Country Life

Dancer, actor, father of four and farmer. There are very few things that Kelvin Fletcher cannot do. ‘Hold on’, you might say. ‘What do you mean farmer? I thought that was just acting?’ Well, it was, until about three years ago when Kelvin and his wife Liz decided that they needed a change of scenery. Plans to move to Los Angeles were touted, but a far more sensible decision (we think) was made: a move to a small family farm in the Peak District.Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsListen to Country Life podcast on SpotifyListen to Country Life podcast on AudibleNot your typical move for an actor and he’ll be the first to admit it. But since the move, he and his family haven’t looked back. Even better for us, they decided to bring some TV cameras with them to document the experience, leading to the creation of Fletchers’ Family Farm, the second season of which began yesterday.Did playing a farmer on Emmerdale provide any experience for the real thing? What are some of his favourite animals? What did he wish he'd known before he started? And is he still dancing? All these questions, and more.Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Kelvin FletcherProducer and editor: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay

Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, the only daughter of the 11th Duke of Marlborough, has by any measure led an extraordinary life. As a girl she moved from the family home in Oxfordshire to Blenheim Palace, the family seat and — by any measure — one of the finest buildings not just in Britain, but the world (it has UNESCO World Heritage Site status to prove it). Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsListen to Country Life podcast on SpotifyListen to Country Life podcast on AudibleEver since then, first as a resident, then as a world-renowned interior designer who has played a leading role in the conservation of this 18th century masterpiece, her life has revolved back and forth around Blenheim, and we were thrilled that she agreed to talk to James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast this week.Living at Blenheim, as she explains, brings great privilege: she tells how her father bought a speedboat, and taught Henrietta and her brother to waterski on the lake. Yet living in a house of global stature, and which opens its doors to visitors every day of the year, also brings unique pressures: everything from where to park and struggling to find a spot of lawn on a sunny day, to wondering how on earth they'll raise £10 million to replace a leaking roof that is three centuries old. Lady Henrietta also discusses Woodstock Designs, her hugely successful interior design company, and talk about her latest book, Blenheim: 300 years of Life in a Palace (Rizzoli, £57.50), a truly sumptuous publication which tells the tales of those who have lived in the palace over the centuries, illustrated with beautiful images taken by Hugo Rittson-Thomas. Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Lady Henrietta Spencer-ChurchillProducer and editor: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay

The idea of 'nature as a healer' as become a truism, often repeated without much thought given to how or why it should do so.One man who has thought about this phenomenon — and spent much of his life researching and writing about it — is Professor Miles Richardson, a member of the psychology department at Derby University, founder of the Nature Connectedness Research Group, and author of The Blackbird's Song & Other Wonders of Nature: A Year-Round Guide to Connecting With the Natural World.We were thrilled, then, when Miles agreed to join James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast this week.Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsListen to Country Life podcast on SpotifyListen to Country Life podcast on AudibleDid you know, for example, that merely looking at a picture of a flower for a few minutes boosts your mood in very real psychological and physiological ways? Or that even when you're blindfolded, your body knows and responds to the difference between objects that are man made and those that are artificial?It's a completely fascinating episode of the podcast which explores all this and much more. You can find more about Miles and his work — particularly with the Nature Connectedness Research Group — at his research website, his blog and his Twitter page. Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Professor Miles RichardsonProducer and editor: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay

In 1996, a television show arrived on British screens which changed the way we see interior design: Changing Rooms.It made household names of several of its stars, including host Carol Smilie and carpenter 'Handy Andy' Kane, but none became so famous as designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, whose flamboyant dress sense, often outrageous designs and laconic demeanour made him world-famous.As he turns 60, he remains almost as famous as he did at the height of the show's popularity, and we're delighted that he joined host James Fisher for this episode of the Country Life Podcast.Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsListen to Country Life podcast on SpotifyListen to Country Life podcast on AudibleLaurence talks about his early career, his influences as a designer and his entirely accidental transformation into a global TV star. He also talks candidly about ageing, from his thoughts on turning 60 to how retirees and the elderly are seen and treated in modern Britain.It's something he feels passionate about, and indeed his latest job isn't on the small screen, but instead designing a series of retirement villages for Rangeford.Instead of the 'beige coffin' that 'smells of cabbage and wee', Laurence is determined to create spaces that are more like boutique hotels that burst with colour, energy and fun.'We're the generation who saw The Sex Pistols play live,' he says. 'We've been all over the world, and we've done all these kinds of things. We know what Soho Farmhouse feels like. And you know what, why on earth would we want to just sort of slide into this very nondescript, oatmeal environment just to wait to die?'Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Laurence Llewelyn-BowenEditor and Producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay

Why are country houses so often the perfect settings for horror novels?That's just one of the questions posed by James Fisher to Louise Davidson, author of The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond, on the latest episode of the Country Life Podcast.Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsListen to Country Life podcast on SpotifyListen to Country Life podcast on AudibleGrowing up in Northern Ireland with an aunt who was — and had been since childhood — possessed of supernatural gifts made the idea of thinking, talking and writing about ghosts second nature to Louise. But there's far more to our obsession with haunted houses than just the ghost stories which we tell, as she explains to James.You can follow Louise Davidson on X and Instagram, or see more about The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond.Episode credits Host: James FisherGuest: Louise DavidsonEditor and Producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay

When it comes to travel, few know more than our very own Rosie Paterson. She has been to many places, and seen many things. And that’s just this year. She also has her finger on the pulse when it comes to places people might like to go in the future. Imagine how smug you would feel telling friends at a drinks party that, actually, ‘Japan is a bit overdone at the moment; south-west China is where it’s at’. These are the kinds of insights you could gain if you listen to this week’s episode.Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsListen to Country Life podcast on SpotifyListen to Country Life podcast on AudibleOther insights include, but are not limited to, hiking with leopards in Sri Lanka, walking with wolves in Montana with a man named Randy, plus some of the best spots in New York City, Greece, Rome and the UK. It’s a must listen if your thoughts are already turning towards where to spend some time next week. Below is a bunch of links to all the establishments mentioned, so you can check them out for yourself. And we very much hope you enjoy the episode. Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Rosie PatersonEditor and Producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay; Another Pineapple Please - The Fly Guy Five via Epidemic Sound