Local

I suspect this might be the most controversial episode of this podcast. How do we use the land in our country? What impact does our food have on nature? How much land is needed for the meat and dairy we consume? What diet is the best for the environment? How can we help farmers work more sustainably?

A sweaty man ran towards me, suffering the exertions of his morn- ing run. This was the first grid square I’d been to that was predomi- nantly residential. I stepped aside on the church path to let him pass, but he just touched the trunk of the yew tree in front of me and ran back the way he’d come. The tree must have been his regular turna- round spot. I wondered if he gave it any thought, or if...

I’d ridden to today’s square straight after waking up, so still felt morning fuzzy as I sat on a log to settle into the woodland and sip coffee from my flask. The ground in the hollow was covered with a carpet of leaves, brown beech, tawny oak, orange sweet chestnut, yellow maple, and emerald moss. A brilliant blue sky framed the few leaves still lingering on the branches of silver birch trees. Th...

' My vicinity affords many good walks; and though for so many years  I have walked almost every day, and sometimes for several days together, I have not yet exhausted them. An absolutely new prospect is a great happiness, and I can still get this any afternoon.’  Henry David Thoreau  (and some moaning about fly-tipping!)

I studied my map for a while and found what appeared to be its most boring grid square. A square without road, house or river, just a single footpath, one pond, and the merest flutter of a lonely contour line. Here was nothing at all, neatly outlined within its crisp blue lines.  It was unremarkable: there was nothing to remark on. It was the ideal place to begin. If this first outing was too bori...

Welcome to this serialised podcast of the audio version of my book, 'Local'. Each episode is one chapter of the book. You can listen to the whole of the book on Spotify or Audible. First up... For more than twenty years, my favourite thing has been to leave here behind, with all its ties and routines. To hit the road and make my way to there . I get twitchy being in one place for too long. I have...

Coming soon: the serialised audiobook of 'Local, a search for nearby nature and wildness'. One chapter per week, in easily digestible segments.  Subscribe for free via wherever you get your podcasts... First up - a brief audio explanation of what I'm trying to accomplish in this book. You can also listen to the whole audiobook via Audible.