{"id":15749,"date":"2022-05-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-04T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=15749"},"modified":"2022-05-12T11:20:44","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T09:20:44","slug":"hopes-and-streams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2022\/05\/05\/hopes-and-streams\/","title":{"rendered":"Hopes and streams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Fergus finds a calming connection to nature walking beside the River Usk<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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“I\u2019m lucky to live near the River Usk in Monmouthshire. It flows fast over a stony riverbed and, in the stretch I know well, is lined with lithe alders and willows.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

On mild spring days, I can watch trout rising for flies, spot shoals of minnows blackening the shallows and be buzzed by dippers and kingfishers. Nowhere else locally offers such variety of life and I head there when I need an instant connection to nature, as Kevin Parr explains beautifully, in his Stream Of Consciousness. <\/em><\/p>\n\n

Yet, like so many of Britain\u2019s rivers, this lovely waterway has a shadow on it. In summer, slimy algae chokes much of the riverbed and the life that should teem there. Fed by sewage, household grey water and run-off from animal waste and fertilisers, it is a creeping death that is replicated on hundreds of our rivers.<\/p>\n\n

The decline of our rivers is a source of deep national shame. Campaigning journalist Nicola Cutcher exposes the grim tale and shares How To Heal Our Rivers. <\/em><\/p>\n\n

But, as Nicola also reveals, all is not lost and I am optimistic things can be turned around. But we need to love our rivers \u2013 to visit them and enjoy their wild voices. So this special issue is devoted to celebrating our waterways, from the tiny upland becks of the Pennines in Discover: The North Pennies<\/em>, to the legendary Pure Waters<\/em> and chalk streams of the south, and the life and joy they promulgate. When you love something, you fight for it when it\u2019s in trouble. With a bit of action, we can revive our rivers.<\/p>\n\n

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Fergus Collins, editor@countryfile.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n

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Don\u2019t miss our nature and countryside Plodcast \u2013 available on all podcast providers <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

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THIS MONTH\u2019S CONTRIBUTORS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nicola Cutcher, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBritain\u2019s rivers are in a woeful state… A recent parliamentary report described many of our waterways as a \u2018chemical cocktail\u2019 of sewage, slurry and plastic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Matt Gaw, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile kingfishers are not scarce on Britain\u2019s waterways \u2013 there are an estimated 5,100 breeding pairs \u2013 seeing one still feels like a rare gift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Charles Rangeley-Wilson, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is possible to live side by side with wild, well-cared-for rivers. Chalk streams, because they are globally unique, should be our challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Find us online for lots of bonus content: www.countryfile.com<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photos: Oliver Edwards, Fergus Collins<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor Fergus Collins welcomes you to a Special issue this month<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":16142,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"3","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"3","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_3-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_3-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"Special-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"Special-2022","purple_external_id":"Special-2022-3-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"Special-2022-3-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000084056||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000084056||","purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.190","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.190","purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.190","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.190","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"91da22fd-9e7f-40d1-a93f-fc46e9516d91","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-05-12T08:50:33Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"be35bedf-e85f-4ffc-9455-8f783b535f4c","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-05-12T09:20:53Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AvjW-3-hfT_yUVY94O1NfTA","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[23],"tags":[14],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/05\/IMG_20201022_150852_preview.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/05\/IMG_20201022_150852_preview.jpg",1600,1200,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/05\/IMG_20201022_150852_preview-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/05\/IMG_20201022_150852_preview-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/05\/IMG_20201022_150852_preview-768x576.jpg",768,576,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/05\/IMG_20201022_150852_preview-1024x768.jpg",800,600,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/05\/IMG_20201022_150852_preview-1536x1152.jpg",1536,1152,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/05\/IMG_20201022_150852_preview.jpg",1600,1200,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Editor Fergus Collins welcomes you to a Special issue this month","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15749"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15749"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19290,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15749\/revisions\/19290"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}