Simon Mattacks
speaker
2,982 appearances
18 recordings
3 series
first heard Dec 2024
last heard yesterday
Simon Mattacks’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
Trend
recordings per month · last 12 monthsRecordings per month over the last 12 months — 15 in all, peaking in Sep 2026 with 3.
Appearances
The air was comfortably warm and the sun, though shining brightly, was masked by the leaves of the tree. All was peaceful and calm. They sat there for a while and Amelia reflected on how much the village had changed with the arrival of spring. Taking a deep breath, she leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes for a brief moment of stillness. Lila flopped down on her lap and nestled closer.
They stayed there for a while, taking in the sights and the sounds of the pond. But finally, it was time to move on. The third point was in the Market Square. On the walk there, they would pass by the Blue Bell Cafe. which also happened to be Amelia's favorite place to stop for cake. Leaving the pond behind, they walked past the empty cricket field and headed down Honeysuckle Lane.
It was a cobbled street with terraced houses on either side and was also home to the cafe. The cafe had a pastel blue frontage with a large window that stretched the width of the building. Amelia peered through the glass at the cakes and pastries, trying to decide what it was she wanted to eat. There was a lemon drizzle cake, a Victoria sponge decorated with fresh red strawberries, croissants,
blueberry muffins, far too much to pick from. She was pulled from her thoughts of sweet treats by Lila's tail wagging excitably against her leg. The owner had come out to greet them. They were regulars here, and Lila was always excited to come back. After making their order, they passed through a narrow passageway between the cafe and the house next door.
Once on the other side, a hidden courtyard garden greeted them. It was decorated with potted plants and a wall-mounted water spout. Tables and chairs were set out for customers of the cafe, but despite the lovely weather and beautiful garden, it was not too busy. Emilia took a seat and glanced around. The spring sun flooded the courtyard with light.
Its energy warmed the soft breeze, which in turn wafted the sweet fragrance of jasmine through the garden. On either side of a babbling fountain was a beautiful peach-colored rosebush climbing the wall. It scattered large, delicate blooms throughout the space. It wasn't long before a pot of fresh mint tea and a slice of lemon drizzle cake arrived at the table.
For Lila, a bowl of cool water was placed by her side. It came with a dog biscuit, which she received most gratefully. The cake was perfectly soft. The top had been sprinkled with edible blue flowers and lemon zest. It was delicious. After the glass pot of tea cooled and the fresh mint floating in the water was bright green, Amelia poured it into the porcelain teacup.
Steam swirled up from the stream of liquid, which made a satisfying sound as it hit the porcelain and filled the cup. Together, Amelia and Lila took in the sights and sounds of the garden. The bees were flying from flower to flower. a plucky little robin was chirping proudly with its fluffed-up chest feathers.
It flitted between the top of the walls and a seed feeder, which was swinging from a hook. The clinking of knives and forks against plates and the chatter of the other customers sitting in the garden were also welcome to her. Before long, she set her plate to one side and looked down at Lila. The young dog was snoozing peacefully. Her body was rising and falling with each breath.
Gently, Amelia called her name. Lila slowly looked up at her and then lazily rolled onto her back, lifting a single paw into the air in protest. This was her cue for attention. Amelia stroked her side gently, which seemed to please Lila enough. The puppy eventually clambered to her feet, but not before a very deep stretch.
The pads of her paws splayed out as she did so, and she let out a very long yawn. No doubt, Lila was going to spend the majority of this evening tucked up in her bed with her favorite blanket. The next part of their journey took them to the center of the village. It was a paved area ordered on three sides by rows of shops and houses. Summerwell was home to a thriving farmer's market.
It was a tradition dating back hundreds of years. Each of the main streets that led to the square still held traces of its history. On the roads, you could see grooves that carts, heavily laden with goods, had eroded over hundreds of years. Right in the middle of the square was the village hall. Like most things about Summerwell, it too was old. It was compact and painted a dusky orange.
The top of the hall was supported by stone columns that formed the open lower level. While the enclosed rooms on the upper floor were for meetings and a pop-up museum, the lower level provided shelter from bad weather for those waiting for the village bus. Today was Saturday, and so the market was overflowing with colorful canvassed stalls. Each was selling a different locally made product.
from jams, cheese, and bread, to artwork, soap, and flowers. Every week, the fruit and vegetable stall took the prime spot right in the middle of the square, which is right where point number three on the map was. Just behind the vegetable stall was a statue. It was something Amelia had passed many times, but had never taken a closer look at.
Making her way past the stalls, she went to inspect it. Carved diligently from the stone was a man wearing a heavy looking astronaut suit. More perplexing still was that in one hand he had a stone parrot, only it had been painted in vivid yellows, reds, and blues. Each feather was carved in such detail that Amelia couldn't help but reach out and touch it.
The stone was cool and rough, but the etchings of the feathers were deep and pronounced. On her walks around town, Amelia had noticed other stone parrots. Some sat above doorways. Others were perched on windowsills. She had never wondered why the village had such an affinity for these ornaments, but she was about to find out.
An onlooker had been observing her, and with a cheerful demeanor, he approached and explained the origin of the statue. It was a representation of the artist himself. He was a man who could easily while away the night looking up at the stars, longing to explore every one. Instead, he spent his days studying the natural wonders about him.
The parrot was his favorite animal, and in his opinion, the most charming of all creatures. Bold, lively, and mischievous. He was often seen wandering around the village with his parrot. and it seemed it was a sight the villagers missed. So much so that after he left town, the community had the stone parrots carved for their homes and businesses.
Amelia made a note to herself that from now on, whenever she walked around town, she would make sure to look out for them. It was a little too busy in the market square to look for the other parrots that were hidden here, and Lila wanted to continue their walk away from the crowd. So they headed to the next stop on the map, the tower.
On the other side of the village from where they started was Bluebell Clump. It was a small hill rising out from a veil with beautiful meadows. A small wood sprawled up one side of the hill, and at the very top sat a tower, partially obscured by trees. During the early summer months, the grass of the hill was covered with a wash of red poppies.
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