We have a treat for you today: an exclusive one-off edition of Rosebud recorded at RHS Wisley, brought to you in association with the Royal Horticultural Society, and starring special guests RHS Ambassadors Dame Mary Berry and James Wong. In this episode, Gyles, Mary and James enjoy walking round the beautiful gardens at Wisley, and discuss the joys and benefits of getting out into gardens of all shapes and sizes. You'll find out about Dame Mary's first memory of gardening, about her love of roses, and about her long relationship with Wisley. You'll find out about James Wong's tips for making your garden more nature-friendly, and about his current pet project: growing a giant waterlily. But most of all we hope this episode will inspire you to get out into your own outside space, and - better still - to visit on the RHS's five flagship gardens somewhere in the UK.Thank you to Dame Mary Berry and James Wong for sharing what gardening and visiting gardens means to them, and of course the important role they can play in bringing people together and creating a sense of community. The RHS is the UK’s gardening charity helping people and plants to grow, so go visit your nearest garden today: there are five to choose from, RHS Wisley, RHS Hyde Hall, RHS Rosemoor, RHS Harlow Carr and RHS Bridgewater. You can visit the RHS website here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest today is the scientist, broadcaster and presenter of The Sky At Night, Dame Maggie Aderin. In this moving conversation, Dame Maggie tells Gyles about her childhood - and her parents' long custody battle, which often led to upheaval for Maggie and her sisters. She talks about her early interest in space, and joining a telescope-making club as a teenager. She talks about thinking big and not taking no for an answer. She talks about "Maggie-isms" and being unusual.This is a fabulous edition of Rosebud with one of our foremost science communicators and educators. Dame Maggie's book, Starchild, My LIfe Under the NIght Sky, is out now and available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's another action-packed episode of Gyles's 1978 diaries, including: fun chat from G & H about seagulls and sumo wrestlers; Gyles taking a trip to NYC to publicise his joke book; the death of Pope John Paul I; a holiday to Barbados; a disastrous after-dinner speech and perjury. Yes, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Plus an Edinburgh update, and a shout-out to some of the brilliant listeners we've met at the first couple of shows. Thank you to EVERYONE who has supported us in our show this year - either by coming along, emailing, wishing us luck or by following our journey on the podcast. We really appreciate your encouragement! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a treat: our guest today is the much-loved actor and star of Doc Martin, Martin Clunes. In this gorgeous conversation, Gyles and Martin discuss Martin's childhood - and Gyles's admiration for Martin's actor father, Alec Clunes, who died when Martin was only 8 years old. They talk about Martin's unhappy time at boarding school in the years after his father's death. They talk about a visit to a psychic, and about the importance of animals in Martin's life. And finally, Gyles and Martin talk about Martin's latest book, his life on his westcountry farm, and burials for dogs. Martin's book Training John and Murray, about training two terriers, is out now and available here. Our heartfelt thanks to Martin Clunes for this fascinating conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Tuesday, so we have another delicious slice of Gyles's diaries for you. It's 1979, and his son Benet is learning to ride his pony, Tonka; Gyles is learning to drive at the ripe old age of 30, and Michele is giving birth to their third child: Aphra. Plus some fun Gyles and Harriet chat, a brilliant email from Gemma O'Connor about nerves and stage fright, and the usual brilliant observations about British life at the end of the 20th century from Gyles's diary. Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Angela Scanlon joins Gyles for an open and honest conversation full of wit, wisdom and insight. Angela talks to Gyles about her childhood in Ireland as one of four girls. She remembers early attempts at individualism - styling her First Communion outfit when she was only seven. She talks about inner conflict: being both a sensitive child, and someone who had the "craic" - and how the feeling of never being quite ready led her to developing an eating disorder as a teenager. She talks about love, travel and finding inner peace. Angela's hilarious podcast "Get a Grip" is well worth a listen. Our thanks to Angela for her warmth, fun and zest - which, as you know, is a favourite quality of ours at Rosebud Towers! Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're delighted to be bringing you another ground-breaking conversation between Gyles and one of the world's great composers: on this occasion, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In this episode, Gyles will find out about Tchaikovsky's first memory, the fragile and sensitive nature which gave him the nickname "child of glass", his early love of music, and his struggles to come to terms with his homosexuality. We find out about Tchaikovsky's musical education, his worldwide fame, and his tragic demise.  In this conversation, Tchaikovsky is brought to life by the writer and performer, Tama Matheson. What you are going to hear is a classic Rosebud interview, answered by Tama as if he were Tchaikovsky himself. Tama is a brilliiant writer/performer who has written and conceived a series of shows based on the lives of great artists - composers and poets - in which he brings these geniuses to life through performance, music, and meticulous research. Tama's show about the life of Tchaikovsky, Child of Glass, is at Opera Holland Park in London on the 13, 14 and 15 August. Tickets are available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're thrilled to announce that our guest today is Dame Elaine Paige! So many of you have told us you'd love hear Elaine's Rosebud, and this conversation will not disappoint. In it, Elaine tells Gyles about her childhood, growing up in a maisonette on Barnet High Street with loving, talented parents who always gave her the right advice. She talks about her schooldays, and how she went to school for the social life... and she talks about being sent to theatre school and modelling gym slips and swimming costumes for M&S as a teenager. Dame Elaine tells Gyles about being in the film Oliver!, about getting naked in Hair and about being auditioned for Evita. She talks about Edith Piaf and the breakdown she had and how her mother and father helped her to recover. This is a wonderful edition of Rosebud, our thanks to Elaine Paige for her time, energy and infectious laughter. Elaine's album, "Miscellaneous Paige", is out now, and available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest today is the DJ, music producer and drag artiste Jay Clarke AKA Jodie Harsh. In this conversation, Jay/Jodie talks to Gyles about their childhood in Canterbury, growing up as a young gay man in a close-knit family with a father who struggled to accept his son's sexuality. Gyles hears about escaping from the family home down the bathroom drainpipe and going up to London, secretly, to go underage clubbing at the Astoria. And thus Jay/Jodie burst onto London's gay scene - and the rest is history. Jodie Harsh was born, went on to become one of London's best known drag artistes, friends with stars such as Amy Winehouse and Kylie, and DJ for celebrity parties and Madonna. Perhaps not what you'd usually expect from Rosebud - this is a fascinating story of excess, club culture and the search for identity. It does contain mention of drink and drugs and some sexual references. Jodie's book, You Had To Be There is out now and available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We can't bring you an England World Cup Final in 2026 - much to our regret - but we CAN bring you a trip down memory lane with the greatest goal-scorer of our victory 60 years ago in 1966: because our guest today is Sir Geoff Hurst. In this conversation, Sir Geoff tells Gyles about his childhood, when football and cricket competed for his affections, and his footballing father encouraged his love of the game. He talks about his apprenticeship at West Ham under Ron Greenwood, who spotted his attacking ability and encouraged him to play as a centre-forward. He talks about meeting and playing alongside Bobby Moore as a teenager, and looking up to the natural leadership of the future England captain. He talks about being selected to play for England - by letter - and the culture in the team. He talks about meeting and marrying his wife, and the loss of their daughter, Claire, who died of a brain tumour at only 45.This is an unusually revealing conversation with one of the greats of the game and a fascinating reflection on the changing nature of football over the past 60 years.Sir Geoff Hurst is touring the UK with his "Last Man Standing" theatre show this autumn. Tickets are available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.