Gretel le Maître Ponders

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Hello dear friends, subscribers and newcomers.  Welcome to this odd podcast where everything is free, no adverts are there ever, and all it is is a daily chatter, bringing in literature from the past and the hope that we can create a little safe haven of peace and gentleness, kindness and hope.  The only price you have to pay is putting up with the fact that nothing is edited or scripted so it’s all jolly ad hoc.  But if you can put up with that, then you can join us any day, dipping in and out, or following the literary readings every day.  If you rate this, please be kind.  Giving a low  score, as a couple of people have, make my dog howl in disappointment. 

Best wishes 

Gretel 😀🥰😊

PS I think the hedgehog family is now in hibernation ☺️🦔🦔🦔

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Top 10 in Global Rankings according to Listen Notes.

Previous guests include historian Tom Holland; Actor Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Composer Matthew Coleridge; Vicar Angela Tilby; Author Bijan Omrani; Dorset garden hedgehog family, the Venerable Bede and other guests.

Your daily dose of calm. 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 polished product. The output is lower tier but the authenticity is hopefully as good as it gets. 🦔

35, 000 All-time Downloads since October 2024 🥳

Love Gretel 🌝

Listener mail is warmly welcomed 🙋‍♀️

Support the show

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.  We’ve reached over 90,000  downloads.  

I suggest you don’t try to listen in order, unless you’re very committed.  Dip in and out, choosing an episode based on the title information.  Whether you are interested in history, literature, poetry or one-to-one chatting, I try to give you something that will interest you.  This is a podcast for the curious, the kind and - possibly - the suffering or lonely.  

Historian Tom Holland is the Honorary Patron of this podcast.  Thank you Tom🙏 

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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 😬☺️🥴

Previous guests include  historian Tom Holland; Sir Richard Eyre; Actors Guy Henry and Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Writer David Willem; Author Nicola Cornick; Historian (and ...

Send us a text

Support the show

Top 10 in Global Rankings according to Listen Notes.

Previous guests include historian Tom Holland; Actor Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Composer Matthew Coleridge; Vicar Angela Tilby; Author Bijan Omrani; Dorset garden hedgehog family, the Venerable Bede and other guests.

Your daily dose of calm. 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 polished product. The output is lower tier but the authenticity is hopefully as good as it gets. 🦔

35, 000 All-time Downloads since October 2024 🥳

Love Gretel 🌝

Listener mail is warmly welcomed 🙋‍♀️

Good evening

This is a little interlude, reading a chapter from Eleanor Parker’s lovely book ‘Winters in the World’, about the Anglo-Saxon year.  This is the chapter about the difficult-to-grasp season of Autumn 🍂 

I hope you are well! 🤗🍂🦔

Support the show

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.  We’ve reached over 90,000  downloads.  

I suggest you don’t try to listen in order, unless you’re very committed.  Dip in and out, choosing an episode based on the title information.  Whether you are interested in history, literature, poetry or one-to-one chatting, I try to give you something that will interest you.  This is a podcast for the curious, the kind and - possibly - the suffering or lonely.  

Historian Tom Holland is the Honorary Patron of this podcast.  Thank you Tom🙏 

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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 😬☺️🥴

Previous guests include  historian Tom Holland; Sir Richard Eyre; Actors Guy Henry and Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Writer David Willem; Author Nicola Cornick; Historian (and ...

Send us a text

Welcome to today’s episode and thank you for your support and messages.  🤗🌷🦔

Support the show

Top 10 in Global Rankings according to Listen Notes.

Previous guests include historian Tom Holland; Actor Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Composer Matthew Coleridge; Vicar Angela Tilby; Author Bijan Omrani; Dorset garden hedgehog family, the Venerable Bede and other guests.

Your daily dose of calm. 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 polished product. The output is lower tier but the authenticity is hopefully as good as it gets. 🦔

35, 000 All-time Downloads since October 2024 🥳

Love Gretel 🌝

Send us a text

Hallo hallo hallo!

How are you this evening?  Thank you so much for your wonderful messages of support and suggestions.  So many lovely ideas.  

Oh and if you could spare the time, I would be so grateful if you would possibly give me a kind review and a high rating.  It means a lot and I read every review.  There are lots of platforms that all keep their own review averages, so if you’ve done it on one, it would be amazing if you possibly did it on another.  I know it’s a huge bore to do it. 😭😬

Here are some platforms:

Apple, Spotify, Goodpods, Listen Notes, Amazon Music, Audible, Overcast, Deezer, Podchaser, PlayerFM, Castbox, Acast and Buzzsprout.

Huge thank you!!   And don’t forget if you want me to read a poem or play some music for you or a loved one, do ask.  This might be particularly fun during Advent. 

Gretel xx

🦔🐈‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐕 

Support the show

Top 10 in Global Rankings according to Listen Notes.

Previous guests include historian Tom Holland; Actor Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Composer Matthew Coleridge; Vicar Angela Tilby; Author Bijan Omrani; Dorset garden hedgehog family, the Venerable Bede and other guests.

Your daily dose of calm. 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 polished product. The output is lower tier but the authenticity is hopefully as good as it gets. 🦔

35, 000 All-time Downloads since October 2024 🥳

Love Gretel 🌝

Listener mail is warmly welcomed 🙋‍♀️

Support the show

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.  We’ve reached over 90,000  downloads.  

I suggest you don’t try to listen in order, unless you’re very committed.  Dip in and out, choosing an episode based on the title information.  Whether you are interested in history, literature, poetry or one-to-one chatting, I try to give you something that will interest you.  This is a podcast for the curious, the kind and - possibly - the suffering or lonely.  

Historian Tom Holland is the Honorary Patron of this podcast.  Thank you Tom🙏 

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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 😬☺️🥴

Previous guests include  historian Tom Holland; Sir Richard Eyre; Actors Guy Henry and Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Writer David Willem; Author Nicola Cornick; Historian (and ...

Listener mail is warmly welcomed 🙋‍♀️

Hello, this is another recording that I couldn’t work out how to add to, but rather than delete it, here it is.  I arrive at the beautiful driveway to Kelvedon Hall, where nuthatches, buzzards and coots abound.  😊

Support the show

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.  We’ve reached over 90,000  downloads.  

I suggest you don’t try to listen in order, unless you’re very committed.  Dip in and out, choosing an episode based on the title information.  Whether you are interested in history, literature, poetry or one-to-one chatting, I try to give you something that will interest you.  This is a podcast for the curious, the kind and - possibly - the suffering or lonely.  

Historian Tom Holland is the Honorary Patron of this podcast.  Thank you Tom🙏 

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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 😬☺️🥴

Previous guests include  historian Tom Holland; Sir Richard Eyre; Actors Guy Henry and Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Writer David Willem; Author Nicola Cornick; Historian (and ...

Listener mail is warmly welcomed 🙋‍♀️

Good morning.  Today Jerome K Jerome’s gentlemen (et chien) visit The George and Dragon at Wargrave and The Bull Inn at Sonning.  Both pubs are still open and thriving and I’ve popped photographs onto social media.  Isn’t it every English person’s dream to walk, row, cycle or chug along the Thames from source to tide?  

I’m heading to Kelvedon Hall today because I’m deeply interested in the life and times of Sir Henry ‘Chips’ Channon.  Reading his diaries have led me to read many more books relating to the inter-war years.  It was a fascinating time when society in England was undergoing a quiet revolution that (like all revolutions) had both its downs and ups.  Thank you for all your kind messages and suggestions.  I read them all and take on board all suggestions.  Best wishes, Gretel x

Support the show

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.  We’ve reached over 90,000  downloads.  

I suggest you don’t try to listen in order, unless you’re very committed.  Dip in and out, choosing an episode based on the title information.  Whether you are interested in history, literature, poetry or one-to-one chatting, I try to give you something that will interest you.  This is a podcast for the curious, the kind and - possibly - the suffering or lonely.  

Historian Tom Holland is the Honorary Patron of this podcast.  Thank you Tom🙏 

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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 😬☺️🥴

Previous guests include  historian Tom Holland; Sir Richard Eyre; Actors Guy Henry and Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Writer David Willem; Author Nicola Cornick; Historian (and ...

Send us a text

Support the show

Top 10 in Global Rankings according to Listen Notes.

Previous guests include historian Tom Holland; Actor Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Composer Matthew Coleridge; Vicar Angela Tilby; Author Bijan Omrani; Dorset garden hedgehog family, the Venerable Bede and other guests.

Your daily dose of calm. 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 polished product. The output is lower tier but the authenticity is hopefully as good as it gets. 🦔

35, 000 All-time Downloads since October 2024 🥳

Love Gretel 🌝