Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
The case of The Cottingley Fairies has captured people's imaginations for over a century. But the photos that Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths created of the "Beck Fairies" near their home on the outskirts of Bradford in 1917 are now more famous for being the subject of a hoax.
However, there is much more to the story and it is really one of tragedy rather than trickery.
I chat to Dr Simon Young about the lesser known aspects of the case, predominantly from the perspective of the younger child, Frances who was the only one who had claimed to see the fairies.
We discuss how her personal experience became twisted into a painful untruth which burdened Frances for her entire life.
The work of Dr Simon Young (https://independent.academia.edu/SimonYoung43) is highly respected in the fairy community and much loved for his resurrection of The Fairy Investigation Society (fairyist.com/fairy-investigation-society/) and subsequent Fairy Census (fairyist.com/survey/read-the-fairy-census-1-and-2/) , which is ongoing (fairyist.com/survey/) .
Simon will be joining TMFSP members for an exclusive Patreon Zoom on Thursday April 30th 🤩
In 2024 Simon released two books: Essays on The Cottingley Fairies (amazon.co.uk/Cottingley-Fairy-Photographs-Approaches-Folklore/dp/1915574366) featuring offerings from Neil Rushton, Kate Ray, Meri Dickson and Joshua Cutchin among others together with a Source Book (amazon.co.uk/Cottingley-Fairies-Source-Book/dp/1915574374/ref=pd_bxgy_d_sccl_1/522-6755727-9789519?pd_rd_w=qNOfU&content-id=amzn1.sym.ec630614-3f9e-4b7f-ba9a-fe89f8e4113f&pf_rd_p=ec630614-3f9e-4b7f-ba9a-fe89f8e4113f&pf_rd_r=3AGDAYSZWW8EAHW6PWW9&pd_rd_wg=YTOvd&pd_rd_r=3d4362a7-4435-4b7d-b021-95033e00d833&pd_rd_i=1915574374&psc=1) of primary material.
Simon's podcast Boggart and Banshee (itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1588119563) which he hosts with Chris Woodyard, is a favourite of our community here on Discord.
Simon’s Substack:
britishmythology.substack.com
Boggart and Banshee Episode on Cottingley: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/boggart-and-banshee-a-supernatural-podcast/id1588119563?i=1000675313217
Frances’ memoir, ‘Reflections on the Cottingley Fairies': amazon.co.uk/Reflections-Cottingley-Fairies-Griffiths-Additional/dp/1899228063
The Coming of the Fairies: The Cottingley Incident by Arthur Conan Doyle
https://amzn.eu/d/0fyKtYRx
The Case of the Cottingley Fairies: Joe Cooper
https://amzn.eu/d/09CB56qq
⭐️ JOIN THE MODERN FAIRY SIGHTINGS COMMUNITY ⭐️
patreon.com/c/themodernfairysightingspodcast/membership (about:invalid#zCSafez)
If you're looking for exclusive bonus material, monthly zoom chats with like-minded folks, access to the Discord chat channels, quiet meditation gatherings and meeting other members, join us at:
patreon.com/c/themodernfairysightingspodcast/membership (about:invalid#zCSafez)
S U P P O R T
If you’d prefer to support the Modern Fairy Sightings with a one off donation, you can ‘buy me a coffee’ and I’d be very grateful 🙂
buymeacoffee.com/modfairysight
Or send a one-off donation to PayPal at paypal.me/modernfairysightings/
M E R C H ! M F S P T - S H I R T S ♥️
Sustainably made, organic cotton T-shirts are available at Teemill (ships anywhere in the world)
the-modern-fairy-sightings-podcast.teemill.com/
Warning: These are not fairytales and the content is unsuitable for children. This episode describes a wonderful experience but some episodes may contain details which some may find unsettling or frightening. The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast is designed for listeners 16 years and older.
Podcast intro music: Transmutate by Snowflake (c) copyright 2020 Licensed. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Green Man Artwork: Peter Hall Studios
facebook.com/peterhallcomics/
TMFSP is part of SpectreVision Radio
SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We’re a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.
spectrevisionradio.com
linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices)
The case of The Cottingley Fairies has captured people's imaginations for over a century. But the photos that Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths created of the "Beck Fairies" near their home on the outskirts of Bradford in 1917 are now more famous for being the subject of a hoax.
However, there is much more to the story and it is really one of tragedy rather than trickery.
I chat to Dr Simon Young about the lesser known aspects of the case, predominantly from the perspective of the younger child, Frances who was the only one who had claimed to see the fairies.
We discuss how her personal experience became twisted into a painful untruth which burdened Frances for her entire life.
The work of Dr Simon Young (https://independent.academia.edu/SimonYoung43) is highly respected in the fairy community and much loved for his resurrection of The Fairy Investigation Society (fairyist.com/fairy-investigation-society/) and subsequent Fairy Census (fairyist.com/survey/read-the-fairy-census-1-and-2/) , which is ongoing (fairyist.com/survey/) .
Simon will be joining TMFSP members for an exclusive Patreon Zoom on Thursday April 30th 🤩
In 2024 Simon released two books: Essays on The Cottingley Fairies (amazon.co.uk/Cottingley-Fairy-Photographs-Approaches-Folklore/dp/1915574366) featuring offerings from Neil Rushton, Kate Ray, Meri Dickson and Joshua Cutchin among others together with a Source Book (amazon.co.uk/Cottingley-Fairies-Source-Book/dp/1915574374/ref=pd_bxgy_d_sccl_1/522-6755727-9789519?pd_rd_w=qNOfU&content-id=amzn1.sym.ec630614-3f9e-4b7f-ba9a-fe89f8e4113f&pf_rd_p=ec630614-3f9e-4b7f-ba9a-fe89f8e4113f&pf_rd_r=3AGDAYSZWW8EAHW6PWW9&pd_rd_wg=YTOvd&pd_rd_r=3d4362a7-4435-4b7d-b021-95033e00d833&pd_rd_i=1915574374&psc=1) of primary material.
Simon's podcast Boggart and Banshee (itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1588119563) which he hosts with Chris Woodyard, is a favourite of our community here on Discord.
Simon’s Substack:
britishmythology.substack.com
Boggart and Banshee Episode on Cottingley: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/boggart-and-banshee-a-supernatural-podcast/id1588119563?i=1000675313217
Frances’ memoir, ‘Reflections on the Cottingley Fairies': amazon.co.uk/Reflections-Cottingley-Fairies-Griffiths-Additional/dp/1899228063
The Coming of the Fairies: The Cottingley Incident by Arthur Conan Doyle
https://amzn.eu/d/0fyKtYRx
The Case of the Cottingley Fairies: Joe Cooper
https://amzn.eu/d/09CB56qq
⭐️ JOIN THE MODERN FAIRY SIGHTINGS COMMUNITY ⭐️
patreon.com/c/themodernfairysightingspodcast/membership (about:invalid#zCSafez)
If you're looking for exclusive bonus material, monthly zoom chats with like-minded folks, access to the Discord chat channels, quiet meditation gatherings and meeting other members, join us at:
patreon.com/c/themodernfairysightingspodcast/membership (about:invalid#zCSafez)
S U P P O R T
If you’d prefer to support the Modern Fairy Sightings with a one off donation, you can ‘buy me a coffee’ and I’d be very grateful 🙂
buymeacoffee.com/modfairysight
Or send a one-off donation to PayPal at paypal.me/modernfairysightings/
M E R C H ! M F S P T - S H I R T S ♥️
Sustainably made, organic cotton T-shirts are available at Teemill (ships anywhere in the world)
the-modern-fairy-sightings-podcast.teemill.com/
Warning: These are not fairytales and the content is unsuitable for children. This episode describes a wonderful experience but some episodes may contain details which some may find unsettling or frightening. The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast is designed for listeners 16 years and older.
Podcast intro music: Transmutate by Snowflake (c) copyright 2020 Licensed. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Green Man Artwork: Peter Hall Studios
facebook.com/peterhallcomics/
TMFSP is part of SpectreVision Radio
SpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We’re a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions.
spectrevisionradio.com
linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices (https://megaphone.fm/adchoices)
