Two for Joy: The untold ways to enjoy the countryside

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A four-day exhibition of seven artists – each working in a different discipline – in a delightfully informal and welcoming venue. Enjoy meeting the artists and learning about what inspires them and how they make their work. Divided into the four seasons, Two for Joy will help you understand what’s happening on farms and in hedgerows throughout the year; show us the animals we might see around us and what they’re busy doing; bring to life the stories behind countryside superstitions and folklore; revisit old traditions and show us how we can include them today; and encourage us to look up at the trees, sky and stars. November 25-December 21, Westonbirt Arboretum, GL8 8QS, forestryengland.uk/westonbirt/enchanted-christmas Gentle undulations in the open fields, like the ripples of a wave, become easier to see in the filtered light an hour or two before dusk.

In Two for Joy, Adam Henson - much-loved and long-standing presenter of Countryfile - goes on a journey throughout each season to help you to find new and varied ways to reconnect to the British and Irish countryside. Discover what's happening on farms, growing in hedgerows, the stories behind countryside superstitions, how to revive lost traditions, what you might spot when you look up at the sky and stars - and plenty more in this uplifting guide to the nature that surrounds us. Enchanted Christmas at Westonbirt Arboretum runs from November 25 to December 21 (Image: forestryengland.uk) Long barrows are the work of the first farmers who worked the land and herded wild animals. There are hundreds of these Neolithic structures all over the country.

Whether you read this book in the depths of winter in an armchair by the fire, or on a picnic rug in a field on a sunny day, it promises to open your eyes to the awe-inspiring powers of our uniquely British countryside in ways you’ve never noticed before. You may also like… These man-made formations are called long barrows (round barrows if they are hill-shaped) and they are where Neolithic tribes placed their relatives after they died. Barrow is an old dialect word for an earth mound, but they have other names… howe in the North, low in Cheshire and Staffordshire, while in Gloucestershire they're called tumps. I share Adam's love of farming and wildlife and I found this to be a fascinating and indispensable guide to our wonderful countryside. Makes you excited to get outside and explore" - Kate Humble

Ever wondered why the dawn chorus is so loud in spring? What makes a summer sunset so special? Where to spot a murmuration of starlings in autumn? Or how to identify trees from just their bark in winter? In Two for Joy, Adam Henson – much-loved and long-standing presenter of Countryfile – goes on a journey throughout each season to help you to find new and varied ways to reconnect to the British and Irish countryside. Discover what’s happening on farms, growing in hedgerows, the stories behind countryside superstitions, how to revive lost traditions, what you might spot when you look up at the sky and stars – and plenty more in this uplifting guide to the nature that surrounds us. Adam Henson is a farmer and presenter. He runs Cotswold Farm Park in Gloucestershire, which pioneers rare breed conservation and was opened by his father Joe in 1971. Television credits include Countryfile, Lambing Live, Coast and Inside Out. His latest book ‘Two For Joy’ looks at countryside superstitions and folklore. This was an age when people believed honouring the departed meant the spirit of their ancestors would look after the living. November 16-January 15, 2023, tel: 01608 642350, Chipping Norton Theatre, chippingnortontheatre.com

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Cosmos with Gold Line, by Vivienne Cawson: exhibiting as part of Clay Barn's exhibition (Image: Vivienne Cawson) After exploring The National Arboretum’s twinkling woodland illuminated light trail, visit the Christmas village, with festive food and drinks, plus fairground rides and market stalls. Divided into the four seasons, Two for Joy will help you understand what’s happening on farms and in hedgerows throughout the year; show us the animals we might see around us and what they’re busy doing; bring to life the stories behind countryside superstitions and folklore; revisit old traditions and show us how we can include them today; and encourage us to look up at the trees, sky and stars. In Two for Joy, Adam Henson – much-loved and long-standing presenter of Countryfile and Lambing Live – goes on a journey through the seasons to show you what you can find, spot, observe and do in the countryside, to help you find joy in nature all year round. At some time, we've all stopped to admire a country view and seen an unusual earthen mound… a long, grass-covered rectangle or a large, rounded hump that’s obviously not a natural feature of the landscape.