Country Life

Anyone who loves P.G. Wodehouse knows Jeeves and Wooster, Blandings Castle and the Oldest Member golf stories. But what of the man himself? His early life as a sensation on Broadway? His extraordinary seven-days-a-week work ethic? The truth about his attempts to flee the Nazis, scuppered by an unreliable car, before he was interned and pressured into making wartime broadcasts for the German regime? His later life in the US, and his sadness at never returning to the UK — even to collect his eventual knighthood? These are some of the things that fuelled a conversation a decade ago between Robert Daws and Stephen Fry, which set Daws off on a road that will lead him to the stage at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh this summer, playing the role of P.G. Wodehouse in a one-man show, Wodehouse in Wonderland.'Stephen mentioned that very few people know anything about P.G. Wodehouse the writer,' he said. 'They might know about the scandal around him in the Second World War, but apart from that, not really anything. And we thought there should be something.'That led to Daws speaking to William Humble, a friend, collaborator, screenwriter and playwright who happened to have been working on an unproduced screenplay about Wodehouse. The play Wodehouse in Wonderland was ready within weeks, went on tour a couple of years ago, and is now back on stage at the Edinburgh festival to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Wodehouse's death.We're delighted that Robert was able to join us on the Country Life Podcast to talk about Wodehouse's life and career, from his little-known start as a writer of smash-hit shows on Broadway — he was a huge success before he wrote a single word about Jeeves and Wooster — through to his final years living in the US.Wodehouse in Wonderland is at Tabard in London from July 20-22 and at The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh from July 30 to August 25, 2025.Episode creditsHost, editor and producer: Toby KeelGuest: Robert DawsMusic: JuliusH via PixabayBack next week: James Fisher Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you come to a point in your life when you find yourself swimming with great white sharks?And how can it be that when you do, you find that moment 'completely normal'?Dan Abbott — aka Shark Man Dan — answered these and many more questions when he joined us on the Country Life Podcast at the beginning of 2025.In the six months or so since then, Dan's career has taken a huge upswing after he ended up as one of the stats of Netflix's All The Sharks, a unique blend of nature documentary and reality TV contest which has become something of a sensation in just a few days, hitting the Netflix Top 10 in more than 44 countries at the time of writing.So we thought it would be a great time to look back on this recording to share it once again. It'll be a treat for those who might have missed it first time round, and just as much of a treat for those who revisit this truly fascinating interview.All The Sharks is out now on Netflix and you can follow Dan Abbott on Instagram @sharkman_dan. Episode credits• Host: James Fisher• Guest: Dan Abbott• Producer and editor: Toby Keel• Music: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'We still see people out wearing colours which we know for a fact we haven't produced in 15 or 20 years,' chuckles Marcus Janssen, head of Schöffel, as he speaks about the company's gilets — the 'Chelsea Lifejackets' — to James Fisher on this week's edition of the Country Life Podcast.Marcus took over at Schöffel after a career as a countryside journalist, stepping in to a role as head of a family-owned business which has been going for well over two centuries.His love of the British countryside shines through as he talks to James about how a South African journalist ended up running a much-loved countryside brand whose roots are in Germany — and many of whose customers wear their gilets as much in the streets of SW3 as they do in the fields of Scotland or Gloucestershire. Marcus also talks about the recently-inaugurated Schöffel Countryside Awards, run in partnership with the GWCT.Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Marcus JanssenEditor and Producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via PixabaySpecial thanks: Adam Wilbourn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Corinne Fowler, a Professor of Colonialism and Heritage at the University of Leicester and author of Our Island Stories, as she walks through the hidden histories of the British countryside. She connects landscapes with multicultural narratives, revealing how colonialism shaped national identity. Discover the ties between scenic walks, diverse histories, and properties linked to slavery. Corinne also shares personal revelations from her transformative journey from John O'Groats to Land's End, encouraging a deeper understanding of the past.

The adventurer, broadcaster, scientist and writer Steve Backshall has been a fixture on TV screens in Britain for nearly three decades — and we're absolutely thrilled that he joined James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast.• Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts• Listen to Country Life podcast on Spotify• Listen to Country Life podcast on AudibleSteve talks through some of the highlights of his amazing career, from coming face-to-face with tigers and great white sharks to discovering ancient ruins while diving in flooded cave systems. But as well as a globetrotting naturalist with a gift for overcoming his natural fears, he's also a natural raconteur who shares and why he's determined that his kids should have a wonderful childhood spent outdoors — just as he did.Steve is now sharing his lifetime of adventures on a new podcast called That's Just Wild, which he presents alongside biologist Lizzie Daly and environmental journalist Sarah Roberts, with two episodes each week from wherever you get your podcasts.Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Steve BackshallEditor and producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘I thought, okay, well it worked for Lady Godiva, didn’t it? This whole naked stuff? So let me give that a try. I felt like it was the only option.’Just as it worked for Lady Godiva, so it has for Hannah Bourne-Taylor, the campaigner, naturalist and writer who has spent years fighting for change to help Britain’s bird population — and particularly the swift.• Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts• Listen to Country Life podcast on Spotify• Listen to Country Life podcast on Audible After spending years overseas in places where she was surrounded by birds and nature, Hannah was dismayed on her return to see how little is being done to help preserve wildlife — and particularly with regard to her favourite bird, the swift. And after deciding to do something about it, she launched the campaign which has now taken years of her life — and which, as she tells James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast, has seen her enjoy a blaze of publicity by marching up and down Whitehall without a stitch on, in a desperate, yet wildly successful, publicity stunt.She tells James about the swift, their plight, and how the simple introduction of one or two ‘swift bricks’ added to each new build house could have an enormous impact at negligible cost, by providing safe nesting for birds whose former favourite spots have increasingly disappeared due to modern construction techniques.Hannah also talks about her love of nature in general and the struggles she’s faced, from battling apathy and indifference to hastily adjusting a stick-on G-string in the House of Lords toilets. She also tells a tale from an earlier time in her life, when a tiny lost fledgling nested in her hair as it recuperated before rejoining its family.It’s a fascinating glimpse in to the mind of a woman who is in equal measure strong, brave, eccentric and passionate. Once you’ve listened, we’d highly recommend Hannah’s books for more: her latest, Nature Needs You, about her battle to save the swift, and Fledgling, her story that rewrites ‘the conventional boundaries of the relationships people have with animals’.Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Hannah Bourne-TaylorEditor and producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Poet, author, musician and Yorkshireman, Simon Armitage has been Britain's Poet Laureate since 2019 — so we're thrilled that he joined James Fisher on the latest edition of the Country Life Podcast.From the surprising details of what he does — or, more accurately, doesn't — have to do as part of his role, to the primary school teacher who didn't even put his Christmas poem in his class's top six, Simon shares tales of his life, his work and his inspiration.• Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts• Listen to Country Life podcast on Spotify• Listen to Country Life podcast on AudibleNature has always been a big part of the latter, and never more so than with his latest collection of poems, Dwell. The book was inspired by the time he has spent at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall — a place where he'll be back on June 21st for the Heligan Homecoming Festival, which runs June 13-22 and features guests including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Dawn French.Simon also talks about how the world — and the world of art in particular — is being changed by technology... even if what AI can create so far has been limited to verse that is, in his phrase, 'reassuringly awful'.That said, Simon also worries that 'it will only get better', something which could actually change how art is made.'I wonder if it might throw art back on some of its high-end, traditional values that are quite difficult to imitate and replicate,' he adds.'The art that will really be in trouble is sort of avant-gardism and experimentation which — dare I say it? Yes,I do — is quite easily imitated.Charming, funny, self-deprecating, Simon was a wonderful guest — enjoy the show.Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Simon ArmitageEditor and producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amid the birdsong, the snores of a dog, and the purrs of a cat, sits Poppy Okotcha. The horticulturist and author joined the Country Life Podcast this week to discuss all things gardening and, specifically, its restorative effects on not only nature but people.• Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts• Listen to Country Life podcast on Spotify• Listen to Country Life podcast on AudibleA former model, Poppy walked away from the world of fashion to 'return to the earth'. From humble beginnings growing ginger in a houseboat in London, now she lives in rural Devon, growing regeneratively and organically. But it's not just plants, but people, that the garden improves. After spending 30 minutes talking to her, it's difficult not to believe her.Her book A Wilder Way: How Gardens Grow Us is a compelling look at her life in gardens, and she's also giving a talk at the Cheltenham Science Festival, which runs from June 3–8. If this podcast is anything to go by, it's one you can't afford to miss.Episode credits Host: James FisherGuest: Poppy OkotchaProducer and editor: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chelsea Flower Show is one of the high points of the summer: a celebration of plants, gardens and creativity, as well as an unbeatable opportunity to rub shoulders with those who share the passion for making the most of this gorgeous time of year in England. This year, Country Life has its own presence at the show, at stand PW210, and we're thrilled to be part of this incomparable event. We'll be reporting from SW3 throughout the week, and you can see all our Chelsea 2025 stories right here, where we have been (and will continue) to share all the best photographs, stories and more from the show.To kick things off on the opening day, we are delighted that Country Life's gardens editor Tiffany Daneff was able to record a podcast at the show itself, speaking to Country Life's Toby Keel. Tiffany is a veteran of the show, having been literally dozens of times in her career, and has been talking to many of the garden designers whose work is on display in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. She talks through the things not to miss at this year's show, from the best of the show gardens to the cleverest ideas from among the smaller gardens tucked away in the corners, and she also gives a rundown of the finest flowers from inside the Great Pavilion, all while telling the stories and sharing the insights about behind how the show comes together. And yes, Tiffany also shares her very favourite plant from this year's show, one which she'd just seen before we started recording — so much so that she didn't yet have a note of the name. As promised in the recording, we've added the name here: it's called Ranunculus acris 'Citrinus'.Episode creditsHost: Toby KeelGuest: Tiffany DaneffProducer and editor: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via PixabayBack next week: James Fisher Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to England’s environment and our landscape, few people in the country are as important as Tony Juniper. Since 2019, he has been the chairman of Natural England, the public body for ensuring that the country’s natural environment is protected and enhanced. Not a small job, as we are sure you’ll agree.He is also a recognised authority on parrots. More on that later.• Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts• Listen to Country Life podcast on Spotify• Listen to Country Life podcast on AudibleAs well as managing Natural England, Tony is a prolific public speaker and author. Om Saturday May 17th, 2025, he’ll be at London’s newest literary festival, Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words, in conversation with former leader of the Green Party Natalie Bennett, to discuss their books Just Earth and Change Everything, respectively. Tickets are available here.We spoke to Tony about Just Earth, and it was enlightening to hear his words on how climate degradation is as much a social issue as it is an environmental one. So much has been said about the changing climate, that it was fascinating to talk to someone with so much experience in the sector, and someone who has witnessed so much decline in his own lifetime, as well as someone who has experience and success in putting things right. Experience that he has shared with a wide variety of people and organisations, from Friends of the Earth to The King himself — a man he refers to as 'one of the most influential environmentalists of all time'.We also talk about parrots. Tony worked at BirdLife international and is a formally trained zoologist and conservationist. His book, Spix’s Macaw: The Race to Save the World’s Rarest Bird is a classic; so much so that it was adapted in part to create the animated film Rio.It’s a fascinating chat, and it was a real privilege to get the chance to speak to him.Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Tony JuniperEditor and producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.