This month…
Just over a year ago, I bought a copy of Charlie Mackesy’s bestselling book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse for each member of the Country Living team. As the newly appointed ‘leader’, I wanted to share the collection of inspirational ink drawings that powerfully – yet simply – convey the importance of honesty, belief (of self and others), perseverance, acceptance and, above all, kindness. I genuinely hoped that we’d be able to use those values as a basis for working together as a team. And indeed we have. But at the time, I had little idea of how pertinent these themes would turn out to be in wider society. And as we pause to reflect on the most challenging of years, it’s heartening to know that, if nothing else, this pandemic has revealed how acts of love and kindness capture what it is to be human. Few people have embodied this as brilliantly as Charlie. And I am thrilled he agreed to share an insight into his life on p170.
We’re in esteemed company throughout this New Year issue. On p38, Poet Laureate Simon Armitage shares his motivation to keep writing and stay endlessly curious. And, on p52, we have an exclusive interview with the enchanting children’s illustrator and author Shirley Hughes. Her loveable characters Alfie and Annie Rose have captured the imagination of generations of children – including my own. Indeed, immediately after reading our interview, I returned to our favourite book: The Big Alfie Out of Doors Storybook (yes, I have kept the whole series). Re-immersing myself in the short stories, I was transported to a world of close-knit family, animals and nature, all seen through the eyes of a child. My children are now adults and I’m certain that it played its part in influencing their enduring love of the natural world. Aged 93, Shirley says she has no intention of retiring and is planning more for Alfie in 2021. I can’t wait.
The coming year will bring adventures and challenges for many of us, of course – not least for our farmers and food producers as we transition out of the EU. That’s why I’d like to finish by looking forward to a new series in Country Living, championing the best of our regional food and drink. We kick off on p60 with a feature about a cheddar producer in Devon, and will later have sardines from Cornwall and plums from Herefordshire. I hope that has whetted your appetite for 2021.