students needed somewhere to stay, and she saw an opportunity. So there were always different people from different cultures and countries around. My shyness turned into curiosity and a real interest in the world”. The garrison town enveloped him in militaria, architecture, history and ceremony. Eventually he went to boarding school in Ipswich, where he studied Greek and Roman history, and he worked for Colchester Archaeological Trust as soon as he left school, kickstarting his early career as a Field Archaeologist. Linking so many elements of evolution and social history together his next fascination was for man-management and teamwork, and where better to master that than in the army.
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The first thing they did when they moved in 13 years ago was to transform an old dairy block into a workshop, while they considered the renovations their new home required, then evolving it into a creative space they all share, and where Jules makes his own brand of furniture and homeware (more on that later).
THE GREEN, GREEN GRASS The Hudson home is dotted with memorabilia of life’s journeys, like the bespoke wallpaper that shows enlarged old maps of regions where they have lived before. Talking of which, it is a constant source of amusement to hear that Jules spent several years in the tiny Welsh village of Llanddewi Brefi …yes, the one of Little Britain comedy fame.
This was during his Uni days, whilst studying archaeology at Lampeter in West Wales, and he has so many fond memories of the village pub’s characters and local antics, that could themselves make a Sunday TV comedy drama.“Naturally, being a student, I was often in the pub. You name it, it happened in that village and, as it should be, the pub was the centre for all the action and personalities involved” he reminisces.
He ultimately spent twenty years in the Welsh Cambrians, developing a deep love of the rural way of life and the beauty of the countryside and nature. Keen not to relinquish those elements, the move to Herefordshire perpetuated that, while being more accessible for work around the country and his wife’s London commute.
THE CHATTY MAN Jules was always destined to have lots of ‘stories’ to regale, of people, places, experiences, not least because he has a natural curiosity to observe, question and engage, and to try new things. He developed his ability to connect and build rapport as a boy, an Essex boy, growing up in Colchester. While his father was often working abroad as a mechanical engineer, Jules’ mother turned the house into a B&B “Mum’s friends ran a language school and their
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LEAD, FOLLOW OR GET OUT OF THE WAY Opting for the military excellence of Sandhurst, Jules absorbed lifelong skills and still mantras General Patton’s words of ‘Lead, follow or get out of the way’, although he decided not to pursue a full-time army career. He reverted again to archaeology, this time undertaking a master’s degree at Durham, eventually working as a geophysicist for the University’s Archaeological Contracts team. It was while strolling through the city that Jules encountered a film crew on location. Enthralled by how the shoot was bringing history to life, it clicked that television could be the creative outlet to extoll his passions for the past. “Back then this wasn’t a conventional career route, but it ticked every box for me. I started right at the bottom; making tea, sweeping up as a runner, then onto becoming a researcher and eventually a producer”. Jules’ broad spectrum of knowledge and global travel enabled him to work on various prime time factual series about history including that of the military, and it was only a matter of time before his natural ease in story telling propelled him infront of the camera.
Ironically, while helping present a museum’s series for the BBC Daytime, it was word of his own early Welsh property renovation project, that he was ploughing through in his spare time, that helped get him the Escape to the Country presenting role. “The head of BBC Daytime decided I was an ideal candidate, and I’ve never looked back”. That was nearly 20 years ago and he’s not done yet.
INTERVI EW JUL E S HUDSON
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