Bob Cooper of Macclesfield, Cheshire remembers: From an early age, I have always loved reading and writing. My best subject at school was English to the detriment of maths, and I managed to become top

Birds can transport us to another time and place entirely,

From a milliner inspired by topiary to a model-turned-ecological gardener and a couple who swapped jobs in telecommunications for growing vegetables, Sir David Beckham’s rural heroes tell Julie Harding why craft and the countryside are key

SARAH DITUM

Follow some simple steps to give nature the support it needs through the cold months

Did you have much experience with pets or taking care of animals before you found the newborn hare? I had very little direct experience outside childhood. My father is a diplomat so I grew up abroad.