On the Marsh

BY SIMON BARNES, SIMON & SCHUSTER, £16.99

Simon Barnes bought a house based on the birdsong he heard when viewing it. So did I, so I had a feeling this book and I were going to get along. We did. It’s a seasoned piece of writing in every way – Barnes is as prolific as he as assured. The pages take you through a year of rewilding on his recently acquired acres of squelchy Norfolk; and his musings are peppered with delicious titbits from every-whichwhere – science, sport, history, travel and the sweetest family snapshots. The result is nature writing comfort food: scrumptious, moreish and so easy on the reader it feels like a long afternoon in some cosy pub, listening while Barnes tells you what he’s been up to.