Despite what we might hear, read and see in the media, the countryside is not all doom and gloom. There are of course problems within rural communities but this has always been so. Country folk just roll up their sleeves and get on with the job in hand don’t they? That’s my simplistic view but as spring approaches I always feel a revived sense of optimism – just like Nature bursting into a new year of growth. I hope you will find our latest magazine just as uplifting as we bring a touch of colour at the tail end of a long, cold and dreary winter. March’s Countryman welcomes in the spring with a colourful collection of plants and flowers and good news of success in some of the country’s wildlife havens. Most importantly there are lots of smiles on the faces of people enjoying our glorious countryside.
Photo: spring at St Mary’s, Long Preston, Ribblesdale, Yorkshire