From the editor

I gave myself a little pat on the back this month for writing a piece about the Cotswolds without using the words ‘quaint’ or ‘quintessential’.

It was tough though, having just spent time with people who are totally enveloped within that beautiful part of
the country. Superlatives kept cropping up as I toured the area, following to a degree the trip J B Priestley had made around
the Cotswolds for a chapter in his 1930s book English Journey.

J B and I were born just a few miles apart (in fact, I have Priestleys in my family tree — mental note to follow that line some day). We also share a sense of social injustice, along with despair over authoritarian mismanagement of the countryside. Unfortunately, the similarities cease when it comes to talent.

Nevertheless, I set myself the task of comparing Priestley’s
pre-war Cotswolds with that of today — you can read my findings on page 10 of this months Countryman.

For Marian Warford those pre-war days are still in her memory; She gives us a fascinating insight of life in the countryside of North Devon for a child of the 1920s.

And for an up-to-date look at rural life we meet a local food hero who is taking on the French at their own game.

All in this months Countryman magazine.

In the July issue of The Countryman...

Succumbing to the charm of the cotswolds
Countryman editor Paul Jackson on this special place.

Burial in woollen
Bale tombs of the Cotswolds explained by Mark Whitley.

A first-time tractor driver
June Badeni masters a Fergie.

Craftsman in a rush
Siân Ellis profiles rush grower and weaver Tony Handley.

Artist with a sense of scale
Liz Needham admires the work of a country artist.

The sweet taste of success
Andrea Mynard celebrates a British superfruit.

New kids on the rock
Huw Jenkins is counting goats not sheep.

What to wear this summer
Liz Needham on the return of the sheep shearers.

The kindness of strangers
Childhood fishing memories from Robert Waters.

The man with a passion for raptors
John Worrall visits a conservation scheme in the Norfolk wetlands.

The craft of the rabbit catcher
Siân Ellis goes ferreting.

Heavyweight horses
Helen Harrison on the work of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

The ghost of black dick
Spooky goings-on in Yorkshire with Mark Whitley.

The joys of misericords
Richard Hayman on church woodcarvings.

Memories of summer nights
Suzanne Ruthven remembers the solstices of years gone by.

Make hay while the sun shines
Harvest-time memories with Marian Warford.

Where did you get that hat?
Curious clothing customs by Rosemary Bennett.