BBC Radio 4, October 31, 2022 and BBC Sounds

 A ‘how’ done it or a ‘who’ done it?

We begin with an exorcism. I have strong thoughts on the subject, but I’ll draw a veil over them for now. The thought to hold on to here is that Liz and Bill were reaching the end of their tether as relationships fray, both between the two of them and Lawrence, Bill’s son.

This episode brings many challenges, whatever your views. Teenagers typically act up, it’s part of testing their boundaries – their voices change too – but do such extreme personality and vocal changes warrant a closer look? I might be a little sceptical about this myself – yes, you read that right – but then it is common for paranormal energy to be channelled through adolescents, so that fits the pattern you might expect.

The next escalation of the paranormal phenomena in this case is one of the most terrifying, typically: an apparition – in broad daylight, no less! The eponymous ‘Old Woman’ appeared in a chair, wearing relatively modern clothes. This gives our intrepid ghost-detective, Liz, an idea.

Brecon is a small town, and Liz finds herself at the centre of local gossip when she goes to the electoral register archive and learns from a local historian, Bethan Morgan, that hers wasn’t the first exorcism at Heol Fanog. It’s so exciting to think that we might be able to research who is haunting this remote farm, and get some real-life evidence. One of the former owners in the 60s was a woman by the name of Marian Holbourne. Remember that name. Just as there is light and dark within humans in this life, might those qualities remain in the next one? Might Liz and her family have a forlorn supernatural ally under her roof, as well as a foe?

As Ciaran puts Danny through his paces in a gruelling horror-film filled 36 hour sleep deprivation experiment, it’s not looking good for the reliability of Liz’s own eyes, considering that she too might have been suffering from a lack of sleep. Cue an end of episode bombshell as Danny drops the proverbial mike and leaves us wanting more.

That’s perfectly OK this week as we go straight into a Listen Live Twitter Spaces chat with Danny and our resident experts, Ciaran and Evelyn. As ever, evidence is dissected and fascinating tweets shared as close to 600 listeners tuned in. Full disclosure, there were some difficult things for any Christian listener to hear, but they were absolutely accurate and valid, perfectly demonstrating why critical thinking is vital. Evelyn, from her seat on an Edinburgh bus, summed up the real issue brilliantly and succinctly, and her comment really resonated with me: the true evil is the ‘weaponisation’ of any faith, whatever religion you’re talking about… and I very much include historical Christians’ vilifying of the Pagan faith within that. The solution is to engage, to share, and to learn, not to ‘other’ anyone who may not adhere to your view. Fast forward to today and I like to think that there is much more inter-faith acceptance and respect in our world. Yes, there are troubling exceptions to that, but I love hearing other voices and celebrating the richness and beauty of different faiths and belief systems – and discovering what we all have in common.

It was a deeper discussion than perhaps previously held in the Twitter Spaces chats for Uncanny, and a truly important one. It felt as if the space was a very safe one, with the open and respectful dialogue that fans of The Battersea Poltergeist and Uncanny have come to expect. How fitting that Evelyn was able to share these profound insights on Samhain of all days – I hope she enjoyed the celebrations!

Verdict: Possession and passion in this fascinating instalment and discussion. 8/10

Claire Smith