31 Days of Halloween: Day 19

I'm going to be posting this one a little late, as I've had a lot on this week and have fallen behind with my Halloween posts. Fortunately, I haven't fallen behind with my celebrations, so I've still got things to share!

Those Conspiracy Guys at Chapeltown Picture House

On Tuesday night, we were at Chapeltown Picture House to see a live show by Those Conspiracy Guys. Lot of laughs. Quite a bit of weirdness.

Today's Story

Tuesday's story was 'Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper' by Robert Bloch, which is kind of a joke at the expense of obsessive Ripper fans until the end, when it gets a little silly.

Today's Tea

Today's tea was Jack's Brew from Rosie Lea Tea, which promised to be toffee, pumpkin and liquorice flavour. And it was indeed toffee, pumpkin and liquorice flavour, and very nice it was too.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 18

Another day of Halloween, but another quiet one. Things are going to get busier later in the week, but today I'm content with my daily horror story and another Halloween-themed tea.

Today's Story

Today's story was 'The Words of Guru' by C.M. Kornbluth. This was another new one for me. It's very short but packs a lot into the space (quite a bit through implication and suggestion). It definitely leaves you with questions.

Today's Tea

Today's tea was Fairies Chapel from The Tea Crew, a green rooibos (don't think I've had one of those before) with fruit and berries. The lemon and raspberry give this one a nice sharpness and pleasantly light flavour. (And if you don't think fairies are very Halloween-y, you're reading the wrong fairy stories.)

Ten Tales returns to North Manchester FM!

I am delighted to announce that Ten Tales: Ghost Stories for North Manchester is returning to North Manchester FM for a second series this winter. Every Friday at 10pm, I'll be sharing a brand new and original piece of fiction, written by yours truly exclusively for North Manchester FM.

The nights are drawing in, and there's a bit of a chill in the air (or at least, you can imagine there is). It's the perfect time of year for old-school ghost stories on the wireless. Ten Tales belongs to the classic tradition of spooky seasonal stories... but with a uniquely North Manchester flavour. From Crosslee to Crumpsall, Hollinwood to Harpurhey, these stories draw on settings and history from around the local area, but with my own off-beat take on them. And they're (almost) all cosy tales for those darker nights.

Essentially... imagine if M.R. James had visited Dam Head estate instead of the British Library...

Ten Tales: Ghost Stories for North Manchester returns on Friday 22nd October at 10pm. The first story is entitled Redeem Thy Misspent Time. It's set in Blackley Village, where the church bells have started ringing again...

Episode List

Redeem Thy Misspent Time (Fri 22nd Oct)
Nocturne (Fri 29th Oct)
The Third Uncle George (Fri 5th Nov)
The Ice Palace (Fri 12th Nov)
Bradshaw's Vinegar (Fri 19th Nov)
Wireless (Fri 26th Nov)
Peril in Darkingford (Fri 3rd Dec)
Cream Crackers (Fri 10th Dec)
Nut-Nan in the Hazel (Fri 17th Dec)
One Hundred and Thirty Aged Men Sat Down to an Excellent Dinner (Fri 24th Dec)

You can listen to Ten Tales: Ghost Stories for North Manchester every Friday at 10pm on 106.6FM (if you're in the North Manchester area) or online (if you're further afield). Episodes will also be available on the station's 'Listen Again' service for a limited time after broadcast.

Draw the curtains, make some cocoa, try to ignore that rapping, tapping at your chamber door, and tune in the wireless for a brand new story every Friday night... only on North Manchester FM 106.6.