Country Life

'Anything said with absolute confidence and in absolute terms is normally nonsense,' says Oscar Dodd, about Fortnum & Mason's wine and spirits buyer, when it comes to discussing the oft-trotted out truisms about wine, beer and spirits that you often hear. But not everything you hear is so wide of the mark. 'They say that the English drink their red wine too old and too warm, and their white wine too young and too cold,' he adds. 'That is certainly true.'Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsListen to Country Life podcast on SpotifyListen to Country Life podcast on AudibleOscar has spent over two decades in the wine and spirits trade, starting out by eschewing university in order to stack shelves in his local Oddbins, falling in love with wine within a matter of weeks.He's since gone on to forge a fascinating career, taking in everything from obscure vineyards that play Mozart to their grapes to help them grow, to walking the streets of New York City persuading people to drink more absinthe. These days, he's found in the more rarefied atmosphere of central London, at Fortnum & Mason, the world's most famous food and drink seller.Oscar talks to James Fisher about his career, his pet hates, why you really shouldn't be saving that bottle of champagne you have under the stairs, and the amazing discoveries in the world of drink that are changing the industry — including Fortnums' alchoholic sparkling tea.Then, of course, he shares his tips on the best tipples to buy for the Christmas period, from whisky, wine and liqueurs to the indispensable seasonal bottle of sherry.Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Oscar DoddProducer and editor: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay

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

I suppose we all remember the house, or houses, we grew up in. Where we learned to walk, or first explore the garden, or climb some stairs. Most houses are quite small. Some are quite big. And then there are houses like Cluny Castle in Abderdeenshire.I was joined on the podcast this week by its owner, Cosmo Linzee Gordon, who grew up there. Cosmo agreed to answer the questions that I imagine I am not alone in wondering: what exactly is it like to grow up in a big castle? What is hide and seek like when you have more than 20 rooms to get lost in? And is it really freezing all year around?Listen to Country Life podcast on Apple PodcastsListen to Country Life podcast on SpotifyListen to Country Life podcast on AudibleNot only did Cosmo grow up at Cluny, he also took over running the house and estate in his early 20s, meaning that he is also well placed to answer another important question  —  what’s it like to keep it going? Because big houses — just like small houses — love nothing more than breaking, and are tremendously expensive to fix. They are more than just homes, they are monuments to architecture and the Arts that need preserving, a task that is easier said than done.For Cosmo, it meant diversifying into a wedding business, that means that people from the UK and abroad can fulfil their fantasy of a fairytale wedding (I mean seriously, look at the pictures of this place: it is the very definition of ‘castle’).There's something else too: what’s it like to know that there is a certain future set in stone for you? Maybe Cosmo would have wanted to become an astronaut, or a rock star. Sadly, he never really got the choice. I mean, there are worse things in life to be lumped with than a castle and estate in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, but it’s not everyone’s dream.These are just some of the many questions we discuss in this week’s podcast, which basically boils down to ‘the secret stories of growing up and living in a big castle’. We like to ask the important questions here at Country Life. We hope you’ll enjoy listening to the important answers.Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuests: Cosmo Linzee GordonEditor and Producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay