This Country’s Charlie Cooper: ‘We don’t have much pride in being English’

In 2023, it was reported that there were 4,000 sightings of mythical beasts across the UK. Something is out there. It may not be actual big cats, demon dogs, shy monsters or other apparitions, but a desire to reconnect to the more mysterious side of life and what it truly means to be British. Charlie Cooper, co-writer and star of This Country (alongside his sister Daisy May), investigates the phenomena in new documentary series Charlie Cooper’s Myth Country.

Get the latest news and insight into how the Big Issue magazine is made by signing up for the Inside Big Issue newsletter

Big Issue: You have a self-confessed obsession with British folklore. Where did that come from?

Charlie Cooper: I think it’s one of those things I’ve probably always had but was slightly unaware of having. I mean, I grew up in the countryside, and a bit like This Country you have to create your own excitement. That’s getting lost in stories. When we started writing This Country, it made me realise I know so much and I love rural folklore and these weird traditions. Every year, really close to where we live, we have this thing called the Cheese-Rolling where people just fling themselves downhill, chasing a cheese. Why? Like, what on Earth is that all about? How did that start? We’re lucky to live in a country that’s so rich in history, and with that comes folklore. And then another reason was the pandemic – being stuck inside and not having that freedom. After that I got a campervan and was determined to explore Britain more, see what’s on my doorstep. Every region has its folklore. You only have to scratch the surface and it is there.

Does finding out more about folklore lead to a better understanding of being British?

We do have a bit of a national identity crisis at the moment. Especially England. We don’t have much pride in our nationality. I think the Scottish and Welsh and Irish, they have so much pride and a strong identity and culture. There’s nothing wrong with looking into the past and seeing what our ancestors did. All these strange traditions like Cheese-Rolling or welly wanging or the fire festivals that happen all over or the weird legends, that goes a long way in finding out who we are. Ultimately, it’s about escapism. You can get lost in history, in folklore, and that’s what I love about it. And it’s so important because it’s from a time when the environment and the landscape were all that mattered.

Has something been lost since we’ve become less connected to the land and nature?

Yeah, totally. I think we all have a void in our lives because for the first time in thousands of years, we don’t need to know how the seasons work to get food, we just go to the supermarket whenever we want. We’re disconnected. We’re spending more time indoors, looking at screens. It’s bad for our wellbeing. There is a mental health pandemic going on in the country because we’re lost. Religion doesn’t quite cut it for young people, and we do need faith and a bit of belief, but we just don’t know where to look. We live in a particularly noisy age and trying to get a bit of peace and solitude is quite difficult now.

• Comedian Marjolein Robertson on turning folklore and menstruation into comedy gold
• Top 5 books inspired by folklore, chosen by Scottish novelist LA MacRae

The first episode is on Black Shuck, the demon dog that roams Norfolk. What were your other highlights?

We did an episode looking at King Arthur, the ultimate British legend. That was fascinating, because it’s something we all know a lot about. It’s bled into popular culture. Then we did another episode on crop circles, which was really interesting. There’s obviously the whole alien angle but I met people that do crop circles, and there’s quite a dark undercurrent in the crop circle-making world. We interviewed a guy who didn’t want to be identified in the show. He was like, if people knew I did this, I’d get my car keyed. I was like, you’re not a mafia boss, you just make crop circles. But for him, it was about freedom of expression. He would go out at night and do it with his friends, and he’d feel connected to the land. There’s so much power in that.

No spoilers, but whether or not you actually meet a demon dog or encounter aliens, there’s so much incredible wildlife you come across.

That was really important for us. We managed to get some of the same team from Gone Fishing. We wanted to create something that felt intriguing but a beautiful watch in terms of showing the best of the British landscape and going to regional places that perhaps you wouldn’t see as often on TV. We didn’t want it to be like Countryfile, we wanted it to be accessible, hopefully it can draw a younger audience as well. And you know, if it inspires a few people to go out to these places and read up about the legends, that would be so nice.

What advice would you have for people who wanted to investigate myth and folklore in their own area?

There is so much stuff that’s not necessarily on the internet. Talk to the grizzly old bloke at the bar in the pub. He’ll have a few stories to tell and it will lead you from one thing to another. Get among it. There’ll be an ancient stone circle or megalith near you. It’s always great to combine a walk with it and have a pint at a pub. Great way to spend a Sunday. Just keep an open mind, get a good pair of walking boots and you’re away.

Charlie Cooper’s Myth Country is on BBC iPlayer. 

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. Big Issue exists to give homeless and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income. To support our work buy a copy of the magazine or get the app from the App Store or Google Play.