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We’re taking a break, and while I’m not sure when we’ll be back, I am sure we will be back. The world of digital media moves quickly, which is somewhat anathema to the work we do at Country Life. While I have enjoyed every single episode we have made, it is absolutely time to have a look at refreshing, updating and improving the format of the podcast we produce, so that is what we are going to do. We hope to return at some point this year, with something more entertaining and more engaging, but still quintessentially Country Life. It feels slightly silly to call more than 100 episodes of podcasting a single season, but to be honest I am not sure what else to call it. For this week's podcast, I had the privilege of being the person in the digital interview chair, and Toby Keel, my incredibly patient producer, will be the one asking (and answering) questions about all the things we’ve done, people we’ve met and more. Episode credits Host (and guest): James Fisher Editor and producer (and host and guest): Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixavay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here at Country Life, we love the Chelsea Flower Show — and we know you do too. So we're absolutely delighted to bring you this very special edition of the Country Life Podcast, recorded live in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, with Clive Nichols and Kathryn Bradley-Hole. Kathryn was Country Life's gardens editor for 18 years until moving on to concentrate on writing, and has a lifetime of experience in the horticultural world — and it's also the 40th anniversary of her first trip to the Chelsea Flower Show. Coincidentally, Clive has also been coming to SW3 for exactly 40 years. The man dubbed 'the king of garden photography' is a regular contributor to Country Life, and we're thrilled that he's not only taken all our pictures from the show this year, but also appeared on this episode of the Country Life Podcast. Episode credits Host: Toby Keel Guests: Kathryn Bradley-Hole and Clive Nichols Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Back next time: James Fisher Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain is full of architectural talent and ideas. So why is our affordable housing in such a state? 'We need to think of unusual sites and then do something special with them,' says the architecture critic and writer Jonathan Glancey, who joins James Fisher on this week's Country Life Podcast. Making housing better for all of us — not just the privileged few — is at the heart of the discussion between James and Jonathan, just as it's one of the key issues in Jonathan's latest book, Where We Live: The Fractured Art of British Housebuilding and How to Build the Homes We Need, which is out in June 2026. Jonathan's years of experience and expertise — from his first job at the The Architectural Review to his many years as The Guardian's architecture and design editor — shines through as he talks about everything from the model villages built by the great railway companies of Victorian Britain through to the huge mistakes made in social housing between 1945 and 1990. He illuminates the topic in fascinating detail, in a talk which is by turns inspiring, depressing and forward-looking. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. Where We Live: The Fractured Art of British Housebuilding and How to Build the Homes We Need is published by Icon Books on June 20, 2026 — you can order a copy now from all good bookshops. Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guest: Jonathan Glancey Editor and producer: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bethany Handley was always an outdoorsy kid. Climbing mountains, crossing rivers or surfing in the sea near her home in South Wales, she lived and worked in the wild, with a job as an outdoor activity instructor. All that changed in the matter of a few months as illness left her in a wheelchair. Instead of being out and about, she found herself in a rural home where all the paths she once walked were blocked off to her by stiles whose existence she'd once barely noticed. Yet she has been determined not to let that stop her enjoying nature, doing everything she can to get out in the great outdoors — from surfing on a special board adapted for her by her brother, to getting her partner's help to climb ridges in the Black Mountains. We're absolutely delighted that Bethany joined James Fisher for this week's instalment of the Country Life Podcast. She tells her story with grace, honesty and humour — a story she's also shared in a new book, My Body is a Meadow: Finding Freedom in the Outdoors, published on May 7, 2026. Bethany talks about everything from the thoughts that ran through her head as she lay in her hospital bed to the efforts she makes today to campaign for better access to the countryside for the huge number of people in Britain who face problems getting around. It's a fascinating and salutary glimpse into a different life; you'll never take your legs for granted again. My Body is a Meadow: Finding Freedom in the Outdoors by Bethany Handley is published by Headline — you can order a copy here. Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guest: Bethany Handley Producer and Editor: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your grandmother was right: going for a walk really does do you a power of good. Just how much, though, is something that we're only just beginning to discover — a point made beautifully by the writer and researcher Annabel Streets, who joins James Fisher on this week's Country Life Podcast. Annabel's book The Walking Cure has been hugely successful, and she spoke to us on the eve of its paperback publication. It's a fascinating talk, ranging from psychological impact of getting up off the sofa to the very real difference that where you walk can make. A walk along the sea front brings a completely different feel to a walk through the woods — and scientists are also discovering that a walk through a city, though stressful in terms of dealing with traffic, can be enormously stimulating in an entirely different way, something which new scientific techniques are beginning to show for the first time. Annabel also talks about her own walking journeys across the world, and how they've changed her. It's a fascinating talk — and the ideal thing to listen to as you get out and about for a walk near where you live. Annabel's book The Walking Cure is out now in paperback — see more details. Annabel Streets also writes, and posts on Instagram, as Annabel Abbs — you can follow her here. Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guest: Annabel Streets Editor and producer: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A wise man once said to me, about buying a house, that you ‘have to remember that this is the most money you will spend on anything, ever, so you want to make sure you get it right’. It’s probably best, therefore, to make sure that the people advising you know a thing or two about the market and property, and come loaded with bags of experience about the finer workings of buying and selling your home. This week, on the Country Life Podcast, I sat down with Oli Custance Baker, head of Strutt & Parker’s National Country House Department, and Sarah Brown, director of Strutt & Parker’s south west region, to chat about houses. Considering this is Country Life, the time felt right. Boasting decades of experience between them on buying and selling the finest homes in the country, they seemed like the obvious choice to break through the noise and get some answers on the finer workings of property. We discussed their careers to date, chuckled at anecdotes on some of the stranger things that have happened during sales, put some myths to the test about the best ways to buy and sell a house, and locked in on why, exactly, having an expert in your corner is the most important thing when it comes to moving home. This episode of the Country Life Podcast is sponsored by Strutt & Parker. It is produced, as normal, by Country Life and Future. You can watch the video version of the podcast at countrylife.co.uk/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Depending on who you ask, the food and drink scene in London is either in a state of despair or it's never been in better health. As always, when there is this much noise, it's best to get an expert on to cut a path through the metaphorical fog. Who could be better than Leonie Cooper, food and drink editor at Time Out London, and co-host of Messy Lunch with Gizzi Erskine. Where can you meet a man called Otto, wear a viking hat, and grind up a pigeon into a sauce? Where was ground zero for the natural wine movement? Where are the best pubs in our capital? You'll agree, all very important questions, and thankfully Leonie has all the answers. Somehow, we even get into the contents of her fridge, which will no doubt impress plenty of our regular listeners. Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Spotify Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Audible We also talk about messy lunches (should we be having more of them? Are they allowed? Why were they ever allowed?) and her new show Messy Lunch, which she co-hosts with Gizzi Erskine. Messy Lunch sees Leonie and Gizzi take the great and the good from the world of music and interview them over a slap-up meal, greasing the wheels of gossip and drawing out the best stories from some of the nation's most famous musicians. Not only will it make you hungry, it will also make you wonder why you ever took a job in accounting. I don't say this often, but Leonie has been one of the best guests we've ever had on the podcast, so make sure to tune in and listen. And then go and book a decent restaurant afterwards. Or become a rockstar. Or both. Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guest: Leonie Cooper Editor and producer: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each year, the Country Life Top 100 names the very finest country house architects, interior designers, landscapers, garden designers and craftspeople in Britain. It's one of the magazine's undisputed highlights of the year, with our interiors expert Giles Kime spending months alongside experts from across the country to produce the final list. We're delighted, then, that Giles joins James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast this week to talk about the 2026 list, to explain how it's evolved and developed for its latest iteration. Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Spotify Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Audible This year, the most striking change is in the number of artists, craftspeople and artisans who've earned recognition. Giles explains to James why that is, why craft is so important and becoming ever more so, and highlighting some of the wonderful people who are in this year's Top 100. You can see the full Country Life Top 100 here; and to see Giles in person you can book a ticket for his conversation with Kit Kemp — a designer on the Top 100 list — at the Winchester Book Festival in April. Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guest: Giles Kime Editor and producer: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On March 26, it will have been precisely 300 years since the death of Sir John Vanbrugh, the visionary architect behind buildings such as Blenheim Palace, Castle Howard, and Seaton Delaval. He is, without a doubt, one of the most influential ‘surveyors’ (as they were known back then) in British history. To talk about John, we needed the help of another man called John. The one and only Dr John Goodall, Architectural Editor of Country Life and co-host of the Your Places or Mine Podcast, is among the most qualified minds to talk about all things brick, stone, and mortar, and he’s also just a fun guy to hang out with. We explored the story of Vanbrugh, from his beginnings in Cheshire, his life as a minor revolutionary, political prisoner, playwright, Kit-Cat Club member and architect. To put it simply, he was one of those annoying kids at school who was just quite good at everything. Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to the Country Life podcast on SpotifySubscribe to the Country Life podcast on Audible As well as the fascinating story of Vanbrugh, we also discuss the restoration of Castle Howard, which Dr Goodall has recently written about in the magazine and online. How can you restore a building of that size after it was almost totally destroyed by fire? The answer is quite slowly, and extremely carefully. But, as you can see from the glorious images by Paul Highnam in the article on the Country Life website, they have done an exquisite job. And no conversation about rebuilding a fire-damaged building can exclude a discussion about the future of Clandon Park in Surrey. As the legal, historical and architectural debate about its use rumbles on, Dr Goodall offers a few thoughts on what the National Trust’s decision to leave the interiors mostly unrestored means for conservation. Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guest: John Goodall Editor and producer: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The River Tamar that forms the Devon-Cornwall border comes within four miles of making Cornwall an island. In and around the Scottish Borders, many people define themselves as Bordermen first, and Scottish or English second. And the the great medieval border created in the years of Danelaw both split Britain, and lives on today as one of the biggest roads in the country. These are just a few of the fascinating tales woven together by Richard Collett as he talks to James Fisher in this utterly fascinating episode of the Country Life Podcast. Yes, a border is a line on a map — but it's also a state of mind, with many of the lines that divide us, define us and even unite us taking on very different meanings depending on where you live. Richard Collett has spent years travelling Britain and talking to people throughout the land about our borders, where they come from, and what they mean — and the result is a fascinating book, Along the Borders: In search of what divides and unites the British Isles. Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to the Country Life podcast on SpotifySubscribe to the Country Life podcast on Audible The book is published in April 2026 by Penguin — you can pre-order a copy here — and we can't recommend it enough, if only to read the tale of the English sailor who got shipwrecked on Shetland, and has now spent decades fighting for its recognition as an independent country. Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guest: Richard Collett Editor and producer: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. As the Formula One season kicked off on Sunday, we saw the advent of full hybrid racing at the top level for the first time. A full 50/50 split between internal combustion and electrical power at the pinnacle of motorsport. Quite the change. And then Mercedes ran off into the distance. More of the same (mostly). The world of cars is changing, slowly but definitively. Although the ban on fully petrol and diesel powered cars seems to be the can that will be endlessly kicked down the road, more and more people are turning to hybrid and electric cars with each passing month. It’s not always easy to make sense of it all, especially in the luxury world, so naturally I made a few phone calls and got Country Life’s car aficionado, Adam Hay-Nicholls, to come on and so some explaining. Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to the Country Life podcast on SpotifySubscribe to the Country Life podcast on Audible We talked about growing up in the age of internal combustion, and what the transition to electric means for both the consumer and the professional car journalist. We chatted about the upcoming Formula One season, and whether anyone will really notice the difference (the answer is no, but also yes, a bit). And then of course we segued. Why did Adam once meet a sheikh in Dubai who owned Saddam Hussein’s watch? Why did Adam once land a helicopter outside of a biker bar in Revelstoke, Canada? And why is he writing a new book on all things Bugatti, which means he must simply go and drive the new £4 million Tourbillon? All essential in a day’s work, and you’ll have to tune in to find out the answers. Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guest: Adam Hay-Nicholls Editor and producer: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim was an icon. As the creative force behind a string of huge musicals — including West Side Story and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum — he is widely regarded as the 'Shakespeare of the musical'. Sondheim's life and legacy are the subject of a new podcast entitled Loving You: The Untold Sondheim, hosted by two close friends of the composer, Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones, which is out on March 5, 2026. We're delighted that Martin and Peter joined James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast to talk about their own upcoming show. Loving You: The Untold Sondheim features contributions from many people who knew and worked with Sondheim during his life, from Dame Julie Andrews to Dame Judi Dench, and from Mia Farrow to Lin-Manuel Miranda. Loving You: The Untold Sondheim will be available on all streaming platforms from March 5. A trailer is available on Apple, Spotify and Amazon. Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to the Country Life podcast on SpotifySubscribe to the Country Life podcast on Audible Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guests: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones Producer and editor: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Novelist, biographer, journalist and writer Justine Picardie joins the Country Life Podcast to talk about her life in fashion and journalism, her writing, and her close encounters with the Royal Family — including the day she found herself in a remote Scottish bothy, helping the late Queen Elizabeth II clean up after lunch. Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to the Country Life podcast on SpotifySubscribe to the Country Life podcast on Audible Justine's also talks about her latest book, Fashioning The Crown (Faber, £25), which is published on February 26, 2026 — you can order a copy here. In the research and writing, she was afforded extraordinary access to the Royal Archives, including the Queen's wardrobe itself — and Justine shares with James some of the most extraordinary insights, including her timeless style, her practicality, and her savvy adoption of bright colours as colour television became widespread. Many of the outfits she wore 'would have looked as perfect today as they would have 100 years ago,' Justine says. It's a fascinating episode — we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording it. Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guest: Justine Picardie Editor and producer: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it worth the effort? That’s the question that many people might ask themselves as they stand in the doorway of a knackered old house in the Cotswolds, wondering whether to buy it and start renovating. For Jim Chapman, author, illustrator, presenter, occasional model, fashionable dad and social media star, the answer was ‘yes’. And so began the year-long (and still ongoing) odyssey of transformation, as he gives up a life in London, moves his family to rural England, and starts ripping out walls. Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to the Country Life podcast on SpotifySubscribe to the Country Life podcast on Audible Jim is famed for sharing his life on social media and this renovation is just one chapter of a story that began online all the way back in 2010. In 2010, YouTube was a website to watch your favourite music videos, or compilations of people falling over. It was a simpler, more sinister time. Jim was one of the first to realise that it could and would become something greater, documenting his life, his hobbies and his family. That idea has turned into a following of more than 7 million across multiple platforms. In other words, you might not know who he is, but your kids definitely do. But while the world of YouTube might be an alien one to us, the one of rural home renovation certainly isn’t. James Fisher talks to Jim about everything from what inspired the move, the benefits of leaving city life, do’s and don’ts when tearing apart a house and putting it back together again, what’s worth doing yourself and what’s best left to the experts, and how not to flood a room.  Is it worth it? A year in, and just a few days from moving in, Jim certainly thinks so Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guest: Jim Chapman Editor and producer: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For as long as he can remember, the writer and illustrator Aidan Meighan has been inspired by Nature. His early exploits might not have been entirely welcomed by those around him — collecting and storing slugs and snails in a cupboard at school, and stashing a dead adder in a drawer at his parents' home — but they paved the way for a career illustrating the beauty of the natural world, both in words and pictures. Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsSubscribe to the Country Life podcast on SpotifySubscribe to the Country Life podcast on Audible We're delighted, then, that with his new book The Folklore of Trees about to appear, Aidan came to join James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast. He talks about some of the 36 varieties of tree that he discusses in his book, the creative freedom of working as both writer and illustrator on a project, and how trees have left their mark on human history — not least in the form of the hill in Rome that owes its existence to the Ancient Roman habit of discarding empty olive oil containers. 'We absolutely could not survive without trees,' says Aidan, 'but trees would easily prosper, if not flourish, without us.. They're like guardians, arboreal guardians, to us, and I really think we ought to show them respect.' Episode credits Host: James Fisher Guest: Aidan Meighan Editor and producer: Toby Keel Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.