CountrySlide

We're 1!
It's been a fantastic year of recording, editing and reading comments and reviews on the show. We've loved every minute of it and to celebrate we sat down as usual to record and episode, as usual.

This week the guys talk about the news that game dealers in Belgium are no longer going to be taking game birds from the UK (aside from honouring existing contracts) This is possibly just the beginning of a prediction coming true that Europe will no longer be taking game from UK suppliers. This calls into question where the future of shooting lies. To put this into perspective, Negus has found an old edition of the Shooting Times complete with game prices from 1972.

To round out the episode, there's a quick (ish) fire round of questioning to get to know your hosts just a tad better.

CountrySlide is a podcast that looks at farming, conservation and life in the British countryside.Send us photos of your interesting trinkets that your other half wants to burn or bin as submissions to the calendar or for fun at: [email protected] 

Links
- Subscribe on Patreon for extra content (you can cancel at any time)
- If you enjoy what we do, consider a one-off tip on Ko-fi
- CountrySlide website
- Negus' book tour dates can be found here


The Hosts
Richard Negus website
Callum McInerney-Riley website
Richard Prideaux website

Edited and Produced by Amy Green for Rural and Outdoor.

DISCLAIMER
Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

Shaun Leonard, director of the Wild Trout Trust talks with the guys about the challenges facing our native trout and what makes them so incredible and able to adapt to conditions worldwide. Our rivers aren't in a great shape, although as Shaun recalls they were once much worse, and it isn't in fact all pollution and run-off. The Wild Trout Trust are involved in improving habitats for wild brown trout (and therefore other fish) around the country through adding in woody debris, removing physical barriers and educating land managers and the general public.

The conversation then turns towards how we can help and the huge variety of citizen science projects out there - from counting flies to collecting water samples, there is something for everyone to get involved with. We've provided links to some of those below.

CountrySlide is a podcast that looks at farming, conservation and life in the British countryside.

Send us photos of your interesting trinkets that your other half wants to burn or bin as submissions to the calendar or for fun at: [email protected] 

Links
- Wild Trout Trust
- Angling Trust Water Quality project
- Outfall Safari information
- Wild Fish SmartRivers
- Subscribe on Patreon for extra content (you can cancel at any time)
- If you enjoy what we do, consider a one-off tip on Ko-fi
- CountrySlide website
- Negus' book tour dates can be found here


The Hosts

Richard Negus website
Callum McInerney-Riley website
Richard Prideaux website


Edited and Produced by Amy Green for Rural and Outdoor.

DISCLAIMER
Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

This week, Richard and Richard are joined by Mark, former Army Chaplain, Church of England minister and farmer, for a thoughtful conversation about faith, farming, and mental health in rural Britain. From Normandy beaches to North Oxfordshire fields, they explore the links between the military and the land, the quiet role of the rural church, and why resilience matters more than resistance. With humour, honesty, and a touch of birdsong for Armistice, CountrySlide welcomes its newest recruit: the Padre of the Countryside.As we head into winter life can get more isolating, depression can set in and the unpredictability of life can become harder to face. Please check in with those around you and seek help if you need it.

As we head into winter life can get more isolating, depression can set in and the unpredictability of life can become harder to face. Please check in with those around you and seek help if you need it.

CountrySlide is a podcast that looks at farming, conservation and life in the British countryside.

Send us photos of your interesting trinkets that your other half wants to burn or bin as submissions to the calendar or for fun at: [email protected] 

Links
- 5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing
- Yellow Wellies - Mind Your Head
- Gamekeepers Welfare Trust
- Mental Health and Wellbeing in Forestry
- Subscribe on Patreon for extra content (you can cancel at any time)
- If you enjoy what we do, consider a one-off tip on Ko-fi
- CountrySlide website
- Negus' book tour dates can be found here


The Hosts

Richard Negus website
Callum McInerney-Riley website
Richard Prideaux website


Edited and Produced by Amy Green for Rural and Outdoor.

DISCLAIMER
Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

Following on from the high level conversation last week, we offer you respite from the effects of nights drawing in and the clocks changing with imagery you never knew you wanted and stories which explain a lot about our hosts. There's also some useful intelligence included about how waterproof fabrics really work, comfortable and durable boots which actually last and some of our plans for the future ("useful" in the loosest sense of the word).

The Patreon only aftershow is dominated by Callum's account of nearly dying on a marsh for a pittance and the latest instalment of Prideaux's tales from North Wales - folk are different around here (in the best ways)

CountrySlide is a podcast that looks at farming, conservation and life in the British countryside.

Send us photos of your interesting trinkets that your other half wants to burn or bin as submissions to the calendar or for fun at: [email protected] 

Links
- Brandecosse website
- Women in Waders Calendar
- Subscribe on Patreon for extra content (you can cancel at any time)
- If you enjoy what we do, consider a one-off tip on Ko-fi
- CountrySlide website
- Negus' book tour dates can be found here


The Hosts
Richard Negus website
Callum McInerney-Riley website
Richard Prideaux website


Edited and Produced by Amy Green for Rural and Outdoor.

DISCLAIMER
Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

Nigel Vardy is an outdoorsman in every sense of the word; he grew up in the Peak District fishing for his dinner and hunting for his tea and exploring the woodlands around his home. He is now an accomplished mountaineer, adventurer and motivational speaker who recounts how he lost his fingers, toes and nose to frostbite after the weather closed in on an attempt to summit Denali in Alaska.

Richard P and Nigel talk through topics ranging from sizing footwear with no toes, the crossover between mountaineering and field sports, respect for our countryside and wildlife, and the psychology of recovery.

CountrySlide is a podcast that looks at farming, conservation and life in the British countryside.

Send us photos of your interesting trinkets that your other half wants to burn or bin as submissions to the calendar or for fun at: [email protected] 

Links

- Nigel's website
- Frostbitten on Amazon Prime
- Nigel on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram / more rural Instagram and Youtube
- Buxton Mountain Rescue Team
- Subscribe on Patreon for extra content (you can cancel at any time)
- If you enjoy what we do, consider a one-off tip on Ko-fi
- CountrySlide website
- Negus' book tour dates can be found here


The Hosts
Richard Negus website
Callum McInerney-Riley website
Richard Prideaux website


Edited and Produced by Amy Green for Rural and Outdoor.

DISCLAIMER
Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

We catch up with Richard, Callum and Richard after a couple of weeks apart and explore what £35 million could achieve if spent on improving things for British wildlife. Richard P talks about some of the current funding available and the Pittman-Robertson act, whilst Richard N champions gathering baseline data and Callum provides a parent's perspective.

CountrySlide is a podcast that looks at farming, conservation and life in the British countryside.

Send us photos of your interesting trinkets that your other half wants to burn or bin as submissions to the calendar or for fun at: [email protected] 

Links
- Richard Prideaux's Mast Year article
- Lemur article
- Pittman-Robertson Act
- Subscribe on Patreon for extra content (you can cancel at any time)
- If you enjoy what we do, consider a one-off tip on Ko-fi
- CountrySlide website
- Negus' book tour dates can be found here


The Hosts
Richard Negus website
Callum McInerney-Riley website
Richard Prideaux website


Edited and Produced by Amy Green for Rural and Outdoor.

DISCLAIMER
Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

We welcomed 2 guests on this weeks episode, Cat Frampton and Richard's mother A.A Prideaux.

Cat talks with Richard and Richard about the England Peat Map released in May 2025 and the problems and errors which have designated reservoirs, walls, hedges and rocky outcroppings as deep peat. We did record for a full hour with Cat, but due to technical issues it sadly only recorded Negus and Prideaux for the last 45 minutes and then blank space where once there was informative content from Cat. Don't worry - we'll invite her back on with a more stable connection!

For the second half of this episode Richard Prideaux interviews his mother about rural life in the 60s, 70s and 80s - they talk about the number of people, nature of community, poverty, and a few anecdotes from Richard's childhood.

CountrySlide is a podcast that looks at farming, conservation and life in the British countryside.

Send us photos of your interesting trinkets that your other half wants to burn or bin as submissions to the calendar or for fun at: [email protected] 

Links
- Cat Frampton website
- Cat on X
- AA Prideaux website
- Subscribe on Patreon for extra content (you can cancel at any time)
- If you enjoy what we do, consider a one-off tip on Ko-fi
- CountrySlide website
- Negus' book tour dates can be found here


The Hosts
Richard Negus website
Callum McInerney-Riley website
Richard Prideaux website


Edited and Produced by Amy Green for Rural and Outdoor.

DISCLAIMER
Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

The gang are back together and taking every detour available. They shatter our image of Richard Negus, take us down a tangent around the perceptions of traditional management activities vs modern land management and question whether Callum's job is in fact real - hair and makeup for the double decker bus please!

Finally we talk about favourite trees, from historical Oaks to rare Black Poplar and the trees which hold meaning. If you have a favourite tree or species of tree we would love to hear from you!

CountrySlide is a podcast that looks at farming, conservation and life in the British countryside.

Send us photos of your interesting trinkets that your other half wants to burn or bin as submissions to the calendar or for fun at: [email protected] 

Links
- Subscribe on Patreon for extra content (you can cancel at any time)
- If you enjoy what we do, consider a one-off tip on Ko-fi
- CountrySlide website
- Negus' book tour dates can be found here


The Hosts
Richard Negus website
Callum McInerney-Riley website
Richard Prideaux website


Edited and Produced by Amy Green for Rural and Outdoor.

DISCLAIMER
Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

The Mullet is our small rural business and marketing advice mini-series, brought to you by Richard P and Callum of CountrySlide.

Gareth from Wales (which isn't on another planet as Callum likes to believe) has written in asking whether it is too late to build up a brand for his hobby business and transform it into a real money maker.

Callum and Richard weigh up the pros and cons of turning something you love into a job and discuss what Gareth could do to develop his love of walking sticks and wood carving into something more substantial.

If you have a question, please DM us or send an email on [email protected]

DISCLAIMER
Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.

This week Callum couldn't make it so we've brought in a stunt double in the form of Poor Producer Amy. Together the Richards and Amy talk about the signs of Autumn - everything from bats to hedges, fruits to frosts!

The trio also discuss a recent article about the decline of birds and the state of wildlife recording overall.

CountrySlide is a podcast that looks at farming, conservation and life in the British countryside.

Send us photos of your interesting trinkets that your other half wants to burn or bin as submissions to the calendar or for fun at: [email protected] 

Links
- Amy on X and Instagram
- Subscribe on Patreon for extra content (you can cancel at any time)
- If you enjoy what we do, consider a one-off tip on Ko-fi
- CountrySlide website
- Negus' book tour dates can be found here


The Hosts
Richard Negus website
Callum McInerney-Riley website
Richard Prideaux website


Edited and Produced by Amy Green for Rural and Outdoor.

DISCLAIMER
Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.