A group of brightly dressed people waving pride flags on a street

Show notes and links for Fierce Fen Folklore for LGBTQ+ Pride

flat fields with yellow crop on one side and green on the other. In the centre there is a path water logged and muddy. There are some dark trees on the horizon.
David Wright / Appleby Carrs

Listen to the episode on BBC Sounds, Apple or Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Don’t forget Weird in the Wade Presents Bedfordshire’s Dark History with Olie Campbell and Nat Doig is Live at the Bed Fringe Festival on 25th July at the Quarry Theatre. Find out more here: https://bedfringe.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873684599

The Lincolnshire Fens

Find out more about the landscape and places of north Lincolnshire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Lincolnshire

Find out more about MC Balfour and the folktales she collected: https://tellinghistory.co.uk/content/legends-carrs

The Barley Mow in Bedford

Find out more about the Barley Mow on their insta page: https://www.instagram.com/the_barley_mow_bedford/?hl=en-gb or on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNewBarleyBedford/?locale=en_GB and here: https://lovebedford.co.uk/businesses/the-barley-mow/#:~:text=The%20Barley%20Mow%20is%20the,discos%20on%20Fridays%20and%20Saturdays.

A large pub with brick and mock Tudor beams, flower baskets and a large wooden door with archway over it.
The Barley Mow photo by:
Simonxag

Bedford Pride

Find out more about Bedford Pride on the 5th September here: https://www.rainbowbedfordshire.co.uk/pride-committee-2026/ and here: https://www.instagram.com/bedford.pride/

Biggleswade Pride

Find out more about Biggleswade Pride which runs from Tuesday 14th – 22nd July here: https://www.facebook.com/p/Biggleswade-Pride-61569541713711/

Biggleswade Pride poster with information about different events which you can find on the links

Dr James Chantry

Find out more about James’ work here: https://www.jameschantry.co.uk/

Follow James on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/james.chantry

Read his short story in the Not of this Wold volume 2 find out more about the publication and the event here: https://www.facebook.com/p/Not-Of-This-Wold-61583418592782/?locale=en_GB

There’s also a call for papers and art for Queer Ecology and the Supernatural – A Two-day Symposium and Exhibition at Loughborough University 18th-19th September 2026. which James is involved with here: https://arthist.net/archive/52641

James who is tall with dark hair and a beard and Nat who is short with blonde hair. They're both smiling
James and Nat

Mediums mentioned by James

There is a website dedicated to Leslie Flint https://www.leslieflint.com/ which includes some archive recordings.

Daniel Douglas Home info can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Dunglas_Home

Reading, watch and listen list for LGBTQ+ history folklore, mystery and horror

The V&A article I mention in the show can be found here: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/articles/the-language-of-pride?srsltid=AfmBOoqoC4yl0kKlPRpej2tKh9_O1L3kp96y870qa3sDMs8wWwvJUtYa

Sascha Coward’s Queer Folklore is a fantastic book

Anthony Delaney from podcast After Dark is definitely worth following and his books are great including Queer Georgians

Not of this Wold Vol II which includes James’ short story.

For more information about LGBTQ+ history:

English Heritage have this resource: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/lgbtq-history/

The national archives have this resource: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/the-history-of-lgbtq-rights-in-britain/

Historic England has this resource: https://historicengland.org.uk/research/inclusive-heritage/lgbtq-heritage-project/

Historic Environment Scotland has this: https://blog.historicenvironment.scot/2020/02/brief-timeline-lgbt-history-scotland-2/#:~:text=1975%3A%20Scotland’s%20first%20Gay%20Centre,Gay%20Club%20on%20Queens%20Crescent.

LGBTQ+ History Month info: https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/lgbt-history-month-2026/

Queer Britain Museum near Kings Cross is a great place to visit: https://queerbritain.org.uk/

There’s a great article (part of a series) on the horror genre “A queer woman’s place is in the horror story!” https://www.autostraddle.com/a-queer-womans-place-is-in-the-horror-story/

Places for support

Bedfordshire

Rainbow Bedfordshire: https://www.rainbowbedfordshire.co.uk/

Bedford support places: https://localoffer.bedford.gov.uk/kb5/bedford/directory/advice.page?id=ShaCOu79CMU

UK wide

Stonewall: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/

Switchboard: https://switchboard.lgbt/

A great list of mental health support listed by Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/lgbtqiaplus-mental-health/useful-contacts/

Ireland

https://lgbt.ie

The US

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources

Australia

https://qlife.org.au

2 thoughts on “Show notes and links for Fierce Fen Folklore for LGBTQ+ Pride”

  1. Hi Nat,

    Just wanted to say a huge thankyou for your interpretation of the Tiddimun story. I remember my grandparents telling me this story and others to me when I was very little. I now live in Essex but still feel the cold rush of North Lincolnshire marsh water coursing through my veins. I would also like to thank you for the sensitive handling and respect you showed for the diverse archaic fen words you incorporated into your retelling. I remember some of the old people still speaking those phrases when I was a small child. Absolutely love your show. Thanks again.

    Dean Doyles – Harlow Essex

    dean194bt@outlook.com

    Like

  2. Hi. I listened to this podcast and it’s possible that the gay status of the Babadook originates from the Soda Jerks film Terror Nulius, which is definitely worth watching.

    Like

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