George Armitstead was an engineer, entrepreneur and the fourth Mayor of Rīga. He is fondly remembered in Latvia for turning the city into a modern European capital. The city flourished under his management between 1901 -12.  He was also British. I want to share his interesting story with you. We will go on a hunt around Rīga for memorials dedicated to him. We will also visit Jaunmoku, 70 km from Rīga, to discover his connections to the palace.

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Approximately 10% of Latvian territory is peatland, and 5% is wetland mires - bogs or fens. These mires act as carbon sinks and play a massive role in helping to reduce the impact of climate change. We explore two bogs and one wetland lake with fens to find out more about these beautiful wetland mires.

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On 6 May 2023, King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth in a coronation. How was this event marked in Latvia, and what does it mean for British-Latvian relations? I report from the British Ambassador’s coronation celebration at Latvia’s National Library. I make the official coronation dish at home in Rīga, albeit with a Latvian twist. We look at King Charles’ past visits to Latvia. And include some amusing stories on Britain and the coronation.

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Latvia has a long tradition in fashion, from stories from ancient times of knitted mitts and folk costumes to Latvia being the centre of fashion in the Soviet Union during the Riga Fashion House era, and to the present day - holding the only fashion week in the Baltics.  In this episode, we will explore folklore and traditions, and end with a wonderfully rich discussion with a former top Latvian model.

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Latvia is a country full of traditions. Easter is no exception. We will explore the origins and practice of colouring eggs, swinging, and beating each other with willow catkins, for a slightly different take on typical European Easter celebrations. Plus, superstitions and stories of ghosts and witches.

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Latvia’s natural landscape is characterised by its forests and seascape. Nearly 53% of Latvia is forested and it has 504 km of sandy coastline. I tell a few stories about these natural features and recommend my favourite beaches and forests to visit. I also interview a hunter about forest management and conservation.

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In this episode I explore the connection between the Latvian language and integration. We look at the challenges that Latvia has faced in integrating its Soviet Russian population and implementing a one official language policy. I interview my Latvian language teacher to find out who is learning Latvian. I also interview my Brazilian friend who loves Latvia and intends to gain Latvian citizenship.

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What is it like to live and travel in Latvia? An Englishman in Latvia is my story-telling and reportage podcast.  Please give it a listen on your favourite podcast platform.

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A country's health, wealth and education levels are three of the most important socioeconomic indicators. Latvia has done much to improve these factors over the last two decades. In this episode, I will give my observations on the present state of these indicators in Latvia, with some stories to illustrate my views and the occasional comparison with my home country of Britain. I interviewed a Latvian doctor to discuss health, looked at some banking scandals and interviewed my eight-year-old son about his education.

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In the episode, I explore the cuisine of Latvia. I visit the largest market in Europe. I tell the stories of two Latvian chefs. We taste a few Latvian food and drink products, like Birzī sap, smoked fish and Getlini tomatoes - that are grown using waste. I also countdown through my list of ten important dishes in Latvian cuisine. Labu apetiti!

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