Strange Stories UK

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This is part 2 of the podcast, the details being the same as for part 1.

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Northern Ireland 1970s, MI5, Clockwork Orange, Murder, SAS, paedophiles, IRA, UDA.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well quite a lot did go wrong. This is part one of a story that few people come out of very well.
Colin Wallace had a questionable job peddling black propaganda. But you have to accept the position he was in, his background in Northern Ireland and the fact that he thought he was doing good by fighting terrorism. He was to find that once you join such an organisation, it is difficult to leave.
Clockwork Orange developed into a policy that would target anyone that the Security Services (MI5, MI6, Special Branch , RUC and others) disapproved of. Even the democratically elected representatives of the people. It was said that the Security Services were out of control in Northern Ireland during the 1970s.
Colin Wallace learnt of a paedophile sex ring operating from perhaps nine children’s homes in Northern Ireland but centred on one home called Kincora. The security Services tolerated paedophile abuse because they were able to blackmail those committing the offence to gain useful information.
Please see the web site for the list of sources used for this podcast. Two that were particularly useful were the Lobster magazine which is available online 
https://www.lobster-magazine.co.uk
highly recommended and if you are interested in this story there is a wealth of similar stories available to read online free of charge!
I also made a lot of use of Paul Foot's book 'Who framed Colin Wallace?
I will post Part 2 of the story within the next couple of days.

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This is part three of the Hilda Murrell murder, please listen to parts one and two.
The police continue to insist that the Hilda Murrell murder was a burglary gone wrong despite evidence mounting up that there was more involved. Were the police chiefs being told to follow this line?
More evidence comes forward that a gang abducted Hilda before killing her.
The police arrest somebody for the murder twenty years after it was committed. There was a guilty verdict.  However, not everyone is convinced, there were many unanswered questions and it was argued that the jury had to reach a verdict without hearing all the evidence.

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This is part two of the Hilda Murrell podcast. 
Maybe I should think about doing some editing; apologies in this podcast I call Hilda Murrell, Hilda Murray a few times and have difficulty in conjugating a verb, sank or sunk? On consideration I am happy leaving in a few mistakes in order to concentrate on more stories.
Anyhow in this episode we examine some aspects of the Falklands war, especially the sinking of the ship General Belgrano. 
We also exam the aspects of the Sizewell B nuclear plant inquiry.
We consider the actions of Zeus Security and the private investigative firms that they employed to spy on those people and groups objecting to a new nuclear plant in Suffolk. 
In early 1985, tv programmes are being made about the murder of Hilda Murrell. This problem is not going away!

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This is part one of a three part podcast.  21 March 1984. Hilda Murrell was abducted from her home. She was an anti-nuclear campaigner who had just gained approval to present a paper on the problems of nuclear waste at the Sizewell planning  inquiry.
Hildfa's body was found three days later. The police thought that a lone panicking burglar was responsible.
It seemed more probable that a panicking government or nuclear  agent or agents were responsible and then a cover up put into operation. In part one of the story we try to  consider4 the state of the UK in 1984 and the events of 21st March 1984.
Part two which will be realised tomorrow (Saturday 17 April) will consider the reasons why Hilda was murdered,
Part three which will be broadcast the day after part two (Sunday 18th April) will try to come to some conclusions.

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This is another case of a jury getting it wrong.  Janet Muller was murdered by Christopher Jeffrey - Shaw in Sussex in 2015. We do not know the whole story, there are gaps in our understanding of it. 
What is clear is that Jeffrey-Shaw murdered a vulnerable student from Brighton University who was having psychotic episodes and in the care of the NHS Mill View hospital in Hove.
Jeffrey-Shaw was a fantasist and small time drug dealer probably on 'County Lines' business. Important witnesses did not take part in his court case. The judge called Jeffrey-Shaw a liar and callous beyond belief.
Please be advised that this podcast is not edited in any way and recorded in one take so there may be some background noise and I may stutter over a word or two.

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A promising 21 year old actress who lived as she wished, not to the conventions of the day, goes missing on a cruise ship. 

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The 'Thug life' referred to  in this podcast, refers to street gangs in Ipswich copying the behaviour of street gangs in America. The American rapper Tupac came up with a phrase that makes the acronym.

The hate U Give,  Little Infants Fucks Everything.

Tupac was trying to argue that life on the streets is hard for those people who society oppresses (the poor and uneducated). The 'thug' on the street refers to the underdog who does what he has to do to survive and get by. 

This podcast takes Ipswich as an example of County Line drug dealing causing an increase in violence on the streets of that town; in particular the events leading to the death of a 17 year old fringe gang member in 2018.

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The Fairy Investigation Society (aka FIS), founded in the UK in 1927, exists to report fairy sightings.
This podcast attempts to give a brief history of fairies in the UK (zero to 10 minutes).
Then examines the beginnings of FIS (10 -21 minutes).
then it examines the ideas of Quentin Craufurd (the inspiration for FIS), who explains what is required to view fairies.
Then we continue with the Fairy Investigation Society history and membership between 29:00 minutes to 57:00 minutes.
The final 28 minutes gives some examples of recent fairy sightings as reported to the recent  Fairy census.
The sources used will be available on the blog for strangestoriesuk.com
On the website, I will be happy to answer any questions. Most of the information for the podcast has been taken from the postings of Doctor Simon Young.
For further information on fairies in the UK please see www.the fairyist.com
Please be advised that the podcast is recorded in one take in my spare time so apologies for the low-fi production.

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A group of young men decide to spend a Saturday night in Brighton. There is an altercation as they leave a nightclub, a stupid drunken quarrel and macho posturing  leads to a tragic and pointless death and life changing injuries for others.
Any queries or comments please go to www.strangestoriesuk.com
I am now including a transcript of the podcast.