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When an invisible entity attacked the Hodgson family in the late 1970s, subjecting them to violent and disturbing attacks, the experience left scars that would last for decades. But a closer inspection of the situation revealed inconsistencies. Despite being one of Britain’s best-known ghost stories, very few of us know all of the facts.In the sixth episode of our series Astonishing, we will look into the infamous Enfield Haunting; an incident which terrorised an unsuspecting London family, and caught the world’s attention. Did it really happen? Could it be explained as a simple teenage prank? Or, considering the amount of recorded evidence and independent eye witnesses, was there actually something sinister lurking in the shadows and terrorising the poor family?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/astonishing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 1612, a young woman took to the stand in the court of Lancaster Castle where she calmly and shrewdly gave testimony which would lead to the conviction and death of ten members of her local community. Setting a dangerous precedent, the proceedings of the Pendle witch trials would influence the history books in a surprising way.In the fifth episode of our series Astonishing, we’ll explore the world of seventeenth century Lancashire; the harsh reality of living at the bottom-most rung of society; the religious extremism of the Monarchy; and the witch-hunting hysteria which so fiercely caught even the most able-minded men and women of the time. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/astonishing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For centuries, eyewitnesses have reported cat-like creatures prowling the countryside of Great Britain, while farmers tell of livestock torn apart by wild beasts. Are these stories flights of fancy, preying on our collective fears, or do they have an element of truth? Could it be that perhaps these creatures are simply too good at remaining hidden?In the fourth episode of our series Astonishing, we’ll look into various reports of sightings and encounters with non-native species of big cats from around the country, we will connect the dots, and try to uncover the truth behind the most prolific urban legend that continues to thrive in Britain. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/astonishing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the morning of the 4th December 1926, a car was found abandoned in Newlands Corner, a nature reserve just east of Guildford, Surrey. The car belonged to Agatha Christie who, following an argument with her husband the previous night, walked out of the house, into her car, and disappeared into the night. Her persona as a famous writer of mysteries, the scale of the police search, and the absence of evidence caused a media firestorm that quickly spread around the world. In the third episode of our series Astonishing, we'll explore Agatha's life and the events prior to her disappearance, the frantic investigation that followed to track her down, the salacious rumours that abounded in the press, and the aftermath of what was, at the time, Britain's largest manhunt. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/astonishing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the early hours of the 26th December 1980, three US Air Force patrolmen were following the path of what they thought to be a downed aeroplane through the dense woods of Rendlesham Forest. They approached the landing site fearing the worst and expecting to find a wreckage. What they actually found, and the subsequent chain of events that followed, no one could have predicted.In the second episode of our series Astonishing, we'll delve into this incident with a retelling of the story and an investigation into the truth behind it. Weird lights in the sky, sightings of an unidentified flying object, and a possible government cover up might all be hallmarks of a classic Hollywood sci-fi movie. But Britain has its own true story to tell.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/astonishing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

During severe storms that battered the islands of the Outer Hebrides in December 1900, three lighthouse keepers, James Ducat, Thomas Marshall and Donald MacArthur vanished without a trace from their posts at the Flannan Isles Lighthouse. Following an immediate investigation, no solid proof could determine how the men disappeared and the case was closed. More than a century later, we are still utterly captivated by this legend.In the first episode of our brand new series Astonishing, we'll delve into this mystery: firstly with a version of the story best known in the collective imagination, and later with an attempt to untangle the embellishments and half-truths which have been added over the years. Can fact be stranger than fiction?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/astonishing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.