Episode 86 – Lucky’s Grove by H.R. Wakefield

A Podcast to the Curious - The M.R. James Podcast

Ho ho, and indeed ho! In this special festive episode, Mike and Will pull on their wellies and wander straight into Lucky’s Grove by H.R. Wakefield. But who’s that hiding behind the Christmas tree?

Big thanks to Julia Morgan for allowing us to use extracts from her excellent Youtube reading of this story.

Show notes:

• The Clock Strikes Twelve (Ash Tree Press)
  If you want to read this story, your best bet is to pick up the Ash Tree Press ebook of The Clock Strikes Twelve, the H.R. Wakefield collection that contains this story.
• H.R. Wakefield (Wikipedia)
  You can read some biographical information about Wakefield himself on Wikipedia.
• The Edda (Wikipedia)
  The quote that starts this story is liberally adapted by Wakefield from part of these 11th-century Icelandic works.
• The Folk Horror of H.R. Wakefield (whenchuchyardsyawn)
  This excellent article by Jason Lineham analyses both Lucky’s Grove and another Wakefield tale called the The First Sheaf from a modern folk horror perspective.
• The Disney wolf (Wikipedia)
  The intimidating wolf that adorns one of the Christmas lights was presumably based on the wolf from the Disney short film Three Little Pigs (1933). He does look a bit intimidating actually!