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Tales of Geek, Music, Media, Urban Myths, Folklore & the Weird by Charles Christian
​includes Weird Tales Radio Show podcast

Latest Weird Tales Radio Show podcast out now: Valentines from Bygone Times

14/2/2019

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In Episode 51 of the Weird Tales Radio Show podcast (available on iTunes, Spotify, Acast etc) Janie explores saucy (and in some instances just plain weird) St Valentine rhymes from olden times. We also have a roundup of paranormal news in brief. And we explore the legend that is Pablo Fanque - a 19th century circus superstar and inspiration to The Beatles.
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Latest Insider Skinny: Ancient Astronauts & Red Planet setbacks

12/2/2019

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Three stories for you today: the first is a link to a fascinating article by Tobias Churton on the Ancient Origins website on why we were obsessed with theories about Ancient Astronauts in the Swinging Sixties.

Next up... it's the end of the Mars One project to create a reality TV show about sending a colony to live (and die) on Mars, via The Register.

​And, finally, we have a short NASA video about a newly discovered meteor impact crate in Greenland.

Ancient Civilizations and the Sixties: The Obsession with Ancient Astronauts

Amid numerous secular apocalypses of the Sixties, we cannot ignore the remarkable impact of Erich von Däniken's book (the question-mark is, note, frequently omitted). Published in 1968, Chariots of the Gods? explored the idea that alien beings visited Earth in the distant past and stimulated ancient civilizations with knowledge of interstellar travel and technical feats now familiar to viewers of the Sixties Space Race and Star Trek .

From Red Planet to deep into the red: Suicidal extrovert magnet Mars One finally implodes

The group trying to crowdfund a plan to colonization of Mars that was declared suicidal has shuttered its shop front. The Mars One project envisaged landing on Mars by 2023: it hoped to shuttle cargo over to the dust world first, followed by members of the public who had submitted successful applications for the one-way trip.

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The Weird Tales Radio Show now also available on the acast podcast platform

11/2/2019

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It's an increasingly popular podcast platform, so we've made it available to you. You can find it here...
​https://play.acast.com/s/weird-tales-radio-show
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New praise for the Weird Tales Radio Show...

9/2/2019

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A fabulously atmospheric and over-flowing with esoteric info-show. Hugely recommended ...award winning director, writer & producer Jason Figgis
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If you can't get enough of the Weird Tales Radio Show, here's the latest one-hour fortnightly edition

8/2/2019

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Headless Ghosts & Saxon Sirens: latest Weird Tales Radio Show podcast out now

7/2/2019

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In Episode 50 of the Weird Tales Radio Show podcast (available on iTunes etc) we have not one but two headless hauntings and ask: why did these ghosts lose their heads? Plus we look at the folklore surrounding the English tradition of wassailing - is it really all about cider and Saxon sirens? And in our Practical Magick slot we have a #101 on all you ever need to know about graveyard dirt.
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New Weird Tales Radio Show airs on Paranormal Radio tonight - at 9pm

6/2/2019

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This is the one-hour-long, fortnightly version of the show – only on the Paranormal UK Radio Network (and then on PodBean) ​https://www.paukradio.com/
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Down in the Recording Studio at Midnight & some vintage Lindisfarne

4/2/2019

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Going to be busy over the next couple of days recording the upcoming editions of the Weird Tales Radio Show for podcast and streaming on the Paranormal UK Radio Network so here's a bit of vintage Lindisfarne with their 1972 classic Lady Eleanor. The video clip is from the 1964 Michael Winner movie The System starring Oliver Reed and Jane Merrow.
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The Future is so Bright - it's turning Orange!

1/2/2019

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Don't panic – there's a lot of orange starting to appear here – we're just doing a little spring cleaning on the website. Have a great weekend and to see you on your way, here's Ozzy Osbourne (currently unwell, get well soon) in 1981 with a live version of Mister Crowley.
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Things to do in Norwich on a wet afternoon - go down into the bowels of history

31/1/2019

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Team Christian (myself and Janie) recently went on a "Hidden History of Norwich" (UK) tour at the KindaKafe on Castle Meadow. (Note the "castle" bit, we'll come back to that.) The story starts with the Missing Kind charity taking over the old Ponds shoe-fitters shop (Ponds had been there since the 19th century – Norwich ised to have a major shoe manufacturing industry) and while clearing out decades of junk from an old storeroom, they discovered a doorway leading downstairs to another old storeroom filled with junk.

Guess what, when that was cleared away, they found another doorway leading even further down into the ground to another old storeroom and what appeared to be a row of old shops and an undercroft. Historians and archaeologists were called in and they dated the timbers of a building at the lower level to circa 1600.

What had happened? Basically early Norwich was a walled city and as the population grew, the only option was to build up and over existing properties. In addition, when the medieval castle, built on a mound and surrounded by a deep ditch and meadows, ceased to have any military significance, the local residents started encroaching on that as well – and so the property line started to extend in front of earlier properties and the street level also increased as the ditch filled. Which explains why the Ponds site appears to contain abandoned buildings that are now about 20 feet below the modern street level.

Anyway, if you are ever in Norwich, do take one of these tours. Totally fascinating and the guide is an excellent (and professional) storyteller who knows how to tell a good tale without being corny. The tour (lasts about an hour – no wheelchair access, wear sensible shoes as you'll be climbing down tight wooden staircases) helps support a charity and you get a free hot drink in the cafe – which also does a nice line in cakes and light meals. (Mmm... cake.) HOWEVER you do need to book in advance – and wrap up well, it was surprisingly cold down there.

One a more gruesome note, the city used to execute its criminals in the castle ditch while the county, which took over the castle keep as a prison, used to execute its criminals on the top of the castle hill. As our guide said, if you'd lived in these old properties "you'd have a great few of the gibbets". For tour times and tickets call 01603 850309 or visit https://www.missingkind.org
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    This is Urban Fantasist

    Barrister and Reuters correspondent turned writer, award-winning tech journalist, radio presenter, podcaster, blogger, storyteller, and sometime werewolf-hunter Charles Christian is here to inform and entertain you with tales of writing, radio, geek, tech, media, music, urban myths, folklore, the weird​ and anything else that intrigues him. The site also has links to all Charles Christian's books including fiction, nonfiction, and the latest reviews. Plus links to his weekly Weird Tales and Smart Radio shows.

    The Latest Podcast

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    In Episode 51 of the Weird Tales Radio Show podcast Janie explores saucy (and in some instances just plain weird) St Valentine rhymes from olden times. We also have a roundup of paranormal news in brief. And we explore the legend that is Pablo Fanque - a 19th century circus superstar and inspiration to The Beatles.

    ​Follow this link to access episodes of the Weird Tales Radio Show podcast. The page contains links to all our other podcast platforms. Click the player button below to hear latest show.
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    Hear Charles Christian on Smart Radio 
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Tel: 44(0)1986 788666
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  • Home
  • Weird Tales Radio
  • Charles Christian Bio
  • Charles Christian Books & Reviews
  • * Fiction
  • * Non Fiction
  • * Poetry
  • The Grievous Angel