Local Legends #60: Mark Rees

The first of three very special interviews with some of the biggest names in Welsh folklore and ghostlore, in this episode it's author, journalist, cultural historian and self-proclaimed punk, Mark Rees!

We begin with some merry badinage, discussing who Mark is and unpacking some of the important lessons we've learned from him and others across Series 7 - though the main event is a lovely chat that starts in Mark's home town of Port Talbot, via Mark's 'Lost Years' as a punk, through to the blossoming of his astonishing career as a D.I.Y. journalist, broadcaster, researcher, and author of wonderful books on the cultural history and legends of Wales.

At the same time, inspired by an early love of Ghostbusters, Mark has been chasing down spooks for a while now - and not just in newspaper archives. He has uncovered things, including new details in the Rhonda Street Poltergeist case, the Cursed Wall of Margam, which is now top secret and thoroughly locked away, and a real life Scooby Doo case about a Welsh dog that genuinely caught a ghost.

We're talking about what Mark thinks unites the Welsh and the English, and about those things that separate us. About the places in Wales he thinks people should go to and why, and about the people who inspired him, from Dylan Thomas and the 'Graveyard Poet' Thomas Gray to Peter Underwood.

With an extra little bit at the end where Eleanor and Martin both share regrets about things they got wrong across Series 7, and a big announcement about our third book, we really hope you enjoy the episode.

Speak to you again on Thursday for the second part of the trilogy - a chat with author, folklorist and expert pathologist Dr Delyth Badder!

Visit Mark's website: https://markreesonline.com/about/

The Three Ravens is a Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on a historic county, exploring the heritage, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

With a range of exclusive content on Patreon too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?

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