Spring 2026 Newsletter

Greetings to Scrutopia newsletter readers and thank you to everyone who came to the farm for the Countryside Day designed to be an inspiring day at the end of a long winter. We followed the format of a country sports day, with a convivial Meet for people to mingle and enjoy some warm mulled apple juice from the autumn harvest and some wintery nibbles: pheasant goujon and sausage rolls. This was followed by a talk on literature emanating from the hunting field, given by Joe de Courcy, based on is his book: Hounds are Running – a celebration of the best of foxhunting literature. More refreshments followed and then a farm walk to see the newly laid hedge and the restored newt pond. Here we all planted some willow and protected them by pulling dead hedge branches around them.

As usual we learnt a great deal from everyone who came along:  there were people from neighbouring farms, a local vet (who is now studying philosophy on the Buckingham MA course), an ecologist who worked with David Attenborough and students with farming  backgrounds from the Royal Agrictultural University. The afternoon reverted to philosophy with Professor Nick Zangwill offering some stimulating comments on people who identify as being from the city or from the country, with a few remarks about rural towns along the way. A chance to think, to discuss and to disagree or add to the debate was an opportunity enjoyed by all. For some the day ended all too soon, but one of our neighbours, took over the hosting, and in true country-style brought out a drinks basket from the back of his car. Conversation continued on the upcoming screen of the opera Seigfried that would be showing in Malmesbury in the near future.