanor Scott’s awesome Jamesian folk-horror tale Randalls Round!
Big thanks to Kirsty Woodfield for providing the readings for this episode.
Show notes:
- Eleanor Scott (The Haunted Library)This article contains some biographical information as well as plot summaries of the stories that appears in Randalls Round, her only collection of ghost stories. You can also see a photo of her here.
- The War Among the Ladies by Eleanor Scott (shinynewbooks.co.uk) Helen Leys started using the Eleanor Scott pseudonym when she published this controversial novel that exposed the dire experiences of teachers and girls within the English high school system.
- Somerville College, Oxford (www.some.ox.ac.uk) Eleanor Scott was a student at this ladies college in the days before women were allowed to take degrees. The Somerville website contains some charming photos that give you a sense of what life was like for students at the time.
- ‘Merrie England Once More’? The Morris Revival c.1886-1951 (morrisfed.org.uk ) At the start of Randalls Round, Heyling and Mortlake discuss the folk dance revival that was then in full swing. This article describes that revival. Note the reference to the Headington Morris dancers who get a special mention in this story!
- The Witch-cult in Western Europe by Margaret Murray (Wikipedia)This 1921 book popularise Murray’s witch-cult hypothesis, the idea that the people persecuted as ‘witches’ in Europe may in fact have been involved in a survival of a pre-Christian pagan religion. Although her ideas were widely dismissed by historians, the ideas of ‘hidden’ folk/religious practices enduring in England, hidden away from the eyes of religious authorities, captured the public imagination and sparked the sort of debate that Heyling and Mortlake are having at the start of this story.
- The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer (Wikipedia)Aaron Worth suggests that the ‘volume of a very famous book on folk-lore’ that Heyling reads in this story would be The Golden Bough, Frazer’s influential multi-volume study on comparative religion, first published in 1890.
- Morris Dance as Ritual Dance, or, English Folk Dance and the Doctrine of Survivals (open.ac.uk)
This article by Chloe Middleton-Metcalfe explores the origins of the idea that folk dance originates in a survival of pre-Christian belief. - The Broad (Wikipedia) In this episode Mike mentions the Broad, a Cotswold folk custom that bears some similarity to the activities that Heyling witnesses on the village green.
- The Wicker Man (Wikipedia)We found it hard to discuss Randalls Round without repeatedly returning to this iconic 1973 British horror film!
- Randwick (Wikipedia)The village of Randwick in Gloucestershire is at the top of Will’s list of possible real-world locations that may have inspired the fictional village of Randalls. As well as having a similar name and large mound to the north west, it even has its own curious folk celebration known as the Randwick Wap!
- @EndlessMummer (Instagram)This Instagram account celebrates the weirdest (or should that be wyrdest?) elements of folk customs and traditions. This group of Morris men parading a strange, monstrous effigy seems particularly reminiscent of the events of Randalls Round!
In the first episode of Season 4 tm, Mike and Will are delighted by Let Loose by Mary Cholmondeley, a tale of crypts, clergymen and crikey, what is that in the dog’s mouth? Big thanks to Jim Moon for allowing us to use extracts from his excellent reading of the story. You can listen to […]
Join Will and Mike for haunted cathedrals, lecherous minor canons and hair-based horrors in Noel Boston’s ‘Right Through My Hair’! Big thanks to Debbie Wedge for providing the readings for this episode. Show notes Noel Boston (The Haunted Library) Biographical information about Noel Boston is a bit hard to find online, but there is an […]
Join Will and Mike for haunted cathedrals, lecherous minor canons and hair-based horrors in Noel Boston’s ‘Right Through My Hair’! Big thanks to Debbie Wedge for providing the readings for this episode. Show notes Noel Boston (The Haunted Library) Biographical information about Noel Boston is a bit hard to find online, but there is an […]
Open your hymn books to episode 89, as we’re back in church for Christopher Woodforde’s “Cushi”: a tale of capering cats, sabotaged surplices and vengeful vergers. Don’t lose your head! Show notes: Christopher Woodforde studied at Peterhouse, Cambridge before becoming an Anglican priest. He was later Fellow and Chaplain at New College, Oxford, and Dean […]
Join Mike and Will for a special 10th anniversary (give or take a few months) special in which your now-aged hosts look back over a decade of M.R. James podcasting and return to the story that started it all, Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook! You can listen to when we originally covered this story all the way […]
In this episode, Mike and Will share their thoughts on Mark Gatiss’s recent TV adaptation of M.R. James’s The Mezzotint. Join us for some monocle-popping, mustache-bristling, spine-chilling fun! Show notes A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Mezzotint (BBC iPlayer) Mark Gatiss’s adaptation is available to watch on BBC iPlayer for the next 11 months. Episode […]
Ho ho, and indeed ho! In this special festive episode, Mike and Will pull on their wellies and wander straight into Lucky’s Grove by H.R. Wakefield. But who’s that hiding behind the Christmas tree? Big thanks to Julia Morgan for allowing us to use extracts from her excellent Youtube reading of this story. Show notes: […]
This episode Mike and Will grab their torches and disappear up ‘The Tudor Chimney’ by A.N.L. Munby. But what is that shape moving up above? Meh, it’s probably nothing. Thanks to Debbie Wedge for providing the readings for this episode! In this episode, we also mention Will’s new project DarkOxfordshire.co.uk, which explores the darker side of Oxfordshire’s […]
Ahoy there listeners! Be grabbin’ yer nautical gear for a cruise on the high seas of Leicestershire, with LTC Rolt and his story Bosworth Summit Pound. (Enough. It’s set on a canal – ed) What terrors might await us on England’s peaceful inland waterways? And just who digs a canal tunnel under an ancient graveyard […]
This episode Will and Mike hitch up their cassocks, pack their prayer books and head to ‘Southshire’ to open ‘A Room in a Rectory’ by Sir Andrew Caldecott! Big thanks to Kirsty who provided the readings for this episode, and to Garry Platt who provided the photo that accompanies this episode. You can see more of […]
This week Will and Mike don their warmest Christmas jumpers for dinner with Dr James and the troubled incumbents of Medborough Abbey, in the company of Sheila Hodgson. What could be more seasonal than a cracker, eh? Oh the fun that tumbles out when it goes snap! Paper hat, plastic keyring, lighthearted message of impending […]
This episode Mike and Will brace themselves for the ‘appalling stench of goat, cordite, sulphur, and burning human flesh’ in M.P. Dare’s The Demoniac Goat. Lovely! Also in this episode we speak to actor Robert Lloyd Parry and publisher Brian J. Showers about ‘Ghosts of the Chit-chat’, their soon to be published new anthology of […]
This Halloween Mike and Will stroll out into the garden to take a look at The Sundial by R.H. Malden. But who is that lurking in the bushes? Thanks to Kirsty for providing excellent readings for this episode! Show notes: Nine Ghosts by R.H. Malden (Project Gutenberg Australia) Malden only wrote one volume of ghost stories, […]
Today we head to East Anglia for a round of golf in the company of enthusiastic James fan H.R. Wakefield. No whistling ‘ere though – you might just wake up something nasty… Wakefield published seven volumes of ghost stories between 1928 and 1961, but also wrote three detective novels and two non-fiction ‘true crime’ studies. […]
This episode Mike and Will travel back to 16th century Cambridge to get acquainted with a rather unsavory guest at Jesus College in ‘Brother John’s Bequest‘ by Arthur Gray. Booze, burials and bell-book-and-candle are the order of the day here, with a side order of spitting. Eww. Big thanks to Kirsty for providing the excellent […]
This episode Mike and Will put on their dancing shoes and head out to the lawn, only to encounter The Man with the Roller by E.G. Swain! Massive thanks to podcaster Jim Moon of hypnogoria.com for letting us use extracts from his reading of this story in the episode! You can listen to the full reading, as […]
We liven up our social distancing by finishing off the Benson boys, with Fred’s How Fear Departed From the Long Gallery. Dirty Dick gets his comeuppance for a murderous deed, but can the ghosts of his victims be laid to rest? Trigger warning for gratuitous violence against children. And yes, we do mean it this […]
This episode explores some ecclesiastical terrors in R.H. Benson’s ‘The Traveller’. It was ‘too ecclesiastical’ for M.R. James, but will Mike and Will find something to enjoy in this tale of perturbed priests, creepy confessionals and historical haunting? Thanks to our reader for this episode Debbie Wedge! Show notes: Robert Hugh Benson (catholiceducation.org) Benson was ordained a […]
Excitement abounds in the podcast house as Big Santy C leaves us a new BBC Ghost Story for Christmas, courtesy of BBC4 and Mr Mark Gatiss! Will and Mike offer their humble thoughts on this festive treat. Show notes: A clutch of reviews of Martin’s Close, from the Radio Times, i, Metro, Telegraph and Warwick […]
This episode Mike and Will indulge in murder, moralising and supernatural goat-based mayhem in A.C. Benson’s ‘Out of the Sea’. Big thanks to our reader for this episode Debbie Wedge, and don’t forget to check out her M.R. James-themed t-shirt designs, ‘No diggin’ ere‘ and ‘Barchestering‘! Notes: A.C. Benson (Wikipedia) A.C. Benson was one of […]
Like a prodigal and slightly deranged friend, Will and Mike return to explore another author inspired by MR James. This week we look at the story By One, By Two and By Three, by Adrian Ross. Show notes By One, By Two and By Three is widely published in ghost story anthologies, but you can […]
This episode Mike & Will kick off Season 3 with ‘An Antiquary’s Ghost Story’ by Augustus Jessopp! Scroll down for a full list of the ‘James Gang’ authors we will be covering over the next 15 episodes. Big thanks to our reader for this episode, Debbie Wedge! Show notes: Collected writings of Augustus Jessopp […]
This episode Mike and Will grab their guidebook, pack their bucket and spade and head off for a terrifying trip to sunny Cornwall in E.F. Benson’s ‘Negotium Perambulans’. Big thanks to Richard Crowest of the ‘Ghost Stories of E.F. Benson’ podcast for giving us permission to use extracts from his reading of this story in […]
Seasons greetings listeners! For this special festive episode Mike and Will turn off the lights and dive into the wardrobe for a game of hide-and-shriek, courtesy of A.M. Burrage’s Christmas classic ‘Smee’! Big thanks go to our reader this week Kirsty Woodfield. Also mentioned in this episode were ‘The Dead Room’, the new Mark Gatiss […]
Textaphobes beware! This month Will and Mike tackle Henrietta Dorothy Everett’s “The Death Mask”, a supernatural farce about termagant wives, gold diggin’ husbands and menacing fabrics. Story notes: Monty writes,“Going back a few years I light on Mrs Everett’s The Death Mask, of a rather quieter tone on the whole, but with some excellently conceived […]
This episode it’s conference report time! We’ve just returned from Through a Glass Darkly, an M.R. James conference which brought together authors, academics and fans in ghost-haunted York for a 2-day Jamesfest of epic proportions! The episode features interviews with: Conference organisers Paul M. Chapman, Theresa Dudley and Mark Jones, who told us about how […]
This month Mike and Will throw caution to the wind and make an ill-fated wish on “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. Best known in his own time for gentle tales of the sea and other comic stories, Jacobs is now perhaps most famous for this classic cautionary tale of cursed taxidermy, family tragedy and […]
This episode Mike and Will return to the realms of the ‘psychic detective’ in this tale from mother-son writing team Kate and Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard. Expect terror on the moors with malevolent earth spirits, coughing ghosts, ominous otters and even a bicycle chase scene! A big thanks to Rob Douglas, who provided the readings for this episode. […]
Have you ever had a hankering for upping sticks and moving overseas, where one’s limited means might stretch a little further and the wine flow more freely? This week Will and Mike head for the north coast of France in Featherston’s Story, where Mrs Henry Wood shows us that expat life is not always baguettes, […]
Ho ho ho! We have a festive cracker of an episode for you this month (literally), as Mike and Will explore Sir Andrew Caldecott’s M.R. James-inspired tale, ‘Christmas Re-union‘. A big thank you to Tony Mears, who provided the readings for this episode. Check out his bands new track ‘A Hypothermia Banquet‘ on Bandcamp! Story […]
Mike and Will take a cruise across the pond in the good ship Kamchatka – but who’s hiding in The Upper Berth? Joining us to narrate F. Marion Crawford’s classic tale is reader Rupert Simons, who tells us that he’s found a cheap cabin for his trip from The Hook to Harwich next week… Show […]
This episode join Mike and Will as they don their kilts and sporrans and head north of Hadrian’s wall for some Scottish horror (no, not the midges) as we explore ‘The Open Door’ by Margaret Oliphant! Big thanks to Kirsty for chilling us to the bone with her readings for this episode. Show notes: Margaret […]
We’re back! This week Mike and Will descend gingerly into a gloomy railway cutting to investigate Charles Dickens’ The Signal-Man. Dickens dissects the harsh realities of life in industrial Britain, but can he also deliver a pleasing terror and a locomotive-sized Jamesian Wallop? (spoiler: yes, in spades) Show notes: Higham Station was the closest to […]
This episode Mike and Will cover ‘The Haunted and the Haunters‘ by Charles Dickens’s BFF, Edward Bulwer-Lytton. M.R. James considered this story essential reading, saying “Nobody is permitted to write about ghost stories without mentioning ‘The Haunted and the Haunters’.” (Some Remarks on Ghost Stories). Will it live up to our expectations? Our reader for […]
In this bumper episode we examine M.R. James’s favourite story by his favourite author, ‘The Familiar’ by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu! Praise doesn’t get much higher than that, but is it all it is cracked up to be? If you are a fan of owls, diminutive, angry men in fur caps and incredibly long sentences, then […]
This episode Mike and Will pop across the channel for some booze-heavy French/German shinanigans in ‘The White and the Black’ by Erckmann-Chartrian. M.R. James says this writing partnership “produced some quite first-class romances”, but this tale of murder and mayhem is no love story! Show notes: Erckmann-Chatrian (Wikipedia) About the authors Breisach, Germany (Wikipedia) About […]
Happy Halloween listeners! In this bumper-bonus episode we talk about our first non-M.R. James ghost story, ‘A Relation of the Apparition of Mrs Veal‘, a fascinating early ghost story attributed to Daniel Defoe. We also interview Leah Moore and John Reppion about their recently-published graphic novel of ‘Ghost stories of an Antiquary‘. Finally, we are […]
Nearly five years to the day that we released Episode 1, we are pleased to bring you ‘A Vignette’, M.R. James’s very last story! The episode also features readings from Robert Lloyd Parry and an exciting announcement about the future of the podcast! Show notes: A Vignette by M.R. James (adelaide.edu.au) A Vignette, read by […]
In this epic feature-length James-fest, Mike and Will conclude their coverage of ‘Eton and King’s’, M.R. James’s memoir of a life spent in two of the UK’s most celebrated educational institutions. This part covers M.R. James’s time as an undergraduate, Fellow, Dean and Provost at King’s College, his somewhat unhappy stint as Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, […]
This episode Mike and Will interview folklorist Jacqueline Simpson about the influence of Scandinavian and English folklore on M.R. James’s ghost stories, as well as Jacqueline’s collaboration with Terry Pratchett on ‘Folklore of the Discworld’. Many thanks to Jacqueline for her hospitality! More about Jacqueline: Jacqueline Simpson on Wikipedia Dictionary of English Folklore by Jacqueline […]
It’s back to school this week as Mike and Will pack their tuckboxes and top hats and join Monty for the first part of his memoir “Eton and King’s: recollections, mostly trivial”. How will James deal with the traditions and quirks of Eton? Will he avoid a midnight wedgy? And who exactly is the mysterious […]
This episode Mike and Will report on the the M.R. James conference, aka ‘Haunted Studies: The Ghost Stories of M.R. James’ and bring you interviews with a range of Jamesian luminaries present at the event. For more information on the conference, visit the conference website. People we interview in this episode: Dewi Evans (Acedemia.edu) Dewi, […]
This episode Mike and Will pack their sleeping bags and bed down for ‘A Night in King’s College Chapel’ by M.R. James. The episode also features an exclusive interview with James Drewett and Richard Svensson, creators of ‘Monsters and Miscreants’ a new M.R. James-themed card game available to order now. You can also watch an […]
What could be more worthy of a Christmas episode than a ghost story? Answer: twelve ghost stories! This week Mike and Will find plenty of seasonal cheer in the scribblings of a 15th century monk from Yorkshire, whose collected tales of wandering spirits Monty transcribed in 1922. Expect lashings of purgatorial terrors, a stocking-full of […]
This episode Mike and Will dust off their acting chops and take to the stage as they cover Auditor and Impresario, M.R. James’s little-know comic play! Expect diabolism, drama, demons and dreadful sub-GCSE-level acting! The image to the right is none other than M.R. James himself, playing they the part of Peithetairos in an 1883 […]
In this episode Mike and Will cover the concluding third of ‘The Five Jars‘, M.R. James’s little-read children’s book. Expect earwig racing, bat balls, dragons and horseshoe mayhem! The readings for this episode once again come from the excellent Librevox audiobook of The Five Jars, read by Peter Yearsley. Links: Iron in Folklore (Wikipedia) The […]
In this episode Mike and Will delve into the middle third of M.R. James’s ‘The Five Jars’ and encounter talking owls, two flavours of sinister old women, and all manner of supernatural trickery and tomfoolery! Readings this week are once again extracted from Peter Yearsley’s excellent Librevox recording of this story, with added help from […]
This week, Will and Mike don their academic tweeds, gather their notes and ascend to the podium to bring you their conference report on MR James and the Modern Ghost Story. Join us for 45 minutes of (un)learned comment, digressions and wild speculation – plus more expert commentary from author Helen Grant (@helengrantsays), comics writer […]
This week Will and Mike explore the borders between psychedelia and twee when they crack open The Five Jars, Monty’s only novel. Prepare yourself for enigmatic springs, helpful trees and cantankerous cats – and two very confused podcasters. Show notes: Parents beware – Will drops his guard and utters a foul-mouthed profanity at 12:48. Chapter […]
In this episode Mike and Will batten down the hatches and prepare for the onslaught of ‘The Malice of Inanimate Objects‘ by M.R. James. Readings for this episode are taken from Curious Creatures, Robert Lloyd Parry’s excellent audiobook which features a selection of lesser-heard M.R. James stories. Many thanks to Robert for giving us permission […]
Season’s greetings listeners! We have a Christmas bonus episode for you here, an exclusive readings of one of Charles Dickens’s supernatural Christmas tales ‘The Story of the Goblin who Stole a Sexton‘ which appeared as part of The Pickwick Papers in 1836. For more information on Charles Dickens and M.R. James, check out Episode 41 […]
Seasons greetings James fans! In this episode, Will and Mike take a further turn towards the Victorian by pairing up James with his great literary love, Mr Charles Dickens. Just what influence did he have on James? Lest their amateur speculations take a less than academically rigorous turn, they are joined by James expert Jane […]
This week Mike and Will attempt some foul necromancy with MR James’ little-known tale ‘The Experiment’. Ghosts and Scholars described it as “weak and difficult” story: can your hosts revive it from the dead? Story notes Rosemary and Daroll Pardoe’s invaluable notes, from Ghosts and Scholars Bishop Moore: a hardcore bibliophile after James’ own heart, […]
This episode Mike & Will false-start their way through the unfinished M.R. James manuscript ‘Merfield Hall’ (or should that be ‘Merfield House’?). Big thanks to our reader this episode Debbie Wedge. Show notes: ‘Merfield Hall’ manuscript (Ghosts & Scholars) What exists of the manuscript(s) for this story can be read online at the Ghosts & […]
An episode of two parts this week. In part one, Will and Mike open their box of James ephemera to play the “dreadful Game of Bear”. We only have the opening pages of this unfinished tale, but fortunately three leading Jamesians have tried to finish the story. Big thanks to Kirsty Woodfield who returns to […]
This episode Mike & Will pack their tents, pull up their socks and strap on their woggles (woggles are a scout thing, right?) as they explore M.R. James’s ‘Wailing Well’! Big thanks to Debbie Wedge for providing the readings for this episode. Show notes: Worbarrow Bay This story was read to the Eton boy scout […]
This episode Mike & Will take a look at M.R. James’s East Anglian guidebook ‘Suffolk and Norfolk’. It’s got churches, lots and lots of churches, but also murder, mayhem, mermen, giants, green children and much more! Show notes: Skeletons at Sparham (civitasperegrina.tumblr.com) Tom Hickathrift the Giant Killer (Wikipedia) Hill of Health, Wordwell (explorebritain.com) Miss M.H. […]
This episode Mike & Will tackle ‘Moose’ by M.R. James. No wait, that’s not right. Ah yes, ‘Rats’ by M.R. James, that’s the one. The episode features readings by Lewis Davies and the illustration to the right by Alisdair Wood. Show notes: Tom Tiddler’s Ground by Charles Dickens (Project Gutenberg) The quote about rats which […]
This episode Will and Mike are thrilled to be joined by top M.R. James scholar and author Helen Grant to help them struggle their way through unfinished M.R. James story fragment ‘Marcilly-le-Hayer‘. Thanks to our readers this episode, Tom Hemmings and Debbie Wedge. Show notes: Marcilly-le-Hayer map (Monty’s World) You can view the eponymous French […]
In this special Christmas Bonus episode, Mike and Will give their thoughts on Mark Gatiss’ adaptation of ‘The Tractate Middoth’ by M.R. James, which aired on UK TV last night along with Gatiss’ documentary ‘M.R. James: Ghost Writer’. Please note that this episode contains spoilers about both programmes so if you are planning on watching […]
In this semi-Christmas episode, Mike and Will don their druid costumes and head down to rural Dorset for some pagan goings-on in ‘An Evening’s Entertainment‘ by M.R. James! Big thanks to Paul Warren for providing the artwork to the right, titled ‘The Unsearchable Way (A Warning to the Curious)’. For more of Paul’s artwork visit […]
This episode concludes our coverage of M.R. James’s masterwork ‘A Warning to the Curious‘, and we also speak to James expert Patrick J. Murphy, whose essay ‘Lay of a Last Survivor – Beowulf, the Great War, and M.R. James’s “A Warning to the Curious”’ impressed us greatly when researching this story. Lewis Davies returns again […]
The waiting is over, it’s finally time for Mike & Will to tackle what is arguably M.R. James’s masterpiece – A Warning to the Curious! It’s a biggie, so we will split our coverate of this story over two episodes. Our examination of this story will conclude in episode 31. To assist them in their […]
This episode Mike and Will whip out their podcasting binoculars and peer through them at ‘A View from a Hill by M.R. James. This episode we are very lucky to have actor Scott Wichman (@scottwichmann) as our reader! Scott is starring as comedian George Burns in “Say Goodnight, Gracie” at the Virginia Rep later this month: […]
This week we’ve got an interview for you with two splendid chaps from the U.S., who are delving into what lies behind MR James’ stories. Patrick J. Murphy and Fred Porcheddu are also super-fun guys and we hope you enjoy hearing their take on what made Monty tick, the deeper meanings in his stories, and […]
In this episode, talking owls. Yes, you heard me correctly. Talking owls. Has Monty completely lost his marbles? Mike and Will ask just that in this episode on ‘After Dark in the Playing Fields‘ by M.R. James. Readings by kind permission of grand panjandrum and actor Robert Lloyd Parry! The full reading of this story […]
In this episode Mike & Will don their funeral garb and shuffle mournfully into ‘There was a man dwelt by a churchyard‘ by M.R. James. A big thanks to Robert Lloyd Parry for giving us permission to use readings extracted from his excellent CD ‘Curious Creatures: The Shorter Horror of M.R. James‘, available to purchase […]
This episode it is the turn of ‘A Neighbour’s Landmark‘ by M.R. James to receive the critial going-over it deserves at the hands of Will and Mike. Thanks to Kirsty for the excellent readings! Show notes: ‘”They’ve got him! In the trees!” M.R. James and Sylvan Dread’ by Steve Duffy (Ghosts & Scholars) ‘So jarred […]
This episode Mike and Will speak to the author A.N. Donaldson, whose debut novel ‘Prospero’s Mirror‘ features M.R. James as the main protagonist! In the novel M.R. James is summoned to Old College, Oxford to examine the inscription on an ancient mirror which may have belonged to the magician John Dee. Soon James finds himself […]
This episode Mike & Will put on their golden pince-nez and crack the spine of ‘The Uncommon Prayer-book’ by M.R. James! Big thanks go to our reader for this episode, Debbie Wedge. Questions answered during this episode: Is M.R. James an anti-semite? Is Mr Poschwitz the Germanic Lovejoy? How much snakebite is too much snakebite? […]
This episode Will and Mike delve into the toy box and pull out something truly horrible in the form of ‘The Haunted Doll’s House‘ by M.R. James! Show notes: Queen Mary’s Dolls’s House This story was written for a real dolls’ house, the one created by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens for Queen Mary of […]
Due to illness we haven’t managed to record the next full episode yet, but in the meantime here’s a little something we hope you’ll enjoy, an exclusive reading of ‘Sredni Vashtar’ by M.R. James’s literary contemporary Saki (aka H.H. Munro). This reading was recorded specially for the podcast by Hamish Symington! Thanks Hamish! If you […]
In this episode Will and Mike travel back in time to the early 18th century to examine some diabolical goings on in rural Cambridgeshire in M.R. James’s ‘The Fenstanton Witch‘. Show notes: Story Locations (Monty’s World) This story features many real-world locations, starting in King’s College Cambridge, and following Hardman and Ashe up the Huntindon […]
This episode Mike & Will put on their thinking caps and puzzle their way through ‘Two Doctors‘ by M.R. James. Thanks to Kirsty for the excellent readings, and to Alisdair Wood for the great illustration to the left. Don’t forget to vote on which story you would like to see Stephen Gray and his crew […]
It’s Christmas Special time again! This year Will & Mike look at the one and only M.R. James story actually set during the festive season, ‘The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance’. This episode also features a Christmas Bonus in the form of an interview with film director Stephen Gray whose new adaptation of […]
In this episode Mike and Will head up the road to Burford to take a peek inside Speaker Lenthall’s Tomb by M.R. James! Yes, it is another unpublished M.R. James manuscript fragment this week. The most complete version of this story is available in ‘Curious Warning: The Great Stories of M.R. James’ edited by Stephen […]
This episode Mike & Will examine John Humphreys. No, not the newsreader, the unfinished story draft by M.R. James! The most complete version of the manuscript, as transcribed by Rosemary Pardoe, can be read online at the Ghosts & Scholars Website. Big thanks for the readings goes to Kirsty W… no wait, Kirsty Taylor! Also […]
This episode Will & Mike slip into their cassocks, whip out their prayerbooks and head down to Southminster for ‘An Episode of Cathedral History’ by M.R. James. Questions answered in this episode: – When is a vampire not a vampire? – Do Lamia have hairy legs? – What length of skirt do Mike and Will […]
This episode Mike and Will recoil in horror from some fearsome home furnishings in ‘The Diary of Mr Poynter’ by M.R. James. Big thanks to our reader for this episode, the mighty Paul Maclean (@ysdc on Twitter). You may know Paul from the ‘Call of Cthulhu’ RPG hub Yog-Sothoth.com and it’s Lovecraftian publishing wing InnsmouthHouse.com. […]
Mike is off on his honeymoon at the moment, so in lieu of a full episode Will provides a reading of and short commentary on an M.R. James essay ‘Ghosts – Treat them Gently!‘ which was originally published in the Evening News on 17 April 1931. In the essay Monty talks about what ingredients he […]
Join Mike and Will as they peer through their scrying glass at the second installment of ‘The Residence at Whitminster’ by M.R. James. More black magic, strange visions, swarms of satanic flies and is that Beelzebub hiding in the closet? Or is it just R. Kelly? One things for sure, you’ll never look into your […]
Join Mike & Will for the first in a two part special on ‘The Residence at Whitminster’ by M.R. James! No black cockerels were harmed in the recording of this podcast (OK, maybe one or two. It’s called research people). This episode features readings by Hamish Symington and Peter Ross. Show Notes: M.R. James – […]
On the 1st August it will be exactly 150 years since the birth of M.R. James, and in this special episode Will and Mike are celebrating Monty’s Sesquicentenary in style with the help of England’s finest Jamesian actor, Robert Lloyd Parry! Robert had been performing his trilogy of one-man shows based on James’s work since […]
This episode Mike and Will get hopelessly lost in ‘Mr Humphreys and his Inheritance’. It’s a-maze-ing! Show notes: Two Ghosts & Scholars Essays We referred extensively to two outstanding examinations of the symbolism and antiquarian lore behind the story: Martin Hughes’, “A Maze of Secrets in a Story by M.R. James“, reprinted in Warnings to […]
In this episode Mike and Will investigate strange goings on in 17th Century Devon in Martin’s Close by M.R. James. Unrequited love, scoundrel squires, courtroom highjinx, bloody judges, amorous yokels and barbarous murder are all on the cards. It’s like The Archers, but even more horrible. Strap in! Don’t forget to check out our Visit […]
Church matters concern Will and Mike this episode as they don their literary cassocks and plant their proverbial buttocks upon ‘The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral’ by M.R. James. Snow notes: The Double Shadow Podcast (www.thedoubleshadow.com) An exciting new podcast dedicated to American M.R. James admire Clark Ashton Smith. M.R. James performances by the Nunkie Theatre […]
This episode we return to the diabolical doings of Mr Karswell in part two of our examination of ‘Casting the Runes’ by M.R. James. Show notes: Comparative Mythology and the Cambridge Ritualists (Wikipedia) The criticism of Karswell’s writing style could be read as M.R. James having a dig at his academic contemporaries working in theoretical […]
Join Mike & Will as they delve into Brian Blessed’s beard, the truth of alchemy, diabolical magic lantern shows and class war in the first of our two-part extravaganza on M.R. James’s chilling story ‘Casting the Runes’! Our reader for this episode is Mr Torion Bowles. Show notes: Magic Lanterns (Wikipedia) Mr Karswell was not […]
In this episode Mike & Will whip out their library cards and prepare to crack the spine of ‘The Tractate Middoth’ by M.R. James. Questions addressed in this episode include: Does Mr Eldred like MC Hammer? Did Sir Jimmy Saville make a pact with the devil? Is Miss Simpson a slamming hotty or merely a […]
In this episode Will & Mike experience the horticultural horror of M.R. James’s ‘The Rose Garden’. Thanks to Kirsty Woodfield who was our reader for this episode. Show notes: Popish Plot Playing Cards (BritishMuseum.org) Having trouble getting your head around the popish plot? Why not invest in a pack of Popish Plot Playing Cards! Alas […]
In this episode Mike & Will return to M.R. James’s old alma mater for chaos in the classroom, death in the dormitory and revenge in the refectory. That’s right, it’s ‘A School Story’! N.b. If you have forgotten your gym-kit, you have to listen to this episode in your vest and pants. Show notes: The […]
In this episode Will & Mike follow M.R. James on a terrifying treasure hunt to Germany in ‘The Treasure of Abbot Thomas’. Show notes: Steinfeld Abbey & Glass (also see Googlemaps) Read about the read-world location of this story on wikipedia. The Treasure of Steinfeld Abbey, A Visit to the Scene of “The Treasure of […]
This episode features the second half of our podcast extravaganza on M.R. James’s seaside shocker ‘Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad’. Neither beach nor bedtime will ever be the same again! Thanks again to Tom Hemmings who lent us his wonderful voice for the readings, and to Dave Senior (EastScapes) for the […]
In this episode Mike & Will look into ghosts, golf and some decidedly fishy goings-on in Felixstowe in the first of a 2-part special on M.R. James’s ‘Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad’! Big thanks to Tom Hemmings who returns as our reader for this episode. Show Notes ‘Oh, Whistle and I’ll […]
In this Christmas Special* Will and Mike get stuck into Count Magnus by M.R. James, and explore some startling questions: What is the connection between Count Magnus and Ghostbusters 2? Will sewing your corpse into the carcass of a deer save your soul from the devil? Would Mr Wraxall prefer to have been shot in […]
In this episode Mike and Will pack their portmanteaus for a holiday in HELL (well, Denmark actually) as they tackle ‘Number 13’ by M.R. James! Thanks to our reader this week Kirsty Woodfield. Also in this episode Will and Mike: Coin ‘The Jamesian Wallop’ Tackle the schleswig-holstein question Discuss hellish subjects such as alchemy, German […]
Mike is away on holiday at the moment so in lieu of a full episode we are pleased to present a full reading of M.R. James’s essay ‘Stories I Have Tried to Write’, read by Tom Hemmings! Regular service will resume in a few weeks when Mike returns from his reckless galavanting. Notes ‘Stories I […]
In this post-Halloween spook-tacular of an episode, your hosts Mike and Will attempt to answer the following thorny questions: Is it unlucky to sleep in a room near an ash tree? Is Mrs Mothersole a MILF? Are you down with the Castringham Sickness? If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more of the above then pull […]
Episode 3 sees us tackle ‘The Mezzotint’ by M.R. James and delve into the world of sinister collectable artwork of a kind not often featured on the Antiques Roadshow. In this episode: Terror! Art! Golf! Alternative endings! How NOT to choose a babysitter! Mike gets all sentimental about his university days. Will moans a lot […]
This week we tackle Lost Hearts by M.R. James, a spine-chilling tale featuring ghostly orphans! Talking rats! Diabolical alchemy! Gore! A shower scene! (sort of). Also in this episode: Mike tweaks his hurgy gurdy around the house Will says ‘Dun Dun Duuunnn!’ more than is strictly necessary We both says ‘evocative’ more than is strictly […]
In Episode 1 your hosts Will Ross and Mike Taylor discuss M.R. James’s first published ghost story, Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook, in which crocodiles are purloined, religious pimping staffs brandished, sinister tomes examined and unholy terrors unleashed on an unsuspecting scholar in the darkest depths of rural France. Also in this episode: Mike grumbles bitterly about […]