The Stalls Of Barchester Cathedral by M R James

Classic Ghost Stories

Tony Walker

Fiction, Drama, Science Fiction

4.9 • 686 Ratings

🗓️ 31 October 2022

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral by M R James was published in 1910. It is one of Montague Rhodes James's most famous and best loved, or most feared, stories. As often with M R James, these are not just comforting cuddly ghosts — the ghost cat is decidedly disturbing — but there is something scary and demonic about the stalls themselves. Thanks to Gavin Critchley for sponsoring this Halloween 2022 episode of The Classic Ghost Stories Podcast. It's not the first he has sponsored but his kindness has allowed me to do this for all of you. Thank you, Gavin. The stalls are the wooden seats in a cathedral where the clergy and other officials of the church sit. Not for the first time either do I see something decidedly folk horror in James's work with reference to the old tree that was used for unspeakable old folk things being the substances of the stalls. The BBC did a well-loved ghost story for Christmas of The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral, but this is my audio book version for you. Get All Episodes Ad Free! $1 a month for the whole back catalog of episodes on Patreon. Download at your leisure. https://www.patreon.com/barcud Buy Dracula Audiobook for Download Buy it directly from me at a knockdown price £4.99. https://ko-fi.com/s/a7a5c648b8 If You Appreciate The Work I’ve Put In Here Buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/tonywalker, or join as a Patron for members only stories for $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/barcud Late Night Talk Radio Listen to my other podcast! Here https://link.chtbl.com/late_night New Patreon Request Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Support the showVisit us here: www.ghostpod.orgBuy me a coffee if you're glad I do this: https://ko-fi.com/tonywalkerIf you really want to help me, become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barcudMusic by The Heartwood Institute: https://bit.ly/somecomeback Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Everybody dies, don't they?
0:10.5	Everybody come back, isn't that so?
0:14.4	You tried to get into the locked drawer today, didn't you?
0:17.2	How do the day come back?
0:19.2	The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral by M.R. James.
0:25.1	This matter began, as far as I am concerned, with the reading of a notice in the obituary section of the gentleman's magazine for an early year in the 19th century.
0:37.5	On February 26th at his residence in the Cathedral Close of Barchester,
0:42.8	the venerable John Benwell Hayes, Doctor of Divinity, aged 57,
0:48.3	archdeacon of Sowerbridge and rector of Pickhill and Candley.
0:52.9	He was of College Cambridge,
0:55.8	and whereby talent and assiduity
0:58.1	he commanded the esteem of his seniors,
1:01.1	when at the usual time he took his first degree,
1:04.4	his name stood high in the list of Wranglers.
1:07.7	These academical honours procured for him
1:10.1	within a short time of fellowship of his college.
1:13.6	In the year 1783, he received holy orders, and was shortly afterwards presented to the perpetual
1:20.0	curacy of Ranked and Sub-Ash by his friend and patron, the late, truly venerable Bishop of Litchfield. His speedy preferments, first to a prebend,
1:31.9	and subsequently to the dignity of a precentor in the Cathedral of Barchester, form an eloquent
1:38.0	testimony to the respect in which he was held, and to his eminent qualifications.
1:50.9	He succeeded to the archdeaconry upon the sudden decease of Archdeacon Pulteney in 1810.
1:57.3	His sermons ever conformable to the principles of the religion and church which he adorned displayed in no ordinary degree, without the least trace of enthusiasm, the
	...

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