Over the Farm Gate Podcast: Author and journalist Kiran Sidhu swaps her London life for rural Wales

'Wilf taught me to listen to the countryside' - unlikely friendship between Londoner and Welsh sheep farmer inspires new book and film

Rachael Brown
Chief Reporter
clock • 1 min read
Over the Farm Gate Podcast: Author and journalist Kiran Sidhu swaps her London life for rural Wales

Three years ago, Kiran Sidhu, quite literally, ran to the hills and swapped the bright lights and business of London for rural life in Ceredigion, Wales.

Consumed by grief following the loss of her mother, Kiran was in search of change. She felt the presence of her mum in nature and the mountains and was lured towards the countryside. With the bearing of her own grief, being surrounded by the Welsh hills allowed her to stand next to something far greater than the anguish she was feeling at the time.

Out on a walk one day, exploring the place she now calls home, she came across Wilf Davies, a 72-year-old Welsh sheep farmer from a long generation of farmers. What started as pleasantries and a passing hello, developed into snippets of conversations that had value beyond words. Who knew meeting a sheep farmer in the Welsh valley would have such a profound impact on an individual?

Farmers Guardian's chief reporter Rachael Brown sits down with author Kiran Sidhu to talk about how her unlikely friendship with sheep farmer inspired her new book ‘I can hear the cuckoo'. Finding herself in the Welsh countryside was not Kiran's initial plan, but a chance encounter with a farmer and a passion for her new way of living has given her a new outlook on life.

 

More on Podcasts

Is yield still king? Rethinking variety choice ahead of autumn drilling - The Farmers Guardian Arable Podcast

Is yield still king? Rethinking variety choice ahead of autumn drilling - The Farmers Guardian Arable Podcast

Our latest arable podcast delves into variety selection, new traits and lessons learned from the 2026 harvest

Ashleigh Ellwood
clock 31 July 2026 • 1 min read
The Farmers Guardian Podcast: The Royal Welsh Show – farmers bring back the feel-good factor

The Farmers Guardian Podcast: The Royal Welsh Show – farmers bring back the feel-good factor

This week the FG team looks back on the Royal Welsh, including some of the key show results and how a new government has brought a boost for farmer confidence

Jane Thynne
clock 28 July 2026 • 1 min read
The Farmers Guardian Podcast: Burnham becomes Prime Minister: What does it mean for farming?

The Farmers Guardian Podcast: Burnham becomes Prime Minister: What does it mean for farming?

The FG news and business team discuss the potential impact of a Burnham premiership

Alex Black
clock 21 July 2026 • 1 min read