The River Tamar that forms the Devon-Cornwall border comes within four miles of making Cornwall an island. In and around the Scottish Borders, many people define themselves as Bordermen first, and Scottish or English second. And the the great medieval border created in the years of Danelaw both split Britain, and lives on today as one of the biggest roads in the country.

These are just a few of the fascinating tales woven together by Richard Collett as he talks to James Fisher in this utterly fascinating episode of the Country Life Podcast.

Yes, a border is a line on a map — but it's also a state of mind, with many of the lines that divide us, define us and even unite us taking on very different meanings depending on where you live. Richard Collett has spent years travelling Britain and talking to people throughout the land about our borders, where they come from, and what they mean — and the result is a fascinating book, Along the Borders: In search of what divides and unites the British Isles.

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The book is published in April 2026 by Penguin — you can pre-order a copy here — and we can't recommend it enough, if only to read the tale of the English sailor who got shipwrecked on Shetland, and has now spent decades fighting for its recognition as an independent country.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Richard Collett

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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The more things change, the more they stay the same. As the Formula One season kicked off on Sunday, we saw the advent of full hybrid racing at the top level for the first time. A full 50/50 split between internal combustion and electrical power at the pinnacle of motorsport. Quite the change. And then Mercedes ran off into the distance. More of the same (mostly).

The world of cars is changing, slowly but definitively. Although the ban on fully petrol and diesel powered cars seems to be the can that will be endlessly kicked down the road, more and more people are turning to hybrid and electric cars with each passing month. It’s not always easy to make sense of it all, especially in the luxury world, so naturally I made a few phone calls and got Country Life’s car aficionado, Adam Hay-Nicholls, to come on and so some explaining.

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We talked about growing up in the age of internal combustion, and what the transition to electric means for both the consumer and the professional car journalist. We chatted about the upcoming Formula One season, and whether anyone will really notice the difference (the answer is no, but also yes, a bit). And then of course we segued.

Why did Adam once meet a sheikh in Dubai who owned Saddam Hussein’s watch? Why did Adam once land a helicopter outside of a biker bar in Revelstoke, Canada? And why is he writing a new book on all things Bugatti, which means he must simply go and drive the new £4 million Tourbillon? All essential in a day’s work, and you’ll have to tune in to find out the answers.

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Adam Hay-Nicholls

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim was an icon. As the creative force behind a string of huge musicals — including West Side Story and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum — he is widely regarded as the 'Shakespeare of the musical'.

Sondheim's life and legacy are the subject of a new podcast entitled Loving You: The Untold Sondheim, hosted by two close friends of the composer, Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones, which is out on March 5, 2026. We're delighted that Martin and Peter joined James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast to talk about their own upcoming show.

Loving You: The Untold Sondheim features contributions from many people who knew and worked with Sondheim during his life, from Dame Julie Andrews to Dame Judi Dench, and from Mia Farrow to Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Loving You: The Untold Sondheim will be available on all streaming platforms from March 5. A trailer is available on Apple, Spotify and Amazon.

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Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guests: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Producer and editor: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.