a doll with china head, brown hair and wearing a white dress sitting on a chair.

Show Notes and Links for: A Haunting at the Higgins

Posted on by Natalie Doig

Listen on BBC Sounds here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0mvftcv

You can find Weird in the Wade on Apple, Spotify, Pocketcasts, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Two women standing beneath the Higgins sign on the left Lydia has red bobbed hair and on the right is Victoria with long blonde hair.
Lydia and Victoria outside The Higgins

Further information about the Higgins Museum

Visit the Higgins website here: https://www.thehigginsbedford.org.uk/Home.aspx

And here is some further information about the history of the museum and art gallery with photographs: https://www.thehigginsbedford.org.uk/About_us/About_Us.aspx

A small room with a green lino floor with burgundy curtains at the window. There's a round table set out for tea. A piano, a rocking horse, a dolls house and in the foreground there is a chair with a doll with dark hair sitting on it.
The nursery before 2011
A large hexagonal room with deep blue walls and ceiling. In the room are pieces of red coloured furniture.
The Hex today
A pink wall with a fireplace in it. The fireplace has pale blue tiles and white mantlepiece.
The only original fireplace
A doorway leading to old stairs with a red patterned carpet and dark wood banister.
The stairs where cold spots strange sensations have been felt

Bedford Castle

In the foreground a round mural of black and white on the ground showing people and animals like deer and horses. Behind it a stone mound with a railing going up it and small wooden porch at the top. Next to the porch a person is leaping into the air their hands above their heads. The mound is surrounded by trees.
Bedford castle mound

Here’s some information about the history of Bedford Castle from the county archives: https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/CommunityHistories/Bedford/BedfordCastle.aspx

Here’s a great blog post from Girls Who Boo about the castle: https://girlswhoboouk.wixsite.com/girlswhoboobloguk/post/haunted-hanging-s-at-castle-mound-bedford-uk

Flat open field of grass surrounded by trees. In the distance is the porch seen in the previous photo but from the opposite direction.
The top of the mound, where ghostly gallows are said to creak.
A metal lattice in front of a wooden door cut into the mound with stone walls leading to it. Ivy and other plants surround it. Above the door is a fence leading up to the top of the castle mound.
The Ice House
Steps cut into the castle mound curving left surrounded by tall trees
Steps leading up to the castle mound from the Higgins

Haunted dolls

A large doll with china head and brown hair wearing a white dress sitting on a chair.
Queenie now in storage at The Higgins Bedford

Fiona Dodwell

Find out more about Fiona’s book here: https://forbiddenplanet.com/472084-a-cursed-collection-of-haunted-dolls-from-real-life-to-literature-movies/

Find out more about Fiona’s doll Knock Knock Harry here: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/im-tormented-haunted-doll-swears-36152475

Find out about Robert the doll here: https://robertthedoll.org/

And here’s some information about Peggy the doll which comes with a warning! Some believe just looking at the doll might make you sick.

https://www.redbookmag.com/life/news/a21511/warning-this-video-of-a-haunted-doll-may-make-you-sick/

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Published by Natalie Doig

"Science and sorcery." It's a quote from a beekeeper I saw on the TV, about how he sees the work he does keeping bees, a balance between science and sorcery. For me it also sums up my experience of life, my interests and my outlook. I love photography which is a perfect blend of science and sorcery, using light and technology to create magical images. But when I'm not taking photos you'll find me making the podcast Weird in the Wade. I'm also often to be found writing, reading, knitting, riding my mountain bike or drinking coffee watching the world go by. By day I fight for disability rights, equality and inclusion for all.

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