Steph Lay
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stephlay.bsky.social
Steph Lay
@stephlay.bsky.social
400 followers 490 following 370 posts
Folk horror, real ghost stories & parapsychology. I'm mapping Milton Keynes’ unlikely hauntings in my 'Revenants on the Redway' project, and I look after Content & Analytics for Into The Fog.

Links! https://linktr.ee/stephlay
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stephlay.bsky.social
Well, that was fun! A properly creepy new story for Halloween - you’re in for a treat tomorrow, #UncannyCommunity! Hey, is anyone planning a listen-along?
A shot of the stage and audience at the BBC radio theatre for the recording of the Uncanny Halloween special, October 29th 2025 A photo of a cup of earl grey tea on a table reserved for audience members, at the BBC radio theatre for the recording of the Uncanny Halloween special, October 29th 2025 A shot of a schedule run-down at the BBC radio theatre for the recording of the Uncanny Halloween special, October 29th 2025
October 30, 2025 at 6:18 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
Here’s a sneak preview of my article about this surprisingly haunted city! Haunted is out on the 1st of September, in the UK shops a day later and should be with our US and Australian distributors by the end of that week. Order now at hauntedmag.com wherever you are. #UncannyCommunity
A screenshot of an article in Haunted Magazine all about Milton Keynes. The link to order is hauntedmag.com The cover of the 47th issue of Haunted magazine. The link to order is hauntedmag.com A stack of copies of Haunted magazine. The link to order is hauntedmag.com
August 20, 2025 at 10:23 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
New story time! 'Bless The Light' is included in this new anthology from @commapress.bsky.social and is all about rituals, protection and pride - and the things that wait for the darkness to fold in. Thanks again to @mattjwesolowski.bsky.social for a fab course! www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
A cover image for a story called "Bless The Light" by Steph Lay. The picture shows a snowy village in a valley, all the houses blazing with candlelight, except for a dark cottage in the foreground, only one window lit.
July 29, 2025 at 9:11 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
Milton Keynes people! I've collected true spooky stories from across 25% of the city - but there's still a lot more to find! If you've got a story to share, I want to hear it... cityofsecrets.blog/tell-your-st...

Everyone else - v grateful for shares to get the word out! #UncannyCommunity
A dramatic nighttime photograph of The Rose memorial in Milton Keynes, with the city skyline in the background. Four lines of text read: Milton Keynes City of Secrets I've found dark stories for a quarter of the grid Help me find the rest!
July 24, 2025 at 7:41 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
I didn't realise these photos I took the other week would become historic artefacts quite so soon... I'm glad that the site will be used for something now, but it is always sad to see an old landmark vanish. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
View of The Point in Milton Keynes as seen from the shopping centre car park. It's abandoned, derelict and sprayed with graffiti. View of The Point in Milton Keynes as seen from the shopping centre car park against the city skyline - Hotel la Tour and the XScape visible in the distance. It's abandoned, derelict and sprayed with graffiti. View of The Point in Milton Keynes as seen from the empty shopping centre car park opposite.
July 9, 2025 at 3:02 PM
stephlay.bsky.social
It's taken a bit of doing, but tonight's story of disturbed sleep and haunting prescience is finally live. Also, "enjoy" these out-takes from my attempts to produce an 80s bedroom scene - Midjourney thinks hands should be feet. Or possibly claws! cityofsecrets.blog/2025/06/10/y... #UncannyCommunity
An AI generated image of a shadow figure standing at the foot of the bed in an 80s bedroom. The image *should* show hands grasping at the sheets, but the AI has created these as elongated things that look more like feet. An AI generated image of a shadow figure standing at the foot of the bed in an 80s bedroom. The image *should* show hands grasping at the sheets, but the AI has created these as things that look more like claws.
June 10, 2025 at 11:17 PM
stephlay.bsky.social
Milton Keynes. We do roadside cairns a bit differently here ;)
A photograph of a pile of rough concrete blocks piled up into a tower about two feet high. It’s sitting on a verge at the side of a main road, with a roundabout visible in the background.
May 26, 2025 at 7:32 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
If you’re free on the evening of May 1st, come along to the @mklitfest.bsky.social’s Beltane story-telling event! I’ll be reading this dystopian little tale of a drowned Milton Keynes - should be fun :) www.mklitfest.org/dreams-for-b...
A promotional image for a story called “What Lies Drowned May Rise” by Stephanie Lay. This is an AI generated image produced using Midjourney v7. It shows a dystopian vision of the light pyramid in Campbell Park in Milton Keynes on fire, surrounded by flood water, with a figure in a hazmat suit in the foreground. An ominous tentacle is rising from the waters.
April 23, 2025 at 6:09 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
*Launching today!* I'm starting a new city-wide project to collect, curate and share spooky stories. If you live in, work in or visit Milton Keynes, and you've experienced something you can't explain, I'd love to hear from you. Full details at cityofsecrets.blog/tell-your-st...
A promotional image for the Milton Keynes City of Secrets project, showing a night-time shot of the MK Rose, the Hotel La Tour and theatre in the background. The text below reads "A Ghost Story In Every Grid Square".
April 22, 2025 at 5:30 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
Ah, thank-you, friendly bench. You’re not so bad yourself :)
A photograph of a park bench covered in graffiti. In the middle of all the random tags is the phrase “YOU ARE LOVED” A dramatic filtered vignette photo of a park bench covered in graffiti. In the middle of the random tags is the phrase “YOU ARE LOVED”. A close-up of blue graffiti on a black park bench seat. It says “when the power of love overcomes the love for power, only then will the world know peace.” There’s a smiley face sticking its tongue out next to the text.
April 19, 2025 at 6:46 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
Oh, yesterday was a very very good day! One of my creative non-fiction pieces was awarded Highly Commended in the MK Lit Fest's 2025 writing competition... and what's more, I'm going to be reading it at this event tomorrow too! Exciting times. www.mklitfest.org/raising-voices
April 11, 2025 at 7:52 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
Exciting post this morning :D A little teaser for a new project I will be launching soon…
A photograph of a stack of postcard-sized flyers lying on a flattered envelope. The image shows a picture of the MK Rose at night, with the text “Milton Keynes City of Secrets: a ghost in every grid square?”
April 8, 2025 at 8:43 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
Quiet morning up at the farm. No-one around - although one of the security fences has been moved… I’m holding fast to my principles of admiring the dereliction from a safe distance, no matter how tempting it is!
A picture of a derelict farm, with tumbledown buildings in the background. A security fence has been pushed aside, leaving a tempting gap! A picture of an overgrown pathway, sunrise in the background. A picture of a derelict barn, graffiti-covered, with the silhouette of the photographer (me!) in the foreground. A picture of a derelict barn, a tree growing up through the roof.
April 6, 2025 at 6:32 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
Flipping heck, that feels a lot for a blog I set up as part of a coursework assignment for my MA and don't really promote. Cor. Quietly delighted at that - who on earth are they though?
A screenshot of a notification from the JetPack app that says "10K' surrounded by confetti. Underneath is the text "Congratulations! Your site, City of Secrets, passed 10,000 all-time views." and a button that says "Take a deep dive"
March 28, 2025 at 4:22 PM
stephlay.bsky.social
I never know what to call graffiti - 'street art' sounds like an ad for an edgy art show, and I'm about thirty years too old to start throwing around 'graf' or 'bombing'. Anyway. I found some nice - tags? - today. There's a new post on the blog - link in linktree in bio, as ever, with more photos -
A photo of graffiti under a bridge. The centre of the image shows a weird creature in black and white paint. It could be a bear, but its eyes aren't in the right place and it had disturbingly large teeth. A photo of graffiti under a bridge. This image shows a weird grinning character, a kind of stylised, exaggerated face with immense teeth. A photo of graffiti under a bridge. This photo is very brightly coloured, with the letter DDRD in bright green bubble writing, and a cartoon orange face with bright lipstick and eyeshadow. A photo of graffiti under a bridge. This is a long black and white shot of a 'gallery' formed by the bridge supports, vanishing away into the distance.
March 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
stephlay.bsky.social
I found this awesome new Milton Keynes street art today - for local folks, this is just off Lodge Lake, before you get to the stepping stones. No idea who Arkade is, but this is seriously impressive. The attention to detail, wow - even carrying on the pattern up on the top edge of the underpass!
A picture of graffiti under a bridge in Milton Keynes. It shows a stylised heron against a blue and green stylised background. The tag above reads 'Arkade'. A side-view of graffiti under a bridge in Milton Keynes. It shows a stylised heron against a blue and green stylised background. The tag above reads 'Arkade'. This picture is taken at a slight angle showing that the background continues onto the edge of the bridge support. A picture of graffiti under a bridge in Milton Keynes. The stylised background motif from the heron artwork in the last couple of images has been repeated right up at the back corner of the bridge - amazing attention to detail that you'd only see if you turned around to look!
March 14, 2025 at 10:59 PM
stephlay.bsky.social
When your mood lighting looks like this, it's no surprise that you end up writing some rather dark tales. In related news, I just finished the first draft of my submission for @commapress.bsky.social's Modern Folklore anthology :) @mattjwesolowski.bsky.social
An image of a table lamp in the shape of a spooky hare with a forbidding expression. It's sitting on top of a copy of Barrowbeck by Andrew Michael Hurley
March 10, 2025 at 10:35 PM
stephlay.bsky.social
A beautiful day to go and wander around a derelict farm :) Yep, I've been up at Devil's Den again. I had a lovely note last week from a blog reader who is going to photograph the ruins for their fine art project! They were asking how it's looking since my last post in January so I went for a look.
A long shot showing two derelict barns against a bright blue spring sky. The barns are part of the abandoned and now partly demolished farm at Shenley Dens, locally known as Devil's Den farm. The picture shows a pile of rubbish abandoned at the side of a field on a bright spring day. There are random pieces of wood, plastic and furniture. In the background is an upturned armchair. This was taken at the edge of the abandoned and now partly demolished farm at Shenley Dens, locally known as Devil's Den farm. The picture shows a derelict barn with missing tiles and a crooked roof. It is silhouetted against a bright spring sky, and the sun is very bright. The barn is part of the abandoned and now partly demolished farm at Shenley Dens, locally known as Devil's Den farm. The picture shows the side of a tumble-down barn with a lot of missing tiles. It's behind a security fence which has a warning sign telling people the buildings are unsafe and there is a danger of death. The barns are part of the abandoned and now partly demolished farm at Shenley Dens, locally known as Devil's Den farm.
March 8, 2025 at 10:05 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
“Bag of five and a latte please mate - put it on my bill” :)
A picture of the donut and coffee van at Willen Lake in Milton Keynes. The only customer is a large swan who looks pretty hungry ;)
March 2, 2025 at 11:38 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
So so delighted that my creative non-fiction piece has been shortlisted in the Milton Keynes Literary Festival's latest competition :D Roll on the awards ceremony and anthology launch in April... www.mklitfest.org/mink2025-sho...
A screenshot of the Milton Keynes Literary Festival's shortlist for the 'Home' competition, spring 2025. The text reads: "Creative Non-Fiction 20+ SHORTLISTED And where do you... ? - Guy Russell Following the Long Thread Home - Steph Lay Home Vlog - Ralph Keats Moving On (Ode to my Lair, Ode to my Lion) - G D Carrion The Fire - Jerard Bretts The Fire She Left Behind - Ondia Morris"
February 21, 2025 at 10:35 PM
stephlay.bsky.social
I don’t normally look at the referrer stats for my tiny little blog but it’s been an usually good week - ahem, thankyou @weirdinthewade.bsky.social for the boost! - so I had a peek… I’m intrigued, who on earth has found their way there from MUMSNET of all places?!
A screenshot of statistics for referrers to my blog - 51 views in total, 36 from Facebook, 6 from BlueSky, 5 from search engines, 5 from Twitter and 1 from mumsnet.
February 13, 2025 at 3:44 PM
stephlay.bsky.social
So, this took a bit of delving into obscure Reddit threads (www.reddit.com/r/shortcuts/...) and dabbling with creating Shortcuts but I've pulled out the one frame from the original where the flash appears... Unfortunately, this method also just created a loaf of GIFs so it's not highly-detailed -
February 10, 2025 at 8:08 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
Well, that was a blast, St Mary's did not disappoint. I've done a proper write-up on the blog but do have a lightly spooky photo to share... all being well, this should appear as an animated GIF - I have absolutely no idea what's flashing in the bottom-left there. cityofsecrets.blog/2025/02/09/s...
A colour photograph of St Mary's Church, Clophill on an overcast February day. The church looks dark and gloomy, with bare winter trees all around. This is an animated GIF, and in the bottom left of the image there's an occasional bright white flash - I have no idea what it is. The picture was taken when only three people were there and none were close to that part of the site.
February 9, 2025 at 10:50 PM
stephlay.bsky.social
@revpeterlaws.bsky.social A windswept lonely church overlooking the ocean, you say? Think I’ve found Creepy Cove’s Icelandic chapter :)
A picture of a small white church with a black roof set up on a hill. The church is surrounded by a mossy grassed churchyard with crosses and headstones. In the background, you can just see the sea - the waves are quite fierce!
February 1, 2025 at 11:46 AM
stephlay.bsky.social
Well, shit :( #uncanny #UncannyCommunity I’ll just have to watch it when I get home - enjoy, everyone!
An error screen for the BBC iPlayer that says this content can only be played in the UK.
January 31, 2025 at 9:09 PM