In the local history books of Suffolk, one name is particularly associated with witchcraft and wizardry - that of old Winter. According to tales handed down from generation to generation, Winter the cunning man used his skills for good, helping the people of rural Suffolk to deter criminals and fight back against malevolent curses and bedevilment. In this mini episode we hear several stories of Winter’s escapades, culminating in the horrific saga of some capering sheep and the fiery death of Ipswich woman Grace Pett via internal combustion in the year 1744. Happy 2021!

Get those sleighbells ready, oh lovely listeners, and grab yourself a large serving of eggnog… our first Christmas episode is here. The esteemed M.R. James is our companion tonight. Renowned scholar, one time director of The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, and perhaps most importantly, finest purveyor of the festive tradition of stories of the supernatural. It may be a mini episode but it’s stuffed full of macabre musings, sinister landscapes, and brandy… happy Christmas one and all!

It’s time for another mini Stranger! Recorded during lockdown, Ruth and Chris investigate the most peculiar tale of the green children of Woolpit, Suffolk. The sudden and unexplained appearance of two mysterious and verdant siblings in the 12th century has subsequently given rise to folklore and speculation, with theories spanning from fairy folk to, gasp, ALIENS! Join us for a brief romp through the history and theories behind the story.

Episode illustration - Babes in the Wood etching by Hubert von Herkomer.

Ruth is Stranger than Fiction makes a rare foray into the 20th century with the bizarre story of Harold Davidson, the rector of the Norfolk parish of Stiffkey from 1906 - 1932. We are joined by old favourite Jake Dyer and a delightful new guest, Ed Ramage, to explore the unusual escapades of this unlikely figure, from a career on the London stage to his self-proclaimed role as ‘the prostitute’s padre.’ Prepare yourselves for the usual strange alcoholic concoctions (Stripper Vicars and Hanky Pankies anyone?) and rather a lot of lewd innuendos (in YOUR endo, etc etc…). It’s one of the silliest yet.

Important note: never fear, we recorded this episode sometime before the lockdown 2.0 so no rules were broken!

Happy Hallowe’en to you all! We’ve got some spooky stories for you this episode with further investigations into ghostly goings on through the history of Cambridge. Our special guest is Justin Crane, who recounts some tales of the macabre and mysterious and offers a rather alarming box of wine. We also cover Abbey House, said to be the most haunted building in the city and home to an unlikely selection of phantoms, including an overbearing squire, a tragic nun, and a strange creature called Wolfie.

Episode illustration - Hare in the Snow by Ferdinand von Rayski.

Welcome back to our exploration of the sordid trade of the resurrectionists of 19th Century Britain. In this second episode, recovered from the hysteria inspired by Nelson the clown and his unlikely goose chariot (see Part 1), we finally get to the particular case of the body snatchers of Great Yarmouth. What brought them to this town on the Norfolk coast, so far from the medical schools of the cities? How did the residents of the town react to the snatching of their recently deceased relatives? And what became of the stolen corpses? It’s a grisly tale and no mistake.

Join Ruth, Katy, Jo, and Chris (and Vinnie the cat) as we travel back to the 1820s and the dank world of body snatching. Gangs of resurrectionists roam the graveyards of the country, digging up the corpses of the recently deceased and selling them to top surgeons and eager medical students. Grim stuff, for sure! But was this a necessary horror in the service of medical advancement? Let’s see what the podcasters make of it. A small tangent about a circus act gone wrong sends things off into an inappropriate spiral, and we drink a cocktail from a very unusual receptacle. What fun!

Is it a full blown episode? Is it a mini Stranger? It’s Episode 12, hurrah! Town meets gown as Ruth and Chris encounter some of the many ghosts that haunt the cloistered corridors and courtyards of the University of Cambridge. So numerous and ghastly are the spectres of the 31 Cambridge colleges that we may well have to revisit this topic in a future episode… but for now, listen for supernatural tales of exorcisms at Peterhouse, foul smells at Sidney Sussex, and an unfortunate sequence of events involving the plague and a disillusioned priest at Corpus Christi. These spooky escapades are accompanied by some local(ish) and unusually fruity beer from the nearby village of Waterbeach.

Recovery continues apace in the Ruth is Stranger studio and for this episode we have the lovely Jo McPhee and Jake Dyer back with us to discuss some very mysterious archaeological discoveries, made in the early 1800s in the village of Whittlesford, Cambridgeshire. The Chronicle Hills reveal their secrets and a ghostly tale unfolds. Perhaps more unpleasant still, the drinks take an unusual turn with a couple of very savoury offerings that divide the team, and everyone laughs a lot at some amusing terminology. Join us!

Oh heck everyone! Katy is back! Yes, we have a visitor to the Ruth is Stranger than Fiction studio and we’re back with a full length episode. Prepare for overexcitement and giddiness, only partially caused by the alcohol. We’re going a bit Agatha Christie for this one… it’s a dark November night at Stanfield Hall in Norfolk, and some horrific events are about to unfold. Disputed inheritances, convoluted family histories, poorly considered disguises, and a cowardly butler. It’s all going on! Our tale of murder and mystery is accompanied by some rather potent cocktails, as all good tales should be.

For those with a passion for Jermys head over to jermy.org and gorge yourselves on Jermy knowledge!