Forty-Four Tales from the 1970s World of Stumpy Sanderson
The Stumpy Sanderson collection contains forty-four stories discovered within the two Time Capsules.
Twenty-two stories were found in the First Time Capsule, buried in 1979 and unearthed in 2019. A further twenty-two stories were discovered in the Second Time Capsule, buried in 1983 and unearthed in 2023.
Together, they tell the extraordinary story of a gang of comic-reading working-class boys growing up in Dunstable, Bedfordshire during the 1970s.
Filled with humour, 1970s British nostalgia, larger-than-life and bizarre characters, hair-raising adventures and moments of uproar and chaos, the stories chart a journey from primary school playgrounds to the dawn of the post-punk era.
Taken directly from the original writings by the infamous mischief-maker and anarchic scrawler Stumpy Sanderson and narrated by me, Andrew, his lifelong friend and key witness to momentous events, these tales combine memoir, anarchic alternative social history and surreal comedy.
Listen to the Podcasts
The stories are available as two podcast storytelling series, bringing Stumpy’s adventures to listeners in the United Kingdom and around the world.
Series One was released between October 2021 and July 2022.
Series Two was released between July 2025 to June 2026.
You can listen on all major podcast outlets (please click the links below):
Apple – click here
Spotify – click here
YouTube – click here
Libsyn – click here
GetPodcast – click here
Amazon Music – click here
Hear the Stories Live
As well as the podcasts, the stories are performed live on stage in storytelling shows.
These performances combine storytelling, humour, nostalgia and music to create a unique and immersive journey back to 1970s Britain.
Whether you remember the decade first-hand or are discovering it for the first time, the live shows bring Stumpy’s world vividly to life.
Story Catalogue
Here is the complete catalogue of Stumpy Sanderson stories:
Podcast Series 2
CHUTNEY BARTON GETS HIS EUPHONIUM OUT (1975)
Available on podcast from July 2025
MACREADY DOWN AND UP, SHAKEN AND STIRRED (1977)
Available on podcast from July 2025
THE LEA VALLEY METEOR (1973)
Available on podcast from July 2025
CRACKED JUSTICE (1976)
Available on podcast from August 2025
THE PUNK DUFF EXPERIENCE (1978)
Available on podcast from August 2025
A HOSE FOR ALL SEASONS (1974)
Available on podcast from September 2025
GORDON BRINGS THE HOUSE DOWN (1971)
Available on podcast from September 2025
A BITE TO REMEMBER (1977)
Available on podcast from October 2025
CUNNINGHAM’S TOMB (1978)
Available on podcast from October 2025
TWO MERRY MONKS AND TWO PAIRS OF CLACKERS (1979)
Available on podcast from November 2025
A SUPERMARKET FATE WORSE THAN DEATH (1979)
Available on podcast from November 2025
THE FASTEST GUMBO IN THE WEST (1976)
Available on podcast from February 2026
ARISE SIR PUFFER, O GREAT THESPIAN (1977)
Available on podcast from February 2026
TUB HORTON VERSUS THE WEASEL (1973)
Available on podcast from March 2026
STUBBLE AND WHISKERS (1979)
Available on podcast from March 2026
AN ILLUMINATING EXPERIENCE (A WAINWRIGHT & SINGH MYSTERY) (1972)
Available on podcast from March 2026
THE IDIOTS’ WALTZ (1974)
Available on podcast from April 2026
A MULTIPLE STUMPY (1970)
Available on podcast from April 2026
THE TOXIC KEV EXPERIMENT (1978)
Available on podcast from May 2026
A BAG OF SCRUMPS (1974)
Available on podcast from May 2026
HARD BOILED STUMPY (1975)
Available on podcast from June 2026
CHIPOLATA MICK AND THE FLIGHT OF THE PINK ZEPPELIN (1979)
Available on podcast from June 2026
Podcast Series 1
THE STRANGE CASE OF SMILER MORTON (1974)
Available on podcast from October 2021
BREAKING OLD RELIABLE (1975)
Available on podcast from October 2021
PUFFER SUSPENDED (1976)
Available on podcast from October 2021
GOODBYE, BENDY HENDERSON (1976)
Available on podcast from October 2021
THE SATANIC RITES OF STUMPY (1977)
Available on podcast from November 2021
JUDKINS’ BUGLE (1977)
Available on podcast from November 2021
THE IMMORTAL CHIN (1975)
Available on podcast from December 2021
FOREVER CHAMBERS (1977)
Available on podcast from December 2021
THE TAUNTON FIELDS AFFAIR (1973)
Available on podcast from January 2022
CARTWRIGHT’S REVENGE (1978)
Available on podcast from January 2022
THE BALLAD OF TURNER AND MIDDLETON (1974)
Available on podcast from February 2022
MRS SANDERSON’S SLEDGEHAMMER (1979)
Available on podcast from February 2022
BENDY’S BIG CATCH (1978)
Available on podcast from March 2022
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF KING AND HYDE (1979)
Available on podcast from March 2022
DRIBBLING PETER (1975)
Available on podcast from April 2022
BENDY AND THE SNOWBALL OF TERROR (1973)
Available on podcast from April 2022
GORDON, IMMEDIATE LAUNCH (1971)
Available on podcast from May 2022
THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING STUMPY (1972)
Available on podcast from May 2022
HMS PUFFER (1976)
Available on podcast from June 2022
THE GREAT FREIGHT TRAIN ADVENTURE (1978)
Available on podcast from June 2022
THE 64 LEGS OF CREEPING GILBERT (1970)
Available on podcast from July 2022
BROOKMAN’S GROKHOT (1979)
Available on podcast from July 2022
What Listeners & Audiences say
“These are so beautifully written. I’m there in the zone. I can see all of this.”
“We loved it – haven’t laughed like that for ages. Brought back lots of wonderful memories.”