Whisht! Lads: North East Folklore

Did you know Tynemouth Priory is home to witches, smugglers, ghosts, and knights? Explore this ancient site through stories and folklore from author and podcaster, Icy Sedgwick. If you'd like to join me for a chat to share your favourite folklore place or tale, email me on [email protected]

Join me and Miss Alnwick herself, Rosie Bush of Alnwick Walking Tours, for a wander round the gorgeous streets of Alnwick, where we dig up three or four proper folklore tales hiding in plain sight (sorry in advance for the jump scare). From a vampire lord who beat Bram Stoker to it by centuries, to a pair of cursed 300 year old bottles nobody dares touch, this one's got the lot: plague, riots, a policeman who's never clocked off, and a bairn who swings her legs outside a beautician's. Come for the vampire, stay for the chat about believing in ghosts you're not sure you believe in.   Got a folklore tale, site or story of your own? Email [email protected] and I'll meet you where you are.

It's not every day you get to hear a folklore tale from the story's main character, so when I got the chance to speak with Colin Robson - the fella who found the Hexham Heads in 1971 - I was buzzing. I went to his home in late summer 2026 to hear exactly what happened on that spring day 55 years ago: from the moment of discovery to the days of terror afterwards, and now you can hear it too. With thanks to Colin for his time and trust - and to you for listening.

Join Zakia Sewell on her quest for Albion in this conversation with British Black Folk Collective's Bianca Wilson. They chat through the themes of the book: community, folk against fascism, and the hope from curiosity; and about Zakia's own journey through the British folk calendar as a woman of colour. With thanks to Zakia and Bianca for hosting this conversation with us, and get in touch to have your own! [email protected]

Take a wander around Hylton Castle with me and listen North East Nostalgic's retelling of the Cauld Lad of Hylton. What we lacked in castle access (we didn't check the opening times) we made up for with chat about our favourite North East sites, how to chat to loved ones about their family history memories, and being proud of our North East accent. Hope you enjoy! If you'd like to chat about your favourite folklore tale, site, or fact, chuck me a message at [email protected] - season 2 is being recorded over May/June and I'd love to have you on there!

Settle in with a beer or brew for this Whisht! Lads episode where we're doing things a little bit differently; not only is the chat done online, we're also taking a detour away from tales to talk about traditions. Jake is an award-winning poet and writer from South Shields. He once set off on a pilgrimage of the North East - connecting with the often unseen or heard sites and stories of the region - then he wrote a cool book about it called Between the Salt and the Ash. The paperback is out now; you should totes buy it! If you have a favourite folklore tale, site, tradition, or piece of music - I'd love to talk to you about it. Email me at [email protected]

Join me and Gary for a wander about Worm Hill in Fatfield to hear the story of the Lambton Worm - I know, not Penshaw Monument! We chat about the evolution of folklore tales and how they change depending who is sharing it and where; and have a bit of crack about how the modern folk scene connects us to landscape, people, and history. There's no falling over on this one, but we do hop a few fences. Hope you enjoy the chat - and if you want to share your own, email me on [email protected] 

For this week's podcast we're doing something a bit different, wandering around the Drake Stone feeling its energy and sharing the tales we've heard about its history. We also chat about community building, permission to folk, and how Linsey became to be known at the Westminster Lady If you'd like to meet me for a wander and chat about your favourite north east folklore tale, email [email protected]

I met with Lauren Moss (@folkloriclauren) in a very wet and windy Bamburgh to hear about the Laidly Worm of Bamburgh.   We chat about immersive folklore experiences, medieval recipes (with herbs, please), and her recommended local sites to head along to and learn more about north east folklore.   If you'd like to meet me for a wander and chat, email [email protected]

Join Dave Silk and the North East Folklore Society's, Nikki, for a wander around St Andrews' graveyard to hear the folklore tale, Johnny Reed's Cat. Come for the spooky cat; but stay for the chat about churches, local authors, and where to look if you're interested in North East folklore.