Loremen Podcast
Join the Loremen (James Shakeshaft and Alasdair Beckett-King) as they "investigate" local legends and forgotten folklore.
Episodes
June 24, 2026 • 35 mins
The dead do not rest easy - not if they've been on the Buckfast, at least. Treat yourself to a buffet of British walking deads / shufflers / deadites / whatever you want to call 'em. From a finger-nibbling zombie in Buckfastleigh to a double-deadbeat husband in Buckinghamshire, this episode is a vintage Jimmy Shakes grab-bag.
It seems that what you do in life DOES continue in the afterlife. Especially if what you did was be chase...
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June 17, 2026 • 52 mins
Hey, Lorefolk! We have a bona fide dream-weaver for you this week! Comedian turned lucid dreamer, Dave Green joins the Loreboys to tell us about his nocturnal adventures.
Apologies for the background builder noise and mic issues this ep is beset by. Recording it was, ironically, a bit of a nightmare.
Buy Dave's new book! Doodles in the Dark: an artist's guide to lucid dreaming
And come see us in Oxford! July 1st 2026 (2...
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June 10, 2026 • 49 mins
Sweet acorns! No, that's not a cool new exclamation taking the world by storm. These sweet acorns lead a pair of half-sisters on an extraordinary adventure in the Kumamoto region of Japan. There's a talking statue of the Amitābha Buddha and a tragic ending.
The telling of the tale leads James to do one of the greatest chicken impressions ever committed to podcast. Plus, a series of demon voices that are as characterful as their ac...
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June 3, 2026 • 42 mins
BACK IN 2022... we recorded another ride-along. And this one is a real roller-coaster. (The emotional kind. We remained safely in the car throughout). The loreboys went to Leicester for an awards ceremony and (spoiler alert) came back empty-hearted. Still, we had plenty of fun on the road.
Content Warning: Attempted Northern Irish accents and River Tees-related misinformation. And there's a pun at the end that relies on you knowi...
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May 27, 2026 • 16 mins
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 ...
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May 20, 2026 • 56 mins
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...
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May 13, 2026 • 57 mins
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)
Edited by Laurence Hisee
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May 6, 2026 • 36 mins
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.
Come see us in Oxford on the 1st July 2026
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod...
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April 29, 2026 • 52 mins
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.
...
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April 22, 2026 • 46 mins
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...
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April 15, 2026 • 38 mins
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.
Come see us in Oxford on the 1st July 2026
Join t...
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April 9, 2026 • 39 mins
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 ...
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April 1, 2026 • 43 mins
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!
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
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March 25, 2026 • 53 mins
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 charac...
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March 18, 2026 • 36 mins
Old York, Old York... The city so York they named it York.
James has been visiting the ancient walled city, but he's here to tell Alasdair about visitations of a very different kind. The city centre is home to York Minster, as well as the ghosts of a keen Dean, a smug mason, a nuddy arsonist and a latchkey kid with awful vibes.
Fans of the city in the vale may want to check out our previous York episode, with guest shenanigans fr...
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March 11, 2026 • 27 mins
No, not THAT Barnard Castle. This is Barnard Castle the castle not Barnard Castle the town. And neither have got anything to do with eye tests, ok?
There's another funny little man that puts this town/castle on the map and James tells Alasdair all about him. Plus, one freaky ghost from Glowrowram.
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Shorts edited by Laurence Hisee
Join the LoreFolk at ...
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March 4, 2026 • 40 mins
England is notorious for its bad weather but at least an Englishman can shelter from the rain in his home/castle. Except in North Aston, where an unlucky bunch of Englishmen and Englishwomen (and one Englishdog) got caught in a shower indoors. And it was a shower of rocks! (Twist!)
Taken from actual friend of the show Mike White's The Ox-Files.
See Alasdair On Tour in 2026!
Edited by Laurence Hisee...
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February 25, 2026 • 39 mins
A new contender for Rudest Place Name has entered the ring! (Don't get your tonsure in a twist, Upper Dicker is actually very polite). James provides a run-down of Michelham Priory's top monks*. Plus, a couple of mysterious spectres and a jug you do NOT want to drink from.
*"Mooooonks!" - Alasdair Beckett-King.
See Alasdair On Tour!
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod...
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February 18, 2026 • 42 mins
James takes Alasdair round the manor house of Chilham Castle, in Kent. Featuring some vintage names, a panoply of ghosts and some classic Shakeshaft misunderstandings.
You want skeletons? We got skeletons mate, don't you worry! In manacles? Of course in manacles.
See Alasdair On Tour!
Join the LoreFolk at patreon.com/loremenpod
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February 11, 2026 • 51 mins
Roses are red,
Daffodils are jollier,
It's Valentine's time,
So we're joined by Jenny Collier!
Jenny returns to the pod having just moved house, so James pulls out a classic Shakeshaft grab-bag. Prepare yourself for some romantic Welsh tales! Or, at least some Welsh tales with a tenuous link to romance.
And please, can no one ever mention the welly incident again?
Follow Jenny's house-moving saga on her new Substack blog
...
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