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In the 1930s, Gef the Talking Mongoose haunted the Isle of Man. Members of the Lancashire Anomalous Paranormal Investigation Society spoke to GAYLE FIDLER about their recent visits to the island to investigate the enigmatic creature.
“Our experiences are so wonderful and incredible that I doubt anything like this has ever happened on this earth before.” Jim Irving
With the release of the new movie Nandor Fodor and the talking mongoosestarring Simon Pegg and Minnie Driver, writer and researcher Gayle Fidler and her husband Ben joined a group of researchers led by Lancashire Anomalous Phenomena Investigation Society (LAPIS) on two trips to the Isle of Man in 2022 and 2023, on search for the mysterious talking mongoose.
Gayle sat down with Janet Walkey and Paul Pearson from LAPIS to tell Spooky Isles a little about their adventures.
Looking for Gef The talking mongoose Interview
GAYLE: What made you decide to go on an adventure to investigate the mysterious mongoose?
The original idea for the trip came about after a lecture by Christopher Josiffe and Chris Hill during the 2019 Weird Weekend North Conference in Rixton-with-Glazebrook. The lecture told Gef’s story, based on the research Christopher Josiffe did in his book Gef! The strange story of an extra special talking mongoose. Strange Attractor Press (2017).
After a few beers in the pub after the conference, the idea for the strangest adventure arose. A trip across the Irish Sea in search of a mysterious talking mongoose from the 1930s.
Gef has had several books written about him and now a film. What makes this extra, extra smart mongoose so special?
When we first heard the talk on Weird Weekend North, we were fascinated. There are so many unanswered questions about the whole Gef mystery that will probably never be solved.
One of the things that makes Gef so special is his humanity. He has a wicked sense of humor, but at the same time is very vulnerable. Through letters and interviews with Jim Irving, the owner of Doarlish Cashen, we gain insight into Gef’s personality. Gef lived on the remote farm with the Irving family.
Gef declared himself an “earthbound spirit,” but also told Jim, “I was born near Delhi, India, on June 7, 1852. I was shot at by Indians. I am a swamp mongoose.”
Tell us about who else went on the expeditions?
From LAPIS we had Dr. Dan Holdsworth. There were cryptozoologist and zoological director of the Center of Fortean Zoology (CFZ) Richard Freeman and researcher Jackie Tonks. In 2022 we were joined by founder of the West Yorkshire Pagan Moot, Steve Jones. In 2023, researcher and blogger Ben Emlyn-Jones came along.
What were your thoughts when you first visited Doarlish Cashen, once the home of Gef and the Irving family?
Doarlish Cashen, also known as Cashens’ Gap, is very different now than it was when Harry Price and Nandor Fodor visited in the 1930s. The house was demolished in the 1970s and there is little evidence that there was ever a farm there.
The area is 230 meters above sea level and Harry Price described it as one of the loneliest farms in Britain.
All that really remains are Mrs. Irving’s well and gooseberry bushes, which still thrive in the rugged landscape. The campsite is very remote and can be reached on foot via winding country roads.
Although there is not much left to see of the farm, the views are truly spectacular. It’s worth the trip just to follow in the footsteps of the famous researchers.
Gef called himself the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, did you expect to find any evidence of him?
Unfortunately Gef did not appear on any of our trips. We spoke to many locals, many of whom believed the case was a hoax. Richard Freeman has put forward a theory of which Gef may have been a thought form Tulpacreated by the Irving family.
We know that mongooses were introduced to the Isle of Man in 1912 to try to control the rabbit population. The remote house where they were released from Eary Cushlin was our base for both expeditions. Gef told Jim Irving that he didn’t like Eary Cushlin and described it as “The Land of Mist”.
Researcher and writer Jenny Randles saw a mongoose-type creature while visiting the island in 2002.
We plan to go back in 2024, so hopefully Gef will come visit us then!
Can you tell me about LAPIS and when it was founded?
LAPIS was founded in 1986. It was originally a UFO group called BUFOS (Blackpool UFO Group), which changed to Lancashire Aerial Phenomena Investigation Society, before becoming Lancashire Anomalous Phenomena Investigation Society in the early 2000s, to further the group’s wider interests. reflect.
How often does LAPIS meet and where?
The group meets monthly at The Guards Club, Whitegate Drive in Blackpool. The meetings are very informal and the group discusses a wide range of topics. The group takes an evidence-based approach to research.
How can people find out more?
The LAPIS website is available here LAPIS Paranormal Group Blackpool. We have some pages dedicated to the Dalby Spook aka Gef adventures on our site, which we will continue to update as we investigate more information. You can also check out our blog and social media for regular updates #simonpeggstoleourmongoose.
Tell us your thoughts on Gef The Talking Mongoose in the comments below!
