England has changed. Dramatically. And so very quickly. I am taking a second look at books from our childhood. I meet up with author, Elizabeth Housden, who shows me her extensive children’s book collections from which she got the love of reading and writing. With the advent of ‘screens’ dominating children’s attention, are books and […]
I am reading Ramble Round Willow Farm, Chapter 6, Sowing Clover. One hundred years ago the ways of the country were very different. Farming particularly was more hands on. In this episode, we learn how, why and when to sow a field of clover using four sticks and basket round the neck. I have been […]
As requested, I am reading a few more chapters from the book Rambles Around Willow Farm by Arthur O. Cooke, written for children at the turn of the 20th Century and just before the First World War. It is fascinating how much work went into the traditional farming methods. I am not reading the whole […]
I was rummaging in a second hand book shop, perhaps one of the few remaining in this country, and I stumbled upon a second volume by the much acclaimed author, Philip Mercer. Further Tales of Olde Sussex, published a couple of years after his original masterpiece, has a Christmas tale which I thought would be […]
In today’s episode, following on from our previous video, Kym Murden tells one of her traditional stories. We hope you enjoy it. PLEASE SUPPORT THE BALD EXPLORER My videos are funded by people like you. If you enjoy them, please help me make more: Visit http://BaldExplorer.com to become a patron. Or make a one off […]
Today I read Chapter two of Rambles Round Willow Farm by Arthur O. Cooke. It was published before the First World War and tells of life on a farm in the West Country. Written for children, along with a series of other countryside books, the author introduces youngsters to rural life away from the large […]