Bournemouth: Shelley's Heart and the Smuggler King

The Wyrdo's venture down to the coast for a deep dive into the weird and wonderful corners of Bournemouth and Poole. Join Craig and Andy as they explore meticulously planned Victorian resorts built on smugglers' heathlands, confront a truly unique ghost, and finish up with a 15th-century cryptid that just couldn't cross the road.

This Week, We Cover:

Isaac Gulliver, The Smuggler King: The audacious Wiltshire-born rogue who ran the coast and secured his freedom by faking his own death with a very public funeral.

The Gothic Heart of St Peter's: Exploring the resting place of Mary Shelley and the incredibly morbid tale of the poet's calcified heart she supposedly kept.

The Haunted Town Hall: From the tragic WWI Nurse to the truly inexplicable phantom of a headless, moaning Maharaja sitting on a chair on the fourth floor.

The Crown Hotel, Poole: The deeply unsettling story of the ghostly twins allegedly hidden and buried by their parents, whose cries and spectral playing can still be heard.

The Boscombe Whale: The bizarre 1897 story of the blue whale that washed up on the beach, sparking a stand-off with clubs and a pistol shot, only for its skeleton to become a temporary pier attraction.

Un/Common People: A chat with past guest Simon Costin about the fantastic touring exhibition of folk culture, coming to Poole Museum from late October 2025 to 18 January 2026.

Portland's Mer-Chicken: The 15th-century sighting of a colossal half-man, half-chicken sea creature that rose from the waves, crowed to the compass points, and offered a very bad joke.

Stay Wyrd!

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Written by Craig Brooks and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens

Edited by Craig Brooks

Intro music by Leonell Cassio - The Paranormal Is Real (ft. Carrie)

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