
Tales For The Tired
By Francesca Holly
Tales For The Tired is a cosy sleep podcast, read to you by Francesca in her charming English accent, paired with ambient music. Imagine leafing through old books about all the wonderful things that make us human, like exploration, natural history, crafting, and cooking.
Francesca reads these old books in a casual style that makes you feel like you're right there with her, laughing at the quirky phrases, and marveling at the unbelievable processes of the past.
Need help drifting off to sleep? Start with any episode, as they're standalone stories. Sweet dreams!
Francesca reads these old books in a casual style that makes you feel like you're right there with her, laughing at the quirky phrases, and marveling at the unbelievable processes of the past.
Need help drifting off to sleep? Start with any episode, as they're standalone stories. Sweet dreams!

On The Trail With Your Camera
On The Trail With Your Camera
Tales For The TiredFeb 22, 2023
00:00
31:13

On The Trail With Your Camera
On The Trail With Your Camera
This sleep story episode is from a book we've explored before, back in 2022 when this podcast was very first finding its feet. The book is call On The Trail. This time, I'm reading a section about taking a camera with you to photograph wildlife and your camp.
Please let me know if you enjoyed it and share with a friend if you did!
If you have the means and would like to keep this podcast ad-free for every listener, consider supporting with a one-off tip - no subscription required: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/talespodcast
Thank you for listening!
Feb 22, 202331:13

Why The Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves
Why The Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves
This is a classic from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook. It tells the tales of how an injured little bird, separated from its friends, finds solace among the trees. It's accompanied by soft music and light winter forest sounds.
Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tfttpodcast
Support with a one-off tip: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/talespodcast
Subscribe everywhere podcasts are published!
Feb 01, 202309:30

Friends of The Forest
Friends of The Forest
Back for a new season! In this episode, we take a journey through a magical forest where we meet a young deer named Mavis. She is a curious creature who loves to explore and one day, she comes across a clearing where she finds a large and ancient oak tree. In its hollow, she takes a nap and dreams of many exciting and wonderful things.
The story is a reminder of the beauty and magic of nature and how spending time in the outdoors can have a positive impact on our well-being. It also highlights the importance of taking time to rest!
Sweet dreams x
Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tfttpodcast
Support with a one-off tip: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/talespodcast
Subscribe everywhere podcasts are published!
Jan 25, 202311:30

Dinah Cat and the Witch
Dinah Cat and the Witch
Dinah Cat helps Betty when her landlord turns her out of her home. This is a sweet fairy tale with a magical twist! Thanks to Uuhlissa for supporting me as my first ever Patron
Aug 10, 202218:34

Hilda's Mermaid
Hilda's Mermaid
The Sandman's Hour is packed full of wonderfully relaxing, magical bedtime stories, so here we are with another tale from it! This week, I'm reading Hilda's Mermaid. A massive thank you goes out to Uuhlissa who became my first ever Patron supporter!
LINKS
Read The Sandman's Hour
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Aug 03, 202224:17

Where The Sparks Go
Where The Sparks Go
Reading classic works means books don't get surrendered to the past. This collection of bedtime stories is so relaxing and magical that I could have read the whole lot to you in one go. The one I've chosen is called 'Where The Sparks Go', featuring and cat, a dog, a cosy fireplace, and a starry sky.
Thanks to Jen and Eric for listening while you organised your house and Uuhlissa for supporting me even when I wasn't posting new episodes. You guys rock
Jul 25, 202216:59

Beatrix Potter Books In My Childhood Bedroom
Beatrix Potter Books In My Childhood Bedroom
In today’s sleep story episode, I’ll be reading from one of my old favourites, but with a twist.
I’ll take you back in time to a very nostalgic place, and together we’ll leaf through my old books.
I read a lot as a child, but Beatrix Potter's books stick out to me as some of my all-time favourites. So we’ll select one from my old childhood bookshelf and read it together. This time, it's The Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse.
Sounds: Countryside and birdsong ambience
Links
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
You can read the book at Gutenberg along with the entire collection of Beatrix Potter stories.
Sweet dreams!
Apr 13, 202218:21

Home Vegetable Gardening
Home Vegetable Gardening
In this sleep story episode, I'll be reading all about creating a home vegetable garden (the old-fashioned way). I've taken a few chapters from an old book published in 1911 by F F Rockwell. To immerse you, I've included ambient countryside sounds. You can almost feel the soil underneath your fingernails!
LINKS Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
You can read the book at Gutenberg (if you fancy starting a veg garden of your own).
Sweet dreams!
Mar 30, 202222:21

18th Century Chocolate And Cocoa Recipes
18th Century Chocolate And Cocoa Recipes
Is your mouth watering at the title? Get cosy and maybe even sip your own cup of hot cocoa as we read Chocolate And Cocoa Recipes, a book published in 1780. These recipes I've selected to read to you are accompanied by ambient crackling fireplace sounds to help you imagine melting the chocolate in a heavy pan over a fire.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Read Chocolate And Cocoa Recipes
Mar 21, 202221:55

Habits of Our Cats
Habits of Our Cats
Published in 1892, this guide about cats talks lovingly about their habits and different breeds. Today, I'm reading about their habits, accompanied by ambient purring sounds, to lull you to sleep.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Read Our Cats by Harrison Weir
Mar 02, 202218:35

Echoes From The Orwell
Echoes From The Orwell
Last year, I was rummaging in antique and junk shops in a quaint little village near to where my mum- and dad-in-law live.
Outside one of the tiny shops down an old cobbled alley, they had a box filled with all kinds of little treasures that they were almost giving away. Right at the bottom, I found a battered old paperback book. It was water damaged, but I noticed it was by a long-forgotten poet called T C Wilkinson - he had written a collection of poems about my county. I took it home with me, and now I’m sharing a few of those poems with you today.
I did a little bit of research and discovered he was an American poet called Thomas Carlos Wilkinson, from California. I found out he wrote another collection called The Conquest and Other Poems, and his father was born in London - which might explain the connection to East Anglia. I’ll post my finding on Instagram if you want to read a little more about him.
The book itself was published in 1882 in my hometown. It has an eggshell blue cover covered in brown and black water stains, and the binding is falling apart - but it’s hanging in there 140 years later.
And here are a few of my favourite poems.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Feb 16, 202214:44

A Frosty Stroll For Crumble
A Frosty Stroll For Crumble
If you’ve listened to An Autumn Visit to Starfish Cabin, you may remember that Freya had a big ginger cat called Crumble. A fun fact is that I was inspired by both of my pets - my cat Sox, and my pug Shih Tzu cross called Flint - and Crumble is sort of a combination of their personalities. I thought that Crumble might be a little sassy, very lazy, and adorably chunky and fluffy.
Well since writing that very first podcast episode, I’ve been a bit Crumble mad. He may have only featured as a few lines in that original story, but I made some cute Crumble earrings and was gifted an amazingly cute coffee cup with a cat that looks just how I imagine Crumble to be. So I took that as a sign and have been conjuring up ideas of what Crumble might get up to.
So here it is. A story dedicated to Crumble the fictional cat, taking a little adventure around his neighbourhood, exploring sights and smells.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Feb 02, 202215:12

The Old Camping Book
The Old Camping Book
Laurel wants to discover the best way to enjoy nature, so takes a visit to the library to soak up some knowledge from books, and hopefully make a plan to take a break from the mundane.
This story features a wonderful book called On The Trail, and it was written over 100 years ago by Lina and Adelia Belle Beard - these ladies were the founders of the Girl Scout Society in America.
Relax and enjoy!
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Read On The Trail free on Gutenberg
Jan 21, 202228:44

The Scarf In The Woods
The Scarf In The Woods
This story is a slow tale of a woodland dream, a handmade scarf, and a peaceful, much-needed walk in nature. I've included gentle ambient music to accompany this story. Hopefully, you'll drift off to sleep.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Jan 05, 202221:57

Log Cabin in Snowsap Forest
Log Cabin in Snowsap Forest
I trudge slowly through Snowsap Forest, a thick blanket of snow underfoot, and the chill wind nipping my nose. Around me is a wondrous forest of majestic fir trees standing tall and mighty, unfazed by the blistering cold.
I spot a small log cabin off a little way in the distance. The windows have a warm, cosy orange glow, and there's a small stream of smoke coming from the chimney.
This episode is wintery without feeling Christmassy - and I'd love you to follow me into Snowsap Forest on a log cabin adventure.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Dec 14, 202113:55

Beatrix Potter at Bedtime - Mrs Tiggywinkle
Beatrix Potter at Bedtime - Mrs Tiggywinkle
In this episode, I'm delving into the classics.
Specifically, I'm going to be reading a story from Beatrix Potter. As a child, I loved Beatrix Potter. It's one of the authors I grew up with because I was very lucky to have all the books. They were the little books with the green covers and they were a little collection on my bookshelf. I don't know what happened to them. Do you remember what I mean? If you liked Beatrix Potter too, then you might have had the books as well. They always remain some of my favourites.
Today I've selected one of my favourites, which is Mrs. Tiggywinkle.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Dec 01, 202117:21

An Autumn Visit to Starfish Cabin
An Autumn Visit to Starfish Cabin
Today's episode is a story about a woman called Freya. She's a young woman, she probably works a bit too hard and doesn't get enough sleep. I'm sure you can relate! All she wants is a little bit of peace and quiet, so she goes to visit her Gran's old beach hut and she enjoys some time offline, with a very special find.
Thank you for listening to this, the very first episode of Tales for the Tired! I'm so grateful and excited to share this with you.
LINKS
Tales for the Tired is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Apple podcasts, and a handful of others.
Get regular updates from me about the podcast and life in general, straight to your inbox: https://tinyletter.com/TalesForTheTired
Want to support my work? Visit my support page or become a patron to unlock exclusive extras!
Nov 17, 202121:15