The bells ring and we ponder English Houses with Betjeman

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Welcome to this evening’s episode, all recorded au dehors, surrounded by swifts and other merry birds, on a balmy evening here in the lap of Dorset.

I would be so grateful and chuffed if you would recommend this to any friend or relative, particularly anyone who lives alone and / or needs some comfort and gentle companionship.

I am also nearly back at 5 Stars 🌟 but need a few more people to give me top score.  So do take a moment to rate this if you have the slenderest bit of time and inclination to do so.  This is a project of love for me to support me while I cope with a world that no longer has my mother in it.  So while a few super-kind people donate, I receive no profit.  So anything positive you can do to support me would be amazing.  If you would like to set me a Gretel Ponders mission, then email me what you would like me to do and where. If you fund it, I will (probably) pack my bags and set off.  My very best wishes to you and I hope so very much that you are ok.  Life can be very tough.  🤗🌟🕯️🫖🙋‍♀️

Also THANK YOU for the lovely mail people have posted here.  However I have no way of replying to it (I’ve checked 🧐).  

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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...