Looking forward to this evening’s @humanists.uk #RosalindFranklinLecture with the brilliant Hannah Critchlow!

A reminder to listen to the latest episode of #weirdinthewade.bsky.social from Nat Doing. It's 'Paranormal Women: An International Women’s Day Celebration'. I've contributed with Evelyn Hollow, @bbmiiler.bsky.social & @stephlay.bsky.social. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...

Join us on Monday, 9 March at 19:30 for The Hull Werewolf with @deborahhyde.bsky.social at The Plume of Feathers, Greenwich. A 2016 werewolf scare made national headlines. Deborah explores the folklore and media hype behind this modern cryptid tale. More info: sitp.online/sitp/greenwi...

Meet the fantastic "paranormal women" I have as guests on today's episode of Weird in the Wade! Evelyn Hollow, @deborahhyde.bsky.social @bbmiiler.bsky.social and @stephlay.bsky.social Listen on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts now! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...

Do you think these places in Germany and France should be twinned?

This morning at 6:30

It's beautiful outside! Could it be the beginning of spring? Pleeeeeease.

Tomorrow evening I'll be doing an online event for The Last Tuesday Society at The Viktor Wynd Museum. Was a werewolf *really* loping around Hull ten years ago? Join us & find out. thelasttuesdaysociety.org/event/the-we...

That was a fascinating afternoon! @jomarchant.bsky.social talked to us at @ConwayHall about her new book 'In Search of Now'.

Working from home often requires compromises.

Just encountered a misspelling of Alphege as 'Alphage' and I am picturing an Anglo-Saxon archbishop who eats elves

There's a website for #WyrdWycombe!!! It's just started so keep visiting to see more. wyrdwycombe.co.uk

Here is @matthewcobb.bsky.social giving the #DarwinDayLecture 2026 from @humanists.uk.

Happy Darwin Day! Come see the brilliant @matthewcobb.bsky.social give the animal DD @humanists.uk lecture. He is one of the best lecturers I’ve ever seen. Tonight! humanists.uk/events/darwi...

I tried to take a photo of a grasshopper on my windshield, but now it looks like a gigantic bug destroying the town.

Went to 'The Last Days of Pompeii Immersive Experience' today. Here are some piccies from the photobooth. The left one is the Roman lady filter and the right one is the Ellen de Generes filter.

Here is the official video of the Wycombe Wyrm day which was happening this time last week, and was organised by Stevyn Colgan and Mark Page www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1od...

It always takes me by surprise at this time of year but… the year is now 10% over! carpe diem! youtu.be/6liD8TdlJFA?...

The 'Wyrd Wycombe' bunch have made the papers! I don't normally dress like this on a Sunday, but we were in a re-enactment & festival organised by the amazing Stevyn Colgan & his friend Mark. Long live the Wyrd. I'll be there next year and you'll love it too.

Who was the first modern pagan? That is, who was the first person in modern times to embrace revived pre-Christian religion? The answer may surprise you.

I've posted an article on him here, including one of his satirical pieces against Christianity which has never before been published: religionoffthebeatentrack.substack.com/p/the-first-...

I'm sure public life (including international) was always this scuzzy, but perhaps we're noticing it more at the moment.

2/2 If you want to know about English 'Revenants', I covered a few of them in @skeptoid.bsky.social skeptoid.com/episodes/999. Thank you to @owenstaton.bsky.social for the wonderful voice artistry in this one.

1/2 A dig has found likely evidence of Saxon/Viking era bound burials in England. They (& their companions) were young men & likely to have been fighters, but bound burials for probable religio-supernatural reasons have been found in this country too. (www.cam.ac.uk/stories/wand...)

Here are @ColganStevyn and Mark, organisers of #WyrdWycombe. I'm going to help in the pageant, hence the hair. But I have to say - it keeps you warm too!

The Jack in the Green at #WyrdWycombe

The #WyrdWycombe day has started with drums!

A Catherine O'Hara movie that gets overlooked, but one of the Irish Indies Gabriel Byrne was doing at the time - 'Last of the High Kings'. Lovely coming-of-age movie. And - of - course, she was great.

I went to High Wycombe to see Stevyn Colgan & the haunted hare in anticipation of the #WyrdWycombe event THIS SUNDAY! Come and join in. www.instagram.com/wyrd_wycombe/

Great to hear about Victorian Mummymania from @drjaysullivan.bsky.social at last night's @forteanlondon.bsky.social

Here we are at @forteanlondon.bsky.social to discuss 'Victorian Mummymania'.

Hi everyone, I'm organising a conference in Leuven, 4-5 June, and you're all invited*! It's called 'Performing evil: the mediation and display of diabolic spectres 1700-2000' and here is the call for papers (get in touch if you'd like a pdf!). Please share widely! *to submit an abstract before 21/3

I spent the night with a ghost, and I'd do it again. Today on my Substack:

Looking forward to the #RosalindFranklinLecture 5 March! In a fascinating talk on the science of 'fate', Dr Hannah Critchlow invites us to rethink the free will – and asks whether it may, at least in part, be an illusion created by the brain’s need for a coherent story. humanists.uk/events/frank...

My latest for @TheSkepticMag: Exploring the limits of skepticism. Part 3: The value of adversarial collaborations skeptic.org.uk/2026/01/explor… via @theskepticmag : https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/01/exploring-the-limits-of-skepticism-part-3-the-value-of-adversarial-collaborations/

The #FestivalofHumanism, formerly known as Humanists UK Convention, is headed to Bournemouth this 12-14 June in celebration of #WorldHumanistDay. Book your tickets now, and join us for a full weekend of science, philosophy, politics, history, entertainment, and culture! humanists.uk/events/festi...

It's a good crowd for the newly relaunched @londonskeptics.bsky.social : it's a 'Science of Weird Shit' talk from @profchrisfrench.bsky.social

This evening I will be at @SITP London watching @chriscfrench alk about 'The Science of Weird Shit'. sitp.online/sitp/london/...

Free online talk by me plus Q&A on The Science of Weird Shit for @ChalkScribes (aka Chalk Scribblers), 7-9 pm, 4/2/26. Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/chalk-scri...

I hope 2025 has been good for you and that 2026 holds even better times. Happy New Year x

I'll be giving a talk on "The Science of Weird Shit" for @LondonSkeptics at 7:30 pm on 7/1/26 at KC Continental Stores, 26 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, London N1 9DT. Never given a talk in a supermarket before (joking! Of course I have!). SitP.online/sitp/london

Just rewatched Henson's 'Labyrinth' after a long break and had forgotten how Bosch-esque so much of the art direction was, especially towards the end. Could have been the garden of muppet delights.

It is Boxing Day - the only day of the year that's it's legal to eat Pringles for breakfast. Remember to clean your teeth before you talk to anyone if your chosen flavour was cheese and onion.

A very Happy Christmas to everybody. And what is Christmas all about? Brussel sprouts. Yes - Brussel sprouts. Here is the one that hangs from my tree.

I have just bought my ticket for 'The Signalman' read by @theowenstaton. Have you? Greatstoryteller. There's nothing better to do on Xmas Eve. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-signal...

I'm delighted to be able to announce that The Folklore Podcast has been awarded both CULTURAL EDUCATION PODCAST OF THE YEAR 2025 and AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EXCELLENCE AWARD 2025 in the Corporate Vision Media Innovator Awards. Thanks, as always, for your support. More of the same in 2026!

Happy Solstice eve everybody. Time to dance naked around a bonfire and give the dog her worming pill. I'd better not get those confused. Although if I danced naked around the dog she wouldn't be offended.

I spoke to the wonderful folks at @plutopia : plutopia.io/deborah-hyde...

So sad to hear about Rob Reiner and his wife. 'Spinal Tap' and 'The Princess Bride' are two of my favourite ever films. Awful news.

There are so many sequels that are just there to milk the fanbase of the initial offering. This isn't one of them. 'Spinal Tap, the End Continues' is as warm, as funny, as heart-warming as the original. Watch it over Christmas. You'll be glad you did.