Catching up on some overdue holiday I headed for the Lake District for a couple of days this week to meet up with friends in Keswick. I’d not been to the far North West since before the devastating floods of last November and I was hoping the businesses in this super little town were enjoying some well deserved custom from half-term visitors. The surrounding snow-capped high peaks were visible only occasionally through the low cloud - which could actually have been good news for the many outdoor equipment and clothing suppliers as well as the pub and cafe owners in the town as the tourists decided to stay low level. The floods here and down the road at Cockermouth were awful and many businesses suffered along with homeowners. Nearby Derwentwater is one of the most beautiful stretches of water in the country and of the 15 million tourists who visit Cumbria each year around 2.5 million head for Keswick and its breathtaking surrounds. The area is so reliant on visitors keeping the local economy moving and I hope spring attracts a healthy influx of Countryman readers to the region - it’s well worth it.

A press release from the National Trust provided just the excuse I needed to visit what is probably the country’s greatest ruin – Fountains Abbey. Frost and snow has lingered long around this part of Yorkshire and only over the last week or so have the snowdrops started to flower. Michael Ridsdale, Head of Landscape at the magnificent setting near Ripon, says: “Now is the time to come and see the snowdrops looking most splendid. They’ve been slow to emerge due to the heavy frosts we’ve had throughout January, but the ground has finally thawed, allowing them to bloom.”   I know we Yorkshire folk tend to brag about our county a little too often for many people’s liking but this world heritage site is truly spectacular and a pleasure to visit at any time of year.

FYI: an email from NERC about FWAG’s re BSE in AONBs states that FOE, HSA and CLA are concerned about violation of GSCOP. A MOP involved, including MAFF, NAAC, FSA and LACORS, will take place ASAP at RABDF HQ where DEFRA will put forward their RDPE. NB: RSPCA and RoSPA will be on hand to discuss H&S issues while SAFFIE and NFU representatives will meet with IFOAM to ensure IFIS regulations are met. PS: SCPS, SPS or SFP are unaffected…
I could go on, using all of the hundreds of acronyms put together in a booklet produced by Charlie Battle of AIC (sorry - Agricultural Industries Confederation) which landed on my desk. How those poor farmers, having done a hard-day’s toil out in the fields, face up to today’s ugly, jargonised officialdom I’ll never know. My advice? Tell them to stick it WTSDS.

A nithering northerly nibbled at my ears while I was out and about in the Dales at the weekend. The snow still lingers over the 2,000ft mark and some of the larger drifts which had accumulated against the higher walls were yet to be captured by the sun. The ground here is like concrete and the dales farmers are busy ensuring their sheep have enough to see them through what so far has been a very hard winter compared with those of recent years. Trying my best to sound positive to my farmer neighbour I commented that at least the price being paid for wool seems to have gone up a little recently. “Aye, but he’ll still not buy me half a bitter,” interrupted his son as they continued to unload the feed. I left them chuntering at each other… I’m sure farmers are never happy unless they’re moaning about something.
Photo taken at the weekend shows a farm in Ribblesdale beneath Penyghent