Hardy’s Woodlanders are out of sorts; Pepys’ life blossoms; and Swifts and Gulls whirl about Gretel’s garden

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Thank you so much for joining me. I’ve had a lovely message from one of my wonderful subscribers that I’ve asked permission to share here:Hi Gretel, I really enjoyed today’s (Tuesday) episode, especially the ambient noise 😊. I love hearing the birds, bells, traffic, etc, as a background. Your topic of “what’s the point?” really resonated with me because I’ve had to live my life with that mindset since I was about 20. It’s a long story, but I’ll just say that I never achieved success in any conventional sense and instead learned to find happiness and fulfillment in small ways.  “Ambition “ and “goals “ haven’t been in my vocabulary for 50 years, but I don’t think I missed anything. I figure that if I don’t have a point in life, I’m a lot more cuddly!’

I think she makes such a good point: ‘I figure that if I don’t have a point in life, I’m a lot more cuddly’.  I do think we need point, but it’s for us to reinvent it and renew it daily, perhaps.  And not crucify ourselves when goalposts shift and change.  

I wish you a peaceful Wednesday evening. 🙋‍♀️

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Gretel le Maître likes to look for the beauty and curiosities in life, one day at a time.  She shares with you snippets from books about history, art and literature and regularly takes you on adventures to new locations, to explore churches, cathedrals and architecture.  

Gretel invites you to accompany her as she navigates the world a day at a time;  the podcast is unscripted, it’s ad-free.

Gretel loves the world and history, architecture, literature and people. And so is determined to walk this path with light footsteps and with humour and warmth.  Let’s gather up the beautiful things and ponder them in our hearts.

Top 10 in Global Rankings according to Listen Notes.  I would be so grateful if you would spare the time to give me a kind review and possibly 5 stars (for effort as I realise it’s not deserved for achievement)🥴

Previous guests include  historian Tom Holland; Actor Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Writer David Willem; Composer Matthew Coleridge; Vicar Angela Tilby; Author Bijan Omrani; Journalist and Historian Sir Simon Jenkins; Dorset garden hedgehog family, the Venerable Bede and other guests.  

Future guests (all being well) are Tom Holland, John Simpson, Eleanor Parker, Philippa Langley and Katie Channon.  

Unpolished and unscripted but no ads and no requests for anything but your company.  Trying to make the world a gentler place with literature, history and nature.  Please don’t expect to find a...