On this week's episode of Local Legends, Martin gathers round the campfire to chat about the folklore and character of Warwickshire and the West Midlands with storyteller and author Cath Edwards.

A member of The Society for Storytelling representing the Midlands, and author of excellent books including ‘Warwickshire Folktales’ and “West Midlands Folktales,” Cath is highly experienced storyteller and workshop leader. She has decades of experience telling stories, and developed her love of folklore as a small child. 

She worked for many years as a teacher with a focus on working with children with Special Needs, and all the while enjoyed telling stories to young people and adult audiences. Over time, this talent developed into a life as a professional storyteller, and, in addition to being co-host of Lichfield Storytellers, she travels all over the country telling tales to all sorts of audiences, from festivals to evenings of ghost stories and much more besides. 

She is also a natural born storyteller, so join us for a chat which ranges from Shakespeare and Warwickshire's shifting borders to Guy of Warwick, some truly tragic ghosts, through perilous snowy blizzards, and to Yebberton, where the men are extremely daft. At least, if you ask the people of Ilmington...

Learn more about Cath and her work here: https://www.storytellingforall.co.uk

Oh, and, the books Cath mentions are:

J. Harvey Bloom, Folk Lore, Old Customs and Superstitions of Shakespeare Land. (1929)

Roy Palmer, The Folklore of Warwickshire. (Batsford 1976)

Julia Skinner, Haunted Warwickshire: Ghost Stories. (Bradwell Books 2013)

Betty Smith, Tales of Old Warwickshire. (Countryside Books 1989)

Betty Smith, Ghosts of Warwickshire. (Countryside Books 1992) Tales of Old Stratford. (Countryside Books 1988) Warwickshire Tales of Mystery and Murder. (Countryside Books 2001) Hidden Warwickshire. (Countryside Books 1990)

Richard Holland, Warwickshire Ghost Stories. (Bradwell Books)

Eric Swift, Folktales of the East Midlands. (Nelson 1954)

Meg Elizabeth Atkins, Haunted Warwickshire. (Robert Hale 1981)

Roy Weeks, Warwickshire Countryside Reflections. (Self-Published 1978)

The Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays (Magic and Medicines about folk remedies and arcane spells, Three Ravens Bestiary about cryptids and mythical creatures, Dying Arts about endangered heritage crafts, and Something Wicked about folkloric true crime from across history) plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?

Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast

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