August 10, 2025 • 43 mins
Karen and Matt check in from the UK! Karen is on tour promoting her new book Bitch: The Journey of a Word. (affiliate link)
Islands are engines of language diversity
Borley Rectory
Mentioned for future coverage (but touched on before):
The Black Monk of Pontefract
Episodes covering Enfield and Poltergeists
Boleskine House
Some Nessie & Scotland coverage
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
Some product links may be affiliated with Amazon revenue sharing.
Islands are engines of language diversity
Borley Rectory
Mentioned for future coverage (but touched on before):
The Black Monk of Pontefract
Episodes covering Enfield and Poltergeists
Boleskine House
Some Nessie & Scotland coverage
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
Some product links may be affiliated with Amazon revenue sharing.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Monster House Presents.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
It's actually quite unlike anything we've ever seen before.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
A giant, hairy creature party parts.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
In Luckness, a twenty four a mile long bottomless lake
in the Highlands of Scotland.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's a creature known as the Luckness Monster. Monster Talk.
(00:56):
Welcome to Monster Talk, the science show about monsters. I'm
Blake Smith.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
And I'm Karen Stolsner.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Hey, they're Monster Talkers. This week we're going to be
catching up with Karen and her husband Matt, who were
in the UK promoting Kiaren's latest book, Bitch, The Journey
of a Word. We're going to just hop right into
the chat, but I did want to say thanks on
behalf of both of our families, for all of our
new Patreon sign ups, for all the kind words that
have been sent, and for all the folks who have
reached out to ask for my resume or connect with
(01:24):
me on LinkedIn. I remain as always pathologically optimistic and
we hope to weather the coming challenges that are rolling
towards us. But your support makes so much of a
difference and helps us keep going in the face of adversity,
and for that we both thank you. Hang on type folks,
I know we're not alone, and I know you're not either,
and I have to quickly apologize for the muddy quality
(01:46):
of my audio. I keep forgetting that this new podcasting
rig has a separate OS control for the microphone that
I cannot see when we're recording. I will do my
best to make sure that saved in a better setting.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
More instrutal.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead record, there we go. Okay, Well,
I appreciate you guys making time for the show, because
I know you're having a really busy and hectic schedule
and you're not in Colorado. Where are you.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Well, we're in Liverpool, Liverpool, England.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
So that's exciting.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I'm just here for about one night. It's not my
first time, but it's first time for Matt and for
Blade as well, and so really cool. We got to
go to a couple of places this afternoon, Beatles related,
of course. We went to the Jacaranda, which is the
(02:42):
pub where they first played, not in their the format
that I think most fans would know they were. Their
drummer was Pete Best at the time, so it wasn't
Ringo Star, but they met Ringo. He was a drummer
with Rory in that Rory storm in the Hurricanes and
they met Ringo there and ended up getting rid of
(03:04):
peak Best and taking him on. But that is where
they got their start in Liverpool and their first manager
as well, so that that was cool for Beatless.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah, I know. That's I told Kathleen that you were
probably pretty chucked about being able to see these places.
That's that's really nifty, I I guess listeners. So I've mentioned,
I think last week, that you were going on a
promotional tour for your book, so we should mention that
since that's why you're there.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yes, yes, So it was one of the reasons that
that we came here. And so I went to Cambridge
University Press bookstore and I gave a reading of the
book and they had a little event there which was
a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
I got to old out.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
So that that went really well. And we also did
a talk for the Cambridge Skeptics and that was a
lot of fun and that was basically how not to
do a paranoral investigation. And we had an interloper in
the audience, so someone who I think thought that they
would find out about how to do a paranoral investigation properly,
(04:22):
but not from a skeptical perspective, and so we had
a bit of a heckler in the audience.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
She was Yeah, I don't know that she thought anything
other than she thought she was going to ambush us
and hit us with the hard questions that would make
us change our entire lives and approach a spoiler. It didn't.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Well, she really tried to dominate the Q and a
part of the event and was just saying, well, what's
the harm and so we're very well rehearsed in the
harm of anything pseudoscientific. We dealt her a blow somewhat.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Yeah, these things can be fine, but often are not harmless,
so that's worth mentioning for sure.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Oh yeah, I mean we kind of got into a
little bit into the territory of things like alternative medicine
and mediums and channelers pretending to contact the dead and
things like that, But certainly otherwise, we really had a
great time with Cambridge Skeptics. They're a fantastic group and
(05:32):
very very busy too. They seem to have a lot
of speakers come through, so anyone who's in the area
and can go along to their events should.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Nifty are they were there. Membership was the membership from
the university or just locals or kind of all over
the place.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
I think just locals. Yeah, and they've got a kind
of formal organization or anything. I think it's just a
group of people that like skepticism and beer.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
So they let's say, did they meet in a pub
like all skeptics.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
It definitely is skeptics in the pub type situation. Yeah, yeah, Alex.
But they go to a number of pubs there. But
they seem to be just very busy, very active, very active.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yeah, and the room was full. We did have a
packed house for that talk as well, so that was
pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Yeah, that's awesome. I've been sort of living vicariously through
your shared photos, so I know, like we've talked before
about sort of our bucket lists of things to do
should we make it to the UK, and I see
that you're k not getting a lot of them off.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Oh wow, certainly are. We really are, And that's why
we didn't want to, I think spoil everything and talk
about everything today because we have certainly too. We will
have to have I think a couple of episodes for sure.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah, we're gonna there's some definite deep dives of material
there and you're getting to, you know what, augment them
with your own personal experience, having walked around and visited them.
Now and I would say, the things that you did
in Scotland are of a special interest to me. I
don't want to spoil anything, So why don't you tell
(07:21):
me what you want to talk about or what you're
comfortable talking about right now?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
I'll tell you right off. One of the things that
I wanted to do that Karen was like nah about
was I wanted to see where the demons wanted to
impale ed Warren outside of the little house, in a
place called Enfield. Ah, And so we checked that out.
(07:48):
Now it was really cool because we booked our stay
in Enfield.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Yeah, at part of Enfield. Well, see when people come
to London, they don't normally go to Infield.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Huge destiny, I think.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Yeah, for those shocked me.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I didn't realize that.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
I thought it was wonderful. I mean, it's definitely lower
socio economic, but it was very multicultural, very multi lingual,
full of great hubs and markets and coffee shops. So
it was a very vibrant little part of town. And
I certainly enjoyed going there, but yeah, it's not typically
(08:28):
the kind of place people land at Heathrow. I mean,
that isn't Enfield, that is. I guess two. We was
problematic when we arrived at Heathrow. We went to pick
up our higher car and then discovered we'd been somewhat scammed.
A long, long story that we can go into at
(08:48):
some other point, but it proof that skeptics can be
scammed and you go cheap price with things.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
That we actually didn't get scammed because.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Well they they tried, they tried to and we're still
having to dispute some deposit with our bank.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
But that's a really good point though. I mean, I
think one of the ways that scammers get away with
it is people get super embarrassed when they get caught
in something and they don't want to admit it or
even sometimes even admitutes to themselves, which gets into that
whole cost fallacy, you know, so I figuring out you've
been tricked and that you can be tricked. I mean,
(09:27):
James Randy used to talk about it all the time
that everybody's easy to fool, right, yes, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
And to be able to say things like I don't know,
but in this case, I had to have a bit
of a going with a person that we dealt with.
But it really complicated things because then we needed to
find another car hire company because you certainly can't travel
from he Throw to Inverness on foot or train at
the last minute. So we had an alternative and it
(09:54):
really good put us in a tricky situation, but that.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Was the results what the scam was built around. Though.
It was built around the fact that you're now stranded
in this stranded in the city at the airport, and oh,
up charges you have to pay them because you're now stranded.
If you don't, Yeah, it really puts you in a
(10:19):
bad situation, and they try to make it seem like
it's even worse. Yep, But our willingness, moreover, Karen's willingness
to say, I would rather be stranded than deal with you, buddy, right.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
The precise word I used was I was jet.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Lagged something for the patrons, I.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Was jet lagged and greatly irritated. So I dealt with
it in that way, and then through the bank that night.
So yes, our first night Infield was just spent talking
with the Bank of America. But anyway, let's get back
to the lack of Poltageust.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Yeah, it was interesting because you were definitely possessed at
that moment, and when you said I'm not a heaven man.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I was.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Completely convinced that the Infield Poltergeist was with you.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Look, I think Matt was particularly fascinated by the Netflix
series that we saw and Blake. I don't know if
you've seen that yet, but it was on the Infield
Poldergeist and it was absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
It was or what's that Apple TV? Oh, I don't know.
I think it might have been I can't remember now,
but it was.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Regardless, it's a relatively new, uh Infield documentary.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
About a year old I think about.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Infield, particularly the warrants no.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
In Field in particular. It's a recreation, uh, you know,
of footage they didn't have. Included with footage, they did
have recording really well done, a lot of audio recordings,
so the actors had to lip sync to the actual
audio recordings and it was really good.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
But the miniseries twenty twenty three looks like it was
Apple TV.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
You're right, Apple TV, you were right, excellent, excellent, But
they interviewed Janet that was really interesting and quite a
few people, as we know, have passed now, but that
was really good. So Matt was very inspired by that,
I think. And so Infield was maybe about almost an
hour away from Heathrow and we finally made it out
(12:26):
there to Ponder's End and so we got a little
bit settled, had a coffee, and then just hiked right
on over to the house.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Now.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Well, one of the interesting things is the place that
we rented had almost i would say the same layout
as the Enfeld house, and so we really you know,
staying in a house that was kind of that same
format was really interesting, you know, to be in. And
we were just a few blocks away from the house itself,
(12:57):
so we got a really good view of just how
hard it would be to be in a house with
several kids running up and down that narrow stairway, and
how steep it was, and uh, just the the sheer
cabin fever and just being so in there so tightly.
It was just really overwhelming to realize that they were
(13:20):
living this way. And so we walked over and it
was just like this really nice path that you know,
with trees and everything, and and we walked through there
and we're thinking, wow, we're walking to a big scary house.
This seems odd, And then we get on the street
where it is and it is just a line of
(13:43):
identical houses Cookie Cutter, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Yeah, yeah, these are those council houses we've talked about.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, just duplexes all the way down. But there's one
house that stands out. It's all the rest are this
kind of rust color, and this one is ray and
the windows are boarded up and it just looks terrifying
and we walk up to it and it's not the
(14:10):
right house. It was six' six, seven the neighbor of
the Beast.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Green. Street.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Yeah, yeah it was literally right next door to the haunted.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
House AND i want to say too that we were
not the only ones that were. There there were other
couples and groups of. People AND i had it on
good authority too From, richard a step friend of the,
show that we should not approach the house because the
current owner does not like being. Approached he's very religious
(14:45):
and doesn't believe in any of the, stories any of
the alleged. Activity BUT i was, still i, think high
off the Car hire situation and ready to go up
and knock on the door and confront the. Owner and
just to ask him a couple of. Questions but, No
matt restrained. Me and so that didn't didn't happen, physically
(15:07):
but but there was certainly other people who were, there
and even as we were, leaving there were kids riding
their bikes past the place and, pointing and so it's
still an extra.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Terrifying right across the street was a primary.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
School primary, School, yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Right across the.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Street but, yeah it's it was. Interesting we just stood
there and kind of soaked it, in and we took
lots of photographs as. Well, uh and so we can
revisit this, TOPIC i think at some.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Point but no spike out front to impale At warren
like in The Conjuring, too wasn't. There doesn't look like
there was ever a.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Tree it must have made that part OF i.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Don't believe that for a. Second hollywood does not do.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
That so, yeah, yeah a little bit of, embellishment a
little bit of, embellishment a little. Bit, well AS i
always like to, SAY i think those are great horror.
Movies it's, like but the thing that shocks me that
as the most unrealistic is how saintly The warrens. Are,
yes the ghosts a little more plausible Than Saint wawren's.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Right, yes, yeah, absolutely, so, yeah we HAVE i guess
the first couple of days were really about, poulterageists so
not only the infield, poltageist but we made a trip
up To West yorkshire to on De. Fract we had
a short visit with the current. Owner so do you
(16:39):
Remember Bill. Bungay we spoke to sure.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Do, yeah a.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Year ago about Thirty East. Drive but we had a
very interesting conversation with the lady who lives next door
and she has been there, forever had thirteen, children ten that,
survived and she basically managed and runs the. Place they
had a group of ten people that were going to
(17:04):
be staying there that. Night god knows where they're going
to put them all where they put them all.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
In the control.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Room it Was, yeah they had a control room so
you could plug in all your.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
For all your gadgets when you're ghost. Turning, yeah okay.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Exactly but the house was in many ways the way
that it had been at the, time and lots of
photographs of people who had lived, there including the one
of the first people to live. There that's Why bill
he WAS i think In, france but he had come
back and met with us because he was attending the
(17:40):
funeral of the former.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Owner oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Everything.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Passes everybody passes this. Year, okay, yeah this.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Year but we certainly have really covered a lot of
ground since we've been.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Here, yeah it was fun to go through the whole.
House we were. Taught carol is the woman from next,
door and she is a. TREAT i can't express to
you how much of a treat this woman.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Is her very much of her, time she has.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Very much of her. Time her accent is, incredible and it's.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
REALLY i THINK i was the only one who could understand.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
What you really have to pay a lot of attention
to context to keep up with. Her but you, know
we did find OUT i don't know if you want
me to reveal this or, not but we did find
out that she does talk to the. Dead, yes and
she says people tell her She's Claire audience and she's, like,
(18:41):
no my name Is carol Ah.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Books sheer. Humor, yeah and she took a liking to.
Me so she said that there was a lot more
that she would be prepared to tell me that she
has not told other people. Anyone, yeah AND i thought
that that was very. Interesting so we're going to stay
in contact And i'll see we find out.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Other people that she shouldn't tell things. Too she will
see a red triangle over their head and.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Must have had a green. TRIANGLE i think you had a.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Halo a.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Halo that's so.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Nice it.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Was it was so. Nice but it was a lot
of fun because you, know they were you, Know blade,
SAID i have to go to the. Bathroom where's the?
Bathroom and they're, like, well there's there's one down, here
but if you're, brave there's one. Upstairs and it's it's,
terrifying you, know and they talk about, how you, know
(19:33):
people have been pushed down the stairs and all these
horrible things happen and their things are getting thrown at
them and knives and. Everything and then they're telling our
ten year old to go upstairs to the dangerous. Bathroom,
anyway you'd, like no, problem, Right he was.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Courageous he went straight up and uh, yeah it didn't
didn't have any experiences on the, stairs and nor did.
We and there was a clock at the top of the,
stairwell and so it wasn't the original clock that fell
down when the family had been there the one that
we spoke about during the, episode but it was a
(20:08):
replica book and it was interesting because.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
You could it was similar on the face of it, exactly.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
BUT i think from the way that the stairs were,
designed when you would walk up and down the, stairs
they would wobble a little. Bit and it just made
me think of the story to remember With Joe nichol
and the haunted wedding. DRESS i think it was somewhere
In pennsylvania and there was a dress that would, shake
that would, move and it seemed to be, haunted and
(20:38):
So joe figured out that there was just movement from
another part of the museum that was making the dress
wobble a little. Bit AND i think it was a
similar case with the CLOCKS i could imagine. Unveiled, YEAH i.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Have video of me going up the stairs where you
can really hear the sound the stairs make as you
walk up. Them, yeah and it does sound like you're
going to fall. Through but they also had this room
that what was it the husband sat in, there got
locked in there or, something whole house the coal, house
and when you sit in, there according to your psychic,
(21:19):
dream it tells you who you.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Are, Yeah so there's a coal, room so basically a
room where they kept coal so that they could presumably
fuel the FIREPLACE i guess a stove as, WELL i
guess at the. Time but the original owner had spent
time in there and apparently got terribly depressed and unfortunately
(21:44):
became an alcoholic from some experiences that he'd. Had and
So matt of course decided to sit in the coal.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Room and HE i just sent it to, you by the, way.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
He sat in there for about five minutes AND i
could hear him chuckling to, himself so it was a
little worried about his sanity when he was in. THERE i,
mean but, YES i did have A i guess not
so much a, nightmare but a dream that night where
people would go into that room and they would be
told their true selves would be. Revealed SO i don't
(22:16):
know WHY i dreamed, that or just so many things
that we're doing at the moment that are related to
the paranormal and supernatural and. Skepticism SO i guess it's
all playing on me right.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Now i'll tell you right, now from looking at that,
room it would be a great little personal podcast. Studio it, would, yes.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Just a tiny little closed, room and, yeah certainly spooky
for shows like.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
This oh, yeah but so. COOL i know in. Spirit
OBVIOUSLY i couldn't be there with. You BUT i just
came back from my friend up In cartersville has he's
a breat and he has turned his basement into a,
pub and he had a scot, over so it was
a breat in the scot and they BROUGHT u sort
(23:00):
of this fried onion curry. Dish SO i feel LIKE
i was sort of in A british pub having pub
food with, you even though we're very far.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Away so, yeah we've had lots of great experiences in
pubs with spirits of the alcoholic kind a. Lot but,
yeah we thought we'd delve into one more. Topic and
AGAIN i think we've got quite a, few SO.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
I know you've got a lot to talk. About so
and you're, right we. SHOULDN'T i don't want to say
blow our load, here but yeah we. Should we should
measure it out over, time because you've got some really
great stuff that you've sent.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Me, yeah we've really taken some things off the bucket
list and traveled around INTO i think it's interesting because
just in our travels talking with people about the places
we've gone. To certainly The cambridge skeptics were familiar with
the places that we reeled off that we were going,
to but talking WITH i, guess for want of a bitter,
(24:03):
term normal people were, saying, oh we went to The Enfield,
house the story of The Enfield. Poltergeist and this was
At Cambridge University, press talking to them about what we were,
doing and they had no idea what we were talking.
About and we're going to be going To Tabuli rectory
and they had no idea what we were talking. About
(24:24):
and we're going to go up To inverness and do
this and do that And Bilescan house and no one
really knew what we were talking. About so clearly we
are in a bubble of some.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Kind, yeah it's good to talk to, normies but you're, right,
no it's especially if you get immersed in this, stuff
AND i think this is true for either side of the.
Aisle when you get immersed in this, stuff you end
up with this strange vocabulary and this strange sort of
(24:58):
topology of the, world world and events that that's very
different from the rest of the. Place you, Know, oh
it really.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Is absolutely we have this in linguistics we call it a.
Register and so talking with The cambridge skeptics and talking
about the things that we've done and using, terms and
you can just see people the recognition in the, audience
people nodding along with. You so we really do have
our own vocabulary and lexicon of.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
Terms, however and, however when we were doing our.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Talk except the, lady except the.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Lady, now when we were doing our, talk we would,
say has anybody here ever heard of The Stanley? Hotel
one person's hand goes up in the, back has anybody
here ever heard? Of? Well what were some of the
other places we? Did myrtle's. Plantation, well with the same
hand goes up in the.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Back The american place is.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Sure SO i think that there was usually one person
that was usually the same person that knew all the
place that we were, referring but they knew.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
All the local places or The british. Places and there's
one more place that we thought we'd touch upon just
before we in the. Conversation but, yeah we being In,
cambridge we discovered That Bay rectory was about an hour,
away and everything's pretty, close but the roads are absolutely,
(26:24):
terrible very very, narrow very very.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Old.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Wow, ah and So british cars are smaller, too so
we just have a wee car that we're driving.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Around in steering wheels on a strange side other.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Of bembus And Mercedes, benzes though the way didn't have
one of. Those but, so even though it wasn't terribly far,
away it took about an hour in bad weather and
just narrow roads to head out To bay and so
we made the trip and unfortunately there is not much
to see nowadays in terms of the Ruins Ballly victory.
(27:00):
Itself it is absolutely exquisite countryside and lovely people and
great pubs and little coffee shops along the. Way it's a.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Different world from any of the city. Areas and it's
like you just suddenly find yourself in the city in
one moment and then countryside in the, next and you
can't see the city in the rearview. Mirror it is
so bizarre how quickly you are isolated out in this rural.
(27:30):
Area and it happens very, fast and it's incredibly. Beautiful
and then like you, know we're used to seeing like
here In, colorado we see we see, yeah there in
color you know you'll see like deer crossing sign you,
know warning signs or you, know if you're in The
(27:52):
Pike's peak area you see, bigfoot you know warning crossing. Signs, sure,
Sure and HERE i just was not expecting to see
an elderly person crossing sign in the way that they had.
It it. Was it seemed to be to be very.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Ageist, well, yeah it's an aging, population and with these narrow,
ROADS i do think it's obviously a safety issue that
they're warning. YOU i, mean like we have down our
street signs kids playing that kind of, thing but for older.
People but it's like out.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
In the wilderness and there's an elderly people warning.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Cane crossing the. Street, right that's neat, though take a
picture of one of. Those but, YEAH i think it's
a valid. WARNING i think.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
That's an invalid warning Info ah, okay, Sorry.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
But we made it out, there and so it's interesting
Because Bully rectory was on the, map but we couldn't
actually make it to there because now it's private. Property
we did make it to The.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Boys And, ruin, RIGHT i MEAN i THINK i mean
that you would just be looking at there's additional, buildings
but the main buildings, gone, right, yes.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
So now there is just a kind of block of apartments.
There it's like a carriage house or. Something so there
are some, ruins but you can't access them or see
them from the, street and it is private. Property but
opposite is a beautiful, Church Bally, church and we've got
some wonderful photographs of the, place and we had a
(29:27):
good time because we were walking around and this Is,
england so it suddenly started pouring down with rain AND
i see this.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Suh, yeah the PHOTO i just sent you is the
one of Where Bully rectory used to, stand and now
it's kind of these.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Bungalows, yeah you can't really see anything, anymore and even
though it's on the, map you just can't access it without.
Trespassing but we're at the church and walking around AND
i just saw this fellow just covered in a rain
coat and all kind of wrapped up and just standing
there across from a little.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Ditch we wondered if he was.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Real, well, yeah it seemed like something out of The
Legal gentleman or comedy show or. Something and he's just
standing there and there were no houses, around but he's
just right next to the church AND i just yelled
that excuse, me you happen to be a, local and
they said, yes and so we just started asking him.
(30:25):
Questions and it was interesting because he didn't know anything
About Bully rectory and he, SAID i HAVE i see
all of these tourists come, here people like, yourself coming
From australia And america and all Around britain wanting to
See Bally. Rectory and SO i, thought, well what is this?
About and SO i bought the? Book he, Said, SO
i don't know what book he was talking, about but
(30:47):
he said he bought the book On Bally rectory and
he read the, book and so now he knows all
of the stories there and the goings, on AND i
think he just likes to stand there and kind of
talk with tourists and people legend trippings such as. Ourselves
and it was a fun conversation that we. Had we
weren't enlightened any. Further he hadn't had any experiences, himself.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
But he did tell us where to go get a,
drink and you, know tell, Them.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Peter sent us that's, yes that's, Right and we had a.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
And it wasn't the Slaughtered.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Lamb and we also had a someone who came along
to The Cambridge Skeptics. Talk AND i cannot remember his
name right, now but he said that his he had
had a relative who had worked At Bay rectory for a,
WHILE i think as a farmer or had worked there
(31:44):
in some position for some, time and so that might
be interesting to talk about in more depth at some
point WHEN i can get some specifics on.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
That, Yeah AND i, actually you, Know i've Got Harry price's,
Book The Most Haunted house in The, england AND i
don't think i've ever read the whole. Thing i've read,
it you, know like it was a resource, volume you,
know to read certain, passages But i've never read it
cover to. Cover maybe MAYBE i can knock that out
at some POINT.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
I can give more. Details so this Was. Leo he's
On instagram is my Head. Pipes so he had joined
us for our talk And i'm trying to see his.
Message he, said my friend's granddad worked as a groom
at the stables Of Bay. Rectory he heard, footsteps, noises
(32:34):
and saw lights in the organ playing in the church
when it was locked up and nobody was. There she
also says that her granddad was known for his. Stories
we went to the church one night and walked around
with our, torches so that's pretty. Cool, Now apparently with
churches like, this there is someone who is the keyholder
(32:55):
and they will have a key and access to the,
church and So i've heard of times where people are walking,
around maybe when the church is open on the, weekend
and they'll they'll let you in to go and have
a look. Around but we couldn't see anyone there aside
from this old. Timer but it was just just being
(33:16):
there and soaking it all in was, very very. Exciting
and we'll have to share some pictures as, WELL i
think on The facebook page From mons To talk and
for this.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Episode, YEAH i love going to these. Places IT'S i
never expect to have an unusual experience, there but it's
it's kind of like fleshing out the mental geography of the, story,
like you, know putting a real sort of THREE d
space in my head to, fit not just the TWO
(33:49):
d photos Or whatever's there's something about THAT i really.
Like even THOUGH i ALWAYS i almost always feel not,
always but almost always feel a little sense of disappointment
THAT i couldn't have been there when the stuff was allegedly,
happening you, Know so it's always always leave with a
little bit of. Melancholyague you, know, WELL i.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Know exactly what you. MEAN i had that sense, too
AND i didn't think i'd really articulated it all or
thought about it other than feeling. It so it's, Interesting.
Matt do you feel that?
Speaker 2 (34:19):
WAY i do very. Much IT'S i don't, Know it's
one of those things THAT i immediately put my head
in that, space you, know When i'm, There i'm visualizing
EVERYTHING i can and and it just it's even when
we were there were The beatles started. Off, today you,
(34:40):
KNOW i let myself sort of feel that that excitement
and that that energy of being standing in the same
place where these amazing things. Happen. Yeah, yeah that's how
it feels WHEN i go to these.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Places that's why people legend. Trip.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Yeah well, YEAH i, MEAN i guess big historical, places
it's a slightly different. Feeling like IF i go to
A roman. Colisseum i'm not usually disappointed that that there's
not you, know gladiators fighting, presently, right BUT i certainly
get a vibe for you, know what the scale of,
(35:16):
it you, know that sort of, thing so that that
that's Been roman RUINS i really. Love BUT i.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Don't know if you heard about that, meme but there
was a mean kicking around about asking men if they're
thinking about The Roman, empire and, wo why how?
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Often?
Speaker 1 (35:33):
Yeah how often they? Do and, yeah well why, YES
i am thinking of that?
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Now, yeah so, yeah go, ahead AND i understand that.
Thought oh well.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
YEAH i tested it out On matt and he was, like, well, why,
YES i was just thinking about. THAT i love what gendered.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
Thing The, Romans World war two and The American Civil
war or seemed to be recurring themes among a lot
of my. PEERS i. Don't, yeah well that.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Was funny, too going to Thirty East drive and just
hearing about The Civil, war The Civil, war AND i
had to turn To blade and, say not our civil,
war not The Civil, War American Civil?
Speaker 3 (36:18):
War, right?
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Exactly, yeah In america is always the civil?
Speaker 2 (36:23):
War, yeah not the civil war we're currently.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Experiencing yeah that slow burn online when yeah, Exactly, yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Really understand her, ANYWAY i, think oh that's?
Speaker 2 (36:34):
True is This?
Speaker 4 (36:35):
English and that's been another really fun aspect of this
trip is the incredible wide variety of accents that we're
hearing and how they change over such a short.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Distance when we were heading up to was it Gateshead? Wickham, Oh? Newcastle,
yeah it was in like things were getting Really scottish
sounding and it was starting to get. Hard when we
came back, DOWN i was amazed with how Not. Scottish.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Well there was a study done decades ago by another
linguist Called Peter, trudgel and he, said this is back
in maybe the seventies or, eighties and he said that
for every twenty miles Across, britain you have different regional,
accents whereas in The United states it's every two hundred.
(37:33):
Miles SO i think that there's a lot of leveling
nowadays because of globalization and The. Internet but certainly there
are a lot more regional accents here and they're very,
distinct and you can tell where someone is from on
the basis of their, accent and it's there have been
some moments where it's been a little bit difficult to
communicate with some.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
People, yeah, Yeah but.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Before this joke becomes completely, POINTLESS i want to say
more sense then a bad bath and. Beyond BUT i
just it's funny Though islands in particular seem to WHICH
i don't understand, WHY i, guess but if you look
around the. World you find so much linguistic diversity in
(38:17):
small places like, islands and now it could be because they're,
separated but like in The, philippines In Papua New, guinea
like they've just got massively different sometimes from one valley
to the, next entirely different, languages which is amazing to.
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Me. Yeah, yeah and we can go into this in
future episodes. Too but certainly in places Like, india often
you going from village to, village people will classify their
languages as different. Languages but then ultimately when they do
censuses and things like, that but ultimately they're all versions
Of hindi or related. Languages but people do see them as,
(38:56):
distinct AND i think that that's a large part of
different accent some different dialects and languages perception, history not
only linguistic, difference but how people see their languages and their.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
Dialects, Indeed, well you, GUYS i really appreciate you making
time BECAUSE i know you've got a busy schedule and
it's getting late, There but thank you so much for dropping,
in catching me up and catching the listeners. UP i
really appreciate. It it's been it's been kind of rough for
both of, us our respective families are going through a
lot of challenges right, now and it's just really nice
(39:32):
to hear your voice and hear you're, Okay so take, care. Okay, Yeah, well.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Thank you so much for making time. Too and we've
got a lot more, stories a lot of other things
to talk about for a lot of episodes to. Come
so this is great to be collecting some stories and
to have, fun some interesting things to discuss in.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
Well, yeah and AS i always tell my, friends if
you don't go out and have, adventures you just start
repeating the same. Stories you've got to go get new.
Experiences so good on.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
You, yeah, yep that's what this is all. About but
we'll talk again, soon all, right.
Speaker 3 (40:07):
Take, Care good, night. Guys monster you've been listening To Monster,
talk the science show about. Monsters I'm Blake.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
Smith And I'm Karen.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Stoltner you just heard a chat With karen and her Husband,
matt who were on a tour Promoting karen's latest, Book,
Bitch The journey of A. WORD i had to edit
myself several times Because karen wanted to share some of
this stuff that she And matt were doing on dedicated.
Episodes but the photos they've been sending suggests many fun
and interesting stories to, come so no spoilers for, me
(40:42):
just stay. Tuned we hope you enjoyed this episode Of Monster.
Talk our goal here is to bring you the best
in monster related content with a focus on, scientific skepticism
and critical. Thinking if you enjoy our show and want
to support our, mission start out by visiting monster talk.
Speaker 5 (41:00):
Dot org forward slash. Support that's monster talk dot org
forward slash. Support there you'll find links to Our patreon,
page as well as a donate button if you'd like
to just make a one time.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
CONTRIBUTION a great way to support the show is to
buy books from Our amazon wish. List these are books
that directly help with our monster. Research we love used
books very, much so don't feel compelled to buy new,
ones and we're also very fond of kindle editions because
of their easily searched content and without spending any money at.
All you can support and raise the profile of the
(41:33):
show by leaving a positive review at iTunes or wherever
you get your. Podcasts positive reviews help keep us visible in,
iTunes which is a great way to help us find you. Listeners,
finally remember to share episodes you really. Like with your
friends and, family you can help Make Monster talk the
nightlight that keeps monsters away from someone you. Love Monster
(41:58):
talks theme music is By Peach Stealing. Monkeys i'm not
jealous of carrying A matt's trip to THE, uk BUT
i sure hope to make that journey myself BEFORE i
shuffle off into the Great Internet archive in the.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
Sky this has been A Monster house presentation
Monster House Presents.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
It's actually quite unlike anything we've ever seen before.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
A giant, hairy creature party parts.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
In Luckness, a twenty four a mile long bottomless lake
in the Highlands of Scotland.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's a creature known as the Luckness Monster. Monster Talk.
(00:56):
Welcome to Monster Talk, the science show about monsters. I'm
Blake Smith.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
And I'm Karen Stolsner.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Hey, they're Monster Talkers. This week we're going to be
catching up with Karen and her husband Matt, who were
in the UK promoting Kiaren's latest book, Bitch, The Journey
of a Word. We're going to just hop right into
the chat, but I did want to say thanks on
behalf of both of our families, for all of our
new Patreon sign ups, for all the kind words that
have been sent, and for all the folks who have
reached out to ask for my resume or connect with
(01:24):
me on LinkedIn. I remain as always pathologically optimistic and
we hope to weather the coming challenges that are rolling
towards us. But your support makes so much of a
difference and helps us keep going in the face of adversity,
and for that we both thank you. Hang on type folks,
I know we're not alone, and I know you're not either,
and I have to quickly apologize for the muddy quality
(01:46):
of my audio. I keep forgetting that this new podcasting
rig has a separate OS control for the microphone that
I cannot see when we're recording. I will do my
best to make sure that saved in a better setting.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
More instrutal.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead record, there we go. Okay, Well,
I appreciate you guys making time for the show, because
I know you're having a really busy and hectic schedule
and you're not in Colorado. Where are you.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Well, we're in Liverpool, Liverpool, England.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
So that's exciting.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I'm just here for about one night. It's not my
first time, but it's first time for Matt and for
Blade as well, and so really cool. We got to
go to a couple of places this afternoon, Beatles related,
of course. We went to the Jacaranda, which is the
(02:42):
pub where they first played, not in their the format
that I think most fans would know they were. Their
drummer was Pete Best at the time, so it wasn't
Ringo Star, but they met Ringo. He was a drummer
with Rory in that Rory storm in the Hurricanes and
they met Ringo there and ended up getting rid of
(03:04):
peak Best and taking him on. But that is where
they got their start in Liverpool and their first manager
as well, so that that was cool for Beatless.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah, I know. That's I told Kathleen that you were
probably pretty chucked about being able to see these places.
That's that's really nifty, I I guess listeners. So I've mentioned,
I think last week, that you were going on a
promotional tour for your book, so we should mention that
since that's why you're there.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yes, yes, So it was one of the reasons that
that we came here. And so I went to Cambridge
University Press bookstore and I gave a reading of the
book and they had a little event there which was
a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
I got to old out.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
So that that went really well. And we also did
a talk for the Cambridge Skeptics and that was a
lot of fun and that was basically how not to
do a paranoral investigation. And we had an interloper in
the audience, so someone who I think thought that they
would find out about how to do a paranoral investigation properly,
(04:22):
but not from a skeptical perspective, and so we had
a bit of a heckler in the audience.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
She was Yeah, I don't know that she thought anything
other than she thought she was going to ambush us
and hit us with the hard questions that would make
us change our entire lives and approach a spoiler. It didn't.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Well, she really tried to dominate the Q and a
part of the event and was just saying, well, what's
the harm and so we're very well rehearsed in the
harm of anything pseudoscientific. We dealt her a blow somewhat.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Yeah, these things can be fine, but often are not harmless,
so that's worth mentioning for sure.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Oh yeah, I mean we kind of got into a
little bit into the territory of things like alternative medicine
and mediums and channelers pretending to contact the dead and
things like that, But certainly otherwise, we really had a
great time with Cambridge Skeptics. They're a fantastic group and
(05:32):
very very busy too. They seem to have a lot
of speakers come through, so anyone who's in the area
and can go along to their events should.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Nifty are they were there. Membership was the membership from
the university or just locals or kind of all over
the place.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
I think just locals. Yeah, and they've got a kind
of formal organization or anything. I think it's just a
group of people that like skepticism and beer.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
So they let's say, did they meet in a pub
like all skeptics.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
It definitely is skeptics in the pub type situation. Yeah, yeah, Alex.
But they go to a number of pubs there. But
they seem to be just very busy, very active, very active.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yeah, and the room was full. We did have a
packed house for that talk as well, so that was
pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Yeah, that's awesome. I've been sort of living vicariously through
your shared photos, so I know, like we've talked before
about sort of our bucket lists of things to do
should we make it to the UK, and I see
that you're k not getting a lot of them off.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Oh wow, certainly are. We really are, And that's why
we didn't want to, I think spoil everything and talk
about everything today because we have certainly too. We will
have to have I think a couple of episodes for sure.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah, we're gonna there's some definite deep dives of material
there and you're getting to, you know what, augment them
with your own personal experience, having walked around and visited them.
Now and I would say, the things that you did
in Scotland are of a special interest to me. I
don't want to spoil anything, So why don't you tell
(07:21):
me what you want to talk about or what you're
comfortable talking about right now?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
I'll tell you right off. One of the things that
I wanted to do that Karen was like nah about
was I wanted to see where the demons wanted to
impale ed Warren outside of the little house, in a
place called Enfield. Ah, And so we checked that out.
(07:48):
Now it was really cool because we booked our stay
in Enfield.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Yeah, at part of Enfield. Well, see when people come
to London, they don't normally go to Infield.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Huge destiny, I think.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Yeah, for those shocked me.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I didn't realize that.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
I thought it was wonderful. I mean, it's definitely lower
socio economic, but it was very multicultural, very multi lingual,
full of great hubs and markets and coffee shops. So
it was a very vibrant little part of town. And
I certainly enjoyed going there, but yeah, it's not typically
(08:28):
the kind of place people land at Heathrow. I mean,
that isn't Enfield, that is. I guess two. We was
problematic when we arrived at Heathrow. We went to pick
up our higher car and then discovered we'd been somewhat scammed.
A long, long story that we can go into at
(08:48):
some other point, but it proof that skeptics can be
scammed and you go cheap price with things.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
That we actually didn't get scammed because.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Well they they tried, they tried to and we're still
having to dispute some deposit with our bank.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
But that's a really good point though. I mean, I
think one of the ways that scammers get away with
it is people get super embarrassed when they get caught
in something and they don't want to admit it or
even sometimes even admitutes to themselves, which gets into that
whole cost fallacy, you know, so I figuring out you've
been tricked and that you can be tricked. I mean,
(09:27):
James Randy used to talk about it all the time
that everybody's easy to fool, right, yes, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
And to be able to say things like I don't know,
but in this case, I had to have a bit
of a going with a person that we dealt with.
But it really complicated things because then we needed to
find another car hire company because you certainly can't travel
from he Throw to Inverness on foot or train at
the last minute. So we had an alternative and it
(09:54):
really good put us in a tricky situation, but that.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Was the results what the scam was built around. Though.
It was built around the fact that you're now stranded
in this stranded in the city at the airport, and oh,
up charges you have to pay them because you're now stranded.
If you don't, Yeah, it really puts you in a
(10:19):
bad situation, and they try to make it seem like
it's even worse. Yep, But our willingness, moreover, Karen's willingness
to say, I would rather be stranded than deal with you, buddy, right.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
The precise word I used was I was jet.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Lagged something for the patrons, I.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Was jet lagged and greatly irritated. So I dealt with
it in that way, and then through the bank that night.
So yes, our first night Infield was just spent talking
with the Bank of America. But anyway, let's get back
to the lack of Poltageust.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Yeah, it was interesting because you were definitely possessed at
that moment, and when you said I'm not a heaven man.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I was.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Completely convinced that the Infield Poltergeist was with you.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Look, I think Matt was particularly fascinated by the Netflix
series that we saw and Blake. I don't know if
you've seen that yet, but it was on the Infield
Poldergeist and it was absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
It was or what's that Apple TV? Oh, I don't know.
I think it might have been I can't remember now,
but it was.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Regardless, it's a relatively new, uh Infield documentary.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
About a year old I think about.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Infield, particularly the warrants no.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
In Field in particular. It's a recreation, uh, you know,
of footage they didn't have. Included with footage, they did
have recording really well done, a lot of audio recordings,
so the actors had to lip sync to the actual
audio recordings and it was really good.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
But the miniseries twenty twenty three looks like it was
Apple TV.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
You're right, Apple TV, you were right, excellent, excellent, But
they interviewed Janet that was really interesting and quite a
few people, as we know, have passed now, but that
was really good. So Matt was very inspired by that,
I think. And so Infield was maybe about almost an
hour away from Heathrow and we finally made it out
(12:26):
there to Ponder's End and so we got a little
bit settled, had a coffee, and then just hiked right
on over to the house.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Now.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Well, one of the interesting things is the place that
we rented had almost i would say the same layout
as the Enfeld house, and so we really you know,
staying in a house that was kind of that same
format was really interesting, you know, to be in. And
we were just a few blocks away from the house itself,
(12:57):
so we got a really good view of just how
hard it would be to be in a house with
several kids running up and down that narrow stairway, and
how steep it was, and uh, just the the sheer
cabin fever and just being so in there so tightly.
It was just really overwhelming to realize that they were
(13:20):
living this way. And so we walked over and it
was just like this really nice path that you know,
with trees and everything, and and we walked through there
and we're thinking, wow, we're walking to a big scary house.
This seems odd, And then we get on the street
where it is and it is just a line of
(13:43):
identical houses Cookie Cutter, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Yeah, yeah, these are those council houses we've talked about.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, just duplexes all the way down. But there's one
house that stands out. It's all the rest are this
kind of rust color, and this one is ray and
the windows are boarded up and it just looks terrifying
and we walk up to it and it's not the
(14:10):
right house. It was six' six, seven the neighbor of
the Beast.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Green. Street.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Yeah, yeah it was literally right next door to the haunted.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
House AND i want to say too that we were
not the only ones that were. There there were other
couples and groups of. People AND i had it on
good authority too From, richard a step friend of the,
show that we should not approach the house because the
current owner does not like being. Approached he's very religious
(14:45):
and doesn't believe in any of the, stories any of
the alleged. Activity BUT i was, still i, think high
off the Car hire situation and ready to go up
and knock on the door and confront the. Owner and
just to ask him a couple of. Questions but, No
matt restrained. Me and so that didn't didn't happen, physically
(15:07):
but but there was certainly other people who were, there
and even as we were, leaving there were kids riding
their bikes past the place and, pointing and so it's
still an extra.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Terrifying right across the street was a primary.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
School primary, School, yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Right across the.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Street but, yeah it's it was. Interesting we just stood
there and kind of soaked it, in and we took
lots of photographs as. Well, uh and so we can
revisit this, TOPIC i think at some.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Point but no spike out front to impale At warren
like in The Conjuring, too wasn't. There doesn't look like
there was ever a.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Tree it must have made that part OF i.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Don't believe that for a. Second hollywood does not do.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
That so, yeah, yeah a little bit of, embellishment a
little bit of, embellishment a little. Bit, well AS i
always like to, SAY i think those are great horror.
Movies it's, like but the thing that shocks me that
as the most unrealistic is how saintly The warrens. Are,
yes the ghosts a little more plausible Than Saint wawren's.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Right, yes, yeah, absolutely, so, yeah we HAVE i guess
the first couple of days were really about, poulterageists so
not only the infield, poltageist but we made a trip
up To West yorkshire to on De. Fract we had
a short visit with the current. Owner so do you
(16:39):
Remember Bill. Bungay we spoke to sure.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Do, yeah a.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Year ago about Thirty East. Drive but we had a
very interesting conversation with the lady who lives next door
and she has been there, forever had thirteen, children ten that,
survived and she basically managed and runs the. Place they
had a group of ten people that were going to
(17:04):
be staying there that. Night god knows where they're going
to put them all where they put them all.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
In the control.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Room it Was, yeah they had a control room so
you could plug in all your.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
For all your gadgets when you're ghost. Turning, yeah okay.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Exactly but the house was in many ways the way
that it had been at the, time and lots of
photographs of people who had lived, there including the one
of the first people to live. There that's Why bill
he WAS i think In, france but he had come
back and met with us because he was attending the
(17:40):
funeral of the former.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Owner oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Everything.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Passes everybody passes this. Year, okay, yeah this.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Year but we certainly have really covered a lot of
ground since we've been.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Here, yeah it was fun to go through the whole.
House we were. Taught carol is the woman from next,
door and she is a. TREAT i can't express to
you how much of a treat this woman.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Is her very much of her, time she has.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Very much of her. Time her accent is, incredible and it's.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
REALLY i THINK i was the only one who could understand.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
What you really have to pay a lot of attention
to context to keep up with. Her but you, know
we did find OUT i don't know if you want
me to reveal this or, not but we did find
out that she does talk to the. Dead, yes and
she says people tell her She's Claire audience and she's, like,
(18:41):
no my name Is carol Ah.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Books sheer. Humor, yeah and she took a liking to.
Me so she said that there was a lot more
that she would be prepared to tell me that she
has not told other people. Anyone, yeah AND i thought
that that was very. Interesting so we're going to stay
in contact And i'll see we find out.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Other people that she shouldn't tell things. Too she will
see a red triangle over their head and.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Must have had a green. TRIANGLE i think you had a.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Halo a.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Halo that's so.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Nice it.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Was it was so. Nice but it was a lot
of fun because you, know they were you, Know blade,
SAID i have to go to the. Bathroom where's the?
Bathroom and they're, like, well there's there's one down, here
but if you're, brave there's one. Upstairs and it's it's,
terrifying you, know and they talk about, how you, know
(19:33):
people have been pushed down the stairs and all these
horrible things happen and their things are getting thrown at
them and knives and. Everything and then they're telling our
ten year old to go upstairs to the dangerous. Bathroom,
anyway you'd, like no, problem, Right he was.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Courageous he went straight up and uh, yeah it didn't
didn't have any experiences on the, stairs and nor did.
We and there was a clock at the top of the,
stairwell and so it wasn't the original clock that fell
down when the family had been there the one that
we spoke about during the, episode but it was a
(20:08):
replica book and it was interesting because.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
You could it was similar on the face of it, exactly.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
BUT i think from the way that the stairs were,
designed when you would walk up and down the, stairs
they would wobble a little. Bit and it just made
me think of the story to remember With Joe nichol
and the haunted wedding. DRESS i think it was somewhere
In pennsylvania and there was a dress that would, shake
that would, move and it seemed to be, haunted and
(20:38):
So joe figured out that there was just movement from
another part of the museum that was making the dress
wobble a little. Bit AND i think it was a
similar case with the CLOCKS i could imagine. Unveiled, YEAH i.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Have video of me going up the stairs where you
can really hear the sound the stairs make as you
walk up. Them, yeah and it does sound like you're
going to fall. Through but they also had this room
that what was it the husband sat in, there got
locked in there or, something whole house the coal, house
and when you sit in, there according to your psychic,
(21:19):
dream it tells you who you.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Are, Yeah so there's a coal, room so basically a
room where they kept coal so that they could presumably
fuel the FIREPLACE i guess a stove as, WELL i
guess at the. Time but the original owner had spent
time in there and apparently got terribly depressed and unfortunately
(21:44):
became an alcoholic from some experiences that he'd. Had and
So matt of course decided to sit in the coal.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Room and HE i just sent it to, you by the, way.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
He sat in there for about five minutes AND i
could hear him chuckling to, himself so it was a
little worried about his sanity when he was in. THERE i,
mean but, YES i did have A i guess not
so much a, nightmare but a dream that night where
people would go into that room and they would be
told their true selves would be. Revealed SO i don't
(22:16):
know WHY i dreamed, that or just so many things
that we're doing at the moment that are related to
the paranormal and supernatural and. Skepticism SO i guess it's
all playing on me right.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Now i'll tell you right, now from looking at that,
room it would be a great little personal podcast. Studio it, would, yes.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Just a tiny little closed, room and, yeah certainly spooky
for shows like.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
This oh, yeah but so. COOL i know in. Spirit
OBVIOUSLY i couldn't be there with. You BUT i just
came back from my friend up In cartersville has he's
a breat and he has turned his basement into a,
pub and he had a scot, over so it was
a breat in the scot and they BROUGHT u sort
(23:00):
of this fried onion curry. Dish SO i feel LIKE
i was sort of in A british pub having pub
food with, you even though we're very far.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Away so, yeah we've had lots of great experiences in
pubs with spirits of the alcoholic kind a. Lot but,
yeah we thought we'd delve into one more. Topic and
AGAIN i think we've got quite a, few SO.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
I know you've got a lot to talk. About so
and you're, right we. SHOULDN'T i don't want to say
blow our load, here but yeah we. Should we should
measure it out over, time because you've got some really
great stuff that you've sent.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Me, yeah we've really taken some things off the bucket
list and traveled around INTO i think it's interesting because
just in our travels talking with people about the places
we've gone. To certainly The cambridge skeptics were familiar with
the places that we reeled off that we were going,
to but talking WITH i, guess for want of a bitter,
(24:03):
term normal people were, saying, oh we went to The Enfield,
house the story of The Enfield. Poltergeist and this was
At Cambridge University, press talking to them about what we were,
doing and they had no idea what we were talking.
About and we're going to be going To Tabuli rectory
and they had no idea what we were talking. About
(24:24):
and we're going to go up To inverness and do
this and do that And Bilescan house and no one
really knew what we were talking. About so clearly we
are in a bubble of some.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Kind, yeah it's good to talk to, normies but you're, right,
no it's especially if you get immersed in this, stuff
AND i think this is true for either side of the.
Aisle when you get immersed in this, stuff you end
up with this strange vocabulary and this strange sort of
(24:58):
topology of the, world world and events that that's very
different from the rest of the. Place you, Know, oh
it really.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Is absolutely we have this in linguistics we call it a.
Register and so talking with The cambridge skeptics and talking
about the things that we've done and using, terms and
you can just see people the recognition in the, audience
people nodding along with. You so we really do have
our own vocabulary and lexicon of.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
Terms, however and, however when we were doing our.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Talk except the, lady except the.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Lady, now when we were doing our, talk we would,
say has anybody here ever heard of The Stanley? Hotel
one person's hand goes up in the, back has anybody
here ever heard? Of? Well what were some of the
other places we? Did myrtle's. Plantation, well with the same
hand goes up in the.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Back The american place is.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Sure SO i think that there was usually one person
that was usually the same person that knew all the
place that we were, referring but they knew.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
All the local places or The british. Places and there's
one more place that we thought we'd touch upon just
before we in the. Conversation but, yeah we being In,
cambridge we discovered That Bay rectory was about an hour,
away and everything's pretty, close but the roads are absolutely,
(26:24):
terrible very very, narrow very very.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Old.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Wow, ah and So british cars are smaller, too so
we just have a wee car that we're driving.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Around in steering wheels on a strange side other.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Of bembus And Mercedes, benzes though the way didn't have
one of. Those but, so even though it wasn't terribly far,
away it took about an hour in bad weather and
just narrow roads to head out To bay and so
we made the trip and unfortunately there is not much
to see nowadays in terms of the Ruins Ballly victory.
(27:00):
Itself it is absolutely exquisite countryside and lovely people and
great pubs and little coffee shops along the. Way it's a.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Different world from any of the city. Areas and it's
like you just suddenly find yourself in the city in
one moment and then countryside in the, next and you
can't see the city in the rearview. Mirror it is
so bizarre how quickly you are isolated out in this rural.
(27:30):
Area and it happens very, fast and it's incredibly. Beautiful
and then like you, know we're used to seeing like
here In, colorado we see we see, yeah there in
color you know you'll see like deer crossing sign you,
know warning signs or you, know if you're in The
(27:52):
Pike's peak area you see, bigfoot you know warning crossing. Signs, sure,
Sure and HERE i just was not expecting to see
an elderly person crossing sign in the way that they had.
It it. Was it seemed to be to be very.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Ageist, well, yeah it's an aging, population and with these narrow,
ROADS i do think it's obviously a safety issue that
they're warning. YOU i, mean like we have down our
street signs kids playing that kind of, thing but for older.
People but it's like out.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
In the wilderness and there's an elderly people warning.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Cane crossing the. Street, right that's neat, though take a
picture of one of. Those but, YEAH i think it's
a valid. WARNING i think.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
That's an invalid warning Info ah, okay, Sorry.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
But we made it out, there and so it's interesting
Because Bully rectory was on the, map but we couldn't
actually make it to there because now it's private. Property
we did make it to The.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Boys And, ruin, RIGHT i MEAN i THINK i mean
that you would just be looking at there's additional, buildings
but the main buildings, gone, right, yes.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
So now there is just a kind of block of apartments.
There it's like a carriage house or. Something so there
are some, ruins but you can't access them or see
them from the, street and it is private. Property but
opposite is a beautiful, Church Bally, church and we've got
some wonderful photographs of the, place and we had a
(29:27):
good time because we were walking around and this Is,
england so it suddenly started pouring down with rain AND
i see this.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Suh, yeah the PHOTO i just sent you is the
one of Where Bully rectory used to, stand and now
it's kind of these.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Bungalows, yeah you can't really see anything, anymore and even
though it's on the, map you just can't access it without.
Trespassing but we're at the church and walking around AND
i just saw this fellow just covered in a rain
coat and all kind of wrapped up and just standing
there across from a little.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Ditch we wondered if he was.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Real, well, yeah it seemed like something out of The
Legal gentleman or comedy show or. Something and he's just
standing there and there were no houses, around but he's
just right next to the church AND i just yelled
that excuse, me you happen to be a, local and
they said, yes and so we just started asking him.
(30:25):
Questions and it was interesting because he didn't know anything
About Bully rectory and he, SAID i HAVE i see
all of these tourists come, here people like, yourself coming
From australia And america and all Around britain wanting to
See Bally. Rectory and SO i, thought, well what is this?
About and SO i bought the? Book he, Said, SO
i don't know what book he was talking, about but
(30:47):
he said he bought the book On Bally rectory and
he read the, book and so now he knows all
of the stories there and the goings, on AND i
think he just likes to stand there and kind of
talk with tourists and people legend trippings such as. Ourselves
and it was a fun conversation that we. Had we
weren't enlightened any. Further he hadn't had any experiences, himself.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
But he did tell us where to go get a,
drink and you, know tell, Them.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Peter sent us that's, yes that's, Right and we had a.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
And it wasn't the Slaughtered.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Lamb and we also had a someone who came along
to The Cambridge Skeptics. Talk AND i cannot remember his
name right, now but he said that his he had
had a relative who had worked At Bay rectory for a,
WHILE i think as a farmer or had worked there
(31:44):
in some position for some, time and so that might
be interesting to talk about in more depth at some
point WHEN i can get some specifics on.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
That, Yeah AND i, actually you, Know i've Got Harry price's,
Book The Most Haunted house in The, england AND i
don't think i've ever read the whole. Thing i've read,
it you, know like it was a resource, volume you,
know to read certain, passages But i've never read it
cover to. Cover maybe MAYBE i can knock that out
at some POINT.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
I can give more. Details so this Was. Leo he's
On instagram is my Head. Pipes so he had joined
us for our talk And i'm trying to see his.
Message he, said my friend's granddad worked as a groom
at the stables Of Bay. Rectory he heard, footsteps, noises
(32:34):
and saw lights in the organ playing in the church
when it was locked up and nobody was. There she
also says that her granddad was known for his. Stories
we went to the church one night and walked around
with our, torches so that's pretty. Cool, Now apparently with
churches like, this there is someone who is the keyholder
(32:55):
and they will have a key and access to the,
church and So i've heard of times where people are walking,
around maybe when the church is open on the, weekend
and they'll they'll let you in to go and have
a look. Around but we couldn't see anyone there aside
from this old. Timer but it was just just being
(33:16):
there and soaking it all in was, very very. Exciting
and we'll have to share some pictures as, WELL i
think on The facebook page From mons To talk and
for this.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Episode, YEAH i love going to these. Places IT'S i
never expect to have an unusual experience, there but it's
it's kind of like fleshing out the mental geography of the, story,
like you, know putting a real sort of THREE d
space in my head to, fit not just the TWO
(33:49):
d photos Or whatever's there's something about THAT i really.
Like even THOUGH i ALWAYS i almost always feel not,
always but almost always feel a little sense of disappointment
THAT i couldn't have been there when the stuff was allegedly,
happening you, Know so it's always always leave with a
little bit of. Melancholyague you, know, WELL i.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Know exactly what you. MEAN i had that sense, too
AND i didn't think i'd really articulated it all or
thought about it other than feeling. It so it's, Interesting.
Matt do you feel that?
Speaker 2 (34:19):
WAY i do very. Much IT'S i don't, Know it's
one of those things THAT i immediately put my head
in that, space you, know When i'm, There i'm visualizing
EVERYTHING i can and and it just it's even when
we were there were The beatles started. Off, today you,
(34:40):
KNOW i let myself sort of feel that that excitement
and that that energy of being standing in the same
place where these amazing things. Happen. Yeah, yeah that's how
it feels WHEN i go to these.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Places that's why people legend. Trip.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Yeah well, YEAH i, MEAN i guess big historical, places
it's a slightly different. Feeling like IF i go to
A roman. Colisseum i'm not usually disappointed that that there's
not you, know gladiators fighting, presently, right BUT i certainly
get a vibe for you, know what the scale of,
(35:16):
it you, know that sort of, thing so that that
that's Been roman RUINS i really. Love BUT i.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Don't know if you heard about that, meme but there
was a mean kicking around about asking men if they're
thinking about The Roman, empire and, wo why how?
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Often?
Speaker 1 (35:33):
Yeah how often they? Do and, yeah well why, YES
i am thinking of that?
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Now, yeah so, yeah go, ahead AND i understand that.
Thought oh well.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
YEAH i tested it out On matt and he was, like, well, why,
YES i was just thinking about. THAT i love what gendered.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
Thing The, Romans World war two and The American Civil
war or seemed to be recurring themes among a lot
of my. PEERS i. Don't, yeah well that.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Was funny, too going to Thirty East drive and just
hearing about The Civil, war The Civil, war AND i
had to turn To blade and, say not our civil,
war not The Civil, War American Civil?
Speaker 3 (36:18):
War, right?
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Exactly, yeah In america is always the civil?
Speaker 2 (36:23):
War, yeah not the civil war we're currently.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Experiencing yeah that slow burn online when yeah, Exactly, yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Really understand her, ANYWAY i, think oh that's?
Speaker 2 (36:34):
True is This?
Speaker 4 (36:35):
English and that's been another really fun aspect of this
trip is the incredible wide variety of accents that we're
hearing and how they change over such a short.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Distance when we were heading up to was it Gateshead? Wickham, Oh? Newcastle,
yeah it was in like things were getting Really scottish
sounding and it was starting to get. Hard when we
came back, DOWN i was amazed with how Not. Scottish.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Well there was a study done decades ago by another
linguist Called Peter, trudgel and he, said this is back
in maybe the seventies or, eighties and he said that
for every twenty miles Across, britain you have different regional,
accents whereas in The United states it's every two hundred.
(37:33):
Miles SO i think that there's a lot of leveling
nowadays because of globalization and The. Internet but certainly there
are a lot more regional accents here and they're very,
distinct and you can tell where someone is from on
the basis of their, accent and it's there have been
some moments where it's been a little bit difficult to
communicate with some.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
People, yeah, Yeah but.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Before this joke becomes completely, POINTLESS i want to say
more sense then a bad bath and. Beyond BUT i
just it's funny Though islands in particular seem to WHICH
i don't understand, WHY i, guess but if you look
around the. World you find so much linguistic diversity in
(38:17):
small places like, islands and now it could be because they're,
separated but like in The, philippines In Papua New, guinea
like they've just got massively different sometimes from one valley
to the, next entirely different, languages which is amazing to.
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Me. Yeah, yeah and we can go into this in
future episodes. Too but certainly in places Like, india often
you going from village to, village people will classify their
languages as different. Languages but then ultimately when they do
censuses and things like, that but ultimately they're all versions
Of hindi or related. Languages but people do see them as,
(38:56):
distinct AND i think that that's a large part of
different accent some different dialects and languages perception, history not
only linguistic, difference but how people see their languages and their.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
Dialects, Indeed, well you, GUYS i really appreciate you making
time BECAUSE i know you've got a busy schedule and
it's getting late, There but thank you so much for dropping,
in catching me up and catching the listeners. UP i
really appreciate. It it's been it's been kind of rough for
both of, us our respective families are going through a
lot of challenges right, now and it's just really nice
(39:32):
to hear your voice and hear you're, Okay so take, care. Okay, Yeah, well.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Thank you so much for making time. Too and we've
got a lot more, stories a lot of other things
to talk about for a lot of episodes to. Come
so this is great to be collecting some stories and
to have, fun some interesting things to discuss in.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
Well, yeah and AS i always tell my, friends if
you don't go out and have, adventures you just start
repeating the same. Stories you've got to go get new.
Experiences so good on.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
You, yeah, yep that's what this is all. About but
we'll talk again, soon all, right.
Speaker 3 (40:07):
Take, Care good, night. Guys monster you've been listening To Monster,
talk the science show about. Monsters I'm Blake.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
Smith And I'm Karen.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Stoltner you just heard a chat With karen and her Husband,
matt who were on a tour Promoting karen's latest, Book,
Bitch The journey of A. WORD i had to edit
myself several times Because karen wanted to share some of
this stuff that she And matt were doing on dedicated.
Episodes but the photos they've been sending suggests many fun
and interesting stories to, come so no spoilers for, me
(40:42):
just stay. Tuned we hope you enjoyed this episode Of Monster.
Talk our goal here is to bring you the best
in monster related content with a focus on, scientific skepticism
and critical. Thinking if you enjoy our show and want
to support our, mission start out by visiting monster talk.
Speaker 5 (41:00):
Dot org forward slash. Support that's monster talk dot org
forward slash. Support there you'll find links to Our patreon,
page as well as a donate button if you'd like
to just make a one time.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
CONTRIBUTION a great way to support the show is to
buy books from Our amazon wish. List these are books
that directly help with our monster. Research we love used
books very, much so don't feel compelled to buy new,
ones and we're also very fond of kindle editions because
of their easily searched content and without spending any money at.
All you can support and raise the profile of the
(41:33):
show by leaving a positive review at iTunes or wherever
you get your. Podcasts positive reviews help keep us visible in,
iTunes which is a great way to help us find you. Listeners,
finally remember to share episodes you really. Like with your
friends and, family you can help Make Monster talk the
nightlight that keeps monsters away from someone you. Love Monster
(41:58):
talks theme music is By Peach Stealing. Monkeys i'm not
jealous of carrying A matt's trip to THE, uk BUT
i sure hope to make that journey myself BEFORE i
shuffle off into the Great Internet archive in the.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
Sky this has been A Monster house presentation
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com