We visit St Michael’s Over Compton on the Dorset / Somerset Border and discover a wonderful local tradition rooted in village divisions at the time of the Civil War Artwork

Gretel le Maître Ponders, with Bede & other guests

Goodpods

#1 PODCAST OF THE WEEK

Spirituality

Goodpods Top 100 History Podcasts

Listen Notes: Top 10 Global Rankings

24,000 downloads

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.

Gretel invites you to accompany her as she navigates the world a day at a time; the podcast is unscripted, it’s ad-free, and you’re invited to join in. It’s super unpolished and Gretel would be grateful for you to forgive her for that. Polish would be too time-consuming 🤓

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. 🌞

Please follow me on X @gretellemaitre. 🌳

Or email me: gretellem@yahoo.com

It would be amazing to have one-off contributions to support this endeavour, as the podcast is and always will be free. A little contribution here and there will go towards train fares, fuel, church and cathedral support pots and information booklets. I’m also hoping not to have to go back to work again, so any generosity is hugely appreciated. Thank you and follow this link: 🙂

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2412300/supporters/new

If it doesn’t work, please copy and paste into your web browser. Thank you 🙋‍♀️

“Gretel le Maitre is a podcaster and host of the series Gretel Pod-Ponders Life and Loss with Bede and Other Guests. The podcast explores themes of grief, life transitions, and introspection, particularly focusing on her experiences as she anticipates the loss of her mother. In the series, she combines historical reflections—often inspired by the works of the Venerable Bede, an English monk and historian—with her own musings on architecture, literature, and the natural world. Gretel approaches these deep topics with warmth and humor, aiming to provide listeners a comforting space to explore complex emotions .

If you’re interested, you can listen to her podcast on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music, where she shares her reflections in episodes filled with historical and literary insights.

Hosted by Gretel Le Maitre, this unique podcast blends personal storytelling with historical insights from figures like the Venerable Bede, offering listeners an inspiring journey of healing and hope.

With themes of grief, transformation, and spirituality, the podcast has earned praise for its calming tone, authenticity, and ability to connect on a deeply human level. As one listener shared, it feels like sitting down with a trusted friend who understands.

Perfect for audiences seeking introspection, comfort, or simply a quiet moment of reflection, Gretel le Maître Ponders is available now on all major platforms.

Please note, I get daily ad offers that I turn down to keep this an ad-free podcast. So I’d be delighted if you could subscribe to help with my pot of tea and cake on my wanderings.

All Episodes