Podcasts about Yorkshire

This is a preview of this week's Patreon episode. To listen to the full episode and to enjoy weekly bonus content, videos, BTS bits, extra guest stories, live show discount codes and more, sign up to the Yer Don't Get Owt Fer Nowt! tier on Patreon at patreon.com/northernnews.This week on Patreon, Ian and Amy challenge Hollywood A-lister Jacob Elordi's Yorkshire accent.Got a juicy story from t'North? Email it to northernnewspod@gmail.com.And follow Northern News on Instagram @NorthernNewsPodcastRecorded and edited by Aniya Das for Plosive.Artwork by Welcome Studio.Photography by Jonathan Birch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Born in a storm and cackling instead of crying, Mother Shipton wasn't your average baby—she was England's most powerful witch and prophetess. From dark rumors about her mysterious birth in a Yorkshire cave to a lifetime of magic and prophecy, her story has haunted England for centuries. But Ursula Southeil, known as Mother Shipton, wasn't all devilish rumors—she was a healer, a wise woman, and a witch who used her gifts to help the very people who once feared her. She predicted storms, cured the sick, and foresaw moments in history no one could have imagined—from the rise of cars and planes to the end of the world itself. Sources: Mother Shipton Investigated by W.H. Harrison  Mother Shipton Secrets of a Yorkshire Witch – The Supernatural Bloodline Mystery Watch the video version here. Have ghost stories of your own? E-mail them to us at twogirlsoneghostpodcast@gmail.com New Episodes are released every Thursday and Sunday at 12am PST/3am EST (the witching hour, of course). Corinne and Sabrina hand select a couple of paranormal encounters from our inbox to read in each episode, from demons, to cryptids, to aliens, to creepy kids... the list goes on and on. If you have a story of your own that you'd like us to share on an upcoming episode, we invite you to email them to us!  If you enjoy our show, please consider joining our Patreon, rating and reviewing on iTunes & Spotify and following us on social media! Youtube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Discord. Edited by Jaimi Ryan and produced by Emma Leventer and Jaimi Ryan, original music by Arms Akimbo! Disclaimer: the use of white sage and smudging is a closed practice. If you're looking to cleanse your space, here are some great alternatives! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the 21st September 1963, 23 year old Linda Cook was living in Redcar in Yorkshire and was last seen in the afternoon of that day. The next morning, her body was found 3 miles away. She had been strangled and left on a semi rural lane. Over half a century later, her murder is still unsolved.Important information provided by:Contemporary articles by: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/homehttps://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/murders-60s-unsolved-murder-linda-7385187Music by: dl-sounds.comFollow the Unseen Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unseen-podcast/id1318473466?uo=4Follow the Unseen Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0xWK7Mu3bTP6oziZvxrwSK?si=QxvyPkZ2TdCDscnfxyeRawJoin our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/unseenpodFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theunseenpodFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theunseenpod/Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theunseenpod?fan_landing=trueSubscribe to 10 Minute True Crime: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/10-minute-true-crime/id1591474862

Exploring Leeds United's Rich History and Present with PaulIn this engaging episode of 'Don't Know Much About Football,' hosts Carla Marcelo, Sarah Hamilton, and Ian Storer delve into the history, culture, and current state of Leeds United with guest Paul. The discussion covers the club's prestigious past, including its heyday in the 70s under Don Revy, notable players, and the passionate fan base. Paul shares his personal journey from Yorkshire to Kansas City, his love for Leeds, and his insights into the club's performance in the Premier League 2025/26 season. The episode also explores the cultural aspects of being a Leeds fan, from iconic kits and songs to the atmosphere at matches and local foods. Tune in for a deep dive into football history and contemporary insights from a dedicated Leeds United supporter.00:00 Paul's Background and Journey to the US05:33 Leeds United's Cultural Impact and Rivalries14:38 Leeds Historical Highlights17:59 Current State of Leeds United21:49 Leeds Traditions and Fan Culture29:26 Leeds United's Branding31:38 Stadium and Training Ground34:44 Football Culture in Kansas City43:18 Leeds United's Current Season and Squad49:40 Upcoming Matches and Ticket Challenges54:26 Conclusion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Naomi Bakes joins Jana Byars to talk about Voices of Thunder: Radical Religious Women of the Seventeenth Century (Reaktion Books, 2025), a book that explores the stories of early modern Protestant women, including Rose Thurgood, Anna Trapnel, and Jane Lead, who defied the religious authority of their age. Voices of Thunder illuminates the stories and beliefs of a dozen seventeenth-century radical Protestant women, including a Colchester woman who feared that her four children would starve to death and a former maidservant from Yorkshire who was granted an audience with the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Their belief in spiritual equality empowered them to resist the status quo, questioning the authority of those who sought to lord it over them. From mostly humble backgrounds, they found ways to make their voices heard, creating some of the earliest autobiographical accounts in English and allowing us a rare and precious glimpse of the lives and experiences of women in the early modern era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Naomi Bakes joins Jana Byars to talk about Voices of Thunder: Radical Religious Women of the Seventeenth Century (Reaktion Books, 2025), a book that explores the stories of early modern Protestant women, including Rose Thurgood, Anna Trapnel, and Jane Lead, who defied the religious authority of their age. Voices of Thunder illuminates the stories and beliefs of a dozen seventeenth-century radical Protestant women, including a Colchester woman who feared that her four children would starve to death and a former maidservant from Yorkshire who was granted an audience with the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Their belief in spiritual equality empowered them to resist the status quo, questioning the authority of those who sought to lord it over them. From mostly humble backgrounds, they found ways to make their voices heard, creating some of the earliest autobiographical accounts in English and allowing us a rare and precious glimpse of the lives and experiences of women in the early modern era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naomi Bakes joins Jana Byars to talk about Voices of Thunder: Radical Religious Women of the Seventeenth Century (Reaktion Books, 2025), a book that explores the stories of early modern Protestant women, including Rose Thurgood, Anna Trapnel, and Jane Lead, who defied the religious authority of their age. Voices of Thunder illuminates the stories and beliefs of a dozen seventeenth-century radical Protestant women, including a Colchester woman who feared that her four children would starve to death and a former maidservant from Yorkshire who was granted an audience with the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Their belief in spiritual equality empowered them to resist the status quo, questioning the authority of those who sought to lord it over them. From mostly humble backgrounds, they found ways to make their voices heard, creating some of the earliest autobiographical accounts in English and allowing us a rare and precious glimpse of the lives and experiences of women in the early modern era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naomi Bakes joins Jana Byars to talk about Voices of Thunder: Radical Religious Women of the Seventeenth Century (Reaktion Books, 2025), a book that explores the stories of early modern Protestant women, including Rose Thurgood, Anna Trapnel, and Jane Lead, who defied the religious authority of their age. Voices of Thunder illuminates the stories and beliefs of a dozen seventeenth-century radical Protestant women, including a Colchester woman who feared that her four children would starve to death and a former maidservant from Yorkshire who was granted an audience with the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Their belief in spiritual equality empowered them to resist the status quo, questioning the authority of those who sought to lord it over them. From mostly humble backgrounds, they found ways to make their voices heard, creating some of the earliest autobiographical accounts in English and allowing us a rare and precious glimpse of the lives and experiences of women in the early modern era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

Naomi Bakes joins Jana Byars to talk about Voices of Thunder: Radical Religious Women of the Seventeenth Century (Reaktion Books, 2025), a book that explores the stories of early modern Protestant women, including Rose Thurgood, Anna Trapnel, and Jane Lead, who defied the religious authority of their age. Voices of Thunder illuminates the stories and beliefs of a dozen seventeenth-century radical Protestant women, including a Colchester woman who feared that her four children would starve to death and a former maidservant from Yorkshire who was granted an audience with the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Their belief in spiritual equality empowered them to resist the status quo, questioning the authority of those who sought to lord it over them. From mostly humble backgrounds, they found ways to make their voices heard, creating some of the earliest autobiographical accounts in English and allowing us a rare and precious glimpse of the lives and experiences of women in the early modern era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Freda Cooper talks to director Nicholas Hytner about his new film, The Choral.  1916. As war rages on the Western Front, the Choral Society in Ramsden, Yorkshire has lost most of its men to the army. The Choral's ambitious committee, determined to press ahead, decides to recruit local young males to swell their ranks.They must also engage a new chorus master, and despite their suspicions that he has something to hide, their best bet seems to be Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) – driven, uncompromising, and recently returned from a career in Germany. As conscription papers start to arrive, the whole community discovers that the best response to the chaos that is laying waste to their lives is to make music together. Directed by BAFTA, Olivier and Tony Award winner Nicholas Hytner (The Crucible) and written by BAFTA, Olivier and Tony Award winner Alan Bennett, The Choral marks their fourth writer-director collaboration following the acclaimed films The Madness of King George, The History Boys, and The Lady in The Van. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with @picturehouses. Find our latest cinema listings at picturehouses.com.  Produced by Stripped Media. Thank you for listening. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, rate, review and share with your friends. Vive le Cinema.

For most bands, album number two is make-or-break time. The general consensus is that a band's debut album is their easiest, taking into account things like no pressure as an unknown band and having a larger amount of time to come up with material and draw from their well of music.But the dreaded sophomore album - especially if the debut is a raging success - is usually the one by which a band is judged. And more than you think fail. There's a multitude of reasons and excuses for this, but we are here to dwell on the positives, not the negatives.Yorkshire melodic metal outfit Caskets fall firmly into this category. Following the breakthrough global success of their first album Lost Souls, Caskets went more introspective for the follow-up, Reflections, and although it, too, was well received, the band themselves still felt they could do better. And so it is that the band approached album number three, the hurdle of the dreaded second album behind them.It was another fresh approach from Caskets, with frontman Matt Flood opening up and delving into deeply personal troubles like never before on The Only Heaven You'll Know, which is out now. It was a risk, in a sense, inviting fans to take such a journey with a band on only their third album, but one which looks set to pay dividends, with Flood joining HEAVY to dive deeper. One of the topics of discussion was a quote from Flood that said, "this record is the sound of me falling apart in real time", which we ask him to elaborate on."I write, or I sing, or I've written lyrics where a lot of the meanings of these songs are written about parts of me, or aspects of my life that I've - in all honesty - been too scared or anxious to talk about before," he explained. "Ever. To anyone. I feel like it's time for me now to get these… not only thoughts out of my head for my own sake, but I know that this type of stuff that I've gone through in the past and what I've sung about in these new songs, I know they will potentially help other people listening. They will relate to it, and I hope it helps them find some closure or helps them feel heard and feel seen. A lot of the songs are about my dealings with my belief in Faith and my past with addictions and parts of my upbringing, and my own self-criticisms as well. It's about time I took a little bit of responsibility for some of the bad I've done in my life that I have kept inside and pent up. I let that out not just for me, but so other people can hear that it's fine to acknowledge that sometimes you can be the bad person in a situation, but also know that we all have bad in us, and we all do bad things, but it's also fine to forgive yourself and try and find forgiveness."In the full interview, Matt talks more about the personal nature of The Only Heaven You'll Know, what they were going for musically, how the album is the best representation yet of Caskets as a band and how such personal lyrics help in his own healing process.He talks about the early days of Caskets and the band's early vision, how it has changed since, and their future goals as a band. Matt also talks about how each album has to stand on its own merits rather than repeat the winning formula of what came before, their Australian tour next year and what to expect, plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Some exciting news — The Take is now on Patreon: www.patreon.com/kermodeandmayo. Become a Vanguardista or an Ultra Vanguardista to get video episodes of Take Two every week, plus member‑only chat rooms, polls and submissions to influence the show, behind‑the‑scenes photos and videos, the monthly Redactor's Roundup newsletter, and access to a new fortnightly LIVE show — a raucous, unfiltered lunchtime special with the Good Doctors, new features, and live chat so you can heckle, vote, and have your questions read out in real time. It's a pretty special week for guests over here in Take town. We're welcoming debut filmmaker Ronan Day-Lewis, and his dad who's come with him and is apparently quite famous or something? Yes, that's Sir Daniel Day-Lewis, star and co-writer of ‘Anemone'—the father-son co-created drama that has brought him out of retirement. Day-Lewis stars as reclusive and damaged former soldier Ray, who reconnects with his brother Jem (Sean Bean) after years in the wilderness. The pair unpack the film with Simon—including how a 16th Century manuscript partially inspired it, their family history in Ireland, and what it was like to write and shoot an intense father-son story as a real life father-son team. Mark reviews it too, along with three more big movies you can head down to the cinema to watch this weekend—code compliantly, obvs. First up, ‘Predator: Badlands'—the latest instalment in this very loooong running sci-fi action franchise which the classic villain turns hero and the hunter turns hunted. In calmer territory, we've got ‘The Choral' too—a cosy drama about a Yorkshire village choir during WWI, led by controversial new conductor Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes). And finally, the new and long-awaited Lynne Ramsay film ‘Die My Love'—a dark family drama starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson. Reckon Mark's going to be excited about this one... All the usual email excellence, bantz, rantz, and everything you've come to expect from a top Take too. AND Don't miss our upcoming LIVE Christmas Extravaganza at London's Prince Edward Theatre on 7th December. Tickets here: fane.co.uk/kermode-mayo Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free) Predator: Badlands Review: 11:33 BO10: 19:21 Daniel Day-Lewis & Ronan Day-Lewis Interview: 29:13 Anemone Review: 30:30 Laughter Lift: 57:21 The Choral Review: 1:02:41 Die My Love Review: 1:12:44 You can contact the show by emailing correspondence@kermodeandmayo.com or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo Please take our survey and help shape the future of our show: https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/survey EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Blues From The Ouse #300 (5 Nov 2025)Celebrating 300 shows with fresh blues, live sessions, and surreal laws from New England.We've hit 300 episodes—and we're celebrating with a show full of fresh blues releases, exclusive live sessions, listener requests, and a few surreal laws from New England (yes, soggy pickles are involved).From South Africa to Mississippi, Italy to Yorkshire, this week's show features Ross Harding, Andrea De Luca, Emma Wilson, Lightning Threads, Hot Foot Hall, and more.We explore blues lineage with Nine Below Zero's take on “Sugar Mama,” revisit JB Lenoir's “Talk to Your Daughter” via Robben Ford, and close with four giants: Hendrix, Allman, Kid Ramos, and Mick Taylor. Plus, listener shout-outs, gig guide highlights, and a double dose of cuckoo.Catch up now and celebrate #300 with us—thanks for riding along.PlaylistRoss Harding – Me & Lucifer – 00:02:40Andrea DeLuca – Down To The South – 00:08:23Ryan Hartt & The Blue Hearts – That's Right, You're Wrong – 00:13:13Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport – Fatherless Child – 00:19:31Emma Wilson – Mary Lou – 00:24:34The 20ft Squid Blues Band – Stranger Blues – 00:31:34Lightning Threads – The Preacher – 00:35:07Hot Foot Hall – Little Something For You – 00:40:21Bad Bob Bates – The 27 – 00:42:56Dust Radio – Me And The Devil – 00:45:43John Doe Trio – Long, Long Way From Georgia – 00:48:31Satan and Adam – Thunky Fing Rides Again – 00:51:51Doctor Wu – I Wanna Love You – 00:57:55B.B. King – The Thrill Is Gone – 01:03:18Red Red – The Cuckoo – 01:08:29Taj Mahal – The Cuckoo – 01:14:56Nine Below Zero – Sugar Mama – 01:19:14Robben Ford – Talk To Your Daughter – 01:27:09North Mississippi Allstars – Father – 01:31:16Mud Morganfield – Son Of The Seventh Son – 01:35:34Jimi Hendrix – Crosstown Traffic – 01:40:09The Allman Brothers Band – Trouble No More – 01:42:07Kid Ramos – Love Don't Love Nobody – 01:45:48Mick Taylor – Slow Blues – 01:49:42Discover more blues by searching with these keywordsBlues From The OuseUK blues podcastBlues radio showLive blues sessionsBlues gig guideElectric bluesHarmonica bluesListener request bluesBritish blues sceneRobben FordNine Below ZeroApple Podcasts bluesAcast blues showYork bluesShow 300Mick TaylorKid RamosJB LenoirBlues heritage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Complete our 2025 Listener Survey: https://forms.gle/smJxoWJhr66qKG4Q7We'd love to hear from you! Every year, we ask the Life After Prison audience to complete a short survey. Your answers help us understand what's working, what we can improve, and they also help us show our funders the real impact of the show. It only takes a few minutes and your feedback really does make a difference.In this brand new series, Cellmate to CEO, Tony Supreme, CEO of Soul Surge Wellness, who has lived experience of the criminal justice system himself, talks to other CEO's, leaders and changemakers about their transition from prison to leadership.In this episode Tony chats to the CEO of Offploy, Jacob Hill. Jacob talks about the ups and downs of his life so far, as the son of two retired police officers, and former ‘Yorkshire's Young Entrepreneur of the Year'. Jacob talks to Tony about the path that led him to serving a prison sentence, and how drive, passion, hard work, and not shying away from asking for help, put him on the path to leadership.Useful organisations:Offploy- Offploy is a social enterprise formed by ex-prisoners to help those with convictions secure employment and lead a positive life.Rift Social Enterprise- providing self-employment and HMRC-related advice, training and support to marginalised people in the UK. National Careers Service- Inspiring people to thrive.Contact us: If anything you've heard in this podcast has inspired you to make a positive change in your life, or you'd just like to get in touch, please contact us.

On this week's show, host Mark Singleton is joined by The YP's chief football writer Stuart Rayner and football reporter Tom Coates. They start by delving into how realistic a relegation battle may be for Sheffield United as they remain rooted in the Championship's  bottom three following back-to-back losses to Derby County and leaders Coventry City. They also cast an eye over any causes for concern there may be for Leeds United following their 3-0 defeat Brighton before looking at the first round of the FA Cup which produced only two Yorkshire winners in Barnsley and Doncaster Rovers. They consider who the forthcoming international break benefits the most out of Yorkshire's 11 Premier League and EFL clubs before picking out a Team of the Week and Player of the Week.

Harriet Langley-Swindon and Producer Martin present an Bonfire Night Special edition of NonCensored - the annual celebration of the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot. We speak to Yorkshire's very own failed terrorist Guy Fawkes, who talks about why he tried to blow up Parliament and how he views his legacy, and William Wade, the Lieutenant of the Tower of London 1613-1615, about Guy's interrogation experience. And of course, Eshaan Akbar is here, with a Hot & Spicy Takeaway of the Week that threatens to blow up the entire premise of the episode.If you don't fill in this survey, we will say your pet is "mid": http://bit.ly/noncensored-surveyYou would have gotten this episode earlier, and without adverts, if you'd signed up to Patreon.com/NonCensored for just £4/£8 month. You'd also have access to the full video of the interviews and bonus podcasts, such as Time For Questions?, where once a month we answer your questions.With thanks to Rosie Holt, Brendan Murphy, Eshaan Akbar, Nick Revell, Oliver Izod and Ed Morrish.Rosie's book, Why We Were Right, is available now.Brendan is currently on tour with his show, Buffy ReVamped.Eshaan is recording his next special on the 16th November at Top Secret in Covent Garden: get tickets here.Nick is performing with Martin Rowson as part of Jo Neary & Friends at the Lamb Inn in Eastbourne on the 13th December.Oliver's website is oliverizod.com.Show photography is by Karla Gowlett and design is by Chris Barker. Original music is by Paddy Gervers and Rob Sell at Torch and Compass.NonCensored is a Lead Mojo production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four weeks ago the MP for Barnsley South took over the tourism brief: a real challenge, in my view, with visitor numbers and spend last year lower than pre-Covid. I've been hearing about her vision for boosting business, and in particular broadening the appeal of the UK beyond London. To places such as Yorkshire ...This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 28 years on air, Yorkshire radio legend JoJo Kelly swapped early mornings and microphones for the Welsh mountains — and a brand new chapter.In this laugh-out-loud and deeply relatable chat, JoJo opens up about her accidental start in radio (thanks to a guy in a dress and a nightclub), the confidence it took to survive male-dominated breakfast shows, and why she's now embracing the unknown with open arms.From her days at Kiss 105 and Galaxy FM to her recent move to rural Wales, JoJo's story is a masterclass in joy, resilience, and reinvention.You'll hear:

Roast beef is a dish of beef that is roasted, generally served as the main dish of a meal. In the Anglosphere, roast beef is one of the meats often served at Sunday lunch or dinner. Yorkshire pudding is a standard side dish. Sliced roast beef is also sold as a cold cut, and used as a sandwich filling. Leftover roast beef may be minced and made into hash.Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog #4100:00 Intro10:34 ...and one shall save him! Part I24:22 ...and one shall save him! Part II35:30 ...and one shall save him! Part III46:48 Outro-----Gotta Talk Fast is an oral review of Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog. Way past cool.LINKS: https://gottatalkfast.com/

Ever worked with a pupil who argues about everything — even the things they secretly agree with?In this episode, we unpack Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) — what it is, what it isn't, and why traditional approaches like confrontation or “tougher boundaries” often backfire.You'll discover:The common myths that cause teachers to misread ODD behaviourThe key differences between ODD and PDA (and why that distinction matters)How ADHD and ODD overlap, and what that means for your classroomWhat's really driving the behaviour of pupils with ODD — including the roles of ontrol, safety, and predictabilityAnd four practical strategies to help you support these pupils without power struggles, conflict, or endless frustrationYou'll learn why your student's defiance often hides distress — and how changing your response can change everything.Important links:Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbookDownload other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resourcesNEW and FREE: Live in-person events for heads and executive leadersJoin other heads from Birmingham, the North West and Yorkshire and learn how the LEAD framework and Success Path approaches can equip your team to handle SEMH challenges in your school, while building a more inclusive and resilient culture.To learn more and book your free place, visit:https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk

On this episode of the podcast, host Dr Pasquale Iannone talks to award-winning British filmmaker Paul Andrew Williams about his new film Dragonfly.Built around two powerful performances by Oscar-nominated actors Brenda Blethyn and Andrea Riseborough, the film is set in Yorkshire and tells of elderly widow Elsie (Blethyn) who lives alone in her semi-detached bungalow with occasional help from carers. Living next door to Elsie is Colleen (Riseborough), a young woman who lives with her dog. When Colleen sees that Elsie's needs aren't being met by the overworked carers, she introduces herself to her neighbour and offers to help out. Colleen's motives start to come under scrutiny, especially on the part of Elsie's absent son (Jason Watkins).Pasquale spoke to Paul a few weeks after Dragonfly's UK premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in August. They discuss the background to the film, the casting of Brenda Blethyn and Andrea Riseborough, Paul's decision to shoot on 16mm film, his collaboration with composer Raffertie and much more.Dragonfly is released in cinemas on 7th November.

Luke 6:20-31Then Jesus looked up at his disciples and said:“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.“Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.“But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. There is a patron saint for almost anything. If you have a fear of caterpillars, meet St. Magnus - the Patron Saint for Protection against those creepy crawlers. Work at a gas station? St. Eligius is your saint. He was the patron saint of horses and blacksmiths, until cars came along and someone decided he should cover gas stations too. If you are a beer lover, Arnold is your saint. The tradition goes, some thirsty people prayed to him to give them what they lacked and a pot of beer appeared. And if the morning after gets rough, there's even St. Bibiana, the patron saint of hangovers. I'm not making that up. Then, there's Drogo, patron saint of unattractive people, not that any of you need to pray to him. I think you get the point. There is a saint for nearly every situation. One of my favorite saints, and the one I think we need inspiration from today, is Saint Aelred of Rievaulx, the patron saint of friendships. You've probably never heard of him, which is part of why I love him. Aelred wasn't known for miracles or dramatic conversions, but for the way he understood and practiced friendship as a path to God.He was born in northern England, the son of a married priest before that became outlawed, and he was well-educated and well-liked from an early age.In his twenties, he served in the Scottish court under King David I: respected for his intelligence, diplomacy, and trustworthiness. But at age twenty-four, he walked away from what was surely a promising career and entered the monastery at Rievaulx in Yorkshire. I'm sure his parents were thrilled since monking makes such good money. He quickly became known for his warmth and wisdom. He eventually rose through the ranks and became the abbot of the whole monastery, overseeing more than 600 monks. But he didn't lead the way we usually imagine leaders do—commanding, strict, or heavy-handed.Aelred was gentle and empathetic, rarely a harsh disciplinarian, and always attentive to the spiritual and emotional needs of the people entrusted to him.He's best known for his writing and preaching on friendship. Aelred had a gift for befriending the people others overlooked, those who were weak, temperamental, or thought to be less than holy. In his most famous work, Spiritual Friendship, he describes a true friend as:“the guardian of my very soul” the one who protects all the secrets of my spirit in loyal silence, the one who bears and endures anything wicked they see in my soul. For a friend will rejoice with my soul rejoicing, grieve with its grieving, and feel that everything that belongs to a friend belongs to themself”. That kind of definition might make us rethink who we call a friend. Aelred's idea of friendship isn't casual or convenient; it sounds more like the love of a spouse, a parent, a sibling, or that one person who walked with us through the best and the worst. And for many of us, that's the person we remember today on All Saints Sunday.Today is unusual in the church year. Instead of primarily giving thanks to the God we know in Jesus Christ, this Sunday is set apart to remember the people we have known and loved in Christ, the ones who have gone before us and now rest in him.And whether we realize it or not, we're also honoring the love shared between us: the risk of loving and being loved, or as Aelred might say, the holy work of friendship.On All Saints Sunday, we remember not just the people we loved, but the risk it took to love them and the risk they took in loving us. Every real relationship carries the possibility, maybe even the certainty, of hurting and being hurt.And that's true of the saints we remember today. Some of them were anything but saintly. Some were difficult. Some were wounded, and some were wounding. Even the best of them didn't consistently love their enemies, pray for those who hurt them, or give generously all the time.But in the Lutheran tradition, that's not what makes a saint. A saint isn't someone who got it right. A saint is someone who tried, failed, and is forgiven by God. That is what makes a saint: a forgiven sinner.Which means this loving and being loved is risky business, no matter who it is. C.S. Lewis puts it this way:“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe and dark, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.To love is to be vulnerable.”Is there anyone who knows this risk — this vulnerability — more than the God we know in Jesus Christ? He left heaven, only to be betrayed by his own people, abandoned by his friends, and to have his heart beaten and broken until it stopped on the cross. And he did it so that we might be made into saints — forgiven sinners. Truly, there is no greater love than that.This morning we don't just remember the saints in our lives, we remember the love it took to be in relationship with them, and the risk that love always requires. Saint Aelred reminds us that to love is to risk. And to follow Jesus is simply to keep risking love again and again. Which means this life of faith is never without risk.Today is not only All Saints Sunday; it's also the launch of our capital campaign. You've seen the plans, the pictures, and you've given feedback along the way. And today we want to show you where all of that has led us.Because at the heart of this campaign is not just more seats in a sanctuary, or a bigger building. At the heart of it is more relationships. Buildings don't make a church. Relationships do.But buildings can give us the space where those vulnerable, holy friendships can take root. That's what we're after: a sanctuary that makes room for more people to experience the grace of Jesus Christ, and one that finally allows everyone to enter, serve, and participate fully in worship. And a Community Hub: a space where neighbors can connect, where learning and conversation can happen, where kids can play and grow, where anyone can meet, make, or find a friend.Does this involve risk? Absolutely. Not just financial risk, though that's part of it. The deeper risk is opening ourselves to the people around us.We risk people coming into our space simply to use it — and nothing more. We risk people learning what we believe about God's grace and deciding they want nothing to do with it.And we risk forming new friendships that will stretch our hearts and our community to make room for the people God sends our way. We could get really attached to these people. We could give our hearts to them. And that requires vulnerability.But that's the life Jesus calls us to — a life of risk, of friendship, of love.And if that is not at the heart of why we're doing this — if all we want is a bigger building with more empty chairs and tables — then this campaign can be damned. But if we are willing to take the risk — to open ourselves, to make the kind of friends Aelred made, the ones others overlook and dismissed, and to share the love of Jesus with a community who needs to see it, hear it, and feel it — then we are truly rooted in grace and growing in mission.Since there's a saint for nearly every situation, let Aelred be our saint for this moment. Not because he built anything, but because he loved people others ignored. Because he believed friendship was holy work. Because he knew the work of grace was making room for the overlooked and the imperfect.This campaign is not about numbers or square footage. It is about making more room for that kind of love: the kind that turns strangers into friends, and friends into saints.Because as Aelred wrote, “True friendship draws us right up to the edge of what it means to know God and experience God.”Amen

For our 100th episode we head to Britain's most infamous haunted house: 30 East Drive. Said to be plagued by the malevolent spirit known as the Black Monk, this unassuming Yorkshire council house has terrified investigators, inspired books and films, and cemented its place as one of the UK's most enduring hauntings.To celebrate 100 episodes of storytelling, we're joined by a very special guest: Bil Bungay, co-writer of The Black Monk of Pontefract and producer of the chilling feature film When the Lights Went Out. As the current owner of 30 East Drive, Bil brings unparalleled insight into the house's dark history, its unexplained phenomena, and what it's truly like to hold the keys to England's most notorious poltergeist property.From the original Farrar and Pritchard family hauntings to modern-day encounters, Bill guides us through decades of terror, myth, and mystery; revealing behind-the-scenes secrets, personal experiences, and why the legend of the Black Monk continues to grip the world.A landmark episode deserves a landmark haunting. Join us as we step into the haunted halls of 30 East Drive… if you dare.

Today I'm delighted to welcome back Meghan Rhodes, a herbalist based in Yorkshire in the UK. Megan previously joined me in episodes 34 and 60. For Meghan herbal medicine is more than something you simply turn to when you are sick or struggling it has been an invitation to a life that provides a deeper connection to both ourselves, the plants and ultimately the interwoven world around us.Through this lens of our deeper connection to nature and the wisdom it can provide to help us travel more easily and gently through life that I am excited to share that together we will be bringing you an incredible 4 part series delivered as the season change over the next year. We will be exploring the ways that we can align to a more natural rhythm in our lives by embracing the ancient eight season wheel of the year and the teachings from the plants that can guide us through each turn of the wheel and the cycles of the earth. In this first part we dive into the current season and as Autumn turns to winter we discuss the influences and ways we can support ourselves from Samhain or Halloween through the Winter Solstice or Yule which marks the rebirth of the sun in the northern hemisphere and the lengthening of days. Think cosy evenings, slowing down and much like the trees drawing back into our roots and using the extended dreamtime to play in the possibilities of the future, whilst also nurturing our bodies with foods and plants that offer us warmth and grounding and support our immune system through this season of rest.Learn more about MeghanMeghan Rhodes is a qualified herbalist and the founder and director of Heritage School of Herbal Medicine, where she guides students on a unique sense-based herbalism course and journey, Awaken Herbal Wisdom, for up to three turnings of the wheel.Meghan's practice of herbalism is rooted in the belief that we must remember, reclaim and relearn our knowledge of our bodies, our autonomy and how to work with plant medicine in order to bring control of our own health back into our families and homes for a sustainable future for ourselves and the planet. Through her herbalism school, Meghan facilitates the development of confident, empowered herbalists, attuned to the messages of their bodies and the natural world. Living the deep wisdom of herbal medicine within themselves, their homes and their communities, they uplift themselves and others, creating a stronger society organically.Meghan is a member of both the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy and the Ayurvedic Professionals Association.Awaken Herbal Wisdom – Meghan's intensive herbalism course – applications open each spring - https://bit.ly/43qbNxgWebsite: heritageschoolofherbalmedicine.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heritageschoolofherbalmedicine/Meghan's mailing list: https://bit.ly/4kqdWQiSupport the showThank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world. More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography WebsiteConnect with us & join the conversation on social media:Instagram @FionaMacKayPhotographyFacebook @FionaMacKayPhotographyTwitter @FiMacKay

Paul and Rob's Yorkshire Marathon, anticipated and debriefed. Featuring channelling Tom Cruise, RunCom IRL at Hampton by Hilton, the cops get called, the night before the run, a little light self-sabotage, breakfast reports and final thoughts. THEN... the other side! Paul - *plot-spoiler* - finishing in curmudgeonly style, overtaking and being overtaken, going out and coming back, various uses of the word 'beef', Rob's playlist-powered plod, music or not, similar times achieved, good-yet-grumpy news all round, and Tonks' beverages - or lack of.SUBSCRIBE at ⁠https://runcompod.supercast.com/⁠ for early access, bonus episodes, ad-free listening and more... BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - ⁠https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444⁠ - and you can get Paul's book 26.2 Miles to Happiness here: ⁠https://www.waterstones.com/book/26-2-miles-to-happiness/paul-tonkinson/9781472975270⁠Thanks for listening, supporting, and sharing your adventures with us. Happy running. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's show dives into fresh blues releases, muddy metaphors, and money blues — with a WORLD EXCLUSIVE from Lightning Threads, a spotlight on Emma Wilson's UK Blues Challenge win, and swampy swagger from The Too Bad Jims. Listener requests roll in from Taj Mahal to DC Blues, plus Halloween-ready tracks and a cinematic gospel closer. Also featuring Paul's bathtub tear maths and gig picks across Yorkshire.Playlist & Timings:00:00:00 – Blues From The Ouse Intro00:02:45 – The Too Bad Jims – 44 Pistol00:08:05 – Lightning Threads – What Can I Say00:11:13 – Mudlow – Sally Ruby00:17:23 – Manu Lanvin – I Got The Blues00:20:18 – The Dig 3 – Big Water00:27:14 – Emma Wilson – Water00:30:35 – Paul Rogers – Muddy Water Blues00:35:35 – Bob Corritore – Asked For Water00:39:02 – ZZ Top – Ten Dollar Man00:42:35 – Sugar Queen & The Straight Blues Band – 15 Dollars00:45:54 – John Primer – Poor Man Blues00:50:20 – Fruteland Jackson – Good As Your Last Dollar00:56:38 – Taj Mahal – Checkin' Up On My Baby01:02:30 – DC Blues – Bitter Man01:07:08 – Fleetwood Mac – My Baby's Good To Me01:11:32 – Laura Evans – Fool01:15:45 – David Ronaldo – When A Good Man Cries01:24:42 – The Cold Stares – Hard Times01:28:04 – Magpie Salute – Comin' Home01:31:49 – The Soulful Gentlemen – Graveyard Mercy01:35:22 – Saint Senara – I Put A Spell On You01:39:40 – The Dibs – Stop Fooling Around01:43:48 – Mike Bourne Band – Kansas City O'clock01:46:55 – Brother Ray Lemelin & The Matinee Kings – Makin' OutKeywords:Blues From The Ouse, Blues Radio, York Blues Scene, New Blues Releases, World Exclusive, Muddy Water, Money Blues, Listener Requests, UK Blues Challenge, Halloween Blues, DC Blues, Emma Wilson, Lightning Threads, Blues Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Eavesdroppin' comedy podcast, Geordie & Michelle celebrate Halloween by looking at hauntings and horror… Imagine sitting on the loo only to have the door fly open by a dwarf monk holding a severed forearm. Could only happen at Hobstones, a haunted farm in Yorkshire, England, where spooky goings on happen on the reg. Geordie also looks at the gruesome history surrounding the witches of Pendle and the grisly end for those caught up in the witch hunt! Michelle follows with a look at a classic tale of horror from the King of Horror himself, Stephen King. When Pet Sematary was published in the early 1980s, author Stephen King said it was the scariest book he'd ever written - and this is coming from the author of It and The Shining! So what is it that makes Pet Sematary so scary? What's the back story? Why is it misspelled? And why did it almost never see the light of day? Listen now! So pop on your headphones, grab a brown lemonade and join Geordie & Michelle for this week's episode, plus chat about halloween costumes, an Agony Aunt question, lolly bras and more, only on Eavesdroppin' comedy podcast. And remember, wherever you are, whatever you do, just keep Eavesdroppin'!*Disclaimer: We don't claim to have any factual info about anything ever and our opinions are just opinions not fact, sooorrrryyy! Don't sue us!Please rate, review, tell your friends about Eavesdroppin' Comedy Podcast and subscribe in all the usual places – it really helps us and we love it when you do!Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/eavesdroppinDo write in with your stories at hello@eavesdroppinpodcast.com or send us a Voice Note!Listen: http://www.eavesdroppinpodcast.comorhttps://podfollow.com/eavesdroppinYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqcuzv-EXizUo4emmt9PgfwFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/eavesdroppinpodcast#halloween #halloweenstories #murder #truecrime #reallife #witches #witchesofpendle #stephenking #petsematary #horrormovies #movies #hobstonehaunting #yorkshire #witchesofpendle #truestories #eavesdroppin #eavesdroppinpodcast #eavesdroppincomedypodcast #podcast #comedy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 19 It Doesn t Matter, and I Don t Understand. In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             Being dead is wonderful; you never get tired and you have all the time in the world to regret how you ended up this way      "You are so good to me, Zane, and I appreciate it," Barbie Lynn murmured. "You never give me less than 100% and I've never felt like you take me for granted." "It is you and only you, Sarah, Cindy, Eve, umm, help me out here," I grinned. Barbie Lynn lilted in the voice of an angel while she pressed off the glass with her upper body and leveraged down onto my cock. I shifted one hand off an ass cheek to move it to the back of her neck and pull her face in and up to mine. She also constricted her anal muscles around my shaft, concentrating on my cockhead. "Does this make my body more familiar to you?" she panted, our lips only inches away. "Not as much as these eyes, these eyes of my own beautiful seraph," I whispered. Barbie Lynn completed the kiss. Her hips rotated up slightly and mine shifted lower and under so that my penetration reached deep inside. For thirty seconds we kept the tender kiss going before she had to break free. "Oh, Jesus, Zane, this feels so good, I can't, oh, Lord Jesus," she gasped out as I shifted out, then back in rhythmically. "More time, I want more time with you, Zane," Barbie Lynn panted with a heavy breath. "We have tests this afternoon and Vivian is waiting," I shook my head in disappointment. Fierce passion engulfed both of us. Clearly, I got my money's worth from the contractor who had installed the shower because the glass wall didn't give way despite our enthusiasm. "Lord Jesus loves, ," Barbie Lynn screamed across campus. Her arms locked my head and shoulders in place, her face grinding into my chest. Her torso desperately tried to impale her hole deeper onto my rod. Her scream degenerated to an uncontrolled growling against me while I kept her back to the glass and up against my body. "Zane, I know I've been really needy today but you've been so kind and understanding, and I appreciate you putting up with me the kind way you have," Barbie Lynn snuggled into me. "You are the best." That's what I wanted to talk to Barbie Lynn about, taking me for granted and using me like a sex toy. Boy, I just saved myself from acting like a total ass! "Babe, you are better than I deserve." I kissed her neck as I lowered her legs down to the tiled floor. "If I ever take you for granted, promise me you'll kiss me, rub your body against me front and back, and then walk away. I guarantee you I'll fall on my knees and beg for forgiveness." "I like it when you beg," she said with a glimmer in her eye. "Why am I being nice to you again?" I teased. Barbie Lynn simply let her eyes go wide and innocent with a cute little smile on her face. "Oh, yeah," I whistled, "you give me hope, happiness, and warmth in good times and bad." "My body has nothing to do with it?" she questioned in a coquettish fashion. "It's passable," I shrugged as I cut the water off, "but I hope you will fill out one day, you know, quit the training bra and become a little more womanly." Mind you, Barbie Lynn hadn't seen a training bra in ten years. Hourglasses went to Barbie for lessons on how they should be shaped and her ass was the perfect balance between fantasy cheerleader and soccer girl. "Thank you for spending time with someone as poorly endowed as me," she purred. "I admit that I'm holding out for Doctor Burns. He's got it going on," I struggled to say convincingly. Barbie Lynn fought valiantly to hold back her reaction to the thought of seeing our over-70-year-old male Biology teacher in any sexual manner. "Burns without his clothes on is an image I could have forever gone without," she shuddered. "Gosh, I value you more than my own personal desires so I guess I'm stuck with you, Barbie Lynn," I sighed playfully. "Would you two get out of the shower!" barked Vivian. She was sitting in a chair in the main room. We stepped out of the shower, grabbed the waiting towels, and began drying each other off. Vivian surprised me by keeping a somewhat detached eye on the two of us. Maybe she wanted to make sure Barbie Lynn and I didn't turn drying into fondling, thus ending up with us rolling on the tiled floor. The floor would be uncomfortable but having hot, sweaty Barbie Lynn flesh pressing into me, I put this on my 'to do' list. We quickly got dressed and moved to where Vivian was standing and waiting. It wasn't until we were making our way to the elevator that Vivian spoke. "Barbie Lynn, would you take the elevator? Zane and I need to take the stairs," she said. "Sure thing, Vivian," Barbie Lynn smiled. She stepped up to me and kissed me on the lips. "I'll see ya Sunday night, slugger." "I kinda, sorta have a standing date with Heaven," I cautioned her, "so if you come by, be careful." I didn't miss Vivian rolling her eyes in exasperation. The elevator came and took Barbie Lynn away. I waved Vivian to the stairwell, held the door for her, and together we went down. "What are we going to do?" I broke the insufferable silence. "What do you mean?" Vivian evaded. "Damn it!" I snapped. Since I stopped moving, Vivian decided to stop too. "Yes?" she looked to me with what I was learning to read was a disarming friendliness. "I want to make you happy but I don't want to change, Vivian," I grumbled. "So, what are we going to do?" "How much of your time and energy are you willing to devote to Christ?" she countered. I had to think that over. Monday was no good; it was Recovery night. Tuesday was 'make it up to the girls' night. Wednesday was Specialty Night, Thursday, that was no good; it was Orgy Night. Friday was first date night, Saturday was SYFY/Party night and Sunday was second-date night. "I am on a committee at Church on Wednesday nights and I go to both Sunday school and Church service on Sundays," I offered. "Isn't that enough religious stuff?" "Zane, do you have sex at Church?" Vivian pierced me with her eyes. I was so boned because while I was preparing some sort of verbal obfuscation, Vivian sighed and looked down at the stairs. "Why do I even bother?" she moaned with despair. She looked up at me, clearly in pain, "It is a Church, Zane. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Because it definitely means something to me." "Vivian, it is a building, made of stained glass, brick, stone, and lumber," I responded heatedly, "and I don't need any of those to be in God's presence." "It was sex in a church," Vivian nearly screamed. "Come on, now, do you respect anything at all?" "You are right, I don't respect a building simply because someone declares it to be holy. I don't recall my vote being consulted. I don't respect people who bully with scripture but won't study the original Greek and Latin texts it was written in to learn what was really said. I don't respect anyone who refuses to think for themselves and listens to some two-bit liar like Pastor William." "He is your pastor," Vivian growled back. "He deserves, " "Nothing," I snapped. "He's an adulterer, and I've seen it with my own two eyes so don't you dare lecture me on him. If you defend him, it is only because you don't know shit about him." Vivian glared at me but I could see she was trying to see if I was making stuff up. "I respect you, Vivian, and that's no lie," I continued. "Since our fight I haven't a clue what to do with you but I have respected you. You believe in give and take; you believe in consequences and redemption. The only other person I've met like you is Iona. I trust Iona with more than my life; I trust her with Rio's." "Right now you are pissing the hell out of me, but that doesn't change the fact that I trust you and respect you," I added. "I don't need someone with spiritual authority to tell me what to do; my heart does that for me." "Zane, it is the constant sex," Vivian groaned. "I thought I could take it but it never seems to slow down with you." I had to think that over. "Vivian, you can't confuse love and sex," I insisted. "You are in love with your boyfriend and you two have been through some rough patches and survived. Sex without passion is masturbation, Vivian. If you are ever tempted, fall back on your love for that man because when you love something, there is nothing you will let stand in your way." I could see the turn in the argument defused some of Vivian's wrath and sent her mind down different pathways. "Okay, then why is it okay for you to have sex without love?" Vivian said as we resumed our progress downstairs. "I love in different ways, Vivian. I love Iona and Rio as best friends, there is nothing I wouldn't do for them. I love Heaven and Paige because they do for me things that make me want to do for them right back. I love Brandi and Opal because they are fun and they give me the space to be me. I love Barbie Lynn, well, just because it feels natural and right. Christina, Christina, I will always love without cause or reason. I love her," I related. "If Christina asked you to stop seeing all those other women, would you?" Vivian asked with a glimmer of hope. "I don't know. Our pseudo-agreement lets me have my college years to go wild before I give it all up to be a good husband and father," I replied. "Are you thinking of going to Christina and asking for her help with me?" "Yes. Yes, I am," Vivian told me. "The only problem with that plan is that it requires Christina to declare her feelings toward me and make a commitment about what she wants to do with me," I pointed out. "Good luck with that." We hit the bottom of the stairs at a run and raced through the halls and doors on our way to the Dining Hall. We found Christina and company waiting outside for us when we got there. Christian handed a thick envelope over, my bribe to Deacon of the Warlord's motorcycle gang. "Heaven, date night Sunday? I've found a theater playing Hugo," I asked my fox-faced girl. "What? You think you can ask me out on Friday for a date on Sunday? What kind of girl do you think I am?" she growled. "Heaven, you weren't here for most of the week, and you have to admit the world had gone crazy. Come on, Babe," I pleaded. "I'll have to think about it," Heaven grumbled. Behind her back all her other friends were stifling their grins. All those grins fell behind impassive masks when Heaven turned around facing them and stomped back and forth. "What's the problem, Heaven?" Hope asked. "Barbie Lynn comes skipping across the yard from her dorm with a smile that outshines the Sun, Heaven began. "She said she's been doing intensive physical therapy," Christina interrupted. Yay! I've graduated to being considered exercise equipment. "Harrumph," Heaven grunted. "How come his hair is wet? Besides, he's taking another girl home for the weekend." "It's Iona," Chastity explained. "Think about how wound up he's going to be by Sunday evening, because you know he's not going to do anything Iona's uncomfortable with." "Yes," added Faith, "he'll be ready to knock 'em out of the ballpark after a whole weekend of physical denial. Maybe you shouldn't go out with him; he's probably going to be pretty fierce." Heaven glared at all her friends before turning on me. "Fine, I'll go out with you, but if I can still walk by curfew, you had better know I'm going to make next week hell for you. Are we clear?" Heaven threatened. "Is that all Zane is to you, a sexual release valve?" Vivian gasped before I could answer Heaven. "You are making light of a serious moral struggle for him." "Vivian, Zane was the first man to tell me he loved me and I've believed," Christina said. "He saved me from a fight and academic troubles by putting his body on the line," Chastity added. "Me too," continued Hope. "He pretty much saved my life," Faith chimed in, which oddly twisted back to ruining her life with Christina and company when I exposed her as the Chancellor's spy. Maybe the girls had made up somehow. "He's put up with more of my crap than I care to get into. He loves me for who I am, and he's my lover and boyfriend," Heaven clarified. "If you spent one night with Zane making love, you would know I'm more of an addict than anything else. It is just that I get, grumpy when he's not around every minute of every day." Everyone's eyes sort of gravitated toward me. "You are all great women but I have to go to class," I grinned, then took off. Vivian raced to catch up with me. "Do you have commitment issues?" she panted beside me. "No. I was getting hard. All that feminine compassion directed my way was getting me sexually aroused and they were all staring at my crotch," I explained. "I figured running away was the best resolution for what was coming down the pipeline." "Have you ever considered chemical castration?" Vivian asked. WHAT? The last quarter of the school day went rather well, considering I had to juggle balls once between classs. (Apparently I resemble a dancing bear or something.) My second chore required me to bounce a soccer ball on my knees for a trip to the soccer field. Considering some of the crap I've had to do here, I almost volunteered to do it walking backwards. Karate started out so surprisingly normal (not my normal, but normal-normal), I should have known better. We had barely finished warming up and stretching when Gabrielle Black walked into the room. She stood against the far wall poised for our dispersal into teams. When first team knelt and waited for Coach Gorman's instructions for today, Gabrielle made her approach. "Coach Gorman, we seem to have had some difficulty connecting so I decided this would be the best place to meet," Gabrielle said in a deceptively upbeat manner. "I'm teaching a class," Gorman replied deadpan. "I teach several classes. I guess that makes me a teacher. In fact, I'm teaching right now, get lost." "I'd rather not." Gabrielle gave her deadliest smile. "Care to make me?" They really need to start psychological testing of the staff at FFU, or at least stop giving them daily doses of testosterone. "Since reason and rationality have clearly avoided you like the plague," Gorman growled, "why don't you tell me what you have in mind?" "A little sparing match," Gabrielle suggested. "So you really need to see if you can kick my ass, or is it just that you have to be Alpha bitch?" Gorman countered. Several of the more religious-minded students gasped, but they didn't realize this wasn't a game. Someone needed to do something, and of course it had to be me. I didn't very well have the time to overdose Rio with caffeine and throw her at Gabrielle. Besides, I am sure that's a war crime. "Me first!" I declared as I broke free of my second-team circle and walked toward the two adults. This was the point where I expected one or both of the women to tell me to ass out, mind my own business, I'm stupid, or something. Gabrielle stepped back and stripped off her jacket and slipped off each boot. I figured that since I was about to die, I'd best get rid of my gi; that way they'd have something to drape over my lifeless eyes. "Zane, what are you doing?" Cappadocia belatedly hissed at me. "Eh, you know, sometimes a woman has to be put in her place," I joked. It wasn't like Gabrielle was going to take it easy on me in the first place. Several girls laughed at what they were sure was levity on my part. You see, I was about to become a legend. Unfortunately, it was the legend of Don Quixote, damn fucking windmills dressed in tight black form-fitting outfits. To the credit of my limited intellect, I approached this fight with a totally different philosophy than any I'd faced before. I discarded every tenet of Thai kick-boxing (except the one that says never do anything that will make the lady-boys mock you). I went completely defensive, abandoning any hope of striking Gabrielle. I figured if such an opportunity presented itself, it would only be a trap. It took Gabrielle about two seconds to unravel my master plan, then she was on me like a fart in an airplane bathroom, choking the life out of you with nowhere to run. Because I am such a badass, it took Gabrielle eight more seconds to land a telling blow. I staggered back but instead of coming at me, she shifted to my side. Since I had my arms up to defend my head, she was slipping out of my field of vision. There was an added bonus; I discovered I couldn't hear her move over the mats. I somersaulted in the other direction which bought me a few more seconds, but I never regained my feet. Once more she opted to shift to my flank than come head-on. A man on his knees cannot out-turn a woman on her feet. I caught her knee in my shoulder, propelling me face-first into the mat. I tried to turn with the blow so I could keep eyes on her. Gabrielle slammed into my shoulder blade and I slapped the mat hard. I pressed up with my arms but Gabrielle was on my back so fast I might as well have been standing still. For a second our legs struggled as she tried to put me into a leg lock. Then her body rolled over on me and drove three fingers into my spine right above the coccyx. Blinding pain exploded over my body and I screamed. I wasn't paralyzed but I didn't need to be; I was in too much God-damn pain. Gabrielle's body was tight against my back. One hand cupped my chin and the other was placed on the back of my skull. She gave my head a quarter-twist. "You are dead," she whispered. Technically, she would have merely snapped my spine at the base of my skull. My cells would have struggled on for a few more minutes but that hardly seemed to be the point. Gabrielle stood up within inches of me and gave me an emotionless, pitiless stare. "Did you get what you wanted?" she asked softly. "We'll see," I grunted, then rolled onto my back. "Did you put me in my place?" she queried next. I had to chuckle, then I had to choke back on the pain. "Oh, yeah, we are perfectly placed." Seeing her brows crowd together in displeasure, I added with a pained gasp, "You've clearly never stood on a mirror and looked up at your cleavage the way I am now." Gabrielle reached down and touched my wrist before letting her fingers work up to my elbow. She pulled me up quite rapidly and gave me a soulless, piercing gaze. "You are insane," Gabrielle noted. That wasn't said as a joke or a condemnation. She said it as if she was recognizing a kindred spirit. When you are ten years old, being best friends with an assassin sounds pretty cool. Most of us grow out of that. After all, being buddies with a person who has a casual disregard for human life might come back to haunt you if they ever decide you are an encumbrance they can do without. "When I beat you, can I draw a smiley face on your forehead?" I blurted out. Why did I say those things? Maybe it was a brain tumor, or maybe Gabrielle was right and I am insane. Maybe my buddy Don Quixote was telling me the windmill is still standing. "What do I get when I beat you, again?" she inquired. "I've developed an inside track on some authentic saltwater taffy," I shrugged. Gabrielle didn't seem very impressed. "I could feel honor-bound to jump on the next grenade thrown your way?" "I'll think of something when the time comes," Gabrielle informed me. Turning to Gorman, she said, "Are you ready?" "I'd like a, Wilhelmina started to say as she stood. Dana put a hand on Willy's shoulder and shook her head. "I've got this," Coach said. She stood up and discarded her gi, depending on your point of view, she was fortunately/unfortunately wearing a white sports bra. Wait! Am I in chest-to-chest proximity with Gabrielle while scoping out Dana? Was I dropped on my head repeatedly as a child? Maybe I should hunt down my former nanny and ask her. "Let's make Zane's idiocy, Dana continued telling Captain Willy, ", worth more than the beating he took." Gorman stripped off her pants, revealing white biker shorts. It was very cinematic; Gorman in white and Black in black. Sadly, I believed White needed some serious Divine intervention to win this showdown. "Zane," Gabrielle requested my attention with that deathly quiet voice of hers. I must have looked pretty scared because she almost smiled at me. "You can let go of my hand now." Jumping back felt like a surefire way to test her killer instinct so I let go of her hand and backed away slowly and carefully. Only after I gave us some space did I contemplate the trust she'd put in me, allowing anyone to be that close outside of combat. I was walking past Dana when she grabbed my shoulder, stopping my progress. She pointed me to the spot on the floor she had just vacated. Wow, I had my ass kicked and still made First Team. I moved over to my new place in the hierarchy and thanked Dana in the only way I knew how. "Does this mean you are going to sit on my lap when you get back?" I said with a voice as sincere as I was serious. "Zane," Coach Gorman said over her shoulder. She was keeping her eyes on Gabrielle, "when I get back, I am giving grave consideration to having a general melee, and I'm placing a bounty on your head if we do. You will have all weekend to recover." A general melee sounded a whole lot like a 'beat up the new guy' kind of thing, and I had planned on devoting my weekend to Iona. Further banter was ended by Black and Gorman facing off. Willie gave the 'Go' and things went John Wu-crazy. My bright shining moment was delivered right off the bat. Gorman went fullout, denying Gabrielle the ability to control the maneuvering in the fight the way she'd controlled me. My beating hadn't been in vain; Gabrielle undoubtedly knew Gorman's fighting style but Dana knew nothing of hers. My body had bought Dana what little insight Gabrielle had been willing to give up. After all, Gabrielle knew my game from the moment I'd thrown out my challenge. Still, she had to beat me up to get at Dana. I could take on most members of the first team and, as Dana constantly reminds the world, I can take a beating, which meant I was the body for the job. I've fought Gorman on several occasions and she's damn impressive. Gabrielle was doing crap I'd never seen before and I wasn't even sure was humanly possible. I swear, if she'd turned into a Terminator, I couldn't have been more surprised. Dana's fighting prowess only went up in my estimation because she wasn't impaled on Gabrielle's fist in the first thirty seconds. It wasn't a misstep that screwed up Dana's game plan; her mistake was predictability. One second she was pushing Gabrielle back and the next she was on the floor, struggling to keep Gabrielle from establishing a chokehold. For a second I contemplated grabbing up Cappy and Willy, then rushing Gabrielle. After all, it would have been a shame for Dana to die alone. It would also seriously curtail my desire for an open-casket funeral but hey, Dana is almost a friend. Dana wasn't finished yet. Unknown to me, she has the ability to dislocate and relocate her shoulder. No one in the class wanted to consider how painful that had to be. The loud popping noise was enough to make us decide to miss dinner. Dana got an elbow and fist in before they separated. They went at it again, but this time, it was harder on Dana. I could feel that her confidence was shaken now that she had a clearer measure of Gabrielle's strengths and weaknesses. Gabrielle remained a steadfast cypher. If Dana was turning out to be a tougher opponent to crack than she'd expected, Gabrielle wasn't showing it. What she was doing was exhibiting the iron stamina of a triathlete. Dana wasn't fighting for air but I didn't see Gabrielle even breaking a sweat yet. Had I been Dana, this would have been the time I started crying out to a vengeful God for forgiveness. Dana didn't do that. Instead, digging down to her dogged determination and fighting on, her game, her gamble, was for Gabrielle to screw up somehow and take advantage of it. She had to hope that something came up before her endurance failed. And in the fourth minute of the fight, it happened. Of course it was a trap. I couldn't blame Dana for risking it because fighting hard, non-stop, for over four minutes is its own form of torture. Gabrielle caught Dana's leg, swept the other one out from under our Coach, then finished up with driving an elbow into her hip as they hit the mat. There is fast, unbelievably fast, a weasel on speed, and then Gabrielle, and if you gave a weasel enough speed to keep up with Gabby, the weasel would explode first. Dana is fast, but I'm faster and I know I didn't have a prayer of blocking Gabrielle at this point in their fight. The blow to Gorman's hip seemed to have temporarily paralyzed that leg. Without the leg, her torso below the ribcage was fatally exposed. Getting repeatedly punched in the stomach sucked. Sadly, Dana thought the same thing and totally missed Gabrielle flipping her over onto her stomach. Gabrielle came down with a palm to the center of Dana's spine. It had to hurt, but I had little doubt that if Gabby had used her fist, the spine would have been broken. "We are done here," Gabrielle announced calmly as she rose to her feet. No one said a word until Dana stirred on the ground. With varying degrees of speed, the first team swarmed over Dana. I alone approached Gabrielle. After she finished dressing and stood, she acknowledged my presence. "Did you learn what you wanted to know?" I asked. "Yes," she stated, once more into her emotionless mode. "Then you asked the wrong question." I drilled her with a combination of bravery and anger. Gabrielle walked away without acknowledging my statement. She got to the door and stopped before exiting through the door. "What do you think I should have asked?" she said with a vapor of condescension. "You should have asked us if we can help," I told her. Maybe I'm na ve, but I'm sure she's facing her past alone. Purity is a paradox; we are awed by it yet we are repulsed by it as well. Vivian was terribly subdued as she walked me back to the dorm. It was the two of us because my Handmaiden mistress was Erica, a second-team Karate classmate. She'd given me a rain check due to the trauma we had all just been through during class. "You can use my room this weekend if you like," I broached the silence. "I'll ask Rio and Mercy to be somewhere else and Barbie Lynn can stay with you." "I don't want to sleep with Barbie Lynn, Zane," Vivian replied. "I want to sleep in my own bed." "That's bull- , I decided saying "shit", while a minor infraction, wouldn't do my argument any good. "You know Barbie Lynn to be kind-hearted and decent. She's not going to molest you. You two will be totally platonic." "I don't know what to think," she replied. "I never thought Barbie Lynn would be the one to have sex outside of marriage." "I knew she was flirty but that was it," she continued. "Now, now she's moved into your room and is having sex with you as if you were a married couple." She sighed. "Fine, not like a 'normal' married couple so we don't need to go there." Ah, no mention of anal sex I see. "Vivian, I don't like to talk about my relationships with other women but I think Barbie Lynn would understand," I tried to explain. "There was no seduction between us, we collided. I showed up at FFU pretty depressed. I'd spent a long month with my Aunt trying to adjust to America and a place and lifestyle I didn't know." "My Aunt and I fought a lot and that Sunday Pastor Bill and his buddies tried to shake me down for my inheritance. I had the feeling that is why they wanted Aunt Jill in their church, and after all the crap Jill had been through, I felt that sucked," I said. "I'm in my room, sad and pissed off, then Barbie Lynn Masters comes soaring into my life." "She thought I was 'Glenda's' brother, I told her my name was Zane, and next thing I knew we were all over one another. She gave me a blowjob and I gave her multiple orgasms and we parted ways. She thought she might see me once a month and I had no idea this was a girl's college. You are aware of the humiliation that followed," I concluded. "Zane, that explains nothing," Vivian observed. "Okay, I could have been clearer," I admitted. "What I was trying to say is that Barbie Lynn didn't change. I allowed her to do what she wanted to do with a guy all along. She is still the same woman who goes after life full of enthusiasm, who likes to work with kids, teaching Sunday school and going to church." "And you want me to sleep with her when I've avoided the pleasure for the past three years?" Vivian refused to give in. "I'd want you to sleep with Iona if she wasn't already heading out with me. I have a few others I could ask but that would be awkward. I like Opal and Brandi but I also know they'd hit on you if given half a chance," I outlined. "I can sleep alone, Zane," Vivian stated. "I know that, but do you want to?" I asked. Vivian didn't immediately reply. "You climbed into bed with me and some of the ladies, Vivian. There is a certain quality provided by a sleeping companion that you enjoy. You wanted it enough to put some faith in me and Barbie Lynn last night," I added. "Zane, why are you making a big deal about this?" Vivian inquired. "Your happiness matters to me," I answered. Vivian and I walked into the dorm and into the elevator before she spoke. "Coach Gorman warned me about this," Vivian groaned. "Do you realize how much easier my life would be if you grabbed my breast or something like that?" "Is that an invitation?" I perked up. "No," she stated decisively. Her glare emphasized the point. "I mean my job keeping the Devil in line would be easier if he wasn't constantly giving me my favorite cupcakes." "What's your favorite cupcake?" I grinned. "Behave yourself," she sighed, somewhat amused and somewhat exasperated. "Yes, ma'am," I nodded. "That's a good boy," Vivian acknowledged. "When I'm a good boy Heaven gives me a ginger cookie," I prodded. "We are Not going to go there," Vivian declared authoritatively, and that was that. I thought I would have to stop by and pick up Iona Beckett on my way out. I was obviously forgetting I was dealing with the most organized person I'd ever met. I know Iona looks after all her own affairs and most of mine, plus I suspect she keeps an eye out for Rio as well. She was waiting in the main area of my 'room' when Vivian and I arrived, her overnight bag beside her. I gave her a kiss and hurried to my room, where someone had already packed a weekend worth of stuff for me. I do not deserve one tenth of the affection aimed my way. Being hung by my toes from a ceiling fan is a small price to pay for what I receive. Still, I make a note to avoid girls with bizarre foot fetishes while in close proximity to ceiling fans, my life is pretty freaking weird enough already. I gathered my stuff, gathered up Iona, and made my good-byes. Brandi was kind enough to snuggle up to my back, reach around and pinch my nipples. It was playful, not painful, so I didn't mind too much. Besides, I had bigger fish to fry. When I told Rio that she'd need to share another bed with Mercy for the weekend she nodded. "No problem, Bro," Rio told me. She then stepped up under the guise of hugging me good-bye and tried to nut me. She's a dangerous friend to have but since I can count her public displays of affection for me on one hand, I was ready for her. "Damn it," Rio snarled, "you can't give my room to that Jesus-freak!" By 'my room' she really meant my (Zane's) room and 'Jesus-freak' was Vivian, who was eight feet away looking at her. "It isn't going to kill you two to behave for two days, Rio," I stated. Mercy, standing right behind Rio, remained unfortunately silent on the subject. "Rio, if you two would agree to abstain until I got back, I'd be willing to let you stay, but you are the King Kong of bedroom antics and Vivian needs the space," I explained. "Fine, we'll crash at Aunt Jill's," Rio smirked. "I'm sure she can't shut the door before I get a foot in. She's far too nice to break it or kick me out." Oh yeah, I cannot begin to describe what Jill's reaction to a Mercy-Rio lesbian love-fest at 2:00 in the morning would be like. It would probably involve paramedics and a defibrillator. "Okay," I shrugged. I fished out my keys and tossed them to Rio. "Sweet!" Rio trumpeted. "We'll meet you at the car." "We are not going," I corrected Rio. "Iona and I will stay here, camp out on a sleeper-sofa, and take in some Pay-per-View. Come by and pick us up for the party around nine tomorrow night." "Your loss, Princess," Rio mocked me and walked away. Mercy loyally padded along. "I'm sorry, Iona," I said to my petite friend. "I promise I'll make it up to you." "I'm not looking for any particular place but a particular man," she smiled serenely. "Sadly, I still have a piece of business to attend to and I see the person I need to see," I said as I spotted Valerie playing a competitive game of pool versus Raven of all people. When Valerie had taken her shot I stepped up to her side. "Can I catch a ride to the Dixie Roadhouse in the next few minutes?" I whispered. "Sure. Wait,  are you expecting me to hang around when you go inside?" Val smirked. "I've already gone a round with Gabrielle Black today so I don't feel I deserve a second ass-whooping. I'd appreciate you sticking around at least until the gunfire starts," I chuckled. "Fine, I'll stay, but you'll owe me one," Valerie smiled. "By the way, how tough is Gabrielle?" "I'll let you know when my concussion fades," I responded. "That good, huh?" Valerie persisted. "In less than thirty seconds she snapped my neck. It took her less than five minutes to break Dana's back after that, and right there at the end I swore I saw a lone bead of sweat on Gabrielle's brow," I related. "Just so we are clear; if I ever see her chasing your ass down like Gorman did that day, you are on your own," Valerie snorted. "I thought you were a bad-ass," I taunted her. I really didn't want her fighting Ms. Black on my behalf. "Granddad is a bad-ass; I'm a teenage girl who is good with bikes and can handle myself in a brawl but I'm not a true bad-ass. What I am is smart enough to not attempt the craziness that is your life," she huffed. "Being smarter than me is hardly an accomplishment to be proud of," I jibbed back. Raven, who had been pretending to not be eavesdropping, made this choking sound at that comment. "Let me finish Raven off and I'll take you there," Valerie said. "Valerie, she's killing you," I noted. "I like a challenge," Valerie countered. She must because Raven only had one ball left to sink while Valerie had four. Less than a minute later Raven sent Valerie and I heading for the stairs. Iona gave me a slight nod and grin. Rio came storming up at us half-way down. "You motherfucker," she snarled. "Problems?" I replied cautiously. "Mercy said she wasn't going with me," Rio growled. "What did you do?" I asked. "I slapped the bitch," Rio retorted. I could tell that pissed Valerie off; I wasn't too happy either. "You put her up to this, didn't you?" "I certainly did. I told her that she was going to have to step up instead of taking advantage of you all the time," I explained. "Did it hurt?" Rio knew I wasn't talking about Mercy's pain. "Yes," she rumbled. "If I can't trust her, I can't use her." "Whatever you decide to do, I'll live with," I shrugged. "I hope you know how hard it was for her to do what she did." Thankfully, Valerie was far more controlled than Rio and judged the conversation to be too delicate for her input. "Mercy is my deal, Zane. She's my responsibility and I'll take care of her without your interference," Rio stated aggressively. "It doesn't work that way. People aren't one dimensional and you can't expect to help people and not have them change," I countered. "You changed Mercy, for the better, and that includes her desire to take up some of the responsibility you've borne onto her shoulders. And the only reason for her to do that is, you annoy her so much." "Yeah," Rio finally deflated, "she was looking pretty miserable." "Buddies take your pizza; friends take your pain, Rio. Get used to the fact that there are three of us standing beside you when you need us," I reminded her. "I wasn't asking for anyone's help," Rio insisted. "In that case, get in Zane's car and take a trip. When the cops finally pull you over you will have three years friend-free in prison," Valerie now interjected. "Ha!" Rio snorted. "That's no good. Zane already promised to break me out if I get sent away." "Zane," groaned Valerie, "do you have even a passing acquaintance with common sense?" "I get a lot of that," I answered. "What now, Rio?" "I go back to my room," she sighed, "apologize to Mercy, then come back upstairs and work out a deal with Vivian for use of your room." "No tying them up and gagging Vivian and Barbie Lynn in their sleep," I cautioned Rio. "Fuck you," Rio muttered darkly. "Fuck you and your mind-reading ability. Fine, I'll be good, okay, I'll be as good as I can be." With that, Rio tossed me back my keys and then bounded downstairs and out the door. "I swear to God I would have tossed her out a window by now, if I were you," Valerie snorted. "Umm, she grows on you, kind of like a tapeworm," I chuckled. "I think my invitation to catch a bullet has been voided now that you have your keys back," Valerie noted. "I'll catch you tomorrow night." "Sure thing, but I may need you for that 'thing' if I can set up a meeting," I replied. That thing was meeting up with a possible undercover officer which held the possibility of being a real disaster. Valerie was being kind enough to ignore her instincts, and her advice to me, by helping me out. Valerie shook her head in skeptical amusement at my poor decision-making before we walked back upstairs. That bit of drama over, I swooped in, picked up Iona (figuratively) and escaped my room before anyone else could intervene. I thought we were doing quite well until I spotted someone sitting on the hood of my car, with a suitcase. "Hey, Paige, what's up?" I inquired with a good deal of exasperation. It was kind of stupid, actually. I knew exactly what she was doing here; I hadn't invited her and I didn't want her coming along on Iona's weekend. "I thought I'd let you spend the weekend with me," Paige smiled smugly. A light breeze tossed her alabaster hair across her translucent albino features. "You are late, by the way." "No, Paige, this is Iona's, I started to say. "It would be wonderful spending the weekend with you, Paige," Iona stepped up and hugged her. "It will be so great; their house is huge, Aunt Jill is so kind, and there is the sorority right next door." "Okay, Paige, you can come along, but this is a no sex weekend. Are we clear?" I warned her. "We'll see," Paige smirked. "I plan to sleep both nights in his bed, completely naked and rubbing against him," Iona beamed. "He'll crack," Paige wagered. "No, he won't. I trust him," Iona pledged. Paige appraised me for a second. "Okay, I'm game. We'll see if we can break him," Paige allowed. I once joked with some Kappa Sigmas about joining a monastery. I'm being driven to reconsider that option. After that exchange I was happy enough to make it to my home in one piece. I'd have been happier if there wasn't a police car in the driveway. I was walking onto the porch when my ladies spoke up. "Zane, why would the police be here?" Iona worried. "Zane, if they arrest you and I then attack them, will they let us share a cell?" Paige mused. "Iona, I have a few ideas and none of them are good," I responded. "Paige, they don't house men and women together, but I can probably smuggle a message to your side and tell all the lesbians what a screamer you are." Iona didn't get to question and Paige didn't get pick on me before I opened the door and went inside. "Hey, Aunt Jill," I called out, "I'm home and I've brought Iona Beckett and Paige Zeller with me." We had already talked over Iona's stay with Jill; Paige would be a whole new series of complicated hurdles. "Zane," Aunt Jill greeted me heartily. She was coming off her lounger while Officer Danica Campbell rose from the sofa and gave me a measured look. "This is Officer Campbell of the Lancaster Police and she has an official criminal matter to discuss with you," Jill finished in a worried tone. "Mr. Braxton, if I could have a word with you on the porch," Danica put forth the question that wasn't really a request. "Of course, officer," I responded. "Ladies, could you please hang out here with Aunt Jill for a few minutes and I should be back as soon as possible." I walked back to the porch. When Danica passed me, I shut the door and we turned to face one another. "Zane," Danica smiled. "Hey, it is good to see you, Officer Danica Campbell, but I have a feeling this isn't a social call," I sighed. "You are correct. There was an incident at the Dixie Roadhouse last night and your name came up during the inquiry. The Sheriff's Department contacted the PD and I decided that it would be more discrete that I meet you at your home as opposed to on campus," Danica related. "What can you tell me about the Dixie Roadhouse?" "I went there with a few buddies, got into a fight, and beat a Warlord named Big Ted into unconsciousness," I informed Danica. "What do you know about a guy named Peter 'Deacon' Baker?" Danica asked. "He's like a big deal with the local chapter but I don't actually know the guy," I replied. She studied me for a moment then appeared to accept me at my word. "This is a different crop of girls," she said with smirk. "Yes, they are friends of mine. Iona is a best bud and Paige is, Paige. She's very smart but very hard to get along with at times too," I explained. "How is your other friend?" She tried to sound casual. "I was curious if she'd be here tonight." "I'll tell her that," I grinned. "It will make her week when she hears you've asked about her. She still thinks you are very special." "She's quite a handful," she grinned back. "Not that I'm complaining. I can hardly get over the sensation of her nipples on my back as she drove into me." Heaven was going to love that, I was sure. Her eyes wandered northward to the adjoining property. "More girls?" I followed her gaze to see three Kappa Sigmas coming through the tree-line. "Those are some Kappa Sigma sorority sisters, friends of mine. They are cool," I told her. "Uh-huh," she sounded skeptical. "There has to be a story behind that that statement, I'm willing to bet." She pulled out a business card from her breast pocket. "Here's my card, in case something regarding the case occurs to you, or whatever." The girls were almost on us so I had to whisper. "You aren't, like, married, or divorced from somebody with violent tendencies, are you?" I inquired softly. "No," she chuckled, "and cause for you asking that question has to be yet another interesting story, I'll bet. Maybe you can tell me about it if we get together." "Mr. Braxton," she said a bit louder as she took a half-step back from me, "have a good weekend and try to stay out of trouble." "I'll do my best, Officer Campbell," I responded. "Ladies," she made a passing recognition of the Kappa Sigs as she left the porch and headed for the car. Only when Danica's cruiser pulled onto the road did the Kappas speak. "Hey, Zane," Leigh spoke up first, "isn't that the speed trap lady?" "Yeah, she's nailed me before," I admitted, and immediately regretted my choice of words. "Really?" Paris prodded me. "Isn't she a bit old for you?" "No, speed trap, she pulled me over but I got off with a warning ticket," I back-pedaled. "So, she got you off," Ferrara skewered me. "Which of her orifices was required for that?" "Aarrrggh," I cried heavenward. "Fine, Iona and Paige Keller are inside. Together with Jill, they will be making dinner for those of us who care to share our table. I have to go a bar and pay off a biker gang chieftain before he hunts me down and kills me." "Can we come along?" Leigh smiled. "We don't want to fight or anything like that, but I'd like to get some video of it, in case something fun happens." "That's right," Ferrara joked. "Something like him being beaten up, shot, stabbed, or killed. Leigh, Zane has sustained two beatings on our behalf. Let's not go for a third time before the month's out." "He didn't take a beating in the second fight," Paris corrected her sister. She was right; in the fight at the mall my opponents hadn't landed a blow. "I heard he was pretty roughly abused when he went to jail over that," Ferrara gave me a knowing smile. "All that conjecture is fascinating, ladies, but I do have a guy to pay off so go inside, make yourself at home, and I'll be back soon," I announced. I kissed each sister; Ferrara on the cheek, Paris on the lips, and Leigh with a tonsillectomy. I double-timed it to my car and didn't look back. The Fading Light And The Lord Mafia. I made it to the Dixie Roadhouse five minutes late. There were only fifteen bikes parked out front so I figured that if something went wrong I'd only be kinda dead, as opposed to the totally dead, killed in five or more fashions. There were three biker babes outside the door, drinking beers and talking; one was thankfully Willa. I made sure I had the money before disembarking from my car and heading in. "Hi there, Zane," Willa greeted me. I recalled that Belle would be working at the bar near UV campus tonight and tomorrow. "Hey, Willa, Katt, and Janet," I grinned. "Willa, if I get out of this, can I have a moment of your time when I get back?" "Sure," Willa seemed curious. "I would like to talk to you too." That was a bit odd but okay. When I entered the Dixie Roadhouse it took me a moment for my eyes to adjust but I knew where Deacon's table was from my last visit. Deacon was there with two of his associates, all in similar states of disrepair. My first thought was: What in the hell happened to them? The second was: Wow, they let someone in a half-body cast out of the hospital rather quickly these days. It looked like a herd of water buffalo had worked out the dance routine from that prison scene in the play Chicago, he had it coming, all over their bodies. None of his infirmities kept Deacon from glaring with horrible malevolence at me as I approached. "Here is your five thousand dollars," I stated as I lay the envelope on the table. None of them made a move on the money and I began to worry. Then I took in the full effects of their injuries and I figured out that not one of the three could reach over and get it. I opted to push the money across the table to the closest cripple. One of the guys managed, with some pain, to pick up the envelope and count the money. "It is all here," the guy mumbled to Deacon. I could see in Deacon's eyes that his hate for me was far from quenched but I didn't know why. It wasn't like I came back and kicked his ass, oh fuck, maybe I had. "I'll be going, then," I said as I backed up four steps. "I hope you feel better next time we meet." With that, I rapidly evacuated myself from the building. I found myself de-stressing next to Willa outside. "So, who in the hell fucked up Deacon and his buddies that bad?" I inquired. "Some people were hoping you could tell us," Willa prodded. "It wasn't me if that is what you are worried about," I assured her. "Tell me what happened." "From what little we've been told or been able to figure out, Deacon and his two senior officers stepped out to their rides around 11:30 last night when they got jumped," Willa related. "Then it gets weird, weirder," Katt continued. "Their attackers dragged them thirty yards over to the electrical shed," she pointed. That way no one could see them from the bar. "Then they proceeded to beat the ever-living hell out of them," Janet concluded, then took a swig of beer. I had to think about that for a moment. "Didn't they see who did it?" I questioned. "Blackbeard and Booth (who I assumed were the other two broken bikers) were knocked out before they saw anything and Deacon hasn't related what he saw, his jaw is wired shut because it's been broken in four places," Willa tried and failed to hide her grin. I had to think about that for a second; Deacon's jaw looked like it was carved out of granite. "Ladies (an affectation they found amusing), if Deacon and his two buddies had gotten into a fight outside the Roadhouse, wouldn't the rest of you come running, and wouldn't they have called out if they saw a gang of guys they didn't know coming toward them?" I ruminated. "That makes sense," Katt confirmed, "but what does that mean?" "One person," I muttered; "one really, really skilled person." "No way," Janet shook her head. "I can and have one-punched a person and I'm only so good," I countered. "I would have figured out which bike was Deacon's, picked the third one closer to the door to hide behind. After that, when he passed by me, I would come around the bike at a crouch-run and kick the closest target where the ear and jaw meet. If I do it right his brain beats around inside his skull a few times and it's lights out," I explained. "It looks like you've given this some thought," Willa observed. "No; the move is standard kick-boxing and the tactics are the usual for ambushing a dangerous animal. If you come at it head-on, you might still win but the price is much higher. Deacon and the other two talking in a place they felt safe was the 'distraction' for the ambush," I explained. "Oh," Willa contemplated the scenario. I could see her eyes walk over the parking lot as she considered the events playing out. "Of course, that still leaves you facing two opponents, right around six feet and 220 to 240 who are adept at violence," I pointed out. "If you could hit the second guy the same way fast enough and somehow render the last one incapable of speech, Willa concluded. "You would have to be insanely fast and if someone was that good, what would they be doing at a biker bar in Lancaster, Virginia?" "Don't you know? This is the destination of choice for all international assassins on the run?" I joked. "Willa, can I have that moment now?" She shrugged, grinned, and walked with me to my car. It was refreshing to be side-by-side with a woman not interested in jumping my bones. If she'd been a lesbian instead of what she was, it would have been perfect. "You are too young for me, Zane," Willa headed me off. "Cool," I answered, which was not what she expected. "I need to talk with you a bit but not here. I don't want to risk anyone else listening in." Now Willa appeared to be curious. "Okay. The abandoned roadside motel on Chandler Road, 2:00 pm tomorrow," she responded. "Thanks, Willa. And also, do you know where I can get some fake ID's?" I asked as I got into my car. "I'll see what I can dig up," Willa smirked. She rejoined her buddies on the porch and was chatting away as I took off for home. I knew that my ordeal for this evening was far from over. There still was the hurdle of finding a place for Paige to sleep and making sure she stayed in the room Jill and I agreed on. The struggle with Jill over Rio had been epic enough; I certainly didn't expect the sounds of women's laughter and modern music to be the first thing I heard when I stepped out of my ride. Mind you, Jill thought Rio still had moral fiber. If I told Rio she had even a single moral fiber left she'd span Heaven and Earth hunting the mythical beast down a la King Pellinore. On the plus side, Aunt Jill knew nothing of Paige so I could play up that angle. I walked indoors to a chorus of 'hey' and 'Zane' coming from the kitchen. I strode into a flurry of dinner-prep activity. Apparently we were attempting Italian sausage ravioli, broccoli & carrots, mashed potatoes, salad, and gazpacho. Okay, I was pretty sure Jill thought ravioli was the invention of Chef Boyardee and

A man murdered in his workshop in Yorkshire. A woman murdered in the Highlands. And the same suspect was befriending and stealing from a variety of people staying in guesthouses in England and Scotland. Detectives knew they were in a race against time before this man struck again....Find out more about me and the UK True Crime Podcasthttps://uktruecrime.comEpisode Sourceshttps://uktruecrime.comSupport me at Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/c/UKTrueCrimePlease review the podcast at Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/uk-true-crime-podcast/id1182818802 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever get to Friday and feel like your emotional battery's is fried? You're not alone. Working in education — especially when supporting pupils with SEMH needs — means carrying other people's emotions all day long. By the end of the week, you're not just tired, you're emotionally done.In this shorter half-term quickfire episode, we dive into the emotional side of teaching — and how to protect your emotional wellbeing in just five minutes a day. You'll learn simple, practical steps to help your nervous system switch off after a long day of teaching, so you can recharge and stop carrying classroom stress home with you.And there's a twist — because this isn't just about personal wellbeing. We'll explore why this is an essential leadership priority too. Because calm adults create calm classrooms — and when we ignore teacher wellbeing, we undermine every other behaviour strategy we're using in school.Along the way, expect honesty, practical advice, and a strong opinion about smoked kippers (you've been warned).So whether you're a teacher, SENCO, or school leader, this episode is your reminder that protecting your own calm isn't selfish — it's part of the job.Important links:Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbookDownload other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resourcesNEW and FREE: Live in-person events for heads and executive leadersJoin other heads from Birmingham, the North West and Yorkshire and learn how the LEAD framework and Success Path approaches can equip your team to handle SEMH challenges in your school, while building a more inclusive and resilient culture.To learn more and book your free place, visit:https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk

iFanboy celebrates its landmark 1000th episode with a quadruple-sized extravaganza! Josh Flanagan and Conor Kilpatrick try in vain to hold it all together as they're joined by Ron Richards, Dr. Ryan Haupt, Jim Viscardi, Tom King, Chris Eliopoulos, Mike Norton, and Brian Michael Bendis! Plus, a special appearance by Rick Remender! Note: Time codes are subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor. Running Time: 03:58:42 Pick of the Week:00:03:34 – Fantastic Four #730 (4) Patron Pick:00:18:02 – Captain Henry and the Graveyard of Time #1 Audience Questions:00:24:36 – The tradition continues as iFanboy fields questions from the loyal iFanbase for over three hours! Plus, special guests and old friends pop in and out to join in the fun and chat and just generally derail the show's format. Scott H. from Portland, Oregon asks how the iFanboys have changed as readers over 25 years. Ian S. asks Tom King how much he credits iFanboy for his successes and failures and also what level of Patron he secretly is. Jim W. wants to know how much input creators have with collected editions and why Conor is always hot, and wants to know how the iFanboys obtain their weekly comics. Sheldon A. from Paradise, Newfoundland, Canada asks what makes a good Talksplode. Tom C. from Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom asks everyone for their three favorite Beatles albums. Jack H. wants to know which Beatles would get along best with which members of the Fantastic Four. Tyler F. is curious which comics and which TV and films are harder to watch after having kids. Mark H. from Chicago, Illinois has a gotcha question for Ron about the Deadpool films. Ilan P. from Johannesburg, South Africa wants to know how important the quality of the dialogue is when reviewing comics. Chris from the iFanboy Data Analytics Department presents his annual report on Patron Powers. Edward A. asks who out there in the comics media world today would have fit in with the old iFanboy.com writing staff. Jonathan S. from Albuquerque, New Mexico wants to know what aspects of podcasting (and media) in 2025 would the iFanboy have found most surprising in 2005. Adam T. from Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom asks how the iFanboys decide which comics to keep indefinitely. Doug M. wants to know what brings everyone joy. Nick M. asks if there are any funny stories involving iFanboy's fellow OG comics podcasters. Ben F. from Erie, Pennsylvania asks about superhero costume redesigns. (W Adam from Orlando, Florida, Duke W., Morgan B., Ben A. from Washington D.C. (via London), and Josh H. from Australia all want to know what iFanboy's mysterious re-brand was going to be. Wes A. from Fridley, Minnesota, Brian D., Pete D., and Matthew F. all want to know what was in the closet. Eddie R. from Soledad, California wants to know everyone's favorite Seinfeld character and if Tony Rocky Horror really gave Mia Wallace a foot massage. Kip R. asks if Ron ever paid Bendis for the bounty he put on the life of The Sentry. Patron Thanks:01:53:10 – Taylor Tobeck Brought To You By: iFanboy Patrons – Become one today for as little as $3/month! Or join for a full year and get a discount! You can also make a one time donation of any amount! iFanboy T-Shirts and Merch – Show your iFanboy pride with a t-shirt or other great merchandise on Threadless! We've got TWENTY THREE designs! Music:“Back and to the Left”Texas is the Reason Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss truly terrifying tales of GHOSTLY attacks!  Was a recently deceased rock legend haunted by a vicious entity that attacked his family and ultimately lead to his own death?  We share the sad story of an 11 year-old girl who took her own life after prolonged physical abuse from an unseen force and the eerie case of a Yorkshire family tormented by a dark-robed "monk" who was executed centuries before...#HauntedAttacks #Haunted #terrors #paranormal #Evil #Ghosts 

A club is using a renewable resource for crafting and community...ing. Read more about the club here ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

fWotD Episode 3095: Act of Accord Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Saturday, 25 October 2025, is Act of Accord.The Act of Accord (39 Hen. 6) was an act of the Parliament of England. It was passed on 25 October 1460 during a period of intense political division and partisanship at the top of government. Three weeks earlier, Richard, Duke of York had entered the Council Chamber—in the presence of several lords—and laid his hand on the empty throne, claiming the crown of England. His grounds were that he and King Henry VI were both direct descendants of Edward III, but York possessed two claims, through both the male and female lines, and Henry's was through only one. Following discussions between Royal justices, York and Parliament, the House of Lords decided that Henry was to retain the crown for life, but York and his heirs were to succeed him. This automatically removed Henry's son, Edward, Prince of Wales, from the succession. Henry agreed to the compromise, which became the Act of Accord.Political partisanship had already erupted into civil war the year before and, far from lowering political pressure, the act split the nobility further. Although Henry had publicly supported the act, the queen, Margaret of Anjou, refused to accept the disinheritance of their son. In this, she was joined by the majority of the English nobility, who also opposed York. King Henry, still under the nominal head of the Yorkist government, was in London; Margaret, on the other hand, was in the north with her son, raising an army. This began the systematic destruction of York's and the Nevilles' Yorkshire estates. York led an army to challenge her but was killed at the Battle of Wakefield on 30 December. The Lancastrians, in turn, were defeated three months later at the Battle of Towton by York's son, who was crowned King Edward IV on 28 June 1461.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:35 UTC on Saturday, 25 October 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Act of Accord on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Niamh.

Featured : BRANDY SCHILLACE, The Dead Come to StayBrandy's back with a sequel! Jo Jones can't catch a break. She'd hoped that trading her city life for the cozy, peaceful hills of North Yorkshire to inherit a crumbling family estate would finally be her chance for a "fresh start" and a new future. Instead, she's been thrust further into the past than she ever imagined possible. The estate property is littered with traces of ancestors that Jo never knew existed, including the mysterious woman depicted in a half-destroyed painting -- and also including Jo's late uncle, who may hold the key to her cryptic family history. Add to this the gossipy town politics of Abington that Jo's forced to navigate as a neurodivergent transplanted American. And that's not even getting to the murder yet. When the prickly town detective James MacAdams discovers a body in the moors with coincidental ties to Jo Jones, they're forced to team up on the case. The clues will lead them into the wealthiest locales of Yorkshire, from sparkling glass hotels to luxury property sites to elite country clubs. But below the glittering surfaces, Jo and MacAdams discover darker schemes brewing. Local teens and international refugees are disappearing left and right, each case somehow linked to a shady architectural firm -- which happened to employ the dead man from the moors.What began as an unusual murder case plunges Jo and MacAdams into the underground world of rare artefacts and antique trading... and the murderer may not be finished yet…Episode was recorded live October 24, 2025.Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://peculiarbookclub.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://eepurl.com/ixJJ2Y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠VIP Membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://payhip.com/PeculiarBookClub⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@PeculiarBookClub/streams⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peculiarbookclub.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/groups/peculiarbooksclub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepeculiarbookclub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode hits the road — literally!Recorded on two wheels through North Yorkshire's beautiful lanes, I talk about cycling clothing, training tips, and what keeps me pushing the pedals when motivation dips.Along the way, I meet wildlife, a train, and have coffee from a coffee bike!It's a chatty ride-along full of energy, inspiration, and countryside vibes.If you have just started your cycling journey, you can get your Beginner Cyclist Toolkit Here.It's packed full of information and advice to get you started safely on your journey.

For one night in 1987, the Stocksbridge Bypass in Yorkshire was alive with spectral activity. Ghost children dancing, a ghost monk terrorizing constables, a police car battered by something unseen. What was the cause of this horror and will it return?

Storm Benjamin hit the UK with gale force winds causing travel disruption, and serious flooding feared. Yellow weather warnings were put in place for London, the south of England, and the east Midlands, Yorkshire and parts of Wales. The Met Office said flooding, damage to buildings and travel disruption was likely throughout the day. It comes as a new report has revealed the London boroughs most likely to be impacted by flood damage. Louis Ramirez, Managing Director and Co-founder of Flooded People is here to discuss how these weather events are becoming more common and what action should be taken to mitigate the risks. And in part two, freelance journalist Arielle Domb joins us to discuss what the 6-7 meme is and why teachers are fed up of it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RHLSTP #585 - What If They're Chinese? - Stand 3 has been hit by protestors, but amazingly it's not for Rich (though maybe after this show it will be) - should people be trying to get Edinburgh shows cancelled, often for very tangential reasons? Rich couldn't possibly comment. But does anyway. His guest is the reigning Edinburgh Award Best Newcome Joe Kent-Walters aka Frankie Monroe. They chat about how his show seems to build on previous comedians work to create something useful, how Frankie ended up with Sudocrem on his face and what the consequences of that might be, whether Rich was bored during Joe's show (he wasn't - it was very exciting to witness), meeting Bobby Davro, why a lackadaisical attitude towards ventriloquism is the best, how a character on stage has a confidence that the performer might not have in real life, the Yorkshire mafia and what happens if you leave your Gammon hammer on the train.See Joe as Frankie Monroe on tour https://frankiemonroelive.com/SUPPORT THE SHOW!See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1318, a Yorkshire nun named Joan of Leeds faked her own death to escape convent life, crafting a dummy, staging a burial, and vanishing into the wider world. Her story survives only in a scathing letter from Archbishop William Melton, recently translated by historians at the University of York. This minicast explores Joan's daring plan, why medieval women entered convents, and what her brief rebellion reveals about life, faith, and freedom in 14th-century England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author of Chocolat, the best-selling novel that became the acclaimed movie starring Juliette Binoche, Dame Judi Dench, and Johnny Depp, Joanne Harris weighs in on her latest novel, Vianne and what it's taken to maintain her successful writing career. Joanne Harris is the internationally renowned and award-winning author of more than twenty novels, plus novellas, cookbooks, scripts, short stories, libretti, lyrics, articles, and a self-help book for writers. Her books are published in fifty countries. She holds honorary doctorates from the Universities of Sheffield and Huddersfield, is an honorary Fellow of St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Joanne was born in South Yorkshire, England, of a French mother and an English father, and lives with her husband in Yorkshire. She is the author of the acclaimed novel, Chocolat, which became a movie starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. Today, we'll discuss the prequel, Vianne. “Is chocolate magic? Whether you savored the 1999 bestseller or the 2000 movie, this sensuous prequel to Chocolat will make you a believer.” —People Magazine, Best New BooksSpecial thanks to NetGalley for an early preview copy. Learn more at www.joanne-harris.co.uk Intro reel, Writing Table Podcast 2024 Outro RecordingFollow the Writing Table: @writingtablepodcastEmail questions or tell us who you'd like us to invite to the Writing Table: writingtablepodcast@gmail.com.

Don't be shy, send me a message!Thomas Felix Creighton talks about life in the UK, examining local news in a little town in West Yorkshire and a visit to London. Whilst the national media is very London-centric, most Brits only see the capital on occasional visits - Thomas has only visited London once in 2025. So, that 'internal tourist' view is given for 10 minutes, with the majority of remaining 20 minutes focussing on local news: missing cats, a rogue roof tile, a swan on the loose, a surprise chocolate bar, a 100 year old being taken back to work (for a visit), local hooligans, criminals, and the prospects of Golden Arches in town. Plus, our swimming pool drama. This is life as it is truly led, here in the UK.Visit the podcast website: https://albionneverdies.com/Message Thomas anytime on Instagram, @FlemingNeverDies, or e-mail: AlbionNeverDies@gmail.comCheck out Thomas' Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/britishcultureCheck out the Red Bubble shopSubscribe to the newsletter for update e-mails, random postcards, and stickers: https://youtube.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3afdae99897eebbf8ca022c8&id=5165536616Support the show

On June 11th 1980, a man was found lay on top of a coal pile in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. The man was 56 year old Zigmund Adamski who lived in Wakefield, 38 miles away. His death was full of so many odd aspects and questions that led some to even believe he must have been abducted by aliens. His death is still unexplained.Important information provided by: https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/mystery-yorkshire-miner-found-dumped-30690196https://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/yorkslincs/series2/ufo_alien_abduction_yorkshire_pennine_sighting_adamski_mystery.shtmlhttps://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/the-unsolved-death-of-zigmund-adamski-ufo-abduction-or-foul-play/https://jasonrobertsonline.com/who-killed-zigmund-adamski/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14124527/How-ALIENS-explanation-Polish-miners-death.htmlhttps://www.findmypast.co.uk/home- contemporary reports.Music by: dl-sounds.comFollow the Unseen Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unseen-podcast/id1318473466?uo=4Follow the Unseen Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0xWK7Mu3bTP6oziZvxrwSK?si=QxvyPkZ2TdCDscnfxyeRawJoin our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/unseenpodFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theunseenpodFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theunseenpod/Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theunseenpod?fan_landing=trueSubscribe to 10 Minute True Crime: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/10-minute-true-crime/id1591474862

Make a scene in a zipcar, as we are back for Hunted UK's eighth series! Over the next eight weeks, three people who always love to see who they're dealing with - Michael, Anthony & Michelle return to recap the hunt for fourteen new fugitives who are spread out all over the UK in a quest to escape capture and win a share of £100,000 - beginning with the first episode and capture of Warren. In this episode - we realise how long it's been since we last podcasted, there is our first review of 007: Road to a Million, a technical sabotage happens before we've even really begun, Jenni & Emma lose out on the banner, Michelle goes on her first rant of the series about a clothing item that's worth its weight in gold, Anthony knows a fugitive, Warren & Shaq may not have seen this show before, there's a difference between a Croydon network and a Yorkshire one, Michael goes a bit Australian, one of the new Hunters gets our seal of approval, we try and make some early predictions and there's a small chance we could now be influencers. Thank you for listening to this episode - we will see you next week for Episode 2! This episode is supported by our friends over at Zencastr. Create your podcast today! Social Media: Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Bluesky Threads Patreon  

Ian Smith: Finding Your Feet in a Foot Spa Half Empty

There has never been a literary family quite like the Brontës. In our autumn podcast Ann Dinsdale, Principal Curator of the Brontë Parsonage Museum at Haworth in Yorkshire, joined the Slightly Foxed team to discuss the story of the family's life there. The Brontës moved to Haworth in 1820 when Patrick Brontë became curate, and the parsonage was established as a museum in 1928 when it was acquired by the Brontë Society. Mrs Brontë and the oldest two daughters, Maria and Elizabeth, died there from tuberculosis, leaving Charlotte, Emily, Anne and their brother Branwell to be educated at home by their widowed father.  Ann talks about her work at the Parsonage Museum, a treasure trove of Brontë memorabilia, containing 9,000 items including clothes, letters, first editions and the sisters' own writing boxes. The Brontës were a close-knit family, sharing their games and creating a rich imaginary world which formed the basis of their later writing. Patrick Brontë was a loving and in many ways an unconventional father, who encouraged the girls' education and allowed them to read freely. He was a lover of the natural world, and on their daily walks in the wild moorland country around Haworth the sisters absorbed the atmosphere that would permeate their novels.  Recognition came in 1847 when each published a novel, though initially they hid behind the pseudonyms of Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell. Charlotte's Jane Eyre was the first, an overnight sensation which was the talk of literary London, causing endless speculation about the identity of its author. Three months later came Emily's Wuthering Heights, which shocked readers with its story of passion, violence and revenge, and finally Anne's Agnes Grey. The scene could have been set for brilliant literary careers, but within two years both Emily and Anne were dead from tuberculosis, Emily at 30 and Anne at 29. Charlotte married her father's curate, lived on to write Shirley and Villette, based on her time as a teacher in a school in Brussels, and died at 38. Branwell, who never fulfilled his family's high expectations, died addicted to alcohol and opium when he was 31. Even before Charlotte's death Haworth had become a place of pilgrimage for Brontë fans, and Mrs Gaskell's 1857 biography of her helped to establish the family's lasting fame. Today the Parsonage Museum is hugely popular with visitors. It is also a centre for research and runs an annual festival of women's writing. Ann's deep knowledge of the Brontës and her experience of running the museum made for a fascinating discussion, leaving us to wonder, had the sisters lived longer, what their eventual literary legacy might have been. Autumn book recommendations were Blythe Spirit, Ian Collins's biography of Ronald Blythe, The Brothers York by Thomas Penn, Plainsong, an American novel by Kent Haruf, Traitor's Legacy by S. J. Parris, and The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller. For episode show notes, please see the Slightly Foxed website. Opening music: Preludio from Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major by Bach Hosted by Rosie Goldsmith Produced by Philippa Goodrich

Yorkshire outfit Unique 3 made waves in the dawn of the 90s with a new subgenre "Bleep Techno", the first homegrown EDM subgenre in the UK. Their subsequent debut album blended not just their pioneering sound but also blended Hip-Hop to create a sound that was... Well... Unique for the time.TIMESTAMPS:Weekly Music Roundup - (1:02)Ben -Mobb Deep - InfiniteCharlie -Jordyn Simone - NO DEMO LEFT UNHEARD VOL. 2Blue Earth Sounds - Cicero NightsSummers Sons - Dare To WonderHollie Cook - Shy GirlMatt Wilde - Find A WayNegros Tou Moria - MAVRI ELLADAThe Cool Kids - Hi Top FadeRuby Rushton - Legacy!Mobb Deep - InfiniteRobert Glasper - Keys To The City Volume OneTopic Intro/Ben's Research House - (13:38) Jus' Unique - (20:01) Invasive Signals - (33:10) Lighter Note - (41:12)Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUKChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

Emily Brontë only published one full-length book before dying at the tragically young age of 30. But that book, Wuthering Heights, which tells the story of obsessive and vengeful love on the rugged moors of Yorkshire, is still considered one of the pinnacles of English literature, landing at #15 on the list of Greatest Books of All Time. In this episode, Jacke takes a deep look into Emily Brontë's classic "bad boy" novel, with assistance from Virginia Woolf, Elizabeth Hardwick, Joyce Carol Oates, Anne Tyler, Alice Hoffman, Charlotte Brontë, and others. Join Jacke on a trip through literary England (signup closing soon)! The History of Literature Podcast Tour is happening in May 2026! Act now to join Jacke and fellow literature fans on an eight-day journey through literary England in partnership with ⁠⁠⁠John Shors Travel⁠⁠⁠. Scheduled stops include The Charles Dickens Museum, Dr. Johnson's house, Jane Austen's Bath, Tolkien's Oxford, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, and more. Find out more by emailing jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or masahiko@johnshorstravel.com, or by contacting us through our website ⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com⁠⁠⁠. Or visit the ⁠⁠⁠History of Literature Podcast Tour itinerary⁠⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠⁠John Shors Travel⁠⁠⁠. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠. Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature ⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate ⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across England, legends tell of “screaming skulls,” which are human remains said to bring disaster if moved from their resting place. In Dorset, a skull defies removal with deadly consequences; in Derbyshire, “Dickie” halted a railway project; in Yorkshire, Anne's head demanded to stay within her beloved home; and in Manchester, one cast into a moat unleashed a storm. Whether relics of Celtic head-worship, tools of folk medicine, or grim mementos of an age steeped in mortality, the stories agree on one rule: disturb the skulls at your peril. Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.