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.

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Growing 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 Fisher
• Guest: Louise Davidson
• Editor and Producer: Toby Keel
• Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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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.

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Other 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 credits

• Host: James Fisher
• Guest: Rosie Paterson
• Editor and Producer: Toby Keel
• Music: JuliusH via Pixabay; Another Pineapple Please - The Fly Guy Five via Epidemic Sound

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Interior designers Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham, better known by their company name Salvesen Graham, have earned a reputation as some of Britain's most sought-after interior designers, developing an aesthetic which blends classic principles with modern touches.

Yet as well as having a great love of beautiful rooms and objects, they're both firmly rooted in how people actually live day to day in their homes.

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'You have to be hugely practical, and you have to have a love, and want to create something and solve a problem,' says Nicole. 'My love of it came from how people live in a home, how they want to use it.'

'I think people are almost surprised actually that it's almost the practical side of it that we tackle first,' adds Mary. 'The decorative side is layered on top of that.'

It makes for a fascinating episode of the Country Life Podcast as Nicole and Mary speak to our host, James Fisher, talking about everything from fabric samples and paint colours to one of Britain's great design resources: the shops that line the Pimlico Road in central London.

You can find out more about Salvesen Graham at their website, follow them on Instagram, and see one of their projects — a house in Berkshire — which was featured in Country Life.

Episode credits

• Host: James Fisher
• Guests: Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham
• Editor and Producer: Toby Keel
• Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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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?

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Not 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 credits

• Host: James Fisher
• Guests: Cosmo Linzee Gordon
• Editor and Producer: Toby Keel
• Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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What is the fundamental job of a writer? 'We try to turn the world into language,' according to the poet, broadcaster and writer Ian McMillan.

Ian, one of Britain's best-loved poets and writers, as well as the presenter of The Verb on BBC Radio 4, joined James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast in what is one of the most entertaining and wide-ranging chats so far.

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James and Ian start off by discussing Under the Changing Skies, a collection of highlights from The Guardian's long-running Country Diary series. It's a collection for which Ian has penned the foreword, despite admitting that he'd be 'no good at all' at writing the column himself.

'You've only got 200 words, 200-and-odd words,' says Ian. 'I'd still be clearing my throat at 250 words, and might just be ready to go at 300 words.'

Ian and James go on to talk about an amazing: nature, writing, inspiration and more, with some wonderful anecdotes added in from an illustrious career (Ian's, that is; not James's). There's also a chance for Ian to explain why he chose John Cage's 4 minutes 33 seconds of silence when he appeared on Desert Island Discs — a quirky choice to put it mildly, and one which might conceivably have had some rather alarming unintended consequences.

Under the Changing Skies: The best of The Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is out now, published by Faber (£20)

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Organising a literary festival is no mean feat. You've got to book the right guests, organise plenty of activities, and find somewhere to host it.

Vicky and Charles Rangeley-Wilson joined the podcast this week to talk about exactly that, ahead of the upcoming Literature and Landscape Festival in Norfolk. With a star-studded lineup, there was plenty to talk about.

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From discussions on the future of farming and the environment, to getting children to count insects in rivers, it turns out the literary festival isn't just boring old men reading from their novels. Thank goodness for that.

The Literature and Landscape Festival takes place in Wells-next-the-Sea, from October 4-6. Tickets can be found here

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guests: Vicky and Charles Rangeley-Wilson

Editor and Producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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The bushmaster snake is on the one hand, very polite: it announces its presence with a two-tone whistle.

On the other hand, however, it's utterly merciless: a creature which will chase humans through the jungle, attack aggressively, and should it miss with its fangs will leap on to its intended prey and attempt to whip them in to submission.

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This is just one of the extraordinary tales shared by Lucy Shepherd, the brilliant young explorer who has travelled through both the Antarctic and the Amazon. She joined James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast to talk about her life growing up in rural Suffolk, to the high-adrenaline life she now leads, blazing a trail through impenetrable jungle. You'll like her.

Lucy's latest exploits are the subject of an upcoming show on Channel 4 called Secret Amazon: Into the Wild, which is scheduled to air on October 7th at 10pm.

You can also catch up with Lucy on Instagram at @lucysheps

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Lucy Shepherd

Editor and Producer: Toby Keel

• Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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We were thrilled to discover that Charlie Bigham is a real person. It's a bit like meeting Aunt Bessie, and asking how she does her Yorkshire Puddings, or running swapping tips with Ronald McDonald about how to get your fries crispy.

But real person he is, and he's a man with a fascinating story to tell, from ditching a hugely promising career in order to drive a campervan to India, then to return to Britain and become a household name in the world of pre-prepared meals.

Food for many people is a source of comfort, and it certainly is too for Charlie, who joined the Country Life Podcast this week to talk about cooking, his business and his new cookbook Supper With Charlie Bigham, which is out on Thursday September 12.

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In the book, you can cook classics from his range (including the lasagne, rejoice) as well as plenty of other dishes that he makes for his family and friends at home. Which is neat. A risk too, perhaps, because if you could whip up a Charlie Bigham meal on cue then your friends and family will constantly be coming around. We can only imagine how annoying it is for him already.

We also spoke about his decision to leave his consulting work in 1994 and go traveling. It was that journey, and a love of cooking, that inspired him to set up his business in the first place. We chatted about creating the world’s most expensive fish pie, known as the ‘Swish Pie’, the importance of sustainable business and caring for the planet, and his favourite place in the British countryside.

Charlie has always been the guy behind the wooden tray. It was great to finally meet him. We hope you’ll enjoy listening.

Episode credits

• Host: James Fisher
• Guest: Charlie Bigham
• Editor and producer: Toby Keel
• Music: JuliusH via Pixabay
• Special Thanks: Adam Wilbourn

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