Small Ways to Live Well is a podcast from The Simple Things, a monthly magazine about slowing down, remembering what’s important and making the most of where you live.
Hosted by the Editor, Lisa Sykes, in this season, May days & summer afternoons, she’ll be sampling honesty boxes, seeking our magical creatures, taking sensory walks and generally revelling in the promise of summer, alongside co-hosts wellbeing editor Rebecca Frank and regular contributor and slow traveller Jo Tinsley.
A definite contender for ‘favourite time of the year’ these light-filled days of late spring and early summer are easy to love. The novelty of sustained sunshine and warmer days gladden the hearts. The countryside is at its best and cities start to go all Mediterranean, living life outside. Even the most humdrum garden looks pretty in May.
And we’re as busy as the birds feeding chicks and bees gathering nectar – planting flowers, tending our veg patch and exploring our neighbourhood. It’s the end of the hungry gap with the first harvests so we enjoy eating outdoors and go on our first picnic of the year. We’re learning more about folklore and festivals, listening to birdsong and making the most of long weekends. Join us to dabble in something new and take a spontaneous day trip. Our motto for the season: ‘Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time’.
There are six episodes in Season 9, released weekly from May Day and supported by Titanic Belfast
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Join Editor of The Simple Things Lisa Sykes and wellbeing editor Rebecca Frank as they talk root veg and autumn stews, playing records and reading aloud and the joy of browsing independent shops and local neighbourhoods.
Thanks to Austria Tourism for supporting this season To find out more about year-round outdoor adventures in Austria go to Austria.info or follow them @visitaustria
Editing and music by Arthur Cosslett
From the October RELISH issue (172) available to buy here
Analogue | playing records
Food to share | Corned beef hash in a giant yorkshire pud
Gardens | Helping hibernators in your garden
Cake in the house | Beetroot Battenberg
My neighbourhood | Tring
In the November HEARTY issue (173) available to buy here
Join The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes and author of The Slow Traveller and regular contributor Jo Tinsley as they talk about the joy of making things, getting stuff done on slow Sundays, going analogue and making connections.
If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. We can send subscriptions anywhere in the world. Or buy current and back issues here
Thanks to Austria Tourism for supporting this season To find out more about year-round outdoor adventures in Austria go to Austria.info or follow them @visitaustria
In the November issue (173) available to buy here from 19 October, on newsstands 23 October
Dusk - Episode 3 - HUG
Season 11 · Episode 3
Sunday, October 4, 2026 • Duration 49:00
Join Editor of The Simple Things Lisa Sykes and wellbeing editor Rebecca Frank as they discuss food that feels like a hug on a plate, why hugging is good for us (and the best types of hug), how to cope with difficult times and the joy of the arts.
In the October RELISH issue (172) available to buy here
A Good Life – comforting recipes for early autumn including butternut squash and blue cheese risotto, chicken noodle soup and fig leaf custard
Food to share – Corned beef hash in a giant Yorkshire pudding
Cake in the house – beetroot battenburg
Beryl Cook – joyful art to make you smile 100 years after her birth. Extract from the new book Beryl Cook: Life and Art (Frances Lincoln).
Beryl Cook & Friends installation at Bicester Village runs until 25 October. Find out more
Dusk - Episode 2 - GATHER
Season 11 · Episode 2
Sunday, September 27, 2026 • Duration 38:12
Join The Simple Things’ Wellbeing Editor Rebecca Frank and author of The Slow Traveller and regular contributor Jo Tinsley as they talk about gathering the harvest, gatherings with friends and our favourite places to gather.
If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. We can send subscriptions anywhere in the world. Or buy current and back issues here
Thanks to Austria Tourism for supporting Season 11. To find out more about year-round outdoor adventures in Austria go to Austria.info or follow them @visitaustria
In the October issue (172) on sale now available to buy here
At home Oktoberfest !
A good life: autumn visit to a Derbyshire Dales garden and kitchen
Dusk - Episode 1 - MELLOW
Season 11 · Episode 1
Sunday, September 20, 2026 • Duration 42:24
Join Editor of The Simple Things Lisa Sykes and wellbeing editor Rebecca Frank and as they enjoy a MELLOW transition from summer to autumn, making the most of the things you can only do before the season turns and appreciating small pleasures
Thanks to Austria Tourism for supporting Season 11. To find out more about year-round outdoor adventures in Austria go to Austria.info
Editing and music by Arthur Cosslett
In the September GOLDEN issue (171) available to buy here
The high notes – take notice of and noting down daily delights
The Big Idea: The Small Stuff: The Sensory Enchantment of Everyday Life by Ian Bogost (Allen Lane) explained by Becs Frank
My Place – A Golden Glow - garden lighting
Almanac - Make a shadow puppet theatre for a whimsical storytelling evening
In the October RELISH issue (on sale from 25 September)
Analogue: A new series exploring slower life stories
May Days - Episode 6 - DABBLE
Season 10 · Episode 6
Sunday, June 7, 2026 • Duration 55:05
Join The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes, Wellbeing Editor Rebecca Frankand Author of The Slow Traveller and regular contributor Jo Tinsley for the 60th episode of ‘Small Ways to Live Well’, delving into all the many ways we can dabble our way through the summer.
If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. We can send subscriptions anywhere in the world. Or buy current and back issues here
Thanks to our partner for Season 10, Titanic Belfast. You can find out more at titanicbelfast.com or follow them on instagram @titanicbelfast to hear some of their stories and discover how to visit for yourself.
Join The Simple Things’ wellbeing editor Rebecca Frank and author of The Slow Traveller Jo Tinsley as they talk summer ball games and park yoga, music and memories and making the most of sunny days in the garden.
Park yoga picnic - enjoy a sunshine stretch followed by a tasty lunch and catch up with friends
Why weight? The physical and mental benefits of getting stronger
My place: outdoor kitchens to swoon over
May Days - Episode 4 - LARK
Season 10 · Episode 4
Sunday, May 24, 2026 • Duration 52:04
Join The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes and Author of The Slow Traveller and regular contributor Jo Tinsley as they talk about sharing a fondness for camping, appreciating the joys of larking about, spontaneous adventures and magical creatures.
If you are in the UK, you can try an immediate start subscription to the The Simple Things and receive the current issue straight away. We can send subscriptions anywhere in the world. Or buy current and back issues here
In the June issue (168) on sale from 29 May and available to buy here
May Days - Episode 3 - TONIC
Sunday, May 17, 2026 • Duration 50:23
Join editor of The Simple Things magazine Lisa Sykes and wellbeing editor Rebecca Frank as they appreciate summer foods and sensory walks, explore the medicinal benefits of garden herbs and rediscover the pleasure of handwriting a letter.
Berry Shrub and other recipes from Michelle Tansley’s cottage garden in our new series, A Good Life
Switching on the senses – discover the moodboosting benefits of sensory walks
Bloom scrolling – self edit your feeds for a more fulfilling online experience
In the June issue (168) available to buy from 29 May here
Weekend project – make your own herbal bug spray and natural after sun balm
Cake in the house - Elderflower and strawberry tart
May Days - Episode 2 - TEND
Season 10 · Episode 2
Sunday, May 10, 2026 • Duration 47:27
Join editor of The Simple Things magazine Lisa Sykes and regular contributor and author of The Slow TravellerJo Tinsley as they explore ways of tending to your patch and your flock, whether that’s pottering in the garden, looking after your local bees or exploring your local neighbourhood.
Art cure - why the arts are so important for our wellbeing. Feature by Daisy Fancourt, author of Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform our Health (Cornerstone)
Wisdom: Caitlin Moran talks about finding positivity in an anxious world. Her new book How to be Hopeful (Ebury) is out now.
Coming up in the November HEARTY issue (173) On sale 23 October
Know a thing or two about dogs: the fascinating evolution from wolf to man’s best friend, dog language and what we can learn from our pets
Thanks again to Austria Tourism for supporting this season and to Rudolf Abraham, travel writer, guidebook author and photographer for sharing his highlights of the Austrian autumn including: Salzkammergut region – one of his favourite places. He is author of a guidebook to the area Dachstein mountains – Echerntal, a valley near Hallstatt which leads up onto the plateau Hohe Tauern mountains & national park Grossglockner (highest mountain in Austria) – Alpe Adria Trail starts at the foot of the Grossglockner.
To find out more about year-round outdoor adventures in Austria go to Austria.info.
Modern Eccentrics: The conker champions
Looking back: history of kitchens
In previous issues on sale now available to buy here
Gathering: For a Sunday lunch with a difference ask friends to BYOT – bring your own trowel – and share the joy of planting and potting for the new season (issue 141)
