You could restore the orchard. Free the fruit trees that are still there, delight in old varieties rarely seen these days, try to propagate them and possibly even make a profit form selling them. Her first impressions made her believe she had made a mistake. The land, despite being in the Domesday parish of Aller, whose original name appropriately means “alder tree”, was almost impenetrable. Kevin McCloud reveals husband who appears in upcoming series of Grand Designs died during the project

The Couple Next Door review: A steamy thriller where even putting out the bins is raunchy, writes CHRISTOPHER STEVENS Deeper into the Wood was an inspiring read, and it encouraged me to care for my own land with greater devotion. If we all tended our land as well as the author did, Nature would benefit greatly. So it goes on — a seemingly unstoppable cycle of loss. Yet, in the end, Pavey’s natural equanimity shines through. Omid Scobie accuses King Charles of evicting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from Frogmore Cottage in 'cheap shot' to 'punish' couple for Netflix seriesWonderful in white! Queen Letizia of Spain opts for chic trouser suit to attend journalism awards with King Felipe The coup de grace, however, was the shameful sentence mentioned in almost every review, in which she says that a Caribbean girl must like a large building because her DNA fondly remembers the days when her people lived on slave plantations just like that. That is just so wrong on so many levels, and I find it hard to believe that this could be published so recently, and even be nominated for the Wainwright Prize. Selma Blair reveals a doctor once told her to get a BOYFRIEND after she sought help for agonizing MS symptoms - as she opens up about pain

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I enjoyed reading about the wildlife in and around the wood. From hares to rabbits, all manor of birds and even the sheep employed to work their magic in the wood. At times it is heart wrenching to read the disappearance of wildlife and plants. Ruth raises the serious issues we are facing with climate change and the impact we humans are having on nature and wildlife. Kieron Dyer, 44, was dying with a rare liver disease just 11 weeks ago. Now, he speaks for the first time after a 'miracle' transplantAmong the trees she spent twenty years planting, she witnesses nature’s forces changing rapidly with the diversity of species dwindling. She lands on her feet with her neighbour, Ted, who nudges and guides her in sensible directions. Case in point: she buys an old workmen’s caravan from him and uses it for staying overnight. But her visits are too short and precious to spend time on caravan improvements rather than woodland work.

All this creates a narrative of warmth, honesty and great spirit — made all the more beautiful by Pavey’s own lively and accomplished drawings.

Interwoven with Ruth’s candid descriptions of the challenges to wildlife posed by postwar changes in agriculture are forays into the history of the particular area around the wood and its inhabitants, past and present. I particularly enjoyed her beautiful artwork dotted throughout the book and her map of the wood at the start (to me there is no better book than one with a map!). In my mind's eye I could ‘walk’ through the areas she started to describe. I also found the scattered anecdotes of the history about the Somerset Levels a lovely way of grounding her new wood by giving it a past. How would you like to be remembered? From scattering ashes on a favourite walk, to a party with a bouncy castle, many people are deciding a traditional funeral just isn't right for them As Beyonce unveils oddly light-skinned look...experts warn of the life-threatening effects of skin bleaching treatments, including coma