For me, a kid who grew up in the early noughties, Top Gear was essential viewing every Sunday at 8pm. I liked cars and I liked to laugh. Jeremy Clarkson may have been the main event, and Richard Hammond may have been, well, small, but my favourite of the trio was always James May.
There was something about his candid demeanour and his revulsion of excess that always resonated with me, more than the others. I also enjoyed his child-like wonder at looking at things and trying to understand how they worked. Fast forward a decade or two, and I decided to see if he fancied doing the Country Life Podcast, now that I am a serious journalist at Country Life Magazine who occasionally writes about cars.
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Like all serious journalists, James used to work for Country Life and write about cars. It didn't go very well, but I think we can all agree he bounced back rather well. As well as Top Gear and the Grand Tour, he went on to make many other TV shows, including his latest, James May and The Dull Men. He's also been busy making his own gin. And he bought a pub. It's called the Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe.
James Gin started off as something to pass the time during Lockdown, but it soon got a bit serious, as people wanted to drink it. I can only imagine his frustration. He joined me to discuss the intricacies of gin making, as well as why he's chosen some unusual flavours, such as mushroom. There's a bit where he gets quite serious about parsnips, but don't let that put you off.
We also talk about Dull Men, why cans of baked beans are the wrong size and why he doesn't think it's acceptable for suitcases to have wheels. All very serious research that only he has been brave enough to undertake. He's also very well travelled, having visited Mauritania, the North Pole, and many other unusual destinations. When we asked him where his favourite place in the world was, well, the answer might surprise you.
It was a fantastic chat with one of our favourite ever guests. I hope you'll enjoy listening to it.
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Credit: Country Life Picture Library
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Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill joins the Country Life Podcast.
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The wisteria clad cottage where Noël Coward and Ivor Novello held court at the height of their fameThe 17th-century Follejon Cottage just outside Windsor was a perfect escape from the city for Noël Coward and his circle of friends. As it goes on the market, Penny Churchill takes a look.
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Five émigré artists who greatly enriched Britain's intellectual and creative scenesFrieze Masters kicks off this week and several contributing galleries are using it to shine a spotlight on the artistic contribution of émigrés past and present.
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‘One remembers not to give the Queen a thump of joyful friendliness’: Remembering Norman Parkinson — revolutionary fashion photographer and Cecil Beaton’s only homegrown rivalCecil Beaton might be the toast of London right now, with a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, but contemporary Norman Parkinson was always hot on his heels.
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‘She was a sort of fairy godmother to Country Life’: Mark Hedges, Tom Parker Bowles, Sophia Money-Coutts and more on the genius of Jilly CooperJilly Cooper appeared in the pages of Country Life multiple times. Here, friends of the magazine reflect on time spent with her and what she meant to them.
