A rural miscellany - Roscoe Howells

A collection of articles from 1958-76 researching into different aspects of the rural life - from Pembroke islands, to the work of the Community Council, to a visit to Smithfield show - all through the eyes of a farmer from west Wales.

This is a selection from the articles written by Roscoe Howells, a Pembrokeshire farmer and eminent journalist and local historian, running from June 1958 to the winter of 1978-79 and which appeared in farming journals, chiefly the weekly Welsh Farm News.

Considering the intended readership were the Welsh farming community and those interested in country life, they show a good variety of tone and content. Those that appeared in the run-up to Christmases are thoughtful; some are highly critical of bureaucrats and civil-servants; some ironic at the expense of those who should know better than to act as they have done.
Humour is a feature of many, such as the one about the shortage of toast at Butlins; some may well make you laugh out loud. One article notes the signs of change in the world's weather and speculates about its influence on wildlife, long before the words 'global warming' were on everyone's lips.

There is much to enjoy and think about in this book.
Well recommended.
Sheila Jones @ www.gwales.com