Lights On Still Scared

Karen Swanston & Graeme Milne
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  Paranormal stories, folklore & real-life encounters. Hosted by psychic medium Karen Swanston and paranormal investigator & author Graeme Milne.  

  1. 6d ago

    Episode 20 Ghost Pets Part 1

    If you’ve ever wondered whether pets can leave a sign after they’re gone, this conversation explores some of the strangest and most comforting ghost pet stories people have shared. From a grieving dog owner seeing a possible visitation to animal encounters that seem to cross the line between memory and haunting, it’s a spooky-but-sweet look at how deeply we bond with the animals in our lives. Graeme Milne and Karen Swanston share personal stories and reported paranormal encounters involving dogs, budgies, squirrels, and even an invisible creature in the Scottish Highlands. Along the way, they dig into the idea that animals may appear after death to reassure their people, often looking healthy, peaceful, or somehow “returned” to their best selves. The episode also touches on grief, guilt, and the strange ways people interpret unexplained experiences when they’re missing a beloved pet. If you enjoy haunted animals, paranormal folklore, or personal ghost stories with a human heart, this one delivers plenty to think about. Key Topics[00:00:04] - Introduction to ghostly pets and haunted animals[00:01:24] - The story of Sadie, a much-loved cocker spaniel[00:02:20] - The porch conversation and the possible sign from Sadie[00:04:33] - Graeme’s personal story about Tertia and a possible visit[00:05:48] - A family account from Bodham involving strange animal footprints and attic noises[00:11:25] - Karen’s childhood budgie Jimmy and the uncanny cuckoo clock moment[00:16:58] - The phantom collie stories from Dumfriesshire[00:19:49] - The squirrel story: Squiggy, the rainbow bridge, and a memorial figurine[00:22:56] - The idea of spirits appearing without ailments or physical limitations[00:24:23] - An invisible creature in Rothiemurchus Forest and the Big Grey Man folklore[00:28:05] - Closing reflections and goodbye Relevant LinksRainbow Bridge concept: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Bridge_(pets) The Big Grey Man of Ben Macdui: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Grey_Man_of_Ben_Macdui Rothiemurchus Forest: https://www.rothiemurchus.net/ Cairngorms National Park: https://cairngorms.co.uk/ These stories range from tender to eerie, but they all circle back to the same idea: animals can leave a lasting imprint that doesn’t always feel finished when they’re gone. Whether you see these moments as coincidence, comfort, or something beyond explanation, the episode offers a thoughtful reminder of how powerful our connections with pets can be. Sometimes the most unforgettable signs are the ones that arrive quietly.

    Episode 20 Ghost Pets Part 1

  2. 6d ago

    Episode 19 Ghostly Hitchhikers Part 2

    Haunted hitchhiking stories take center stage in this eerie conversation, from faceless roadside apparitions to ghostly passengers who vanish from moving cars. If you’re drawn to phantom hitchhiker legends, roadside hauntings, and true ghost accounts with a local-history twist, this episode delivers plenty to keep you looking over your shoulder. Graeme Milne and Karen Swanston revisit a mix of Scottish and English supernatural encounters, including the White Wife of Unst, the Gray Lady of Kinghorn, and a well-documented Bedfordshire sighting that made it into the newspapers. Along the way, they compare older folklore with contemporary witness reports, asking what happens when a story is repeated, recorded, and passed on through generations. There’s also a fascinating detour into cinema, with a look at Return to Glennascaul, Orson Welles’ atmospheric short film inspired by ghostly road encounters. It’s a fitting companion piece to the real-life tales discussed here, and a great pick if you enjoy your hauntings with a side of classic black-and-white mystery. Key Topics[00:00:04] - Opening chat and introduction to more haunted hitchhiking stories[00:01:28] - The faceless woman of Caterham Bypass, Surrey[00:03:31] - The White Wife of Unst, Shetland: origins, sightings, and family second sight[00:06:54] - A late-night encounter beside the loch and the “White Wife” legend in local reports[00:08:16] - Three witnesses on Unst and the figure on the dark country road[00:10:05] - Lincolnshire, 1918: the mysterious passenger and the drowned man[00:12:16] - Orson Welles and Return to Glennascaul[00:16:00] - Roy Fulton’s 1979 Bedfordshire phantom hitchhiker encounter[00:19:43] - The Gray Lady of Kinghorn, Fife: bus stops, buses, and hotel hauntings[00:26:06] - Closing thoughts and sign-off Relevant LinksReturn to Glennascaul (full film): https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Return+to+Glenascaul+Orson+Welles Orson Welles biography: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Orson-Welles Arthur C. Clarke’s World of Strange Powers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke%27s_World_of_Strange_Powers Phantom hitchhiker folklore overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_hitchhiker Unst, Shetland: https://www.visit-shetland.com/places/unst Kinghorn, Fife: https://www.visitfife.com/destinations/kinghorn/ This episode is a reminder that some of the best ghost stories begin on empty roads, after dark, with only a passing stranger for company. Whether you prefer folk legend, newspaper accounts, or cinematic hauntings, these stories blur the line between folklore and lived experience in a deeply unsettling way. Keep the lights on for the next one.

    Episode 19 Ghostly Hitchhikers Part 2

  3. Sep 15

    Episode 18 Ghostly Hitchhikers Part 1

    Haunted hitchhikers have a way of turning an ordinary drive into something unforgettable. In this episode, Graeme Milne and Karen Swanston share a series of eerie roadside encounters, from phantom women and vanished passengers to stories that seem to repeat across different places and decades. The conversation moves through classic ghost-lift folklore and regional legends, exploring why these stories persist, how they change in the retelling, and what makes them so unsettling: the wrongness of a stranger at the roadside, the cold in the car, the impossible disappearance, and the feeling that some roads never quite let go of the dead. Along the way, they cover well-known accounts from Lincolnshire, Edinburgh, the Wirral, Peterhead, Somerset, and beyond, including a memorable story associated with Telly Savalas that blends celebrity, coincidence, and paranormal folklore into one of the most striking hitchhiker tales. Key Topics[00:01:15] - The Metheringham Lass: RAF Metheringham, the roadside apparition, and the legend’s chilling variations[00:03:22] - The backstory of Katherine Bystock and the idea of a crisis apparition[00:04:32] - The Edinburgh fireman’s story: a midnight pickup, strange conversation, and the childproof locks mystery[00:08:17] - The White Lady of Dibbinsdale Bridge: nun, monk, drowning legend, and multiple ghostly forms[00:11:20] - The alternate Dibbinsdale tale and the elderly cyclist who vanishes on the bridge[00:12:39] - The Peterhead hitchhiker story and the jacket left at the graveside[00:17:20] - Harry Unsworth and the A38 in Somerset: repeated encounters with the same hitchhiker[00:21:18] - Telly Savalas and the ghost hitchhiker in New Jersey[00:27:37] - The second encounter and the eerie connection to JFK’s assassination[00:28:45] - Closing thoughts and sign-off Relevant LinksRAF Metheringham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Metheringham Dibbinsdale Nature Reserve / area context: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dibbinsdale Peterhead: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterhead A38 road: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A38_road Telly Savalas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telly_Savalas Ghost stories and folklore archive (general reference): https://www.sacred-texts.com/fort/ YouTube search for the Telly Savalas hitchhiking story: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Telly+Savalas+hitchhiking+ghost+story What makes these stories endure is their familiarity: a lonely road, a stranger in distress, and a moment that turns impossible. Whether told as local legend, personal testimony, or folklore handed down over time, the haunted hitchhiker remains one of the most compelling ghost stories because it feels just close enough to be true. If you’ve ever driven a quiet road late at night, this episode may make you look twice at the shoulder — and wonder who, exactly, might still be waiting there.

    Episode 18 Ghostly Hitchhikers Part 1

  4. Sep 8

    Episode 17 Haunted Transport Part 2

    Haunted ships, eerie premonitions, and legendary transport disasters collide in this spooky conversation about why certain vehicles seem to carry a shadow with them. From the Titanic to a cursed-looking Porsche, the stories here explore the thin line between coincidence, intuition, and something far harder to explain. Karen Swanston and Graham Milne dig into real-world maritime tragedy, reported hauntings, and infamous warnings that seemed to come true. Along the way, they ask the bigger question: are these just strange accidents and hindsight, or do some places and objects hold onto fear in ways we can still feel? There’s also a chilling Scottish tale involving a stranded yacht and a spectral sailor, plus a powerful retelling of the Tay Bridge disaster and the eerie stories that grew around it. If you’re drawn to paranormal history, ghostly transport lore, and unexplained warnings, this one is packed with it. Key Topics[00:00:00] - Introduction to haunted transport stories and the Titanic[00:01:09] - Titanic’s maiden voyage, collision, and sinking timeline[00:02:35] - Ice warnings, wireless messages, and safety decisions[00:04:26] - Ship design, flooding, and why the Titanic may have failed so quickly[00:05:09] - Morgan Robertson’s Futility and eerie premonitions in fiction[00:06:23] - Dreams, warnings, and passengers who sensed disaster before sailing[00:07:35] - Titanic hauntings, museum reports, and paranormal claims tied to relics[00:08:56] - The Silver Cloud incident off Fraserburgh and the young sailor apparition[00:11:30] - The spirit’s warning and the connection to the Lancastria disaster[00:13:51] - James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder and the “Little Bastard” legend[00:16:20] - Alec Guinness’s warning and the fatal crash that followed[00:19:19] - Rumors of curses around the wreck, parts, and later accidents[00:22:11] - The Tay Bridge disaster and the man who avoided the doomed train[00:26:59] - Later sightings of a phantom train near the Tay Bridge line[00:28:53] - The story’s literary retelling and closing thoughts Relevant Links ListTitanic history overview: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Titanic-ship Titanic Belfast museum: https://titanicbelfast.com/ RMS Titanic Inc. / Titanic artifacts and recovery context: https://www.rmstitanicinc.com/ James Dean archive and biography: https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Dean Porsche 550 Spyder background: https://www.porsche.com/international/accessoriesandservice/classic/models/550-spyder/ Tay Bridge disaster overview: https://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst2099.html National Records of Scotland: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/ The Lancastria disaster history: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-lancastria-disaster Morgan Robertson’s Futility info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futility,_or_the_Wreck_of_the_Titan White Star Line history: https://www.white-star.co.uk/ The episode closes with a recurring theme throughout the discussion: some disasters seem to leave a story behind them that outlives the event itself. Whether you interpret these moments as warnings, psychic impressions, or coincidence, the emotional weight of each story is unmistakable. And if transport can carry more than people and cargo, maybe it can also carry memory.

    Episode 17 Haunted Transport Part 2

  5. Sep 1

    Episode 16 Haunted Transport Part 1

    Haunted transport gets unsettling fast when old race tracks, phantom cars, and ghost coaches seem to linger long after the roads have changed. In this episode, Graeme Milne and Karen Swanston dig into stories where motion, memory, and tragedy appear to leave something behind. They begin at Brooklands in Surrey, the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit and later a key site in British aviation history, before exploring the accidents, wartime damage, and ghostly reports tied to the track. From there, the conversation shifts to a former Inverness garage with multiple eyewitness accounts of strange vehicle activity and a mysterious figure in black. The episode then crosses the Atlantic to the legend of the Golden Eagle, a supposedly haunted 1964 Dodge that reacts badly to disrespect and may have a very dark history. The discussion closes in Caithness, where a phantom coach is said to appear as an omen — sometimes with life-saving timing. Key Topics[00:00:00] - Welcome and introduction from Graeme Milne and Karen Swanston[00:01:35] - Brooklands: Britain’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit[00:03:30] - Brooklands’ aviation history and wartime bombing[00:06:20] - Fatal crashes, racing danger, and the Lambert record attempt[00:10:05] - Phantom racing cars, spectral drivers, and haunted houses at Brooklands[00:14:00] - Inverness garage stories: phantom cars, a dark figure, and a ghostly horse[00:19:00] - The Golden Eagle: a supposedly haunted Dodge in the United States[00:23:15] - Christine comparisons and cursed-car folklore[00:25:33] - Caithness phantom coach and the warning-at-the-cliff story[00:28:33] - Closing thoughts and sign-off Relevant LinksBrooklands Museum: https://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/Brooklands history overview: https://www.britannica.com/place/BrooklandsTimespan Museum (Helmsdale): https://www.timespan.org.uk/Christine (film reference): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085333/Stephen King’s Christine: https://stephenking.com/works/novel/christine.html Haunted transport stories often blur the line between folklore and memory, especially when places have seen real danger, loss, and dramatic change. Whether these accounts are echoes of history or something harder to explain, they make a strong case for keeping the lights on and staying curious. Graeme and Karen’s conversation shows how local legends can grow around places where speed, machinery, and human risk were once part of everyday life. If you enjoy ghost stories rooted in real locations, this episode offers plenty to explore.

    Episode 16 Haunted Transport Part 1

  6. Aug 25

    Episode 15 Timeslips Part 2

    From time slips in the Scottish Highlands to eerie scenes in Tudor and medieval landmarks, this episode explores some of the strangest reports of people seemingly stepping into another era. The stories move through silent villages, battlefield visions, and sudden glimpses of everyday life from the past — all without warning, and often in broad daylight. Karen Swanston and Graham Meehan unpack a mix of witness accounts, historical context, and the lingering question at the heart of every story: were these shared hallucinations, misread surroundings, or genuine time slips? You’ll hear about reports from Kersey, Torry Battery, Provost Skene’s House, Hampton Court Palace, and more — with each account offering a different kind of unsettling detail, from muffled sound and missing modern features to crowds in old-fashioned dress and silent marching armies. Key Topics[00:01:01] - Frank Smythe’s 1941 time slip account from the Scottish Highlands[00:02:58] - The massacre vision near Loch Alsh and Glen Shiel[00:05:00] - Kersey, Suffolk: the village that seemed to exist in another century[00:06:06] - Royal Navy cadets and the silent, old-fashioned village atmosphere[00:09:55] - Torry Battery in Aberdeen and the silent crowd of soldiers, women, and children[00:13:27] - A recent roadside encounter with a possible Roman procession near Birmingham[00:19:19] - Provost Skene’s House and the painted gallery time slip[00:21:59] - Hampton Court Palace and repeated reports of Tudor-era activity[00:25:24] - Battle time slips, drumming, and silent armies in Aberdeenshire[00:29:41] - What’s coming next: haunted objects and future tours Relevant LinksHampton Court Palace: https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/ Provost Skene’s House: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/leisure-culture-and-parks/museums-and-galleries/provost-skenes-house Kersey, Suffolk: https://www.kerseyparish.gov.uk/ The Scotsman archive: https://www.scotsman.com/ Historic Environment Scotland: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/ These stories suggest that time slips, if real, may be far less dramatic than fantasy usually makes them seem. Instead of thunderclaps and special effects, the most unsettling accounts are often ordinary moments: a village street, a palace corridor, a road at night, or a battlefield seen in perfect silence. Whether you come for the history, the mystery, or the eerie atmosphere, this episode offers plenty to think about long after the lights go out.

    Episode 15 Timeslips Part 2

  7. Aug 18

    Episode 14 Timeslips Part 1

    Time slips, ghost roads, and wartime echoes take center stage in this eerie discussion of reported supernatural encounters across the UK. From Roman soldiers in York to phantom battlefields and vanishing roads, these stories explore what happens when the past seems to break through into the present. Graeme Milne and Karen Swanston compare some of the best-known time slip accounts, including firsthand witness testimony, historical context, and later research that appears to support parts of the sightings. The result is a mix of folklore, archaeology, and unresolved mystery that asks a simple question: are these places replaying history, or are people somehow stepping into it? Along the way, the episode looks at cases that have become famous among paranormal researchers and ghost-story readers alike, with particular attention to reported visual details, consistency of testimony, and how location history may fit the accounts.

    Episode 14 Timeslips Part 1

  8. Aug 18

    Episode 14 Timeslips Part 1

    Time slips, ghost roads, and wartime echoes take center stage in this eerie discussion of reported supernatural encounters across the UK. From Roman soldiers in York to phantom battlefields and vanishing roads, these stories explore what happens when the past seems to break through into the present. Graeme Milne and Karen Swanston compare some of the best-known time slip accounts, including firsthand witness testimony, historical context, and later research that appears to support parts of the sightings. The result is a mix of folklore, archaeology, and unresolved mystery that asks a simple question: are these places replaying history, or are people somehow stepping into it? Along the way, the episode looks at cases that have become famous among paranormal researchers and ghost-story readers alike, with particular attention to reported visual details, consistency of testimony, and how location history may fit the accounts. Key Topics[00:00:04] - Introduction to time slips and what they may be[00:01:49] - Treasures House in York and the Roman military context[00:03:06] - Harry Martindale’s 1953 Roman soldier encounter[00:07:51] - Discussion of the York case and possible historical explanations[00:08:50] - Dundee and the reported Dunnechtan battlefield time slip[00:13:49] - The A21 “ghost road” and phantom lane reports[00:17:37] - The A73 Kinmount Straight and multiple witness accounts[00:21:38] - The 1962 haunting near Dumfries and Annan[00:25:14] - Edgehill battlefield and echoes of the English Civil War[00:30:29] - A personal encounter in Old Aberdeen[00:31:21] - Closing thoughts and preview of Part 2 Relevant LinksNational Trust – Treasurer’s House, YorkSociety for Psychical ResearchYork MinsterEdge Hill BattlefieldA21 road informationThe Gazetteer of Scottish Ghosts These stories blur the line between witness testimony and historical replay, but they all share the same unsettling feeling: the past may be far closer than we think. Whether you see them as hauntings, time slips, or something else entirely, the accounts in this episode leave plenty to ponder. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for Part 2, where the conversation continues with more haunted locations and unexplained encounters.

    Episode 14 Timeslips Part 1
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About

  Paranormal stories, folklore & real-life encounters. Hosted by psychic medium Karen Swanston and paranormal investigator & author Graeme Milne.  

Information

  • Creator
    Karen Swanston & Graeme Milne
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026. Karen Swanston & Graeme Milne
  • Show Website
    Lights On Still Scared

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