• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Uncanny (BBC Programme / Podcast)

MorningAngel said:
Oh you guys are much more level headed than your neighbours. The reason I mention the USA is because they often come in and take over (generally very loudly) and they are so massive their stories would swamp ours.

I often go on about the Credible Witness books with police having paranormal encounters. I accidentally got the American equivalent first. Big mistake, over reactions everywhere and trying to shoot ghosts!
Click to expand...
Since it would be a UK production (they are only asking people for stories) I don't see this happening. I do like the research that Uncanny does on some of the stories.
 
Maybe a select choice of non-UK ghost stories would be interesting. This article discusses the endurance of belief in ghosts:

'Belief in ghosts takes an ambiguous form in contemporary urban China. Though not everyone admits to believing in them, almost everyone I spent time with during decades of ethnographic research in Nanjing, Shanghai, Jinan and Hong Kong has acted in ways that implied that ghosts exist. These people took special precautions when visiting cemeteries and funeral homes; they indicated that abandoned buildings felt haunted; they avoided talking about or having any association with death, including not renting or purchasing apartments that might be, in their words, “haunted”.'

The ghosts haunting China’s cities
In the official telling, fears of malevolent spirits are a vestige of old, unenlightened village ways. But today urban China is rife with superstition about death. Why?:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...inas-cities-death-dying-funerals-superstition
 
Tempest63 said:
Bugger that, screaming septics with a blue rinse.
They will all have been abducted 27 times since Covid, the owls are watching them, they saw 40 ghosts from their cot at age 6 months but fought off several demons at the same time.
Click to expand...
Made me chuckle and true of certain sections of that society but in their defence it is also the land of Mothman, classic UFO cases, Bigfoot, Dogmen, Civil War ghosts, Jersey Devil, phantom hitchhikers, ghost lights etc etc.
 
In reference to the 'Ghosts haunting China’s cities' article I posted, but also generally: why is it that people fear the return of the dead (in ghost-form or other)? And does that fear perhaps say more about the living than the deceased? I thinking particularly of ghosts that 'we' have little reason to fear (beloved family members, for example, or the ghosts of people who were generally harmless while living).

I'm sure there are well-researched reasons for this age-old fear - most of which have escaped me - but, even so, it seems a particularly strange and universal terror, even allowing for the dead being a reminder that we are all mortal. In passing: Professor Julian Jaynes claimed that the ancients heard the voices of the dead long after they expired; if true, I guess that could be a factor?
 
Steven said:
In reference to the 'Ghosts haunting China’s cities' article I posted, but also generally: why is it that people fear the return of the dead (in ghost-form or other)? And does that fear perhaps say more about the living than the deceased? I thinking particularly of ghosts that 'we' have little reason to fear (beloved family members, for example, or the ghosts of people who were generally harmless while living).

I'm sure there are well-researched reasons for this age-old fear - most of which have escaped me - but, even so, it seems a particularly strange and universal terror, even allowing for the dead being a reminder that we are all mortal. In passing: Professor Julian Jaynes claimed that the ancients heard the voices of the dead long after they expired; if true, I guess that could be a factor?
Click to expand...
However, traditional societies have a more intimate relationship with their deceased ancestors, any fear was/is directed towards hostile enemy spirits.
 
Paul_Exeter said:
Danny could look into the ghost of the Japanese tsunami:

"Disquieting figures drenched in water were also seen hailing cabs, only to disappear once they climbed into the back seat. And these weren’t one-off sightings — residents all across the hardest-hit cities were reporting such apparitions."

https://allthatsinteresting.com/tsunami-spirits
Click to expand...

That's awful, for the spirits and for those left behind still dealing with it.

edit: A very compelling read!
 
Paul_Exeter said:
Danny could look into the ghost of the Japanese tsunami:

"Disquieting figures drenched in water were also seen hailing cabs, only to disappear once they climbed into the back seat. And these weren’t one-off sightings — residents all across the hardest-hit cities were reporting such apparitions."

https://allthatsinteresting.com/tsunami-spirits
Click to expand...

It's tremendously sad but I find the tsunami ghost stories fascinating. Especially the interaction with cultural attitudes and local folklore when compared to other countries where large traumatic events have taken place. I feel that looking at these events more closely could be quite revealing when trying to understand ghostly phenomena.

There was an episode on Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix) about it, and I listened to a programme on BBC Sounds about it too.
 
On the 'Into the Uncanny' book thread I highlighted an issue with the lack of records for a claimed archeological dig:

"I have one issue with this otherwise excellent book. Those of you that have read it will know about Gordon the archaeologist, the trench they dug and the items found. Danny is somewhat vague about the identity of Gordon and the age of the cup, candle-holder etc that they recovered. I have found who I believe the archaeologist to be and he has enjoyed a prestigious career (it is a good fit of name + location). However, I have methodically searched the archaeological records for this particular dig and I can't find it. This is surprising as archeologists are duty-bound to report any finds and the records are kept by the local authority. Thus, I can't envisage any situation whereby this dig and its finds would not be recorded.

However, at around the time of these goings-on there were trenches dug along the route of the planned bypass and some interesting finds dating back to the Romans and before. The book mentions the now-opened bypass in connection with the property, so it possible that there is some confusion over the purpose of Gordon and the team's visit to this location? They seemed to arrive quickly on the scene, so perhaps they were already in the immediate area?

Even if this were the case, the actual finds that Danny reports (cup, candle-holder, flagstones) are not listed in the bypass trenches, so is anyone on these forums local to the Averham area? It would be good to clear up this shadow of doubt over an otherwise excellent case."

https://forums.forteana.org/index.p...-by-danny-robins-spoilers.70817/#post-2317428

I am still looking into this glitch in an otherwise intriguing and compelling tale of ghostly Civil War calvary and soldiers.

I mention this as I have a slight issue with e Christmas Special of 'Uncanny' the podcast. Daisy states she moved into her big new house as her marriage was in difficulties and her second child was born. This would put the time at around 2020* . After ghostly goings-on Daisy then calls in the medium who, amongst other claims, states there is the ghost of a Cavalier who doffs his hat to anyone who enters the room. Yet in the 2018 episode of 'This Country' titled 'Steam Fair' co-written by Daisy with her brother, elderly resident Len claims there is the ghost of a Cavalier in his home who doffs his hat at him. This script was probably written before 2018 but regardless it predates Daisy moving into her new house.

Seems a massive coincidence that Daisy would write about the ghostly Cavalier who doffs his hat in 2018 or earlier and then in 2020 have a medium claim there is the ghost of a Cavalier who doffs his hat in her new house...?

*various sources such as https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/20/arts/television/daisy-may-cooper-am-i-being-unreasonable.html
 
Last edited:
Paul_Exeter said:
he book mentions the now-opened bypass in connection with the property, so it possible that there is some confusion over the purpose of Gordon and the team's visit to this location? They seemed to arrive quickly on the scene, so perhaps they were already in the immediate area?
Click to expand...

watching brief?
 
Frideswide said:
watching brief?
Click to expand...
Good shout.

I am not suggesting the whole thing is a hoax on Danny's part, but rather he is reliant on witnesses' recollections and these are fallible. There should definitely be a record of the dig, in fact the students involved will have probably included it in their dissertations and perhaps even PhDs. Perhaps the medium was keen to ingratiate themselves with Daisy and had previously watched 'This Country'? But it is important too lag up these inconsistencies lest we be accused of simply believing everything put in front of us.
 
Paul_Exeter said:
I have found who I believe the archaeologist to be and he has enjoyed a prestigious career (it is a good fit of name + location). However, I have methodically searched the archaeological records for this particular dig and I can't find it.
Click to expand...
Can I just check if it was also a good fit with his actual expertise? After all, if he is a Beaker People person then he may not have been put on an English Civil War dig, even if he was in the area. @Frideswide will be able to say if I am wrong about this assumption!
 
Min Bannister said:
Can I just check if it was also a good fit with his actual expertise? After all, if he is a Beaker People person then he may not have been put on an English Civil War dig, even if he was in the area. @Frideswide will be able to say if I am wrong about this assumption!
Click to expand...

Usually yes, romanists do roman, prehistorians do prehistoric... although there is a huge common core of skills and knowledge.

For a watching brief though, you don't know what is going to come up. Most of us can deal with most things. If something like a Sutton Hoo or a Skara Brae or a Bordesley Abby starts to fall out of the landscape then you hope you can get a specialist to do something detailed. Much of the time though you are working against the next pass of the drot and there simply isn't time to do that. :(

I've also just thought: if the report is for the developers then it may not be easily getatable ( @Steven another techinical term lolol)

@Paul_Exeter have you had a chance to check the Archaeological Data Service?

https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/
 
I'm assuming Wikipedia is correct:

"Cooper married her long-term partner, Will Weston, on 21 September 2019.[15] The couple have two children, daughter Pip (b. 2018) and son Jack Michael Weston (b. 2020), named in honour of her late friend and This Country co-star Michael Sleggs who died in 2019 from heart failure.[16] In July 2021, it was reported that Cooper had separated from her husband 10 months after the birth of their son."

Hmmm. That episode of "This country" was broadcast in April 2018. But if you factor in the writing process, casting and other preparation work, taping and post production and then waiting for it to be scheduled, then the script was probably written by the middle of 2017.
 
Frideswide said:
Usually yes, romanists do roman, prehistorians do prehistoric... although there is a huge common core of skills and knowledge.

For a watching brief though, you don't know what is going to come up. Most of us can deal with most things. If something like a Sutton Hoo or a Skara Brae or a Bordesley Abby starts to fall out of the landscape then you hope you can get a specialist to do something detailed. Much of the time though you are working against the next pass of the drot and there simply isn't time to do that. :(

I've also just thought: if the report is for the developers then it may not be easily getatable ( @Steven another techinical term lolol)

@Paul_Exeter have you had a chance to check the Archaeological Data Service?

https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/
Click to expand...
I searched the County records:

https://her.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/...4.1524603472.1705849222-2009960052.1705849222

There were a few results for Averham of "Sherds" from different time periods in connection with the relief road project. The dig in question took place after the householder contacted Newark Museum following his discovery of flagstones whilst digging in his garden that "appeared to be the same age as nearby Newark Castle."

I believe "Gordon" to be the late Gordon Young:

"The year 2019 marks 50 years since Nottingham City Council first employed a professional archaeologist. Back in 1969, when Charles SB Young became Field Archaeologist working within the museum service, the City Council began to undertake a number of ‘rescue excavations’ in the city centre, as well as monitoring ground works, in order to record evidence of medieval and post-medieval occupation in advance of major redevelopment schemes."

http://www.thorotonsociety.org.uk/publications/articles/nottinghamarchaeology.htm

and:

https://www.nottinghamcastleproject...astle-Transformation-Newsletter-July-2017.pdf


What is certain is that "Gordon" was an experienced archaeologist as he references previous digs.
 
Last edited:
DrPaulLee said:
A great find @Paul_Exeter
I don't know enough about the lady and her work, but is it possible she got confused and meant the birth of her *first* child, possibly pre-2018?
Click to expand...
Good shout, but that would have been before her success with 'This Country' and when she was living in a flat and working nights cleaning offices.
 
Paul_Exeter said:
I searched the County records:

https://her.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/...4.1524603472.1705849222-2009960052.1705849222

There were a few results for Averham of "Sherds" from different time periods in connection with the relief road project.

I believe "Gordon" to be the late Gordon Young:

"The year 2019 marks 50 years since Nottingham City Council first employed a professional archaeologist. Back in 1969, when Charles SB Young became Field Archaeologist working within the museum service, the City Council began to undertake a number of ‘rescue excavations’ in the city centre, as well as monitoring ground works, in order to record evidence of medieval and post-medieval occupation in advance of major redevelopment schemes."

http://www.thorotonsociety.org.uk/publications/articles/nottinghamarchaeology.htm

and:

https://www.nottinghamcastleproject...astle-Transformation-Newsletter-July-2017.pdf
Click to expand...
Paul, just do a bloody podcast dissecting this stuff, I have an urgent need to fill my days listening to your amazing research and debunking

Edit: Team up with Dr. Paul Lee!

Paul & Paul Presents The Practical Paranormal Podcast, debunking the paranormal for your pleasure....
 
TwoPauls.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top