Pepys is taken aback by grand Clerical Vestments; we commemorate poor Jeanne D’Arc; and we visit Thomas Hardy in his home

Listener mail is warmly welcomed 🙋‍♀️Good evening, how are you?  A very warm welcome to newcomers or old comers; to regulars or to drop-ins.  I’m here every day so that you’ve always got a place to go if you need some comfort and companionship.  Let do our bit to make larger the space in the world that protects people from unkindness, crassness and loneliness.  It was so lovely to hear from dearest Barbara from Ohio - my oldest listener so far at 82.  I particularly want to hear from you if you are living alone, experiencing grief or feeling isolated. I would love to hear from anyone - do you have a favourite poem you’d like me to read? A place you would like to tell me about that I can share with others?And thank you so much to those who subscribe monthly - please stop after a few months as I know how irritating monthly payments are - all these small commitments add up.  Just a little help or one off contributions are appreciated so that I can pop money in the collection boxes if the churches that I visit.  Thank you for joining me and I hope you are having a lovely weekend 😊I am still missing my mother terribly, but take huge comfort from the world around me.Lots of love 🌷🐑🫖🪿🌷🙋‍♀️ and email me at [email protected] Support the showGretel 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.  We’ve reached nearly 80,000 downloads.  Don’t try to listen in order, unless you’re very committed.  Dip in and out, choosing an episode based on the title information.  Whether you are interested in history, literature, poetry or one-to-one chatting, I try to give you something that will interest you.  This is a podcast for the curious, the kind and - possibly - the suffering or lonely.  Historian Tom Holland is the Honorary Patron of this podcast.  Thank you Tom🙏 Gretel invites you to accompany her as she navigates the world a day at a time;  the podcast is unscripted, it’s ad-free.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.  Let’s gather up the beautiful things and ponder them in our hearts.Top 10 in Global Rankings according to Listen Notes.  I would be so grateful if you would spare the time to give me a kind review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 😬☺️🥴Previous guests include  historian Tom Holland; Sir Richard Eyre; Actors Guy Henry and Enzo Cilenti; Art historian Philip Mould; Writer David Willem; Author Nicola Cornick; Composer Matthew Coleridge; Vicar Angela...