
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.
Episodes
Saint Olaf becomes Sain Tooley Street; Bells ring out for Tuesday practice; and Cuthbert prays in the Suffolk sea

Lynmouth and the 1952 Great Flood Disaster; Saint Christopher; and a passage from The Woodlanders

Medieval Cerne Abbas; A Merry Trio of Trollope, Bede & Pepys; and infiltration by Rooks, Gulls & Mozart 🤓

Good Aelfric teaches at Cerne Abbas and a worldly son coverts episcopal power in Trollope’s Barchester

We dwell for a moment with heart-sore Giles Winterborne in Hardy’s The Woodlanders; We Spy a Roaming Hedgehog; and Celebrate the life of Bridget of Sweden

Hardy’s Woodlanders are out of sorts; Pepys’ life blossoms; and Swifts and Gulls whirl about Gretel’s garden

Boisil welcomes the boy Cuthbert; What’s the Point? And George Eliot ponders the delights of Cream, straight from the Udder

George Eliot’s Scenes of Clerical Life; Pepys learns that Britain is part of the European continent; and stubborn Cuthbert finds food

The Preservation of Churches; A visit to South Cadbury’s Parish Church; and St Cuthbert watches Aidan’s soul rise to Heaven

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

We join Pepys for Charles II’s Coronation, with a drunken end to the day; and enfin Bede is our guest, beginning his history of Cuthbert’s life.

A Happy Monday with England winning the Third Test; Pepys wears velvet to watch the pre-Coronation procession; and Bede is our guest once again 🤓

‘The Physiognomy of a Deserted Highway’; Inappropriate Pepys; and a Leaping Dog

We ponder English cottages and The Rule of Benedict in hot Dorset garden

Grace visits Sherton (Sherborne) in Hardy’s The Woodlanders, to follow her heart; accompanied by seagulls and Mr Katt

Kent becomes Christian once more; Choral Music soothes; and Pepys judges Charles II and his brother quite ordinary.

Pepys’ thoughts on the King; Childhood Music; and the Debate continues

Horace Walpole counters Thomas More in The Great Debate; and we Ponder Early Christianity in Cornwall
