Loremen Podcast

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Mid-season Bonus: Ride-along with the Loreboys May 28, 2026

Show notes

Ever wondered what it would be like to be in a car with Alasdair and James?

Wonder no more!

Here is a recording of just that, so you can pop it on your headphones when you're on the bus and experience the thrill-a-minute feeling of driving behind a caravan on an A-road whilst two men play the pub game and generally pass the time.

Enjoy!

This is a former Patreon-only episode from 2021. So if you're hearing it, that either means James is on holiday or we are travelling backwards in time. Who can say which?

For new bonus bits - go to patreon.com/loremenpod

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Loremen S7Ep19 - The Ghosts of Finchale Priory May 21, 2026

Show notes

James and Alasdair meet a retired pirate experiencing a self-imposed male loneliness crisis. Starting in the ruins of Finchale Abbey, we travel back to a time before the monastery was built (don't look for it, it's not there yet) and meet the notorious Saint Godric.

This burly old hermit had a very hot & cold relationship with animals and would go to extraordinary lengths to impress the ladies. Well, one particular lady - Our Lady.

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Loremen S7Ep18 - Kwairyo and the Headless Yokai May 14, 2026

Show notes

People are really losing their heads in this tale from old-timey Japan.

James dips into the work of Lafcadio Hearn and recounts the legend of the rokurokubi. You want a warrior monk? We got one. Seeking a sinister woodcutter? You better believe that's here. In the market for a system of bamboo water pipes? All present and correct!

Come see us in Oxford! ⁠July 1st 2026 (2026)⁠

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Loremen S7Ep17 - Flix, the Conser Lake Beast May 07, 2026

Show notes

The Loreboys venture back to the Pacific North West for a gander at the 9 foot tall monster that terrorised a small town in 1960. "Is it a white ape? Is it an alien? Does it come in peace?" These are the questions the townsfolk asked, immediately before hunting it with guns. Lots of guns.

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Loremen S7Ep16 - The Legend of the Sicilian Vases with Verity Babbs Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

The Loreboys are joined by art historian and comedian Verity Babbs for a lesson in the Art of Murder. And the Art of Gardening. What horticultural secrets lie buried in the Italian legend of Isabella and her pot of basil?

Meanwhile, Alasdair pilots a new bingo format and James learns a lesson that has him re-evaluating his entire life*. And if you're a fan of the sinister 1990s puppet Pob - fear not! This episode has you covered.

* It's pronounced "asterisk".**

** Not the Gaul, the symbol.

Buy Verity's new book! The History of Art in One Sentence

Come see us in Oxford! ⁠July 2nd 2026 (2026)⁠

Edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Laurence Hisee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Loremen S7Ep15 - The Sleeping Frenchman Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

James hops in a time-travelling taxi to investigate the strange case of M. Chauffat, the Frenchman who put the snooze in “you snooze, you lose.” After being robbed of a small fortune, he fell asleep in a Soho hotel and didn’t wake up for 19 days, instantly becoming a media sensation.

Then there’s the pea-throwing ghost of Peckham, the monkey who testified in court, and other London oddities torn from the pages of the Illustrated Police News, by way of Jan Bondeson’s book Strange Victoriana (2016).

Come see us in Oxford! July 2nd 2026 (2026)

Edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Laurence Hisee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Loremen S7Ep14 - The Long Pack Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

A gang of burglars come a cropper in a Northumbrian country house, in this strange tale from the North Country. It's basically an 18th century Home Alone, with a trigger-happy teen, a put-upon parlour maid and a haunted backpack.

Alasdair is back from his tour, with a fresh stack of pamphs in hand! This tale of thwarted crime comes from the legendary Ettrick shepherd, James Hogg.

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Loremen S7Ep13 - The Guildford Ghoul Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

From an ABC to a haunted Zoologist, James presents another entry in the consistently and succinctly named series "Bits of Folklore From Near Where Alasdair is Going On Tour". James tells of an Aldershot wildcat, a ghost in Guildford and gives a frighteningly accurate explanation of infra-sound. (EDITED because James should've done more research on William Cobbett).

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Laurence Hisee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Loremen S7Ep12 - Byron's Ghosts Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

The Loremen were LIVE in Leicester, with a bit of bloomin' Byron. We took a squiz around Newstead Abbey, old Georgie's ancestral home. And James told the tale of one crafty Jack versus a witch. Thanks to all the lorefolk who came to the show!

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Loremen S7Ep11 - James Hind, Highwayman Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

It's the big three-oh-OH! Yes, the Loreboys have turned in a triple century of episodes (depending on how you do the sums).

To celebrate, James returns to his home town with a tale of a "hero of the road". The highwayman James Hind robbed from the rich and gave, mostly, to himself, but sometimes a little bit to the poor. The poor being the people he had just relieved of their money, more often than not. Look, he's a complex character / criminal.

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