Hello! Welcome to the On The Horizon podcast. This podcast series is starting by taking you through recordings from our latest event here at Hawarden Estate, called On The Horizon. Which happened at the beginning of July 2024. 

When we ran On The Horizon, we thought we could record the conversations that happened at the event, and release them as a standalone series. However, we have decided to continue it as a podcast throughout the year, bringing you more conversations with more brilliant people. 

Gentle, generous, considered conversation feels peculiarly important today. We live in a world of argument, of culture wars, of opinions formed quickly and blurted loudly, of half-facts and fake news. Conversations that involve listening and digesting and conversing are important, entertaining and life enhancing but I can’t help but worry that they are becoming depressingly rare.

On The Horizon - Introduction

The best things of 2017 as recommended by Harry Enfield, Cerys Matthews and others. Books, music, places and much more...Charlie talks about the best things of the year as suggested by some of his podcast guests. And there's even a couple of minutes of Slade.

Ep 22. Christmas Special Pt 1.

Kirstie Allsopp's top tips, a live song and more recommendations from some of this year's guests. Happy Christmas.

Ep 23. Christmas Special Pt 2.

James Sills -inspirational choir master, folk musician and teacher- chats with Charlie about his work with community choirs, the healing power of singing, his travels to create records with his folk bands and The Good Life Experience. James even sings a song (with 'help' from Charlie). Since recording this, James has launched his own podcast called Sing, Sing, Sing.

Ep. 25. James Sills

Thomasina Miers is a powerhouse; she's the founder of the Wahaca group of restaurants, an author, Masterchef winner, Guardian columnist, mother of three and tireless champion of sustainability. But nothing came quickly or easily to Thomasina. Charlie and Tommi talk about her childhood, her long and sometimes torturous journey to success, her brief foray into the world of finance and loads more.

Ep 32. Thomasina Miers.

The Young Enterpeneurs features chats with three people who have started businesses in their twenties. None of them know if what they are doing will work financially, but they feel certain that they are doing something right with their lives. Charlie speaks with them about the hard work, the pain, the joy, the money, what their parents and friends think and what they want to achieve. This is a relaxed but informative episode featuring three true mavericks.

Ep 33. Young Mavericks. The Entrepeneurs, 1.

Chris Roberts and Rob Evans are a graphic designer and photographer respectively. Together they have created the remarkable With Love Project which is part hobby and part commercial enterprise. They have travelled the length and breadth of Britain to create two wonderful crowd-funded books that chronicle the heritage makers that so inspire them. Charlie, Chris and Rob sat down around a smoky campfire for breakfast in The Highlands and this episode is the result of that chat. Bird song, tumbling river and plenty of smoke included.

Ep 34. The With Love Project.

Conversations from this year's Good Life Experience with Roger Phillips, the world's greatest expert on mushrooms as well as Alex Gregory, two times Olympic gold winner, vegetable grower Alice Holden, surfboard maker James Otter, chef Signe Johansen, DJ 78 and lots of other wonderful people. This is a true taste of a fine weekend.

Ep. 37. The Good Life Experience Special. Part 1.

In Part 2 of my series of chats from this year's Good Life Experience there are conversations with Mark Shayler on kindness, Tom Hunt on food sustainability, Isabella Tree on re-wilding her farm and lots more. If you were there I hope this will act as a trip down memory lane and if not I hope that this will entice you to join us for 2019's new, relocated and more intimate festival.

Ep. 38. The Good Life Experience Special. Pt 2.

More tales and conversations from this year's Good Life Experience. This is the final part of my special series recorded over the course of one long, cheerful, super-friendly, life affirming weekend of music, craft, ideas, outdoor rampaging and cooking over fire. I hope you enjoy it.

Ep. 39. The Good Life Experience Special. Pt 3.

Roger Phillips really is an icon; he's a legend in a number of fields and a true maverick. Roger is perhaps the world's greatest expert on mushrooms but that's just one feather in his very large cap; he has authored around 50 books, he's a prolific painter, an original thinker and a fire ball of energy and charm. In this conversation we touch on subjects as wide ranging as what it's like to be a conscientious objector, cooking offal and it's impact on family life, identifying mushrooms, trees and flowers and much more.

Ep. 41. Roger Phillips.

Hilary Gallo has just published his latest book, Fear Hack, which helps its readers identify and deal with their fears. It's an engaging and vital book which supports his wider work in helping individuals and companies to fulfil their potential. Hilary has been a lawyer at one of Europe's biggest law firms, a jewellery designer, a high level corporate negotiator and has written other books. He's an interesting man.

Ep. 42. Hilary Gallo.

Jorge Fernandez was the man behind the much-loved and influential chain of provenance-centric London cafes Fernandez and Wells. Dee Rettali worked at the heart of F & W too and is a chef and baker who has travelled widely including many years in Morocco. Together Dee and Jorge have recently established the lauded sourdough bakery and cafe Fortitude. Here, sitting around a campfire at Camp Glen Dye they discuss travel, family, business and the joy of campfire baking.

Ep. 46 Jorge Fernandez and Dee Rettali

Valentine Warner is a chef, enthusiast, artist and writer. In fact, he's a true polymath; restless, clever, creative and a true original. On the eve of the publication of his new book The Consolation of Food, Charlie and Valentine chat in front of a live audience at The Good Life Experience.

Ep. 48. Valentine Warner.

Dan Kieran is CEO of the publisher Unbound. James Otter is a master craftsman and maker of wooden surf and paddle boards. Together they chat with Charlie in front of a live audience at The Good Life Experience about the power of making and their new, joint project which was inspired by Dan's life changing week of being taught by James. This is a story of friendship and powerful change.

Ep. 49. James Otter & Dan Kieran.

Anja Dunk is a true polymath; she is an author, cook, artist, mother, expert in fermentation and lots more besides. And, what's more, she rarely talks of her skills and absolutely never shouts about them. This conversation was recorded at Charlie's new venture Camp Glen Dye in late October where Anja was one of the lead educators. Warning! Very croaky voice.

Ep. 50. Anja Dunk.

Episode 1 of a special series. This is a slow podcast in which several guests dial-in their answers to some simple questions. It's a podcast about good, optimism and love. It'll cheer you up, make you think and help you to figure out how our world can (and will) improve.

Love In the Time of Coronavirus. EP. 1

In which guests dial-in their answers to three simple questions. This is a slow podcast full of optimistic reflection on the current global lockdown and its wider implications. There are also a few cultural recommendations too; mainly novels and classic double albums.

Love in the Time of Coronavirus. EP. 9

It's Episode 12 of Love in The Time of Coronavirus in which I ask my guests three simple questions. This is a slowpod full of optimism, joy, love and culture. I hope you enjoy it.

Love in The Time of Coronavirus. EP. 12.

Episode 13 of my daily slowcast, Love in The Time of Coronavirus. This is a series in which I ask guests to dial-in the answers to three simple questions. And here are some of the results; love, optimism, joy, hope and a great album by The Clash.

Love in The Time of Coronavirus. EP. 13.

Episode 14 of my my slowpod in which my guests dial in their answers to three simple questions. This is slow, considered and thoughtful stuff full of optimism and hope. I hope you enjoy it and that it gives you cause to smile.

Love in The Time of Coronavirus. EP. 14.

Episode 15 -and the final one- in my daily series in which guests dial-in answers to three simple questions. There are messages of hope, optimism, love and much more.

Love in The Time of Coronavirus. EP. 15.

Rob Poynton is an expert in strategic leadership and his ideas are relevant and incredibly exciting. He is also the author of the best-selling Do:Pause. Charlie and Rob talk leadership, culture, Spain, horse whispering, fly fishing, novels, business and more.

Ep. 53. Rob Poynton.

30 people speak in 30 minutes. This is Part 1 of my Time Capsule in which we edit down the answers of the first 30 guests on my Love in the Time of Coronavirus to create a Time Capsule of our thoughts on this Spring's challenges and the opportunities they have presented. This will be released on cassette soon but for now, have a listen. It's a speedy slowpod.

Spring 2020. Time Capsule. Pt 1.

30 people speak in 30 minutes. This is Part 2 of my Time Capsule in which we edit down the answers of the second 30 guests on my Love in the Time of Coronavirus to create a Time Capsule of our thoughts on this Spring's challenges and the opportunities they have presented. This will be released on cassette soon but for now, have a listen. It's a speedy slowpod.

Spring 2020. Time Capsule. Pt 2.

In this lockdown series guests dial in their memories of that most intriguing art form, the cover version. This is about people and their relationship with a song; I suppose it's a sort of single song Desert Island Discs or perhaps a better title might be Last Night A DJ Saved My Life. Whatever, this is about love, emotion, youth and passion. I hope that you enjoy it.

Cover Stories. Pt 1. Stories About Songs.

A short series of podcasts in which my guests dial in a personal story about a cover version of a song. They talk about their reaction to and relationship with this song; how it affects them, why they love it, what it makes them feel. This is a sort of Desert Island Discs with one song that has to be a cover. I hope you enjoy it.

Cover Stories. Pt 3. Stories About Songs.

Part 4 of Series 1 of Cover Stories, in which guests dial in reminiscences about a cover version of a song that has set their world on fire. This is a sort of Desert Island Discs about one song, that has to be a cover version. But it isn't really about music, it's about what culture does for us; the passions it evokes and the relationships it builds.

Cover Stories. Pt 4. Stories About Songs.

Cover Stories is about people's relationships with that most storied type of song, the cover version. In this episode my guests dial in their tales of frozen New Year's Eve parties, weddings and long-held passion. There's the Falklands War, friendship and much more.

Cover Stories. Pt 5. Stories About Songs.

This is Part 6 (and the final part of Series 1) of Cover Stories, in which my guests dial in their stories about a cover version of a song that has had a profound impact on them. This is about people and music and friendship and life. I hope you enjoy it.

Cover Stories. Pt 6. Stories About Songs.

This is a short series about people who live and work outdoors. In this remotely-recorded lockdown series I talk to people who have chosen to live as close to nature as possible, from a forager to an environmental artist and from a warden on a remote island to a shepherd, these are the voices of the outdoors.

Outdoor Voices. Ep. 1

Outdoor Voices. Ep. 2.

This is a short lockdown series in which I ask people who work outdoors why they choose to do so and what they love about living close to nature. I talk to a warden on a remote island, a forager, a shepherd, a game keeper, an environmental artist and many more people who spend their lives in the great outdoors.

Outdoor Voices. Ep. 3.

Part 4 of a short series in which I talk to people who live and work outdoors. In this edition I have contributions from a gamekeeper, an environmental artist, a shepherd and a forager. These are the voices of people who work alongside nature.

Outdoor Voices. Ep 4.

This is a short lockdown series in which I question people who work outdoors about why they do what they do and what nature and being outside means to them. There are answers from a gamekeeper, a shepherd, an artist or two and a green wood worker.

Outdoor Voices. Ep 5.

The final part of Series 1 of Outdoor Voices features answers to some simple questions from a gardener and chef, some artists and food producers and a green wood worker. This is about nature and our relationship with it. I hope you enjoy it.

Outdoor Voices. Ep 6.

This is a new series in which I talk to people who work with food; there will be chefs, writers, producers, growers and stylists. My first guest is writer and chef Olia Hercules whose new book The Sumer Kitchen is one of the most warmly received of 2020.

Olia Hercules. Ep 1. What I Think About When I Think About Food.

From the family home in the Highlands of Scotland, Anja Baak runs a classic small business, Great Glen Charcuterie. Here she talks about family, food waste, hard work, imagination and much more.

Anja Baak. Ep 2. What I Think About When I Think About Food.

Welcome to the On The Horizon podcast. This podcast series starts by taking you through recordings from our live event, and then will move onto more conversations with more brilliant people, throughout the year. 

We felt that the talks that we used to host at The Good Life Experience (our festival of food, ideas, music & craft that we ran for 8 years) on Hawarden Estate were really special and unusual. In many ways it was the guests’ conversations before and after the talks that made them different. We deliberately had no green room or backstage, and so the speakers were able to meet the audience and continue their conversations over a drink or food or whatever.

And then we had the fact that our great, great, (an extra great for Tara) grandfather, William Gladstone Prime Minister, lived here for much of his life and that this means that there is a rich history of important conversations happening here. 

So yes, maybe the concept for On The Horizon was taking Hawarden back to the time when politicians and thinkers flooded here in the 1800s; when they had conversations rather than debates. 

Gentle, generous, considered conversation feels peculiarly important today. We live in a world of argument, of culture wars, of opinions formed quickly and blurted loudly, of half-facts and fake news. Conversations that involve listening and digesting and conversing are important, entertaining and life enhancing but I can’t help but worry that they are becoming depressingly rare.

Charlie Gladstone & Tara Richards-Gladstone

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