The Countryman: Through the Seasons

There is something for everyone in The Countryman. Whether you are a country dweller; an urban nature lover; an amateur historian or a budding naturalist, the variety of subjects covered is a real treasure trove. From the toad to the bumblebee, the cuckoo to the pheasant, the life cycle of the dragonfly, the attractions of the nightjar and the dove, the development of sheep breeds and the value of the cottager's pig – these are just some of the characters of the natural world as described by Johnny Scott. What are the origins of Oak Apple Day and when and where is it still celebrated? What do you know about Morecambe Bay shrimps or gulls' eggs – how do they make the journey from harvest to plate? What is a hag stone and what is its connection to a horse brass? Do you know what marl is and where would you find it? Answers to these questions and so many others are to be found within these pages. The author's acute powers of observation and fluent style enable him to convey his lifelong experiences and knowledge of the natural world in an informative but accessible way. His understanding of the origins of country customs and celebratory festivals is extensive, and his affection for them and all that the countryside has to offer shines through. Be prepared to be enlightened, amazed or amused – or probably all three! AUTHOR: Johnny Scott is an author, natural historian, broadcaster, columnist, countryside campaigner, artisan snuff manufacturer, and retired hill farmer. He wrote and co-presented the BBC2 series Clarissa and the Countryman with Clarissa Dickson Wright. He has been a contributor to The Field for many years, and writes for a variety of magazines and periodicals on field sports, food, farming, travel, history, and rural affairs. SELLING POINTS: . Featuring a wealth of information on the fascinating traditions of the natural world, Johnny Scott's enlightening book stands as tribute to all that the countryside has to offer.

Table of Contents:
Introduction________________________________ 7 Spring_ ___________________________________ 13 Toads__________________________________ 14 Easter_ ________________________________ 17 The Cuckoo_____________________________ 23 Avian Squatters___________________________ 27 Gulls’ Eggs______________________________ 31 Bumblebees_ ____________________________ 37 Bugs in May_ ____________________________ 41 The Golden Hoof_________________________ 44 Are Sportsmen Getting Soft?_________________ 50 May Day________________________________ 55 Cleanliness of Animals______________________ 59 Oak Apple Day___________________________ 63 Summer__________________________________ 67 Blind Stinger____________________________ 68 Mallard_ _______________________________ 72 Green Parakeets__________________________ 75 Luck_ _________________________________ 79 The Heron______________________________ 85 The Shepherd’s Dog_ ______________________ 88 Wild Goats______________________________ 94 Hedging________________________________ 98 Dor Hawks_____________________________ 105 A Change in the Season____________________ 109 Flankers_______________________________ 112 Medieval Pets’ Names_____________________ 115 Goose Fever____________________________ 120 Autumn__________________________________ 123 The Wheel Turns_________________________ 124 Morecambe Bay Shrimps___________________ 127 St Anthony’s Fire_________________________ 133 Weather Lore___________________________ 138 Athena________________________________ 141 Doocots_______________________________ 145 An Autumn Fish_ ________________________ 149 The Month of the Rut_____________________ 154 Hell Hounds____________________________ 157 Beautiful But Deadly______________________ 161 Hag Stones_____________________________ 165 The Cottager’s Pig_______________________ 169 Sporrans______________________________ 172 Winter_ __________________________________ 179 Tracks in the Snow_ ______________________ 180 Red Letter Day__________________________ 184 Christmas Week_ ________________________ 186 Christ’s Animals at Christmas________________ 189 Mistletoe______________________________ 195 The Holly and the Ivy_ ____________________ 199 Carving the Festive Bird___________________ 205 Dogs at Christmas________________________ 211 Keep the Home Fires Burning_ ______________ 215 The Countryman’s Zimmer_________________ 218 Hedge Pig_____________________________ 221 The Glorious Bird of Colchis________________ 225 Marl_________________________________ 228

About the Author :
Sir (Walter) John Scott, Bt. MFH. Sir Johnny (as he is better known) is an author, natural historian, broadcaster, columnist, countryside campaigner, artisan snuff manufacturer and retired hill farmer. A lifetime devotee of the countryside and its sports, he is President, Master, Director and member to an extraordinary list of countryside organisations.

Review :
Separated into the four seasons, the reader will move through the year with Johnny's own knowledge and various stories and experiences to guide them. Not only does it focus on country sports, it looks at man's relationship with nature and how things have changed for the better. His affection for the countryside and all it has to offer shines through and will delight any reader. This book is simply brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it from cover to cover. Sir Johnny’s encyclopaedia like knowledge of most things relating to the British countryside and his articulate and eloquent writing style, firmly deposits this book into my “couldn’t put it down” category. Highly recommended for country folk of all nationalities, British social historians, nature lovers and urbanites with an enquiring mind. From cover to cover this highly readable book was rapidly digested in just over a day. As I know from frequent evenings in his company, Johnny Scott is an exceptionally fine teller and re-teller of tales and anecdotes...If you are a countryman by birth, inclination or persuasion, buy this book, you will love it. If not, buy the book anyway, you might learn something. This is not a soapbox piece about our changing landscape and culture, but a balanced and quiet observation of a landscape and nation in flux.... This book attests to Scott's deep understanding of the British countryside. Meeting people like...Sir Johnny Scott makes you realise that these individuals have a wealth of knowledge that is impossible to match in the anti-hunting/anti shooting world... provides some very useful arguments to counter the barrage of nonsense produced by those who know precisely what they want changed in the countryside but have little idea about what might follow. Forget the Met Office. It's the "...behaviour of the hefted hill ewes out on the moor..." you need to watch for incoming snow. A definite read before the Boxing Day walk - it'll answer all the children's questions... [Johnny's] passion and knowledge for rural life absolutely shine in this book. [His] writing is very accessible and engaging, and really quite poetic in places. Writing about Christmas week, he says: "I love the bleak beauty... the eerie sound of a great multitude of geese riding from their roost in a lapis lazuli dawn." One of the most readable books I’ve had the pleasure to read...a wonderful legacy. Sir Johnny is our countryside personified. It is to be read to laugh and learn. I highly recommend it, Dear Reader.