Hidden Wiltshire Podcast

This episode is a bit of a special, as most of it was recorded outside over a year ago and it contains a special guest - David Carson MBE. David's family have farmed the land around Milk Hill for over 100 years, and we recorded a video with him in 2021, where he took us through much of the local history around the villages of Alton Barnes, Alton Priors and the Pewsey Vale. The video can be found on YouTube (link here: Hidden Wiltshire video) This podcast is the audio from that video,...

Back to recording indoors this month, and back to recording from different countries. Whilst Glyn remains in Wiltshire Paul is once again doing battle with French rural internet which seems to be arriving by means of a telephone cable lying in a ditch outside the village. But it’s amazing what Glyn can do with his editing software so the audio was fine. Bearing in mind Paul has been away for a few weeks and Glyn has been tied up with work, there was a surprising amount to report in terms...

This could be the last outside recording of the podcast this year, unless of course this crazy weather continues. We found a spectacular location to record with views of a stunning sunset as we chatted. As ever, you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out where we were, a place so hidden even Glyn didn’t know it existed. During our review of the last month in Wiltshire we talked about the walks and blogs that Glyn, Paul and star contributor Elaine Perkins have posted on the Hidden...

We’re making the most of the weather again and recording the podcast outside on location. As before you’ll need to listen to find out where we were. As ever we start with a chat about what’s been happening in the world of Hidden Wiltshire since the last podcast. And if it weren’t for one or two of our wonderful contributors the answer would be “not much”. Elaine Perkins has “delivered” once again (this seems to be the word of the month at the moment)! She posted some great photos in...

Another location recording this month where we pack up the equipment and take to the Wiltshire landscape. As with last month you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out where we were, but it wasn’t Bincknoll Castle or Broad Town White Horse. As a clue – it was very windy! Before we got onto the main topic, we did our usual review of activity and news since the last podcast, which was a whole month ago. Regular contributor Elaine Perkins wrote an excellent blog for the website...

In this episode of the Hidden Wiltshire Podcast we pack up the recording gear and head for the hills to record the whole podcast outside. You’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out where we were, but suffice to say it wasn’t Grovely Wood! We begin with our usual canter through what we’ve been up to in Wiltshire since the last podcast. Since we’re now recording once a month you’d think we had loads to talk about but since Paul was in France for the entire time and Glyn has been...

In this episode of the Bluebell Podcast Glyn is joined by our French correspondent – Paul! And without any messing about we start the podcast with a mention of both bluebells and France, and Paul’s endless battle to stop his French ruin from crumbling around him (OK it’s not that bad but maintaining it is like painting the Forth Road Bridge. Or owning a yacht. Or a horse!) Once again it’s bluebell season and regular followers of Hidden Wiltshire will know we like the odd bluebell (or...

Glyn was hoping for an easy edit for this episode of the podcast as he had less time than usual to do it. This was all the invitation Paul needed to say exactly what he wanted knowing that Glyn didn’t have the time to cut it out! But being responsible podcasters we stuck to the brief. The main feature was a glorious walk we put together for Wiltshire Museum based around Hippenscombe Bottom, so beautifully painted by Eric Ravilious in 1937. And there was a special announcement at the end of...

A slightly shorter episode this week, although not by much. Whilst we have plenty of subjects in the pipeline to talk about we’re beginning run out of ideas. It’s not that we’ve said everything there is to say about Wiltshire but that finding the time to get out and explore is increasingly difficult. So we’re contemplating recording the podcasts on a monthly basis rather than every two weeks, just to give us the time to visit more interesting locations. We’d really appreciate ideas about new...

Since the main part of this podcast is about a short five mile walk we thought this would be a shorter episode than normal. But how wrong we were. We still managed to blather on for what seemed like hours! We kick off with some concerning news about some unedifying scenes in the Facebook Group today with a discussion about Paul’s bottom. This is a family show and we’ve no idea what prompted such a debate. Much!! Despite eye watering petrol and diesel prices we’ve managed to get out a...

It’s been a busy couple of weeks since the last podcast. The succession of storms had an impact and Paul foolishly agreed to appear on BBC South Today to talk about the deprivations of a whole three days without electricity. What an embarrassment. Thirty minutes or so after the BBC left the power came back on! Meanwhile Glyn was dodging the roof of the Wetherspoons pub that was flying low over Trowbridge. But what we experienced in the south was nothing compared to our fellow countrymen...

Glyn has a new toy. A 360 degree camera which he assures us will be used for nothing more suspicious than making videos for the Hidden Wiltshire YouTube channel whilst out walking. So watch out for more news on this, and more of our ugly mugs. Meanwhile Paul is traumatised having sold all his camera gear without having the foresight to sort out a replacement kit. Unfortunately we’ve received another complaint from a Mr Jenkins about how long it takes us to get to the main subject of each...

It’s the eleventy seventh of January and we’re sick of the endless grey days but Spring is in the air. We’ve seen snow drops and crocuses, and the River Till behind Paul’s house has finally risen from its dry river bed. It won’t be (that long) before we’re out taking photos of bluebells again, although in an act of extreme provocation Glyn has already posted bluebell images on his Twitter feed. Things have been a bit busier since the last podcast. The Hippenscombe walk has finally been...

Something a little different in this episode – not a walk but a whole area! We open with a mention of Glyn’s talk at the Bratton History Association on the subject of Blind Houses at 4:00pm on Sunday 16 January. The event will be held at Bratton Church Institute. It is but a vicious rumour that Glyn will be performing his talk as dance. After saying we’ve had a quiet two weeks we then embark on an extended round up of the last two weeks, in which mud featured large. Lenka Stokes asked...

A Happy New Year to all our listeners. A new year and the start of our second year as podcasters. We still can’t believe it. Our usual round up of the last two weeks in Wiltshire was pretty spartan. Neither Glyn nor Paul have done anything other than enjoy Christmas with our families. Paul had COVID in the house so spent the best part of the 10 days up until Christmas Eve isolating to keep his son company. A diet of walks onto the Plain from home kept him sane. Both Glyn and Paul have...

Episode 26 of a fortnightly podcast means we’ve made it to the end of our first year of podcasting. And with the dreaded COVID-19 rampaging through the country again we don’t seem to have come very far. But this episode is a Christmas Special and when we look back over the last year we realise just how much we’ve covered and how far we’ve come. But first our final look for 2021 at the last two weeks in Wiltshire. Notwithstanding a couple of days’ tractor driver training at Parsonage...

A fit of the giggles for Glyn and Paul this week. In a break from tradition we recorded this episode in the evening and this seems to have had a disturbing effect on our sanity. But more of that later. This week we head to the south of the county again, not far from the scene of the last podcast. We follow a walk Paul did in May 2020 which appears on the Hidden Wiltshire website and is entitled In Pursuit of Kites. You’ll find a link below. But first, the usual round of the last two...

Glyn opens this episode of the podcast with the announcement that he has moved the Hidden Wiltshire Headquarters from Trowbridge. Fearing that HQ had been relocated to Liverpool, Paul’s initial shock was eased by the news that HQ is now at Heywood House on Capps Lane just outside Westbury! And just as Paul was left wondering where Glyn had got what was probably a five million quid asking price from, Glyn stated that in fact he was simply renting a desk in what is serviced office...

A real treat in store in this episode as we interview David Dawson, Director of Wiltshire Museum in Devizes. But first we have our usual round-up of what we’ve been up to since the last episode. The second Hidden Wiltshire book is approaching completion. Apart from providing the music for the podcast Steve Dixon is a graphic designer. He’s now cast his eye over the draft and given us some great advice. We’re nearly ready to send it off for a draft print before ordering the full print...

In which Glyn bravely battles through the podcast whilst suffering from a long bout of man flu, with frequent triggers of the mute button as he splutters into the crook of his arm as instructed by the scientists. But, ever the professional, the listener will hopefully not notice! Paul is still in Dordogne so has obviously done nothing in Wiltshire in the last two weeks. But we had plenty to talk about. Whilst researching something else Glyn stumbled across Potterne Midden. For those...