Welcome to the summer issue of Exmoor Magazine!

Welcome to the summer magazine. To celebrate the season, we have packed this issue with bright and beautiful delights, from the natural wonders of Jane Mares’ ‘Small lives that shimmer’, to art imitating nature, in the form of Ian Cryer’s Oil Paintings for A Year on Exmoor.

A stroll around Somerset Cricket care of Stephen Edmonds lends us the summery sounds of friendlies being played out in village clubs, while Andy Stuthridge encourages us to cast our eyes upwards as he shares a second array of birdlife – this time mainly moorland species. Not only has our own Trevor Beer kindly complemented the photographs with an explanatory text for each bird, but Minehead artist Leo Davey has also produced a unique limited-edition print of the species in question to accompany the piece.

As well as many things winged, from ladybirds to nightjars, there is a strong, earthy element to the issue: Mel Roach meets an innovative couple who live in woods near Rackenford, where they run The Bulworthy Project making artisan charcoal, and there are herbs and more herbs - in Elaine Pearce’s Wellbeing article about Dr Gavin Haig and in our feature on herb farms. On or near the coast Tony James meets the salty sea dogs who are some of Watchet’s extensive liveaboard community, we head to Longlands Safari Lodges in North Devon for a night of luxury under canvas and nip into the Hood Arms at Kilve for lunch.

Our rural focus this issue belongs to shearing. Many readers will have known Albert Beer – a long-time friend of the magazine – and well-known farming figure. Very sadly, Albert passed away not long after we received his piece on shearing. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Albert’s family at this time.

Over on the Quantocks, exciting plans are afoot as the Friends of Quantock have taken over nearly 400 acres of the Quantock Hills from Somerset County Council. We hope that they get plenty of support; find out how you can help them on page 14 of the current issue. On our news pages this time, we also extend our congratulations to the many tourism businesses which have won awards of late (a small selection are mentioned in this issue), and we would like to wish local businesses across the whole area the best possible summer season.

Happy reading!

Naomi Cudmore, Editor

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