We begin Barnaby Rudge; and are reminded by John Clare ‘O thus while musing wild, I’m doubly blest//My woes unheeding and my heart at rest

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Good afternoon and welcome to the first episode of the new format, where we have episodes on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, with possibly a fourth ‘floating’ episode.

If you want to go straight to Barnaby Rudge I think it’s about the 36th minute into the episode.

Thank you HUGELY to my new supporter and subscriber.  It gives me a very welcome boost, and is very much appreciated.

I wish you a peaceful Sunday evening and last Sunday of 2025.  

Love Gretel xx

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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...