Late Episode for Night Owls: B.Rudge Ch.XXV; The Nightingale’s Nest 🪺; and Hardy’s wisdom

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Dear friends, supporters and newcomers.  I feel tender-hearted towards the world tonight as I read poetry by John Clare which, so often, takes us into the woodland, where we see leaves and trees up close, though we are still in our beds.  Clare’s words are clear, tender and almost merry and I often feel myself trip-tripping along to the beat of some unknown yet deeply familiar song.  My childhood days return and the skies feel huge and blue.  All is well and bright and has a rosy hue.  

This chapter by Charles Dickens contrasts with the preceding chapters, where a person’s word and intentions are trusted because their life hitherto ‘shall bear witness’ for them.  This is a currency that Hugh, Mr Chester and Mr Tappertit lack.  

In the next episode we will conclude the book of Wolsey, and continue with the diaries of Pepys, and peek into the gentle drama unfolding in Barchester.

Thank you for your support.  A very goodnight.  

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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...