The Devil Walks In Devon

[huw-l]

1) Devon is in south-west england.

2) The tracks couldn't be made by a Racoon because there are no Racoons in the UK.

Other than the minor errors, great episode. I can remember reading about this as a kid in some book on ghosts and ghouls.

[LibraryLady]

I think this (http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/fortean/devils_foot.html) is what huw-l means.

[fabkebab]

Hi there Brian -

I have listened to quite a few of your podcasts over the last couple of weeks, and I decided I would take you up on your offer of coming to the forum to discuss what you are saying in various episodes -

I consider myself mostly a skeptic, but with some deep seated urge to believe that there is more to the world than currently accepted science (an opinion which I share with any actual leading edge scientist, I should add !!)

This devils footprints episode is the first one which I thought I would reply to, mostly because of all of your podcasts thus far, I think it is the least convincing. Out of interest the most convincing one I have heard is the vapour trails one, which I thought was hilarious!

As a previous poster points out - you made an error in your location of Devon, which (to anyone from Britain) immediately makes us question your accuracy of presentation. I also noticed the raccoon comment, where I momentarily questioned whether raccoons existed in Britain (I have lived in the USA for 10 years)

If I could paraphrase the rest of this episode, your basic answer is "I dont believe this happened because its not believable" (its not believable that someone could have measured the length of the tracks, its not believable someone could have re-found the tracks crossing the river, its not believable that footprints could have gone through a wall) -
I think when you resort to your "beliefs" you are no longer being rational.

I dont have any opinion on the "devils footprints" one way or another (one theory is that they were caused by a rope hanging from a balloon) but I dont feel your podcast adds much to the discussion, except that you present your own opinion, couched in a few technical innaccuracies

Looking forward to more of your shows, and offering my own counter thoughts (isnt that what you wanted? Especially where you will probably be able to rip my arguments to shreds...)

Warm regards
Andrew

[briandunning]

The SW/SE thing amazed even me, I was actually looking at a map of England when I recorded it. Left=West, Right=East. d'Oh!!!! Hardly an important point of the discussion though.

The raccoon nomination came from contemporary reporters of the time, not from me. :)