We dwell for a moment with heart-sore Giles Winterborne in Hardy’s The Woodlanders; We Spy a Roaming Hedgehog; and Celebrate the life of Bridget of Sweden

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Good evening and thank you so much for joining me.  We gently peruse tonight the usual random clutch of literary treasures, and are joined not only by the usual suspects (Mr Katt, gulls, swifts and goldfinches), but also by Mrs Hedgehog who trotted, in a most ladylike way, though in the style peculiar to small, snouty, prickly mammals.  Any suggestions as to her name?

A note: for all those who subscribe between now and November, I will post small packages to all to celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving and the winter season.  Let’s not dwell on winter any more, as we’re still in the heart of summer, but tuck the information under your hat and think about whether you would like to subscribe regularly.  You don’t get anything for it in terms of extra content, as I’m not a fan of all that, but as current subscribers can attest, you get the odd package of random things and an awful lot of appreciation from me.  

I wish you a happy Thursday evening and I look forward to catching up with you tomorrow.  Thank you to Brendan for your delightful email which I hope to read out tomorrow. 

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...