@davidwclarke
Folklorist and Journalist. Associate Professor, Sheffield Hallam University. Project lead, AHRC National Folklore Survey. Views expressed entirely my own. http://www.drdavidclarke.co.uk/ Blog: https://drclarke.substack.com/
Series one of Folklore Matters comes to an end tomorrow - and we want to hear your thoughts. What did you like? What could be improved? Who should we be speaking to for series two?
New issue on sale now!
Erich Von Däniken's ancient aliens; cracking the Zodiac killer's code; Welsh folk horror; Hannen Swaffer & AO Spare; rains of ghostly coins; changelings in court; tapeworm diets; surfboard stealing otters; fairy fungus; new UFO docs & more! shop.forteantimes.com/current-issue
It's a coin, dated 1656, showing a UFO-like cart wheel floating in a cloudy sky. Text: Opport VNVS. Adest.
A bronze coin with a grinning sasquatch head. The sasquatch has shoulder-length, straight hair and menacing eyes beneath furrowed brows. Text around the coin reads: 'A wild man's head from the land of Jesso to be seen at'.
Strange Central 2026: Mysteries, Monsters, Ghosts, and UFOs
Online and @conwayhall.bsky.social
Saturday 18 April 10 am - 5 pm
Coin specialist Dominic Chorney investigates the world of ‘occult numismatics’ from magical pennies to UFO currency.
forteanlondon.blogspot.com/2026/02/stra...
(6/8)
Stock image of a flying saucer hovering over tree-tops in black and white with fake grain and marks on it to indicate authenticity.
Look at Mark Pilkington, a friendly-looking white man with shoulder-length hair and a bit of salt in his black-pepper beard. His Roman nose looks like it might have been broken at some point. I've never noticed that before.
Strange Central 2026: Mysteries, Monsters, Ghosts, and UFOs.
Online and @conwayhall.bsky.social
Saturday 18 April 10 am - 5 pm
Mirage Men's @markopilkington.bsky.social discloses the state of UFO sightings under Trump. Are they coming to save us?
forteanlondon.blogspot.com/2026/02/stra...
(5/8)
Classic ghost, a figure beneath a shroud, stands in a stone porch in front of a large door. The ghost is illuminated by light from the right.
Advert for Alice Vernon's book 'Ghosted' featuring the book cover, a ghost descending stairs, and a candle, for some reason. Text reads: 'Ghosted. A history of ghost hunting and why we keep looking.'
Cover of Ben Machell's book 'Chasing the Dark'. Cross-section of a large house with floating furniture in it to indicate poltergeist or some other psychic activity.
Author and researcher Alice Vernon smiles in a leather jacket while standing in front of some old, rusted railings. Not sure where this is, though. The stone is grey, the windows are narrow. Maybe Edinburgh?
Strange Central 2026: Mysteries, Monsters, Ghosts, and UFOs
Online and @conwayhall.bsky.social
Saturday 18 April 10 am - 5 pm
@alicevernon10.bsky.social, Ben Machell & Sarah Sparkes discuss paranormal archives and investigators.
forteanlondon.blogspot.com/2026/02/stra...
(4/8)
The Angels of Mons is the best known legend of #WW1 but what is the true origin of the story? Watch @skyhistory.bsky.social Britain's X-Files to find out: www.history.co.uk/articles/the...
Our @dianearodgers.bsky.social has made a short video to explain what the National Folklore Survey for England is all about.
Episode four of Folklore Matters has landed and it’s a special one: a recording of @cerihoulbrook.bsky.social and @odavies9.bsky.social at Off The Shelf in October discussing their latest book, Folklore: a journey through past and present. It’s a corker if we do say so ourselves!
Invasion of the Saucermen is a new exhibition at the Old Head Post Office at @sheffieldhallamuni.bsky.social, opening next month. We caught up with Andrew Robinson to hear about its conception - and how the Survey feeds into the display: www.nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk/news/invasio...
Today on Folklore Matters, you can hear us discussing folklore and art, and consciously creating custom with the one and only Lucy Wright. She articulates things so beautifully so join us to connect all those folkloric dots you have floating around!
If you’re a Swift fan - and not necessarily the Taylor kind - you might like our colleague Chris Jones and his Swift Diaries. cwjoneschris.substack.com/p/swift-diar...
Craig Lindsay, press officer at RAF base in Pitreavie Castle, holds a grainy photograph of the Calvine UFO.
A grainy image of a diamond-shaped UFO exiting stage left, pursued by what looks like a fighter jet.
Strange Central 2026: Mysteries, Monsters, Ghosts, and UFOs
Online and @conwayhall.bsky.social
Saturday 18 April 10 am - 5 pm
@davidwclarke.bsky.social explores the legend of the Calvine UFO photograph. 'More twists than a John le Carre novel'
forteanlondon.blogspot.com/2026/02/stra...
(3/8)
Our research shows that 13% of people in England - that’s roughly 5 million people - believe that it is lucky if swallows, swifts and/or house martins build a nest in the eaves of your home.
We’ve released more findings relating to love and luck today. Head to: www.nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk/news/love-an...
Have you ever inscribed names on a padlock and locked it in a public place? Our survey has found 4.9% of people living in England today have - that’s around 2 million people - and you’re most likely to do it if you live in the North West, and more likely if you’re Hindu, Sikh, or Muslim.
Tomorrow on the website we’ll be releasing the latest findings from the survey. But one glorious nugget for you today: a quarter of people in England (23.9% to be precise) believe that Friday 13th is an unlucky day. Those most likely to believe this are women, aged 16-24, and white.
You know all about The Wicker Man… now hear from one of the Children of The Wicker Man. On Folklore Matters today, we talk to Dominic Hardy, son of Robin, to hear all about the film’s legacy and its impact on his family. Source it wherever you get your podcasts…
Chariots of the Gods? author Eric von Daniken who believed god was an alien astronaut dies age 90:
www.independent.co.uk/arts-enterta...
England is a nation of gift-givers at Christmas! It’s mammoth but it’s worth making your way through our new website post about what the Survey has revealed about Christmas traditions - there are some surprises…
www.nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk/news/its-chr...
This was the stat that surprised us the most: 57% of people report that watching films and TV is as important a Christmas tradition as decorating the home and visiting friends and relatives
Our Survey tells us that 38% of folks living in England today make festive foods at Christmas. Are you one of them? If so, what are you making?
I’m (Sophie) terrible at icing cakes so I continue my mum’s tradition of the ‘rustic’ make-it-look-like-snow icing on the Christmas cake.
28.1% of people living in England today host or attend a Christmas party. Are you one of them?
Hands up: who’s already tucking in? Over 40% of people living in England report eating and drinking ‘to excess’ at Christmas. What we didn’t ask: what we’re eating or drinking to excess. Anyone care to furnish us with their answers? (Nutella over here!)
63.5% of people living in England today will be settling down to a Christmas meal tomorrow. So what will it be on your plate? Traditional turkey and all the trimmings? The vegan alternative? Or something different altogether?
Santa's Sleigh or something stranger? Seasonal samples from the @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy collection of #UFO files: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-...
UK government DCMS launch inventories of Intangible Cultural Heritage (#folklore) under the UNESCO convention on safeguarding of living heritage, submissions close March 2026
livingheritage.unesco.org.uk
Is Bonfire Night being replaced by #Halloween in English folk tradition? Results from @nfsengland.bsky.social revealed today #NFS: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Four million English folk have seen something in the sky they can't explain and almost one third believe governments are covering up the existence of #UFOs; results from the National Folklore Survey #NFS: open.substack.com/pub/drclarke...
Happy Halloween 👻🎃💀! Here are some of the results from our National Folklore Survey about how people living in England celebrate, as visualised for us by artist Jonny Ford'!
Me and my team @nfsengland.bsky.social @davidwclarke.bsky.social & Sophie Parkes-Nield all quoted in The Guardian today about our Halloween results from the National Folklore Survey! #folklorethursday www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
