National Trust

The Myth of England

To me, England is the country, and the country is England. And when I ask myself what I mean by England, when I think of England when I am abroad, England comes to me though my various senses – through the ear, through the eye and through certain imperishable scents. .The sounds of England, theContinue reading “The Myth of England”

My First Red Squirrel (at long last)

Instead of making new year’s resolutions this year I made a list of several things that I wanted to do or achieve during the course of the year. I won’t bore you with all of them, but I’m steadily working my way through the list. Near the top was an ambition I’ve had for years:Continue reading “My First Red Squirrel (at long last)”

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 amContinue reading “Northey Island”

National Trust find their ‘£1 a year’ farmer

You may remember that, earlier this year, when Brexit still looked like a bizarre fantasy, the National Trust began an international search for a farmer to manage a 145 acre farm on the Great Orme near Llandudno in Wales. Famously, the rent offer was for just £1 a year. The Trust feared that the farmContinue reading “National Trust find their ‘£1 a year’ farmer”