Hazel catkins hang like lanolin lanterns. Little lamb’s tails that shine against the chocolate brown of the ploughed field beyond. The leaves remain tucked up, but the season is shifting. Spring is coming but winter has yet to bite. There is a different kind of cold out there though. Clouds casting shadows where even theContinue reading “Catkins”
Tag Archives: CountryFile
Institutionalisation
I spent some time in a secure unit when I was 20. Actually, ‘secure unit’ is being generous – it was a Mental Hospital, dating back to the First World War and since bulldozed and developed (for housing, obviously – nobody gets mentally ill anymore). ‘It’s nothing like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,’ theyContinue reading “Institutionalisation”
Campion-ing the Cause….
I have really enjoyed writing a monthly column for BBC CountryFile Magazine, not least because of the amount of things I have learned. Research can become lazy in the internet age, but digging around old books and then cross referencing with online resources can be fascinating. In the June edition, for Flower of the Month,Continue reading “Campion-ing the Cause….”
New Year
After a damn good knees up at the winter solstice, the Ancient Celts would return to their homes and hope to last beyond the forthcoming ‘Famine Months’. Spring would have seemed a long way away, and with food and fuel dwindling, late winter would see a dramatic increase of disease and starvation. The first ofContinue reading “New Year”
Trumpet Blowing
A month has passed since publication day and its very much a case of so far, so good for Rivers Run. Sales have been solid, book shops have been ever so generous with their product placement (testament to the design team at Rider) and, most importantly, people seem to be enjoying it. Aside from theContinue reading “Trumpet Blowing”
Branching Out
I was pretty good at German at school. In fact, I managed an ‘A’ – but a quarter of a century later its almost all gone – save the bare bones, swear words and smut. So when the latest edition of Am Haken magazine turned up in the post (on my birthday in fact –Continue reading “Branching Out”
Countryfile Magazine article: In defence of Angling
Anglers are misunderstood creatures. Rather than curmudgeonly misfits, we are proud custodians of our waterways, says Kevin Parr As in every walk of life, there are a handful of anglers who give the pastime a bad name. But for every litterer or poacher there are dozens of like minded souls who regard the environment inContinue reading “Countryfile Magazine article: In defence of Angling”
Kevin Parr 