England’s green and pleasant land: a patchwork quilt of green and gold fields with quaint little villages nestled in between and ancient farms run by families who have worked the land for generations. Is this a true perspective of the English countryside? You and I know that this rose-tinted view is not the reality, norContinueContinue reading “One fifth of English farms have disappeared in past 10 years”
Category Archives: countryside
‘Meet the Farmers’ – episode 9 – Royal Welsh Show
I visited the Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells, Powys last month. Here’s my take on the show, as part of the Meet the Farmers podcast series, with a particular focus on young farmers and younger handlers. I find out what it’s like to live in rural Wales as a young person.
Book Review: ‘Land of Plenty’ by Charlie Pye-Smith
It won’t be news to any regular reader of this blog to hear that many farmers struggle to make a living from the land. Farming is famously volatile and those running farming businesses are at the mercy of world markets, changing government policy and of course the weather! The decision to withdraw from the EuropeanContinueContinue reading “Book Review: ‘Land of Plenty’ by Charlie Pye-Smith”
My Day at the Royal Welsh
Today is the final day of the Royal Welsh Show. The Royal Welsh is one of the largest and best attended agricultural shows in the country. It runs for four days and is held at the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells. Around 250,000 people flock to the area to celebrate Welsh rural life, foodContinueContinue reading “My Day at the Royal Welsh”
Northey Island
Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep. This was the sound that greeted us. Maldon’s recycling centre was a hive of activity as we walked past; perhaps an unlikely gateway to one of Essex’s hidden gems, but this is the juxtaposed reality of this oh so maligned of counties. Essex is a gloriously diverse county, and I amContinueContinue reading “Northey Island”
