Country Mouse

Trouble in paradise

MARCH did arrive like a lion and go out like a lamb. The past 10 days of benign weather has been a fillip after the long, windy winter of climate disruption. Most of the birds have paired up and nests are beginning to be built—the rooks have already completed theirs.

However, all is not well. Britain can no longer produce free-range eggs due to the ongoing bird flu, but there are worse things afoot. The cost of petrol has transformed rural finances, which added to the rise in heating oil. Mine was 49p a litre last August and, having written about this a couple of weeks ago, when it was £1 a litre, I’ve just been quoted £1.20 (with the quoted increase of 4p a day likely to continue, if they have any left). All of which means that the cost of living in the countryside is rising rapidly.

There’s also great concern for next season’s shooting, due to a likely shortage of poults, feed prices and the cost of fuel. The sport was already expensive, but many people are predicting that driven shoots will be charging in excess of £60 a bird. This will see a reduction in shooting, which, in turn, will see reduced income for those who depend on it for their livelihoods. Tough times lie ahead.