Reviews

Greetings from Pittsburgh, PA - USA! I came across this podcast by doing a search of "calm podcasts" in Reddit, of course! From there, I came upon a discussion where this podcast, NOSW, was named and lauded. Before that, I had come across Ffern's seasonal podcast episodes - Ffern is also based in England, out of Somerset. I realized I wanted to find more beautiful, nature-filled content to listen to. Thank you for your inspiration, and for bringing to JOY to our lives. I am giving today a gift for a few months, but will cancel after some time, being that it's a recurring payment/gift. But that doesn't mean I won't still be listening! I've already passed along this podcast to others in hopes of offering, through you, something valuable to their lives. Thank you for helping to make the world a nicer place, and for not jumping into the scandal and self-righteous phrases that so many like to use, particularly as we see folks use in the media coverage of today. Thank you for your Grace! A note - two of my favorites so far (as I have picked a spattering of episodes to listen to so far over the past 3 weeks) - "The Rebellious Light of Beauty" (The last dandelion of summer) 10/22/2023 and "Into the Silence" (The Undreaming) 01/04/2025. Your writing/poeticism and reflection is soooo beautiful! Also, I've never heard of a narrowboat before, so I am learning a lot. Would love to hear more seasonal sounds or sounds from that week of nature or even other sounds that could be incorporated somewhere in the episodes! I've never the naming all their supporters that chose to give and with detailed commentary to each. And I love the consistent rhythm of each episode, following the same format, with Weather Log at the end (There is local Johnstown Flood film that is played at one of our Western/Central PA's (Pennsylvania) museums that ends with voices at the end of each person who died, with voices overlaid with sounds of rumbling skies into rain, this Weather Log ending immediately reminds me of that each time that I listen ("National Park Service-produced film, 'Black Friday,' that tries to recreate the Flood. For copyright reasons our film is not available for purchase...") Your website is so detailed to be able to sort by category of episode, to learn about terms used in your Weather Log, literary sources, photographs, personal history, and more! Thank you again!

I have been an avid listener to the NOSW podcasts produced by Richard, for many years now, and every so often one episode will stop me in my tracks by bring back such wonderful memories like the recent ‘A Touch of Autumn (Apple picking time). Thank you Richard, you make this world a far better place.

The welcoming, soothing voice of Richard leads you into a wonderful, informative and relaxing podcast. Perfect for listening to either at bedtime or snuggled up on the sofa on a rainy afternoon.

Thank you Richard for the most nurturing, thought provoking and soothing nighttime listening. Your podcasts have become my evening ritual where I relax and learn in the most natural way. My dog, Tachi, and I live in gorgeous a van, currently on the Gold Coast in Queensland., Australia. I feel like I am transported each evening to the UK and the reflective waters of your beautiful canals . Thank you for inviting us in to the warmth and comfort of your lovely narrowboat Erica. The biscuits and cuppas are lovely :)

I am so grateful that through the wonders on the internet I located Richard’s exceptional Podcast. It is calming on choppy days, has been a good companion when a night feels lengthy - but has also has prompted further reading / listening / thinking. Not least returning to poetry, which I had got out of the habit of engaging with. For me, Ronald Blythe’s writing has a similar effect and Richard, like Blythe, beautifully articulates the precious inter-connectedness of this extraordinary universe. Thank you so much.

I love this podcast. Soothing and interesting, like curling up with your favourite book. I actually don’t listen to it at night, but whilst making my artwork, and it’s the perfect accompaniment. There’s something of the air of escaping away to another world, even when Richard is talking of very real, earthly things (like the moving episode of Richard collecting his Father’s ashes). I feel whisked away to another time, and it helps me focus on my creative work. It’s like podcasts of old, where you really felt like there were just a few of you welcomed in to listen. A real gem.

A soothing sound in this busy world, this podcast is a gem. Each episode features its own little surprises, meandering along scenes of life along and on the canal, stories about relatable events in life, small and not so small, stories of past and present, be they happy or not so happy. A wind down from a hectic world, a nice little shelter, where the kettle is on.

Richard Goode is a genius and gentle weaver and teacher. He pulls the threads of our common and individual experiences through deep nsights from literature, philosophy, religion, and the natural and more -than- human world. Each podcast invites us to pay attention to our ordinary lives and the places and experiences we share with other beings. Goode radiates warmth in his welcome, storytelling, reporting on his surrounds and doings, and the wisdom he has gleaned from years of study and living. In each episode, I've found connection, comfort and the gentle challenge and joy that comes with learning something new. It was my dad's birthday when I listened to Goode's July 28 episode on walking his father's ashes home. He spoke of the heaviness of the ashes he carried, noting that this weight is similar to that of a newborn baby. Although my dad's death was not recent, the feelings Goode described became very present to me. Goode walked through the familiar streets carrying his father's ashes, astonished that the traffic continued and shops were open. I remembered how bewildered , disoriented, and lost I , too, felt on that early morning of my dad's death: How could it be that the world hadn't stopped when this momentous thing had happened? I left my dad's body in the care of others and walked out to a world that hadn't changed. It felt impossible. As the podcast moved into the sign-off details, I realized something new and with it, a quiet comfort settled in: These were the same feelings and questions that surfaced when I carried my newborn babies out into the world, for the first time. Even with the second birth, I remembered feeling disoriented and more than a ittle lost. I clearly remembered asking, "Why isn't the traffic stopping? How can the world be the same when this momentous and precious thing has happened?" Thank you to Richard Goode for creating a podcast that invites connection, comfort, and a gentle challenge to more deeply see, understand, and honor our lives and world to which we belong.

This podcast was breathtakingly touching. Thank you.

A weekly still-point of the turning world. Beautiful.

I love listening to this podcast, having recently started listening from the very beginning. I find them a great way to calm my mind. Thank you

To me your stories resonate gently in the night, like a Terence Davies film. Beautiful.

Just what I need to help me relax. I am so appreciative of this podcast’s format. It’s unlike anything I’ve heard before. Thank you.

I have been listening to “Nighttime” as I call it since last November. Richard has the perfect voice, calming, informative so easy to listen to that you don’t want the episode to stop..but because it’s so perfect for listening to in bed I usually end up falling asleep so going to bed earlier is a habit now on a Sunday just to listen to the whole podcast…and to be honest I’ve done the back catalogue a few times on particularly favourite episodes… keep up the good work and hi to the horses.. from Tracie T

Some of the most soothing nighttime listening. The intro feels like a personal invite to come onboard NB Erica, have a cup of tea and a biscuit and just while away the time

Always a brilliant amazing listen, if you like intelligent canal based podcasts this is the man for you…

A beautiful podcast and online presence that is inviting, intimate and respectful of place and our deep hunger for belonging. Small everyday observations and stories, epic and ancient ones as well. I am grateful for every episode.

A friend introduced me to this beautiful podcast just when I needed it most, after the sudden death of my brother. The podcast host extends such kindness and hospitality across distance and difference. Hus observations, poems and stories affirm the cycles of life, death, and rebirth that are present in every season. I am comforted by the feelings of kinship with the little community, and it’s creatures - families of swans and ducks, the herons and others of the canal. I am grateful to Goode for putting this life into words and story, and offering connection and meaning.

Richard's warm, welcoming voice presents not only a fascinating view of life on the canals but also an interesting journey through history, literature and myth. A panacea in troubled times and by turns soothing, lively and intriguing, it's a podcast I love tuning in to as I settle down for the night.

You, Richard, are as comfortable to me, as the old boots are to you. I find myself eagerly awaiting your podcast. I so look forward to being invited aboard the Erica, sharing a steaming cuppa near the fire. Anticipating your calming voice, your picturesque words. You amaze me each week, with a new and beautiful portrait of your surroundings. Drawing me in, as though I too, am there soaking in every detail, every feeling, every smell, every color, every emotion and every sensation my body can consume. What an artist you are. Paint on my friend, paint on.

Thank you Richard for the warm welcome and your soothing voice. Love listening to you

I’ve been listening to nosw pod from almost the beginning. My favourite of all the podcasts that I listen to, I listen at night when driving the motorways of the UK! Keep up the great work Richard. 5⭐️

By chance an American friend, and narrow boat lover, suggested this podcast. I've been listening for some months, and feel blessed to be indulged with a rare experience of transportation out of my own world and into still waters, towpaths, swans, ducks, magpies, trees, hedgerows, birdsong, grazing sheep and where English countryside, with backing noises off, is described in lyrical terms. A soft, gentle voice leads you out of yourself and onto the narrow boat Erica, where the seasons rhythms are explored. Richard Goode, our cicerone, interlaces the natural world he descibes with extracts and mentions from a rich seam of literature and cultural references he has gathered and wishes to share. Each podcast has the same comforting structure that listeners settle into to enjoy something completely different from last time, or as far as I can tell from any other time. It is a rare mind that can present ideas that are so varied yet so familiar, and all with a gentleness that beguiles. I thoroughly commend NOSW podcasts for late evening, or any old time at all, listening. I learn something of interest every podcast, and always feel better for tuning in before I turn in.

A wonderfully done podcast. Richard Goode enthralls us with tales from along the cut that brings a smile, gentle laughter, and perhaps a tear or two. His style of presentation and the podcast itself bring forth a hint of nostalgia in his telling of these stories while also being informative about life on the English canals.

A wonderfully done podcast. Richard Goode enthralls us with tales from along the cut that brings a smile, gentle laughter, and perhaps a tear or two. His style of presentation and the podcast itself bring forth a hint of nostalgia in his telling of these stories while also being informative about life on the English canals.

We came across the podcast when watching an episode of the vlog 'Cruising the Cut'. We live in New Zealand and have fond memories of numerous visits to the UK including two stints onboard narrow boats exploring parts of the extensive canal networks. The podcast has been great to listen to at bedtime, especially when struggling to unwind and get to sleep. Richard's velvety voice, genuine warmth and poetic imagery portrayed in his writing, just transports us to another time and place. Very occasionally, do we hear the weather log, as sleep has usually arrived before this. We anticipate a new episode, but need several attempts to hear each one in its entirety due to their calming and relaxing effect. It's always interesting to compare weather. Our temperatures can be oddly similar at times despite being half a world away! Thanks Richard. Keep doing what you are doing with the podcast! Shona and Richard, Oamaru, New Zealand.

I’ve always avoided radio (and TV), because voices were so irritating and very few podcasts appeal (or stay on for more than seconds) but this one, I enjoy thoroughly: its mix of poetry and philosophical discourse,* consummately paced and beautifully read; complimented with warm sounds of ticking clock, typewriter and nature, accompanied by well-chosen music — a perfectly balanced story of the day. I find it both soothing and stimulating in the loveliest way and fall easily into Richard’s intention — treated as a welcome friend, dropping in to share the evening. It’s a privilege to be there. *The definition “individuals imbue reality with meaning” seems so apt.

Perfect way to end the day by listening to this in bed 👍🏽

The host, Richard Goode, artfully weaves together well produced audio content with thought provoking narratives. The listener is welcomed aboard and taken on a journey, sometimes along the canals and environs, sometimes into philosophical territory, and sometimes on a bit of a fantasy. Wrapping up with a recitation of some "mundane" weather and astronomical data, each episode is a beautiful experience, start to finish. Highly recommend.

Love your radio site! Truly Unique and Magical. I’m listening to you all the way from across the pond in Boston MA. Thanks too watching “Cruising on the Cut” we saw you in his video from May 10 2022.