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Dark Histories

The Dodleston Messages: Ghost in the Machine

Dark Histories

Ben Cutmore

History

4.82.2K Ratings

🗓️ 23 June 2019

⏱️ 88 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On Dark Histories, we hear the words of people lost to history, echoing through the writings of labourers, servants, judges, juries, maids and mistresses exactly as they were written in decades and centuries past. This one way communication with history is always limited by it’s very definition and no matter how much we dig, we can never ask the writers what were they feeling as they wrote each line, and whilst we judge them by the information they give, we can never invite them to ask what they make of the people and things of today in our alien, modern world. In 1984, an Economics teacher living in the small rural village of Dodleston found he had the opportunity to do exactly this, when he was thrust into a strange link that tied him across centuries with a past inhabitant of his home via an early model personal computer and it’s word processing software EDWORD. Both accused the other of trickery, poltergeist activity, witchcraft and devilry, but eventually, a bond between the two was formed. Cross-century communications are never easy, however, especially when the future gets involved. To take part in the review drive mentioned in the show, send your screenshots to [email protected] SOURCES: Webster, K. (1989). The Vertical Plane. London: Harper Collins. Hall, William J. & Petonito J. (2018) Phantom Messages: Chilling phone calls, letters, emails and texts from unknown realms. Disinformation Books. Out of this World. (1996). BBC One Television. Mercurius Politicus (2010, 1 November). Ghost in the Machine [Article, comments]. Retrived 14 June, 2019, from https://mercuriuspoliticus.wordpress.com/2010/11/01/ghost-in-the-machine/ For extended show notes, including maps, links and scripts, head over to darkhistories.com Support the show by using our link when you sign up to Audible: http://audibletrial.com/darkhistories or visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories Connect with us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast Or find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/darkhistories & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/ Or you can contact us directly via email at [email protected] or join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/6f7e2pt Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hi everyone. Thanks so much for downloading Dark Histories. The podcast has been growing really well recently and that's thanks to all you good people who share it around with your friends and families.

0:12.0

Before we start, I just want to throw out a few ways that you can help to

0:15.3

support the show throughout the growth and keep it sustainable. We have a patron, an Amazon book list,

0:21.4

a coffee and an audible affiliate link.

0:23.4

So if you're interested in supporting, hopefully you can find a way to do so that suits you.

0:28.0

All of the links for those various things can be found on the website over at dark histories

0:33.0

dot com and of course just continuing to share it around with all your

0:36.7

friends and families is a huge help so thanks so much for your help with that

0:40.8

okay let's get on with the show. On dark histories we hear the words of people lost to history

0:55.4

echoing through the writings of laborers servants judges juries maids and

1:00.8

mistresses exactly as they were written in decades and centuries past.

1:06.3

This one-way communication with history is always limited by its very definition and no matter how much we dig we can never ask the writers what they were

1:16.4

feeling as they wrote each line and whilst we judged them by the information they

1:20.5

give we can never invite them to ask what they make of the people and the things

1:24.6

of today in our alien modern world.

1:28.5

In 1984, an economics teacher living in the small rural village of Dodleston found that he had the opportunity

1:35.3

to do exactly this, when he was thrust into a strange link that tied him across centuries

1:40.5

with the past inhabitant of his home by an early model personal computer

1:45.5

and its word processing software Edward.

1:49.4

Both accused the other of trickery, pologist activity, witchcraft and devilry, but eventually a bond between

1:56.2

the two was formed.

1:58.4

Cross-century communications are never easy, however, especially when the future gets involved.

...

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