Ruth is Stranger Than Fiction

Ruth McPhee
  • 4.8 (18)
  • HISTORY
Ruth is Stranger Than Fiction

Historical tales of mystery and horror from the East of England, accompanied by copious amounts of booze and silly chat.

  1. Episode 44 - Leprosy!

    16 OCT

    Episode 44 - Leprosy!

    It’s time for the next disease: get ready to reabsorb your extremities and fit yourself with a set of jingling bells as we discuss the scourge of the Middle Ages. It’s leprosy! As it turns out, various versions of Robin Hood on TV and film are not a reliable source of information about this unpleasant illness. Amongst the hooded man talk, we also find time to discuss the Cambridge Leper Chapel and the origins of Stourbridge Fair.

    54 min

  2. 12 SEPT

    Episode 43 - Marsh Fever!

    Let the autumn of disease begin! For the next few episodes, we’ll be exploring some of the sicknesses and ailments of old Cambridgeshire and East Anglia. We begin with marsh fever, aka the ague, aka the Bailiff of the Marshes, a disease that for many years was endemic across the fen regions. Come with us now and venture into the marsh miasmas and the peaty pools to hear all about the symptoms, treatments, and causes of this unfortunate malady.

    58 min
  3. Episode 42 - The Overbury Affair

    25 JUL

    Episode 42 - The Overbury Affair

    Step this way for part two of the Overbury Affair. Things are really hotting up now! All the pieces begin to move into place for the scandal of the century. Public accusations of impotence? Check. A suspicious death in the Tower of London? By all means. Great spiders? Yes! And finally, let’s all cheers with a bacon based drink.

    53 min
  4. Episode 41 - The Overbury Affair - Part 1

    29 JUN

    Episode 41 - The Overbury Affair - Part 1

    The Overbury Affair has been described as one of the greatest court scandals of the Jacobean era: a web of intrigue and deception that captivated the nation. Even King James himself was implicated! But before we get to the details of the Affair itself, we must first hear about our cast of characters. This includes poet and statesman Sir Thomas Overbury, handsome favourite of the king Robert Carr, and Anne Turner, daughter of Cambridgeshire and purveyor of fashionable yellow ruffs. We drink ‘The Raven’ (very blue) and a most delicious saffron martini!

    45 min
  5. Mini Stranger #23 - The Great Blow

    17 MAY

    Mini Stranger #23 - The Great Blow

    The Great Blow - one of the most spectacular disasters that Norfolk has ever seen! Join us to hear about the events that precipitated this violent catastrophe, including a fateful meeting in a pub, an angry Royalist mob, and some careless use of weaponry. Plus, we finally answer the question that has been troubling everyone (yes, everyone) for centuries - did Oliver Cromwell really cancel Christmas?

    37 min
  6. Episode 40 - Howard Carter Part 2

    3 APR

    Episode 40 - Howard Carter Part 2

    It’s time to finish the story of Howard Carter. When we left him at the end of Part 1, Carter had just made the acquaintance of the Earl of Carnarvon: a fateful meeting that was to lead to one of the most astonishing archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. In Part 2, we hear about the unearthing of the final great tomb of the Valley of the Kings, drink a future explorer’s drink, and discuss the question of the curse of the pharaohs.

    37 min
  7. Episode 39 - Howard Carter Part 1

    9 MAR

    Episode 39 - Howard Carter Part 1

    We’re back! This episode begins the story of the most famous Egyptologist there has ever been. His name? Of course it’s Mr Howard Carter, the discoverer of the glorious tomb of Ancient pharaoh Tutankhamun. In part one we cover his childhood and early career. How did this son of an artist from Swaffham, Norfolk, end up in the necropolises of Egypt? Along the way we hear about the lost treasures of Didlington Hall, Egyptomania, and the rather suspect phenomenon of mummy unwrapping parties.

    37 min
  8. 4th Advent Sunday - The Ghosts of Moco

    24/12/2023

    4th Advent Sunday - The Ghosts of Moco

    It’s Christmas Eve and time for the last advent episode - a spooky tale of a remote and isolated farmstead with a murky past. Happy Christmas to all our listeners, see you in 2024!

    28 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

Historical tales of mystery and horror from the East of England, accompanied by copious amounts of booze and silly chat.

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