PodcastsDocumentaryAssume Nothing

Assume Nothing

BBC Radio Ulster
Assume Nothing
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218 episodes

  • Assume Nothing

    8. A Final Question

    20/06/2026 | 12 mins.
    The story of Dr William Jackson Crawford, an engineer and teacher, who carried out a series of strange experiments with a teenage medium and her family before his untimely death on the shores of Belfast lough in 1920.
    Dr Crawford’s findings were extraordinary and widely published – but was it all a hoax?
    Episode 8 – A Final Question
    Hidden deep among letters and photographs in the archives of the Society for Psychical Research – Reggie uncovers a note marked ‘confidential’ – could it shed new light on Crawford’s state of mind and his relationship with the Goligher family?
    Meanwhile, intrigued by the process of a séance and the beliefs of Belfast’s Spiritualist community – Reggie arranges to meet a medium and undergo a reading.
    Written and presented by Reggie Chamberlain King
    Readings by
    Dave Fleming
    Lucy McConnell
    Mark Claney
    Stephen Beggs
    Produced by Conor McKay
    Editor Andy Martin
    A BBC Northern Ireland production
  • Assume Nothing

    7. Beyond the Veil

    13/06/2026 | 12 mins.
    The story of Dr William Jackson Crawford, an engineer and teacher, who carried out a series of strange experiments with a teenage medium and her family before his untimely death on the shores of Belfast lough in 1920.
    Dr Crawford’s findings were extraordinary and widely published – but was it all a hoax?
    Episode 7 – Beyond the Veil
    Professor Fournier D’Albe concludes the strange occurrences in the séance room were not caused by psychic forces. Another investigator claims Crawford confessed everything was faked – but his widow and friends still believe it was all true.
    Gathering in Crewe, England – they apparently begin to receive strange messages upon a photographic plate.
    Written and presented by Reggie Chamberlain King
    Readings by
    Dave Fleming
    Lucy McConnell
    Mark Claney
    Stephen Beggs
    Produced by Conor McKay
    Editor Andy Martin
    A BBC Northern Ireland production
  • Assume Nothing

    6. The Investigator

    06/06/2026 | 12 mins.
    The story of Dr William Jackson Crawford, an engineer and teacher, who carried out a series of strange experiments with a teenage medium and her family before his untimely death on the shores of Belfast lough in 1920.
    Dr Crawford’s findings were extraordinary and widely published – but was it all a hoax?
    Episode 6 – The Investigator
    Following Dr Crawford’s death, a highly respected scientist – and psychical investigator – is dispatched to Belfast to carry out a series of experiments with the Goligher Circle. However, Professor Edmund Edward Fournier D’Albe soon runs into problems during a séance
    Written and presented by Reggie Chamberlain King
    Readings by
    Dave Fleming
    Lucy McConnell
    Mark Claney
    Stephen Beggs
    Produced by Conor McKay
    Editor Andy Martin
    A BBC Northern Ireland production
  • Assume Nothing

    5. The Descendants

    30/05/2026 | 12 mins.
    The story of Dr William Jackson Crawford, an engineer and teacher, who carried out a series of strange experiments with a teenage medium and her family before his untimely death on the shores of Belfast lough in 1920.
    Dr Crawford’s findings were extraordinary and widely published – but was it all a hoax?
    Episode 5 – The Descendants
    Reggie is back on the road to Bangor to meet Kathleen Goligher’s grand daughter. What more can she tell him about her Grandmother’s life as a spiritualist and medium, and how does she feel about Dr Crawford’s unusual experiments?
    Meanwhile – Dr Crawford’s great granddaughter Clare reveals the engineer did not have a good reputation in their family history.
    Written and presented by Reggie Chamberlain King
    Readings by
    Dave Fleming
    Lucy McConnell
    Mark Claney
    Stephen Beggs
    Produced by Conor McKay
    Editor Andy Martin
    A BBC Northern Ireland production
  • Assume Nothing

    4. A Question of Propriety

    23/05/2026 | 12 mins.
    The story of Dr William Jackson Crawford, an engineer and teacher, who carried out a series of strange experiments with a teenage medium and her family before his untimely death on the shores of Belfast lough in 1920.
    Dr Crawford’s findings were extraordinary and widely published – but was it all a hoax?
    Episode 4 – A Question of Propriety
    Dr Crawford records his experiments with Kathleen and her family in painstaking detail – but some feel his methods, which frequently involve underwear, are not appropriate.
    Reggie visits the archives of the Society for Psychical Research in Cambridge to see photographs taken by Crawford during his experiments, along with dozens of handwritten letters and notes. Reggie also gets a chance to see and hold a sample of historical ectoplasm, though it isn’t quite what he is expecting.
    Written and presented by Reggie Chamberlain King
    Readings by
    Dave Fleming
    Lucy McConnell
    Mark Claney
    Stephen Beggs
    Produced by Conor McKay
    Editor Andy Martin
    A BBC Northern Ireland Production
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About Assume Nothing
The teams assume nothing as they examine events through fresh eyes.
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