The Dorset Life Podcast

From a family tragedy that grew into a much-loved North Dorset tradition to a young woman who swapped plans for dentistry for a career with a paintbrush – and an autonomous robot prowling Dorset fields in search of poisonous weeds – August’s podcast is Dorset Life at its most eclectic. Jenny meets Suzanne Smith, the woman behind the North Dorset tractor runs. They began after Suzanne lost her father in 2010: his private passion was restoring vintage tractors, although Suzanne herself had never had the slightest desire to drive one. What started as a fundraising show for Salisbury Hospice has evolved into a thriving series of road runs, with vintage and modern tractors travelling routes through private farmland, fords and Dorset lanes. Now Suzanne’s children are involved, her five-year-old granddaughter is already showing an interest, and the illuminated Christmas tractor parades look set to become another local tradition. ‘Sadly, we lost him, and we turned something tragic into something really positive.’ Jenny also talks to 22-year-old Romilly Oliver, newly crowned Apprentice of the Year by the Painting and Decorating Association. Romilly left school intending to become a dentist, but a gap year made her question whether university was really where she belonged. Instead she joined the family painting and decorating business, working alongside her father – who spent 25 years teaching the trade – and discovered that the creativity she'd always pursued in her spare time could become her career. She talks about competition nerves, the opportunities available through apprenticeships and why Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven has become her unlikely secret weapon. ‘I’m only 22, and I genuinely enjoy just the simple waking up and going to work with my dad. We get to have a chat, have a laugh, listen to music.’ Then Jenny heads into a field near Blandford to meet Raggy, a 300kg autonomous ragwort-hunting robot being put through its paces on farmer George Hosford's land. Its creator, Jake Shaw Sutton of Robotrics, explains how cameras and AI allow Raggy to identify ragwort with around 94 per cent confidence before four serrated ‘trowels’ plunge into the ground, clamp around the root crown and twist it free. The prototype has survived heatwaves, torrential rain and lightning during its field trials – although Jake admits that one broken set of jaws was entirely his own fault. ‘Any time you hear, “Ah, here’s an autonomous robot that can do this job perfectly,” it’s like, “Okay, what about in reality, though?”’ The podcast starts with Laura’s editor’s letter launching Dorset Life’s investigation into Dorset’s housing crisis – asking how the county can accommodate more than 55,000 additional homes without equivalent plans for roads, schools, GP surgeries, sewage, water and public transport – while the anonymous Dorset Insider looks at the same issue from inside a parish council, where constantly changing housing targets and planning rules can make years of community work feel futile.   This episode is based on stories from the August 2026 issue of Dorset Life (though they're the sort of conversations that remain interesting whenever you happen to find them), available to read freely online. Farming, skills, technology, community and the future of rural Dorset – all seen through a distinctly Dorset lens.

This month's podcast is a reminder that some of the best stories are hiding in plain sight. Jenny meets a Dorset teenage boxer on the verge of representing Team GB, spends a morning with the wonderfully welcoming Men's Shed in Sturminster Newton, and discovers why one of Britain's rarest native trees could help shape Dorset's future. If you've been meaning to give the Dorset Life Podcast a try, this is another excellent place to start.   Jenny first visits Sturminster Newton Men's Shed, where the sound of saws and sanders provides the backdrop to a series of thoughtful conversations about friendship, purpose and the quiet importance of having somewhere to belong. From bird boxes and chessboards to repairing chairs for the community, it's a place where practical skills and companionship go hand in hand. "People may have family problems... but when we get together over a cup of tea and chew the cud, a lot of those things come out. An working on something lets everything else disappear for a while."   Jenny also catches up with 19-year-old boxer Ruby White, fresh from being selected for Team GB and preparing for the Commonwealth Games. From early morning runs before work to training alongside Britain's elite athletes, Ruby talks candidly about the sacrifices, determination and belief that have taken her from Sturminster Newton Boxing Club to the international stage. "It's been very difficult, and I've had to make some hard decisions. But I know now I'm on the right path. As soon as I did it, aI knew it was the right decision. And obviously, everything's going the right way now, and I'm performing. I'm so happy."   There's also a fascinating conversation with Niki Harper from Trees for Wimborne about Britain's rarest native tree, the black poplar, and why saving the UK's surviving trees – just 7,000 – could have enormous benefits for wildlife and Dorset's river landscapes. "Without conservationists intervening, Britain's rarest native tree simply wouldn't survive." (image above is of two veteran black poplars in Sturminster Newton in Dorset)   Meanwhile, the Dorset Insider (our anonymous Dorset Parish Councillor) takes aim at speeding through Dorset's villages, asking whether 20mph limits are making any real difference - and why the biggest obstacle may not be the signs themselves, but the drivers ignoring them. "It's interesting that we have a lot of complaints about speeding, but very few people volunteer to join Speedwatch and actually do something about it."   This episode is based on stories from the July 2026 issue of Dorset Life (though, as always, they're just as interesting whenever you happen to discover them), available to read freely online. Sport, wildlife, community and the people making Dorset what it is – all through a distinctly Dorset lens.

This month's podcast features two of the best conversations we've recorded in a long time – one simply delightful, the other genuinely thought-provoking. If you've never dipped into the Dorset Life Podcast before, may I boldly suggest this might be an excellent place to start? Jenny heads to Scarlet's stable to meet land agent and long-distance walker Roger Sewill. It's a wonderfully atmospheric conversation, accompanied by the sounds of horses, as Roger reflects on his 200-mile journey across Dorset with Scarlet, his Dales pack horse, visiting 30 ancient hillforts and raising money for Dorset Wildlife Trust along the way. Travelling at a horse's pace, he describes how the landscape, weather and water shaped each day, and how strangers repeatedly offered food, shelter and help. What began as a fundraising challenge became a story about kindness, connection and the enduring character of rural Dorset. 'I thought my body would start cracking up, but I just got stronger and stronger each day – and my mind has never felt happier and more with it.' Jenny also sits down with Dorset councillor James Vitali to explore the growing tension between housing targets and the protection of Dorset's countryside. In a fascinating, thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation, he argues that a planning system fixated on national housing numbers is pushing large estates onto rural greenfield sites because they are often seen as easier options than building more sensitively within existing towns and cities. He makes a powerful case for neighbourhood-led planning, where villages and small towns have a genuine say in how they grow rather than having development imposed upon them. He also links the loss of farmland to development with wider failures to support farmers and protect the county's long-term food security. 'There's a sort of knee-jerk attempt to dump houses on the sides of villages and towns in places like Dorset just to get the numbers up.' There's also a Grumbler from Dorchester questioning the council's latest housing policies, and Laura's first letter as editor of Dorset Life. This episode is based on stories from the May 26 issue of Dorset Life (though they're evergreen and relevant whenever you happen to discover them), available to read freely online. People, politics, place and purpose – all seen through a distinctly Dorset lens.