What if all the myths and folktales of these islands were true? And what if they were not only true but present now in our world? All the spirits, existing, as they have always existed, in the gaps between tower blocks, in the shadows under bridges, in the corner of our vision...
(from the Pilgrim programme info)
Stepping slightly off the crooked path of fairy tales and into the undergrowth of folklore that sprawls alongside, I wanted to let you know about Pilgrim, a wonderful series of BBC Radio 4 plays by Sebastian Baczkiewicz inspired by the folklore of the British Isles.
William Palmer is 900 years old—he was cursed by a fellow pilgrim on the road to Canterbury in 1185 for claiming that Christianity would wipe out the old beliefs. That pilgrim was the Lord of Faerie and William must forever walk between the worlds of the Greyfolk (them) and the Hotbloods (us). Pilgrim is a delightful—and frequently chilling—mix of tales old and new. The second series started today with The Drowned Church, and it's available to listen to online for the next seven days. There's also an interesting 'making of' blog post here. It's a series not to be missed!
Photo by Steve Bowbrick CC license: some rights reserved.
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Ooh, they sound delicious, just as I like folklore and faery...a little on the dark side. Will definitely check them out!
ReplyDeleteOh I wonder if it's possible to listen to this online, from over in the United States. It sounds like something I'd *love*.
ReplyDeleteOh--I see I can! I didn't read your entry carefully enough! Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteArgh--I'm so sorry, when I put the post up I assumed that because the episode is online for 7 days it could be listened to from anywhere in the world, but after doing a bit more investigating I've discovered the BBC site locates where you are and blocks the listen again facility outside the UK. However, the site says 'You can listen to Radio 4 online anywhere in the world' so you *should* (I hope) be able to listen live online outside the UK. There are three more episodes to go, playing at 2.15pm GMT on Tuesdays. I realise that would mean listening very late at night for you Christina, and earlier in the day for you Francesca but if you do manage to catch it, it would be great if you could let me know.
ReplyDeleteI should also say that although the plays are part of a continuing series, each (very helpfully!) can be enjoyed as a self-contained story too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Claire; I am definitely going to listen to the remaining three. I asked my husband why they blocked listening; he said he thought it had to do with copyright...
ReplyDeleteClaire, I'm not sure how or why...but I tried it just to see if it would work, and I managed to listen to the whole thing! Wonderful!
ReplyDelete:) Christina
That's wonderful news!! Perhaps it was only temporarily not working and this isn't one of the programmes that is blocked (or perhaps there was a little magic involved--who knows!). Brilliant. Really hope it works for other people too!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for letting me know! :-)
ReplyDeleteYou can access BBC I player by using something called an isp proxy which fools the player into thinking you are in the UK.
ReplyDeleteI've sent a BBC license investigator around to all of your houses...
ReplyDeletePilgrim should comne with a health warning - it's too scary but if you're really brave series one and two are available on the Radio Archive where free to air radio content can be downloaded, legally as far as I'm aware
ReplyDeleteThis is a truly wonderful series. Radio drama at its absolute finest. These are creepy tales but infused with a lightness of touch, where appropriate, and have brightened my Thursday afternoons
ReplyDeleteI love this series. Excellent radio drama full of reality and fantasy. I wish they were available on audio cd.
ReplyDeleteYou can download the whole series via Amazon
DeleteExcellent. Season four is on. Been following Pilgrim for a couple of years now. They get better. No one else writes anything remotely like these. Brilliantly written and acted. Best thing on Radio for ages and I listen to a lot of radio plays .
ReplyDeleteListening to it now on Radio 4 Extra. Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteIt's back on! Started yesterday! Episode one is playing Right Now!
ReplyDelete/~}}}`!`{{{~\
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I've hljust finished series 2. Catching up and relistening: wonderful Radio.
ReplyDeleteI've hljust finished series 2. Catching up and relistening: wonderful Radio.
ReplyDeleteIt is first rate and I am enjoying them all on BBC Radio 4 Extra. I just wish that they were all an hour long instead of 43 minutes, just like the old Afternoon plays pre mid 1990's used to be.
ReplyDeleteA friend tipped me off to to this and I've just listened to all 24 episodes in the last 2 weeks - wonderful stuff!
ReplyDeletePilgrim Series 1 - 7 is available on Audible if you've missed it on Radio 4! Excellent series, you have to listen to it, so adictive - I've listened about three times over ****** that's Five stars from me!!
ReplyDeleteDownloaded from Audible and listening for the second time. I love this combination of fantasy and fairytale !!!!
ReplyDeleteHalloween 2020 - ten years since this post first appeared - and the 2-part “The Timbermoor Imp” has just aired. “Pilgrim” has only gotten better over the years; Baczkiewicz is a master storyteller. So glad this series still continues, even though now it seems to be more in the form of holiday specials.
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