The Toast Maker – Episode 11: The Thursday Walking Group

The Toast Maker — Episode 11 By Eliza Hartley Tonight's reading is free. Over 500 more — and every new one first — are on Sleepbound Premium. Free for 7 days, cancel any time.→ Supercast: sleepboundstudios.supercast.com→ Patreon: patreon.com/c/SleepBound "Voluntary socializing. The most terrifying kind." Welcome back to Little Darlow, lovely listeners. Tonight, Iris takes a leap — the kind that looks small on paper but feels enormous in the moment. After spotting that notice at the surgery during last week's walk with Mr Pritchard, she's actually going. The Thursday Walking Group. Three miles, strangers in waterproofs, and Derek Fenton, who talks about birds like they owe him money. If you've been following along, you'll know Iris has been quietly weaving herself into village life — Tom in the spare room, Mr Pritchard's soup recipe on the hob, the cottage slowly becoming home. Tonight she takes another thread and ties it in. What I love about this episode is how beautifully ordinary it is. There's no drama on the hill above Cobb's Farm — just cold air, honest conversation, and the reliable warmth of people who show up every Thursday because that's simply what they do. And afterward: terrible tea, Hobnobs, and the peculiar intimacy of a cold village hall. Settle in and let the walk carry you. Thank you for being here — your support on Patreon is what keeps Sleepbound Nights going, one quiet story at a time. Find more cosy listening at headphonesaudiobooks.com/nights, and catch up on the full series over on YouTube. Sleep well tonight. Includes mentions of: Cold weather, Animals, Romance, Food, Beverages.