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In this episode of Adventures in Journalism, veteran journalist Martin Hesp reflects on one of the most remarkable scenes of his career—the wreck of the MSC Napoli off the coast of Branscombe. Exactly 18 years after the ill-fated container ship came to grief on the Jurassic Coast, Martin pulls from his personal audio archives to revisit the chaos and curiosity that followed. Join Martin as he shares original field recordings from the shingle beach, where hundreds of people gathered to witness (and sometimes scavenge) an extraordinary array of cargo—from BMW motorcycles and wine barrels to car mirrors and dog food. The episode also features an insightful and humorous conversation with award-winning press photographer Richard Austin, as the two old friends recount the "modern-day Poldark" scenes and the changing face of regional newspaper journalism.

In this feature-length episode of Adventures in Journalism, Martin Hesp visits the historic village of Kingsbury Episcopi. To coincide with this week's "Hesp Out West" column in the Western Morning News and Western Daily Press, we go behind the scenes to meet the people who define this unique corner of the Somerset Levels. In this episode: [00:00] Intro: The view from One Tree Hill and the "Adventures Out West" sting. [05:15] The Cider Heritage: A visit with Julian Temperley among the oak barrels of the Somerset Cider Brandy Company. [18:40] Village Life: Conversations with the local history group on the traditions of the River Parrett. [32:10] The Local: Reflections on rural community and the future of village life. About the Podcast: Adventures in Journalism is hosted by Martin Hesp, a veteran journalist with over 40 years of experience covering the West Country. This podcast brings the "Hesp Out West" newspaper features to life through on-location interviews and rural storytelling.

A quick explanation about why I am bringing Adventures in Journalism back to life. It's bascially because I am busy belting about the place seeing interesting things, visiting beautiful places, and meeting fascinating people.

Now 2026 has arrived, I've decided to restart my podcast series - firstly with some thoughts on warm and sunny places, seeing the weather has been so bad here in the UK. This first episode visits some out of the way places in the Algarve and talks to a guide who will take visitors to some pretty magical locations down there in Southern Portugal. We also visit Puglia, where we talk to a farmer who has been nurturing some of the oldest olive trees in the world. Some of them were ancient when Jesus Christ was born!

We set out to celebrate English Wine Week by visiting the Huxbear Vineyard in South Devon in the company of Wickhams Wine and the wine writer Stephen Barrett    

We spend a morning touring the amazing Quicke estate in central Devon with Mary Quicke, the forward -thinking woman who makes some of the best cheddar cheese in the world

Recorded at the launch of Taste East Devon, Martin Hesp talks to the movers and shakers behind a new group set up to promote the food and drink of one of the most beautiful and fertile areas of the UK - interviewees include Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, chef Michael Caines and many others

Martin Hesp spends a couple of days watching the judging in the product classes of the anual Food Drink Devon Awards. It's an exacting process which means thopse stickers you see attached to items on supermarket shelves declaring "Gold" or "Silver" really do mean what they say

Would you be interested in hearing about a new way of food shopping which both pays the farmer fairly and also insists upon environmentally friendly practices in agriculture? Those are the sort of decisions consumer power can make happen - and now it's possible thanks to a new concept which was originally born in France 5 years ago. There, the English name is Who's The Boss - in the UK it's called The Consumer Brand - and the first product has now been launched. Martin Hesp talks to the people behind the iniative...

There has been talk of centralising the control of England's national parks - an idea that will not go down well with local people who live in the remote uplands of places like Exmoor. In this podcast journalist Martin Hesp brushes off an old interview he did with Molly Groves - one of the founders of the Exmoor Revolting Peasants party - a pressure group formed by local people in the early 2000s

Journalist Martin Hesp joins Francis Clarke, the managing director of the highly regarded Trewithen Dairy, on a visit to a South Cornish holding where they are shown the benefits of regenerative farming by expert Tom Tolputt, who explains that the system could actually take carbon out of the atmosphere while at the same time producing fantastically healthy milk and cream, beef and lamb

In his travels as editor-at-large of a daily newspaper in the UK Martin Hesp came across many interesting people working in all manner of industries and trades - in this podcast he looks back at his meeting with the Rowland family - the Royal Warrant wheelwrights of East Devon

Well known Somerset cider-maker Roger Wilkins talks to Martin Hesp about Banksy the artist and the great many other celebrities who've been to his old cider-house at Land's End Farm, Mudgeley, overlooking the Somerset Levels 

Sharpham Estate in Devon is famous for its wine and its cheese - but this year, more than ever, it was important to remind tourism providers and other movers and shakers about the fine produce that is made down by the shores of the River Dart in the South Hams 

Anthony Gibson worked for the NFU for an amazing 36 years and in that time he became a very well known figure, not only in the UK agricultural world, but also in the sphere of food and drink. Here he talks to Martin Hesp about the disconnect between local people and local food - and the steps which were taken in the 1980s and 90s to try to overcome that gap